Silky sweet honey, rich vanilla, gentle sherry oak, roasted malts and dark toffee with a length of sweet smoke.

Nestled in a hidden cove near Port Askaig, Islay, the Caol Ila (pronounced Cull Eela) distillery sent its whisky to market by sea for over a hundred years. Caol Ila is the Gaelic name for the Sound of Islay, which separates the island from Jura in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of Scotland's West Coast. The distillery was founded in 1846 and is situated on the shores of the Sound, a spot originally chosen partly because of the clean water from Loch Nam Ban which still provides its main supply. The nose is creamy and lemony, before a silky-smooth medium-bodied palate packs a peaty punch. The finish is dry, sooty and very more-ish. Caol Ilas trademark smoky-antiseptic character is here. Gaelic for dawn, Caol Ila Moch is the first single malt from the distillery to be selected entirely on the basis of its taste, rather than age, cask wood, strength or finish. This single malt is an excellent introduction to peaty Islay whiskies.

Bells is made from blending various malt and grain whiskies, specially selected to ensure consistency of flavour. The key malt whisky comes from Blair Athol distillery, which stands at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. Bells is fresh, fruity with just a hint of smoke to nose.

John Samson Scotch is crafted by a Master Distiller who, using decades of experiance, blends malt and grain whiskies hand selected from Scotland's finest Speyside and Highland distilleries.

Toki means "time" in Japanese. A vivid blend of whiskies from Suntory's Hakushu, Yamazaki, and Chita distilleries, Suntory Whisky Toki features the quintessential characteristics of a Suntory Whisky blend: exquisite balance, harmony, and oneness. At the same time, its unique pairing of Hakushu® American white oak cask malt whisky with Chita heavy-type grain whisky overturns the traditional hierarchy between malt and grain.

Here we have Suntorys multi award-winning Japanese single malt from Yamazaki, the oldest whisky distillery in Japan. The single malt was launched in 1992, and around 80% of the liquid is matured in sherry butts, while the remaining whisky spent its years in American and Mizunara oak casks. An absolutely stunning marriage of fruit, oak and smoky notes, its really no wonder why it won so many awards!Nose: Truffles, thick bitter marmalade and resin. Potpourri and heavy Oloroso sherry.Palate: A rich, bittersweet palate with heather roots, cigar leaves, honey, toffee apples, plum wine and black pepper. A touch of rancio, perhapsFinish: Long, fruity, marmalade-led finish.

Japanese whisky is not only Suntory or Nikka, there are many other less known distilleries whose reputation continues to grow. And for this new tasting, They choose a blended malt, the White Oak Tokinoka blended malt. The White Oak distillery, located in the city of Akashi (Hyogo Prefecture), was the first to obtain a license for distilling whisky in 1919. Built in 1888 for the production of sake and shochu, at the beginning the distillery produced only blend whisky in a traditional way and specially reserved for the domestic market. Then the site was modified in 1984 to start producing whisky in bigger quantities. The Eigashima Shuzo Company owner of the distillery, produced since 2007 several single malts named Akashi.

Michters is Americas first distilling company, dating back to 1753 when they started out making rye whiskey. They take a 'Cost Be Damned' approach to the production of every barrel, using various methods including air drying their barrels for 36 months, toasting the barrels before charring them, using a low barrel-entry strength, heat cycling to encourage ageing during the frigid winters and using specific filtration types for each whiskey they make.

Head Distiller Graham Buller collected prime barrels of Scotch whisky and American Bourbon whiskey, with a dream of creating his perfect blend. The Scotch has an average of five years barrel maturation and the Bourbon two, while the final blend has gone back into bourbon barrels for finishing.

Shinobu Lightly Peated Pure Malt WhiskyShinobu Lightly Peated Pure Malt whisky NAS and 10Y are the first peated whisky to be released by Shinobu distillery. Peated whisky was sourced from selected distilleries from mainly highland and speyside regions and carefully blended by the master blender Mr. Usami Ken and finished in Mizunara wood for more than 6 months. The Shinobu Distillery in collaboration with Niigata Beer Distillery is located in the Japanese seaside region of Niigata on the countrys western coast. The area is famous for its Three White Treasures: snow, rice and sake which have been cultivated there for centuries. Shinobu Pure Malt whiskies are crafted by master blender, Mr. Usami Ken who blends malts aged in sherry, bourbon and Hogshead casks before finishing them in Japans prized Mizunara Oak. Famous for imparting rich, honeyed flavors of apples, pears, cloves and nutmeg, Mizunara Oak has been used in Japan since the 1930s and is now sought-after by whisky makers around the world. All Shinobu whiskies are created without chill-filtration or added color to protect and enhance their deeply complex, robust flavor.Nose: Smells creamy and minty with some light peat and a touch of lemon. Hints of charcoal smoke and ashPalate: The peat tastes stronger on the palate, mingled with notes of charcoal smoke, ash, and dry grass and a hint of saltinessFinish: Lingering taste of roasted wood with lots of sweetness from roasted malt.700mL ABV 43%