Scottish Whisky

Double Gold Medal winner at The San Fransisco World Spirits Competition 2018. Silver Medal Winner World Whiskies Awards 2018. The China Wine & Spirits Best Value Awards 2014. Gold Medal Winner, San Fransisco World Spirits Competition 2012.

Officially launched in 2006, this 10 year old lies at the heart of the Isle of Arran range and exudes all the honeyed richness we have come to associate with the island distillery.

Nose: Herbal, biscuity, hedgerow greenness and dried grass, like a long English summer's afternoon.

Palate: Sweet. Quite malty, digestive biscuits, followed by green fruits and Cox's apple peel.

Finish: Slightly bitter, maltiness.

After being matured in the finest Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks for at least 12 years,  the whisky is married in oak turns by Brian Kinsman, their innovative Malt Master, to give it an unrivaled harmony, complexity, and depth.

The Glenfiddich 12 years old is the perfect example of Speyside signature style, one that has made Glenfiddich the world's most awarded single malt.  A smooth and beautifully balanced nose complemented by refreshingly rich and complex notes of fresh pear and subtle oak.

The best selling whisky in Scotland and the spirit behind the Scottish Rugby Team. The whisky itself is rather rich and sweet, but well rounded, suggesting heavy use of Whisky from Spey and the Northern Highlands.

Islay is mostly known for big, peaty, smoky whisky. Well, Bowmore is a little more dialled back, making it a balanced whisky featuring all those things you love about Islay, just in a more subtle way.Drink with: A splash of water if required.Established in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest legal distillery on Islay and one of the earliest in all Scotland. Located geographically and stylistically between the gentle whiskies to the north and the more powerful malts to the south of the island, Bowmore possesses a balance that ever-intrigues whisky aficionados. The malt is peated for a shorter period than with the stronger Islays, and the use of around a third of the casks for maturation being oloroso sherry contributes to its aromatic complexity and finesse. The past few years have seen Interest in Bowmore grow astoundingly.?

A'Bunadh is arguably the benchmark for heavily sherried cask-strength Speyside, with a nose that shows spice, praline and orange and a palate that combines dark chocolate, ginger, vanilla, cherries and dried fruit leading to a finish with notes of exotic spice and a better future for mankind.

The Tobermory Distillery is found on the Isle of Mull on the way to Skye from Islay and the whiskies made here reflect this island location with coastal, maritime, saline hints. The distillery produces two different, but equally alluring, single malts: the fruity, non-peated Tobermory and the more robust and smoky Ledaig. This expression slumbered peacefully in American oak casks for a dozen years before being bottled at 46.3% ABV.

At just 5 years old, this feisty and intensely powerful smoky whisky, is untamed by age.

From elusive sea creatures to eerie hillside half-breeds, the Ardbeg Distillery has a history of exploring inexplicable legends in their bottlings. However, this next unearthly expression is said to have emerged from the peat bogs of Islay themselves. Ardbeg Wee Beastie has been described as a ?monster of a dram?? with a formidable bite. 

Matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, Wee Beastie bristles with intense aromas of cracked black pepper, sappy pine resin and sharp tangs of smoke. An explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. As savoury meats sink into the palate, the long salty mouth coating finish slinks away.

Aroma: Very fresh, herbal, with hints of vanilla, pear, freshly cracked black pepper and
honey-glazed ham. Rich Turkish coffee, sappy pine resin. With water, more herbal notes like vetiver and fennel, along with aniseed, green apple and leather.

Taste: A rich, explosive mouthfeel with lots of chocolate, tar, creosote and smoked bacon,
followed by a burst of antiseptic lozenges, eucalyptus and more aniseed.

Finish: A long, salty and mouthcoating finish with hints of cocoa, fudge and savoury meats.

