Whilst many Australian whisky enthusiasts are familiar with the traditional sherried bottlings from Aberlour distillery, many parts of Europe are privy to its more curious variants which combine whiskies derived from both sherry and bourbon casks, varying in proportion. We have sourced a small quantity of these relatively unknown expressions just to showcase what this distillery capable of.

While India may not be the first country to mind when great world whisky is mentioned, the Fusion Single Malt is about to change all that. Considered by Jim Murray to be the 3rd best whisky in the world as part of his 2010 Whisky Bible, the Fusion is a phenomenal amalgam of flavours, aromas and texture the envy of most, even in Scotland. On the nose this spectacular whisky offers up notes of heavy oak, barley sugar and some subtle smoke characters that play ever so well with amazingly complex flavours like custard cream, toffee and dried fruits. While the whisky threatens to be completely overpowering, the balance on the finish is nothing short of ground breaking. There is simply no better way to extend your whisky horizons than with a bottle of Amrut Fusion.

Rounded and smoky - like burning Applewood - with creamy toffee, aniseed, treacle and dates. A curious suggestion of juicy fruits, such as peach and banana. With a drop of water, reminders of Ardbeg's classic fragrance lime, pine resin, fennel, saddle soap and tar. A gentle waxiness, like fragrant candle wax, and hints of smoked herbs. An Oa gives a final subtle reminder of the sea with briny notes and seaweed but always accompanied with creaminess. A smooth, creamy texture leads into a huge syrupy sweetness, flavours of milk chocolate, treacle toffee, aniseed, orange and smoky tea leaves. Gentle, sweet spices (nutmeg & cinnamon), some cigar smoke, and a very unusual flavour of grilled artichokes. Wood is always present in the spirit, gently nutty and reminiscent of a carpenter's workshop. A long, sweet finish, with floral overtones, mint toffee and some gentle malty biscuit notes.

The Isle of Skye is renowned for its rich, varied landscape from its soft, serene shores to the dark, jagged peaks of the Cuillin mountains. Talisker Skye is the distillerys ode to these appealing contrasts, with a smoky sweetness, maritime notes, and a spicy edge.Best served in a Rocks Glass, neat or with a little water.

“The elemental opposite of the sophisticated Lord of the Isles.” Perched on a wave washed, rocky headland, the Ardbeg distillery was founded in 1815 by the MacDougalls of Ardbeg. The distilleries scattered white washed buildings are reminiscent of a Dutch settlement and add to the dramatic coastal landscape. Ardbeg has had a chequered history and in recent times had been closed down for many years. Glenmorangie acquired Ardbeg in 1997 and has set about restoring the distillery to its former glory. First launched in 2003, “Uigeadail” (the loch from which all Ardbeg water flows) this cask strength, heavily peated Ardbeg is produced from a mix of bourbon casks and older sherry casks. The combination gives this whisky a velvety texture, with a sweet and smokey finish. Tasting notes: Bright gold appearance. Big, sweet sherry influenced nose offers dried apricot and marmalade scents over menthol and sweet cedar smoke. Some ripe green apple notes emerge with time in the glass. The palate is off dry with a rich, dark chocolate entry becoming heavier and fudge-like with orange chocolate, sweet cereal and the peat continually reinventing itself - at once dry and sooty, then tarry and finally kippery on the finish. Excellent balance at cask strength. Boiled lolly and spice aftertaste with a subtle spearmint fade. Latest batch tasted October 2010.

2014 marks another benchmark with "Torfa" - the first peated whisky from this revived distillery, fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels and peated to 20ppm. It takes its name from the Old Norse language with which the Scots dialect spoken in North East Scotland has an affinity and translates to “turf” or “peat”. Non-chill filtered. Natural colour. Retasted April 2018... Bright gold. White pepper and sweet earthy phenols combine with beeswax and biscuity malt; more cocoa / dark chocolate-like after extended time in the glass. A full bodied, succulent delivery with toasted barley, hints of fruit and a superb slathering of sweet peat. Melts in your mouth with near zero heat, the buzzing spices ricocheting through the finish. Uncomplicated but very pure. Beautiful malt. 50% Alc./Vol. First tasted April 2014... Pale straw gold. Opening sniff detects hints of vanilla wafer biscuit, dried grass and white pepper; more cocoa like after exposure as mild peat infuses dark chocolate, accentuating with time in the glass. Quite sweet but remains in check with the mid palate featuring juicy vanilla malt and the finish highlighting the peat as wet-wool / lanolin. Controlled spices add length and continue into an attractive choc-peat fade. Smokey, but in an accessible Caol Ila kind of way. Nicely done. 93 points

"Very high quality & teasingly complex peated malt." 95 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2022 If your single malt selections are dictated by budget constraints, this will be a no brainer (so long as you don't mind a bit of peat). Conceived in 2006, Bruichladdich revived the Port Charlotte label from the Lochindaal distillery, operational between 1829 to 1929, two miles south in the town of Port Charlotte. Historical accounts from legendary British documentarian Alfred Barnard knew Lochindaal to produce only heavily peated malts, so the PC style is a replica of sorts. It started as 'PC5' with yearly follow-ups culminating in this general release 10 year old. Delivering a knock-out mix of lanolin, smouldering pine, butter menthol and vanilla cream that even the peat shy will fall for, it's superbly integrated, zesty, complex - and incredibly, at 40ppm the peat is not overbearing; Perfumed aromatics and a 50% ABV attack include Fisherman’s Friend lozenge, farmyard, dried grass and butterscotch as well as lanolin, oatmeal biscuit and chimney soot, followed by a finish that's delicately salty with dusty cocoa and hints of black tea. Both affordable and unanimously praised, it's one of those rare malts you can't fail to be impressed by. Matured predominantly in first-fill American oak casks, along with second-fill American and second-fill French wine casks, it comes bottled non chill filtered. 50% Alc./Vol. [2016 edition tasted].