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.

In 1950, Chivas Brothers began the search for a secure supply of exceptional malt whisky. Strathisla Distillery in Keith, the oldest and most beautiful distillery in the Highlands, was the obvious choice. From that day to this, the world-famous Strathisla Single Malt Scotch whisky became the foundation of the Chivas blend. The international reputation of Chivas Regal has been built upon this distillery and the skill of successive generations of Master Blenders. Legally, a blended Scotch whisky must contain both single malt Scotch whiskies and single grain Scotch whiskies. Chivas Regal 12 and 18 year old whiskies are blended using a special process called triple blending. First of all, the selected single malts are blended together. The second stage sees the selected single grains blended together, and then thirdly, the vatted malts and the vatted grains are brought together. These spirits are each married in selected oak casks for an extended period of maturation in order to produce an exceptionally smooth, rich whisky. 'The smooth taste of Chivas Regal 18 Year Old reflects the traditional style of blended Scotch whiskies with a powerful array of rich, fruity aromas, and a defined smokiness that develops into a long and memorable finish.' So says Colin Scott , Master Blender of Chivas. Colin hand-picks each whisky designated for Chivas Regal 18 Year Old from the distilleries most precious stock - including certain whiskies that are now exceedingly rare. Winner of three major awards, each bottle of Chivas Regal 18 Year Old bears its own unique serial number, sourcing it back to the one particular triple blending. And because only selected casks are matured to such a great age, the quantity of Chivas 18 Year Old produced every year is always strictly limited. Tasting notes: Brassy gold appearance. Bubblegum / marshmallow opening is a little bourbonesque. Second pass reveals vanilla and biscuity malt with a judicious slather of peat. The palate combines a silky mouthfeel with solid concentration - nothing like the comparatively beige 12 Year Old - delicate spices, biscuity, honeyed grains with hints of dried fruits. The finish is crisp with a lingering confectionary note. 40% Alc./Vol.

Another Ardbeg Day release arrives, bottled once and never to be repeated. This time around, it's created with roasted black malt - a first for Ardbeg. Incinerated to within an inch of its life, the malt defines the profile contributing charcoal and sweet smoke, aniseed and dark chocolate for a memorable Islay experience. Trumping past releases, Ardbeg's marketing department has gone to considerable lengths for the new edition, this time focusing on the brand’s alleged punk past, with Islay’s main port, Port Ellen, going by the nickname ‘Punk Ellen’ in the 1970s. (There was even a punk posse led by the local hotelier's daughter, which reached as many as three at the height of its notoriety). Meanwhile, Ardbeg’s head of distilling and whisky creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, describes the flavour as being “like biting on a spiky ball.” Collectors will love it, with the story and presentation being a hook for followers of the brand. The limited edition main release has landed (as opposed to the even more limited Committee Release) and as is always the case, it comes bottled at 46% and non chill filtered. The first sniffs bring young distillate to the fore, so from a fresh bottle give this a good ten minutes and you'll get a moderate lift of menthol-infused peat that also hints at anise, fennel and rye bread receding into sweeter smoke and vanilla malt with further air contact. It's medium bodied and sweetly peaty (think Caol Ila); hints of Elastoplast mingle with chocolate sponge cake and sprinklings of pepper; the finish is ashy and warming with citrus tang lacing late malt sweetness. Overall, in spite of the presentation and marketing, this is much more civilised and approachable than you might expect. Notes from the producers... Spicy and savoury, Ardcore grips the senses with waves of marmite, burnt toast, chicory charcoal and infused coffee grounds making for a mosh pit in the glass. Like a safety pin through the septum, a classic Ardbeg herbal top note is present, while swirling, smoky bonfire and molasses loiter backstage. TASTE: A jaw dropping spicy and fiery mouthfeel leads to an explosion of rich, smoky flavours – cocoa powder, dark chocolate, peanut brittle toffee, smoked lime and a suggestion of soot and bonfire embers all pogo in unison on the palate. Amped up aniseed and malty biscuit elbow their way to the fore, punkturing taste buds. FINISH: In an altogether sweeter finish, long, lingering notes of treacle toffee, soot and smoke make for an anarchic, but delicious, aftertaste.

Glenmorangie Master Distiller, Bill Lumsden, delivers one of the most consistently high-quality portfolios in Scotland. But it’s his ‘entry level’ product, the Glenmorangie 10 Year Old that sets the bar for the rest to follow. Jim Murray is rapturous about this expression declaring it to be “...one of the great single malts” rating it 94 points. Elegant swan-necked stills ( said to be the tallest in Scotland) are claimed to contribute to the lightness of the spirit. Maturation takes place in ex-Bourbon casks, made from oak sourced from Glenmorangie's own section of forest in the Ozark Mountains in Missouri. Our tasting found delicate aromas of creme brulee, pineapple, pear drops, barley sugar, vanilla, cocoa and spice. The palate is medium dry, supremely soft and full of flavour. Vanilla custard, toffee, toasted coconut and cocoa are aided by a softly spiced, malty background. Hints of dried fruit emerge. The balance is very good and there's a lingering aftertaste of vanilla, cocoa and toasted coconut. Put simply, there’s an alluring delicacy and complexity to this whisky that seems to punch above its price point. 40% Alc./Vol.

