Note: New blue packaging, not old brown packaging. While the twelve year old is a relatively non-descript malt, older Glenfiddich bottlings are now gaining high praise including one award as the world's best single malt Scotch whisky. However, as a representation of the house style, the 18 year old pretty much nails it. Always a centre-piece of the portfolio, the company has further emphasised its place by redesigning the packaging to give it a more superior look than its 12- and 15-year-old stablemates. The Glenfiddich distillery lies on the river whose name it bears. 'Fiddich' refers to the fact that the river runs through a valley inhabited by deers – hence the company's logo which features a stag. A proportion of the whisky in this version of Glenfiddich is supposedly even older than the label suggests. Tasting note: Deep gold colour. Moderate aromas include honey, clove and vanilla laced malt. On the palate, dried apricots and spice are augmented by soft peat, adding depth to the toasty malt. Plush mouth feel. Clean, dried fruit and spice finish. Rich and round, in the mainstream of Sherry influenced malts. 40% Alc./Vol.

Bakery Hill is a new Australian venture into the generally exclusive world of Whisky production. We say exclusive, because few distillers outside of Scotland have yet managed to create a whisky that approximates to the quality or style of the Scottish original, or when they have, the whisky has usually relied upon the importation of key ingredients from the ‘homeland’. Bakery Hill’s Single Malts, despite their youth, are very promising initial efforts, and as the spirits spend longer in barrel, one can anticipate some very interesting results. As with classic malts, Bakery Hill uses only malted barley [ from Tasmania ], yeast and water to achieve its flavour and aroma. No caramel is added in order to enhance the appearance. Barrelling at Bakery Hill is done using select second fill American Oak Bourbon barrels. French Oak casks are also used for the production of the classic double wood style. "The malt development on the palate is quite beautiful. A soft distant smokiness adds excellent weight to the lilting malt-oak richness." 46% Alc./Vol. - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2004.

Double matured in port casks, this malt is a toast to the Scottish traders who braved the high seas and were instrumental in founding the port wine trade, shipping it to the world. 'Port Ruighe' (pronounced 'Portree') is the Gaelic spelling of the once bustling trading port on Skye. The Port finish combines Talisker's powerful maritime character with succulent sweet notes of rich berry fruits for a superb contrasting taste experience.

Dalmore, located on the northern shores of the Firth of Cromarty, deep in the Scottish Highlands has been making single malt whiskies since 1839 and the bottles still bear the stag crest of the Clan Mackenzie. Their Cigar Malt Reserve is a wonderful blend of three different oak types of 10-15 year old whiskies. White American oak, 30 year old Matusalem Olorosso Sherry casks and Premier Cru Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques. The final blend has an enveloping aroma and flavour of the finest hand-made cigars; rich and smoky and extremely long lasting.

Balvenie Caribbean Cask was created by The Balvenie Malt Master, David Stewart, who celebrated an incredible 50th anniversary at the distillery in 2012. This single malt has had a 14-year maturation period in traditional oak whisky casks, before being transferred to casks that previously held Caribbean rum to finish aging.

The Glen Grant 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky matures in the highest quality, handpicked oak casks, which creates a radiant golden colour and seductive floral and oaky aroma. Deeply layered and complex, this rich and vibrant whisky delivers beautifully intricate flavours of malted caramel, vanilla and raisins and lingers with a long, sweet and pleasantly spicy finish.

