Whiskies

A rich, complex bourbon barrel matured whisky from Laphroaig, this is the 15th edition of the Islay distillery's ever-popular Cask Strength 10 Year Old single malt. Bottled in December 2021, aromas of oat biscuits, green oak, candle wax, vanilla cream, wood smoke, tobacco, nutmeg and old leather fill the nose, complemented by notes of charred wood, burnt marshmallows, sea salt, toffee, caramel waffles, white peppery, roasted coffee, cinnamon and vanilla fill throughout the palate.

Port Charlotte's long-awaited 10 year old, rich and smoky whisky made by the independently minded folks at Bruichladdich distillery on Islay. PC, as it's known to its friends, is heavily peated to 40ppm, putting it up with Islay's other heavy hitters. The resulting whisky is big and peaty with a maritime tang – the Bruichladdich team would claim that it's because their warehouses are so close to the sea, we're still undecided. In the end, the most important thing is the taste: it's rather good.

Kilchoman's ongoing Machir Bay is a vatting of whisky matured in first-fill bourbon casks for around six years, married and then finished in oloroso sherry butts before bottling.

A whisky coming into its prime. This 15-year-old single malt, which spends its final three years in oloroso sherry casks, is elegantly balanced between this sherry influence and the distillery's fruit and peat characteristics – including a siren-like whisper of tropical fruit that will delight fans of older-style Bowmore. Now is the time to try Bowmore 15 Year Old, which reflects the best of the distillery's output from around the new millennium.

Bruichladdich's Scottish Barley is made entirely from Scottish-grown barley, trickle distilled and then matured in American oak. The distillery class it as their signature bottling.

The 2022 Distillers Edition single malt from Caol Ila has been finished in ex-Moscatel wine casks, creating layers of soft fruit and warming spices that mingle with the distillery's smoky, clean character.

100° Proof is a punchy Islay single malt from Port Askaig. With notes of sweet fruit, peat smoke and minerality, this is a benchmark Islay whisky and a great everyday peaty dram at this price.

A limited-edition 13-year-old Lagavulin single malt, finished in American oak ex-port casks and bottled for the 2021 Feis Ile festival. The palate offers notes of rich smoke, creamy vanilla, sweet spices and port-soaked fruit that lingers in the finish.

The first of four heavily peated single malts chosen to portray the Weird Sisters in Livingstone’s Macbeth series. As the witches remain un-named in the original text, bottler Elixir Distillers has chosen to keep the origin of this whisky mysterious on the label. However, they have hinted that Pedro Ximenez casks used to mature The First Witch were filled at a distillery on Islay’s Kildalton coast. This series of Shakespearean Scotch whiskies is the product of a collaboration between design studio Livingstone, whisky writer Dave Broom, Elixir Distillers and the legendary illustrator Sir Quentin Blake.

Bottled in celebration of the 2023 Feis Ile festival, this special edition Bunnahabhain was matured exclusively in William & Humbert Canasta sherry casks. Combining the unpeated style of the distillery with the sweet and spicy character of sherry, the nose offers aromas of caramelised fruits, honey-roasted nuts and warm spices. On the palate, maple syrup and creamy vanilla meet with flavours of dried figs, poached pears and cocoa.