In the whisky cupboard ... Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Laphroaig (pronounced la-froyg) is one of the most famous whisky distilleries in the world. It is located on the island of Islay, which lies off the west coast of Scotland. Laphroaig is renowned for producing very smoky, peaty flavoured whisky and the 10 years old in their range is the best selling smoky whisky in the world. The distillery was founded in 1810 by two brothers, Aleaxander and Donald Johnson, and is currently owned by drinks corporation Beam Global. It has an annual production capacity of 2.9 million litres and they produce some of the smokiest whiskies in the world there.

The Quarter Cask is of a younger age to the best selling 10 years old expression (rumours are that it is 5-7 years old). The main difference is that Laphroaig partly mature the spirit in smaller casks that are a quarter of the size of a regular cask (these quarter casks hold approximately 50 litres each). This recreates the traditional practice when all whisky casks were roughly that size - a practice which has now largely died out. This means that the whisky has up to 60% greater contact with the oak than in a regular modern day whisky cask and therefore, the oak has a greater influence than normal on the final flavour.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask is bottled at the slightly higher 48% ABV. The colour is golden with a touch of amber and the nose is pungent, aromatic and very promising. It is a feisty mixture of the powerful smoke (imagine sticking your head in a bonfire) and earthy notes (think of wet moss), coupled with an underlying sweetness of malted barley, caramel and tropical fruit (this sounds strange but think of tinned fruit cocktail). There is also a distinct salty, briny note present that is reminiscent of seaweed or sea spray. On the palate, the sweet peaty smokiness leads the way but it feels more like burning ash or the embers of a bonfire now and this gives a gripping, bitter edge to the whisky. It feels thick and slightly oily in the mouth and the peat is complimented by some caramel and toffee, plenty of vanilla, sweet malty cereals and that distinct briny saltiness. Despite its robust nature, the saltiness refreshes the palate and leaves you wanting more (or maybe that's just us!). The finish is long, with the ashy smoke lingering before slowly fading away. The sweet caramel, vanilla and malt elements are counteracted by the saltiness, something bitter (imagine iodine and burning bonfire embers) and some peppery spice. The result is that it ends up being pretty dry. It is easy to see why many describe the feeling of Laphroaig as having an antiseptic or 'medicinal' quality.

What a cracking whisky this is! It is certainly not going to be to everyone's taste but if you like your heavily smoky whiskies, then you simply have to try this. The complex combinations of sweet, smoky and salty elements work very well and offers excellent value for money. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is readily available from specialist whisky stores, larger supermarkets and travel retail/Duty Free. A 70cl bottle should cost £25-30.

In the whisky cupboard ... Benriach 10 years old 'Curiositas'

The 'Curiositas' is a peaty, smoky whisky made by the Benriach distillery in the Speyside whisky region of Scotland. The production of a smoky whisky is an unusual practice for a Speyside distillery. Smoky whiskies are more commonly produced on the islands around Scotland, especially the western isle of Islay. Benriach release two - this 10 years old called 'Curiositas' and a 21 years old named 'Authenticus'. These two whiskies form part of one of the most innovative ranges of any Scottish distillery - the expansive regular range is matured in ex-bourbon casks, with an additional range of different casks finished whiskies adding to these two smoky ones. They make peaty whisky at Benriach for roughly three weeks every year.

Benriach is located approximately 3 miles to the south of the city of Elgin and the distillery was founded in 1897 by John Duff & Co. They had already built the Longmorn distillery on a neighbouring plot of farmland in 1894. The original name was the slightly unimaginative Longmorn 2, before changing to Benriach in 1899. The distillery currently has a production capacity of 2.8 million litres per year, with most being released as single malts.

Benriach had a very short early history – it was closed and mothballed in 1903 and not reopened until 1965, when it was bought and restarted by the Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. It was closed and mothballed again in 2002 by Pernod Ricard, who were the owners at the time. In 2004, an independent group named the Benriach Distillery Company took over the distillery and all of its maturing stock. This group was headed by Billy Walker, a former director of Burn Stewart Distillers, and this makes Benriach one of the few remaining distilleries in Scotland that is independently owned.

This 'Curiositas' is bottled at 40% ABV and should cost between £25-30 a bottle. It has a golden amber colour and the nose of the whisky has aromatic sweet peat (imagine damp moss or earth) combining with fragrant hints of honey, cereal grains, citrus fruit (think of lemon zest especially), something herbal (imagine dried grass or hay) and oaky vanilla. On the palate, there is a complex mix of honey sweetness, heather, nuts (think of almonds), malted barley and those citrus and grassy notes from the nose . Then comes the peaty, slightly phenolic and salty smokiness - the marriage of all the elements is lovely and balanced with a lighter, fresher feeling than expected in your mouth. The finish is long, clean and fresh with vanilla, honey, dried grass and a hint of something reminiscent of liquorice or menthol. The sweetness creates an enjoyable combination with the lingering smoky peatiness

Benriach 10 years old 'Curiositas' is a very good whisky. It is well balanced and fresh and offers a fantastic and unusual alternative to the heavier island and Islay smoky whiskies. It also offers great value for money compared to these competitors. We had heard that it was an interesting and pleasant whisky, but that description doesn't really do it justice. We opened our bottle on Christmas Day and it was a welcome surprise that it was so good (it goes very well with blue and goats cheeses we also discovered!). 'Curiositas' is a cracking dram from an under-rated distillery and is a 'must try' for all fans of smoky whisky.

