There is a texture in Clynelish that nobody quite explains. Candle wax, beeswax, something that coats the tongue and stays there. Whisky people simply call it waxy and leave it at that.

Expert description

Clynelish 14 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 46%.

The distillery sits on the coast in Sutherland, where the original Clynelish was founded in 1819 by the Marquess of Stafford. When a new distillery was built across the road in 1968, the old one was renamed Brora and closed in 1983. Clynelish is today one of the main ingredients in Johnnie Walker, but the 14 year old is where the distillery character stands at its clearest: maritime, waxy and with a freshness you do not find further south.

Tasting notes

Nose

Citrus peel and sea salt first, then wax, vanilla and heather. A cool, mineral note runs underneath it all and points straight at the coast.

Palate

Creamy and lively. Ripe fruit, malt, honey and a suggestion of smoke, carried by that distinctive waxy mouthfeel. The 46% gives bite without tightening things up.

Finish

Long, dry and elegant, with maritime nuances, pepper and a mild spiced warmth fading slowly.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 14 years Coastal Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Clynelish
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5000281016528

Flavour profile

Waxy · Maritime · Citrus · Honeyed · Lightly Smoked

Did you know?

The waxy character is unintentional. It comes from feed pipes at Clynelish that are not fully cleaned, letting an oily layer build up and mark the spirit. When the system was thoroughly scrubbed in the 1970s the wax vanished, and it took years to coax it back.

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A great blend is never an accident — it is the sum of dozens of quiet decisions made over many years. This Johnnie Walker release carries that philosophy into every glass.

Expert's description

Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Whisky 40% is a Blended Scotch Whisky and bottled at 40%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Malt, toffee and a whisper of peat.

Palate

Honey, malt and a light peppery spice.

Finish

Medium length with a soft smoky close.

Specifications

Name: Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Whisky 40%
Distillery: Johnnie Walker
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Double Black
EAN no.: 5000267116303

Flavour Profile

Rounded · Spiced

Did you know?

Double Black was originally developed specifically for the travel retail market, but became so popular that it later joined Johnnie Walker's permanent global range.

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Tomatin has sold whisky to the world for more than a century without ever shouting about it. This 12-year-old is proof of why it never had to.

Expert's description

Tomatin 12 år Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43% is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 43%.

Tomatin 12 Year Old is the distillery's best-selling release and serves as the perfect introduction to the house's soft, easy-drinking Highland character.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sherry and fruit sweetness, raisins, orange and distinct malt.

Palate

Toffee and spice, creamy and full.

Finish

Short with a soft malt sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Tomatin 12 år Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Tomatin
Region/Country: Highland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
EAN no.: 5018481100206

Flavour Profile

Round · Spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

Tomatin was founded in 1897 by local man John MacDougall, shortly after the Highland Railway decided to route its line past the site.

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Eighteen years is a long time to wait for a dram. But when the sherry casks have done their work thoroughly, as here, the wait is never wasted.

Expert's description

Tomatin 18 år Oloroso Sherry Casks Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46% is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

Tomatin 18 Year Old is matured entirely in Oloroso sherry casks and is regarded as one of the distillery's most complex and sought-after core releases.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Wood, rum, orange peel and a hint of tobacco.

Palate

Full and complex with warming sweetness and dark chocolate.

Finish

Lightly dry and lingering.

Specifications

Name: Tomatin 18 år Oloroso Sherry Casks Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Tomatin
Region/Country: Highland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 Years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

Tomatin's water comes from the Allt na Frith – the "Free Burn" – which runs clear and pure through the Monadhliath Mountains and is the source behind the distillery's soft style.

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Twenty-five years is where the coffee arrives. Not as an addition, but as something that emerges on its own once sherry cask and time have worked together long enough — and at Glenfarclas it comes alongside orange marmalade and sweet smoke.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 25 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 43%.

The 43% may look low for a twenty-five year old, but it is a deliberate choice. After that many years in sherry casks the whisky is already concentrated, and a higher strength would make it hard rather than elegant. The balance between the sherry and the alcohol is the whole point of this bottling.

Glenfarclas can offer a continuous ladder from ten to forty years, which few family-owned distilleries can. It is because several generations have held back from selling the old casks off — something that requires being able to do without the income in the short term.

Tasting notes

Nose

Delicate sweet smoke, orange marmalade and honey, with freshly ground coffee, sherry and nuts over a base of aged wood.

Palate

Robust and full with great body. Sweet smoke and nuts, with a fine balance between the sherry casks and the alcohol. Dark chocolate settles at the back of the mouth.

