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

Traditionally one of the best-regarded Dalmores in the distillery's core range, Dalmore 15-year-old is matured first in American oak casks before being transferred for a finishing period in Gonzalez-Byass Oloroso sherry casks.

Dalmore 15-year-old is a classy, very easy-drinking after-dinner Highland single malt whisky that like the rest of the range would benefit enormously from a higher bottling strength.

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Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Nose: Orange marmalade, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Palate: Mandarin, vanilla, ginger and crushed apples.

Finish: Caramelised orange and rich dark chocolate.

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.

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

Tomatin 18-year-old joined the distillery's core range in 2006 but really kicked up a  notch with the switch to 46% a few years later and is bottled without colouring or chill filtration.

As ever with Tomatin, the secret of the 18-year-old's success is an unfussy adherence to traditional whisky-making values. Tomatin 18-year-old is matured initially in bourbon casks before a finishing period in first fill Oloroso sherry butts and is now almost untouchable as one of the best value 18-year-old Highland single malts on the market.

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

The 2023 edition of Glenallachie's superb 18-year-old annual release follows a similar blueprint to last year's version, with the maestro Billy Walker selecting from the best of the distillery's Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, balanced by a small proportion of virgin oak.

As ever, Glenallachie 18-year-old has been bottled at 46% without chill filtration or added colouring and is a rich and complex after-dinner whisky with sweet (natural) caramel, classic dried fruit and chocolatey flavours, nutty hints and a spicy finish. Unfortunately there won't be enough stock of this for everyone who wants one, so grab it while you can. 

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Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Intense Chestnut.

Nose: Layers of heather honey, toffee and muscovado sugar, with dark chocolate, caramel and dried sultanas.

Palate: Bursting with fruit cake, butterscotch and wild Scottish honey, followed by layers of blackcurrant, almonds and soft oak spice on the finish.

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.

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 50.9%

A limited edition sherry finished 21-year-old Deanston 2000, this special bottling has been certified fully organic - from field to bottle - by the Organic Food Federation.

That means it's not just the grain that's organic - this Deanston 2000 21-year-old matured in organic bourbon casks before being finished in casks that previously held organic Fino sherry  - and was bottled without colouring or chill filtration at its natural cask strength of 50.9%.

Deanston 2000 21-year-old Organic Fino Sherry Finish will be a corker.

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Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Auburn Nose: Vibrant notes of juicy raisins and sweet malt.  Aromas of shortbread and strawberry jam.

Palate: Espresso, chocolate cherries and oak infused honey. A subtle spin on our signature waxy character.

Finish: Candied fruit with a shake of cinnamon and chocolate creaminess.

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 50.9%

This Ballechin 18-year-old Cask Strength Batch 001 was bottled in April 2023 and represents the oldest core range cask strength official bottling of Edradour's heavily peated spirit.

Ballechin accounts for just 5% of Edradour's production, with only around 40-50 casks a year currently being filled, so it's a testament to owner Andrew Symington's careful cask husbandry that there's enough stock to make a batch of 18-year-old.

Ballechin 18-year-old Cask Strength Batch 001 has been bottled without colouring or chill filtration and weighs in at a promising 50.9% cask strength - hopefully this is the first of many cask strength aged Ballechins to come.

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Blended Scotch Whisky
Bottled By Glenallachie Distillery 70cl / 48%

A magnificent resurrection for the White Heather blended Scotch whisky brand, after decades languishing in nostalgic oblivion. Billy Walker, impresario of Glenallachie has reclaimed the White Heather brand and reimagined it as a prestige blend, and there literally couldn't be a better man for the job.

White Heather 21-year-old has been made by vatting a batch of 18-year-old single malts and grains from ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before returning them to sherry casks and a few virgin oak casks for an extraordinary three years of marrying before bottling at a hearty 48%.

The blend itself has a remarkable 47% malt content of which the vast majority is Speyside and Highland single malts (it's a fair guess that there's a hefty chunk of sherried Glenallachie in there), with a dash of Islay malt to add smoke and depth.

It's always great when an old favourite makes a triumphant return. Kudos to Mr Walker and his team, we can't wait to see what's next for White Heather whisky.

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Tasting Notes

Nose: Beautifully soft background with heather honey, butterscotch, peat reek and hints of tannins.

Palate: Rich notes of heather honey, butterscotch, orange peel and soft tannins.

Finish: Balanced with a wonderful presence of peat and smoke.