Compared to Asyla, this has noticeable added richness, fruit, and spice. The nose brings apple danish, creamy custard, honey, citrus peel, and the fragrance of lightly toasted spices. Against a core of rich, tangy fruits, a spicy partnership of pepper and clove manifests under the tongue, stealthily curls around the sides, and storms the palate. The mouth-coating finish drips with mandarin and cooked apple pierced by clove.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2018)

The Cooney family opened the Boann Distillery in Ireland’s Boyne Valley in 2016. A little maturity and oloroso finishing fills this whiskey with a more sophisticated air, bringing red fruits, pecan cookies, orange, apple, pear, and some dry, peppery spices. The palate has good weight and a lovely balance; caramel sweetness, orange, crystalized pineapple, butterscotch, and pepper, with a hint of bitter lemon on the finish.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2018)

On the nose, cherry tart baked over a fireplace: rich red fruit with a whiff of soot and some chalky minerality. A lot of warmth on the palate, with biscotti, almond, toffee, and warm caramel apple topped with sweet vanilla cream, and chocolate ganache on the side. Good, creamy texture, with some sharp peppery tinges. A 9 year old Tennessee bourbon selected by and bottled for Doc’s Wine, Spirits and More in Memphis, Tennessee. (152 bottles)

Reviewed by: Adam Polonski (Summer 2018)

Get back to nature; this is a whisky to savor during a spectacular sunrise. Lychee, edamame, pea shoots, green apple, and morning dew on lush lawns. As it warms and wakes up, there are hints of orange and some piquant spice. The taste jumps from lemongrass to lemon candies, with melon, mild peppercorn, gentle vanilla, creamy oak, and a few green notes at the end.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2018)

This is just a delight; a real flavor giver. A wave of honey sweeps along aromas of creamy vanilla, white peach, fresh citrus peel, white pepper, cinnamon stick, and milk chocolate. It starts delicately with melon, light grape, and vanilla, swells with citrus acidity and creamy caramel, ramping up to toffee, darker fruits, chocolate, Fruit Pastilles, and a little oak. The finish is mouth-clinging, with vanilla and spice.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2018)

Matured in a mixture of oloroso sherry, bourbon, and virgin oak casks. Honey, vanilla, and tropical fruits on the spicy, aromatic nose, with just a hint of oak. The honey and vanilla carry over to the palate, where they are joined by peaches, drinking chocolate, and subtle sherry. The finish dries steadily, with long-lasting citrus fruit. A stylish, complex dram.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2018)

Initially it’s a nut-filled experience with toasted walnuts, pecans, and Brazil nuts, but an atypical spice appears that’s just lovely. Smoked hatch chiles mingle with rounded notes of cinnamon, créme brûlée, Bananas Foster, orange, canned peaches, caramel chew, and toffee. The pepper spices reappear for a grand finish.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Summer 2018)

Ovaltine, Whoppers, worn leather, antique furniture, medjool dates, and black fruits on the nose. Sipping this whisky is an unexpected delight. Given the olfactory cues of advanced maturity, it’s surprisingly nimble and still light on its toes. A charming opening of crumble filling with red currant, cranberry, raspberry, and strawberry, joined by apple, pear, and sultana, with peppery spice. Chili heat and spicy finish. (Batch 6; 2,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2018)

A heavily peated whisky finished in a single rum cask. Very smoky with a lot of heat, but a balanced depth. Quite meaty on the palate. Heather honey, supple leather, English peppercorn sauce, and salted vanilla wafers, with incense hanging in the air. Charred apple skins and red berry fruit keep this from being out of balance. Boysenberry, lavender, and smoke on the finish. Very forceful, but complex and intriguing. If beefeaters didn’t already have a drink, they’d probably drink this. (360 bottles; U.S. only)

Reviewed by: Adam Polonski (Summer 2018)

The ninth release in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series was matured fully in American oak barrels that previously contained rye whiskey. A reticent early nose: melon and a hint of lemon, then warm, oily cereal notes and honey develop. Initially fruity on the palate, with ripe banana, then slightly earthy, with nutty spice and cocoa powder. Zesty spices in the finish, drinking chocolate, and youthful oak.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2018)

This includes whisky distilled in 2006, 2007, and 2008, and matured in a mixture of bourbon, oloroso, and virgin oak casks. Honey, apple blossom, ginger, and nutmeg on the nose, which then exhibits damp tweed, and finally, hot butter. Sweet on the full palate, with milk chocolate, honey, ripe peaches, almonds, vanilla, and caramel. Quite long in the finish, with zesty apple notes.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2018)

This dials up the aromas so high it could freshen up a stadium. After a riot of bright fruits, paradise slice, nutmeg, cinnamon, dates, and raisin, the palate becomes awash with apple and rose hip, though the strength makes it a wild ride, the tongue is conquered into submission. Diluted, it shines with vanilla sponge cake, plum, malt, and spicy nutmeg. Beautiful whiskey, just needs to be pegged back a bit. €65

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2018)

Of the three Singleton bottlings, Dufftown is aimed at European markets, Glen Ord at Asia, and Glendullan at the U.S. The oldest expression in the Singleton of Glendullan stable, this boasts a nose of brittle toffee, dried fruits, and new leather. Nutty toffee, drinking chocolate, banana split, and coconut on the smooth, soft palate. Peppery almonds in the slowly drying finish. Good value for the money!

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2018)

This radiant, refreshing whisky offers creamy fudge, light vanilla, fresh apple, peach, and biscuit notes on the nose, demonstrating the generosity of the American oak. In the mouth, it’s luscious, balanced, and mouth-coating, with sweet honey, lemon peel, lime zest, and aromatic spices, fattening out briefly before becoming soft as suede, riffing on vanilla, melon, and lemon biscuits. Dry finish with vanilla cream and soft fruits.

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Summer 2018)

Toasted oak, coffee, cola, molasses, and campfire smoke linger over a French bakery and baking spices that are both interesting and appealing. Then chocolate, hazelnut, and nutmeg dominate in a dessert-style treat that later introduces custard, banana cream pie, and candy corn. Almond butter appears for the long finish.(Bottled in winter 2017; Kentucky only)

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Summer 2018)

A lovely balance of oak, clove, and sweetness come together on the nose, while the flavor shows both big impact and refinement. Oak-driven in style, with plenty of tannins and tobacco leaf, but the sweetness and structure stand up, pouring flavors of pecan, caramelized nuts, and toasted spices, with hints of pine before the persistent finish. A very solid and nicely polished bourbon.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Summer 2018)

Every now and then, Canadian Club dips into its massive reserves to release a longer-aged version of its core 1858 edition. After an initial hit of toffee, a well-defined woody framework supports signature Canadian Club pruney notes, clean grain, and peppery rye. Brown sugar, unsweetened cereal, and hints of barn boards in the middle follow an inviting crispness, enhanced by mild oak tannins and accented by floral top notes. (Canada only) $60 CAD

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Summer 2018)

Chocolate, vanilla cream fried pie, and herbs offer insight into this opening round of a fabulous whiskey. Cornbread, pecan pie, roasted walnuts, and chocolate-flavored coffee hit mid-palate, followed by cinnamon roll, pumpkin spice, and mint. But the finish falls slightly short, only offering a hint of caramel.

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Summer 2018)