Have just tried ... Highland Park 1985 'Mackillop's Choice'

Highland Park is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, having been established in 1798. It is also the most northern distillery currently operating, being located near Kirkwall on the Orkney islands. The core range of Highland Park is extensive covering a wide age range and it is one of the best selling whiskies worldwide. They produce peated malt barley with quite a high phenol level (40ppm) and this is then mixed with malted barley from their sister distillery (Tamdhu in Speyside), which has no peat influence at all. This creates a spirit which is smoky but not to the degree of the majority of Islay whiskies. It is therefore more approachable and is a good distillery to try if you don't like too much smoky flavour or any at all. This particular release is a 21 years old from the small Mackillop's Choice independent bottling company. Other independent bottlings are readily available.

The first thing I noticed was that there is no smoke on the nose or palate! This surprised me even though it is a fairly old whisky (as smoky whiskies age, the smokiness tends to mellow but should still be a feature). Instead, there is lots of sweet vanilla, some woodiness and stacks of fresh fruit (think of crisp green apples, pears and honeydew melon). This intensity is replicated on the palate and is joined by some notes of honey, something woody but spicy (like cinnamon bark) and a hint of aniseed right at the end. It is full bodied, very good and enjoyable with a reasonably long vanilla based finish. My only disappointment was that the smokiness normally associated with Highland Park wasn't there. Bottles of this are rare and will cost you around £55 from independent retailers only.

Have just tried ... Benrinnes 15 years old 'Flora & Fauna'

Benrinnes is a Speyside distillery owned by drinks giant Diageo. Originally opening in 1826, the old Victorian buildings were completely demolished and rebuilt in the late 1950s. The majority of the whisky produced at Benrinnes (around 2.5 million litres) is used in the blending of Johnnie Walker red label and black label, which both sell massive amounts each year around the world. The only official bottling from the distillery is this 15 years old, which forms part of Diageo's 'Flora and Fauna' range (this range showcases whiskies from lesser known distilleries in their portfolio). Other independent bottlings are rare.

This is dark, golden brown in colour and the nose is full of maltiness from the barley, dried fruit (raisins and sultanas) and lots of sherry, indicating that it has spent significant time in sherry casks. On the palate, these notes are all as prominent and are joined by something creamy and nutty (walnuts or brazil nuts, I think). There is an element of bitterness as well which reminded me of caramel or burnt sugar and dark chocolate. The finish was short, flat and disappointing with not much going on. This is good and quite complex but may have too much sherry cask influence for some people. It retails around £35 a bottle.

Have just tried ... Ardmore 'Traditional Cask'

Ardmore is a Highland distillery near Aberdeen and is unusual as they use peated malt for their core range of whisky. Other highland and Speyside distilleries do this, but only for limited releases or batches to supplement their regular range (most notably Benriach, Benromach and Tomintoul). The phenol level is around 14ppm, making the final spirit much less smoky than whiskies from Islay or some of the other islands. The distillery is owned by Jim Beam Global and most of the 5 million litres of whisky produced each year goes to their flagship blend, Teacher's Highland Cream (one of the biggest selling blended whiskies in the UK). This 'Traditional Cask' was originally for export and duty free only but has just been released to UK retailers with the name deriving from the fact that the whisky is matured for some part in small casks that are a quarter of the size of a regular cask. . Other bottlings are few and far between, mostly coming from independent companies.

On the nose, this smells pretty good with the smokiness being quite meaty (like smoke from a barbeque) and sweet (it reminded me of fresh fruit, pears especially). On the palate, there is a similar initial sweetness and maltiness however this is quickly engulfed by the smoke. This feels thin in the mouth and the finish is short, both of which are quite different for a smoky whisky. Overall I was a bit disappointed as it was pretty one dimensional. It was all smoke and not much else. At £25-£30, it is up against some of the smoky big boys (Ardbeg 10 years old, Laphroaig 10 and Bowmore 12) but would be a decent choice if you were looking for something a bit more unusual.

