Gather round, scotch lovers! We've got 34 new reviews to set your mouth watering, encompassing mostly single malts with a few blends and grain whiskies. Here you'll find:

• A dazzling half-dozen whiskies aged for 30 years or more—sometimes much more—including a Talisker that ranks among the very best whiskies we've ever tasted
• Six teenager and 20-something single malts—and a blend—including three from Mortlach, a distillery known as "The Beast of Dufftown"
• Five high-proof drams at or near cask strength from Islay, the Highlands, and beyond

There are also two focused sections on the current crop of Distillers Edition single malts, from six Diageo distilleries, and the Glengoyne core range, ages 10 to 30. 

Finally, we wrap up with a trio that includes a debut from one of Scotland's most promising new distilleries, a maritime malt finished in Pineau des Charentes casks, and a truly unique single grain whisky.

Ready, set, sláinte!

Super-Aged Single Malt & Grain

Talisker 44-Year-Old Forests of the Deep

One of those whiskies you can nose for hours, so satisfying are its gorgeous aromas: dark and tropical fruits, abundant spices, rancio, and soft, gentle smoke that’s just barely briny, drifting sweetly throughout. The palate has a cargo ship’s worth of tropical fruit, and billowing sweet-salty peat; water teases out voluminous spice character of cinnamon, allspice, and clove, plus lots of dark chocolate. It’s dense in flavor but silky in texture, with a medium body that belies the proof. The finish sweeps in, consistent and lengthy, with rancio, very dark chocolate, coffee bean, well-integrated spice, and plenty of that lovely salty-sweet smoke. A paragon of single malt scotch, perfectly made, perfectly aged, perfectly proofed, and an absolute joy for the senses.

Mortlach 30-Year-Old Midnight Malt

Candied rose petals, orange blossom, sliced apricot, sweet toasted malt, and a fresh sea breeze on the soft, dignified nose. Intense complexity on the palate, the sort of depth that takes many pours to explore fully: spiced and sweet flavors layered atop a nutty malt foundation, with leather, polished oak, tobacco, and nose-tingling citrus oils. A lengthy finish of cigar wrapper, cinnamon bark, orange oil, bitter-roasted walnuts, and polished oak. Pure excellence.

The Balvenie 42-Year-Old The Tale of the Dog

Alongside raisiny sherry, all the hallmarks of extreme age appear at first whiff: green apple candy, guava juice, and tropical fruits cloaked in leather and mothballs. And there’s more on the palate, which is leathery and dark with rancio and savory cigar notes, and dripping with grilled pineapple and the juice of tender papaya. A sprinkling of peppery, gingery spice adds a scant touch of liveliness. Leathery and wizened on the finish, which is long but not very full, savory with unsweetened chocolate, coffee bean, and roasted Brazil nuts. A stately, elderly dram that steps up to the line of being over-aged, but remains well within the territory of excellence.

Glenglassaugh 46-Year-Old

Aromas unfurl like a rose opening, beginning with dried apricots and figs, polished antique oak and leather furnishings, sandalwood, saddle soap, and a touch of cedar oil, then followed with the delicate perfume of dried flowers, Jordan almonds, and caramel. The palate's silky-soft texture gives the impression of a dusty velvet box containing the memory of a diamond ring, with fragile and muted flavors: lemon and grapefruit oil, waxed leather, bitter oak, rancio, and a spritz of oily rose perfume. It finishes soft and fairly short, a venerable grande dame lost in her memories.

Cameronbridge 26-Year-Old (Diageo Special Releases 2022)

Though the nose has light aromas of toasted coconut, vanilla cupcake, pastry cream, and croissant, they're freighted by the generous ABV, and the rancio that emerges with water. Weighty in the mouth, with straightforward flavors of coconut cake with white frosting, vanilla sugar cookie, toasted nuts, and sweet-sturdy oak; water brings out white pepper and fresh ginger, as well as rancio once again. The medium finish continues the palate notes, especially oak.