Finish

Intense and long. Dry, malty, nutty and lightly smoky, with a dark chocolate note that lingers well afterwards.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 43%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5018066254317

Flavour profile

Sherried · Nutty · Coffee · Lightly smoky · Full

Investment potential

Medium. A twenty-five year old from a family-owned distillery that owns its own old stock is not a bottle produced in large volumes. Glenfarclas has kept its older age statements in the range, but the quantities shrink as the casks empty.

Did you know?

Glenfarclas can offer an unbroken age ladder from ten to forty years because the family has let the old casks stand over generations. It is a luxury few distilleries have, and it cannot be built up in a short time.

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Five centilitres is enough for two decent sips. That is the amount you need to work out whether Glenfarclas 12 Year is for you, without committing to a full bottle.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 12 Year Miniature is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Speyside, matured in sherry casks and bottled at 43% in a 5 cl bottle.

The contents are the same as in the full-size bottle. The whisky has spent at least twelve years in a mix of oloroso sherry casks, and 43% is the distillery standard strength for this bottling.

Miniatures like this one are typically used for tastings, gift sets and travel. The format makes it easy to line several distilleries up side by side and taste through them in one evening.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sherry, raisin and a dry nutty note. There is a green freshness beneath the sweetness that many associate with Glenfarclas.

Palate

Full and round. Dark fruit, malt and a mild spiced warmth. Medium body with clear sherry character.

Finish

Medium length with nuts, dried fruit and a light dry oak note.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas Miniature 12 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 5 cl 43%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 5 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks

Flavour profile

Sherried · Raisin · Nutty · Malty · Mild spice

Did you know?

The Family Casks was launched in 2007 with a bottling from every single vintage between 1952 and 1994. That requires somebody to have left the casks untouched for over fifty years, and few distilleries are able to do it.

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Behind every well-balanced blend sits a master blender who has tasted more casks than most drinkers will in a lifetime. This Johnnie Walker release carries that philosophy into every glass.

Expert's description

Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Whisky 40% is a Blended Scotch Whisky and bottled at 40%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Malt, toffee and a whisper of peat.

Palate

Honey, malt and a light peppery spice.

Finish

Medium length with a soft smoky close.

Specifications

Name: Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Whisky 40%
Distillery: Johnnie Walker
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Red Label
EAN no.: 5000267014203

Flavour Profile

Rounded · Spiced

Did you know?

Johnnie Walker's distinctive slanted label was introduced in 1877 to make the bottle stand out on shelves, and the design remains largely unchanged to this day.

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Named after one of the world's most notorious whirlpools, and just as violent and untamed in the glass as the current is at the coast.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Corryvreckan is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in French oak and ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 57.1%.

The name comes from the Corryvreckan whirlpool north of Islay, a natural phenomenon that mirrors the whisky's raw power. It's neither chill filtered nor coloured, letting the full cask strength show through from the first sip to the last.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bold black coffee meets dense, rich dark chocolate tones, with sweet autumn fruit like blackcurrant and cherry in the background.

Palate

Elegant, softly spiced oak ties it all together with heavy peat and a touch of salt that bites gently on the tongue.

Finish

Long, with a lingering salty edge that stays with you well after each sip.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 57.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French oak and ex-bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5010494296280

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Salty · Spiced · Cask strength

Did You Know?

The Corryvreckan whirlpool the whisky is named after is considered one of the third largest tidal whirlpools in the world and can be heard for miles when it's at its wildest.

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Compass Box and John Glaser have one mission with Great King Street: to get us all to (re)discover the pleasures of a well-proportioned, artfully composed blended whisky.

Expert's Description

Great King St. is composed from a carefully assembled mix of whisky types: Lowland Grain Whisky (51.4%), two different Northern Highland Single Malts (23.2% and 17.7%) and a Speyside Single Malt (7.7%), matured in a combination of first fill American oak casks (62.3%), new French oak finish (27.7%) and first fill sherry butts (10%).

The result is a full-bodied, round and generous whisky, bottled at 43%, neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted oak, vanilla and spice.

Palate

Full-bodied and round, with toasted oak, vanilla and spice.

Finish

Spiced and tingling, with a fine fading sweetness and a hint of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Great King St. Compass Box Blended Scotch Whisky 50cl 43%
Distillery: Great King St. – a blend of different whiskies
Bottler: Compass Box – John Glaser
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 50 CL
Filtration: Non-chill-filtered
Colour: Natural colour

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Round · Spiced · Elegant

Did You Know?

Great King Street is named after the street in Edinburgh's New Town where Compass Box previously had their offices.

