Smoky peat weaves seamlessly through aromas of vanilla sugar, candied citrus, ripe papaya, cocoa powder, and ocean spray; with water, the intensity of vanilla surges, balancing with the peat. Flavors of saltwater taffy, vanilla, mint, and pepper are swept up by savory peat, before darker notes of coffee bean, cocoa powder, and roasted nuts take over. The tide ebbs gently on the finish, leaving only impressions in the sand that stay long after the final sip. (1,440 bottles for U.S.) (Editors' Choice)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

This has Dickel’s distinctive oily grain aromas: It’s packed with corn and peanuts, and also sweet with brown-sugar oatmeal and maple candy. Add a little water and voila! Orange peel and Luxardo cherry appear, creating an instant Old Fashioned. The palate is chewy and full-bodied, pepped up with cinnamon and dried ginger, and lengthened by grape jelly, Coca-Cola, Corn Nuts, and dried cherries. A full and lengthy finish sings with ginger, peanuts, and chocolaty oak.  

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Enchanting and bursting with character: On the nose, vanilla cupcakes zested with lemon, sweet strawberries on angel food cake, blueberry-cinnamon syrup, toasted oats, and woodsy spices of cedar, sandalwood, and nutmeg. The full-bodied palate is alive with tropical and citrus fruits—kiwi, papaya, mango, pomelo, grapefruit, satsuma—but braced by a malty backbone, nutty and spiced. After all that excitement, the finish is practically sedate, calmly wrapping up with clean malt and a whiff of fruit. Water is a must to fully unlock the flavors. (114 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Sweet bakery notes jump off the nose: globs of vanilla, gooey chocolate brownies, wet walnuts, and almond cream. The whiskey further develops with aromas of incense oil, lemon curd, and new leather. On the palate there is an increased spiciness that really pops, supported by maple syrup and mint leaf. The finish is nutty with excellent length, showcasing maturity beyond the age statement. The bold flavor and big proof here benefit from a splash of water to bring a mosaic of flavors into better focus.

Reviewed by: Ted Simmons (Spring 2021)

The nose leans sweet with dulce de leche and dark berry jam, but it’s countered with dark chocolate, dried rose petals, and a faint whiff of talc. The palate is thick with raisins, figs, candied ginger, orange peel, Concord grape jelly, rose oil, cocoa, and peppery spice, while the lengthy finish has persistent white pepper, dried ginger, chocolate, and burnt citrus. Dense with flavor thanks to its total sherry-cask maturation; give it time to fully reveal its depths.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

A deft use of bordeaux casks beautifully showcases Glen Scotia’s inherent density and amplitude. Raspberry ripple ice cream with butterscotch sauce, strawberry jam, tiramisu, toffee, and cigar wrapper on the nose. The full, thick palate is sweet with raspberry and strawberry jam, black currants, candied ginger, and orange peel, tempered by dark chocolate, pecan pie, gingerbread spices, and a touch of tobacco. It remains mouth-filling on the finish, with jammy berries, orange oil, spices, salinity, and integrated oak.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Deeply complex from the start, with rich aromas of nuts, spice, cola, marzipan, vanilla frosting, and earthy leather and tobacco; with water, the maturity shows itself in the rancio note of solvent. Chewy and full-bodied in the mouth, with oodles of chocolate-covered nuts, coffee bean, cordial cherries, ground ginger, and white and black peppers. Water adds a light citrus note. The finish goes on for many minutes, still full in the mouth, with peppery and chocolaty oak dominating.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

A rich and fragrant nose of mince pie, baking spices, figs, cherry pie, sweetened ice tea, candle wax, and an earthy note of warehouse floor. The palate is dense and chewy, with rich flavors of chocolate-covered raspberries, cooked cherries, honeyed almonds, licorice, and black tea. Water unlocks more fruit notes, spice, and a hint of café au lait. The finish is lengthy, offering dark chocolate, allspice, licorice, and balanced oak.

