Have just tried ... Lagavulin 1991 'Distiller's Edition'

Lagavulin is a distillery on the island of Islay and like the majority of distilleries on the island, Lagavulin produces smoky and complex whiskies. It is renowned within whisky circles as being one of the best examples of a smoky whisky. The distillery is located on the south coast of Islay, close to the town of Port Ellen, and was established in 1816. It is currently owned by drinks giant Diageo and is one of their smaller capacity distilleries, producing around two million litres of whisky per year. Lagavulin is released as a limited core range - a 12 years old at cask strength, a 16 years old and this Distiller's Edition. By doing this, they concentrate on what they do well and maintain their very high standards. the 16 years old is the Islay representative in Diageo's 'Classic Malts' series and is the most popular bottling from the distillery. It is the third highest selling smoky malt whisky behind the Laphroaig 10 years old and Bowmore 12 years old. This 'Distiller's Edition' is also released at 16 years of age but for the last two years it is matured in a Pedro Ximinez sherry cask.

The colour is a dark, golden amber and the nose is a complex mix of sweetness coming from the sherry influence and the peat. Pedro Ximinez is a very sweet, dark and thick sherry and this means that it is not overpowered by the intense, pungent smokiness of the Lagavulin spirit. On the palate this is liquid gold. The earthy and bonfire smoke hits you first but then the rich, sweet dried fruits (imagine raisins and candied citrus peel) come through. There is further sweetness that reminded me of molasses or treacle and also a slightly salty note (think of seaweed). The finish is long, rich, smoky and gorgeous with a slight dryness and bitterness (imagine iodine, a classic south Islay whisky characteristic). This is a great whisky and is richer and sweeter than the regular 16 years old bottling. It would be a very good after dinner whisky and would go well with a strong or blue cheese. The price is higher also, as Pedro Ximinez casks are very expensive to buy and as it is a limited release. It is available from specialist retailers only and should cost between £45-55.

Have just tried ... Bruichladdich X4

Bruichladdich is located on the western Scottish island of Islay, the spiritual home of the world's smoky whiskies. The distillery was re-opened in 2000 by a consortium of business men led by Mark Reynier, whose background was primarily in the wine trade. They set out to buck the trend of the traditional whisky world by innovating and experimenting with different processes in order to introduce new and exciting products in to the market place. The whisky making process at Bruichladdich remains extremely traditional, with much of the original equipment from when the distillery was founded in 1881 still being used. This is combined with the manual skills of the distillery workers but the major innovation at Bruichladdich comes after production. Some traditionalists disapprove of their use of different casks for maturation or the number of special releases that they put out, but Bruichladdich's aim is to expand the boundaries of whisky and entice new people to try their product.

This X4 is one such special release. X4 is new make spirit that has come straight off the still and is then lowered from 92% ABV to 50% and bottled with no cask maturation. It cannot legally be called whisky, as that requires at least three years of maturation. the result is similar to a vodka or eaux de vie. Another difference is that it has been distilled four times (hence the name X4). The spirit is clear and on the nose you are hit with a fresh fruity note. There are lots of pears, apples and white grapes with a hint of citrus (think of lemons), and it reminded me very much of a grappa or a mezcal. On the palate, X4 feels creamy (almost syrupy) and that fresh fruit and citrus is present again with lots of grain and cereal coming through. The finish is fairly long, pungent and not particularly pleasant in my opinion. Having tried some new make spirits before, X4 was certainly a lot smoother than I imagined it would be but it would certainly be hard work to drink much of it straight. It would be better with a mixer or in a cocktail. This is limited at present to around 1000 bottles with another batch planned and should cost between £35-40.

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Have just tried ... Bruichladdich 16 years old 'Bourbon Cask'

Bruichladdich (pronounced brook-laddie) is based on the island of Islay, which lies off the west coast of Scotland. Islay is the traditional home of the world's smoky whiskies but Bruichladdich's distillery style is in contrast to this , being quite light and fresh. It is one of Scotland's most innovative distilleries and one of very few that are independently owned in scotland. Since being taken over by a group of entrepreneurs in 2000, Bruichladdich has been very experimental with it's whisky production and release programme. They are known for maturing their whisky in non traditional wine and dessert wine casks. A number of whisky purists do not agree with this approach, but by experimenting Bruichladdich's aim is to try and introduce new people to whisky and this can only be a good thing. The purists believe that whisky should be matured in the traditional casks of bourbon, sherry and refill whisky. Bruichladdich's innovative range is extensive and they are always updating it with new releases.