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A quarter cask holds around 125 litres, a quarter of a sherry butt. A smaller cask means more wood contact per drop, and the whisky matures faster. In the nineteenth century it was the standard size, because casks had to be carried on horseback.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore Traditional Cask is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in traditional oak casks and finished in Quarter Casks, bottled at 46%. It is the distillery’s own release and one of the few official Ardmore bottles on the market.

Ardmore is one of the few Highland distilleries where peat smoke is the core style rather than a side project. The smoke comes from peat burned during the malting of the barley, and because the peat is from inland Aberdeenshire it reads dry and earthy rather than maritime.

The finish in small hand-made quarter casks adds depth and a softness that large casks cannot deliver in the same time. The whisky is bottled at 46% and without chill filtration, which preserves body and mouthfeel.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft and spiced. Peat smoke first, then vanilla and a light sweetness of seaweed and ripe fruit. There is a creamy thread through it all that is the distillery’s signature.

Palate

Creamy and full. Peat, vanilla and sweet fruit open, then a spiced warmth arrives from the quarter cask finish. At 46% the body is good, and the smoke sits as a warm floor rather than a point.

Finish

Medium length. Peat, malt and a lightly spiced oak note that lets go softly.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore Traditional Cask Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Traditional oak casks and finished in Quarter Casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Traditional Cask
EAN no.: 5010019636591

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Creamy · Vanilla · Fruity · Spiced · Soft

Did You Know?

Ardmore was founded in 1898 by Adam Teacher to secure malt for the family blend, Teacher's Highland Cream. For more than a century the distillery was largely invisible to consumers, because nearly all its output went straight into blends. Official bottlings under its own name are therefore a relatively recent thing.

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If a single malt is a virtuoso soloist, a blend is a full orchestra. Cutty Sark was created in 1923 by the wine merchants at Berry Bros & Rudd — and they wanted something pale while the rest of the trade made it dark.

Expert description

Cutty Sark is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

The blend is built on around twenty selected single malts, mostly from Speyside, married with high quality grain whisky. When the bottle appeared in 1923 it was deliberately pale at a time when whisky was otherwise sold dark — a decision taken by Berry Bros & Rudd in London, who also named it after the tea clipper Cutty Sark. The yellow label was drawn by the Scottish artist James McBey.

Tasting notes

Nose

Golden and light. Grass, flowers and coconut, with a touch of vanilla underneath.

Palate

Complex for something so light. Gentle notes of vanilla and coconut, with American oak, malt and a soft fruit sweetness. The broad palette is the whole idea — no single note sticks out.

Finish

Dry, fruity and spiced, with cereal and a mild oak warmth.

Specifications

Name: Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Cutty Sark
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 501050100095

Flavour profile

Soft · Light · Vanilla · Fruity · Fresh

Did you know?

Cutty Sark was one of the most heavily smuggled whiskies during American Prohibition. Captain William McCoy shipped it in from the Bahamas without watering it down, and his reputation for genuine goods gave the language the phrase the real McCoy.

See our full range of Cutty Sark Whisky

Some whiskies want to impress. This one just wants to be good company. Bright, honeyed and without a single hard edge, the kind of bottle you open on a Wednesday evening without feeling you have used something up.

The Expert's Description

anCnoc 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% from the Knockdhu distillery in Banffshire. It is the house core expression and the best place to meet the spirit: bright, floral and with a light waxy texture that is the distillery’s clearest signature.

Knockdhu works with a clean, pale spirit, and that puts demands on the casks. Let them get too active and the house style disappears. The 12 year old is therefore built to keep the distillate up front, with the wood as a frame rather than a lead role. The result is often described as a dessert malt, sweet without turning syrupy.

The distillery was built in 1894 by John Morrison near Knock Hill, where barley, spring water and peat were all within reach. It closed in 1983, was taken over by Inver House Distillers in 1988, and since 1993 the whisky has been sold under the anCnoc name.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft and aromatic. Honey and lemon set the tone, with pale flowers and a touch of green apple behind. A fine malty floor runs underneath it all, close to white bread.

Palate

Sweet to begin with honey, vanilla and ripe pear. Then a lightly spiced note arrives along with that characteristic waxiness, which lends more body than 40% would promise. Clean and straightforward the whole way, with no bitterness.

Finish

Short to medium. Honey and malt linger, with a dry citrus note at the close. It disappears neatly.

Specifications

Name: anCnoc 12 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Knockdhu
Bottler: Inver House Distillers
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5010509427067

Flavour Profile

Honeyed · Floral · Fruity · Soft · Malty · Light

Did You Know?

