Benriach The Smoky Twelve 12 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant gold to copper color with a touch of ruby. The nose is intense with the scents of sweet, baked fruits with smoky, vanilla-tinged accents. The palate echoes the nose delivering a sweet and decadent core of brown sugar, caramel, cacao, oak, and candied orange peel. Full-bodied with a sweet oaked, fruit core with waves of campfire and tannic spice accents. $64.99 – 4 Stars
Hazelburn 12 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Deep, brilliant copper color. The nose is deeply fruity with a big, lush dose of Sherry with toffee and refined caramel notes. The palate is quite sprite as it opens with a zesty, spirity note backed by rich ripe fruit, Christmas cake, and sweet Sherry with accents of candied ginger. Full-bodied with great length and power. $110 – 3.5 Stars
Laphroaig Lore Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, deep mahogany. The aromatics leap from the glass in a full attack of dense peat smoke, sea salt, and oak with accents of citrus, roasted nuts, toasted grains, and damp leaves. The palate echoes the nose delivering an exploding peat bomb with flanking notes of seaweed, sweet malt, and assertive spice and oak notes. Full-bodied with a sledgehammer of peat and oak. $124.99 – 3 Stars
Johnnie Walker Platinum 18 Years Old Single Malt 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, smoky Islay notes of peat fires, and faint sea breezes. The palate echoes the nose delivering a perfectly balanced dram that builds in intensity as it sits on the tongue. 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. $80 – 4.5 Stars
Grand Macnish Sherry Cask 15 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, amber color. Scents of orchard fruits hit the nose first followed by fruit cake, oak, and Sherry. The palate confirms the nose delivering a fruit-centric core with flanking notes of brown spice, coconut, Sherry, and bitter chocolate on the finish. Medium-bodied with a rich fruit and spice core that would be more pleasing with a bit more acidity. A decent value for a an older blend — it won't knock your socks off but it's a nice dram. $42.99 – 3.5 Stars
Grand Macnish 12 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, golden amber color. The nose is rich with waves of smoke, roasted nuts, baked apples, oak, and brown baking spices. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a round fruit-driven core with accents of spice, wood, and a hint of chocolate. Medium-bodied with a nice sense of balance while we wanted a more sustained palate and a bigger malt punch. $26.99 – 3.5 Stars
Buchanan's Red Seal Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is fresh and vibrant with scents of lightly toasted grains in the lead supported by ripe, sweet apples, pears, and orange with hints of orange peel, cashew butter, and candied ginger. The palate echoes the nose delivering a fruity but dry core with accents of brown baking spice, pepper, citrus zest, and brown butter. Medium-bodied showing ideal balance with a vibrant, crisp finish. $160 – 3 Stars
The Singleton of Glendullan 12 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant bronze color. The nose is wonderfully fresh and complex with notes of baked tropical fruits, orange, shortbread, and toffee. The palate fully agrees with the nose being beautifully proportioned offering a subtle tapestry of malt, fruit, and spice and a hint of vanilla. Medium-bodied with nice balance with bright fruit accents. A delicate style of malt best enjoyed as an aperitif. $50 – 3.5 Stars
Islay Mist 8 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, deep gold to copper color. The nose is classically Islay with waves of sea air, peat, dense herbal notes, and wisps of smoke with honey. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a fuller, and lush version of the nose with silky honey at the core flanked by peat, sea, orange peel, and brown baking spices. Full-bodied with lush malty core that is ideally balanced by spice, peat, and smoke. $25.99 – 4 Stars
Old Pulteney 18 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant golden/amber color. The nose reveals a very decadent Whisky offering rich scents of dark chocolate, baked apples, and generous waves of brown baking spices with accents of honey and hints of lemon curd. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a dense and powerful chocolate and malt-driven core with waves of fruit cake, allspice, black pepper, and hints of briny Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied with loads of barrel-driven spice notes and an oaky finish. $139 – 4 Stars
