Lagavulin, pronounced 'Lagga-voolin' (meaning 'the hollow where the mill is') is distinctive and powerful. Once described as 'liquid bandaid' for its strong medicinal character, it is perhaps the most assertive, complex and intensely dry of all the Islay malts.The palate overwhelms like an ocean wave with powerful peaty, salty overtones that re-emerge on the finish. The taste sensation lingers long in the mouth. On a cold wet winters night, there is perhaps no finer tonic than a dram of Lagavulin.

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.

At the time of writing, 'Vinaya' is the distillery’s widest release since the Lowland project was resurrected by Australian, David Prior and Head Distiller Dr. Nick Savage in 2015. The name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ' respect and gratitude'. Says Dr.Savage, “As we embark on the 204th year of Bladnoch, the launch of Vinaya feels particularly significant. It is important for us to show gratitude to the previous custodians of this historic brand and estate as we move forward into our most ambitious year yet.” As for the whisky, it's matured in first fill ex-Bourbon and first fill ex-Sherry casks, which is a new combination for Bladnoch. Pale gold in colour, Vinaya is a bit sleepy on the nose, but teases out light apple, pear and vanilla. It's a spritely and youngish tasting malt with a faint backdrop of orchard fruits, developing richness on the back palate but overall remaining relatively tight, crisp and brisk, placing this in the realm of aperitifs. It's also one of the most affordable in the line up, so if you're looking to introduce yourself to Bladnoch's house style, start here. 46.7% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

The Dalmore story began in 1839 with Alexander Matheson who lived in the Highlands of Northern Scotland. Matheson found the rich peat and pure water sources of the Highlands to be the makings of a perfect whisky. He built a distillery in the area and produced small batches until 1886, when the Mackenzie family acquired his operation. When a member of the Mackenzie family risked his own life to save Scotland’s ruler, King Alexander III, from a charging stag, the grateful king offered a token of his appreciation by bequeathing the stag to the Mackenzie family as a symbol of valor and courage. And more than 130 years later, the stag head still appears on every bottle of The Dalmore. Today, Dalmore distillery has ten stone warehouses and eight pot-stills, several which date back to the late 1800s. Much of the distillery burned down during World War I while occupied by the U.S. Navy, but production resumed in 1922. The production process is meticulous and includes double distillations in copper pot-stills and aging in white oak and sherry wood casks.

The Glen Moray 18 year old is a beautiful addition to the Glen Moray Heritage range. Only the very finest American oak barrels have been selected to emphasise the incredibly smooth character and taste of Glen Moray 18 year Single Malt. An intense whisky with a perfect structure, the soft flavours of sweet vanilla balanced with oak from the casks.

An unusual age statement is inspired by Alfred Barnard's visit to the distillery in 1887 which became part of his book, “The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom”. According to Diageo Director of Whisky Outreach, Dr. Nick Morgan, “At the end of the tour, he was given a taste of the whisky…he tasted an eight-year-old Lagavulin, which, of course, remember at the time was actually quite old…whiskies were considered to be venerable once they got around six years old in the 19th Century,” Morgan said in an interview with www.whiskycast.com. “He declared that whisky to be exceptionally fine, so our mission with this bottling was to find an exceptionally fine eight-year-old liquid which we thought Barnard would quite like if he were to be back here tasting it today.” Tasting note: Very pale straw gold showing considerable legs. Powerful and complex aromas include cocoa, sea spray, white pepper, dilute Elastoplast and lanolin followed by hints of citrus zest. Several minutes air contact accents the latent malt as well as dark chocolate. Concentrated but also surprisingly soft; almost creamy with grassy malt and a juicy vanilla, kelp and peppermint finish that goes long into the aftertaste. A departure from the 16, but terrific young malt. 48% Alc./Vol.

Thirty minutes drive south from Glasgow, nestled in the heart of Ayrshire is a new independent family-owned distillery - now a rare thing in the Scotch whisky industry. Named Lochlea and distilling since 2018, their approach is small-batch, innovative and flexible without the constraints of a large corporate structure. Barley is grown on the farm and an on-site water source is employed, so there's full traceability over production. The venture recently kicked off a series of limited edition bottlings under the label, 'Sowing Edition First Crop', focusing on the growing of barley. This particular expression represents Spring when the barley seeds are sown. Matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and bottled without chill-filtration or added colour, expect a fruity whisky with notes of sweet red apples, vanilla pods, almond oil and a fresh finish. 46% Alc./Vol.

A Glendronach that pays homage to the earthy peat-smoked character of early 19th century Highland malts. Matured in Pedro Ximénez Sherry, Oloroso Sherry and Port casks. Comes non chill filtered and bottled at 48% Alc./Vol.

NOSE: Spiced oak, warming vanilla and freshly shelled nuts. PALATE: Summer berries and cream. A splash of water brings out warm biscuits, oak spice and candied orange. FINISH: Rich spiciness, sultanas, citrus zest and brown sugar.

The wandering storm bird. Said to be the souls of lost sailors, these roaming aeronauts glide endlessly over the vast and sometimes inhospitable Southern Ocean. Seen as an omen of both good luck and bad, these occasional visitors to our shores perfectly embody grace endurance and fragility.