The Macallan has become one of the most popular and recognized single malt Scotch whisky brands in the world, enjoying particularly good success in the United States. The Macallan range starts with the entry level 10-Year and includes the pricey 30-year, plus a variety of rare, older expressions and drams aged in different types of oak. The Macallan makes two 18-year-old Scotch whiskies – the Sherry Oak, which is aged exclusively in Sherry oak casks, and the Fine Oak, which is aged in three different types of wood. The Macallan 18-year-old Sherry Oak is mahogany in color and has pleasant aromas...

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky traces its roots back to 1907, when explorer Ernest Shackleton fortified his Antarctic expedition with several cases of his favorite whiskey from the Glen Mhor distillery in Inverness, Scotland. Shackleton and his men ultimately failed to reach the South Pole, and they sailed for home in 1909, leaving behind three crates of the precious whiskey buried in ice. It stayed this way until 2007, when fortuitous members of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust happened upon the hundred-year-old hooch. Whyte & Mackay – owners of the Mackinlay brand – analyzed the remaining stock, and master...

The Glenrothes makes a range of fine whiskies, including the Select Reserve. This bottling is a rarity for the Speyside distillery, as The Glenrothes typically releases vintage-dated whiskies, like the 1985 and 1998. Bottled at 80 proof and lacking some of the character seen in its older brothers, the Select Reserve is like an entry-level introduction to the brand. But a good one, at that. The Glenrothes Select Reserve pours light gold and gives aromas of vanilla, malt, ripe fruits and a touch of briny sea air. Take a sip and find lots of malty sweetness, vanilla, zesty orange and...

Scotch Whisky doesn’t get enough love in cocktails. Sure, we prefer to sip it straight more often than not, but a well-crafted Scotch cocktail is something special. And there’s just something about the holidays that makes us crave them. Thankfully, Highland Park sent along some inspiration, in the form of these drinks, each featuring Highland Park’s 12 year old expression. For the best results, pair with a warm fire. This first drink was crafted by Damon Boelte of NYC’s Prime Meats. It starts with the basic sour template, and from there it invokes the holidays with cinnamon syrup and some apricot liqueur. UK...

Laphroaig Triple Wood is the Scotch whisky maker’s latest expression, just released three weeks ago into the U.S. market after two years of availability in duty free shops. Triple Wood gains its name from its maturation process, in which the whisky is aged in three kinds of casks. The first maturation is in American oak – ex-bourbon barrels just like other Laphroaig expressions. From there, the best of these barrels is transferred into quarter casks for a second maturation. Finally, the spirit moves to large Oloroso Sherry casks. It’s the mingling of these different woods that gives Triple Wood its...

Johnnie Walker Double Black is the newest addition to the Johnnie Walker family of Scotch whiskies. It was formerly only available in global duty-free shops, but it’s just been released, for a limited time, to the mass market. Double Black starts with the Black Label template, and from there, it adds peatier malts and malts aged in heavily charred oak barrels – the result being a smokier dram than the original. And while the Black Label is aged for 12 years, Johnnie Walker Double Black carries no age statement. On the nose, Double Black offers aromas of peat smoke, oak and...

Bowmore Legend is a single malt Scotch Whisky from Islay’s oldest distillery. Legend is the entry-level whisky in the Bowmore lineup, a range known for its peaty, smoky malts that includes the popular Bowmore 12-Year and 18-Year, as well as some very interesting, hard-to-find drams. Unlike the other core whiskies in the Bowmore lineup, Bowmore Legend is bottled without an age statement. It tastes younger and leaner than the other expressions, but it still carries the unmistakable flavors and aromas of Islay. On the nose, you’ll find some peat and briny sea air tempered by a bit of sweet honey....

Compass Box Whisky Co. – the guys behind innovative, small batch drams like Peat Monster, Hedonism and Spice Tree – is rolling out a lineup of affordable blends called Great King Street. The first to be released is Artist’s Blend, a versatile expression to be enjoyed neat, over ice or in whisky cocktails. It launches nationally in October. Great King Street Artist’s Blend combines delicate Lowland grain whiskies with more robust, complex Highland single malts and a touch of Speyside malts. Wood influences include first-fill American oak, new French oak and first-fill Sherry butts. The grain/malt makeup and wood trio...

Glen Garioch 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch is distilled in the Highlands region of Scotland. The unpeated whiskey is non chill-filtered and aged first in bourbon casks and then Spanish sherry casks before bottling. On the nose, Glen Garioch (pronounced “Glen-Geery”) 12 is light and floral, with notes of heather and fruit – most noticeably apple and pear. It’s smooth on the palate like most Highlands, and it moves between fruit, oak and spice. The bourbon influences lend some sweet vanilla and caramel, while the sherry casks provide the warming fruit and subtle spice. It finishes oaky and dry. Glen Garioch...

Highland Park 18 is one of the core expressions in the renowned Highland Park Scotch whiskey lineup. Founded in 1798, Highland Park is one of only two distilleries located on the Orkney Islands – the other is Scapa. The 18 Year Old spirit was twice named the best spirit in the world by F. Paul Pacult, so it’s got that going for it. Let’s take it for a spin. Highland Park 18 shows brilliant colors of gold and amber and has a full aroma of mature oak and toffee with just a touch of smoke. Flavors range from...