Here they have gone back to basics and this 16 years old has been matured in bourbon casks. Some of these are made from fresh oak and the influence of this is evident in the nose - it is full of vanilla. On the palate, this is rich, creamy and feels full bodied in the mouth. The overpowering characteristic is vanilla but other fresh fruit (imagine crisp green pears and apples) and some warming spices (like nutmeg and cinnamon) come battling through. There is a slight woody bitterness present throughout. The finish is long and rich with the vanilla and spices prominent again. This whisky was enjoyable but was on the edge of having too much wood cask influence, for my own personal taste. It would be a good choice if you like big, creamy and full bodied whiskies. Chris, my work colleague, described it as 'like licking a piece of oak'. A bottle should cost between £40-45 and is a limited release, restricted to independent retailers only.

Have just tried ... Stronachie 12 years old

The name of Stronachie has not been around in the whisky world for a significant length of time. The original distillery of this name was built during the 1890s in a remote part of Perthshire and during the early 20th century was distributed by an independent bottling company called Dewar Rattray. However, following the massive slump in the whisky industry during and after the First World War, many distilleries were forced to close. The first to go were normally those in the remotest locations. Stronachie was closed in 1930 and dismantled, so money could be raised from selling the distillery equipment. The story of name's revival starts in 2002 when Dewar Rattray (now A.D. Rattray) bought a bottle of Stronachie from 1904 at auction. They decided to try and recreate a whisky from this long lost distillery and distribute it once again. A sample was taken from the 1904 bottle and A.D. Rattray tried to link to characteristics to a currently operating distillery. The distillery was Benrinnes in Speyside and this now supplies the whisky that goes into Stronachie.

This 12 years old actually has some older whisky from the same distillery present, so as to give a closer representation of the 1904 bottling. The different ages of whisky are given time to marry together in a cask and the result is very good. The colour is a golden amber and the nose is full of sweet dried fruits (think of raisins and sultanas), malted barley and something nutty. There is also a lovely floral note (imagine heather) and a whiff of earthy smoke in the background. Smokiness is unusual in Speyside or Highland whiskies these days but was common in the late 1800s and early 1900s. On the palate, this is rich with that fruitiness and maltiness, some toffee, warm spices (nutmeg or cinnamon, i think) and that gorgeous smoke backing it all up. The finish is long, sweet, spicy and peaty. This is a very good whisky that is rich, complex and very well rounded. It is easy to drink and would be a good introduction to someone who thinks that they don't like whisky. A great bargain at under £30 and only available in independent retailers.

Have just tried ... Highland Park 18, 25, 30 and 40 years old

Highland Park was established in 1798 and is one of the oldest and best known distilleries in Scotland. Taking its name from the High Park spring which supplies water to the distillery, It is currently owned by the Edrington Group. Highland Park is the most northern distillery currently operating in Scotland, being located near the town of Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands. There are only two distilleries on the Orkneys (Scapa being the other). Highland Park is regarded by whisky drinkers as a great all-rounder and that makes it one of the best selling whiskies worldwide. It is also a major constituent in Edrington's leading blend, the Famous Grouse which is one of the best selling blended whiskies in the UK. Recently, the guys from Highland Park visited the London branch of The Whisky Shop for a special tasting evening where the older expressions from their core range were available to try.

18 years old
The nose of this is fabulous and full of dried fruit (think of sultanas), honey, sweet heather and soft peaty earthiness. On the palate, the fruit and honey are predominant and it is incredibly smooth. The smokiness is there but it does not overpower the whisky as can be the case in some of the Islay malts. The smokiness is floral (imagine heather) and light. There is also a slight saltiness (think of brine or sea air), a distinct nuttiness and some warm spices (like ginger and cinnamon or nutmeg). The combination of all these elements gives a gloriously rich, well balanced and rounded whisky. The finish is long and warm with smokiness and spiciness. This is the whisky that started my interest in whiskies and having not tried this for a long time it didn't disappoint and reconfirmed my memories. A bottle should cost between £55-60. Not a bad start to the evening!

25 years old
The colour is a darker amber than the 18 years old and the nose has less of the floral smokiness. The smokiness is still there but in the background. There is honey, some oak and vanilla, dark dried fruits (think of raisins) and a citrus note (imagine lemon zest). On the palate, the heathery, earthy smoke mingles beautifully with the creamy honey, the sherry cask fruitiness and sweet oakiness. There is also a nutty quality present which reminded me of almonds. The finish is much drier than the palate with the citrus note coming through with lots of toffee or butterscotch (i couldn't decide!). This is a complex whisky that is extremely well balanced and enjoyable. One of the best that i have tried to date. It should cost anywhere between £120-140 per bottle.