Distil 2008

Distil 2008 is a trade only show that is held annually at the Excel exhibition centre in London. It is run in conjunction with the London International Wine Fair (LIWF), with the idea to showcase new and unusual products to retailers, restaurants etc. Myself and Matt (one of my colleagues from Royal Mile Whiskies) went to the show and sampled some of the products on offer. We tried a number of whiskies, which I have listed below with some basic tasting notes and thoughts. As and when I taste them again, then I will expand these notes and give more detail and distillery information. We began on a supplier stand who had a large range of award winning American whiskies (commonly called bourbons) and worked from there!

Elijah Craig 12 years old
This bourbon is rich and complex with some sweet caramel, vanilla and coconut flavours present. Age has done this a lot of favours and it is so smooth. It would be very easy to drink loads of this. It is thick, creamy and full bodied with a nice finish that has just a hint of aniseed.

Old Fitzgerald 1849
This one is an 8 years old bourbon that is really good as well. The nose has sweet grain on it, mixed with a nutty element (walnuts, I think), vanilla oakiness and almost a hint of something smoky. This is rich on the palate with lots of woodiness (this always reminds me of coconut), vanilla and caramel. That hint of smoke is there on the finish also. very interesting.

Evan Williams 1996 single barrel
Another bourbon that has been aged for 12 years in fresh oak and the vanilla and coconut flavours are very prominent here. This is very well balanced and feels smooth and luxurious on the palate. It is a limited release due to being from a single barrel.

Parker's Heritage Collection
A great example of a bourbon. Bottled at cask strength, this was full in flavour and body. The marriage of the sweetness from grains used and the influence of the wood was perfect. Lots of vanilla and coconut but also an interesting hint of nuts (something like walnuts and almonds). On adding water, it becomes almost too perfect and creamy. I need to hunt down a bottle of this one because it is fantastic.

Yoichi 10 years old
Having not tasted many Japanese whiskies, I was interested to try this one. Japan is only second to Scotland in the amount of whisky produced and generally the standard is high. The nose has a hint of peat smoke and earth to it with some interesting sweetness. On the palate, it is quite fruity (dried fruit though) and citrusy (think of orange marmalade). It feels creamy and smooth with quite a dry finish where the peat smoke takes over. Really nice.

Jura 16 years old
A nice and crisp whisky from the distillery on the isle of Jura. Their younger releases can have too much raw spirit for some people's tastes but this is much smoother and richer, due to the extra age. There is a hint of smokiness mixed with quite a fruity (sultanas, I think) and malty sweetness. This is quite nice but then I tried ...

Jura 18 years old
This had moved the 16 years old on to another level. Part maturation in sherry casks make this certainly more complex. It is richer and creamier in the mouth and with a nice level of sweetness, vanilla and something nutty (maybe almonds?). This is mixed with just a whiff of smokiness. It also had an interesting salty tang to it which complimented the rich caramel and sherry notes. On the finish there is also a hint of aniseed. Very good indeed!

Tyrconnell 10 years old Madiera finish
We moved on to the Cooley distillery stand where we tried this and the following two whiskies. This has been finished in Madiera casks and this gives the whiskey some great dried fruit notes (think of raisins, apricots, pears). It is rich, creamy and sweet with some lovely caramel and vanilla as well. A really, really good whiskey and a great example of how a cask finish can influence the final product.

Greenore 15 years old
This is a newly released and very limited batch single grain whiskey. These contain no barley and are rare. It is smooth and sweet with lots of vanilla, honey and almonds. Very full bodied and it just melts in your mouth. I had never properly tried grain whiskey before and this is an excellent example of one.

Kilbeggan 15 years old
Another very limited release of only 1000 bottles. This is the best Irish whiskey that I have tasted to date. It is rich, creamy and smooth with lots of vanilla, honey and sweet maltiness mixed with an interesting dryness and some spiciness (like nutmeg, I think and maybe just a hint of ginger). Very well balanced and truly great.

After this, myself and Matt went on to try some rums and then made our way to the wine fair, at which point the afternoon started getting hazier and hazier ....