In the whisky cupboard ... Glen Grant 10 years old

Glen Grant is a distillery located in the town of Rothes in Scotland’s Speyside whisky region. It is a large distillery that has a capacity of 5.9 million litres per year and is currently owned by Italian drinks company Campari Group. Glen Grant is popular with blending companies and is one of the best selling single malts in the world. It has been as high as second place in the world sales charts but currently sits in fourth behind only Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Macallan. The majority of Glen Grant single malt is sold in mainland Europe, with Italy being its main market.

The distillery was founded by James and John Grant in 1840. They were brothers and decided to use their surname for the distillery name. The name Glen Grant has stood ever since. It remained in their direct ownership until 1872 when James died (John had died in 1864) and the distillery was inherited by James’ son, James Grant Jnr. The distillery remained in the ownership of the family until Grant Jnr’s grandson, Major Douglas Mackessack, sold it to Canadian group Seagrams in 1972. After numerous subsequent takeovers, the Campari Group took control in 2006 and re-launched the range of single malts with new packaging in 2007.

This whisky has been matured for a majority of its time in bourbon casks but then transferred for the last year to sherry casks. The colour is golden and the nose has richness and interesting character – there is sweet vanilla, fresh crisp green fruit (pears and apples especially), dried grass, oaky wood, dried fruit (think of sultanas) and a hint of spice (imagine cinnamon). On the palate, this is packed with vanilla and cereal grains, feeling creamy and soft in your mouth. The grass and oak elements come through as do the subtle sherry cask influences – the dried fruit and woody spices (add in some nutmeg and cinnamon now). The mix of all the elements is interesting - the vanilla and dried fruits supply a lovely level of sweetness, while the cereals and dried grassy notes give a slightly herbal bitterness that creates balance. The finish is relatively short but very pleasant and soft with the oak, dried fruit and spices prominent.

This Glen Grant 10 years old is a lovely and under-rated dram that only costs around £25 a bottle. On our recent visit to the Glen Grant distillery we were surprised by the quality of it for the price, liked it and bought a bottle! It would be a perfect whisky to use as an introduction to a whisky beginner as it is so soft, rounded and easy to drink.

In the whisky cupboard ... Benromach 10 years old

Benromach is the smallest working distillery in the Speyside region and is located to the north of the town of Forres. Infact, Benromach is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland and only two people are employed to produce their spirit. The current annual production capacity is just 200,000 litres per year, although they can accommodate over double that capacity. The distillery was founded in 1898 under the name of Forres distillery. It became known as Benromach in 1919 and the current owners are Gordon & MacPhail, the independent bottling company based in nearby Elgin.

Gordon & MacPhail took control of Benromach in 1993 and they renovated the distillery as it had been mothballed for the previous 10 years by the previous owners (mothballing is the term used for the process where production is stopped at a distillery, but all the equipment remains intact and ready to go again). The distillery was re-opened by Prince Charles in 1998 and shortly afterwards Gordon & MacPhail embarked on an innovative programme of whisky production. This included different wine casks for finishing, heavily peating some of their malted barley (this is an usual practice for a Speyside distillery) and producing the world's first truly organic Scottish single malt whisky.

This 10 years old is a new release that only hit the shelves at the start of October 2009. It marks a milestone for Gordon & MacPhail as it is the first Benromach whisky that they have released with an age statement since they took over the distillery. The final whisky is made up of 80% bourbon cask matured whisky and 20% sherry cask matured, which are then married together and matured for the final year in sherry casks. We purchased our bottle on our recent trip to Speyside, when we visited the Gordon & MacPhail shop in Elgin. It will only be available in specialist whisky retailers and was at a special introductory price of £25 a bottle. The regular price will be around £30.

This Benromach 10 years old is golden in colour and has a surprisingly smoky nose. First comes some vanilla and toffee aromas before these give way to an earthy peatiness (think of damp moss or earth). These elements combine well and there is also some dried fruits (imagine sultanas) and something reminiscent of dried grasses. On the palate, this whisky is rich, full bodied and quite creamy with an initial hit of sweet malty cereal grains and vanilla. Then comes that smokiness again, although it is a bit more ashy/ember-like now. This remains a very pleasant surprise as smokiness is rare in Speyside whiskies. The cereal, vanilla and smoke mix perfectly with some further dried fruits (add some tropical dried fruits, like mango, to the sultanas here), buttery toffee and a hint of the dried grassiness. This feels thick in your mouth and is smooth and very well balanced. The finish is reasonably long with the creamy vanilla and sweet smokiness prominent.

Benromach is a very good new release and is one of our favourites of the year to date. It offers rich, classic Speyside characteristics but with the smoky twist. Having said that, the smokiness is not too overpowering and compliments everything else. A lovely dram and good value for £30 a bottle and even better value for £25!

In the whisky cupboard ... Powers Gold Label

Powers Gold Label is one of Ireland's best selling whiskies. It sells approximately 2.5 million bottles per year and the brand has a rich heritage in Irish distilling history. The original distillery was founded in 1791 by James Power and was located in Dublin. James' son John later joined as distillery manager and in 1809 the name was changed to John Power & Son. Powers were one of the industry's pioneers by being one of the first distilleries to follow the traditional Irish practice of triple distillation. They were also one of the first in the world to begin selling their whiskey in single bottles to customers, rather than by the cask. This began in 1866 and the current gold label used on the bottle is a replica of the original label. The distillery remained in the Power family until 1966.

