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Yasmine Najjar on Ardmore 2009 / 11 Year Old / Dumangin Batch 012 Highland Whisky

7/10

Nice after-dinner sipper

Had this neat after a big Sunday roast and it was perfect for the occasion. Warm spice, a wisp of peat smoke, and a dry finish that doesn't overstay its welcome. The 48% ABV sits right in my sweet spot for sipping whisky.

Samir Patel on Miltonduff 2011 / 12 Year Old / Daily Dram Speyside Whisky

8/10

Perfect weeknight pour

Picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did. The nose is all honey and green apple, palate adds some spice and a hint of ginger. At 12 years old it's nicely mature without being over-oaked. I keep reaching for this one over flashier bottles on my shelf.

Ayako Hirano on Tomintoul 2008 / 15 Year Old / Madeira Finish Speyside Whisky

9/10

Madeira cask magic

The Madeira finish on this is gorgeous — dark cherry, raisin, and a hint of orange peel that lingers. At 46% it's got enough punch to hold up neat without being aggressive. Fifteen years has done this one a lot of favours. Probably the best Tomintoul I've tried.

Nils Bergman on Bowmore De Luxe / Bot.1970s Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

7/10

Good but not life-changing

A mate brought this to our tasting group and everyone went quiet when they saw the bottle. It's undeniably well-made — the smoke and fruit balance is spot on and the finish lingers nicely. But I expected something transcendent at this price point and it's more just really solid. I'd put it alongside some £200 bottles I've enjoyed just as much.

Zoe Chen on Barrell Vantage Bourbon American Bourbon Whiskey

8/10

Punches above its price

For a blend of straight bourbons at cask strength, this is seriously well put together. Big caramel and dried cherry on the nose, with a spicy cinnamon finish that lingers. I sip it neat and it drinks easier than 56.7% has any right to.

Astrid Nilsen on Dufftown 2008 / 15 Year Old / Pineau Finish / Berry Bros & Rudd Speyside Whisky

8/10

Perfect after-dinner pour

Had this neat after a big meal and it was spot on. Rich and dessert-like with dried fruit, a hint of marzipan, and gentle oak. The 52.9% ABV carries the flavour without burning. Dufftown doesn't get enough love as a distillery and this Berry Bros bottling shows what it can do with the right cask.

Petra Novak on Glencadam 2007 / 15 Year Old / Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Highland Whisky

7/10

Good but not £100 good

Perfectly nice whisky with rich sherry sweetness and some nutty, raisiny depth. I enjoyed it neat over an evening but at nearly a hundred quid I kept thinking about what else I could buy at that price. For a 15 year old sherry finish it's solid, just not a standout in a crowded field.

Nils Bergman on Springbank 1994 / 30 Year Old / Whiskyland Chapter 15 Campbeltown Whisky

7/10

Excellent but slightly over-oaked for me

I wanted to love this more than I did. The nose is fantastic — honeycomb, old books, a hint of iodine — but on the palate I get a bit too much oak tannin that dries out the finish. Thirty years is a long time in wood and I think this one was right on the edge. Still a very good whisky, just not the revelation I was hoping for at this price point.

Camila Ortiz on Distillery 291 3 Year Old / Batch 2 / That Boutique-y Whisky Company Single Whisky

9/10

Batch 2 is a beast

I tried Batch 1 at a tasting last year and this is a step up. The 66.6% hits you but there's real substance underneath — toffee, toasted grain, a bit of smoke that lingers. Had it neat and honestly didn't want to add water. One of the better young American single malts I've had.

Aria Kim on Freud Whisky 2012 / 10 Year Old / Distillers Decade German Whisky

7/10

Decent but won't blow your mind

Had this neat after dinner and it's a perfectly pleasant whisky. Light fruit, some cereal notes, gentle warmth. My issue is it doesn't really have a standout moment — everything is nice but nothing grabs you. For what you're paying I'd want a bit more character from a decade in the cask.

