This lives up to its name with leaf bonfire smoke, vanilla essence, and ginger preserves. Distiller David Fitt chooses malt peated to the same level as Port Ellen maltings delivers to Laphroaig. Assertive flavors of raw ginger, peppercorn, and chili flakes succumb to soothing vanilla cream and herbal notes. It leaves a creaminess on the lips and a mouth-coating finish of bonfire smoke and ground pepper. (480 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Was the short finish in Château La Louvière casks from Bordeaux’s Pessac-Léognan appellation sufficient to impact this peaty whisky? A gorgeous color with a nose of sooty, charcoal intensity, hints of chocolate, vanilla pod, clove, and peppercorn. Flavors of cherry, rhubarb, orange peel, and plums, speckled with aniseed, pepper, clove, and licorice indicate cask influence. Suggestions of menthol and peppermint, before a smoky finish with licorice and bitter chocolate. (20,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Aged in bourbon wood, then finished in an oloroso sherry cask. The result is a whisky with a nutty nose, plus sultanas, figs, vanilla, and background sherry, becoming more floral in time. Full-bodied on the palate, with sweet sherry notes, ginger, and cinnamon, and developing raisin and prune notes. The finish is long, with spicy coffee and blackberries. (Cask no. 900160)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

A single cask, cask strength whisky finished in a first-fill bourbon barrel. The initial nose is slightly earthy, with walnuts, Juicy Fruit gum, vanilla, and ripe peach notes in time. Full, sweet fruit notes on the palate, peaches in syrup, overripe pineapple, with milk chocolate, fudge, and nutmeg. The finish is medium in length and perennially spicy, with aniseed notes. (Cask no. 170)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

An alluring and inviting nose promises sweet tea, mint, dill, and a full Thanksgiving dessert spread. The palate delivers, with flavors of blueberry crumble, cherry tart, and candied ginger. The juicy spice is counterbalanced by oak that’s slightly too bitter and tannic, with notes of dry walnuts and chili powder. But a warm, spicy, and rounded finish helps bring the whiskey home. Empire rye

Reviewed by: Adam Polonski (Spring 2018)

A perfumed nose of lilac, mint, orange flower water, and powdery Sweethearts candy introduces this pretty whiskey, as distinctive tangerine citrus meets papaya and tropical flavors. The malty palate is broad, sweet, and pure, delivering some bubble gum and confectionery notes. Very enjoyable, and almost juicy in its fruit bomb of flavors.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2018)

A deeper corn note than White, the Oaxacan black corn retains a firm nugget of sweetness, aromas of banana skins and dusty earth. To sip, it’s creamy, cool, and refreshing, with light mandarin flavors, gingerbread, corn fritters, vanilla, and peppery heat from the French oak cask. The finish has gentle warmth, with root ginger and kernels of roasted corn. Distinctive and highly promising.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

This Cognac cask-finished whiskey has light, airy aromas of vanilla cream, heather honey, golden syrup, flaked coconut, and whole orange. Baked pastries and tangy orange precede a mid-palate spice rush, with grapefruit flavors building through a lengthy, spicy finish. Several sourced Irish whiskeys use local water to cut down to bottling strength; Lambay uses water drawn from the island’s Trinity Well.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Think cherries—they dominate the nose over earth, oak, and blueberries. Then it’s leather, tobacco, cigar box, and burnt pie crust edges. Finally, two notes become one, as cherry pie, with hints of rhubarb and cola. It sets itself up to be a prime whiskey, but the notes just fall off on a short finish. If only the backbone held up, this could be remarkable stuff.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2018)

The high-alcohol strength is apparent on the nose, which is dominated by pepper, clove, and star anise spices. A mouth-drawing concoction that begins softly, with honey, orange, and apple peel, then grows in scale at the expense of the sweetness. There’s a takeover by root ginger and bitter fruit skins. The long-lasting finish reverberates with crackling spices and sour fruits. (1,140 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

Distilled in 2012, this was aged in casks sourced from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Quite reticent on the early nose, with developing strawberries, vanilla custard, new oak, and subtle smoke. The palate offers smoky red wine notes, with ashy peat, spices, and tingling black pepper becoming more apparent. Sweet cherry fruitiness lingers in the relatively long finish with prickly spices.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

It begins with corn pudding, savory and sweet, developing into cornbread, cookie dough, and tapioca pudding. This is followed by cinnamon bread, raw walnut, and malt. Around mid-palate, a dominating spice kicks in. This spice remains toward the finish, where the cinnamon just pleasantly sits there. Fun sipper.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2018)

The nose opens with brine, fresh pine, sage, and sweet antiseptic. Peat, ginger, black pepper, lime, and lemon notes develop in time. Citrus fruits, caramel, and a peat-fueled barbecue on the palate, with background dark berries. The finish is medium in length, warming, and spicy, with plain chocolate and drying, crumbly peat. (Cask no. 13; 275 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

Heady with spring blossoms, mixed peel, cantaloupe, green banana, and taffy candy, with a fine thread of spices running through it. A hesitant opening, it wallows in gentle apple and orange before a strong tangerine streak appears, the mouthfeel becoming weightier, drawing through flavors of peppery herbal salad leaves and vanilla cream. The spices take the lead from then on, the fruit fading quickly in the peppery afterglow. (1,440 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2018)

A true American single malt; the impression of new charred barrels distinguishes this from its Old World counterparts, while the creamed honey, caramel, and candied nuts keep the wood in check. On the palate, the wood influence delivers big vanilla and hints of smoky char, coupled with nicely concentrated flavors of Turkey Golden table syrup, fruit, and spice. A nice rendition of New World single malt, showing proof and gusto.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2018)

The concentration here is impressive, as dates and raisins meet leathery oak that smells of a dusty tack shop, joined by some lovely cinnamon, clove, and spearmint. The intensity on the rich palate is face-melting, hot, and muscular. Sweet flan, caramel corn, and vivid spice succumb to a finish built for oak lovers, drying and a bit tannic, bringing the molten sweet flavors to an end too soon.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Spring 2018)

Starting with floral, fruit, and perfume notes, its prominent bouquet barely allows the undertones of honeysuckle, spice, and oak to shine through. On the palate, honey, canned peaches, tobacco, and crème brûlée lead the way just before an explosion of vanilla layers the palate in the form of cake batter, icing, and a white fudge-dipped Oreo. However, bitterness sets in, causing a slight unbalance and lingers toward the medium finish.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Spring 2018)

This was aged in a refill American oak hogshead, as was the 1981 expression. Like that variant, it has pineapple and lemon on the nose and also yields milk chocolate, green apples, and fresh-sawn wood. Smooth, full, and sweet on the palate, again with very ripe tropical fruits, plus apple pie. The finish is medium in length; quite austere.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)