Casks: Ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry

Chivas Regal 12 yo Blend 40% reviewed at our Dram For Your Buck tasting May 2011: Creamy sweet nose, salt, sherry, coconut soap in fiji, apple curry, Xmas cake icing, marshmallows, summer, vanilla, maple, caramel, hard steel, toffee, perfume. Cocnut palate, banana, bourbon, sweet, Xmas cake. bittersweet finish, vanilla ice cream on rhubarb, brandy, cuban rum, short/med length. ; RWS/DMMColour : Radiant warm amber. Nose : An aromatic infusion of wild herbs, heather, honey and orchard fruits. Palate: Round and creamy on the palate, full rich taste of honey and ripe apples, with vanilla, hazelnut and butterscotch notes. Finish : Rich and lingering. Source www.chivas.com

A fabulous Tamdhu, matured exclusively in a combination of first-fill and refill Oloroso sherry casks for 12 years. Sherried Speyside whisky is always a winner, with oodles of fruit and spice. Check out that handsome retro bottle, too. Stunning stuff.

Nose: Orange Starburst, cinnamon swirls and toasted oak, along with some mint chocolate.

Palate: Lots of plum, juicy raisin, fried banana, raspberry jam doughnuts and oak spice.

Finish: Chocolate fudge and just a whisper of smoke, with sweet cinnamon returning.

Clynelish is a delicious and distinctive Single Malt Scotch Whisky from one of Scotland's most northerly distileries, which is situated at Brora on the stormy north east coast.

Aged for 14 years in specially selected oak casks then bottled at a full 46% abv, this is a light yet firm-bodied maritime single malt.  Fresh and creamy-smooth on the palate, it has a smoky, sea-spicy character and a very pleasing texture which is highly regarded by malt whisky connoisseurs.

This whisky boasts a profile that seems older than its 15 years of maturation. Big sherry in style it offers oodles of sandalwood, Xmas cake and rancio notes. There's bags of complexity in this malt meaning you can really get stuck into it in an intellectual way too. 

Mackinlay's - Shackleton ordered 25 cases of Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky to take on his expedition of 1907.  In 2007, eleven intact bottles containing this perfectly preserved whisky were recovered from under the ice beneath Shackleton's base camp.

This has inspired our Master Blender, Richard Paterson, to create this Shackleton whisky as a personal and deeply felt project.  He has combined the best Highland malt whiskies, allowing them to marry over a long period to create an enigmatic blended malt with a dash of body and a whisper of smoke.  It has complex notes of vanilla, honey and orchard fruits with real warmth and depth at it's heart, like Shackleton himself.

Master of Malt - Monkey Shoulder Scotch is a superb blended malt whisky from William Grant, made with single malts from three famous Speyside distilleries. The result is a smooth, creamy, supple and very malty Scotch which works superbly well neat, over ice, or in whisky cocktails (where it really excels).

Macleods 8yo Speyside Single Malt 40% reviewed at our Drma For Your Buck tastings May 2011:; Citrous yeasty nose, dusty bananas, sweet, complex, rich raisins, some sherry oak, varnish, pears, marmalade, rubber gloves, fruit cake, spice,leather, creaming soda, wood smoke, rumballs, cocnut, wet socks. Easy palate, liquorice allsorts, lively, bitter leather notes but caramel too. Sweet finish, sugar water, bitter oak, bourbon, pepper, green bananas, oily soap, short/medium length.;RWS/DMM;;A recognisable sherry character and subtle smokiness. On the palate it reveals its true complexity, leaving a dry and floral finish. Source www.ianmacleod.com

One of our favourite whiskies - it's what we like to refer to as a "perfect allrounder". There's no doubt it's a sherried whisky - ageing for 12 years in refill sherry butts, but there's a delicious hint of peat in there too. It's the type of whisky that everyone enjoys.Colour: Vibrant amber gold.Nose:????Fresh and beautifully light, sherried fruit combined with a tempting spicy sweetness and a hint of sappy oak.?Palate:??Full bodied, delightful sherried fruit, with oak, a hint of peat and delicious sweet sensations.?FYI - this litre price is cheaper than the 700ml (which was $93 when we had it!)