Have just tried ... Glengoyne 10 years old

Glengoyne is a distillery in the southern Highlands. It lies about half an hours drive north of Glasgow and is close to the famous Loch Lomond. The distillery was founded in 1833 under its original name of Burnfoot and produces around one million litres of whisky per year. Glengoyne is one of Scotland's most traditional distilleries and is owned by Ian Macleod Distillers. They also produce a small range of rum, gin and vodka there. This 10 years old forms part of the core range, which also includes a 12 years old at cask strength, a 17 and a 21 years old plus some interesting occasional limited releases. A 40 years old will shortly be released for the first time in the distillery's history.

Glengoyne lies on the 'Highland line' (this is an imaginary line that divides the Highland whisky production region from the Lowland region). This line follows the course of a main road and actually runs through the facilities. The distillery lies on the Highland side to the north of the line, with the warehouses being on the Lowland side. It is debated regularly if Glengoyne is technically a Highland or a Lowland whisky, depending on your view about whether the distillation or the storage has more influence on the character. Most people class is as a Highland malt.

The colour is light and straw like. On the nose there is an immediate lovely hit of vanilla, with a delicate mix of fresh fruit (think of crisp apples and pears) and nuts (imagine almonds) coming through. The palate is delicate and refreshing, with the apples, pears and vanilla being joined by some sweet malty cereal grains, something herbal (think of fresh green grass) and just a hint of aniseed right at the end. It feels light and thin in the mouth and has an enjoyable crisp freshness. The finish is quite short, clean and pleasant. This 10 years old is a very enjoyable, light and refreshing whisky that is more reminiscent of the lighter Lowland style whiskies than the heavier Highland malts. It would be a great choice to introduce someone to whisky or to drink on a warm day during summer. This is available in larger supermarkets and independent retailers for between £25-30. The full range can be found at www.glengoyne.com. A superb and quite under rated whisky.

Have just tried ... Smokehead

Smokehead is a whisky released by independent bottling company Iain Mcleod's. It is primarily pitched and aimed at attracting a newer, younger consumer. This reflects in the dynamic, graphic and innovative packaging and other promotional material, As well as the price point of around £25-£30. It is rumoured that they use very young (approx. 4-5 years old) Ardbeg from the island of Islay, which is one of the world's smokiest whiskies, but they have not been allowed to use the Ardbeg name. This is very intense from the start. The nose gives a blast of peaty, earthy smoke with an underlying sweetness. On the palate, this is quite complex for something of such a young age (generally younger whiskies can be a bit harsh and rough as the alcohol level is high and other flavours from the maturation process have not have time to develop). This is smooth but your tastebuds are under attack. The smokiness is again very intense but once you get passed this, other characters start to come through. There is something floral (heather, I think), some caramel or toffee, loads of freshly cut grass and an interesting salty tang. There is also a menthol element (think of antiseptic) and a bitter edge right at the end (iodine). These last two are classic characteristics for heavily peated Islay whiskies. The finish is long with lots of smoke and earth again, although the saltiness is also there as is an interesting hint of spiciness (imagine crushed peppercorns). I expected Smokehead to be aggresive as it is so young, but was pleasantly surprised that it was so smooth and rounded. However, the flavours are very intense, it's very smoky and this whisky is not for the faint hearted. Within the marketing they have a number of cocktail recipes that creatively use Smokehead and I would be interested in trying some of these to see how well they work (these can be found on their website www.smokehead.co.uk). A very good buy for the price.