Dram Hunters 1991 Cambus 30-Year-Old (Cask 79903)

After maturing in a second-fill bourbon cask for most of its life, a finish of several years in a sherry octave has given this single grain scotch rich aromas of leathery dates and figs, raisins, brown sugar, molasses, dark chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, and caramel. Water brings out dark fruit and a lot of rancio, which shows up in in full force on the chewy palate, alongside dried Turkish figs, toasted hazelnuts, very dark chocolate, warming spices, leather, and polished oak. White pepper and dried ginger meet unsweetened chocolate, rancio oak, and leathery nuts on the lengthy finish.

20-Somethings, Teens & A 12-Year-Old

Glen Grant 21-Year-Old

Initially simple-seeming, this whisky has ample texture and dimension, which grow and transform in the glass. It starts with a bright, perky nose of apricot, peach, honeysuckle, and jessamine, bolstered by sweet malt and lightly drizzled in caramel. The palate's sweet profile balances traditional teacakes with pineapple, lemon curd, and apricot nectar; water teases out sharp spices and prominent oils. Lemon curd-topped shortbread, toasted nuts, and delicate spices repose on a pleasantly lingering oak finish.

GlenDronach Grandeur (Batch 11)

Aged 28 years in the PX and oloroso sherry casks for which the distillery is known, this venerable whisky sighs with antique leather, old oak, earth floor, and brown sugar aromas, but retains the delicate fragrance of jasmine and white grape juice. A generous body supports black cherry, dark chocolate, dried ginger, allspice, dried florals, and lemon and orange oils, with spiced dark chocolate, coffee bean, and leather on the lingering finish.

Mortlach 16-Year-Old Distiller's Dram

Seamlessly woven aromas on the elegant nose: milk chocolate-covered almonds, vanilla bean, subtle dark fruits, lemon peel, polished oak, and a touch of brown sugar. Like the nose, the palate has excellent balance and integration, with berries, milk chocolate, vanilla, sweet toasted almonds, citrus peel, warm oak, and subtle spices. Medium length on the finish, with lemon-scented oak, spiced milk chocolate, and almonds.

Mortlach 20-Year-Old Cowie's Blue Seal

A light but pleasant nose of waxed apples and pears, vanilla, almonds, light brown sugar, and a faint whiff of coconut-scented gorse. The soft palate is slightly waxy, spiced and led by oak, with apple, pear, and lemon sweeping in gently from behind. Medium-short, with light lemon, pear, and vanilla, on the finish. A compact, quiet, and well-structured whisky that would benefit from a higher ABV to amplify the flavors.

Grand Old Parr 18-Year-Old

The nose is light and sweet with malt, nutty toffee, lemon soap, and cocoa powder, but the palate is quite bitter: leathery oak, roasted nuts, bitter spice, and dried orange peel at the turn. Leather, unsweetened chocolate, and oak on the medium-short finish. It's an adequate blend, but disappointingly bitter.

Cask-Strength (Or Close)

Compass Box Flaming Heart (Seventh Edition)

Compass Box brings back its Flaming Heart blend for the seventh time, mingling aromatic, medicinal peat with a cornucopia of fruit—apples, strawberries, plums, blueberries—candied almonds, confectioners sugar, and creamy vanilla on the nose. Layered and full on the palate, giving up additional flavors on each subsequent sip: roasted apples, berries, dark chocolate, rich spices, integrated medicinal peat. Water makes everything a bit richer, heightening the experience of the flavors. A lengthy finish, with textured peat sweetened by vanilla and dark oak.

Bunnahabhain Canasta Cask Matured (Fèis Ìle 2023)

A full maturation in Canasta cream sherry casks makes this limited-edition whisky rich, round, and chewy. The nose is meaty and sherried, with dried figs, umami-rich hazelnuts, dark chocolate, and leather. Spiced throughout the palate, and enriched by dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, dried but not sweetened orange peel, leather, and umami notes of cooked mushroom and meat. Dark chocolate-covered nuts, leather, and spiced oak on the lengthy finish. This takes water well but doesn't need it.

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2023 White Port & Madeira Casks

Full maturation in second-fill madeira (75% of the blend) and first-fill white port (25%) casks yields barrel influence that stands up well to the whisky's signature hefty peat character. After a nose of medicinal peat, charred oyster shell, vanilla cream, and light toffee, the palate pops with gingersnap spices, lively and lovely in its dry cinnamon, ginger, and clove notes that mingle with char and ash. The medium-long finish retains full peat character while roping in vanilla sweetness and warm clove and cinnamon candy.