Nowadays, Powers whiskey is made at the Midleton distillery, which is located in the southern part of Ireland in County Cork. Midleton was founded in 1975 following the joining of the Cork Distillers Company, John Jameson & Son and John Power & Son in the late 1960s. This group was called the Irish Distillers Group. They built the new distillery, which is now the largest in Ireland and one of the largest in Europe with an annual capacity of 19 million litres. Some of the most famous names in the Irish whiskey industry are made at Midleton, all to their original traditional recipes. These include Jameson, Midleton Rare, Paddy, Powers, Redbreast and Tullamore Dew.

The colour is golden yellow with a lovely nose that is delicate and light. It is sweet with a combination of aromas including cereal grains, vanilla and caramel. There is also a slightly floral note that is reminiscent of honeysuckle. On the palate, this feels light bodied yet soft and creamy. There is a distinct and slightly bitter grainy character to begin with and this is joined by some sweeter elements such as vanilla, caramel, butterscotch and nuts (especially hazelnuts and almonds). Finally, something herbal appears (imagine dried grasses or hay) and this gives a good balance. The finish is short but smooth, sweet and warming with the grassiness, vanilla and cereal grain notes particularly prominent. The whiskey is not the most complex but is extremely well balanced, enjoyable and very easy drinking!

This Powers Gold Label is a lovely example of an Irish whiskey and it is easy to see why it is so popular and well regarded. Sadly, it is now exported from Ireland a lot less than it has previously been and can be hard to find, even in the UK. We were lucky and found our bottle in a local food convenience store and it is places such as this that will be holding some old stock and not realise what they have! A bottle should cost £15-20, which offers great value for such a decent whiskey.

In the whisky cupboard ... Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15 years old

Van Winkle is one of the most famous names in the American bourbon whiskey industry. The Van Winkle family have been involved since 1893 when Julian Van Winkle, nicknamed Pappy by family and friends, began working as a salesman for the W. L. Weller & Sons bourbon company. He eventually purchased the Weller distillery and renamed it as the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery. Pappy remained in control until his death at the age of 91 in 1965. Control was passed to his son, Julian Jr, and later to his son, Julian III, who remains in charge with the assistance of his son, Preston.

Van Winkle whiskey has been made at the Buffalo Trace distillery since 2002. They follow the traditional Van Winkle family recipe that have been handed down through the generations. Buffalo Trace is the most northern distillery in the famous whiskey producing state of Kentucky. The name originates from the 'Great Buffalo Trace', an ancient path (or trace) used by migrating buffalo - this stretches across North America and along the banks of the Kentucky River. The early settlers followed this path and set up a community in the late 1700s and Buffalo Trace has been operating on the same site since 1812.

All Van Winkle whiskey is made using a unique recipe using corn, wheat and barley (compared to the more widely used bourbon recipe of corn, rye and barley). The Family Reserve range is a selection of older whiskies - this 15 years old, a 20 and a 23 years old and a 13 years old rye whiskey. It is rare to find older bourbons compared to Scottish or Irish whiskies of the same age. This is because the climate is more humid in America than in Scotland and Ireland, so the maturation process is faster. They are also matured in new fresh casks by law and more intense natural oils are drawn from these casks. This 15 years old is bottled at 53.5% ABV (107 proof) and will cost around £65 a bottle in the UK from specialist retailers.

This Family Reserve 15 years old is dark orange amber in colour with a gorgeously intense nose. There is a lot of vanilla and oak, with some distinct sweetness (think of golden syrup or caramel) and nuttiness (imagine almonds and coconut). A vivid scent of oranges comes through (think of candied peel), as does a waxy furniture polish aroma (sounds strange but its true!). On the palate this is rich, velvety and smooth with a heap of woody oak and vanilla up front. Through this comes a lovely combination of spices (think of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg), dried intense citrus (imagine that candied orange peel again or marmalade), roasted nuts (almonds, especially), just a hint of liquorice and something slightly dark and bitter (think of a dark powdered cocoa). The finish is long and spicy with the warm wood spices especially prominent (nutmeg and cinnamon). Even though this whiskey is very balanced, we decided to add water due to the alcoholic strength - this made it sweeter (imagine more caramel and honey coming through) and fruitier (imagine some sultanas joining the orange and cinnamon from before). An excellent example of a bourbon whiskey.

In the whisky cupboard ... Littlemill 12 years old

Littlemill is a closed distillery that was located in the Lowlands region of Scotland, situated to the north west of Glasgow between the towns of Clydebank and Dumbarton. Production at the distillery finished in 1992 following its owners going into liquidation and if it had still been in operation today, Littlemill would be Scotland's oldest distillery. It was founded in 1772, three years before the current oldest at Glenturret started production, although records show that an illegal distillery was operating on the site as early as the 1750s.

The stocks of Littlemill whisky are in decline, as no new whisky has been produced for over 17 years. It is also unlikely that the distillery will be started as it has been dismantled and most of the buildings demolished. As a result, Littlemill whisky is hard to find and is becoming rarer as time passes. The majority of what is left is owned by the Loch Lomond Distillery Company, who release only this 12 years old, and a number of the independent bottling companies. Buying an independent bottling remains the best way to try a Littlemill whisky as Loch Lomond only sporadically release limited numbers of this 12 years old.

