Fusion is where it all began for Amrut internationally, a merger of Indian and Scottish barley that put Bangalore on the whisky map.

Expert's description

Amrut Fusion Indian Single Malt Whisky is an Indian Single Malt Whisky matured in new and used American oak casks and bottled at 50%.

The name Fusion refers to the whisky uniting two types of barley: Indian barley from the foothills of the Himalayas and lightly peated Scottish barley. The two malt types are distilled separately at the Amrut distillery in Bangalore and then married, letting east meet west in the same glass.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is all-round fresh with clean barley, blood orange, brown sugar and a very gentle hint of peat.

Palate

The palate offers orange and vanilla, good oak character, mocha and peat that grow stronger in the glass.

Finish

The finish is long and rich with a fine balance between sweetness, spice and a touch of smoke.

Specifications

Distillery: Amrut
Region/Country: Bangalore, India
Type: Indian Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 50 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: New and used American oak casks
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
EAN No.: 8901193004122

Flavour Profile

Lightly peated · Fruity · Spicy · Round

Did you know?

Amrut Fusion was created by Rakshit Jagdale, who got the idea for the whisky after a period of study in Scotland, and the name reflects exactly that meeting of east and west.

See our full range of Amrut

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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The name behind the iconic New Orleans cocktail, bottled as pure rye whiskey.

Expert description

Sazerac Rye Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is Buffalo Trace Distillery's rye-forward expression, named after the classic Sazerac cocktail, bottled at 45%. Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. The site was first built as a commercial distillery in 1858 and later taken over by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr., often called 'the father of the modern bourbon industry'. The distillery continued production through Prohibition under a medicinal licence and has been owned by the family-run Sazerac Company since 1992.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is spiced with pepper, grain and a hint of fruit.

Palate

The palate offers rye, spice and light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, dry and peppery.

Specifications

Name: Sazerac Rye Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Region/Country: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Spiced · Peppery · Grainy · Dry

See our full range of Buffalo Trace

Al Capone's rumoured favourite 'good stuff' has become a legal whiskey.

Expert description

Templeton Rye Signature Reserve 4 Year Old Prohibition Era Recipe Whiskey is built on a recipe originally brewed illegally in the town of Templeton, Iowa, during Prohibition, when local farmers such as Alphonse Kerkhoff distilled rye whiskey and shipped it to Chicago, bottled at 40%. According to legend the whiskey was a favourite of Al Capone, and in 2006 Kerkhoff's grandson Keith revived the recipe as a legal brand.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is sweet with rye, caramel and a hint of spice.

Palate

The palate offers rye, brown sugar and a soft sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, soft and lightly peppery.

Specifications

Name: Templeton Rye Signature Reserve 4 år Prohibition Era Recipe Whiskey
Bottler: Templeton Rye
Region/Country: Templeton, Iowa, USA
Type: Rye Whiskey
Age: 4 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Spiced · Sweet · Soft · Rye-forward

Did you know?

During Prohibition, Templeton Rye was reportedly shipped to Chicago hidden in cattle cars bound for the city's stockyards — one of the methods local farmers used to evade the era's liquor ban.

See our full range of Templeton Rye

Yoichi sits where the Japan Sea meets the coast, and the salty air has shaped the whisky for fifteen years.

Expert Description

Nikka Yoichi 15 Year is a Single Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 45%.

Yoichi Distillery was founded by Masataka Taketsuru in 1934 on Hokkaido's west coast, the place he found most similar to the Scottish highlands where he learned the craft of whisky. The distillery still uses direct coal firing of its pot stills, a rare and demanding method that gives the whisky its characteristic power and smokiness.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Peated smoke, sea salt and ripe dark fruits.

Palate

Powerful with smoke, sherry and a hint of liquorice.

Finish

Long and warm with lingering smoke and spice.

Specifications

Name: Nikka Yoichi 15 Year
Distillery: Yoichi
Region/Country: Hokkaido, Japan
Type: Single Malt Japanese Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4904230103776

Flavour Profile

Powerful · Smoky · Salty · Dark

Investment Potential

Investment perspective

Nikka Yoichi 15 Year was discontinued as a core range expression in 2015 and today often trades well above its original release price when bottles appear on the secondary market.

