Buchanan's Master Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is rich while being sweet and spicy as well. Notes of caramel-soaked toasted grains leap from the glass supported by dark chocolate, orange peel, lavender, and baked apple with hints of pine cone. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering lush and round core that ideally marries fruit, honey, spice, and oak with accents of cocoa nibs. Medium to full-bodied having more weight than the De Luxe while still maintaining a clever balance. $50 – 4.5 Stars
Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is quite alluring with sweet malted barley and grains drenched in ripe fruits with baked apples, buckwheat honey, roasted walnuts, toffee, vanilla, and clove. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush fruit core with silky baked fruits layered with caramel and loads of brown baking spices with black pepper and oak notes emerging on the finish. (It really needs a splash of water to come alive.) Despite its obvious strength (100 proof) it is really quite approachable and delicate while being incredibly generous with fruit, caramel, toffee, and spice notes. $29.99 – 4.5 Stars
Pendleton Midnight Canadian Blended Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wonderfully fruity and floral with a backdrop of toasted grains supported by saddle leather, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, clove, and toasted oak. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich fruit and spice driven core that is reminiscent of premium aged Rum. It's an amazing, seamless blend of fruit and grain. It's full-bodied without being brooding or heavy offering more elegance than weight with ideal balance. $34.95 – 4 Stars
Johnnie Walker Rye Cask Finish 10 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are rich with sweet grain, malt, caramel, toffee, and loads of brown baking spices with accents of candied ginger, vanilla bean, and peppery rye notes. The palate mirrors the nose delivering a lush malt and grain core with baking spice and black pepper notes rising on the finish. The rye notes are evident but a companion to the grain core rather than a dominating force. Ideally balanced with long, lingering flavors and a fresh dose of acidity. $45 – 5 Stars
Glenfarclas Family Cask #2639 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Deep, dark mahogany with perfect clarity catching the light with copper edges. The nose is simply incredible offering generous Sherry and caramel notes with loads of dried fruits including dates, peach, apple, and candied orange peel with accents of leather, roasted walnuts, and brown baking spices. The palate is perfectly true to the aromatics expressing its full treasure with a modest splash of water. It's a real charmer whose only imperfection is the firm wood notes on the finish. The ideal gift for a special friend turning 50 this year. $949.99 – 4 Stars
Glenfarclas Family Cask #3551 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Deep copper color with perfect clarity. The aromatics are quite subtle when first poured but it blossoms and grows in short order revealing waves of candied roasted nuts, caramel, candied orange peel, and orchard fruits with accents of nutmeg, cinnamon, and complex sherry notes with hints of black pepper and clove. The palate echoes the nose being rich while delicate with layers of nuanced fruit and spice flavors. Incredibly balanced with a remarkable vibrancy that defies its age. A beautiful malt with an unexpected delicacy and style. The ideal gift for a special friend turning 40 this year. $599.99 – 5 Stars
Glenfarclas Family Cask #4567 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Bright and surprisingly light colored with bright golden hues. The aromatics are bright and youthful with scents of candied ginger, fresh malt and grain, sandalwood, roasted nuts, dried apricot, and soft Sherry notes. The palate delivers on the promise of the nose and more with an unctuous and viscous core of Sherry and sweet malt flanked by brown baking spices, roasted nuts, black pepper, and butter toffee. This great old malt benefits from a modest dose of water that releases the complex aromas and flavors. Amazing. The ideal gift for a special friend turning 30 this year. $329.99 – 5 Stars
Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky Canadian Blended Whisky
Brilliant pale bronze color. The aromatics are rich and seductive with layers of sweet maple, vanilla fudge, caramel, and honey on a bed of spicy rye. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering waves of sweet maple and brown sugar with peppery rye notes offering balance and length. Wonderfully spicy and ideally balanced with a silky, viscous core. Try with a few cubes of ice or marry with ginger, lime, or Fino Sherry to create your own unique cocktail. $29.99 – 4 Stars
Usquaebach Highland Whiskies 15 Years Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wonderfully complex offering scents of stewed fruits along with fresh pear, pineapple, and red apple supported by waves of brown baking spices (allspice and nutmeg are prominent), caramel, black pepper, wood, and toffee. The palate confirms the nose delivering a lush and silky fruit driven core with accents of baking spice, toasted grains, wood, Sherry, and dry black pepper notes on the finish. This is an intense and multilayered blended malt that changes constantly in the glass as it aerates, revealing new layers of flavors. $80 – 4.5 Stars
The Macallan Rare Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is rich with the scents of toasted grains equaled by notes of dense sherry with supporting notes of cocoa, green grass, orange zest, dried fruits, vanilla bean, and loads of brown baking spices. The palate echoes the nose as the sherry envelopes the spicy grain core that now exhibits more black pepper than is found in the aromatics. It finishes with a rich, sweet dried fruit focus with accents of brown spices. It's a full-bodied Whisky for sure but not as brooding as many heavily Sherry influenced drams and it has a long, lingering finish. $300 – 3.5 Stars
