Overview: Spirits expert Luke McCarthy shares the 20 best whiskies to find at your local bottle shop. From smoky Islay classics to rich Tassie single malts, stoke the hearth and pour yourself a dram – it’s time to get into the spirit of the season.
The Full Story
Nc’nean Organic Single Malt Scotch Whisky signals a new approach to Scottish whisky-making. The distillery, located on the Morvern peninsula in the Scottish Highlands, is powered by renewable energy and only uses organic barley to produce a bright, fresh take on what Scottish single malt can be. Kilkerran 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky from the Campbeltown region offers a maritime and smoke-accented profile as a sibling to Springbank distillery, which is now difficult and pricey to procure. The Glendronach 15 Year Old Single Malt Whisky remains a gold standard for fans of richly sherried single malts. Spending its life in casks that once held Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sheries, the result is a velvety whisky, rich with raisins, cherries and warming spice.
Kilchoman Machir Bay Islay Single Malt Whisky represents the first new distillery built on Islay in more than 120 years. Since then, it has become one of Scotland’s great success stories. This expression is an excellent introduction to Islay whiskies, balancing signature peat notes with bright citrus, vanilla and sea spray. In the USA, trailing only second to Scotland in production quantities, the States is a whiskey powerhouse adopting the Irish spelling. Weller Special Reserve Wheated Bourbon is produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky as a beloved 90-proof wheated bourbon. Wild Turkey Rare Breed Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has long been revered by purists as one of the best barrel-proof bourbons with no water added before bottling, showcasing a marriage of 6-, 8- and 12-year-old components.
Michter’s US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey offers one of the finest and most approachable renditions of the style. Each barrel is bottled individually, highlighting the lively spice, black pepper, orange zest and caramel flavours that make rye so rewarding. Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey is produced to US Bottled-in-Bond standards with layers of banana bread, roasted nuts, molasses and baking spice supported by signature charcoal mellowing. Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey is initially matured in Oloroso sherry butts and bourbon barrels then finished in port casks to deliver waves of ripe berries, dark chocolate and malty caramel. In Ireland, Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey showcases the country’s unique single-pot still style with rich and creamy gingery crackle of unmalted barley combined with high fruit notes.
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey is a blend of malt and grain whiskies finished for 12 months in rum casks to add bright fruit, toffee and subtle spice. Australia has hardly been a historic leader in whisky production but is an underdog come good. The diversity of the Australian climate means spirits mature quicker in the barrel. Because we’re also less bound by traditional distillation rules, Australian whisky has also developed a reputation for experimentation with bold, complex Australian whiskies demanding attention beyond our borders.
Production & Profile
Scotch whisky must be made using just water, malted barley and yeast – with no other ingredients or flavourings permitted – aged in oak barrels inside Scotland, and bottled at a minimum ABV of 40%. Whiskey production in the USA is the wild west compared to Scotland. Irish whiskey must be matured in wood barrels, in Ireland, for three years. A couple of common practices, including a preference for unmalted (raw) barley, triple distillation and the use of a pot still, lead to more creamy, silky and smooth whiskies, with a more mouth-coating body.
Brand & Industry History
Scotland has been distilling whisky since at least 15th century. Bushmills has released some cracking whiskies in recent years, including 25- and 30-year-olds that speak to their long history. Ireland shares its whiskey making pedigree with close neighbour Scotland, dating its first distilleries back even further than the Scots.
What This Means
Scotch is often the global gold standard for pure, unadulterated whiskies. Australian whisky has developed a reputation for experimentation with bold, complex Australian whiskies demanding attention beyond our borders.
Consumer Takeaway
These bottles are available at local bottle shops for those looking to find out why maritime, smoke-accented single malts from the Campbeltown region are so highly sought after or seeking richly sherried single malts.
Source: Read the original article
