Scotch lovers! Let us speak of single malts. And a few blends. This Tasting Brief includes many highlights and some surprising disappointments.

Below you’ll find:

• A strong group of peaty Islay releases, with offerings from Ardbeg and Bruichladdich showing especially well. (But pay attention to the unpeated Bruichladdichs, too, which reinforce how this distillery has become one of the island’s most versatile and creative producers.)

• Diageo’s 2022 Special Release collection, a mixed bag with one clear standout distillery. 
  
• An intriguing group of mostly teenaged whiskies displaying a range of flavor profiles and cask finishes—including a notable array of French wine and spirits such as armagnac, cognac, and Pineau des Charentes.
  
• A deep dive into the world’s best-selling single malt scotch, Glenlivet, including first tastes of new recipes for Glenlivet’s 21 and 25-year-old expressions.
  
• A crop of independently bottled single malts, mostly from The ImpEx Collection. Among the surprises: a stunning cask that’s just six years old, from one of Scotland’s newest distilleries.
  
• Blends! At least a few. We’ve included reviews of the newly reformulated Dewar’s 12-Year-Old and a curious “pure malt” that’s technically not a Scotch because of its partial maturation period in (gasp!) England, but still very much worth your while.

Happy drinking, everyone.

Islay Heavyweights

Octomore 13.1

Made with malt peated to 137.3 ppm, this whisky packs a promised punch, starting with a maritime nose of seaweed and saltwater, smoked fish and ashed-over beach bonfire, along with peppery and baking spices; adding water reveals herbal aromas that call mezcal to mind, and tropical fruit. The same thing happens on the palate: neat, it's all about the ocean and pepper; watered, a balance of maritime, spice, fruit and peat flavors. The finish is long, savory, and mouthwatering.

Octomore 13.2

Thick peat is balanced by a full maturation in oloroso sherry casks, yielding a whisky of rich depth and character. Roasted apples and plums, caramel, raspberry jam, dark chocolate, and surprisingly subtle peat smoke on the nose. The palate has a mixed bag of flavors that all work well: dark chocolate, raspberry jam, hazelnuts, black pepper, dry oak, and thick, sweet smoke. Water makes it more cohesive, and softens the texture into a lush velvet. Sweetly smoked chocolate-covered caramels on the lengthy finish.

Octomore 13.3

Made from barley peated to 137.3 ppm and matured in first-fill American oak casks, this whisky is all about structure and pacing, as precise as a well-engineered bicycle. Oyster shell, light salinity, vanilla pastry cream, and glazed apricot tart on the nose, which has surprisingly wispy peat aromas. But there’s no doubting the smoke source on the palate, which is sinewy and assertive, sharp with oyster shell, salt, and black pepper. It takes ample watering, which creates a more rounded and generous body, and finishes with black pepper and mineral flavors, and smoke that fades steadily and consistently.

Bruichladdich SC:01

A sea-salt-sprinkled whisky with fragrant stone fruit, cooked malt, walnuts, and applesauce on the peat-reek nose. Dry on the palate, with a chalky minerality, black pepper, roasted red apple, creamy vanilla frosting and crushed nuts, all buoyed by sweet-and-salty peat, fading into smoke on the finish.

Bruichladdich Black Art Edition 10.1

A floral, fruity, spring-like nose leads with sweet strawberries and red apples, peaches, blossoming cherry trees, and a touch of bubblegum—flavors that appear on the palate, but are well-integrated into richer sherry notes of raspberry jam, dried fig, raisin, toasted hazelnuts, lush spices, semi-sweet chocolate, and leather, woven together with a visceral, full-bodied mouthfeel. Dried fruit, dark chocolate shavings, and polished oak round out the medium-length finish, capping off a whisky that’s mature but not over-old, and complex but totally undemanding. As usual for the Black Art series—excellent.

Bruichladdich 2013 Islay Barley

The nose is reticent and gives away little of what to expect; some light pineapple and guava, lemon oil, cedar, and toasted malt. But the palate, silky in texture, is elegant with tropical fruit, zesty citrus, sweet malt, zingy white and Szechuan pepper, and just enough savory oak to tie it all together. Lemon, peppery malt, milk chocolate, and lingering cooked pineapple on the medium-long finish.

Port Charlotte 2014 Islay Barley

Well-structured and spare, this peated single malt from Bruichladdich lets every element claim its place. Slate and oyster shell peat on the nose, with vanilla, confectioners' sugar, and stone fruit edged by austere smoke. The palate is dry and silky, led by mineral peat, peach cobbler filling, and black pepper, with coffee bean at the turn into a satisfying, medium-length finish of savory oak nestled among gentle char and smoke.

