TOP 10 WHISKIES £100-£200

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 46.3%
 
One of Bunnahbhain's flagship bottlings, the distillery's 18-year-old is richly-sherried without being cloying or over-powered. This whisky carries its 46.3% strength lightly while still packing plenty of sweet sherry flavours and the faintest whisper of earthy peat. A very elegant dram.

It's amazing to think that it's now over a decade since Bunnahabhain (and sister distilleries Deanston and Tobermory) dropped chill filtration and colouring and upped the strength of their official bottlings to 46.3%. How the brand's fortunes have improved since then, with Malt Whisky Yearbook reporting a 160% increase in sales in the last ten years. It really shows the value of listening to your customers.

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Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 40%

Glenfiddich 21-year-old Gran Reserva Rum Cask Finish is a delicious and elegant 21-year-old Speysider, perfect for after-dinner sipping. 

The original version of this whisky was Glenfiddich 21-year-old Havana Reserve, which first appeared just after the millennium but quickly fell foul of the US authorities (who are a bit funny about Cuba-related stuff), and thus it was reborn as Glenfiddich Gran Reserva with the rum casks now sourced from more capitalism-friendly countries in the Caribbean.

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Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark gold.

Nose: Intense and vanilla sweet, floral, hints of banana, figs, rich toffee, new leather and oak.

Taste: Initially soft, then brisk vibrant and drying, peppery, a touch of smoke, oak, lime, ginger and spices.

Finish: Very long, warming, dry and spicy.

Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 46%

The rehabilitation of Glen Scotia continues, with this latest batch of the often-overlooked Campbeltown distillery's Glen Scotia 18-year-old, a small batch of American oak casks finished in first fill Oloroso sherry butts adding rich, spicy notes to the distillery's traditionally grassy, coastal profile.

Best of all, it's exceptionally reasonably priced for an official bottling of this age, and bottled at 46% it's a perfect easy-going after-dinner drop.

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Tasting Notes

Nose: An elegant nose with crisp saltiness, perfumed floral notes, sweet honey and salted caramel.

Palate: An incredibly smooth and rich palate, with fruity flavours and thick sweet toffee. Expect notes of apricots, pineapple and plump sultana, with a gentle warming spice throughout.

Finish: Long and dry with gentle warming spice.

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Bottled by: Signatory Vintage 70cl / 57.6%

A single cask 18-year-old Undisclosed Speyside 'M' from the 2005 vintage, bottled in 2023 at full strength without colouring or chill filtration by Signatory Vintage for their Cask Strength Collection.

This 2005 'M' 18-year-old matured in a first fill Oloroso sherry butt - just like the most famous whiskies from this blue chip Speyside distillery - and yielded an impressive 604 bottles at its hefty natural cask strength of 57.6%.

M's owners Edrington are a bit funny about indie bottlers using their name, but you already know what this is, so don't hang around as we only have a few bottles.

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Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 40%

Glenfiddich's 18-year-old is one of Speyside's standard-bearers. It's the epitome of a middle-aged Speyside of the lighter style, and for many people the first premium 18-year-old single malt whisky they try.

Matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, and bottled at a very easy-drinking 40%, Glenfiddich 18-year-old remains one of Scotland's most accessible single malt whiskies, with a gentle texture and appealing soft fruit and spices.

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Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Nose: A rich aroma with ripe orchard fruit, baked apple and robust oak.
Palate: Luxuriously rich dried fruit, candy peel and dates, overlaid with elegant oak notes.
Finish: Warming, rewarding and distinguished.

Japanese Single Malt Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 43%

The iconic Suntory Yamazaki 12-year-old is a highly sought-after aged whisky from Japan's original single malt whisky distillery Yamazaki, built in 1923.

A complex, elegant Japanese whisky, Yamazaki 12-year-old first appeared in the mid-1980s and has a rich, generous fruit and malt character with faint smoke and spices. Best of all, though, is the generous silky mouthfeel, and the exquisite balance is one of Yamazaki's hallmarks.

One of Japan's most drinkable whiskies, the price of Yamazaki 12-year-old single malt has jumped in recent years as stocks of aged Yamazaki dwindled, but hopefully in another few years availability will improve and this marvellous whisky will become more accessible once again - it really is a dram that belongs in every single malt fan's cabinet.

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Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Bottled by John Crabbie 70cl / 47.5%

This Crabbie 1999 22-year-old Orkney whisky is another of the company's superb single casks of 'mystery' single malt whisky, and like the previous editions it's not that difficult a mystery to solve - and the answer should make fans of that particular Orkney distillery very happy.

Here we have a single bourbon cask of the 1999 vintage whisky from that very famous Orkney distillery, finished in a Palo Cortado sherry cask and bottled as a 22-year-old in 2021. This Crabbie 1999 single cask yielded 253 bottles at 47.5% and was bottled without colouring or chill filtration.

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Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Hints of raisins, dried fruit, vanilla fudge and berries, balanced with peppery smoke.

Palate: Layers of sweet berries and cream, with soft coffee caramel toffee. Dried fruit develops to a sweet, balanced peppered smokiness, with hints of dark chocolate and coffee.

Finish: Long, lingering and smoky.

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 44%

As the name suggests, Dalmore's Cigar Malt Reserve is designed for a fine stogie - but you don't have to be a cigar fan to enjoy the whisky.

Bottled at a higher strength of 44%, which gives the rich, sweet Dalmore flavours a good platform to express themselves, this long-standing fan favourite is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry and red wine casks and is best as an easy-drinking after-dinner dram, regardless of whether or not it's accompanied by one of Cuba's finest.

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Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Nose: Cinnamon, vanilla and red fruits.

Palate: Tropical fruits, banana toffee and vanilla ice cream.

Finish: Orange zest, dark chocolate and crushed spices.

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 43%

Benromach 21-year-old was reintroduced in 2020 by owners Gordon & MacPhail after a long hiatus and is a marriage of 100% first fill ex-sherry and bourbon casks. The previous Benromach 21-year-old was a short-lived bottling issued by G&M in the mid-Noughties and was comprised of refill sherry casks filled shortly before the distillery was mothballed by former owners DCL in 1983. 

G&M bought Benromach in 1993 and distilling began again in 1998, so it's great to have the 21-year-old back in the Benromach stable, and no doubt the owners are delighted to now have a fully mature core range 21-year-old whisky all from their own production. Expect sweet sherry, spices and a thread of savoury smoke.

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Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Bottled by: Fable 70cl / 55.3%

A 10-year-old Caol Ila 2011 bottled by Fable as the last of their Chapter One releases in their Ghost Piper of Clanyard Bay myth. Cask 312139 was a hogshead that yielded 288 bottles at a bracing 55.3% and was bottled without colouring or chill filtration.

Pendulum Spirits only started releasing their Fable casks in 2021 and they've already racked up over 100 bottlings, so they must be doing something right. Everything we've had from this crew has been great value, and the Caol Ilas in particular have been a treat.

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