Did You Know?

Yoichi Distillery is one of only two Japanese whisky distilleries still using direct coal firing to heat its pot stills - a method most others abandoned decades ago.

See our full range of {'da': 'Nikka whisky', 'en': 'Nikka whisky', 'sv': 'Nikka whisky'}

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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The core of Woodford Reserve, triple-distilled at one of Kentucky's oldest distillery sites.

Expert description

Woodford Distillers Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the distillery's core expression, bottled at 43.2%. Woodford Reserve is distilled at the historic distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, whose roots go back to 1812, when it was originally named the Oscar Pepper Distillery. The site is today designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is owned by Brown-Forman. The whiskey stands out for being triple-distilled in copper pot stills, unlike most bourbons, which are column-distilled.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is full with caramel, vanilla and a hint of dried fruit.

Palate

The palate offers brown sugar, toasted wood and a hint of spice.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, warm and round.

Specifications

Name: Woodford Distillers Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery
Region/Country: Versailles, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 43.2%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Triple distilled

Flavour profile

Caramel · Full-bodied · Round · Vanilla-forward

See our full range of Woodford Reserve

Cask No 1. Few bottlings in the world carry that weight. The very first cask from Nyborg Distillery – bottled at 58% while the distillery was still based at Ørbæk Brewery. This is the beginning.

Expert description

Isle of Fionia Cask No 1 is an organic Danish Single Malt Whisky bottled at 58% from the very first cask ever produced at Nyborg Distillery. Made during the Ørbæk era – before the Isle of Fionia brand, before the train depot in Nyborg, before Distillery of the Year 2025. It is the distillery's birth certificate in a bottle. A bottling that combines the historic early Ørbæk character of the organic Funen distillate with the simple, direct expression of a cask from the very first days. A concluded moment in Danish whisky's timeline.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and fresh organic base. Light fruitiness with peach and gentle citrus notes. Light sweetness from the cask. A nose that reflects young, clean organic distillate.

Palate

Clear and direct at 58%. Fresh grain notes, light fruit and a delicate sweetness from the cask. Simple and authentic – a distillate character in its original form.

Finish

Clean and fresh with a shorter, direct close. The pure distillate speaks for itself.

Specifications

Name: Isle of Fionia Cask No 1
Distillery: Nyborg Distillery (Ørbæk era)
Region/Country: Funen, Denmark
Type: Organic Danish Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 58%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Cask No 1

Flavour profile

Fresh · Fruity · Clean · Organic

Investment potential

High. Cask No 1 is the very first cask from Nyborg Distillery – a distillery that has since won Distillery of the Year 2025. The historical singularity and the past frozen in the bottle make it an extraordinary collector's piece.

Did you know?

When Nyborg Distillery first opened its doors at Ørbæk Brewery, nobody knew what would come of it. Cask No 1 is the result of the very first batches. The fact that this distillery has since won Distillery of the Year 2025 gives Cask No 1 a historical dimension that very few bottlings will ever achieve.

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Jameson is arguably the most famous Irish whiskey in the world – a classic, triple-distilled blend that is just as good neat as in an Irish Coffee.

Expert Review

Jameson Triple Distilled Blended Irish Whiskey is a Blended Irish Whiskey, bottled at 40%.

The whiskey is triple distilled, giving it its characteristic smoothness. The colour is amber gold, and the nose offers spiced and fruity tones. The palate is spiced with a hint of citrus, finishing with a good, dry finish. Jameson is best enjoyed neat, on the rocks, as an Irish Coffee, or in cocktails.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Spiced and fruity.

Palate

Spiced with citrus.

Finish

Good and dry.

Specifications

Name: Jameson Triple Distilled
Distillery: Jameson
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Other: Perfect for Irish Coffee
EAN no.: 5011007003005

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Fruity · Citrus-forward · Dry · Smooth

Did You Know?

Jameson is the world's best-selling Irish whiskey brand and is often used as the base in the classic Irish Coffee.
See our full range of Irish whiskey

Kilbeggan Traditional is an authentic Irish classic from one of Ireland's oldest distilleries, founded all the way back in 1757.