Ardberg Heavy Vapours

Ardbeg's stills have a feature called a purifier that yields lighter, more delicate flavors; for this special release, however, the purifiers were skipped, and the resulting whisky has the distinct feeling of exposed beams: unfinished. Rubbery, briny, ashy peat, smoked fish, and beef jerky on the nose, which gives off occasional whiffs of jasmine and honeysuckle. Sharp, angular flavors of ashy and mineral peat, black pepper, and mouthwatering saline lead into a peppery, ashy finish whose embers linger for some time. An interesting comparison to standard Ardbeg, certainly, but not an experiment that needs repeating.

Ardbeg Hypernova

The nose leads with lemongrass and bright lemon-lime aromas, mingled with maritime peat smoke: light and salty, with a touch of iodine. Water pulls out more fruit, especially peach and nectarine, and a lovely almond note. Neat, the full-bodied palate is dry with a pronounced chalky minerality, burnt sugar, maritime peat, and unsweetened chocolate, but once again, adding water opens up fruitier elements. Excellent length on the finish, which remains dry with chalk and smoke, coffee bean, and dark-chocolate oak.

Ardbeg 19-year-old Traigh Bhan (Batch 4)

Bonfire peat is supported by strawberry jam and candied fruit aromas, which trot side-by-side into a surprisingly light-bodied palate with flavors of grape jelly, cooked cherries, semi-sweet chocolate, ash and iodine, and plenty of oak. The peat comes on strong but the rest of the flavors are sturdy enough to match it. Lengthy finish of ashy smoke, oak, black pepper, and bitter chocolate.

Lagavulin 11-Year-Old Offerman Edition Charred Oak Cask

Ashy, briny, mineral-rich peat leads a nose that’s also blithely sweet with vanilla, horchata, almond, and oat milk. A mouthwatering palate juxtaposes smoke and spice, sweet and salt, with char, black pepper, roasted nuts, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and generous oak and rich peat throughout. Medium-long finish that’s true to the palate: peppery, nutty, oaky, and peaty.

Laphroaig Cáirdeas Warehouse 1

Laphroaig’s signature Band-Aid and brine aromas are in full force here, alongside charred vanilla cookies, sweet shortbread, smoked almond, marzipan, and honeysuckle. A punch of iodine, charred seaweed, and heaping ash pile dominate the palate, with sweetness fighting for air. Ashy and peppery finish.

Limited-Edition Single Malts

The Singleton of Glen Ord 15-Year-Old (Diageo Special Releases 2022)

A crowd-pleasing profile that starts with aromas of malty porridge studded with orange peel and brightened by peach bud candies, guava juice, dried apricot, and lime leaf. Orange and lemon zest flavors and sharp grated ginger are tempered by toasted nuts, spiced oak, and a touch of leather. The finish has more nuts, leather, ginger, and citrus.

Oban 10-Year-Old (Diageo Special Releases 2022)

Maturation in both refill and new American oak and a finish in two kinds of sherry casks gives this whisky a layered, nuanced, and balanced oak character beyond its years. A generous nose of sandalwood and incense spice, toasted cedar, dried apricots, peach rings, lemon curd on shortbread, then a palate blooming with spices that build and grow: cinnamon, dried ginger, cardamom, allspice, anise, and cedar oil, plus citrus peel and apricot syrup. The lengthy, full palate continues down the spice road, with chai, sandalwood, tobacco, and fragrant oak.

Talisker 11-Year-Old (Diageo Special Releases 2022)

Sweet scents of vanilla, coconut cream, banana pudding with Kool-Whip, and poached pear, buoyed by salty smoke, lead into a simple and straightforward palate of lemon curd, vanilla, graham-cracker pie crust, and milk chocolate. The sweet, medium-length finish brings back bananas, with continued creamy vanilla.

Lagavulin 12-Year-Old (Diageo Special Releases 2022)

A beach bonfire nose, salty and peated, with roasted oyster shells, smoked vanilla bean, and crushed almonds on toffee. Sweet vanilla, white pepper, lemon curd, and thick, ashy smoke on the palate; the flavors are well-integrated, working together in balance. Ashy char and lingering white pepper, vanilla bean, and a touch of semi-sweet chocolate on the lengthy finish.