Ardbeg BizarreBQ

Matured in double-charred oak, PX, and custom "BBQ" casks, this is in fact a mouthwatering, appetizing whisky, starting with the nose of pungent, rubbery peat, black pepper, sea salt, vanilla, sweet oak, and meaty burnt ends. The palate opens with dry minerality, thick with roiling peat smoke, then gives way to a peppery, oak-led mouthful of savory meatiness; water is recommended to increase the spice factor, adding cinnamon and hot chiles. The finish is lengthy, with black pepper, char, and thick peat smoke.

GlenDronach Cask Strength (Batch 12)

A surprisingly subtle nose for the proof, with woody, earthy notes of loam, charred oak, spiced black tea, roasted cacao nibs, and honey. Chewy and dense texture on the palate gives plenty of room for big, if simple flavors: cacao nibs, charred oak, manuka honey, semi-sweet chocolate, roasted nuts, oily orange peel, and hot spices. Dark chocolate, oak, and nuts on the medium-length finish.

Focus on 2023 Diageo Distillers Editions

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 2023

The sole standout of the 2023 Distiller's Edition releases. It has a lovely, appealing nose of freeze-dried strawberries, dried apricots, watermelon Jolly Ranchers, candied orange peel, peony, rose petal, lilac, vanilla cream, gentle leather and oak, and glowing embers. Ashy peat integrates seamlessly with gently spiced fruit, oak, and dark chocolate on the palate; water emphasizes rose oil, raspberry, and coffee bean, along with black pepper and antique oak. A medium finish, peppery and oak-led, with long-lasting peat ash. A few drops of water do outsized work here.

Talisker Distillers Edition 2023

A lush, round peat nose, earthy and smoky, with a touch of saltwater, deep vanilla, and sweet oak; water brings out fresh apple. Light-bodied, the palate centers on ash and char, burnt nuts, vanilla, and bittersweet oak, brightened by lemon peel; water helps the flavors integrate more seamlessly. The finish is medium-short, with ash, peppery oak, and roasted nuts.

Oban Distillers Edition 2023

Though it starts with a reticent nose of fresh lemon and orange peel, vanilla, jasmine, roses, milk chocolate, and salted caramel, there's a surprising density of flavor packed into the sweet, spiced palate: lemon, milk chocolate, nuts, rose potpourri, and bold baking spices. Gentle, leathery oak and nuts, with persistent spice and an edge of dried flowers, on the short finish.

Cragganmore Distillers Edition 2023

A light, wispy nose with notes of Fuji apple, waxed lemon, and fresh green grapes. Apples, lemon peel, cashews, vanilla, sweet oak, and a sprinkling of cinnamon on the palate, with water making lemon, vanilla, and oak more prominent. The finish is short, with vanilla and cinnamon-tinged oak. There's real loveliness to the aromas and flavors but they suffer from the low proof.

Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition 2023

Bright, sweet lemon curd, banana pudding, saltwater, and pops of kumquat and mandarin orange on the delicate nose. The palate starts with bright malt splashed with lemon curd and curls of lemon zest, vanilla, and a touch of sea salt before giving way to oak and nuts. Fairly short and a bit hot on the finish, with oak that turns bitter at the end. Water not recommended.

Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 2023

An innocuous nose of light and sweet lemon, vanilla, coconut cream, and toasted malt leads into a tepid, chalky-dry palate with a surprising ashiness that grounds the lightness of lemon and vanilla. Short and light on the finish, with continued ash and sweet toasted oak.

Focus on Glengoyne

Glengoyne 30-Year-Old

Deep rancio atop red fruit—raspberry coulis, strawberry jam, and plums—on the nose, with woodsy spice of cedar chest and old oak, antique books, and dark chocolate. The soft-textured palate is velvety-thick with mouth-coating tannins and deeply flavored with plummy, berry jam notes, dark chocolate, and mature oak, all laced with rose and lilac oil: the florals of old age. Dark chocolate, polished oak, leather furniture, and rancio on the medium-long finish. A stately and somewhat frail whisky: handle with care and don't add water.