Knockdhu was the first distillery Distillers Company Limited ever built from scratch. It was completed in 1894 and so formed part of the great whisky boom of the late nineteenth century, a boom that collapsed a few years later. The distillery survived, though it later closed in 1983 and stood silent for six years before Inver House got it running again.

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The ultimate distillation of Islay — four distilleries in one bottle.

Expert description

Big Peat Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Whisky is the series' core expression, a blend of single malt whisky from several Islay distilleries, bottled at 46%. Big Peat was launched in 2009 by independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co as the first in the company's 'Remarkable Regional Malts' series. The idea was to create the 'ultimate distillation of Islay' by blending single malt whisky from several of the island's distilleries, including Caol Ila, Bowmore and Ardbeg, without using grain whisky. Big Peat is non-chill filtered, with no colouring added. Each year Douglas Laing releases a Christmas Edition of Big Peat at natural cask strength, and at Islay's Fèis Ìle whisky festival, special limited editions are regularly released.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers smoke, peat and a hint of sea salt.

Palate

The palate is smoky and full with peat, caramel and a hint of citrus.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, smoky and lightly salty.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Whisky
Bottler: Douglas Laing & Co
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Salty · Full-bodied

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At the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, the distillery of the same name has been producing whisky since 1825 – and this bottle pays tribute to its older, traditional style.

Expert's Description

McDonald's Traditional Ben Nevis is a Scotch Pure Malt Whisky from the Ben Nevis distillery near Fort William, bottled at 46%.

The bottle is designed as a replica of an older Ben Nevis release and carries the name of founder "Long John" MacDonald, who established the distillery in 1825 at the foot of Scotland's highest mountain.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The glass first greets you with honey, quickly followed by shortbread and a hint of vanilla.

Palate

The palate is full-bodied with apple compote, malt and creamy vanilla.

Finish

The finish is gently sweet.

Specifications

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region/Country: Fort William, Highlands, Scotland
Type: Scotch Pure Malt Whisky
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Replika af historisk flaske
EAN no.: 5026673000616

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Soft · Vanilla-sweet · Floral

Did You Know?

Ben Nevis Distillery has been owned by the Japanese company Nikka since 1989, one of the earliest examples of Japanese investment in Scotch whisky.

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Sugar-cane sweetness, a whisper of smoke and a dry, cereal-driven character that shows why the northern Highlands has its own voice in the whisky world.

Expert description

Teaninich 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky from the Teaninich distillery, bottled at 43% ABV.

The bottling belongs to the historic Flora & Fauna series, launched in 1992 by United Distillers, now known as Diageo. At the time, the series comprised 26 different releases meant to showcase the breadth of Scotland's whisky regions, most bottled at 43%, with a few released at cask strength or in wooden presentation cases.

This 10-year-old expression represents the northern Highlands with a medium-bodied, dry style, where Teaninich's signature cereal character sits alongside a discreet touch of smoke.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sugared barley and cereal with a light, oily herbal edge.

Palate

Pleasant dryness, smoky notes and a touch of citrus acidity.

Finish

Medium length, closing with a hint of espresso.

Specifications

Name: Teaninich 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna
Distillery: Teaninich
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Flora & Fauna
EAN no.: 5000281024400

Flavour profile

dry · cereal · lightly smoky

Did you know?

Teaninich was founded in 1817 by the blind Captain Hugh Munro, making it one of the very first legal distilleries in the northern Highlands.

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It began as a Christmas present. In 1968 George S. Grant bottled a cask of Glenfarclas at full strength and gave it to family and friends, and it later became the 105 — the first cask strength single malt to be regularly available.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured primarily in oloroso sherry casks and bottled at cask strength 60%.

The whisky carries no age statement, but the contents typically sit somewhere between eight and ten years. The number 105 refers to the old British proof scale, where 105 degrees equals the 60% alcohol. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

When the 105 reached the market, the cask strength category barely existed as something you could buy in a shop. It was a time when almost all single malt was reduced to 40 or 43%, and Glenfarclas took a chance sending something this powerful out to ordinary customers.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisins, nuts and dark chocolate, with a touch of oak. There is a light floral note that balances the heavy sherry elements.

Palate

Intense and full from the first sip. Sweet malt and dark syrup, followed by spiced oak, cloves and a trace of liquorice. The strength registers clearly, but it is warming rather than sharp.

Finish

Long, dry and lasting. Spices, dark fruit and a pleasant warmth that hangs on for a long time.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Whisky 70 cl 60%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 60%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Primarily oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: 105 Cask Strength
EAN no.: 5018066105015

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark fruit · Spiced · Powerful · Cask Strength

Did you know?

