The Tomatin (Gaelic meaning ‘the hill of bushes’) distillery was built in 1897 and is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland sitting nearby the Hill of Parting which is where the Jacobite clans settled after their defeat at Colloden. The distillery was founded by a Japanese company and it is currently owned by a different Japanese company Takara Shuzo and Okura. The water source for this distillery is All-na-Frithe a burn which is found locally. This helps the distillery produce 5,000,000 litres of whisky each year which makes it one of largest producers in Scotland. The still room has 23 stills in total. The Tomatin 12 Years Old is the flagship single malt of the Tomatin distillery, smooth and easy to drink this single malt is the start of a whisky journey of outstanding quality and flavour. After spending time maturing in traditional oak casks, this particular Tomatin spends the last six to nine months of its maturation exclusively in Oloroso Sherry casks.

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.

Tasting note: Matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels for seven years before being transferred to smaller 125 litre Quarter casks for a further two years. The process amplifies the impact of the wood. Fumey alcohol gives way to hints of dried coconut, raisin chocolate, pine needles and a vaguely cider-like fruitiness. It's a big, chewy malt with a fabulous fanning flavour rush and impressive control. Summer pudding and vanilla come through on the finish before the aftertaste ends crisp and pleasingly astringent. Delicious. 56.2% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

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.

Category Winner: Best Speyside Single Malt 12 Years and Under at the World Whisky Awards 2017. Sometimes described as one of Speyside's "Best kept Secrets", and no wonder given the sheer class vs scale of the operation: Benromach is managed by just two workers and runs at a maximum capacity of a mere half million litres annually. Prior to this, in 1983 it was mothballed and it wasn't until a decade later that the distillery was acquired from United Distillers by Gordon and MacPhail. Production recommenced in 1998 with whiskies peated slightly higher than other Speysiders at around 8-12ppm. Since that time there have been myriad releases and an output that consistently receives high praise. According to whisky writer, Dave Broom, G&M’s aim has been to make a classic pre-1960s Speyside style: across the range, the integration of the smoke and malt is seamless and judicious, allowing the fruity spirit to shine through. Always some of our most liked Speyside whiskies at tastings, the entry level 10 year old is where the fun starts, recently awarded Best Speyside Single Malt 12 Years and Under at the World Whisky Awards 2017. Move up from there to sophisticated wood finishes, a world-first organic malt and a cracking cask strength expression. Whatever your preference you’re guaranteed to find something to love here, else stop drinking whisky! This is 80% ex-Bourbon / 20% ex-Sherry matured for 9 years, followed by 12 months in an Oloroso Sherry cask for the tenth year. Tasting notes: Pale gold appearance. Gorgeous aromatics with a sultry amalgam of poached pear, dried fruits, dark chocolate and the gentlest wafts of peat. Aeration draws out hints of baked apple and sweet spices. A clean, crisp malt delivery supported by lively spices; fine threads of smoke and a delicious fruity edge; sweet barley dovetails into grassy, citrus freshness at the finish while light pepper warmth and sooty peat round out the aftertaste. Superb purity. One of a handful of 10 year olds that really engages, and with a price that places it in the top 3 or 4 values in its category.

Lindores Abbey is the officially recognised site of the first recorded distillation of Scotch whisky. It was back in 1494 that King James IV commissioned Brother John Cor at Lindores Abbey to make aqua vitae with eight bolls of malt. For more than 100 years, the preservation of the ruined abbey has fallen to Drew McKenzie-Smith and his family. Several years ago he learned of the abbey’s significance to the industry after visiting a website called Connoisseur Scotland . Further inspiration came when he was shown a copy of the late Michael Jackson’s book, ' Scotland and Its Whiskies .' In it, Jackson wrote of Lindores, “For the whisky lover it is a pilgrimage”. Following fifteen years of careful planning, construction work began on a new distillery that would not only capitalise on this whisky connection but also provide the means with which to preserve the abbey for future generations. In 2017, after five centuries of silence, the stills at Lindores Abbey began flowing again. There are actually two releases now in Australia: Lindores MCDXCIV and the MCDXCIV Commemorative First Release. They're essentially the same liquid, distinguished by a subtle notation on the label. Both come aged in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and STR red wine barriques from Burgundy. Both are three and a half year old Lowlanders. You might expect Lindores to be on the lighter side, however it's more like a young Speysider, nicely balanced and not shy on flavour. There's even a nod to Linkwood on the nose where the aromas show surprising weight; Cream tea biscuits, pear drops, light beeswax, cocoa and citrus are echoed with impressive purity, depth and texture of the palate. A fine astringency checks the length, but it's auspicious as far as inaugural releases go - all that's needed is more time to add further layers of complexity. 46% Alc./Vol. Tasted from a 15ml sample.

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 extreme northern archipelago of mostly uninhabited islands around Orkney is in every sense isolated. It's not known when the first distillery was established in Orkney, but there were almost certainly local producers by the middle of the eighteenth century. Above the capital, Kirkwall, is a rise with fine views out to the northern isles traditionally known as the ‘High Park’. It's here that Highland Park distillery was said to have been founded in 1795. There have been several different owners, before coming into the hands of James Grant and family in the late 1800s. By 1826 when the distillery became legal, the site had already become known as 'Highland Park'. Now owned by The Edrington Group , its location must partly be accountable for the distinctive character of the malt, through the surrounding ocean, the local peat and the Orkney spring water. To blenders, the distillate is prized - many of whom claim it possesses unique 'catalystic' properties which enhance flavours in other whiskies. Nearly always ranked alongside the classic malts, revered as a spectacular after-dinner drink and without doubt '...a malt to challenge any Cognac or Armagnac', the house style is fragrant and floral with a smooth, honeyed character over hints of citrus and smoke. The phenol content of the distillery's own malt is 30-40ppm but the remainder which is imported from Simpson's is unpeated. The distillery is serious about quality oak, spending $20 million a year on wood alone, more than any other Scotch distillery - despite having a fraction of the output of some of the larger brands. First released in 1979, the 12YO is still the best introduction. Employing about 20% first-fill sherry casks, a name change and packaging update took place in 2017. Retasted 2019 ...Surprisingly full at 40% ABV but loses vitality and flattens out towards the finish. Otherwise, mostly unchanged. 90 points First tasted 2012... Brilliant, bright gold appearance. Almost floral in delivery. Honey and toasted barley mingles with a perfectly balanced waft of peat and brine. An exceptionally soft, silky entry offers good concentration and the same seamless integration as found on the nose. Medium dry, subtle nashi-pear fruitiness combines with a judicious slap of peat. Crescendos with a spicy flourish at mid palate. Finishes more peaty than some previous bottlings with drying brine, spice and smoke lingering before a honey fade. Getting closer to what this whisky was 10 years ago. 40% alc./vol. 92 points

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.

Goodradigbee's Ironbark Red is a world's first innovation being the only single malt spirit matured in Australian Red Ironbark sourced from the New England Ranges, and in Goodradigbee's whisky maturation cubes, not barrels. The spirit is a rich, red and surprisingly complex spirit. It has a sweet honey and charred citrus flavour upfront, then moves to dark chocolate and golden syrup swiftly followed by subtle notes of seasoned wood and a nutty maltiness. The finish is powerful and succinct.