Expert Review

Kilbeggan Traditional Blended Irish Whiskey is a Blended Irish Whiskey, bottled at 40%.

The whiskey combines double-distilled malt whiskey with grain whiskey, resulting in a light yet full-bodied tasting experience. Matured in ex-bourbon casks, Kilbeggan develops a rounded profile with notes of honey, vanilla, light caramel and a subtle spiced finish. The soft, approachable style makes it perfect to enjoy neat, on ice, or as the base in classic Irish cocktails.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey and vanilla.

Palate

Light caramel with a subtle spiced finish.

Finish

Soft and rounded.

Specifications

Name: Kilbeggan Traditional
Distillery: Kilbeggan Distillery
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5099357003609

Flavour Profile

Honeyed · Vanilla-forward · Lightly spiced · Soft · Rounded

Did You Know?

Kilbeggan Distillery was founded in 1757 and is one of Ireland's oldest licensed distilleries.
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Bushmills Black Bush has won a host of international awards over the years, including Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition twice.

Expert Review

Bushmills Black Bush Blended Irish Whiskey is a Blended Irish Whiskey, bottled at 40%.

The whiskey has a higher proportion of malt whiskey than most other blends, matured in Oloroso sherry casks. Black Bush is made up of 80% malt whiskey and 20% grain whiskey, bottled after up to seven years of maturation in Spanish oak seasoned with Oloroso sherry and American oak ex-bourbon barrels. The colour is dark and golden with a dark, spiced nose. The palate offers plenty of spice, coffee, mocha, caramel, floral notes and vanilla. The alcohol is present, but nicely wrapped by the cask, and the finish is long and lightly sweet.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark and spiced, with a rich fruitcake aroma.

Palate

Spice, coffee, mocha, caramel and vanilla.

Finish

Long and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Bushmills Black Bush
Distillery: Bushmills
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
Cask: Sherry Cask
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Other: Triple Distilled - Finest Blend
EAN no.: 5055966810069

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Coffee-forward · Caramel-sweet · Full-bodied · Elegant

Did You Know?

Black Bush has won numerous international awards, including Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in both 2007 and 2010.
See our full range of Irish whiskey

The white label is where most Jim Beam stories start — the world's best-selling bourbon, according to the brand.

Expert description

Jim Beam White is a no-age-statement Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, bottled at 40%. The Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, dates back to 1795, when Jacob Beam sold his first barrel of bourbon under the name "Old Jake Beam". The family has made bourbon in Kentucky for over 200 years and seven generations, and the brand took its current name in 1943 in honour of James Beauregard "Jim" Beam, who rebuilt the distillery in 120 days after Prohibition ended. The recipe is built on the Beam family's traditional mash of corn, rye and malted barley, a blend the family says has stayed largely unchanged across all seven generations.

The whiskey matures in new, charred oak barrels as required by US law for straight bourbon, giving it a characteristic sweetness and vanilla note.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers vanilla, caramel and a hint of oak, light and approachable.

Palate

The palate is soft and sweet with caramel, vanilla and a touch of pepper, without sharp edges.

Finish

The finish is short to medium, warm and lightly spiced.

Specifications

Name: Jim Beam White
Distillery: Jim Beam
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Sweet · Vanilla · Caramel · Approachable

See our full range of Jim Beam

The black label with the white script has become just as recognisable as the whiskey inside it — Old No. 7 is the bottle everything else from Jack Daniel's gets measured against.

Expert description

Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 is a no-age-statement Tennessee Whiskey, bottled at 40%. Jack Daniel's Distillery was founded in 1866 by Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and is officially registered as America's first distillery. All production still happens on the same site, where the whiskey is filtered drop by drop through nearly 3 metres of sugar maple charcoal before going into new, charred oak barrels — the Lincoln County Process that defines Tennessee Whiskey.

The core of the recipe is a mash of corn, rye and malted barley, fermented, distilled and then filtered through the charcoal before resting in new, charred oak barrels. The result is the smoothness and round sweetness the brand is known for worldwide.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers caramel, vanilla and a hint of banana, carried by the characteristic smoothness from the charcoal filtering.