Glenfarclas 105 was born in 1968 when George S. Grant bottled a cask at full strength as a Christmas gift for family and friends. It later became a permanent part of the range and is regarded as the first regularly available cask strength single malt.

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Two years more than the ten year old and three percentage points higher. It does not sound like much, but at Glenfarclas it makes the difference between a whisky you drink and a whisky you sit with.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 12 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 43%.

The twelve years is the distillery best-selling release and the one most people use as a reference point for the house style. The sherry is clear but has not taken over yet, and at 43% the whisky carries more body than the 10 year old without demanding anything particular of the drinker.

The name Glenfarclas means the glen of the green grassland, and it is exactly that freshness you find beneath the sherry here. It is a note that runs through the whole range and keeps turning up, however many years the cask is given.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and crisp, with a lightly spiced sweetness and a touch of orange. The sherry sits as a warm base beneath it all.

Palate

Full with notes of dried fruit, new wood and a light sweet smoke. The 43% gives the whisky a firmness the 10 year old lacks, and the spice builds slowly towards the end.

Finish

Surprisingly long. Elegant spice and dried fruit lingering further than the age suggests.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks

Flavour profile

Sherried · Spiced · Dried fruit · Fruity · Malty

Did you know?

Glenfarclas has a board room panelled with wood from the ocean liner Empress of Australia. The panelling came from the ship’s drawing room and was put up in the visitor centre, which has been called The Ship’s Room ever since.

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No finish. No port casks, no wine casks, no detour. Glenfarclas has built its whole range on sherry casks alone, and the 15 year old is where that decision pays out most.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

The 46% is higher than in both the 10 and the 12 year old, and that is no accident. Fifteen years in sherry casks builds a depth that a low bottling strength would have flattened, and the extra three percentage points keep both the sweetness and the spice in place.

For many people the 15 year old is the point where Glenfarclas stops being an everyday whisky and becomes something you reach for deliberately. The sherry is still recognisable from the younger releases, but it has been joined by roasted nuts, dates and a texture that is clearly fuller.

Tasting notes

Nose

Complex sherry notes with a touch of understated smoke, cream caramel and a small hint of dried fruits such as dates and figs.

Palate

Great body with elegant balance. Plenty of sweetness from the sherry casks, malty tones, roasted nuts and a light smoke that sits beneath the fruit rather than on top of it.

Finish

Long and lingering with lavish sweetness, light smoke and plenty of complexity.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5018066154617

Flavour profile

Sherried · Nutty · Dried fruit · Lightly smoky · Full

Did you know?

Glenfarclas does not use cask finishes in its core range. Where most distilleries today round their whisky off in port, wine or rum casks, Glenfarclas has held on to sherry casks alone from fill to bottling.

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Sherry from the first sip. Glenfarclas does not use sherry casks as a finish but as the foundation itself, and you can taste it already in the youngest release in the range.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 10 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 40%.

Ten years is the distillery entry release, and it is built to show the house style rather than to impress with age. The sherry takes up clear room, but at 40% the whisky is light enough to be drunk without ceremony, and there is a trace of smoke in the background that comes from the direct firing under the stills.

Glenfarclas sits at Ballindalloch by the River Spey and has been in the hands of the Grant family since 1865. The water comes from a spring in the Ben Rinnes hills, and the distillery is one of very few left that still fires its pot stills directly with gas rather than using steam heating.

Tasting notes

Nose

Plenty of sherry, with honey, a touch of caramel and barley behind.

Palate

Spices, dried fruit, pastry and caramel, with a very small hint of smoke in the middle. The body is light at 40%, but the sherry gives it more weight than the number suggests.

Finish

Medium. More spice, dried fruit and oak closing quietly.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5018066104018

Flavour profile

Sherried · Spiced · Dried fruit · Malty · Light

Did you know?

John Grant bought Glenfarclas in 1865 for £512, and the distillery has been in the family ever since. That makes Glenfarclas one of very few Scottish distilleries still run by the same family after more than a century and a half.

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No caramel colouring, no filtration, no rush. Deanston took the harder road and raised the strength at the same time — which is why the 12 year old tastes clearer than most in its class.

Expert description

Deanston 12 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 46.3% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The distillery sits in a converted cotton mill from 1785 by the village of Doune, where the River Teith supplies both water for production and power for the whole site. The malt is Scottish, the fermentation long, and everything runs through classic pot stills. The 12 year old is the core expression and the clearest picture of what Deanston is after: a soft, honeyed style with enough body to be felt.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey from wildflowers, fresh apple and malt, with vanilla and a light cereal freshness.

