An unusual age statement is inspired by Alfred Barnard's visit to the distillery in 1887 which became part of his book, “The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom”. According to Diageo Director of Whisky Outreach, Dr. Nick Morgan, “At the end of the tour, he was given a taste of the whisky…he tasted an eight-year-old Lagavulin, which, of course, remember at the time was actually quite old…whiskies were considered to be venerable once they got around six years old in the 19th Century,” Morgan said in an interview with www.whiskycast.com. “He declared that whisky to be exceptionally fine, so our mission with this bottling was to find an exceptionally fine eight-year-old liquid which we thought Barnard would quite like if he were to be back here tasting it today.” Tasting note: Very pale straw gold showing considerable legs. Powerful and complex aromas include cocoa, sea spray, white pepper, dilute Elastoplast and lanolin followed by hints of citrus zest. Several minutes air contact accents the latent malt as well as dark chocolate. Concentrated but also surprisingly soft; almost creamy with grassy malt and a juicy vanilla, kelp and peppermint finish that goes long into the aftertaste. A departure from the 16, but terrific young malt. 48% Alc./Vol.

This Limeburners is matured in second fill bourbon barrels and finished in very old, small sherry cask. Exhibiting spice and fruit aromas when neat, a splash of water unleashes malted barley, aromas of sherry and vanilla with hints of honey, raisins and buttery caramel. 43% Alc./Vol.

“The elemental opposite of the sophisticated Lord of the Isles.” Perched on a wave washed, rocky headland, the Ardbeg distillery was founded in 1815 by the MacDougalls of Ardbeg. The distilleries scattered white washed buildings are reminiscent of a Dutch settlement and add to the dramatic coastal landscape. Ardbeg has had a chequered history and in recent times had been closed down for many years. Glenmorangie acquired Ardbeg in 1997 and has set about restoring the distillery to its former glory. First launched in 2003, “Uigeadail” (the loch from which all Ardbeg water flows) this cask strength, heavily peated Ardbeg is produced from a mix of bourbon casks and older sherry casks. The combination gives this whisky a velvety texture, with a sweet and smokey finish. Tasting notes: Bright gold appearance. Big, sweet sherry influenced nose offers dried apricot and marmalade scents over menthol and sweet cedar smoke. Some ripe green apple notes emerge with time in the glass. The palate is off dry with a rich, dark chocolate entry becoming heavier and fudge-like with orange chocolate, sweet cereal and the peat continually reinventing itself - at once dry and sooty, then tarry and finally kippery on the finish. Excellent balance at cask strength. Boiled lolly and spice aftertaste with a subtle spearmint fade. Latest batch tasted October 2010.

The entry level 'Distillery Select' Series sits beneath Kavalan's existing 'Solist' and 'Rare Sherry' whiskies and comes presented in a bottle shape inspired by Taiwan’s architectural pride, Taipei 101 - one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. Each whisky in the range is created to showcase a different facet of Kavalan’s character. For this second expression, the Master Distiller emphasises floral and herbal notes.

"So consistent is the Laphroaig 10, that this is one of the whiskies I test myself each day with to check that my nose and palate are on song". 95 points - Jim Murray 2022 From the remote island of Islay in the Western Isles of Scotland. Laphroaig, pronounced 'La-froyg', is a Gaelic word meaning 'the beautiful hollow by the broad bay'. The full history of Laphroaig seems to be lost in the mists of time. It's clear that the Irish had been distilling on Islay for many years and that the locals picked up the skills when they left, but because it was illegal the small stills on the farms were rarely discussed - just a nod and a wink in the right direction!What is known, is that the family called the Johnstons started farming there around 1800, and that soon after messers Charles and Willie Doig were asked to do some 'work on a distillery' at Laphroaig. By 1815 Laphroaig's reputation had spread and the tax man was getting suspicious so they 'officially' established 'Johnston & Johnston' - the legend of Laphroaig had begun. Laphroaig is a malt to either love or hate. Full of the smoke and iodine, seaweed character Islay has become famous for, it has spurred some commentators to describe it as 'mouthwash', 'hospital gauze' or at best, 'medicinal'. Suffice to say, this is not a whisky for the faint hearted. Take Laphroaig neat like a stalwart, or with a splash of soft water. Roll it around on your tongue, release the pungent earthy aroma of blue peat smoke, the sweet nuttiness of the barley, the delicate, heathery perfume of Islay's stream and either swallow or spit. The final judgment on Laphroaig must always be left to the individual. Tasting note: Brassy gold. Seems a little tamer than previous incarnations, earthier too with a farmyard edge. Less iodine / elastoplast than before, more peppermint, baked citrus, kipper and lanolin, creaming up towards the finish, trailling off with hints of Fisherman’s Friend. 40% Alc./Vol.

