Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product not shown. Part of an annual line of limited editions designed to celebrate 'perfect pairings' and harmonious flavour profiles, 'Rich Cacao' is also a collaboration with world-renowned pastry chef Jordi Roca (of 3 Michelin star fame at El Celler de Can Roca). Specifically tailored to pair with fine chocolates, crafted from a combination of European and American oak casks with a 'zero-waste' approach, it is a homage to the cacao plant in its entirety. The gift box is made using discarded cacao pod husks and is 100% recyclable. 44% Alc./Vol.

Rumoured to be discontinued, prices are already jumping abroad. Best buy now while Australia is still catching up! Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product not pictured. The 12 year old blended malt sourced from two of Nikka's distilleries, Yoichi and Miyagikyo, named after the company's founder, Masataka Taketsuru. An NAS (no age statement) Taketsuru bottling has recently been released (2016) in Australia at an increased price.

Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product not shown. Following on from the duo of Rich Cacao and Fine Cacao comes the second instalment in Macallan's limited annual series. 'Intense Arabica' and 'Smooth Arabica' are said to be influenced by the Ethiopian Arabica coffee bean. Both special malts exude flavours of sweet oak, tiramisu and dark chocolate and reportedly provide a delightful whisky and coffee pairing experience. The story goes that Chief Whisky Maker, Steven Bremner wanted to create an expression that would pair perfectly with an espresso, so he worked with a group of caffeinated experts including Ethiopian grower Kenean Asefa Dukamo, Scottish roaster Lisa Lawson and acclaimed American barista Andrea Allen. “Exploring the world of coffee with our masters in the industry, who shared their knowledge, creativity, and love for their art, was both an education and an inspiration,” says Bremner. “There are many parallels between the approach to creating incomparable whisky and coffee. Each requires unique skills and craftsmanship to achieve depth and complexity of taste and both worlds aim to deliver an extraordinary consumption experience.” Each whisky was aged in a combination of American and European oak casks but have different accents. As the name suggests, Smooth Arabica brings a creamy, silky character to Macallans malt, retaining the dark spice and heavy fruit we've come to expect. Also one for the collectors to complete the set. Drawing inspiration from a connection to the natural world, the distinctive packaging incorporates organic by-products and gives them new life. These are made partially from repurposed coffee bean husks, created by Italian paper mill, Favini. Very limited stocks.

For almost 200 years, the Glenlivet has defined the taste of Speyside. Now, from the single malt that started it all comes a rare collection of single cask editions. Each edition possesses a distinctive character and unique history, but all share the exceptional quality and signature smoothness of the Glenlivet. The Glenlivet Glencuie 16 Year Old was drawn from a single cask. It was bottled in 2016 with only 234 bottles produced, The nose is very fruity with notes of fresh pineapple and pear juice coming through balanced by toasted almonds and custard. The palate is flattering, sweet and fruit with pair, spicy caramel and hints of bitter orange. A sweet and smooth finish with continued notes of nuts and caramel.

Classic Speyside Distillery, Balvenie have blended some of their rarest reserve whiskies and aged them for 21 long years. In the final few months of the ageing process, the whisky is transferred to port casks, or pipes, to impart a luscious, creamy and silken character. The whisky is tasted regularly by the Balvenie Malt Master to impart just the perfect amount of flavour to further enhance those honey and spice notes that give way to a long, gentle and nutty finish.

Jim Murray's Japanese Whisky of the Year for 2022. The small-scale craft (or Ji) whiskies from Kurayoshi have been impressive. Blenders here often combine malt whisky from Scotland with locally produced whisky. This is not an uncommon practice in Japan, and the exact breakdown typically remains undisclosed. There have been several strong reviews for the 18 YO (see below). One can't help noticing the similarity in packaging to Suntory's Yamazaki 18...

Part of the coveted Stories range. The Edge of Burnhead Wood celebrates the pastoral tale of how The Balvenie craftsmen experimented with the distillerys natural resources to find the perfect match between fresh heather and barley. The expression, which is made from locally sourced ingredients found in the distillery grounds home-grown barley malted at The Balvenie Maltings, water from the natural springs on the estate, and fresh heather from Burnhead Wood retains the familiar robust Balvenie taste, with a delicate fruitiness, as well as notes of light spice and juicy fruits. Drinkers can listen to the story behind the creation of The Edge of Burnhead Wood via a specially recorded podcast series by the curators of the liquid. They can access this audio content via a QR code on the bottle, that can be activated using their smartphones

Matured in a combination of the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for a minimum of 21 years, the Parliament continues the great GlenDronach tradition of offering fruit-laden intensity in its single malts. This rich expression has been named Parliament after the colony, or parliament, of rooks that have been nesting in the trees that overlook the GlenDronach distillery for almost 200 years. Bottled at 48%, the Parliament is non chill filtered and of natural colour.