Palate

Soft and full. Honey, ginger and malted barley, with pale fruit and a creamy mouthfeel. The 46.3% gives weight without turning hard.

Finish

Medium and dry, with malt, ginger and a soft honeyed warmth.

Specifications

Name: Deanston 12 years Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46,3%
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5029704217175

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Malty · Fruity · Creamy

Did you know?

The cotton mill at Doune was designed by Richard Arkwright, the man behind the industrial spinning frame. When textile production closed in 1965, the building stood empty for less than a year before the first whisky ran off the stills.

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There are not many whiskies built to be drunk alongside something else. Cigar Malt is one of them — made to hold its ground against the smoke of a cigar.

Expert description

Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 44%.

The whisky is assembled from selected casks aged roughly ten to fifteen years and is deliberately bottled a little stronger than the rest of the house range. The point is that it should stand up to the weight of tobacco without disappearing. This release is Version No. 2 of Cigar Malt, which Dalmore revived after a pause. The distillery at Alness has worked with sherry casks since the nineteenth century, and it is that same dark, concentrated style underneath.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful and dark. Raisin, orange marmalade and dark chocolate, with cinnamon, clove and a warm note of tobacco and leather.

Palate

Full and dense. Dried fruit, caramel and spice, with an oily texture and a dry oak edge. The 44% gives extra weight compared with the house 40% releases.

Finish

Long and warm, with spice, dark fruit and a dry, almost tobacco-like close.

Specifications

Name: Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve Single Highland Malt Whisky 44%
Distillery: The Dalmore
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 44 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American white oak, oloroso sherry casks and Cabernet Sauvignon casks
Edition: Cigar Malt Reserve Version No. 2
EAN no.: 5013967008427

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Tobacco · Full-bodied

Did you know?

The original Cigar Malt was discontinued in the mid-2000s and missed enough that Dalmore brought the name back in 2012. It is rare for a distillery to revive a discontinued bottling — but the demand from cigar bars would not go away.

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In 1896 a whisky merchant in Perth needed a name for his new blend. He chose the bird out on the moor. A hundred and thirty years later it still stands on the label, and the whisky behind it has never felt any need to reinvent itself.

The expert description

Famous Grouse is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

Matthew Gloag created the blend in Perth in 1896 and took the red grouse as his mark. Customers started asking for the famous grouse, and in 1905 the family took the hint and named it The Famous Grouse. The family sold up in 1970, and since July 2025 the brand has been owned by William Grant & Sons.

The recipe rests on malt whisky from Scottish distilleries, with Highland Park historically setting much of the tone, bound together with grain whisky. The malt delivers fruit and spice, the grain delivers the softness, and the balance between them is why the bottle has been the best selling blend in Scotland for decades.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep gold in the glass. A harmonious aroma of dried fruit and honey, with vanilla, nuts and citrus behind it.

Palate

Exceptionally soft and round with a pleasing fruitiness. Beneath it sit ripe, lightly spiced undertones that give it more to work with than expected.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and lightly sweet with malt at the close.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5010314700003

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Famous Grouse has held a royal warrant since 1984, but the connection reaches back further: Matthew Gloag’s business in Perth supplied wine to Queen Victoria when she visited Scotland in 1842, more than fifty years before the first Grouse was blended.

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In a region crowded with famous names, Lagavulin has quietly gone about its business for generations. This particular release from Islay shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Lagavulin 16 Year Single Islay Malt Whisky 43% is a Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky and bottled at 43%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Coastal smoke, dark fruit and a hint of vanilla.

Palate

Peat, sea salt and a honeyed sweetness.

Finish

Rich and smoke-laden with a slow fade.

Specifications

Name: Lagavulin 16 Year Single Islay Malt Whisky 43%
Distillery: Lagavulin
Region/Country: Islay
Type: Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5000281005409

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Spiced

Did you know?

Lagavulin sits at a natural bay on Islay's south coast, a name that means 'the little hollow by the mill', and the distillery has made whisky on the site since 1816.

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The Lowlands have only a handful of distilleries left, and Glenkinchie is the one Diageo put into the Classic Malts to represent the region. The twelve year old is the house expression.

The expert's description

Glenkinchie 12 Year is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 43%.

The style is light and dry with flowers and citrus, as Lowland malt traditionally is. The distillery moved from a ten year old to the twelve because the two extra years in oak gave more vanilla and a rounder middle.

