“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 ultimate maple WhiskySortilège Prestige is an exquisite blend of Canadian Rye Whisky and pure Quebec maple syrup.Expertly distilled from the finest Canadian grains and then matured in hand selected seasoned and new white oak barrels for a minimum of at least 7 years.A unique taste experience enhanced with the warmth of the Canadian Whisky enhanced by the sweetness of pure maple syrup.

Mars Iwai Tradition Japanese Whisky is soft and rounded, yet full bodied and mellow. The nose gives sweet honey, leading to a complex, peaty full bodied palate which gives sweet peat, orange marmalade, maple, burnt sugar cane, cedar and cigar.

"Very high quality & teasingly complex peated malt." 95 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022 If your single malt selections are dictated by budget constraints, this will be a no brainer (so long as you don't mind a bit of peat). Conceived in 2006, Bruichladdich revived the Port Charlotte label from the Lochindaal distillery, operational between 1829 to 1929, two miles south in the town of Port Charlotte. Historical accounts from legendary British documentarian Alfred Barnard knew Lochindaal to produce only heavily peated malts, so the PC style is a replica of sorts. It started as 'PC5' with yearly follow-ups culminating in this general release 10 year old. Delivering a knock-out mix of lanolin, smouldering pine, butter menthol and vanilla cream that even the peat shy will fall for, it's superbly integrated, zesty, complex - and incredibly, at 40ppm the peat is not overbearing; Perfumed aromatics and a 50% ABV attack include Fisherman’s Friend lozenge, farmyard, dried grass and butterscotch as well as lanolin, oatmeal biscuit and chimney soot, followed by a finish that's delicately salty with dusty cocoa and hints of black tea. Both affordable and unanimously praised, it's one of those rare malts you can't fail to be impressed by. Matured predominantly in first-fill American oak casks, along with second-fill American and second-fill French wine casks, it comes bottled non chill filtered. 50% Alc./Vol. [2016 edition tasted].

Talisker Rare By Nature 8 Year OldSingle Malt Scotch Whisky 57.9% Abv Skye The Singleton is renowned for the smoothness and balance of its Whiskies, which match the liveliness and vigour of the leaping salmon in the fast flowing rivers of Speyside in Scotland. The Singleton Dufftown is particularly known for its elegant grassy and fruity aromas and tastes. 'A big taste, the first-ever release of Talisker finished in pot-still Caribbean rum casks.' Tasting Notes APPEARANCE Dry white wine, with pale yellow lights. Good beading. NOSE Mellow and mild overall, with hardly any prickle. The first impression is of honeycomb; spun honey, but also a trace of beeswax. Beneath this is a faint floral note of dry grasses or wallflowers, with fresh orchard fruits on an earthy base. A little water softens the nose and adds pear drop boiled sweets, making all the aromas more evident. BODY Light to medium. PALATE At natural strength the texture is creamy-smooth, the taste intense and sweet overall, and both drying and slightly coating as that hint of beeswax re-appears. With water the effect is smoother and sweeter, the intensity reduced. FINISH Quite long and warming with white pepper, becoming chilli in the aftertaste. Lightly drying, it leaves the palate tingling. A drop of water starts to tame the chilli-spice.

Oban is one of Scotlands oldest and smallest distilleries. It was founded in 1794 and the West Highland port town of the same name has grown around the distillery. It is the one Single Malt Scotch Whisky in which the rich, complex flavours of the Highlands meet and mingle with the peaty, maritime character of the Islands. Balancing autumn fruits and sea air, Oban whisky owes its rich and rewarding Highland character to a very long fermentation process. The tiny lamp glass-shaped copper pot stills that make Obans Scotch are among the smallest in Scotland, and the liquor they distil is slowly condensed in wooden worm tubs outside among the rooftops, exposed to the salted sea air, bringing a distinct depth of flavour said to go very well with salted caramel. Oban Little Bay is crafted by selecting small batches of our finest single malt whiskies, and marrying the whiskies in our smallest casks to allow more contact with the wood. This unique process, combined with the expert nose and palate of Malt Master, Dr. Matthew Crow, delivers a richer, smoother Oban expression with the signature distillery character of citrus and sea salt.

Nestled in a quiet corner of Speyside, The Glenrothes Distillery has been crafting some of the world’s finest whisky since 1879.

The Coffey Still is the worlds first patented continuous still invented by Mr. Aeneas Coffey in 1830. Masataka Taketsuru valued the feature of this type of still, which retains the flavours of ingredients and also creates a distinctive texture. Complex, sweet and mellow flavours in Nikka Coffey invites you back to beauties of grain whisky.

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.