Palate

The palate is round and lightly sweet, with caramel and gentle oak spice, without sharp edges.

Finish

The finish is short to medium, warm and soft, with a lingering caramel and vanilla note.

Specifications

Name: Jack Daniel's Old No. 7
Distillery: Jack Daniel's
Region/Country: Tennessee, USA
Type: Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Column distilled, Lincoln County Process

Flavour profile

Round · Sweet · Caramel · Vanilla · Smooth

Did you know?

The name Lincoln County Process comes from the original county line: the distillery sat in Lincoln County until 1871, when it became part of the newly formed Moore County — but the name for the filtering method stuck.

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Bulleit's core expression honours a recipe rooted in 1830s frontier country.

Expert description

Bulleit Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the brand's core expression, characterised by a high proportion of rye in the mash bill, bottled at 45%. Bulleit was revived by Tom Bulleit, who built the brand on his great-great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit's 1830s recipe. The whiskey is characterised by a high proportion of rye in the mash bill, giving a more spiced profile than many classic bourbons. The brand is now owned by Diageo and is primarily distilled at Bulleit Distilling Co.'s own distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, which opened in 2017.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is spiced with grain, vanilla and a hint of pepper.

Palate

The palate offers brown sugar, spice and a dry, grainy note.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, dry and spiced.

Specifications

Name: Bulleit Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Bulleit Distilling Co.
Region/Country: Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Spiced · Dry · Grainy · Peppery

See our full range of Bulleit

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.

See our full range of Dalmore Whisky

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.

See our full range of Famous Grouse

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The black label with the white script has become just as recognisable as the whiskey inside it — Old No. 7 is the bottle everything else from Jack Daniel's gets measured against.

Expert description

Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 is a no-age-statement Tennessee Whiskey, bottled at 40%. Jack Daniel's Distillery was founded in 1866 by Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and is officially registered as America's first distillery. All production still happens on the same site, where the whiskey is filtered drop by drop through nearly 3 metres of sugar maple charcoal before going into new, charred oak barrels — the Lincoln County Process that defines Tennessee Whiskey.

The core of the recipe is a mash of corn, rye and malted barley, fermented, distilled and then filtered through the charcoal before resting in new, charred oak barrels. The result is the smoothness and round sweetness the brand is known for worldwide.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers caramel, vanilla and a hint of banana, carried by the characteristic smoothness from the charcoal filtering.

Palate

The palate is round and lightly sweet, with caramel and gentle oak spice, without sharp edges.

Finish

The finish is short to medium, warm and soft, with a lingering caramel and vanilla note.

Specifications

Name: Jack Daniel's Old No. 7
Distillery: Jack Daniel's
Region/Country: Tennessee, USA
Type: Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 300 CL
Distillation method: Column distilled, Lincoln County Process

Flavour profile

Round · Sweet · Caramel · Vanilla · Smooth

Did you know?

The name Lincoln County Process comes from the original county line: the distillery sat in Lincoln County until 1871, when it became part of the newly formed Moore County — but the name for the filtering method stuck.

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It's called Double Mellowed for a reason — this expression goes through the charcoal filtering twice instead of once.

Expert description

Gentleman Jack is a Tennessee Whiskey filtered through sugar maple charcoal both before and after it rests in the barrel — an extra round compared to Old No. 7, giving it the name 'Double Mellowed'. Jack Daniel's Distillery was founded in 1866 by Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and is officially registered as America's first distillery. All production still happens on the same site, where the whiskey is filtered drop by drop through nearly 3 metres of sugar maple charcoal before going into new, charred oak barrels — the Lincoln County Process that defines Tennessee Whiskey.

The extra filtering gives a noticeably softer, rounder profile than the core range, with fewer sharp edges from the grain and the barrel.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is soft and round, with vanilla, caramel and a hint of fresh fruit.

Palate

The palate is unusually smooth for a Tennessee Whiskey, with sweetness, vanilla and a touch of spice without bitterness.

Finish

The finish is short and soft, without the sharpness sometimes found in younger American whiskeys.