The colour of this Littlemill 12 years old is golden yellow with a nose that is aromatic and a touch unusual. On the nose, there is a pleasant sweetness (think of toffee or butterscotch), heaps of cereal grains, a hint of some tropical fruit (maybe mangoes but definitely coconut) and a distinct grassiness (imagine dried grass, straw and hay). On the palate, these characteristics are well replicated and it feels warm, buttery and creamy. It is the cereal grains, sweet toffee and grassiness that are particularly prominent. There is also just a hint of some nuts (think of almonds) and some warm spice, like ginger. Despite its richness, it finishes freshly in the mouth, giving a mixture of that toffee/buttercotch/cereal sweetness, the grassiness (this has more freshness this time, like hay) and just a final whiff of raw spirit. That combination may not sound great on paper but it works really well, with the herbal notes balancing the richer sweet ones.

Littlemill 12 years old is a good whisky that is enjoyable, refreshing and uncomplicated. The prominent grassiness and distinct cereal notes may put some people off but it is well worth a try before it runs out. It also represents great value at between £25-30, especially when you consider that it is from a closed distillery and the stocks are dwindling. You will generally only find this in selected specialist whisky retailers.

In the whisky cupboard ... Gentleman Jack

In order to celebrate the 4th of July, American Independence Day, yesterday we decided that it was time to open one of the American whiskies that we have in our whisky cupboard. Gentleman Jack is a whiskey released by the world famous Jack Daniel's distillery that can be found in the town of Lynchburg in the state of Tennessee. It was established in 1866 by a man named Jack Daniel and the distillery remained in Jack's family until 1956 when it was sold to a Kentucky based distilling company called Brown Forman, who remain as the current owners.

Tennessee whiskey is different from bourbon, which is produced in the state of Kentucky. The ingredients are the same but Tennessee whiskey is filtered through charcoal prior to maturation. Jack Daniel pioneered this process. It is lengthy (taking up to 10 days per batch) as the whiskey is dripped through the charcoal, which by law must come from the sugar maple tree. This is done so as to remove unwanted impurities from the distillation process and make the final whiskey cleaner and smoother.

Gentleman Jack is different from the regular Jack Daniel's No.7 as it is filtered twice through the maple charcoal - once before maturation and once after. It is also slightly older at release, being around 5 years of age. Jack Daniel had experimented with double and even triple filtration of his whiskey but the practice was not started commercially until 1988, when Gentleman Jack first went into full scale production. It is a unique whiskey as no other in the world follows this double filtration process.

The colour is a dark golden amber and the nose is aromatic and welcoming. There is a lot of vanilla and also some oaky wood (think of coconut especially). Some other interesting sweeter notes come through well - a distinct sugary aroma (imagine nougat or cream soda), some dried fruits (think of tropical fruits like mango and pineapple, as well as candied orange peel) and some caramel. Something else is also present on the nose that took us a while to pin down (the nearest we got was an aroma something like a waxy furniture polish). On the palate this is light and very smooth, with much more woodiness than on the nose. It has a lovely creamy vanilla quality that is backed up with the complex combination of those dried tropical fruits, candied peel, caramel and something slightly bitter and nutty. It lacks the sweetness that the nose suggests and becomes very dry during its long, lingering finish. An oaky, slightly bitter woodiness and the dried orange peel are the predominant notes.

Gentleman Jack is a good, enjoyable American whiskey that has considerably more structure and complexity than its more famous relative, the Jack Daniel's N0.7. Gentleman Jack is found primarily in the travel retail/Duty Free sector around the world and this is where we purchased our bottle. It cost about £17 for a litre, once converted from the local currency. It can also be found in a few selected whisky retailers in the UK, but prices are higher at £35-40. We say that Gentleman Jack is well worth buying next time that you are travelling.

In the whisky cupboard ... Ardbeg 10 years old

The Ardbeg distillery is situated on the western Scottish island of Islay. It was founded in 1815 and they produce some of the smokiest whiskies in the world there. Ardbeg has been closed down on a couple of occasions only to be reopened by new owners. The last closure was in July 1996 and production restarted in June 1997 following a takeover by Glenmorangie PLC, who were in turn taken over by drinks giant Moet Hennessy, who remain the current owners.

Although they produce only a million litres of whisky a year, Ardbeg have numerous distillery bottlings within their core range as well as regular limited edition special releases. It is also popular with independently bottling companies and buying these is a good way of getting older Ardbeg whiskies. This 10 years old is renowned as being a smoky classic and the distillery has a cult following of fans around the globe.

The colour is a gorgeous golden brown and the nose is fantastic and pungent. It is very smoky and full of sweet peaty aromas (think of damp moss). Mixed with this is a more sugary sweetness (imagine butterscotch), some vanilla and a distinct saltiness. The palate is creamy and full bodied with an abundance of smokiness (more like charcoal or burning ashes this time). The sweetness from the nose is also present (reminiscent of barley grains) along with the vanilla again, something herbal (think of moss again), some warm spices (imagine ginger or red chilli) and a salty tang. The finish is rich, long, smoky and enjoyable. The smokiness is very earthy with an antiseptic note that can be present in whiskies with high phenol levels (see explain about ... peat). The malty sweetness comes through before turning quite dry and woody right at the end.

This is a fantastic whisky that is extremely well balanced and complex, with all the elements complimenting each other perfectly. It can be found in larger supermarkets and independent retailers for between £30-35. Ardbeg 10 years old is a 'must have' bottle for any whisky collection or for anyone who love seriously smoky whiskies. Its great!