Diana Cruz on Blue Spot 7 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

6/10

Expected more complexity

Maybe my expectations were too high given all the hype. It's a perfectly fine dram with some nice orchard fruit notes and a spicy kick, but at 7 years old it still feels a touch young to me. The finish fades quicker than I'd like. I'd reach for a Redbreast 12 CS before this most nights.

Tyler Bennet on Ardbeg 1972 / Ping No.1 / Cask #2780 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

9/10

The best Ardbeg I've ever tasted

Managed to get a pour at a whisky festival and it genuinely stopped me in my tracks. At 51.4% it's got serious presence — waves of dark fruit, campfire smoke, espresso, and something almost perfumed on the nose. Thirty-one years in cask #2780 produced something extraordinary. I'll be chasing this memory for years.

Maxwell Green on Teeling 1991 / 30 Year Old Irish Single Malt Whiskey

9/10

Teeling knocked it out of the park

I've been quietly collecting older Irish whiskeys for years and this 1991 vintage is one of the best I've had. The complexity here is ridiculous — orange marmalade, clove, soft pipe tobacco, and this gorgeous waxy quality. I drink everything neat and this one rewards patience; give it twenty minutes in the glass and it just opens right up.

Omar Diallo on Glenlivet 18 Year Old Batch Reserve Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

8/10

Converted my wine-drinking wife

Poured this for my wife who normally sticks to red wine and she actually loved it. The sherry-influenced sweetness and soft vanilla notes make it incredibly approachable. We ended up finishing half the bottle that evening, which says it all really.

Lena Petrova on Old Perth 2009 / 15 Year Old / Vintage Collection Blended Whisky

9/10

Best Old Perth I've tried

I've had a few from the Vintage Collection and this 2009 is my favourite so far. The nose is incredible — raisins, toffee, a touch of leather. Palate delivers exactly what the nose promises. I'm already thinking about grabbing a backup bottle before they're gone.

Yasmine Najjar on Santa Fe Spirits 5 Year Old / Batch 1 / That Boutique-y Whisky Company

8/10

TBWC delivers again

Boutique-y always finds the weird and wonderful stuff and this Santa Fe single malt is no exception. American single malt at cask strength is such a fun category right now. I get dried fruit, a bit of leather, and a long peppery finish that just keeps going. Had it neat over the course of an evening and every pour revealed something new.

Daisy Miller on Method and Madness Mezcal Cask / Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange Single Whisky

6/10

A bit too wild for my taste

I appreciate what they're going for but the mezcal influence dominates too much for me. I kept wanting more of the Irish whiskey character to come through and it just didn't. The finish is long and peppery which I did enjoy. Might work better with ice but I prefer my Irish neat.

Penelope Hart on Glen Spey 2011 / 13 Year Old / Apple Brandy Finish / Mossburn Speyside Whisky

8/10

Apple brandy finish really works

The apple brandy cask gives this a lovely orchard fruit sweetness that sits nicely alongside the classic Speyside honey and malt. At 56% it's got serious punch but a few drops of water opens it right up. Genuinely surprised by how well balanced this is for an indie bottling I'd never heard of.

Carlos Mendez on Starward Unexpeated 2017 / Bot.2021 Single Malt Australian Whisky

7/10

Fun experiment, decent whisky

The smoke element is more suggestion than statement, which I actually appreciate — it lets the malt character come through. Had it on a single ice cube and it opened up nicely with some honey and baking spice notes. Good but I'd want to try it side by side with their standard offerings before buying another bottle.

Clara Johansson on Kornog 2016 / 6 Year Old / Peated Refill Pedro Ximenez / The Whisky Exchange French Whisky

9/10

This blew my mind

I've been chasing interesting peated whiskies outside of Islay and this Kornog absolutely delivers. The PX refill cask adds layers of stewed plums and treacle that wrap around the smoke beautifully. Had it neat over an hour and it kept changing in the glass. At 60.5% ABV it demands respect but reward you for patience.

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