In the whisky cupboard ... Tormore 12 years old

Tormore is a little known distillery in Speyside. It was only opened in 1958 and the majority of the whisky produced is put into Teacher's and Ballantine's, which are two of the biggest selling blended whiskies in the UK. The only current official distillery bottling is this 12 years old and other independent bottlings are hard to find. As a result, Tormore has a bit of a cult following (this includes Michael, my boss at Royal Mile Whiskies!). This was an impulse purchase by Karen, as Morrison's were selling it for £15 (the normal price is between £20-22) and it seemed a bargain. The appearance is golden brown (like caramel) and the nose is quite pleasant. There is something resembling fresh apples and also some freshly cut grass, vanilla and a whiff of heather. On the palate, the malted barley sweetness is the most prominent feature and this takes over virtually everything else. There is something herbal (maybe the grass again) and an acidic note (think of orange or lemon zest) that is present but overall, it is quite one dimensional. It feels thin in the mouth and the raw spirit coming through would not be to everyone's taste. The finish is quite short but I found it pleasant as the raw spirit from the palate fades and reveals a decent creamy mix of vanilla, toffee and coconut. Right at the end, there is a woodiness that appears, giving a slightly bitter final taste. This whisky is basic but good, although as mentioned before, not to everyone's taste. It is pleasant and easy drinking and would be good as an everyday drinking whisky. I am certainly not complaining about having a bottle of this in our whisky cupboard, especially at the bargain price of £15.

In the whisky cupboard ... Balvenie 12 years old 'Doublewood'

Balvenie is one of the largest and most famous distilleries in Scotland producing over 5.5 million litres of whisky per year. It is located in Dufftown in Speyside and is owned by William Grant & Sons, who also own Glenfiddich. Balvenie is unique as they have their own floor maltings (used for the germination of the barley), a cooperage where they make their casks and even grow some of the barley used during production in the grounds of the distillery. Last year, over 1.5 million bottles of Balvenie were sold across the world putting it inside the top 10 for sales. This 12 years old 'Doublewood' is one of the cornerstones of that success. The term 'Doublewood' refers to the fact that the whisky is stored in two types of wooden cask during it's 12 years of maturation. For approximately 10 years, it matures in bourbon casks and is then transferred into sherry casks for the final two years.

The colour is gorgeous and golden. The nose is full of sweet, ripe stone fruits (think of apricots and peaches) combined with vanilla, coconut and honey. On the palate, this is so smooth, mellow and creamy that your taste buds go into ecstasy. It feels thick in the mouth. There is a glorious fruity and malty sweetness (again the ripe stone fruits but joined by raisins and sultanas), an element of nuts (almonds, i think) and a hint of something spicy (like nutmeg or cinnamon). The finish is excellent and quite long with lots of creamy concentrated fruit (raisins again) and vanilla, with the sherry influence giving a tiny bit of refreshing dryness. Balvenie have produced one hell of a whisky here. It is one of my favourites to date and offers a gorgeous and complex drinking experience. Many people say that the 'Doublewood' shows the perfect marriage and time of maturation between the bourbon and sherry casks and I would have to agree. This is a fantastic whisky and is widely available for between £25-30. Go out and buy a bottle!

Have just tried ... Knockando 12 years old

Knockando distillery lies in central Speyside, between the villages of Archiestown and Knockando. It is owned by drinks giant Diageo and is one of the best selling single malts in the world (the main markets are France, Spain and Italy). Despite this, Knockando is relatively unknown in the UK market. Much of the whisky produced at the distillery (approx. 92%) is used in the blending of J&B Rare, which is one of the biggest selling blends across the globe. The only regular bottling is this 12 years old with limited edition distillery and independent bottlings occasionally getting released.

The colour is light like a pale lemon. The nose is pleasant but with a heavy element of malted barley. There is a sweetness present along with a citrus note (lemon zest, I think) and nuts (like a mixture of almonds, walnuts and coconuts). This whisky is very smooth on the palate and feels soft and creamy in the mouth. It is sweet and very fruity (think of raisins) with those malty and citrus notes from the nose coming through, although the citrus notes are more concentrated here (like dried orange or lemon candied peel). The finish is quite long, dry and creamy. Almonds are there again (more concerntrated than on the nose though, like almond essence or marzipan) along with some vanilla and toffee. This is a decent whisky, if not the most complex, and would be great as a pre-dinner drink or on a hot day. It is available in supermarkets and independent retailers alike and should cost around £25.

