Dalmore has always set the highest standards in whisky craftsmanship. A pioneer in the art of cask curation, Master Distiller Richard Paterson has been the creative force behind The Dalmore for nearly five decades. Inspired by the vision of The Dalmore’s founder, Sir Alexander Matheson, and the achievements of the Mackenzie family who came before him, Richard is admired across the globe for his passion and innovative flair. The epitome of Dalmore's house style the 15 Year Old single malt is finished in different styles of sherry casks including Apostoles, Amoroso and Matusalem oloroso. This whisky has aromas of orange marmalade, cinnamon and nutmeg. Flavours of mandarin, vanilla, ginger and crushed apples flow across the palate to a peppery spice and oak finish.

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.

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.

Ardbeg's latest annual offering comes with a curious title that's due to a production modification. Head of Whisky Creation, Bill Lumsden removed the purifier, which typically catches the heaviest vapours from the distillation process. The purifier is also responsible for Ardbeg’s balance between extreme peat and floral fruitiness. The resulting whisky is "all peat". In fact, Ardbeg says that it's their most full-blown expression ever with an intensity of flavour that's unmatched. A spokesperson for the brand describes the flavour profile as, "Defined by a distinctive pungent earthiness, aromatic clouds of dark chocolate, a billow of aniseed and cinnamon, and a lingering tang of sharp peppermint." Dramface.com add "According to an interview Lumsden participated in for WhiskyCast, the experiment which gave birth to this year’s release was conducted 12 years ago. Even allowing for time of year and the time taken to dump casks, blend, package and distribute, it’s safe to assume this bottling is at least 11 years old, given that Lumsden claims the experiment was only ever conducted in one batch." We've just received our allocation. The whisky's unusual conception is brought to life with accompanying graphics created by celebrated comic artist and illustrator, Dilraj Mann. The nose is slightly reticent while the flavour profile leans towards smokey dark chocolate, oily malt, chimney soot and white pepper followed by a dried herbal quality. The aftertaste is ashy, drying, medium long and vaguely fruity in a mezcal kind of way. Like last year's Ardbeg Day release (Ardcore), Heavy Vapours is not quite as intense or complex as anticipated, although it does taste slightly more mature and feels like the texture is amplified, particularly at the finish where cured meats and a salt'n'pepper tang recall middle-weight Caol Ilas. In a word, more elegant than "extreme". 46% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

A truly unique and distinguished distillery, Glengoyne straddles the border between the Highlands and Lowlands regions in Scotland and claim to have the slowest distillation method in the country. This enables Glengoyne to produce a 21 Year old Highland Single Malt of supreme mellowness and flavour. With a definite concentrated malt base the palate is overflowing with Christmas cake, honey and dried fruit characters and all capped off with an effortless finish courtesy of the premium sherry casks used in maturation.

An independent bottling from Gordon &; MacPhail of Glenturret single malt scotch whisky. This independent take on the Glenturret spirit offers sweet peat, ripe banana and cocoa powder with a smooth, creamy body. Truly an easy drinking Highland malt.

This peaty Single Malt dates back to 1816, when John Johnston and Archibald Campbell each constructed a distillery on what today is the Lagavulin site. After Johnston died, Campbell consolidated the two, before selling it to malt merchant Alexander Graham. Today it continues to uphold the traditions of its past, using meticulous preparation to create powerful whisky. Their signature 16 year old malt has a strong peat, smoke and seaweed nose that is followed by a nutty complexity and light fruitiness. In the mouth characters of Charcoal, dry woodiness and iodine followed by chilli chocolate and a hint of toffee.

The Chivas Brothers have a long and esteemed history in the art of blending rare Scotch whisky. This expertise is on display here with the Royal Salute 21 Year Old. Beginning where others end, the 21 Year Old is a complex Scotch, ranging from lemon and tea to chocolate and coconut. Available in the now famous porcelain bottle that comes in three different colours representing the jewels inlaid into the Crown Jewels. Sapphire blue, emerald green and ruby red.Please note: Specific bottle colours cannot be chosen online

By mellowing just that little bit longer in old Sherry casks, Highland Park is a unique and smooth Scotch. Rich toffee sweetness is the backbone to this floral, smokey delight.