Glenkinchie lies in a glen by the Kinchie Burn near Pencaitland in East Lothian, about fifteen miles from Edinburgh. The distillery is surrounded by farmland, and the barley has never had far to travel.

Tasting notes

Nose

Lemon, grass and meadow flowers with a note of vanilla and pale grain.

Palate

Light and dry with citrus, malt and vanilla. There is a mild sweetness through the middle and a touch of spice, but no weight.

Finish

Medium length, dry and lightly grassy with a hint of oak.

Specifications

Name: Glenkinchie 12 Year Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Glenkinchie
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Range: Classic Malts of Scotland
EAN no.: 5000281021935

Flavour profile

Light · Floral · Citrus · Vanilla · Dry

Did you know?

The name Kinchie is a corruption of De Quincy, the family who originally owned the land. The distillery sits in the glen by the Kinchie Burn, and both burn and distillery still carry a name nobody spells correctly any more.

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Named after the loch the distillery draws its water from, and just as dark and pulling as the name suggests.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Uigeadail is an Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 54.2%.

The name is pronounced "Oog-a-dal" and comes from the loch where Ardbeg draws its water, a direct nod to the island's rugged nature. The whisky is non-chill filtered and unadulterated with colour, preserving the full depth from both the bourbon and sherry casks.

Uigeadail has won several international awards and is regarded by many as one of the most complete releases in Ardbeg's range, precisely because it unites the distillery's peat smoke with a deep sherry sweetness without losing balance.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tar, burnt wood and maritime notes meet dried fruit, honey and warm spice from the sherry casks.

Palate

Bold and complex, where smoky tar, burnt sugar and dark chocolate play alongside raisins and spice.

Finish

Long and warm, with a deep and satisfying finish that ties smoke and sweetness together.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Uigeadail
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 54.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5010494220278

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sherry-matured · Maritime · Spiced

Did You Know?

Uigeadail has scored as high as 97.5 points in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, one of the highest ratings any Ardbeg release has received.

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No peat, no smoke. Glengoyne dries its malt with warm air, which is why the ten year old tastes of apple and nuts rather than bonfire.

The expert's description

Glengoyne 10 Year is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a mix of European and American oak sherry casks along with refill casks, bottled at 40%.

The malt is dried without peat smoke, which is rare enough to be the distillery trademark. Without smoke, the sweetness of the malt and the fruit of the cask stand out more clearly, and the whisky is brighter than most Highland malts.

Distillation is slow. Glengoyne itself points out that the spirit runs more slowly through their pot stills than anywhere else in Scotland, which gives a clean and light spirit.

Tasting notes

Nose

Green apples, nuts and caramel with a note of popcorn and fresh-cut grass.

Palate

Soft and light with apple, liquorice and caramel. Nuts and a touch of oak beneath the fruit, with a dry malted close.

Finish

Medium length, dry and malty with nuts and a hint of spice.

Specifications

Name: Glengoyne 10 Year Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Glengoyne
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: European and American oak sherry casks plus refill casks
EAN no.: 5010852026634

Flavour profile

Unpeated · Apple · Nutty · Caramel · Light

Did you know?

Glengoyne itself points out that their spirit runs more slowly from the pot stills than anywhere else in Scotland. The slower the distillation, the more contact the vapour has with the copper, and the cleaner the spirit becomes.

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Where Loch Indaal beats against the walls and part of the warehouse sits below the waterline, one of Islay's most recognisable drams matures. Bowmore 12 Year is where most people begin their journey into the island's peat smoke — and where many keep returning.

Expert's description

Bowmore 12 Year is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 40%. The flagship expression and first step in the core range from Bowmore, Islay's oldest distillery, founded in 1779. A classic permanent expression — not a limited edition, but a whisky that has stood the test of time and defined what an accessible Islay malt tastes like. Bowmore is one of the few distilleries still running its own traditional floor maltings, where barley is peated to around 25 ppm — notable but never as aggressive as Ardbeg or Lagavulin. This moderate smoke level is a major reason why Bowmore 12 Year is often called the ideal entry point to Islay. The whisky matures in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks in the legendary No. 1 Vaults, one of the world's oldest maturation warehouses.

Tasting notes

Nose

Light and inviting. Honey and citrus at the front, wrapped in Bowmore's characteristic mild peat smoke. A touch of vanilla and fresh flowers.

Taste

Well-balanced with warm honey, plum and a restrained peat smoke. The sherry cask contributes dark fruit and gentle spice; the bourbon cask provides sweetness and vanilla.

