Old Pulteney Huddart Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant golden color. The nose is filled with scents of sweet malt, honeycomb, and baked apple with accents of smoke, leather, and vanilla bean. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich fruit and malt driven core with even more smoke than found on the nose with waves of peat and brown baking spices leading to a hardwood ember-like tannin on the finish. Full-bodied with generous notes of sea salt, smoke, and malt that showcases the peat element as being nearly herbal. $65 – 4 Stars
Old Pulteney 12 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, pale gold with a touch of amber. The nose is beautiful and delicate offering scents of honey, wild flowers, Bourbon cask, salty sea air, and sweet malt. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a creamy, sweet malt-driven core with flanking notes of sea salt and honeycomb, nutmeg, and citrus zest rising on the finish. Medium-bodied and ideally proportioned offering with perfect balance thanks to a dose of bright acidity. This version of the Old Pulteney 12 is different than in years past with a greater Bourbon impression and a lower ABV (previously bottled at 43%). $45 – 4 Stars
Old Pulteney 15 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, pale amber color. The aromatics are intense and complex with waves of honey, toffee, ginger, candied citrus zest, and cocoa nibs. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich and powerful honey and malt-driven core with waves of vanilla, dark chocolate, and citrus with hints of black pepper and sea salt. Full-bodied with dense malt throughout balanced with fresh acidity, citrus, and right salinity. Since much to our shock and horror Old Pulteney discontinued their great 17-year-old, this lovely 15-year-old is our new favorite Old Pulteney Malt. $90 – 5 Stars
Auchentoshan American Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The soft, floral, and subtly fruity Whisky takes second billing to bright Bourbon cask notes offering scents of toasted shaved coconut, vanilla bean, orange peel, and brown baking spices with hints of toasted grain emerging on the finish. The palate echoes the nose while it does reveal some very youthful spirit notes that become a bit peppery and spirity on the finish. It's medium-bodied with the oak pulling much of the freight with a bright and vibrant acidity. $40 – 3.5 Stars
Laphroaig Select Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant golden color. The nose is beautiful and classically Laphroaig with sweet campfire, peat, baked green apples, and coconut with subtle citrus and tropical accents. The palate is in full-agreement with the nose delivering a lush and sweet fruit, smoke, and peat core that trails off a bit quick. Medium to full-bodied with classic Laphroaig attributes while it falls a bit short of the classic Laphroaig proportions, balance and finish. $44.99 – 3.5 Stars
The Famous Grouse Ruby Cask Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, deep copper with hints of burgundy. The nose is reminiscent of Christmas with waves of brown baking spices, red fruits, and vanilla bean. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a rich, fruity core with spice accents creating flavors redolent of fruit cake with toasted oak rising on the finish. Medium-bodied with a bright fruit and spice core framed by oak and a bright dose of acidity. This is part of The Famous Grouse's cask series. This expression sees their original blend finished in Port seasoned casks. $34.99 – 4 Stars
The Famous Grouse Bourbon Cask Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant golden color. The nose is quite attractive offering scents of toasted oak and grain with supporting notes of caramel, vanilla, baked orchard fruits, and a hint of honey. The palate echoes the nose delivering a spicy oak core with waves of brown baking spices, toasted coconut, and soft pear accents. Medium-bodied with good length and ideal balance thanks a bright dose of acidity. This is part of The Famous Grouse's cask series. This expression is a blend of Whiskies primarily aged in American oak including Bourbon casks. $34.99 – 4 Stars
Highland Park Magnus Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, deep golden color. A wonderfully complex nose offering scents of Christmas cake with a bold dose of peat followed by notes of citrus, orange peel, honey, heather, and jasmine. The palate echoes the nose delivering a vibrant, fruity core with flanking notes of peat, earth, citrus, brown baking spices, ginger, and heather. Medium to full-bodied with sweet fruit becoming dry on the finish with a bright dose of acidity. Made with a portion of Orcadian peat burned in the distillery’s own kiln. $37.99 – 4 Stars
Johnnie Walker Platinum 18 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Deep bronze with hints of gold and copper. The nose is absolutely luxurious offering a careful marriage of fruit, rich malt, sweet grains, toffee, roasted nuts, clove, allspice, honeycomb, and smoky Islay notes of peat fires, and faint sea breezes. The palate echoes the nose delivering a perfectly proportioned dram that builds in iwith lovely grain, fruit, and caramel accents. Full-bodied with ideal balance and a long, luxurious finish. This beautiful blend offers the best of lush Speyside Whiskies punctuated by the essence of Islay with a glorious grain presence that binds it all into one seamless package. $99.99 – 5 Stars
Ardbeg An Oa Single Malt Scotch Whisky
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant golden color. The aromatics are incredibly generous and complex offering scents of dried fruits and rich caramel with toffee, butterscotch, oak, bonfire, peat, sea salt, ginger, and dark chocolate. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush fruit and honey-driven core with assertive flanking notes of smoke, peat, anise, and toasted malt. Full-bodied, while certainly not as powerful as some Ardbeg expressions, with ideal balance thanks to a bright dose of acidity that tames the long, sweet finish. $59.99 – 5 Stars
