Scottish Whisky : Scotch

The peated whisky made at the Tobermory distillery is called Ledaig (pronounced le-chig) and this new whisky comes from the 'smoky' selection of the discovery series by Gordon & MacPhail. On first sniff, there is a rich plume of peat smoke, becoming tinged with a rubbery (burnt tires) notes and cured smoky meat. To taste there is a weighty, oily sweetness, with vanilla and stewed fruits coming through, followed by lime and a kick of peat smoke again, and chocolate in the finish.

Dry sherry aromas mingle with stewed raisin and roasted hazelnut, complemented by a fresh citrus edge.

Creamy milk chocolate and orange zest flavours lead to spiced stewed fruits.  The finish is fruity with lingering citrus.

Filled from casks that were laid down at the Tomatin distillery in 2009, this new 'Discovery' release from G&M sees the exclusive use of American oak ex-bourbon barrels to produce a sweet and smooth single malt. The nose is intense with honey and fragrant pear, with a background note of spring blossoms. The palate is fruity with melon and white peach, leading to vanilla custard and a herbal finish that builds softly with oak spice.

This Elementary Range was launched in 2016 and Carbon focuses on the use of charred casks. Charring releases a different set of flavours and also helps purify the whisky to a certain extent. The result is a smooth and rich blended whisky.

Grant's Elementary range focusses on the science behind whisky making and the age statement of each of the expressions is also the same as its element's atomic number.

Oxygen expression is an 8 year old blended grain Scotch whisky.

A blended scotch whisky from Grant's which is finished in rum casks. Sweet honey and stewed fruits on the nose lead to a palate of candied orange, coconut and oaky vanilla.

Grants Family Reserve is one of the worlds best loved Scotch whiskies and enjoyed in over 180 countries. First created by William Grant in 1898, the blend is today, five generations later, entrusted to Grants Master Blender, Brian Kinsman. Brian skilfully blends around 25 of the finest single malt and grain Scotch whiskies to make Grants Family Reserve. The basis for the blend is our widely acclaimed Girvan grain whisky. Vacuum distilled at a lower temperature to make it a lighter and more delicate spirit, it is then aged in oak to give it a deeper, sweeter, soft fruit flavour, creating the perfect foundation.

Safe, reliable and consistent, as well as one of the oldest of Scotch whisky brands, Haig Gold label is an unpretentious blend with a high malt content (around 40%) and an ease of drinking that's made it one of the best-selling Scotch whiskies in the world. Its popularity declined briefly in the 1970s, but anyone who's tasted it recently agrees that current owners, Diageo, have reinvigorated this old standard significantly.  Expect a hint of pepper from the malt as it takes hold in your mouth followed by a whisper of peat on the finish.

Offical tasting notes for Hankey Bannister 12 years old: Nose slightly sweet aroma with hints of vanilla and oak. Colour golden amber with reddish highlights. Taste medium bodied, well-balanced with sweet soft vanilla and a slightly smoky finish.

A Speyside single malt from the Balmenach distillery bottled by the independent bottler Hart Brothers. It was bottled in October 2021 at a natural cask strength of 58,8% ABV, non chill filtered and with no added colour, as a limited single cask release.

Oranges, sour candy and black fruit like brambles on the nose give way to a palate that is warming and creamy with mocha notes, nuts and light port aromas.

Distilled in November 2011 and matured in a bourbon cask followed by a virgin oak finish. It was bottled in April 2022 at a natural cask strength of 58,6% ABV, non chill filtered and with no added colour, as a limited single cask release.

Honey, caramel, and chamomile on the nose flow into a palate of sweet vanilla custard, pepper and burnt candied peanuts with a rich, long minty finish.

Produced by William Grant's and named after Hazelwood House, home of the late Janet Sheed Roberts, the grand-daughter of the original William Grant and Scotland's oldest woman before she passed away. The whisky is elegant and sherry-influenced, with carefully balanced spice and dried fruit notes.

At the top of the House of Hazelwood range sits the 25 Year Old expression, presented beautifully in a bottle and box inspired by 1920s Art Deco design.

Nose: Pancakes and golden syrup, lime, oak furniture and oodles of vanilla.

Palate: Burnt sugar, cut grass, honey'd cereals. A few pinches of exotic spice.

Finish: Drying and quite oak-y.

The Ambassador's Choice from Highland Park is a 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky, which has been matured using a proportion of American oak casks, bestowing rich vanilla upon the island whisky. It was originally released for Sweden.