Finish

Medium length, clean and lightly smoky. Honey and sea salt linger — a satisfying, classic Islay finish.

Specifications

Name: Bowmore 12 Year Single Islay Malt Whisky
Distillery: Bowmore
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Single Islay Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and sherry
EAN no.: 5010496080818

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · Honey · Maritime · Balanced

Did you know?

Bowmore still operates its own traditional floor maltings — one of fewer than ten distilleries in Scotland to do so — producing a portion of its own peated malt on site.

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Eighteen years below Islay's surface, in No. 1 Vaults where the Atlantic rolls past the walls. What starts as light peat and bourbon sweetness slowly transforms into something darker — salt and dark berries, oak and a restrained smoke. This is Bowmore at full maturity.

Expert's description

Bowmore 18 Year is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 43%. One of the distillery's core expressions, showing what happens when Islay's oldest distillery gives whisky enough time in combined bourbon and sherry casks. Eighteen years softens the youthful peat into something deeper — dark fruit, sea breeze and gentle bitterness from extended oak contact. Bowmore has produced whisky since 1779 on the shores of Loch Indaal. At around 25 ppm, the moderate peating level and maturation in the legendary No. 1 Vaults give this 18-year-old its characteristic balance between restrained smoke and layered complexity.

Tasting notes

Nose

Subdued and elegant smoke. Orange and raisins, a hint of sea salt and dark chocolate. Cinnamon and steady oak.

Taste

Dark berries, orange marmalade and warming spice. The sherry casks bring depth — dried fruit, gentle earthiness and a trace of leather emerging after the initial sweetness.

Finish

Long, warming and gently smoky. Chocolate and dark fruit linger alongside a faint coastal breeze that keeps the maritime identity alive.

Specifications

Name: Bowmore 18 Year Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Bowmore
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and sherry
EAN no.: 5010496001400

Flavour profile

Peated · Sherried · Dark fruit · Maritime · Spiced

Did you know?

Bowmore's No. 1 Vaults, where part of this whisky matures, sits partially below sea level — making it one of the few warehouses in the world where the tide literally rolls past the walls during storms.

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Most people know Campbeltown Loch as the easy introduction to the region. The 21 year old is something else entirely - a mature, age-stated blend where time has been allowed to shape both malt and grain into something deeper.

Expert Description

Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old is a Campbeltown Blended Scotch Whisky composed of up to 60% single malt whisky and the remainder grain whisky, all a minimum of 21 years old, and bottled at 46%.

Where the younger Campbeltown Loch is a blended malt with no grain content, the 21 year old is a classic blended whisky carrying a substantial share of Springbank in its malt component. The long age guarantee across every component gives it a maturity and roundness that clearly sets it apart from the range's younger expressions.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Beeswax and graphite meet crisp apples, with ripe peaches sitting deep beneath the surface.

Palate

Complex and spiced, with ginger biscuits, cinnamon and orange peel unfolding across the palate.

Finish

Soft and spiced, with a lingering sweetness of orange and cinnamon that slowly fades.

Specifications

Name: Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old
Bottler: J&A Mitchell & Co
Region/Country: Campbeltown, Scotland
Type: Campbeltown Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Spicy · Creamy · Maritime

Did You Know?

Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old contains a substantial share of Springbank malt, giving it a depth and oily character usually only associated with the distillery's own single malts.

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Scotland's highest and coldest distillery sits 355 metres up in the Cairngorms. The cold is not a drawback — it is the whole reason the whisky comes out so clean and floral.

Expert description

Dalwhinnie 15 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 43%.

The distillery has produced since 1897 at Glen Truim in the Cairngorms National Park and is both the highest and coldest in Scotland. The water comes from Allt an t'Sluic, a source no other distillery may use, and it runs through local peat on the way down. Dalwhinnie is the Highland representative in Diageo's Classic Malts range, and the 15 year old is the core expression.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale and elegant. Heather, honey and a lightly vinous grape note, with vanilla and a trace of peat in the background.

Palate

Soft and clean. Honey, malt and heather, with a creamy texture and a mild spiced warmth. There is a clear fruit sweetness held in place by a dry edge.

Finish

Dry and long, with vanilla, heather and a faint smoke note that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Dalwhinnie 15 years Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Dalwhinnie
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Classic Malts of Scotland
EAN no.: 5000281005423

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Heather · Clean · Lightly Smoked

Did you know?

Dalwhinnie means meeting place in Gaelic — the name comes from Dail Chuinnidh and refers to the spot where old cattle drovers' routes crossed. Today the A9 and the Highland railway meet in the same place.

See our full range of Dalwhinnie Whisky