The Highlands

At Dalwhinnie, clear worts and long ferments create a starting point form which one might expect a light floral whisky. However, the stills are run in such a way as to minimise the conversation between malt and copper, and when this is combined with the use of worm tubs to condense, the result is a heavy and somewhat sulphurous malt. After fifteen years in cask though, this is combined into the whisky, and the thick honeyed and almost sticky quality that Dalwhinnie is so famous for, shines through.

Nose: Aromatic, toffee, fruit salad, lush nectarine, custard. Floral, apple blossom, honeysuckle. Apple peels, pear, touch of smoke.

Palate: Malty. Walnuts steeped in manuka honey with vanilla sponge. Gentle smoke weaves its way through the cereal with a touch of spice.

Finish: Long, malty, walnut, almond.

GlenDronach is, quite simply, the go to distillery for sherry aged whiskies. This large, imposing Victorian distillery makes whisky to match and some of their single cask offerings are as dark as night and like drinking liquid Xmas pudding and cr?pes suzettes.

This is the archetypal 12 year old, aged in ex-oloroso and PX sherry casks. The nose is rich and lifted with honey, caramel, treacle, vanilla sugar and prunes dominating. The palate is rich and rounded with dried fruit, sultanas and milk chocolate. A fantastic all-round whisky and a must for the cabinet at home.

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.

A young spirit from the organic Deanston distillery which is finished in virgin American oak from Kentucky. US oak is famous for it's big vanilla and toffee hit and these flavours shine through in this balanced malt.

NOSE
Heady virgin oak, bursting with lemon zest and sweet barley sugar, with delicious notes of apple and nutmeg.

PALATE
A delightful sweetness, evoking memories of candied fruits and vanilla toffee, balanced with heather honey.

FINISH
A satisfying light spice, with a rewarding burst of honeyed malt and sweet oakiness.

The darkest and most intense whisky in the extra-matured range, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban has spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks, before being transferred into specially selected ruby port pipes from the Quintas or wine estates of Portugal.

Extra maturation in these port pipes develops Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban into a voluptuous spirit with a complex balance of sweet and dry flavours and an intriguing contrast of smooth and crisp, cooling textures. Non-chill-filtered for additional aroma and mouthfeel.

As an operating distillery, the production of Oban is quite limited. It only has two stills, which are among the smallest in Scotland. The standards at Oban distillery are exacting, and only the finest barley that is malted to their specifications isused. The whisky is well-rounded with distinctive maltiness and shows a misty, briny character against a background of smoke, heather and peat. The mild, temperate climate of the area, warmed by the Gulf Stream and the soft rain also contributes to its style. Oban is indeed a complete style, ideal after dinner, and covering all the bases, it provides a quintessential Scottish single malt experience!

Nose:  An intoxicating burst of maraschino cherry, ripe bramble and dark chocolate with hints of orange bitters and walnut liqueur.

Taste: Honey-grazed apricot and ripe fig with a crescendo of black cherry, angelica and muscovado.

Finish: Long and enveloping with dark manuka honey, herbal bitters and dark chocolate.

Scented with spices and honeyed plump fruits this is a syrupy dram, with lots of vanilla and fudge, with a whisper of smoke on the finish.

Nose: Creamy. Some sherried fruit with a trailing hint of smoke.
Palate: Sweet, malty, a gentle peat but nonetheless the mouthfeel is very clean.
Finish: Malt, a faint hint of citrus.

The Lasanta was extramatured in Spanish oloroso sherry casks following a minimum of ten years in ex-bourbon casks. In Gaelic, Lasanta means warmth and passion, and this refers to the key notes of toffee, raisins and walnuts. Upon further nosing and tasting, rich undertones of sultanas, oranges and chocolate emerge, with the dessert sherry wood showing its worth. 

Nose - Like the most delicious dessert menu imaginable, Lasanta taunts the senses with chocolate covered raisins, honeycomb and smooth caramel toffee. Citrus notes clear the way for the crispy burnt sugar and melting softness of creme brulee to be replaced by the rich aroma of rum and raisin ice cream

Palate - The full, sweet flavour typical of Spanish sherry with sultanas, orange segments, walnuts and butter toffee. The bite of hazelnut tasted through a chocolate coating, spice notes and hints of leather add the overwhelming sense of richness

Finish - Satisfyingly long with spiced orange and chocolate enrobed hazelnuts 

Completely unpeated (unusual in the highlands), this Glengoyne is soft, fruity and very quaffable. A fine single malt!

Nose: Toffee apples, a little acacia honey, nectarine in syrup and spice, supported by toasted barley in the background.

Palate: Over-ripe grapes, honeyed with hints of vanilla, coconut milk and oak spice. Light touches of chocolate ice-cream.

Finish: Long, oily finish with lingering coffee notes.

Long fermentation times and slow distillation are the word at Aberfeldy and the resultant malt has a honeyed and almost waxy quality. This beauty has been finished in Madeira casks adding fresh citrus and delicate tones of baked fruits, rich spices and cinnamon.

Stunning complex single malt from the awesome Aberlour Distillery, one of the smallest in Scotland's prolific Speyside region. This expression has enjoyed its maturation in a combination of Oloroso sherry casks and first-fill American oak casks. Dig in to all those fruity, spicy sherried notes that you're familiar with from Aberlour, paired with decadent helpings of rich, creamy vanilla. Highly ideal for somewhat chilly evenings, this one.

Nose: Big aromatics on this one with cloves, cardamom and camphor, and then comes a wave of sweeter notes like toffee, milk chocolate and orange rind.

Palate: Full texture, round and creamy, with sweet dark cherries, fudge, and mocha coffee with a refreshing minty breeze.

Finish: Quite long with lingering honey and wood spice.

This 12yo is a mix of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, and like the other distillery bottlings since the revamp, has been bottled at a feisty 48%. A real charmer.

48% ABV l 700mL

The Glenturret Sherry Cask Edition features unpeated spirit exclusively matured in European oak Sherry seasoned casks. This expression delivers inviting soft, sweet aromas of vanilla and caramel and gives way to wood spices, ginger and gentle oak on the palate. This edition is crafted in small batches at Scotland's Oldest Working Distillery with less than 60 casks hand selected to create this unique dram per batch. This exclusive bottling is a beautifully rich and rare addition to our Glenturret range of Scotch whiskies. 

Taste: Wood spices come to the fore. Ginger, nutmeg lead. A warmth is noted on the palate, could be forgiven for being slightly peppery. Sweetness enters later, with soft citrus fruits. Oak is clean and slightly dry

Spirit of the Bear is part of a trio of Travel Retail market releases from Highland Park in 2018. This is a no-age-statement single malt that was matured in sherry seasoned American oak casks, and bottled at 40% ABV. We assume that the bear-based spirit which the name refers to is that of the strong, noble type that Vikings saw in the creature, rather than the picnic basket stealing and fedora hat wearing spirit we know bears for today.

Nose: Peat is up-front, though swiftly moves on to brioche dipped in coffee and fresh honey.

Palate: Orange peel and stem ginger. Still enjoyably smoky, though now with hints of floral barley in tow.

Finish: Sandalwood and vanilla malt.