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...

A new Balvenie, matured for 14 years in traditional oak casks before being transferred to Caribbean rum casks. A match made in heaven for some! Tasting note: Deep amber gold. Soft, plush aromas of toasted marshmallow followed by vanilla custard tart, toasted cereals and clove, echoe in a light to medium bodied, vanilla-malt profile with hints of dried fig, rum-like sugars and delicate toasted cereals towards the finish. Perfectly balanced with featherweight spices adding vibrancy. The lightness of the Balvenie spirit lends itself to wood finishes. This one works. 43% Alc./Vol.

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Double Oak 700mL has been called a lot of things in its time: smooth, fruity, complex, sophisticated, entertaining, classic. Representing The Glenlivet’s signature style, this classic malt is first matured in traditional oak, before spending time in American oak casks which impart notes of vanilla and gives the whisky it’s distinctive smoothness. The mineral-rich water that comes from Josie’s Well helps form the flavours during mashing and fermentation, whilst the specific height and width of the copper stills add a delicate yet complex character. The colour is a bright, vibrant gold. The nose is summery and fruity. The palate is well-balanced with an overall fruity overtone and strong pineapple notes. The finish is long, creamy, and smooth.

This landmark 1988 vintage from Bruchladdich has never been re-casked. It has matured over 30 years in the distilleries warehouses in the same wood it was originally filled into – refill bourbon and, unusually, rare refill squat hogsheads. The subtle influence of these refill oak casks has resulted in a delicate and measured relationship between spirit and wood, quietly cultivated over time. It was always understood that this small parcel of casks required no interference, no guiding hand; just a watchful eye and palate to see it through. It is definitive, old, Bourbon-aged Bruichladdich – some of the last of its kind. The resulting whisky has a polish copper colour in the glass. Floral aromas blend with sun dried hay, buttercups, primrose, and coconut oil. The palate is like a liquid velvet with citrus and coconut throughout. A classic Bruichladdich style, elegant and floral at first before allowing the oak to sweep in with pipe tobacco and fudge. A second sip brings some fruit, ripe pineapple, mango and hint of mint. This finish has mire marine elements from the maturation. A sea breeze with wood spice and fudge. One of the great vintages of Bruichladdich, the faith in the right wood and the right time to develop have allowed a superb spirit to show both its natural elegance and its strength of character.

This is the third release of Macallan's latest limited edition series the "Harmony Collection". Inspired by The Macallan's deep-rooted connection to nature for nearly 200 years, The Macallan Harmony Collection is a limited annual release series that explores the future packaging journey. ​This series brings together innovative sustainable packaging techniques with natural materials at the end of their life to see them given new use and purpose. The third release in the Harmony Collection has been created in collaboration with Stella and Mary McCartney to celebrate the lush, fertile lands of Scotland that connect all those who have stood upon them for generations.​ The McCartney sisters' love of Scotland stems from their memories of summer days in amber fields at the family farm in the Scottish countryside. They describe nature as both energising and serene, contrasting qualities rekindled by this collaboration. This affinity with the land inspires joyful memories of family, sisterhood and community. This release embraces the re-use of natural materials in its packaging, creating beauty from resources at the end of their natural lives. To mark this deep connection with the land, discarded meadow cuttings have been given new life in this presentation box and bottle labels. The presentation box features photography by Mary McCartney of The Macallan Estate. The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team have taken inspiration from natural Scottish grasslands to create this distinctive expression, redolent of warm meadows and mature barley fields, with a rich, citrus scented finish, using a combination of both sherry seasoned oak and bourbon casks. The colour is reminiscent of a summer evening sky. The nose is full of rich orange and lemon, honeysuckle, vanilla, coconut and ripe barley fields.​ On the palate there is rich oak, lemon, melon, classic scone, almond and green tea, that leads to a rich, sweet, long and complex.

A Speyside single malt Scotch whisky as intriguing and extraordinary as Benriach could not have come to be without a unique whisky making heritage, dating from 1898, when founder John Duff built his distillery. Ruggedly beautiful, Benriach stands on the site of the old Riach farm in north Speyside, drawing water from a mineral-rich aquifer, deep beneath the distillery. Thanks to a long-standing tradition of distilling three styles of whisky; classic unpeated, Highland peated and triple distilled, together with an eclectic selection of casks from around the world, their whisky makers are able to explore the full flavour possibilities of single malt, creating some of the richest, most multi-layered whiskies in Speyside. The Smoky Twelve is the perfect marriage of fruit,malt, oak and rich layers of smoke. Crafted from a combination of unpeated and peated spirit and three cask matured for at least twelve years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and Marsala wine casks. The whisky from each cask is then expertly married together to create a smooth, creamy single malt, multilayered with flavours of ripened fruit, aromatic smoky sweetness and warming oak spice. Burnished gold in colour the nose starts with smoked vanilla, charred orange and toasted almond. The palate leads with rich dark chocolate, fruit peel, brown sugar and smoked oak, lingering into a cocoa and orange smoked finish.