In the whisky cupboard ... Arran Sassacaia

The Arran distillery is one of the newest single malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. It was founded by an independent group called the Isle of Arran Distillers Limited in 1993 and production began in 1995. The distillery is located on the isle of Arran, near to the village of Lochranza, and became the first legal distillery on the island since the 1840s. The island lies between the Campbeltown peninsula and the west Highland coast. The Isle of Arran Distillers Limited decided to employ traditional whisky production methods rather than modern day mechanised alternatives and Arran is one of Scotland's smallest distilleries as a result, producing just 750,000 litres per year. to experiment with their spirit by maturing some of it in different wine casks from around Europe.

Arran is a very innovative distillery but their core range reflects the small production capacity and the length of its young history. This consists of a 10 years old, a 12 years old, a cask strength version (called 100 proof) and an un-chillfiltered version. In addition to this, they have started experimenting with maturation in different European wine casks and these are released periodically as limited editions. This bottling has been matured for eight years in a bourbon cask, then for a further eight months in a Sassacaia wine barrique casks. Sassacaia is a full bodied and expensive Italian red wine from Tuscany that is made from high quality Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

This whisky has a gorgeous amber colour that has a distinct crimson red tinge to it. The nose has a lovely sweetness that is full of caramel and forest fruits (think of blackcurrant, blackberry and red cherry). On the palate, this sweetness hits immediately and is almost sugary in the mouth but this quickly goes and is replaced by a lot of tannin, making your gums go dry. There are lots of rich fruit characters but these are different from most that are normally associated with whisky and this must be due to the wine cask used at the end of maturation. The flavours are very concentrated with lots of plums, cherries, currants and berries (reminding me of jam or preseved fruit rather than fresh fruit). There is also some vanilla, caramel, an earthy, slightly musty note and a hint of spiciness (imagine nutmeg or cinnamon). The finish is long and fruity but with an over riding tannic dryness that gives it an unpleasant and disappointing bitter woody feeling.

This whisky is bottled at 55% ABV, so some water was added and this took the edge off the tannins and dryness, with the fruit becoming a bit more juicy and the whole whisky becoming slightly more balanced and rounded. With only 5,750 bottles released of this Sassacaia wine finish, it will only be available at specialist whisky retailers for a short period. A bottle should cost around £40, which is not too bad for a limited release and especially good if you consider that a bottle of Sassacaia wine rarely goes for under £80 and the casks are very expensive.

In the whisky cupboard ... Lagavulin 16 years old

Lagavulin (pronounced lagga-voolin) is a distillery on the western Scottish island of Islay. The majority of distilleries on Islay produce rich, smoky and complex single malt whiskies and Lagavulin is renowned as giving some of the best examples of these. The distillery is located on the south eastern coast of the island and is very close neighbours with two other well known Islay distilleries - Ardbeg and Laphroaig. Lagavulin was founded in 1816 and currently has a production capacity of just under three million litres per year. They have unusual pear shaped stills and they believe that a combination of these stills, a slightly lower peating level in their malted barley and one of the longest spirit distillation times in Scotland, give Lagavulin its own unique character and quality.

Lagavulin release a very limited core range of three whiskies - a 12 years old cask strength, this 16 years old and a 'Distiller's Edition' (a special release that is finished in specially selected Pedro Ximenez sherry casks). This 16 years old forms part of the 'Classic Malts' series. Diageo, the current owners, have chosen one distillery from within their portfolio to represent each Scottish production region and highlight whiskies that typify the style of each of these six regions. Lagavulin is the 'Classic Malt' representative for Islay.

The colour is a gorgeous golden amber and the nose just blows your mind, making you want to try the whisky. It offers a sumptuous and complex mix of sweet peat smoke (think of dried earth and moss), a hint of woodiness, something meaty (think of old leather) and some dried fruit (imagine sultanas and a bit of candied peel). There is also some vanilla and a burnt, almost antiseptic quality (many people say lapsang souchong tea but it reminded me more of cloves). On the palate, this is creamy, smooth, rounded and full bodied. The initial massive blast of smokiness (cross between thick bonfire smoke with a meaty barbeque) then gives way to other flavours. There is a distinct herbal element (like dried grass or maybe moss again), some sweetness (a bit fruity but mostly vanilla I think), hints of something oily, a refreshing saltiness and a menthol quality. The finish is long and dry in comparison to the sweetness and saltiness elsewhere, with the powerful peaty smokiness (think of wood ash this time) dying away very very slowly, leaving you warm inside.

This is a truly fantastic example of a smoky Islay whisky. It is easy to see why it has such a following of whisky drinkers around the world and why Diageo chose Lagavulin to represent Islay in their 'Classic Malts' series. This 16 years old retails at around £40-45 and can be found in specialist retailers and some larger supermarkets. A true 'try before you die' single malt whisky and an essential addition to any whisky cabinet.

In the whisky cupboard ... Glenfarclas 10 years old

Glenfarclas is one of Scotland's last single malt whisky distilleries that remains under the ownership of the family of the original founder. Meaning 'valley of the green grass' in Gaelic it was established in 1836, close to the town of Ballindalloch in the heart of the Speyside region. It is owned by J&G Grant and the current company directors are George and John Grant - the great grandson and great great grandson respectively of the founder John S. Grant.

Glenfarclas has the largest stills of any distillery in Speyside and produces three million litres of whisky per year. The majority of this is released as single malt and although it is popular in the UK, its main markets are in southern Europe, America and the Far East.

