91 points
Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old, 40%
A torchbearer for scotch whisky, this tangles creaminess with peat smoke, mixes toffee with vanilla, tumbles raisin with fig, and integrates smoke with fresh citrus and red apple. Creamy caramels with soft toffee drizzled over marmalade, vanilla sweetness balanced with a little oak, and layers of raisin, Braeburn apple, and sultana, permeated with smoke. It turns out that the liquid inside the world’s most recognizable whisky bottle is exceedingly good.
Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2022)
Honey, vanilla, lemon, and hints of lime and grapefruit on a sublime and pretty nose, with additional notes of cooked pears, marzipan, and freshly sliced apples. A smooth and very pleasant mouthfeel on a palate of vanilla cream, chocolate-covered caramel, fresh baked cookies, shortbread, and light spice. Excellent length on the finish, with more superb vanilla sweetness and light fruit. A light and delicate dram; fresh, gentle, and supremely sippable. (6,000 bottles)
Fresh orange, raspberry, caramel candy corn, cotton candy, and lemon aromas, with a hint of fresh banana. On the palate, smooth, spiced, and fruity, with notes of candied watermelon, cherry hard candy, and overall candied sweetness, with a dash of pepper spice. The finish is smooth, with muted sweetness and fruit notes of raspberry sorbet—spicy but well-textured and of medium length, with a great veneer of softness and emerging spice.
A daring experiment, reversing the maturation sequence to incorporate a five-year finish in first-fill bourbon, this amber-gold liquid has vanilla custard, honey, candied peel, crème caramel, toasted coconut shreds, and whipped egg white on the nose. Rich, soothing, and still swathed in sherry notes, it basks in vanilla, Seville orange, banana muffin, crème caramel, and green melon flavors, plus sweet oranges speckled with sherry.
With its heavyweight aromas and thick creamy mouthfeel, this wonderful debut of the Nikka Discovery Series offers an unconventional glimpse into whisky making at Yoichi, and it’s a journey worth following. Golden syrup pancakes, citrus peel, vanilla, egg custard with nutmeg, and fresh barley aromas precede dense layers of fruit and cream on the palate, with nectarine, apricot, marzipan fruits, crystalized citrus, nippy pepper, caramel, vanilla, and a bright zesty finish. (2,820 bottles for the U.S.)
This cask-strength Ledaig has a lot to say for itself: aromatic peat smoke, coal sacks, griddled bacon fat, green olives, slabs of cut peat, ozone, salty meat rubs, and a little barley sweetness. Quite tempestuous: Clove and pepper send shockwaves through the initial peat smoke, infused with a fruit medley of lemon, lychee, melon, and lime. The finish leaves you mulling over milky caramels, dark fruit, chocolate, and smoke. (178 bottles)
A grain whisky from a silent distillery, with a nose of toffee, maple syrup, a heady buzz of oak spices, and a dry nuttiness, accompanied by notes of keemun tea, high-cocoa chocolate, and polished antique oak furniture. It’s a mellow and chill drinking experience, with a lovely oak influence—though not over oaked—and flavors of maple syrup, pepper, nutty toffee, vanilla pod, baked pear, brown sugar, and pecan cookies. (283 bottles)
A blend of three bourbons—7, 11, and 17 years old—for a layered whiskey bursting with flavor. The nose is rich and chocolaty, with banana, honey bun, and toasted oats. There’s a lovely blend of lavender, lilac, and mint singing harmony. The palate is honeyed, with semi-sweet chocolate, berry compote, and ample baking spices. The finish is strong, with long-lasting candied orange and spicy honey.
Plenty of complexity, with marmalade, vanilla, and dried apricot on the nose, plus an undercurrent of curry spices, red chiles, and black pepper. That baked orange note shines through on the palate, with vanilla sponge, marmalade, and brown sugar, until black pepper begins to dominate, leaving thick, velvety melted chocolate in its wake, then a short dry finish. You can fast-forward to the chocolate part by adding water. (268 bottles)
Honeycomb, vanilla fudge, pancakes with syrup, a hint of coconut, plus new leather and very mature and fragrant oak. On the palate, deep fruit flavors of grape jelly and strawberries, vanilla cream, a sprinkling of coconut, bitter chocolate, and peppery spice. The finish is long, spiced, and filled with chocolate ice cream, chocolate layer cake, cocoa powder, and spiced oak. Full and rich, with pleasant spice on the finish. (9.600 bottles)
This comes at you full on, though it’s more about the wood than the single pot still. First impressions are savory and spicy with roasted sweet chestnuts, marron glacé, malt, a little mash tun funk, blackened spices, clove, licorice, pecan, warm leather, and treacle. Bramble, black currant, and forest honey, chewing through flavors of clove, pepper, Brazil nut, cola, and savory oak, with a hint of mint chocolate to finish. (6,600 bottles for the U.S.)
Plentiful citrus on the nose—lemony and bright, showing sweet notes of manuka honey, maple syrup, and custard. The palate is honeyed and smooth, with vanilla and buttered French toast, but it’s also spiced and offers dark-chocolate mint and coffee. A mid-length finish has overtones of orange peel, vanilla milkshake, and spice. Very balanced and delicious overall, perhaps only slightly lacking in length and depth. (3,000 bottles)
An appetizing nose of cherry pie, raspberry sorbet, and a sweet citrusy note of lemon meringue pie, along with hints of grapefruit, orange oil, and oak. The palate is almost overpowering, but does offer blueberry pie, quince, allspice, brown sugar, chocolate, banana, and spice. This is a hot and muscular whiskey, so water is definitely recommended. Overall, it’s a big, earthy, oak-laden expression with age, spice, and flavor.
Buttery and soft on the nose, with a hint of pancakes and maple syrup, clove, and brown sugar. A smooth palate offers peanut brittle, French toast, vanilla ice cream, and orchard fruits, balanced against peppercorn spice and subtle oak. The finish is long and creamy, bringing out maple syrup sweetness, milk chocolate, and a light touch of red fruit, set against oak and earthiness. The smoothness and balance are noteworthy. (3,000 bottles)
Spice and oak on the nose, along with melted caramel, crème brûlée, and milk chocolate. Loads of heat on a palate of cinnamon, butterscotch, mince pie, and baking spices galore. Water is absolutely required, and brings out sweet notes of coffee cake, blackberry jam, and bitter chocolate, along with leather and toasted oak. A spicy finish of bitter chocolate and black coffee. Overpowering, but with a solidly built profile behind the high proof.
Up front, this whiskey is ripe and bright, showing pears, grape juice, and a light tropicality on the nose. The in-your-face fruit notes are held in check by a light spicy smokiness and faint but present honey. The palate doubles down on spice, delivering cinnamon candies with a dusty and earthy kiss of smoke. The finish is spice-forward with more cinnamon and a light dried herb character. (1,800 bottles)
Lively, aromatic, and grain-forward, with bright notes of red fruits, black currant, and roasted caraway seeds. Lots of depth on the palate, with baked raspberry and blackberry notes. It’s hot and spicy, but water quells it without losing the spice explosion, red berry notes, and roasted rye. Warm and more mellow on the finish, with excellent integration of oak, coffee, and bitter chocolate. Spice and tartness, with ably balanced fruit.