Q-Z

anCnoc, from the Knockdhu distillery remains one of our favourite single malts from Scotland. It is light and smooth with a surprising depth of flavour. On the nose you get fruity floral notes with some lemon, honey and vanilla creme brulee. The palate is full and sweet, with a good body (mouthfeel) and lingering on a delicate spice and vanilla/fruity flavour.

A stalwart from Speyside, the Balvenie distillery is just next door to Glenfiddich and is known for its custardy, creamy style of whisky. This 'Doublewood' expression is a combination of two cask types, American oak and Spanish sherry casks. Sherry and honey mingle together along with dried fruits, Christmas spices and baking green apples. A classic expression of Scotland's famous Speyside region.

As part of the new range of Benriach, Rachel Barrie has reimagined the peated expressions under the name 'smoky'. The 10 years old is matured in a combination of Ex-Jamaican Rum, Ex-Bourbon, and Virgin oak barrels. Classically BenRiach, this has all sorts of fruitiness alongside the smoke, fresh, dried, baked.

This new expression of the 10 years old is matured in a combination of Ex-Bourbon, Sherry, and American virgin oak. This dram has a balance of classic fresh orchard fruit, honey, and toasted oak, with a tiny hint of smoke. BenRiach distillery rose to fame under the legendary Billy Walker (who now operates GlenAllachie distillery) when Billy sold BenRiach management passed to veteran blender Rachel Barrie.

The first certified organic Single Malt Scotch whisky since 2006, this is the latest of Benromach's acclaimed 'Contrasts: Organic' series. Distilled in 2013 this follows previous releases unpeated spirit, matured in virgin-American oak. Offering an aromatic and sweet fragrant oaky note, rich with vanilla and toffees, the nose is creamy and malty as well. The mouthfeel is creamy again with banana custard, moving to coffee and cocoa flavours. Fully accredited by the UK Soil Association, this is a rare example of totally organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

The Benromach distillery is famous for its traditional style of single malt whisky, with flavours of creme brulee, dried fruit, peppery oak spices and a distinctive, gentle background note of peat smoke uncommonly seen in Speyside whiskies. A characterful and old-school tasting dram that has broad appeal and a serious following around the world.

Benromach's 15 year old is the latest expression from Speyside's smallest distillery. This is their oldest release since re-opening in 1998, it is a rich whisky with notes of creamy vanilla custard, fruitcake and honey, with touches of cocoa and warming spice. A thread of smoke wraps around these flavours and lingers in the finish - a complex and very satisfying dram all round.

Benromach Distillery have added a 21 year old expression to their core range. Matured exclusively in first-fill oak casks this dram delivers sweet sherry aromas with notes of citrus and ginger and the Benromach signature hint of smoke. It is sweet to taste with spicy notes of cracked black pepper leading to Seville oranges, flavours of raspberry and baked apples finishing with a soft smokiness.

This expression from Cragganmore distillery has undergone a maturation in a selection of hand picked Port seasoned American Oak casks which have been chosen by the Master Distiller.  These casks were  specially chosen to bring further depth and complexity to this classic Speyside Malt. There are notes of juicy wine and macerated fruits, along with spicy oak  and the slightest hints of soft smoke lurking in the background. 

A true classic of the Speyside whisky style, Cragganmore is situated near Ballindalloch in the north-east of Scotland. Rich with flavours of caramel, toffee and a soft fruityness, it is balanced with a hint of fragrant wood and subtle smoke in the background. A well-rounded and very easy drinking dram from the heart of whisky making country.

This 13 year old release by Craigellechie provides an expression bursting with sweet tropical fruits which is due to being aged in American oak casks. This is finely balanced with smokiness to give an overall rich and full whisky.

The 15 year old expression from the GlenAllachie distillery has an incrediblly dark colour to it, reflecting a heavy wood influence from active ex-sherry casks. The aroma is deeply fruity and spicy, with a rich and dominant notes of raisin, black bun and traditional fruit dumpling, covered in butterscotch sauce. Aromatic sweet spices found on the nose carry on to the palate, developing into a lighter note of orange and banana, then fading to bittersweet dark chocolate.