Glenfarclas is well reknowned for their use of quality sherry casks during the maturation of their whisky. The core range is extensive and covers different ages - this 10, 15, 21, 25 and 30 plus the cask strength 105. Independent bottlings are available but cannot carry the Glenfarclas name as J & G Grant do not allow this. The bottlers therefore have to use some creativity, so the whiskies will be found named as 'Speyside's Finest', 'Secret Stills - Speyside' or something similar.

The colour is a lovely golden amber with a gorgeous nose that makes you want to try the whisky immediately. The nose is a combination of dried fruits (think of sultanas and candied peel, especially orange), sugary caramel (imagine brown sugar) and a hint of a warm spice (like nutmeg or cinnamon). On the palate, this is rich and feels creamy in the mouth but remains fresh as those dried fruits feel juicy and succulent. The caramel and the spice are still there and a sweet cereal grain note is also present. The finish is long, sweet and rich with a sugary note (that brown sugar again) turning slightly oaky and bitter right at the end. Sometimes, this bitterness can be unpleasant but here it works as the whisky is so well balanced.

This Glenfarclas 10 years old is a very good example of a sherry cask matured whisky. It is rounded, smooth with all the characteristics complimenting each other well. If you like your whisky or other spirits (such as cognac or rum) on the rich, fruity and sweet side, then you will enjoy this. It can be found in specialist retailers and some larger supermarkets for £25-30. A bargain price for such a good whisky.

In the whisky cupboard ... Nikka 'Whisky From The Barrel'

Nikka are one of the biggest producers of single malt whisky in Japan. It is a company that forms part of the massive Asahi Brewery Company and they own two distilleries - Miyagikyo and Yoichi. Miyagikyo is located on the eastern coast of Japan's main island of Honshu to the north of Tokyo and Yoichi can be found on the western side of the northern island of Hokkaido. This 'Whisky From The Barrel' forms part of a series of vatted whiskies that are released by Nikka. Vatted whiskies are produced using single malts that are mixed together. These single malts may be of differing ages and from different distilleries. They are similar to blended whiskies in this respect, but blends include whisky made from other grains. Vatted whiskies only include single malt whisky produced from malted barley. In this case, Nikka have used different ages of single malt from both Miyagikyo and Yoichi and married them together over time. The 'Whisky From The Barrel' is a multi award winning whisky, including scooping the Best Japanese Blended/Vatted Whisky prize at The World Whisky Awards 2007.

This bottle was received recently as a present and has been exclusively labelled for La Maison du Whisky shop in Paris. It is bottled at cask strength (51.4% ABV) and the colour is a golden orange brown with a very pleasant nose. There is plenty of sherry cask influence here with lots of dried fruits (think of raisins and sultanas), candied peel (especially orange), some malted barley (imagine a rustic loaf of bread) and something reminiscent of dark chocolate or espresso coffee. These characteristics are replicated on the palate. It is rich and succulent with a lovely level of sweetness and a touch of spiciness (think of nutmeg or cinammon). This whisky is deceptive and certainly does not taste or feel like cask strength. That could be dangerous on future evenings! With a drop of water, a sugary sweetness appears (imagine caramel) and the candied orange peel springs to life even more. The finish is long, fruity and sumptuous.

'Whisky From The Barrel' is an excellent whisky and one of the best blended or vatted whiskies that I have tried to date. If you have tried the Hibiki 17 years old blend from other Japanese powerhouse whisky company, Suntory, then this is in the same vein (although considerably cheaper!). A great example of how the use of quality sherry casks can influence whisky during maturation. It is still relatively difficult to find but distribution is improving to Europe and the UK. A 500ml bottle should cost £20-25 from selected independent whisky retailers.

In the whisky cupboard ... Ardbeg Still Young

The Ardbeg distillery produces some of the world's smokiest scotch whiskies. It is located on the island of Islay and was founded in 1815. Ardbeg has been closed down on a couple of occasions only to be reopened by new owners. The last closure was in July 1996. Production restarted in June 1997 after a takeover by the Glenmorangie PLC (who are in turn are now owned by drinks giant Moet Hennessy).

This 'Still Young' bottling forms the second part of a progressive four part series of whiskies to celebrate this re-opening. In each case, the whisky was distilled in 1998 but then released at different ages. 'Very Young' was bottled at seven years old and released in 2005, 'Still Young' at eight years of age in 2006, 'Almost There' at nine years of age in 2007 and finally 'Renaissance' at 10 years old in 2008. Ardbeg also has a reputation as one of the world's most innovative distilleries - not only for their whisky, but also for their unique marketing, branding and advertising style. Their website http://www.ardbeg.com/ is worth a visit.

This whisky is a light golden colour with a nose that is extremely smoky and powerful. Some of this power is coming from the alcohol strength (56.2% ABV) and its youthfulness. With many young whiskies the alcoholic blast overpowers everything and this mellows with increased maturation. The alcohol here is not overpowering but is a factor with the nose being very smoky and earthy (think of coal smoke and damp moss). There is a nice, almost sugary sweetness as well (imagine caramel) and something herbal (think of freshly cut grass). On the palate, this is quite creamy and full bodied with a lovely mix of toffee, vanilla, sweet malted barley, that grassy herbal note and just a hint of some spiciness (imagine ground white pepper). This is all complimented by the bold earthy, peaty smokiness. With a touch of water, it becomes creamier and the herbal note becomes bolder. The smokiness fades slightly but is still the main and boldest feature of the whisky. The finish is very long with the smoke smouldering away for ages and a salty tang appearing right at the end. An extremely good dram and an excellent example of a young yet balanced smoky whisky. Bottles are now scarce, as it was a limited release, but can be found on the internet for £60-70 (it sold for around £40 when first released).

