Corowa Distilling Co. The Mad Dog Morgan 46% 500 mlDan Mad Dog Morgan was a ruthless renegade that long ago roamed the Corowa region. Mad Dog wasn't your typical bushranger and this isn't your typical whisky. On the nose; cinnamon, ginger honey, orange and floral notesOn the palate; oaky with spice, honey, orange, burnt caramel and raisinsFor the finish; long and sweet with a hint of vanilla.

“The elemental opposite of the sophisticated Lord of the Isles.” Perched on a wave washed, rocky headland, the Ardbeg distillery was founded in 1815 by the MacDougalls of Ardbeg. The distilleries scattered white washed buildings are reminiscent of a Dutch settlement and add to the dramatic coastal landscape. Ardbeg has had a chequered history and in recent times had been closed down for many years. Glenmorangie acquired Ardbeg in 1997 and has set about restoring the distillery to its former glory. First launched in 2003, “Uigeadail” (the loch from which all Ardbeg water flows) this cask strength, heavily peated Ardbeg is produced from a mix of bourbon casks and older sherry casks. The combination gives this whisky a velvety texture, with a sweet and smokey finish. Tasting notes: Bright gold appearance. Big, sweet sherry influenced nose offers dried apricot and marmalade scents over menthol and sweet cedar smoke. Some ripe green apple notes emerge with time in the glass. The palate is off dry with a rich, dark chocolate entry becoming heavier and fudge-like with orange chocolate, sweet cereal and the peat continually reinventing itself - at once dry and sooty, then tarry and finally kippery on the finish. Excellent balance at cask strength. Boiled lolly and spice aftertaste with a subtle spearmint fade. Latest batch tasted October 2010.

"Unquestionably one of the great malts of the year...in spite of itself". - Jim Murray Tasting note: Deep gold / brass. Muted at first; builds with a PX top note almost overwhelming the expected distillery aromas; if only momentarily. Brandy soaked raisins and dark chocolate amid flashes of sweet peat and pepper. Three to four minutes exposure draws out smouldering cedar, cigar box and hints of elastoplast, accenting fruit cake in later inspections. Terrific balance in the sweet, smokey-malt mid palate; vanilla and Christmas cake add richness to the finish. Concludes prolonged and lozenge-like with Laphroaig's trademark medicinal edge and pepperiness breaking through late, finally checked by the sherry. Big PX influence here but deftly handled - think of it as drunken Christmas pudding, Islay-style . 48% Alc./Vol. Normally travel retail exclusive. Extremely limited stocks.

Tasting note: Matured in a Bourbon cask. Amber gold. Opens a little shy, but develops with a spicy fruity interplay (dried fruits, plums, apricots?) perhaps a touch of grapefruit, then more nutty and sweet-spicy. All very subtle. Silky and mellow beyond its age statement. A deft burst of spice seals the finish. Possibly less fruity than the 3 year old but with a plusher texture. Quite lovely malt. 43% Alc./Vol.

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.

After ceasing production in 2015, The GlenDronach Revival Aged 15 years now returns to the core range of the distillerys line-up. The expression embodies The GlenDronachs signature style of Spanish Sherry Cask maturation in fine Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía, quietly growing in stature for 15 years in the darkness of our dunnage warehouses.</ >< >In flavour, the expression offers sumptuous notes of dark fruits, rich chocolate and manuka honey with an enveloping, memorable finish worthy of this monumental malts history. This luxuriously sherried Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural in colour.

Old Kempton Distillery's Small Cask Matured Single Malt Whisky is hand crafted on a magnificent heritage-listed property in Kempton, Tasmania, first gazetted to sell spirits in 1836. Weary travellers would stop at the coaching inn overnight on their ride between northern and southern Tasmania and the local innkeeper would revive them with aq good dram. Today, the tradition continues with Tasmanian barley double distilled through our copper pot stills and patiently matured in small oak casks, creating delicious, rich, balanced Tasmanian Single Malt Whisky - The perfect small cask matured dram.

Over half of Scotlands malt whisky distilleries are found on Speyside, and Dufftown distillery is at the centre of this fertile region, caught between mountains, rivers and sea. A delicious 18 year old Speyside malt from the Duff town distillery, the Singleton exudes oodles of creamy, malty flavour. This complex and mature Single Malt has deep amber appearance with most attractive and good texture. Perfect balance between soft, ripe apple and blackberry fruit and spicy dryness. Soft, inviting, dry and autumnal nose. Light to medium body, softly coating the tongue. Its sweet autumn fruits are perfectly balanced by a nutty, spicy dryness. On the palate dark toffee and gentle mint, rhubarb and apple juice. Dries, with a rich, silky cocoa bitterness. To finish, sweetness softly introduces a longer, drying oakiness. Stewed-fruit freshness. Wood-smoke spiced with faint black pepper. With an intense sweet toffee, vanilla and stewed autumn fruit flavours, The Singleton of Dufftown 18 Year Old is delicious in a tumbler glass, on its own or with ice. A finely structured, smooth, rich whisky. The perfect gift for those looking to explore Speyside single malt whiskies known for their rich and smooth flavour.

Single cask malt whisky from Overeem in Tasmania aged in a French Oak Sherry quarter cask. This smaller cask leads to greater interaction between wood and liquid during maturation and results in a more intense whisky.