Have just tried ... Amrut peated

Amrut is a distillery in India. It is located in Bangalore in the south west of the country and was originally established in 1948, although whisky production didn't begin until the mid 1980s. The Indian market is one of the biggest and fastest growing in the world for consumption of whisky. However, most 'whisky' is made from various local ingredients (crucially not barley or other grains) and can therefore not be technically classed as whisky. Also the standard can be very poor. At Amrut they do use malted barley, which is grown and malted in other parts of India. They use water from a well that is located 15 miles from the distillery and then distillation and maturation takes place in Bangalore. Here, the temperature and humidity are high so the whisky matures much faster than in Scotland or Ireland. As a result of this the spirit evaporates much quicker (this evaporation is called the 'angel's share') and maturation for anything above four years is difficult. Amrut are the first Indian distillery to seriously export to the UK and Europe and this one is a peated version (the peat is actually flown over from Scotland as they don't have any in India!). It is bottled at cask strength with a very high alcohol level of 61.9% ABV.

The nose initially blasts you with peat smoke but underneath is sweet and rich with lots of dried fruit, nuts and marzipan (imagine a Christmas fruit cake). There is also something that is not natural in there that reminded me of custard powder or fake vanilla essence. This is full bodied on the palate and just blows your mouth away (mine actually went numb!). The burn from the high alcohol level just obliterates everything else so I added some water. This revealed some quite sweet and dried fruit notes (think of raisins and dried apples and pears) but it was very dry and woody. I added some more water (almost twice as much water to whisky by this point) and it opened out well and revealed a lovely soft creamy sweetness that balanced much better with the peat smoke. It was still very dry though. This is a very interesting whisky if you get passed the initial aggressiveness in your mouth. It needs a lot of water but after adding this, it really is pretty good. Amrut peated retails for £40 and is a limited release in the UK.

Have just tried ... Green Spot

Green Spot is a premium Irish whiskey that is distilled by Midleton, the largest distillery in Ireland. It is one of the rarer whiskies in production with only around 5000 bottles released each year. Midleton is located in County Cork and is owned by Pernod Ricard, a large international drinks firm. They also produce other famous brands such as Jameson, Tullamore Dew and Paddy there. They use a mixture of malted and regular barley (this is common in Irish whisky distillation, see explain about ... the difference between scottish and irish whiskies) and it is then triple distilled in a pure pot still. This still is large, squat and bowl shaped and is made of copper, lending the spirit it's unique Irish character. The whisky appears light in colour and no age is given on the label. It is actually a mixture of seven and eight years old pure pot still whiskies with some of it being matured in sherry casks.

On the nose there is the malted barley coming forward but beneath this is some dried fruit sweetness (raisins and sultanas). This was a surprise on the palate. Normally Irish whiskies are light, fresh and smooth due to the triple distillation but this one is quite rich, full bodied and a bit rough. The maltiness and sweetness from the nose are present along with something strange and tangy (which I couldn't place) and a definate sherry influence. It burns a little so I added some water. This didn't really do it any favours and just diluted what was already there rather than revealing some new characteristics. The finish was dry and again rough with raw spirit plus an interesting note of menthol. I was disappointed by this. Numerous people rave about Green Spot but it didn't deliver the smoothness and freshness that I expected or wanted from an Irish whisky. This retails for around £35 a bottle.

Have just tried ... Glencadam 1991 'Single & Single' from Milroy's

Glencadam can be found in the town of Brechin in the east Highlands. The distillery reopened in 2003 when it was bought by new owners, Angus Dundee Distillers. It had been closed by the previous owners in 2000, who kept everything intact so that production could restart immediately (this is called 'mothballing'). There is currently only one distillery bottling from Glencadam, which is a 15 years old, and most of the whisky produced goes into blends (primarily Ballantine's and Teacher's). However, there are a number of independent bottling releases. This one is a 16 years old and is limited to only 3840 bottles. It has been bottled for Milroy's, a famous whisky and wine shop in the centre of London, and I understand it will be available soon for around £50.

The colour is light for something of this age (similar to the colour of hay). The nose is very vegetal with sweet, grassy and floral notes (like a spring meadow), although a whiff of raw spirit is also present. On the palate, there is an initial zing of citrus zest with vanilla and a sugary sweetness taking over. It is very light and quite refreshing. The finish is very disappointing, it is pretty much gone before it's got started with lots of raw spirit present. This is a shame because otherwise it is a decent, light and refreshing whisky.