Bladnoch master distiller Ian MacMillan’s blend is worth seeking out for its appealing freshness; green apple, caramel, shaved oak, toasted whole-grain bread, warm pastries, and dried peels. The palate is awash with bright flavors of honey, walnut, barley sugar, gingerbread in custard, orange taffy candy, and a little spice. It squeezes out more juicy peel oils the more you taste. The conclusion has sweet honey, gingerbread crumbs, and a citrus intensity.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Honeysuckle, dandelions, and roses start this floral superhighway that takes a brief turn toward grain in many forms, from baked breads to boiling oats. Then earth and fruit meet for a delightful combination that walks toward the sweeter side, with hints of caramel chew, vanilla cake batter, pecan pie, chocolate-covered raisins, cassis, black currant, and povitica. Its long finish introduces a lovely roasted walnut note. (Less than 10,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2018)

A captivating nose presents hints of polished leather shoes and clean oak. Less sweet than expected, Entrapment goes straight to long-evolved high esters, dried figs and dates, green fruits, and soaring fruity floral notes. Its spicy finish lasts forever. This very complex and tightly integrated whisky has all the woody, acetone-like glories of long-aged scotches. Then finally, some barley sugar, but only after sitting long in the glass.

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Spring 2018)

The nose is complex, with almonds, coconut, soft leather, tropical fruits, and stewed black tea. Hints of brine and peat appear. The palate is rounded and rich, with more tropical fruits, sherry, caramel, pipe tobacco, wood smoke, and spicy tannins. The finish is relatively long and creamy, with lingering smokiness. All the classic Springbank elements merge nicely here.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

Peatheads, listen up! Yes, there’s pine needles, zested lemons, honey, sanded wood, nutmeg, and cinnamon within this Islay-dominated blend, but it’s the billowing peat smoke that makes this special. It reeks gloriously of stacked fish boxes and heavy braided ropes on the pier. The dark fruit, baked lemons, cherry, clove, and cooked plum face entanglement in a labyrinth of shadowy stygian smoke. You could get lost in here for hours. (15,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Matured in American oak in the private cellar of this Dublin bar, this flaunts zested lemons, a fine layer of honey, orange segments, and sanded oak. It’s splendidly floral, but reassuringly not perfumed. Sweet, smooth caramels, oranges, spicy pepper, and gingerbread, though the spices never overstep the mark. Develops with concentrated citrus, vanilla fudge, and chocolate orange and slips down effortlessly. Soothing, relaxing, and perfectly matured.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Originally filled into 22 third-fill bourbon casks, this 32 year old was re-casked into first-fill bourbon barrels in 2012, then finished in French oak wine barrels. Fresh peaches on the nose, with vanilla fudge, honey, and ginger. Fruity and spicy on the luscious palate, with orange, cinnamon, and coconut. Long in the finish, with ever-present fruitiness, plus prickly chili notes. (4,200 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

Bright citrus, zested lime, grapefruit peel, crystalized fruits, malted biscuits, and oak, overlaid with dry spice notes of nutmeg and cinnamon bark. A creamy, malty palate yields to an initial spicy base layer. When the spices step aside, there is dried orange, fudge sweetness, and chocolate orange. Tangy, concentrated orange, with spices fraying from the edges completes the finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

This 23 year old expression was released for the Ardbeg Committee. It includes whisky matured in sherry and bourbon casks. Sweet asphalt, bonfire smoke, lemon sponge drizzled in iodine, and background cinnamon on the nose. Succulent, sherried, and chocolate-coated orchard fruits on the oily palate, with vanilla and sweet peat. The peat dries slowly in the finish, with developing licorice, kippers, and peppery oak

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

It’s quite a tick list for their first single malt: 100% locally grown floor-malted barley, long fermentations, unusual yeast strains, innovative distillation cuts, and bourbon and shave-toast-rechar red wine casks. Honey, sugar-sprinkled shortbread, peach tarts, marzipan fruits, glacé apricot, finely shredded citrus peel, and young pink rhubarb. Flavors of heather honey, chili flakes, Christmas spices, caramelized sugar, malt; then marmalade, dried red fruits, and cappuccino. A great all-rounder. More please! (960 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

This Pedro Ximénez-finished blend is the oldest Dewar’s expression available. It offers a deliciously deep nose of chocolate-dipped biscuits, dried fruits, and orange peel. The palate includes indulgent rewards of berry fruit, chocolate praline, raspberry, cherry, dried cranberry, and hazelnut. It remains succulent throughout, the sherry fruit keeping the upper hand over the chocolate and batting away the occasional coffee note. A dry finish with nutty chocolate and roasted spice. (Global Travel Retail only)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

This is much more muscular than the regular, un-haunted Blue Label. It delivers a multitude of flavors—butter toffee, sweet smoke, citrus peel, and dry spices—tantalizingly peeling off layer after layer, building a slow crescendo to a peak of spices and bitter citrus. Mouth drawing with caramel, apple, pear, and sherbet, a mid-palate of zesty orange and baking spices before topping out with bitter peels, grapefruit, smoke, and sour hard candy.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series continues with this expression, finished for up to 6 months in ice wine casks sourced from Peller Estates winery in Ontario, Canada. Concentrated aromas of canned peaches in syrup, vanilla, and clotted cream. Silky on the palate, with a carryover of peaches from the nose and succulent blood oranges. The finish is medium in length, slowly drying, but fruity to the end. (7,800 bottles in U.S.)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

A great discussion whiskey for a themed tasting, this has a comforting nose of vanilla, malt, barley sugar, and creamed-coconut macaroons, with hints of nutmeg and grated chocolate. The palate brings fruity satsuma, barley sugar, and an explosion of pepper, ginger, and licorice. The tangy citrus subsides, replaced by ground almond and stewed rhubarb. Dry heat and hot pepper finish that makes you feel like you could breathe fire. (Cask no. 504; 278 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

From Calistoga, California to County Cork, this zinfandel-finished whiskey has bramble, damson jam, red apple, and glacé cherry, with cake mix, flaked almonds, and a steel-tipped edge of spice. Red apple, lemon peel, pithy orange, and crunchy red apple, teasing spice, with just a suggestion of mint mingled into the dry, spicy finish. First Saint-Julien, then Napa; where will Green Spot take our taste buds next?

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Matured in a combination of oloroso sherry butts filled in 2008, and bourbon barrels filled in 2008 and 2009. The nose is initially flinty, with lemongrass, fabric Band-Aids, fudge, and vanilla. Ultimately the lemon is joined by Jaffa orange juice. Supple and sweet on the palate, with developing nutmeg and white pepper. Peppery in the finish, with plain chocolate and aromatic peat smoke. (840 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

This 39 year old was matured in a single refill American hogshead. Orange Jujubes on the early nose, with vanilla, honey, and linseed. Big, sweet, soft fruit notes on the palate, with pipe tobacco and a hint of background peat smoke. Aniseed and ginger develop, along with the merest hint of old oak in the persistently fruity finish. £1,250; Not available in the U.S. (225 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

This expression was distilled in December 1986 and filled into seven oloroso sherry butts. In 2012 the whisky was transferred to Pedro Ximénez butts for finishing. The nose yields sultanas, figs, old leather, and white pepper. Very sweet fruit notes on the palate, almost sugary, with background rich sherry, dates, and treacle. Long and warming in the finish, with a wisp of smoke and fruit spices. (4,200 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)