Clynelish 12-Year-Old (Diageo Special Releases 2022)

Complex and lovely nose of toasted grains, freeze-dried strawberries, leather, roasted hazelnuts, dried coconut, and flashes of white grape, kiwi, and grapefruit; water adds a silky vanilla cream note that ties everything together. Tropical fruit pops among cooked porridge and toasted grains on the palate, and tingling spices overlay saddlesoaped leather, coffee bean, unsweetened chocolate, and roasted hazelnuts. Lip-tingling spices on the lingering finish, along with leather, roasted nuts, and persistent toasted grain, with brief whispers of fruit.

Cardhu 16-Year-Old (Diageo Special Releases 2022)

A reticent nose of salted watermelon, strawberry, and peach, with cooked malt and floral hints; water makes it more expressive, and also brings out toasted pencil shavings. Peaches, jasmine, lemon peel, and robust maltiness go head-to-head with oak on the palate, which has a thick, soft, shag rug texture. Bitter oak and cacao shavings dominate the lengthy, but heavy-handed, finish.

Macallan The Harmony Collection Inspired by Intense Arabica

An atypical Macallan with deep umami on the nose, like the earthy funk of a forest log full of moss and lichen, or leather shoes stained with salt water. That character carries through as a savory, meaty mouthful, studded with black pepper and bitter chocolate, and spritzed with orange peel. Despite the dense flavors, it’s light and silky in body, and has a soft finish with persistent umami, leathery oak, and dark chocolate.

Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest 2022

Credit to Glenmorangie’s “mad scientist” master distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden for never being afraid to take a risk. The Highland distillery does not usually do peat, but this limited edition incorporates smoke via local botanicals like juniper, birch bark, and heather. It yields a unique and pretty tasty profile, with smoke that’s sweet and balsam-fresh, layered atop cinnamon granola, sweet grain, and oak. It’s a simple whisky, lacking the distillery’s typical complexity, but well-made.

Benriach Malting Season (Second Edition)

Made with the distillery’s floor-malted barley, there’s an obvious focus on grain here, with shortbread, vanilla saltwater taffy, coconut, and honeysuckle on the nose. The chewy grain palate is enlivened by cardamom, yuzu, pineapple, coconut, and generous spices: a puzzle box with each sip a pleasant surprise. Short, sprightly finish.

Mostly Teens, with a Speyside Spotlight

anCnoc 12-Year-Old

Lemon shortbread with crushed pecans, lemon peel, semi-sweet chocolate, and candied almonds on the malt-led nose. The weighty, but satiny palate is grounded in toasty, warm malt, zingy with lemon, and studded with Hershey’s chocolate and roasted pecans; water adds fresh apricot and nectarine. An innocuous finish with leather and baker’s chocolate.

The Balvenie 16-Year-Old French Oak

A finishing period in casks that formerly held the sweet aperitif Pineau des Charentes lends this whisky dessert-like aromas of pecan sticky bun and butterscotch sundae, with strong notes of toasted grain and saddle soap. An oily mouthfeel undergirds dried ginger and zingy spice, leather, and toasted oak, with tobacco and roasted nuts on the full-bodied finish. It drinks stronger than its proof, and takes water nicely.

Craigellachie 13-Year-Old Armagnac Cask

The nose starts off reticent, showing notes of lemon candy, pineapple, and bubble gum. Clove and cinnamon mingle with lemon and orange, saddle soap, roasted pecans, leather, tobacco, and ample oak on the palate, which blossoms with a touch of water. Be patient and stick with this shy dram, because the finish is the best part: persistent notes of lemon and allspice buoy lingering leather, roasted nuts, and tobacco-rich oak, going on and on and on.

Balblair 18-Year-Old

An excellent example of maturity with a focus on spirit character rather than the cask. Toasted oats and biscuity malt, Triscuits, lightly toasted pecans, chamomile, and dried lemon peel on the nose; with water, peach, nectarine, and more citrus. Medium-bodied and rounded in the mouth, with vivid lemon slices, toasted malt, zingy dry spices, lightly roasted nuts, and a sprinkle of salt. Once again, a few drops of water bring out stone fruits, along with a sweet honeysuckle that quickly turns dry. Nutty malt and dry oak on the medium-long finish.

Benriach The Sixteen

The return of a 16-year-old expression to Benriach's portfolio features a new recipe from master blender Rachel Barrie. An earthy-sweet nose of roasted plum and cherry, molasses, dried fig and dark chocolate shavings leads into a dry, medium-bodied palate, studded with umami-rich notes of fig, baking chocolate, roasted nuts, and tobacco. Bitter chocolate laced with molasses and persistent oak on the finish.

