It's been over a decade since we've revisited the Balvenie range. From the 12 Year Old, right up to the venerable 30 year old expression, the house style emerges as one of the lightest and most delicate to be found from Speyside with almost no peat evident. 'Doublewood' gains its character from maturation in two woods, transferred from traditional x-Bourbon American oak to a Sherry oak casks for its final maturation. It's sometimes described as the classic, "essential" expression in Balvenie’s core range. From a 30ml sample, the nose is lifted with vanilla, dilute honey and dried fruits. The entry is featherweight, unfolding into a medium-weight dram with moderate flavours of dried fruit and a warm mouthfeel. An aftertaste of dried grass and drying oak sustains a little prickle. All up, this is uncomplicated and typical of the distillery style, but even at 12 years old, Doublewood still tastes surprisingly young. 40% Alc./Vol.

The Dalmore story began in 1839 with Alexander Matheson who lived in the Highlands of Northern Scotland. Matheson found the rich peat and pure water sources of the Highlands to be the makings of a perfect whisky. He built a distillery in the area and produced small batches until 1886, when the Mackenzie family acquired his operation. When a member of the Mackenzie family risked his own life to save Scotland’s ruler, King Alexander III, from a charging stag, the grateful king offered a token of his appreciation by bequeathing the stag to the Mackenzie family as a symbol of valor and courage. And more than 130 years later, the stag head still appears on every bottle of The Dalmore. Today, Dalmore distillery has ten stone warehouses and eight pot-stills, several which date back to the late 1800s. Much of the distillery burned down during World War I while occupied by the U.S. Navy, but production resumed in 1922. The production process is meticulous and includes double distillations in copper pot-stills and aging in white oak and sherry wood casks.

The GlenAllachie Distillery, sitting in a 20-acre site in Speyside, was built in 1968. A team led by Scotch whisky industry veteran Billy Walker completed the acquisition of The GlenAllachie Distillery in October 2017. It is one of the younger distilleries on Speyside but it has over 50,000 casks maturing on-site, some of which date back to the 1970s. GlenAllachie used to be produced only for blends. This is the first time the whiskies have been released as stand-along single malts. None of the range is chill- filtered or coloured. The GlenAllachie 12 year old (46% ABV) is GlenAllachies flagship bottling. Polished bronze in colour it has a nose of butterscotch and honey playing the lead with raisins and mocha in the background. On the palate there is honey, marzipan and bananas, with lashings of butterscotch, raisins and a delicate hint of mocha.

Rounded and smoky - like burning Applewood - with creamy toffee, aniseed, treacle and dates. A curious suggestion of juicy fruits, such as peach and banana. With a drop of water, reminders of Ardbeg's classic fragrance lime, pine resin, fennel, saddle soap and tar. A gentle waxiness, like fragrant candle wax, and hints of smoked herbs. An Oa gives a final subtle reminder of the sea with briny notes and seaweed but always accompanied with creaminess. A smooth, creamy texture leads into a huge syrupy sweetness, flavours of milk chocolate, treacle toffee, aniseed, orange and smoky tea leaves. Gentle, sweet spices (nutmeg & cinnamon), some cigar smoke, and a very unusual flavour of grilled artichokes. Wood is always present in the spirit, gently nutty and reminiscent of a carpenter's workshop. A long, sweet finish, with floral overtones, mint toffee and some gentle malty biscuit notes.

Cragganmore Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky appears warm gold in colour with a sweet nose of jelly, juicy fruits and a slight smokiness. Light to medium body with a firm, sweet palate of smoky undertones and nutty fruitiness. Medium finish with lovely oaky expressions, banana and vanilla notes linger on the tongue.

Caribbean Cask has been matured in traditional oak whisky casks for 14 years, and then finished in casks that previously held Caribbean rum. To create the ideal finish Malt Master David Stewart, filled American oak casks with his own blend of select West Indian rums. When he judged the casks to be ready, the rum was replaced with the 14 year old spirit and the wood was put to work adding the final touches. The result is an exceptional single malt whisky with the traditional smooth, honeyed character of The Balvenie, married with notes of toffee and a hint of fruit,with a warm, lingering finish. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14yo Awarded Trophy for Best Single Malt Whisky 15 Years and Under 2017

Dewars 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky is carefully prepared by putting the whisky back into the cask to mature a second time after blending (double-aging). This method allows all of the older and characterful whiskies to mingle before bottling with resulting flavours of nut and marzipan, to name a few.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt is typical Islay (eye-la). Light gold colour with exceptional balance and depth on the nose. The aroma is a beguiling mix of toffee and chocolate sweetness, cinnamon spice, Fresh citrus and floral notes of white wine are evident, as are melon, pear drops and a gentle creaminess. There is also fresh phenolics of seaspray and smoked fish. Hickory and coffee emerge on the finish.