30 years old
The colour is a rich amber and the nose has more woodiness than the previous two that we had tried. There is a whiff of that sweet heathery peatiness and this is joined by some aromatic spices (imagine cinnamon and nutmeg) and something slightly bitter (like a high cocoa dark chocolate, i think). The palate is sweeter than expected with a hit of toffee and butterscotch, followed by that bitter chocolate, the floral earthiness and some citrus (oranges). The finish is also quite sweet and subtle with the smokiness coming to the fore. This seems less complex than the 25 years old but is still an pretty decent whisky and very enjoyable. A bottle should cost between £180-200.

40 years old
Now for the star of the evening. Bottles of this 40 years old whisky are rare and sell for between £800-900, so the chance to try some is not to be turned down! The colour is not as dark as you would maybe expect for a whisky of this age, due to the use of refill casks (meaning that whisky has previously been matured in the cask, so therefore the wood will have less influence on the spirit). This is important as 40 years in a fresher, newer cask would impart too much wood influence and adversely effect the flavours. The nose is delicate and aromatic with some gorgeous honey, toffee, warm spices (imagine nutmeg) and some bitter dark chocolate. The hint of sweet peat smoke that marries with these elements, means that you can happily sit with your nose in the glass and inhale for a long time without getting bored. On the palate, this is liquid gold. the first thing to get the tastebuds is a creamy, thick sweetness that has elements of burnt sugar and toffee. Then comes a tart fruitiness (reminding me of stewed fruit), followed by a subtle, sweet and floral peatiness and a citric tang (think of orange zest). The smokiness really comes out in the finish, which is long, fruity and impressive. A truly fantastic whisky that simply has to be tasted (if you can afford it!).

Have just tried ... Glenglassaugh 1984 Armagnac cask

Planet of the Grapes is a boutique wine shop located in New Oxford Street in central London. While they specialise in bringing small independent wine producers and vineyards products to a wider audience, they also do the same with selected spirits. At a recent wine tasting at the shop, an opportunity arose to try their single cask bottling of Glenglassaugh. The distillery is located on the edge of the Speyside region, close to the small town of Portsoy, approximately 50 miles to the northwest of Aberdeen. Glenglassaugh was originally opened in 1875 and had a reasonably turbulent history littered with closures and re-openings until its stills fell silent for the final time in 1986. Even during production periods, it was difficult to find any bottlings from the distillery as its primary function was to produce whisky to go into famous blended whiskies like the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. However, following over 20 years of mothballing (the procedure where a distillery remains intact and ready to go again, but not producing), Glenglassaugh was taken off the hands of the Edrington Group by a Dutch company called Scaent. They have completely refurbished the site and production restarted in November 2008. The distillery was re-opened by the MP Alex Salmond, the first minister of Scotland.

Planet of the Grapes have purchased just a single cask of this rare whisky and only have a few bottles left. It has been matured in an Armagnac cask, which is one of the more unusual casks for maturing whisky. The colour is a dark chocolate brown, indicating a lot of influence from the wood. The nose is rich and fruity with lots of dried fruit (think of raisins, sultanas and candied peel). On the palate, the whisky is very smooth, feeling creamy and extremely rich. That dried fruit is everywhere, especially orange candied peel and this is joined by some honey, a distinct nuttiness (walnuts, i think) and some spicy ginger. As this is bottled at cask strength (52.4% abv), i added a splash of water and this exaggerated the dried fruitiness especially. The finish was warming and long but maybe a bit bitter for my taste. It was interesting to try this but while it was a good experiment, my personal feeling was that the strength of flavour from the wood was too much and masked the whisky character. It was overpowered by the armagnac characteristics and the length of time in that cask made the finish very woody and bitter. The result is that it feels like you are drinking a stronger than usual Armagnac. If you would like a bottle, then you need to hurry down to Planet of the Grapes. A bottle will cost you £60.

Have just tried ... Bowmore 12 years old

Bowmore is located on the western island of Islay, which is the home of smoky whisky. The distillery is the oldest in operation on Islay and one of the oldest in Scotland, having started production in 1779. It is situated in the village of Bowmore (which translates as 'sea rock' from Gaelic), on the picturesque shores of Loch Indaal. Bowmore is one of the most famous whiskies in the world and the number of different releases is extensive. the core range consists of this 12 years old, a 15 years old 'darkest' and an 18 years old. These are joined by more limited releases from time to time, including some very old and rare whiskies such as the White Bowmore (43 years old!) which has just been made available for around £2500 . independent bottlings are also fairly common. The current owners, Morrison Bowmore (who in turn are owned by Japanese distiller Suntory), have also established another range of whiskies that are available exclusively for travel retail/ duty free. The strategy has led to Bowmore becoming one of the top brands worldwide, within that sector of the market.