In the whisky cupboard ... Laphroaig 15 years old

Laphroaig is one of Scotland's most famous and iconic distilleries. It produces the best selling smoky whiskies in the world and is located on the western island of Islay. The distillery is currently owned by Jim Beam Global, who are the fourth largest spirits company in the world, and has a capacity of 2.5 million litres a year. Laphroaig is one of the few distilleries left that have their own floor maltings (this is a traditional room where the barley is left to shoot, releasing the natural sugars that later get turned to alcohol). The malted barley is then dried by a peat fuelled fire for 18 hours and the thick blue smoke gives Laphroaig it's intense and smoky flavours. Laphroaig is one of Prince Charles' favourite whiskies and he issued a Royal warrant to the distillery in 1993. As a result, they can display the Prince of Wales crest on their bottles. The core range consists of two 10 year olds (one of which is cask strength), this 15 years old, a 25 years old and the Quarter Cask (which is matured in smaller casks). Other limited bottlings are released occasionally but are normally pricy. Independent bottlings are readily available and represent good value.

The 15 years old is not as readily available as the famous 10 years old and should cost £40-45 per bottle. The colour is a dark golden amber and the nose is full of character. The smokiness is milder than the 10 years old (in smoky whisky the smokiness tends to soften with increased age) but is still loaded with earthy peat (think of a bonfire). There is some fruitiness (imagine dried fruit like sultanas), some sweet vanilla and something antiseptic (this is a classic Laphroaig characteristic). On the palate, this whisky comes alive. The fruitiness, vanilla and peaty smoke are joined by some toffee (or caramel, I can't decide), something slightly salty (think of brine), a nutty element (imagine roasted nuts though) and some warm spice (like nutmeg). There is also a touch of bitterness (reminiscent of iodine - another classic Laphroaig character). The finish is long, warming and dry with the peatiness dying away to nothing. This is a truly excellent and rounded whisky. The 10 years old is a superb smoky whisky but the extra maturation time here has given the 15 years old extra complexity and smoothness. It is certainly one of my current favourites in our whisky cupboard and a great example of the smoky whisky genre.

In the whisky cupboard ... Mackmyra Preludium 04

Mackmyra is a distillery based around 170km north of Stockholm, near to the town of Gävle in Sweden. The Swedes love their whisky and Mackmyra was the brainchild of a group of friends, who decided to set up a new whisky distillery. It started on a small scale in 1999 and was upgraded in 2002 and full production started. Their first official release was released in Sweden in June 2008 and sold out in hours. Prior to this they have released a series of limited edition preludes (around 4000 bottles of each), starting with the Preludium 01 in 2006. Within this series, they have experimented by using different casks and methods in order to produce highly innovative and interesting whiskies using local ingredients. The distillery's reputation is growing fast and everything sells out quickly.

This is the fourth in the Preludium series and is a young whisky of around four years of age. It has been matured in a combination of bourbon cask, then a fresh Swedish oak cask and then a champagne wine cask. The colour is light and quite grassy (like hay). The nose has a gorgeous freshness to it, with a mixture of sweet vanilla and crisp fresh fruit (think of green apples and white grapes). On the palate, there is a definate white wine element that is fresh, crisp and quite dry (similar to the champagne that had formerly in one of the casks). This mixes with that vanilla and fresh green fruit and is fairly light, refreshing and zingy in the mouth. The finish is quite long and very enjoyable. This is very well balanced, enjoyable and quite complex for such a young whisky. The alcohol level is quite high (around 50% ABV) but you don't notice this at any time, unlike in other young whiskies. The experimentation with different casks is innovative and has produced whiskies that taste and feel different to traditional malts. This Preludium shows great promise and it will be very interesting to see how Mackmyra whiskies progress over time.

In the whisky cupboard ... Tamnavulin 12 years old

Tamnavulin is a little known distillery in the Speyside region of Scotland. The distillery at Tamnavulin ('mill on the hill' in Gaelic) was opened in 1966, making it one of Scotland's youngest distilleries. It was built to deal with the increased demand for blending whisky but fell on hard times and was closed in 1995. Drinks company Whyte & Mackay took over the distillery and re-opened it in 2007. The distillery has a large capacity of 4 million litres a year and is situated in the famous Livet Glen. It has two more famous neighbours in the glen - Tomintoul and Glenlivet - and is the only distillery that is actually on the banks of the River Livet. Bottlings from Tamnavulin are restricted by the recent lack of production. There is currently only this one distillery release of 12 years old and independent bottlings are available but few and far between.

The colour is pale and lemony and the nose is fresh and simple yet aromatic. There is some gorgeous vanilla, lots of malted barley and something grassy and herbal (imagine hay or straw). On the palate, this is very light, smooth and refreshing with those vanilla, barley and herbal notes present again. These are joined by some other fresh fruit elements (think of white grapes especially) and a citrusy zing (imagine lemon zest). The finish is short, light and quite dry with just a hint of earthiness right at the end. This is a light and refreshing whisky that is quite basic yet extremely enjoyable. It would be great as an aperitif whisky or to introduce someone to whisky. This is hard to find and is limited to just a few specialist retailers and should cost between £30-35 a bottle.

