A recent addition to the BenRiach line up finished in Madeira Henriques and Henriques barrels and  non chill filtered and without the addition of artificial coloring. The nose is a mild battle between the higher alcohol and the sweetness of vanilla, honey, cooked fruits and raisins. Also some citrus and heather. Very rich and pleasing, slight wood and malt however the over whelming aroma is multi faceted sweetness. The taste is an about face at first with tobacco, pecan, butter, tea at first and only in the later stages do aspects of the sweetness reappear in the form of rich round sweetness much like sun dried dark raisins that have been soaked in whisky prior to being mixed into a plum pudding. The finish is very long and after a few minutes there is a huge malt delivery and this carries on forever it seems. Prior to this there are the aspects as described; tobacco, oak, rich fruit however the very end you’re left with buckets of malt.

In some ways the nose, taste and finish are completely out of sync with each other except this is a very good dram without an off note so all is forgiven. A bit of a dark horse. Visit http://www.benriachdistillery.co.uk for more information on the grand drams of BenRiach.

C$94

Score 87 Points

Longmorn 16yo (48%, OB, +/-2008) Lot 2008/05/12 12:22 LW30509

It always takes a while for new whiskies that are introduced in the UK to be finally released in North America which explains why the new official bottling (OB) of Longmorn is just becoming known on this side of the Atlantic. The 16yo replaces the venerable and much loved 15yo bottled at 45% ABV. The nose has banana, apricot, marmalade and malt with spicy pepper. Clean, malty and what one would expect from a Speyside whisky. The taste is dusty malt with oak, more pepper (perhaps from the higher ABV), some mild hints of rum like sweetness and various tree fruits along with dried fruit; richer with a turbo oak spice kick. The finish is long and warming with all the notes as previously described. No off notes in the finish and quite dry at the very end along with wood and malt and rich dried fruits once again. Excellent.

For a distinct lack of information on Longmorn visit http://www.pernod-ricard.com/en . One of the very few bottles these days that does not have a web address on the label; bet that makes the distillery staff proud.

C$100 and non-chill filtered and an improvement over the 2007 bottlings. However one does have to wonder about the dramatic price increase versus the 15yo……….

Score 86 Points

Balblair is a favourite and finally we’re starting to see more of the product line although it is limited. Happily Balblair has not followed the finishing craze. American oak is used for maturation of the Vintage 1997. The nose is fragrant and light with malt and lemon, peaches and hints of white pepper.  The taste is inviting with notes of leather, tobacco and sweet malt. Chewy, mouth smacking and hints of vanilla orange and very smooth. Quite rich in the mouth, very nice, an excellent whisky. The finish is medium long with spicy wood notes combined with malt and fruit. After a few minutes there remains dry oak and sweet malt, the mind commands you to pour another dram.

All in all very well balanced from nose to tail. C$99 Visit www.balblair.com for further distillery details.

Score 85 Points

A no age statement (NAS) whisky from Glenmorangie bottled at 100 Proof (57.1% ABV)  which focuses on the type of wood used in maturation; white oak Quercus Alba. The nose reveals citrus, dry oak, pepper, very strong. Lots of wood notes, pine paneling, resin and rosin.  The taste is a continuation of the nose with increased fragrant wood; cedar? Like the paneling inside a blanket box of old. Cream soda, creamy mouth feel at times and then a very strong attack of a variety of flavours, very nice. A great departure from sherry. The finish is very long and loaded with oak, spice, fruit, dark chocolate and at the very end dry, dry oak.

No use banging on about it forever, it’s an interesting  & delicious whisky.

Happily non chill-filtered. £51 www.glenmorangie.com for further information.

Score 87 Points

The Isle of Arran, established in 1995, passed another milestone with the introduction of their 12 year old single malt bottled at 46% and will now hold a core position in the range. The nose is quite different from the 10yo and other Arran which are quite biscuity; this is definitely sweeter and more rounded with wine notes interlaced with hints of varnish, vanilla, toffee, pears and banana. Something a little heavier and meaty in the back ground. The taste is sweet and quite strong at first with hints of malt, brown sugar, pears, fruit drops and a warming brandy like character. Very nice, ‘moreish’. Thicker in the mouth and different from the 10yo, some later moments of spice and oak. The finish is long and the fruit is once again in the fore ground. After this first impression a hint of bitterness, dark orange scented chocolate jumps out.  Oily, malty, oaky. Some hints of a sherried Macallan or even Aberlour a’bunadh. All in all not the 10yo but still a worthy dram, a step in the right direction; a non identical twin. Improves with the addition of a little water.

Non chill filtered and as the back label declares “Due to non-chill filtration, this whisky may turn cloudy when exposed to low temperatures. This is perfectly normal. The absence of chill filtration in this does result in a more full-bodied and flavoursome single malt.”