Old Pulteney 18-Year-Old

Saltwater and marsh breeze waft through the nose, with roasted apples and stewed pears, toffee edged with burnt sugar, hazelnuts, cooked dark fruit, and a hint of marshmallow. The core of the palate is savory and nutty, with roasted nuts, leathery oak, dark chocolate, and coffee bean, but enlivened by citrus and spices—clove-studded orange. Water makes everything a bit more vivid and showy. The medium-length finish is dry and full-flavored, with unsweetened chocolate, white pepper, dried lemon zest, polished and dry oak, and tobacco shavings.

Speyburn 18-Year-Old

Toasted malt, pecans, walnuts, salted caramel, and stone fruit on the nose, with a malty-rich palate to follow: shortbread laced with cinnamon and nutmeg, zwieback crackers, toasted almonds, chocolate-covered peanuts, salted caramel, leathery tobacco, and plenty of oak. It shows excellent development with a few drops of water. More malt, nuts, and integrated spice on the medium-long finish. A scotchy scotch with nothing in particular to show off, yet offering only loveliness: refreshingly non-ostentatious for all its charms.

Glenlivet 12-Year-Old

Bright, sunny, and sweet aromas of citrus, shortbread, vanilla saltwater taffy, and apricot jam-glazed pear tart, and a pleasing tea note when water is added. Consistent flavors can be found on the palate: poached pear in vanilla cream, lemon icing on toasted shortbread, orange blossom, apricot, and milk chocolate. The finish is lightly sweet and still zesty, short but satisfying. An artfully structured whisky that gives credence to Glenlivet’s status as the world’s bestselling single malt scotch.

Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve

The nose starts with fresh pears and green apples, red grapes, and saline-spritzed malt, soon developing tropical and candied fruit aromas: watermelon, papaya, kiwi, and candied peach, with butterscotch building over time. Melon, pear, fresh and dried lemon peel, leather, and salted, spiced nuts fill out the palate, which takes on roasted apple and pineapple with added water. Leathery oak, roasted nuts, and semi-sweet chocolate on the finish.

Glenlivet 14-Year-Old Cognac Cask Selection

Cognac casks can be tricky beasts for single malt scotch, but Glenlivet shows its mastery with this whisky, which is finished for at least six months in the French oak vessels. A rounded, fruit-forward nose with muscadine grape, fresh apples and pears, and citrus peels ushers in an oily palate of roasted apples, toasted oak, tobacco, leather, and integrated baking spices. Persistent spice, roasted nuts, and leathery oak on the finish.

Glenlivet 21-Year-Old

Glenlivet reformulated the recipe for this core-range whisky in 2022, and did a nice job of it. The nose is a bit reticent but lovely, with dried flowers, shortbread biscuits smudged with strawberry jam, and the distillery’s signature fresh apples and green pears. The orchard fruits are vivid on the palate, zinging with lime zest and bright stone fruit, but well-grounded in oak and spice, with a surprisingly rich texture. It finishes on a soft fade of full oak flavors, shot through with fruit.

Glenlivet 25-Year-Old

Toffee with pecans and sea salt, chocolate-topped shortbread, dried orange peel, and gingerbread spices: about as a classic a single malt scotch nose as you can find, beautifully balanced among sweet, nutty, and spiced aromas. The palate is equally balanced, with orange and lemon zest mingled with leather, roasted salted hazelnuts, dark chocolate, tobacco shavings, rich oak, and plenty of nourishing malt. Candied ginger-studded dark chocolate, leathery nuts and oak, and persistent tobacco on the lengthy finish. Glenlivet reformulated the recipe for this whisky in 2022.

Independently Bottled Barrel-Proof Beasts

The ImpEx Collection 2008 Ardmore 13-Year-Old (Cask #5943)

A thick and sultry nose of antique leather, honey candies, caramel, dried dark fruit, and warm granite paving stones. The body is full but lean, savory with roasted nuts and leather, barely-sweet dried fruit, an undercurrent of spice, and that granite minerality. Water brings out livelier fruit—citrus, dried figs—and bitter chocolate, roasted nuts, and oak. Unsweetened chocolate, leather, bitter oak, and a touch of pipe tobacco on the finish. Takes generous water.