With an approach for our Single Malt that gives great length and vital contribution to the final flavour profile. The Aisling Single Malt Whisky is crafted to expose the Malted Barley produced right here in Australia. The Single Malt has a unique profile and character, which gives a full-bodied complex finish.The Aisling Single Malt Heritage Collection has been handcrafted and matured in 100 litre, Australian Vintage Apera (Sherry) Casks. Specifically coopered to give clean balance of both char and toast. The complexity from these casks is phenomenal.The natural sweetness of these casks complements the savory charisma of the Spirit.Visual bright amber with good viscosityNose revealing tobacco leaf, new leather, cherries, and prunesPalate bold and dry, moreish, and salivating with a savoury spicy finishMasculine elegance of the nose (leather and pipe tobacco) matched with the bold mouthfeel and dry spicy finish leaves you wanting more and more.700ml Bottle Size @ 51% Alc/VolCask No: 37,38,39,40,41,42 & 44Product of Griffith, NSW, Australia

With an approach for our Single Malt that gives great length and vital contribution to the final flavour profile. The Aisling Single Malt Whisky is crafted to expose the Malted Barley produced right here in Australia. The Single Malt has a unique profile and character, which gives a full-bodied complex finish.The Aisling Single Malt Heritage Collection has been handcrafted and matured in 100 litre, Australian Vintage Tawny (Port) Casks. Specifically coopered to give clean balance of both char and toast. The complexity from these casks is phenomenal.The natural sweetness of these casks complements the savory charisma of the Spirit.Visual deep amber with good viscosityNose revealing freshly cut wood, wet cereal, raisins, toffee, plum and liquorice rootPalate round and full mouthfeel, plump semi-dried sultanas, rich coating on the palate with a semi-dry finishFantastic drink, full and rich without being too complicated. Allowing a little time to open up and breathe, the Tawny Cask just keeps giving long after your glass is empty.700ml Bottle Size @ 49% Alc/VolCask No: 18,23,24,25,26,27 & 28Product of Griffith, NSW, AustraliaSKU: 9355966000030

Another Ardbeg Day release arrives, bottled once and never to be repeated. This time around, it's created with roasted black malt - a first for Ardbeg. Incinerated to within an inch of its life, the malt defines the profile contributing charcoal and sweet smoke, aniseed and dark chocolate for a memorable Islay experience. Trumping past releases, Ardbeg's marketing department has gone to considerable lengths for the new edition, this time focusing on the brand’s alleged punk past, with Islay’s main port, Port Ellen, going by the nickname ‘Punk Ellen’ in the 1970s. (There was even a punk posse led by the local hotelier's daughter, which reached as many as three at the height of its notoriety). Meanwhile, Ardbeg’s head of distilling and whisky creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, describes the flavour as being “like biting on a spiky ball.” Collectors will love it, with the story and presentation being a hook for followers of the brand. The limited edition main release has landed (as opposed to the even more limited Committee Release) and as is always the case, it comes bottled at 46% and non chill filtered. The first sniffs bring young distillate to the fore, so from a fresh bottle give this a good ten minutes and you'll get a moderate lift of menthol-infused peat that also hints at anise, fennel and rye bread receding into sweeter smoke and vanilla malt with further air contact. It's medium bodied and sweetly peaty (think Caol Ila); hints of Elastoplast mingle with chocolate sponge cake and sprinklings of pepper; the finish is ashy and warming with citrus tang lacing late malt sweetness. Overall, in spite of the presentation and marketing, this is much more civilised and approachable than you might expect. Notes from the producers... Spicy and savoury, Ardcore grips the senses with waves of marmite, burnt toast, chicory charcoal and infused coffee grounds making for a mosh pit in the glass. Like a safety pin through the septum, a classic Ardbeg herbal top note is present, while swirling, smoky bonfire and molasses loiter backstage. TASTE: A jaw dropping spicy and fiery mouthfeel leads to an explosion of rich, smoky flavours – cocoa powder, dark chocolate, peanut brittle toffee, smoked lime and a suggestion of soot and bonfire embers all pogo in unison on the palate. Amped up aniseed and malty biscuit elbow their way to the fore, punkturing taste buds. FINISH: In an altogether sweeter finish, long, lingering notes of treacle toffee, soot and smoke make for an anarchic, but delicious, aftertaste.

A tribute to the rebirth of their 200 year old distillery. Bladnoch's award winning Master Distiller Ian Macmillan hand selects every cask to bring together this luscious Single Malt full bodied and fragrant with a rich core and lingering tail.