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.

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.

The 'Balcomie' label represents Kingsbarns' sherried release. Made from locally-grown Fife barley, it comes matured exclusively in American oak butts that previously held Oloroso sherry, as opposed to the more typical European oak. Notes from the bottlers... NOSE: Treacle, sultanas, fruit loaf with cinnamon icing, a touch of dark chocolate with summer berries. PALATE: Sweet tinned pineapple up front, orange peel, cake spice. FINISH: Lots of dried apricot and a hint of roasted hazelnut on the finish. 46% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

"...shows more complexity than some whiskies twice its age, making it a remarkable find." - Number 6 in the 2020 Top 20 by whiskyadvocate.com Matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, Wee Beastie is the latest permanent expression to join the Ardbeg family. Youthful, but with an enticingly fresh sea air quality on the nose, as well as hints of iodine, menthol, lanolin and pear, it carries the ABV effortlessly in a breezy, medium bodied delivery. The typically assertive Ardbeggian smoke is somewhat tamed. Instead, nuances of fruit'n'nut chocolate, menthol cigarettes, caraway and rye bread come through. The finish is gently peaty, with hints of fruit and a pleasant salt and pepper tang. An Ardbeg for all occasions. 47.4% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

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.

From first fill of bourbon casks creating a creamy, sweet and smoky single malt whisky is Bowmore No. 1.

Bold with plenty of backbone as this monster unfolds its fiery fangs on your palate. & not for the feint hearted. Take a generous mouthful . Hold it long in your mouth allow the thick tar peat smoke and creamy liquorice to penetrate every part of your tongue. A rugged fusion of sea spray, bonfire smoke, damp earth and spicy cinnamon immediately arouses the senses. Powerful aromas of peat moss and wet grass before notes of crushed pear apple and freshly baked bread provide the prefect finish

"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].

Named after a peninsula on the coast of Islay, Bill Lumsden has mixed it up with this release employing a combination of casks: Pedro Ximénez, charred virgin oak and ex-bourbon. An Oa (pronounced “an oh”) will become a part of the core range joining the 10 year old, Uigeadail, and Corryvreckan. Lumsden describes the whisky as "...smoky, sweet and rounded, with unusually, grilled artichokes in the finish." Tasting note: Bright gold. As always deceptively complex, developing with sherried oak aromas, lanolin, sooty vanilla and later, dark chocolate and suggestions of smoldering green pine. Entry is assertively salty, kippery, peppery. Mid palate is oily, medium dry, offering sherried richness along with piney juniper, over-baked sponge cake, black tea and hints of smoked meats at the finish. No shortage of peat, but loses some momentum in the final stages. Non chill filtered. 46.6% Alc./Vol.