In the whisky cupboard ... Glenmorangie Astar

Glenmorangie is one of the most famous distilleries and biggest selling brand names in the world. It is located next to an estuary in the north eastern Highlands, close to the small town of Tain. The distillery opened in 1843 and is now owned by multi national drinks giant, Moet Hennessy. It is also one of Scotland's largest distilleries, producing 4 million litres per year, and has the tallest set of stills in Scotland. This means that only the purest and lightest spirit reaches the condenser and gets collected for maturation. Glenmorangie is one of the few distilleries that use hard water during production (this water bubbles up from a natural spring near to the distillery) and this combined with the lighter spirit gives it distinctive characteristics. The range is extensive and covers different ages and cask finishes including sherry, port and Sauternes. The distillery tour is also excellent and we can recommend it from our last visit there. The 'Astar' is a long awaited new release that is cask strength (the alcoholic strength that the whisky is in the cask) and matured in special oak casks. This oak was specially selected by Glenmorangie and comes from a forest (that they own) in the Ozark mountains in Missouri, America.

The nose is gorgeous with lots of vanilla and butterscotch. There is also a citrus note (reminding me of lemon zest) and something spicy (ginger, i think). On the palate, this is like liquid gold. It is so sumptuous with a combination of sweetness (imagine raisins and sultanas), vanilla, creamy butterscotch and that gingery note. As it is a cask strength whisky, I added a small amount of water and this opened up the flavours even more, especially the vanilla and the creaminess of the butterscotch. An interesting spicy peppery note (imagine crushed peppercorns) also comes through with the addition of the water. The finish is very long and warm with the richness and the spicy notes perfectly balancing. This is a great whisky. It is one of the best that I have tasted to date and it's concerntrated flavours are enhanced superbly by adding water. Astar should cost between £50-55 and is a real 'must try before you die' whisky.

In the whisky cupboard ... Benriach 16 years old Sauternes finish

Benriach is an independently owned distillery in Speyside. Located between the towns of Elgin and Rothes, this distillery was originally opened in 1897 but mothballed (this is when production is stopped but everything at the distillery remains intact) in 2002. Production restarted in 2004, following a change of ownership. The new independent consortium decided to return to traditional regional distilling methods whilst also being an innovator and trying to attract new consumers. They decided to use peat in their kilns, a practice that had died out in the Speyside region almost 100 years earlier and had whisky traditionalists frowning. As a result, they were one of the first Speyside distilleries to release some peated, smoky whiskies for a very long time. A few others are now following Benriach's lead. It is interesting that by returning to tradition, that they are seen as innovators! As mentioned, the new owners decided to attract new customers to their whisky by also experimenting with different cask finishes. These are released as limited editions and include whiskies that have been finished in sherry, port, rum and Madiera wine casks. Benriach also release a core range of 'classic Speyside style' whiskies with different age statements and independent bottlings are readily available. This particular bottling is a limited edition 16 years old that has been finished in Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes wine casks. It costs just under £40 per bottle from specialist retailers and only 1650 bottles are available. We had to snap one up!

The colour is golden and the nose is great and very promising. It is full of sweetness with a mixture of vanilla, honey, toffee, something floral (think of honeysuckle) and dried fruits (imagine sultanas). This is balanced with something light and fresh, that reminded me of fresh white grapes or a crisp white wine. On the palate, this is gorgeous and buttery with all the notes from the nose present. It is the lightness of the spirit in the mouth that is surprising, as the expectation would be that it would be richer or sweeter, as Sauternes is a very sweet, thick dessert wine. The finish is long but again light with the vanilla, honey and white wine notes prominent. Benriach have released a really good whisky here and it would be an excellent whisky to give to someone who maybe thinks that they don't like whisky. The combination of the age and the finishing in the Sauternes cask gives a great balance that is not too sweet or rich, which can tend to put people off a Sauternes finished whisky.

In the whisky cupboard ... Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace is an American whiskey from the northern most distillery in the state of Kentucky. There are seven distilleries in Kentucky and these make different brands of American whiskies and bourbons, each one with it's own unique recipe. However, Buffalo Trace is the only distillery where the whiskey is made entirely on the same site using only traditional methods. The distillery name originates from it's close proximity to 'the great buffalo trace', which is an ancient migrating path (or trace) used by buffalo that stretches across North America and along the banks of the Kentucky River. Early settlers followed this path and set up a community in the late 1700s and the distillery has been operating on the same site since 1812. It was also one of the few distilleries to continue distilling during the prohibition period (purely for medical purposes, of cause!). Now, Buffalo Trace is regarded as one of the best American whiskies in the world and has won numerous awards. This whiskey has been aged for a minimum of nine years and is made from a selection of corn, rye and malted barley which are all grown in Franklin County, near to the distillery.

The colour is dark and golden and the nose is gorgeous. There is lots of vanilla and coconut with a bitter grainy note coming through (imagine the aroma of a dense type of bread, like rye bread). On the palate, this is soft, thick and creamy with lots of that vanilla and coconut present. Following this, some more subtle flavours are revealed with something citrus in there (lemons, I think), something spicy (nutmeg or cinnamon, I'm not sure), a hint of aniseed and some toffee. The finish is quite long and starts off sweet and creamy but interestingly twists to be slightly bitter and dry right at the end. Buffalo Trace is extremely well balanced and complex and is my favourite American whiskey that I have tried to date. It is also a bargain for something that is so good and that has won so many awards, costing just over £20 per bottle. Buffalo Trace is becoming more wide spread in the UK all the time and is available in some supermarkets and numerous independent retailers, as well as becoming extremely popular in bars and pubs if you want to try it before you buy a full bottle.