Cost C$63

Score 85 Points

Visit http://www.arranwhisky.com/ for further information……… 

 The Amrut Distillery in Bangalore India has been making waves in the whisky world and many have been surprised when they’ve tasted Amrut for the very first time, it’s actually very good. Amrut does not chill filter and as the back label states “it comes straight from the barrel.” A good start. The nose a combination of sweetness (vanilla, fruit and honey) and pleasant wood notes (oak, wood shavings and light furniture polish). So far so good. A slight funkiness in the background however nothing powerful enough to cause distress. It has a nose quite similar to many Speyside distilleries; similar to an older Glenfarclas actually. A bit of surprise. After a few minutes the sweetness powers through and is quite strong and very nice.  The taste is quite strong with light tobacco, leather, floral, oak and a mild, mild bitterness in the later stages. So far it tastes like whisky and thus it’s a success! Bourbon notes? This whisky tastes much, much older than its age (which around 4 years) and has many qualities of older whiskies. The maturation process in India, due to the higher temperatures dramatically accelerates maturation so it tastes older than it actually is. The finish has many of the qualities described above along with something a little different; note quite Scottish and quite possibly a little Canadian Rye Whisky. Spiciness and malt intermingled with oak and cocoa.

A very worthy whisky by any measure………… currently available in Alberta; around C$70

Score 88 Points

Visit www.amrutdistilleries.com or www.amrutwhisky.co.uk

Tullibardine 15yo 1992/2007 (46%, OB, C#737, Bourbon, Victoria Whisky Festival, 269 Bts)

 A limited edition single cask bottling of Tullibardine especially selected for the 3^rd Annual Victoria Whisky Festival ( www.victoriawhiskyfestival.com ) from a bourbon barrel with a out turn of only 269 bottles in December 2007. The nose reveals heather, honey, barley dust (what dry kilned malt smells like in the distillery), sweet dessert wine, candle wax, linseed oil. Clean and very spicy. Nice. The taste is loaded with malt and cereal notes, not dissimilar to Weetabix with some slight edgy green notes on the background and a reappearance of the wine notes; also cut lawn and pizza dough. Spicy oak towards the end. A huge flavour profile The finish is quite long with all the previous bits and bobs emerging at various points however it’s quite dry after a time. Warming and pleasant. A cracker!

 Cask #737 Boeing Boeing. Visit www.tullibardine.com for further distillery and bottling details.

 Price C$90

 Score: 90 Points

 Aberlour a’bunadh is a cask strength malt whisky made up of parcels of Oloroso sherry butts (between 80-100 casks) which are bottled without chill filtration, undiluted by water or the addition of caramel for coloring. The aim is to duplicate a whisky of times gone by and another aspect are the various batches, each of which are slightly different from all the others.

 The nose is strong, sweet and rounded, warmed brown sugar, chocolate, Christmas cake fruits, Demerara sugar pie with condensed milk, light resin, malt and sherry. Espresso. The taste is huge and warming, a hint of mint, oak, malt, oak and sherry (lots of sherry). Absolutely excellent and a distinct lack of off notes. Some aspects on the taste don’t show the 60.2% ABV. The latter part of the taste is very dry. The finish is very long and varied, complex with a lot of different flavours coming to the surface over time.  Vanilla, chocolate, malt, sherry. In the later moments of the finish there are reminders of a dry lumber yard. Sweet intermingled with the dry. Excellent.

 Cask priced at C$83 Visit www.aberlour.com for distillery details.

 Score: 87 Points

Linkwood 17yo 1990/2008 (55.5%, Signatory, Binny’s Beverage Depot, C#9724, Sherry Hogshead, 232 Bts)

A cask selected by Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago and despite the appearance of being an 18yo (1990 to 2008) it’s 17yo because of the dates; distilled on 26.11.1990 and bottled on 05.08.2008 however it’s a single cask selection and bottled at ask strength without any chill filtration or the addition of caramel. The nose is very strong with antique furniture with cedar lined drawers. An exceptional nose that suggests much greater age back stopped with surprising sweetness layered chocolate and coffee to a lesser degree. The taste is not as strong as the nose at first and then a barrage of flavours; intermingling oak, sweet sherry, fruit and chocolate. Wonderful and warming, not a flaw to be found. Whoever picked this cask is to be congratulated! I’m pleased that I have a back up bottle. The finish is woody with malt, more fruit; oranges, plums and long, after a few minutes dry sherry and spicy oak vie for dominance.

A ridiculously low US$66. Somebody made an error here…..buy a few before the auditors raise the alarm.

Visit Binny’s at http://www.binnys.com/

Score: 88 Points

 A new bottling from Angus Dundee Distillers (who also own Tomintoul Distillery), the owners of Glencadam Distillery located near Brechin, Angus on the East coast of Scotland. Happily the owners have bottled their new offerings (10yo & 15yo) at 46% ABV and without chill filtration or the addition of spirit caramel; the message is sinking in! The nose reveals some delicate spicy oak notes followed by intense citrus, fruit and delicate wine notes. A slight hint of pine in the background? A wonderful nose with absolutely no off notes. The taste is simply delicious with dry bourbon, marzipan, a slight hint of smoke (quite possibly imagined!) lots of dry oaky notes and malt delivered in the middle of the whole experience. Some later green malt notes surface after a minute or two. The finish brings forth malt, some grassy notes and an intriguing hint of smoke once again. Quite dry and long, barley sugar.

A delight; one not to be missed. A new classic from Glencadam.

Visit http://www.glencadamdistillery.co.uk/ for more information on Glencadam Distillery.

Priced at £24

Score: 86 Points