Hailing from the Isle of Sky, Talisker 10 presents a shockingly good ocean-influenced Scotch whisky. While a little younger in age than other bottlings at this price point, Talisker 10 is a fascinating pour where the flavors shine and take you on a journey to a far away island.

While riding the whisky industry’s success, sherried whiskies have become all the rage. And what if I told you that there were incredible, readily available sherry cask whiskies out there not named Macallan? Today we take a look at one such whisky - a triumph in distillation, and one of my favorite bottles of 2020.

While Braes of Glenlivet may not be a household name, but with this Alexander Murray bottling enjoying an MSRP of $175, should this little known distillery be on your unicorn list?

Rounding out the three 12 year Loch Lomond whiskies I have, this Inchmoan is their peated expression, leading with more smoke, seaweed, and herbal notes than the others. Normally I am not a big fan of peated whiskies, but can this gentle nudge me in that direction? Let’s find out.

Continuing my exploration of Scotland’s most diversified distillery, Loch Lomond’s Inchmurrin expression is a different take on their 12 year expression. It features a brighter, more fruit forward palate, that contrasts nicely with some of their other offerings.

Another day, another limited edition. But this one is a bit different because it’s actually affordable! The Glenlivet released their 12 Year First Fill expression to highlight the effect of bourbon casks on their whisky. The result - the biggest whisky surprise of my 2021.

With Glenmorangie ranked as one of the world’s most popular Single Malts, let’s explore their sherried core expression and see if it’s worth the hype.

Is grain whisky the best deal in Scotch? In a word - yes. While not nearly as popular as Single Malt, Single Grain if often overlooked and passed over. How else would it be possible to grab this 27 year Cask Strength Scotch for under $80? Let’s dive in and see if its worth the plunge.

Light and refreshing whiskies aren’t normally my cup of tea. But this Glen Grant does make a strong case for easy, summer sipping.

Aberlour A’bunadh is one of the few regularly available cask strength sherry matured Scotches on the market today. It is released in batches a few times a year (we are now up to batch 68) and while it doesn’t garner the fanfare of some other limited releases, this has the specs to be an incredible whisky. So let’s dive in and see if it can compete with its big neighbor (The Macallan) up the road.  

Diving into Oban’s flagship core product, their 14-year expression, is like taking a trip to the Scottish Isles. It’s a distinctly costal experience, brought to the whisky by Oban’s proximity to the sea. The sea winds of Scotland’s west coast have a profound effect on the distillate as it ages, producing a meaty and briny style of whisky.

Chosen by the incredible team at K&L, this independent bottling is of a little known Speyside distillery. Benrinnes is famous for contributing their whisky to Jonnie Walker and J&B blends and very little of its whisky is ever bottled as a single malt - making this a treat to explore.

Is this the best value in Scotch whisky today? Let’s explore this single malt aged for 25 years in 100% ex-Oloroso Sherry casks and see what all the fuss is about.

One of my best finds of last year, this Alexander Murray Glen Moray Cask Strength features a fiery palate and complex nose. Unabashedly powerful, this one is not for the faint of heart.

It’s rare you get the chance to sample a whiskey that’s been sitting on the shelf for more than 20 years! Let’s dive in and see if the old stuff really is better than what they are churning out today.

With many liquor stores trying to move these Game of Thrones whiskies off their shelves you may see some steep discounts. But if you see this Mortlach 15, should you grab it? Depends on the price…

An interesting alternative to the big name 12 year olds from Scotland that impresses with its balanced flavor profile and light smoke.