Almost four years since we formed the GlenAllachie Distillers Company, bringing the distillery back into private ownership, we released the very special expression as an extension of our core range. Our Master Distiller, Billy Walker, has worked tirelessly on perfecting this expression since day one; evaluating casks and refining recipes to create something special. We’re proud to present the jewel in our crown; the GlenAllachie 15 Year Old. The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old is bottled at 46%, non chill filtered and natural colour. Colour - Deep Auburn. Nose - Overflowing with raisins, butterscotch and sweet spices. Taste - The rainbow of sweet spices, raisins and butterscotch develops to banana, orange peel and dark chocolate.

"Unquestionably one of the great malts of the year...in spite of itself". - Jim Murray Tasting note: Deep gold / brass. Muted at first; builds with a PX top note almost overwhelming the expected distillery aromas; if only momentarily. Brandy soaked raisins and dark chocolate amid flashes of sweet peat and pepper. Three to four minutes exposure draws out smouldering cedar, cigar box and hints of elastoplast, accenting fruit cake in later inspections. Terrific balance in the sweet, smokey-malt mid palate; vanilla and Christmas cake add richness to the finish. Concludes prolonged and lozenge-like with Laphroaig's trademark medicinal edge and pepperiness breaking through late, finally checked by the sherry. Big PX influence here but deftly handled - think of it as drunken Christmas pudding, Islay-style . 48% Alc./Vol. Normally travel retail exclusive. Extremely limited stocks.

Note: New blue packaging, not old brown packaging. While the twelve year old is a relatively non-descript malt, older Glenfiddich bottlings are now gaining high praise including one award as the world's best single malt Scotch whisky. However, as a representation of the house style, the 18 year old pretty much nails it. Always a centre-piece of the portfolio, the company has further emphasised its place by redesigning the packaging to give it a more superior look than its 12- and 15-year-old stablemates. The Glenfiddich distillery lies on the river whose name it bears. 'Fiddich' refers to the fact that the river runs through a valley inhabited by deers – hence the company's logo which features a stag. A proportion of the whisky in this version of Glenfiddich is supposedly even older than the label suggests. Tasting note: Deep gold colour. Moderate aromas include honey, clove and vanilla laced malt. On the palate, dried apricots and spice are augmented by soft peat, adding depth to the toasty malt. Plush mouth feel. Clean, dried fruit and spice finish. Rich and round, in the mainstream of Sherry influenced malts. 40% Alc./Vol.

Bakery Hill is a new Australian venture into the generally exclusive world of Whisky production. We say exclusive, because few distillers outside of Scotland have yet managed to create a whisky that approximates to the quality or style of the Scottish original, or when they have, the whisky has usually relied upon the importation of key ingredients from the ‘homeland’. Bakery Hill’s Single Malts, despite their youth, are very promising initial efforts, and as the spirits spend longer in barrel, one can anticipate some very interesting results. As with classic malts, Bakery Hill uses only malted barley [ from Tasmania ], yeast and water to achieve its flavour and aroma. No caramel is added in order to enhance the appearance. Barrelling at Bakery Hill is done using select second fill American Oak Bourbon barrels. French Oak casks are also used for the production of the classic double wood style. "The malt development on the palate is quite beautiful. A soft distant smokiness adds excellent weight to the lilting malt-oak richness." 46% Alc./Vol. - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2004.

The Singleton Of Glen Ord Special Release 2022 The Enchantress of the Ruby Solstice 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 54.2% ABV, The Highlands This stellar 2022 Special Release from Singleton shows just how special whisky can be when double matured in the finest wine-seasoned casks. The result is mesmerising malt, in which beguiling, subtle wine-fruit notes entwine seductively with the layered, smooth, and rich distillery character.