Specifications

Name: Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack
Distillery: Jack Daniel's
Region/Country: Tennessee, USA
Type: Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Column distilled, Lincoln County Process

Flavour profile

Soft · Round · Vanilla · Light sweetness · Smooth

Did you know?

The name Lincoln County Process comes from the original county line: the distillery sat in Lincoln County until 1871, when it became part of the newly formed Moore County — but the name for the filtering method stuck.

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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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Red wax seal, softer bourbon — Maker's Mark since 1958.

Expert description

Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the distillery's core expression, made from a wheated mash bill, bottled at 45%. Maker's Mark was founded in 1953, when Bill Samuels Sr. bought the old Burks' Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. His wife Margie created the entire brand identity — the name, the square bottle and the hand-dipped red wax seal, still hand-dipped on every bottle today. Bill Samuels wanted to create a softer bourbon than the typical rye-based styles of the day and replaced rye with red winter wheat in the mash bill. The distillery was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1980.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is soft with caramel, vanilla and a hint of fruit.

Palate

The palate is round and sweet with caramel, vanilla and spiced oak.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, soft and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Maker's Mark
Region/Country: Loretto, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Sweet · Caramel · Rounded

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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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The name is not about the taste, it is about the trees. Aberlour has spent years working on woodland conservation in Speyside, and this bottle takes its name from that effort. What is in the glass is rather more concrete: three kinds of oak, and one of them is French.

The Expert's Description

Aberlour Forest Reserve 10 Years Old is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks and Jerez sherry casks, then finished in French Limousin oak and bottled at 40%. It is the French oak that sets it apart from the rest of Aberlour's range.

Limousin oak comes from the forests around Limoges in central France and is normally used for cognac rather than whisky. The wood is porous and tannin-rich, giving a drier, spicier wood character than American oak: think pepper and nuts rather than vanilla and coconut. The bourbon casks underneath keep the malt sweetness in place, and the sherry casks lay in raisins and orange.

Aberlour sits in the village of the same name, where the Lour Burn joins the River Spey at the foot of Ben Rinnes. The name is Gaelic and means roughly the mouth of the chattering burn.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey and baked apple first, with orange peel behind. Then a drier, almost woody note arrives with nutmeg and a hint of gingerbread spice, which is the French oak reporting in. Raisins and a light nutty sweetness sit at the back.

Palate

Soft opening with malt, caramel and baked fruit. Mid-palate the wood tightens up with spice and a drier tannic edge, unusual for an Aberlour at 40%. The raisins from the sherry casks round it off. Easy to drink without being dull.

Finish

Medium length. Spiced oak, honey and a light dryness that hangs on for longer than the strength suggests.

Specifications

Name: Aberlour Forest Reserve 10 Years Old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Aberlour
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks and Jerez sherry casks, finished in French Limousin oak
Edition: Forest Reserve
EAN no.: 5000299620403

Flavour Profile

Malty · Fruity · Spiced · Oaky · Honeyed · Sherry Matured

Did You Know?

Limousin oak is the cognac cask. The French have used it for centuries precisely because it is porous enough to let the spirit breathe and tannic enough to give structure. Using it for Scotch malt whisky is a far more recent idea, and not many distilleries still do it.

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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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Most Irish whiskeys avoid peat, but Connemara does the opposite, drawing inspiration from Ireland's older distilling traditions, where peat smoke was a natural part of the process.

Expert Review

Connemara Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey is a peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey, bottled at 40%.

The whiskey draws inspiration from Ireland's older distilling traditions, where peat was often used to dry the malted grain, a practice now rare among Irish whiskeys. The malt is dried over peat fire, giving Connemara a velvety base character with a distinct yet balanced peat note. The whiskey has a light, golden colour and a silky palate.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Smoky peat with hints of heather and honey.

Palate

Silky, with honey, malt and dried fruit, balanced by peat and vanilla.

Finish

Medium, with a gentle, smoky close.

Specifications

Name: Connemara Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey
Distillery: Connemara
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey
Age: Min. 3 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5099357002305

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Peat-driven · Honeyed · Silky · Floral

Did You Know?

Connemara is named after the rugged and beautiful landscape in western Ireland, which lent its name to the whiskey's rustic, earthy character.
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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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