Created from small batches of casks matured for 18 years, the GlenAllachie 18 has a rich and complex wood-driven flavour, with toffee, brown muscovado sugar and dark chocolate taking the lead. The distillery's heart of heather honey remains, with layers of fruitcake, nutty tones and spices galore from the oak. An exceptional offering from one of the greats of Speyside.

GlenAllachie's newest addition to their core range is the 8 year old - matured in a combination of primarily ex-sherry wood, with a smattering of virgin oak and ex-wine barriques. Created by Master Blender Billy Walker, this has aromas of of heather honey, butterscotch and cinnamon, followed by waves of ginger, toasted almonds and mocha. To taste, lashings of treacle, dried sultanas and butterscotch, with cinnamon, peppermint and honeycomb.

Launched in 1968 as the first distillery expression of cask strength whisky, Glenfarclas' 105 has always been made by balancing a selection of ex-sherry casks, whose combined natural strength is exactly 60% ABV - 105 British proof. This new limited edition 105 has been made from casks that have matured for 16 years, with the classic Glenfarclas flavours of butterscotch, lashings of Christmas spices and rich, long-lasting dried fruit and woody tones.

A rich, heavily fruity nose (Christmas cake, dates) and palate that has elements of dark chocolate and oak notes, in particular a clove & pepper spice. At 60% this is still a very drinkable dram, but it really opens up and excels with a generous splash of water. A whisky to be played and experimented with, this is a brilliant introduction to the world of cask-strength whiskies.

matured in 100% ex Oloroso Sherry Casks, the Glenfarclas 12 years old is an inviting amber-gold colored whisky that has notes of dried fruit, hints of chocolate, toffee and a lovely spiciness on the finish. A perfect introduction to a richer single malt Scotch whisky, and one that is beloved by fans of the classic Speyside style.

At 15 years old, this whisky shows the complex and mature style the Glenfarclas distillery is renowned for - light butterscotch, dried fruit and an big oak and sherry character are mingled with hints of malted barley and a touch of dry peat smoke. The finish is long, with Christmas cake spices lingering on the palate, making for a complex and richly satisfying single malt.

Bottled after 25 years of quiet maturation at the Glenfarclas distillery in Speyside, this whisky is hued amber with dark gold highlights, and has hints of sherry, honey, dark roasted coffee beans along with a distinct oaky spice and nuttiness. The finish is long lasting with a gentle touch of peat smoke in the background. An elegant and complex dram from one of the true greats of the Speyside region.

Considered by many as the benchmark of the Speyside single malt style, each sniff and sip conjures up images of old fashioned Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and a medley of dried fruits soaked in sherry. There is a complex buildup of spice and oak character that is carried by a soft mouthfeel into a long, enduring finish. 3 decades and generations of family craft and skill have gone into making this iconic Speyside Scotch whisky.

A fusion of peat whisky and malts matured in bourbon barrels, and then finished in Latin rum casks to create a great exquisite whisky with campfire smokiness and toffee sweetness On the nose there is soft peat notes with rich sweet toffee and caramel with zesty fruit notes and spiciness. Taste of light smoky peat with oak notes and toffee. Sharp green fruit, sweet baked apple. The finish lingers with both smokiness and sweetness.

Glenfiddich resurrects the lost tradition of maturing in rum casks with this Glenfiddich 21 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky. Rum distillers from Sancti Spiritus, near the Sierra del Escambray in the heart of Cuba, worked with Glenfiddich to develop this unique Cuban rum finish. Casks of Cuban rum are decanted at the distillery in Scotland and filled with 21 Year Old Glenfiddich to absorb the unique character lingering in the wood. Glenfiddich then wait for their Malt Master to give his blessing for bottling - at the precise moment when the unmistakable Glenfiddich flavour reveals a new and vibrant overtone. Silver Medal winner at the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2007.

What first hits you about the fresh and fragrant Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is the touch of pear in the nose, followed by a distinctive, well-balanced flavour of rich fruit, subtle pine and a hint of peatiness. Expect a satisfyingly long, lingering and rounded aftertaste. One of the most famous names in whisky and arguably the one that started it all.