Glengoyne 25-Year-Old

Though heavily sherried, the cask treads lightly and yields a whisky packed with aroma and flavor that doesn't feel weighed down. Antique sherry nose of leather, old oak, a touch of sulfur, dark raisins, dried figs, prunes, roasted hazelnuts, and cacao nibs, with rich vanilla and raspberry emerging with a few drops of water. The chewy-soft palate is rich with dried fruit, dark chocolate, and nuts, while also being enlivened and lifted by bright grapefruit zest. Polished oak, dark chocolate, and rancio linger on a finish that's otherwise fast-fading.

Glengoyne Legacy Series: Chapter Three

A delicate nose of vanilla bean shortbread, angel food cake, sweet butter-toasted pecans, and white flowers leads into a well-structured palate with flavors of lemon and vanilla sponge cake, topped with roasted nuts, citrus soap, sweet tobacco shavings, and well-integrated oak. The finish is medium long and warm with oak, chocolate-covered cashews, and flamed lemon peel. Round in both flavor and texture, this whisky has a clean simplicity that belies its satisfying nature: not a hair out of place.

Glengoyne 15-Year-Old

Malt-driven character throughout, starting with Teddy Grahams, lemon-and-honey-drizzled shortbread, light toasted oak, and ginger on the nose. Ginger-lemon tea with honey, sweet toasted nuts, and sweet oak on the surprisingly textured palate, giving way to oily lemon, nutty malt, and toasted oak on the medium-short finish.

Glengoyne 10-Year-Old

The nose is malty with lemon zest and vanilla: lemon-honey tea, with a shortbread cookie on the side. More of the same on the palate, which has a pleasantly surprising amount of body for the proof. Lemon fizz to open, and warming spice throughout, with biscuity, warm toasted malt, vanilla, and oak at the turn; water adds a gentle apricot note. It finishes short, with oak and savory malt.

Glengoyne 21-Year-Old

A light nose, chalky and mineral at first, with prunes, dried peach, a touch of dark berries, and light, integrated baking spice. The palate is quite abrupt, flavors all stacked on top of each other: clove and cinnamon-spiced plums, gingerbread studded with roasted walnuts, unsweetened chocolate, and tobacco and somewhat bitter oak at the turn. It finishes short with hot spices, oak, and bitter roasted nuts. A good mix of flavors but structurally awkward.

Glengoyne 12-Year-Old

Biscuity malt, buttered roll, toasted nuts, leather, apricot, lemon, and planed oak on the nose, and a similar character follows on the palate: toasted malt and nuts, brightened by bitter lemon oil, chopped dried apricot, sprinklings of dried ginger, semi-sweet chocolate, and oak. It finishes short, with oak and lemon. A mild whisky.

Miscellaneous Trio

Lochlea Our Barley

Newcomer distillery Lochlea kept quiet for several years but garnered attention with its 2022 debut and its poaching of Laphroaig's distillery manager, John Campbell, to serve as production director. The first releases have been strong, including this one, made with barley grown on site. It opens with a lovely nose of blossoming hibiscus, peony, sliced kiwi, and aromatic melon atop a base of nutty malt and expressive, but gentle, oak. Dry and quite oaky on the palate, with wood and baking spices dominating antique rose oil and fruit flavors; water brings out some brightness of citrus and flowers, but it fades quickly back into the dominance of the wood. The finish is, as expected, long on oak.

Old Pulteney Coastal Series Pineau des Charentes Wine Cask Matured

An extremely reticent nose doesn't hint at what's to come, offering just a whiff of orange blossom and some salinity. But the palate has more to give: generous flavors of orange peel, honey, sweet malt and toasted nuts, milk chocolate, and tobacco shavings that lead into a medium finish of chocolate-covered almonds and sweet-fragrant oak.

Spearhead Single Grain Scotch Whisky Single Grain

A unique offering among scotch, made from 100% malted barley but in a Coffey still, making it not a single malt but a grain whisky. The nose is light and lemony, simple with aromas of sun-warmed hayloft, toasted nuts, and wispy vanilla. Dry and simple on the palate, with lemon peel, saddle soap, a touch of leather, and crispy toasted oats. There's not much to the finish, beyond some dry oak.