Reviewed by: David Fleming (Spring 2021)

Sherry dominates the nose, rounding up stewed apples, dark caramel, raisins, dates, ground ginger, dark chocolate, and hazelnuts to go with the distillery’s characteristic tropical fruit aromas, the result of extra-long fermentation with wine yeast. A well-textured palate showcases the same mix of sherry cask and spirit character, with chocolate, baking spices, almond, pineapple, mango, pistachio, honey, and ginger. The finish’s coffee-tinged oak is sweetened by dark chocolate-dipped dried mango and pineapple.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

The port casks give an arresting nose of saline, like a tidal pool, but rich with raisins, figs, hazelnuts, brown sugar, and orange peel. Tart yuzu appears, a curiosity, but not unwelcome. The full-bodied palate is spicy, rich, sweet, and nutty, resplendent with baking spice, brown sugar, Coca-Cola, dark chocolate, candied orange peel, fig jam, and toasted pecans and hazelnuts. Gingersnaps, Italian hot chocolate, brown sugar-encrusted pecans, and polished oak on the finish.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Much to unpack on this well-structured bourbon, starting with the complex nose of gingerbread spices, dark chocolate, leather book bindings, roasted pecans, blackberry and raspberry preserves, and decadent brown sugar. The palate is tightly wound and needs patience to fully reveal its manifold flavors that range from dried cherries and roasted peanuts to lemon and orange peel, integrated baking spice, and marshmallow. It’s tied off neatly with chocolate-covered peanuts, citrus peel, and sweet oak.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

The nose immediately indicates the depth and complexity of this whisky: caramel, praline, Nutella, figs, raspberry jam, candied rose petal, Concord grape jelly, dark chocolate-dipped gingerbread, and leather book bindings all waft from the glass, and then appear at the first sip, buttressed by more spice, marmalade, pecans, coffee, and a touch of tobacco. The body is silky and pleasurable. It finishes with dried ginger, tobacco, mocha, and savory oak—nuanced and perfectly balanced.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Refined aromas of dried apricots, strawberries, peonies, candle wax, marzipan, graham cracker, candied ginger, and vanilla frosting carry through to the palate, which showcases sugared almonds, Raisinets, dried apricots, red berry jam, Fig Newtons, and savory tobacco. A few drops of water temper oak tannin. The finish is lengthy and complex, yet soft with orange marmalade, dark chocolate, coffee bean, dried cherries and ginger, and tobacco. There’s a lovely delicacy among layered complexity.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Icy cool clinical whisky with a precision delivery of peat smoke and icing sugar, vanilla, sponge cake, attractive spiciness, and a touch of mint on the nose. The mouthfeel is effervescent with fizzing spices, buckets of bourbon-cask sweetness, sugary vanilla, and a huge thrust of clove at full strength, becoming richer as the peat smoke blows through. Water coaxes out lime and clementine peel and a deeper, more rounded smoke. (2,109 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

Former master distiller Brian Nation’s final release has all the classic Midleton hallmarks, but this is on the spicier side, hinting at a greater pot still influence. Fresh and fragrant on the nose with green apple, glazed fudge doughnuts, vanilla, peppercorn, cinnamon, and nutmeg. American oak plays its part with toffee and vanilla flavors, while little explosions of pot still spices burst among fruity red apple and orange peel notes.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Spring 2021)

Pleasantly earthy cellar floor and cola spices weight the sweet aromas of butterscotch ripple ice cream, cherry pie, blackberry cobbler, and chocolate chip-blueberry pancakes. There’s equal breadth on the palate, with its well-integrated flavors spanning dark chocolate and roasted peanuts, lemon peel and leathery fruit skins, and savory-sweet oak. The finish is savory with coffee and roasted pecans, lifted by white pepper and dried ginger, and lengthened almost infinitely by savory oak. (1,309 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

Lush cooked dark fruit and dark chocolate aromas, mingling with baking spice, earthen floor, leather, and iced tea hint at what’s to come on the palate: chocolate-covered cherries, blackberry jam, a sweep of gingerbread spices, plus fresh mint and zesty dill, all with ample depth. There’s no end to the white pepper, mocha, leathery oak, dark chocolate, and candied ginger on the finish, which remains complex and rewarding long after the glass is empty. (2,439 bottles)

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)

The interplay of floral and sherried notes creates an elegance that other scotches surely envy: candied rose petal, dried orange peel and apricot, sugared almond, raisin, nougat, and dark chocolate on the nose, then candied violet, raisin, date, milk chocolate, dried ginger, candied orange peel, and gingerbread on the palate. The maturity shows in tropical fruit flavors and a deep, probing complexity. It finishes with chocolate, coffee, candied rose petal, and tobacco-laced oak. Seamless.

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Spring 2021)