The ImpEx Collection 2011 Auchroisk 10-Year-Old (Cask #806214)

Led by malt, the nose is biscuity and warm, comforting with aromas of porridge studded with golden raisins and drizzled with Lyle's Golden syrup. Water brings out saline and almonds, flavors that show up on the tingling, mouthwatering, malty palate, which has a delicious tobacco flavor too—the mid-point of a cigar. More malt and lingering tobacco on the sweet, medium finish.

The ImpEx Collection 2016 Ardnamurchan 6-Year-Old (Cask #86P)

Whisky makers often say that age does not equal maturity, and this single malt exemplifies that adage. Maturation in a first-fill oloroso cask lends density and complexity on both nose and palate, with a thread of tobacco winding through dessert-like notes to provide balance and continuity. Chocolate-covered cherries and blueberries, blackberry seed candies, treacle, and raisins gather initial focus, with generous spice, coffee bean, and orange oil emerging on the palate. Lengthy and lush finish with more spice, coffee, and oak. The proof allows for generous watering, but even neat, this is dangerously easy to drink.

The ImpEx Collection Auchentoshan Distillery 23-Year-Old

A bit of an odd duck, especially for those more familiar with Auchentoshan's house-bottled range of mild Lowlands malts. This single cask is as spiced and herbal as a gin—yes, there's a distinct juniper note—and fresh like a young rye, with zest and energy. Over time, sweet caramel emerges to counterbalance the dry herbaceousness, which carries into the finish. At this age, it's delicate, so add water sparingly.

The ImpEx Collection Tormore Distillery 11-Year-Old

Dessert fruits on the nose: cooked bananas with caramel sauce, strawberry jam, candied rose petals, and guava, papaya, and jackfruit when water is added, which is recommended as it brings out more tropical fruit on the palate and tames the proof. The finish is short, continuing the tropical fruit theme and adding a layer of oak for some welcome gravitas.

Dram Hunters 2006 Strathmill 15-Year-Old 2022

Expressive and lively, with caramel popcorn mixed with candied nuts, milk chocolate, lemon drizzle, and pops of strawberry jam and candied raspberries. Fizzy lemon, fresh pineapple, and orange sherbet zip around the full-bodied palate before it takes a turn to chocolate-covered peanuts, light roast coffee, tobacco, and leather; spices bloom on the tongue when water is added. Leather, tobacco, and sweet oak lead the medium-long finish, while lemon flavors persist quietly.

A Smattering of Blends

Compass Box Delos

A "reimagining" of Compass Box's Asyla, which was phased out in 2018, this blend highlights well-aged malt on a base of delicate grain whisky. An inviting nose of waxed lemons, malt, dried ginger, lime peel, and fragrant peony and peach blossom. The palate pops initially with zingy citrus, fresh ginger, and white pepper, then a rush of leathery oak, roasted nuts, and cacao nibs surges in, getting darker at the turn into the oak-driven, restrained finish.

Dewar's 12-Year-Old

Dewar’s reformulated the recipe for its 12-year-old blend in 2022, keeping it to a baseline 40% ABV, which creates an unfortunate reticence of aroma and flavor. There are dried florals—rose petal, violet, orange blossom—and sweet raspberry pavlova on the nose, with more red berries on the sweet palate. Milk chocolate, light spices, and orange and lemon peel also work into the light, somewhat faded flavors. There’s loveliness here, but it’s ghost-like.

Mossburn Speyside Blended Malt

A heavy nose: sticky toffee pudding, sulfur, damp earth, and seawater-splashed oak, with the occasional pop of kumquat and kiwi. The sherry character presents more balanced on the palate—spiced dark and dried fruits, dark chocolate, leather, roasted hazelnuts—until water is added, which washes everything out. Still heavy on the finish, which is savory and sulfury, focused on spice and oak.

Mossburn Island Blended Malt

Seaweed peat and beach bonfire smoke coat base aromas of vanilla and candied almonds, a juxtaposition that carries through to the palate. The chalky-earthy, dry character pulls in salt and pepper along with vanilla, char, and oak, and a touch of lemon peel when water is added. Sweet smoke, mouthwatering peat, and more vanilla bean and oak on the finish.

Apogee 12-Year-Old Pure Malt

A pleasant chalk-like minerality dominates the nose, with rose petal potpourri, plum, and blueberry aromas. This unusual character carries through to the palate, which balances chalk with sweet, candied notes of sugar plum, peach tidbits, and lemon oil; water adds a savory note, which is welcome on the finish, where light oak and leather play with continued chalkiness and a touch of dried coconut. A curious and fun whisky, made up of two Speyside single malts that initially matured in Scotland before being transported to England for a finish in ex-Bimber whisky casks.