This 12 years old is the cornerstone of the range and is one of the best selling whiskies in the UK and the world. The colour is a golden amber and the nose is different to a number of the other heavier islay malts. There is smokiness and peat but it is light and fresh with some butterscotch, some saltiness (imagine brine) and a floral note evident (think of lavender maybe?). The whisky is smooth and kind to your palate with lots of vanilla present, some oakiness, that salty note and a lovely sweetness coming from the malted barley. The smokiness come through afterwards and has an earthy quality, but reminded me most of dying embers/ ash in a fireplace. The finish is dry, salty and reasonably long but not as long as heavier Islay malts. The balance between the lower level of smokiness and the influence of the casks is very good and while this is not the most complex whisky, it is an excellent all rounder that would be a good choice to introduce someone to smoky whiskies. Its quality is reflected in the fact that this 12 years old consistently wins awards around the globe, most recently picking up The Whisky Shop's 'Single Malt of the Year 2008'. A bottle should cost £25-30 and is readily available.

Have just tried ... Hakushu 12 years old

Hakushu is a Japanese whisky and the distillery was opened in 1973. It is located in a nature reserve on the slopes of Mount Kaikomagatake, which lies to the northwest of Tokyo. The location is reflected in the name as Hakushu means 'forest distillery' in Japanese. A second distillery was built next to the original in 1981, making Hakushu one of the largest malt whisky distilleries in the world with an incredible 24 pot stills. The new distillery was named Hakushu East and the older was renamed Hakushu West. Both were run side by side for a number of years before the owners, Suntory, decided to close Hakushu West. All whisky is now produced at Hakushu East, which has a capacity of 3 million litres per year. The whisky is matured mostly in bourbon casks but some spends time in sherry and Japanese oak casks. Hakushu also filter their whisky after maturation through bamboo charcoal, creating a unique character within the spirit. They are the only Japanese distillery to practice this technique.

The colour is light and lemony with an interesting nose. It is light and fresh with some crisp green fruit (think of pears and apples), some gorgeous vanilla, something floral (reminding me of honey suckle) and just a whiff of smokiness (imagine wood ash). This feels thicker on the palate than the nose suggests and is quite creamy with all elements from the nose combining well. There is also something herbal and grassy, as well as a warm spicy note (ginger, I think). The finish is quite dry, crisp and light with the warm spice, that hint of smoke and a nutty (think of almonds) quality coming through. A bottle of this should cost between £45-50 and it is well worth it. This whisky has lots to offer with a decent nose being followed up with a sumptuous crisp palate that combines all the elements very well. This is high quality malt and a great example of Japanese whisky.

Have just tried ... Benromach Organic

Benromach is the smallest working distillery in Speyside and is located to the north of the town of Forres. Infact, with it's current production level of only 200,000 litres, Benromach is one of the smallest in Scotland with only two people employed to produce their spirit. The distillery was founded in 1898 with the current owners being the independent bottling company Gordon & MacPhail. They took over Benromach in 1993 and the distillery was reopened by Prince Charles, following 10 years of mothballing 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). Gordon & Macphail launched an innovative programme of whisky production including different wine cask finishing, heavily peating some of their malt (a very usual practice for a Speyside distillery) and producing the world's first truly organic whisky. The organic whisky is certified as such by The Soil Association and involves using organically grown Scottish barley and yeast, pure local spring water and untreated and unused American oak casks. They are not allowed to use casks that have previously carried another spirit (such as bourbon or sherry as all other distilleries use) to be classed as organic.

The result of their innovation was the release of this organic whisky for the first time in 2006 and it remains the only one on the market at this current time. Other distilleries have now produced organic whisky to meet the consumer demand but these are still too young to be released. This whisky is roughly seven years old and the colour is golden brown with a nose is more reminiscent of an American bourbon than a Scottish malt. The nose is loaded with oak, vanilla and coconut and these form the basis of the palate also. more subtle notes start to come through on the palate, including some butterscotch, some dried fruit (think of sultanas and candied peel) and sweet malted barley. The finish is long, smooth and rich with the vanilla, coconut and dried fruit slowly fading. This is a very good whisky and it has laid down a tough marker for the other organic whiskies that will soon be on the market. It is quite bourbon-like, but this is no bad thing and is due to the use of the fresh wood used in the maturation. Well worth a try, especially at the bargain price (well, for an organic product anyway!) of £30-35 per bottle.