The 2012 release of Four Roses's excellent Limited Edition single barrel bourbon. This is aged for 12 years and uses their OESK recipe, made at the Lawrenceburg 'O' distillery, using a corn heavy 'E' mashbill and their 'K' yeast to produce a spicy and full bodied 'S'traight whiskey.
Full-bodied, fruity and complex, with some sherry character, hints of toffee and some polished malt. Deservedly popular. World Whiskies Awards 2012 - Best Japanese Single Malt 12 years and under
This is a bottling that many fans of this underrated distillery still have a soft spot for - the unpretentious old-style Scapa 12yo: an easygoing dram, delightfully honeyed and malty. Replaced by the short-lived, unloved 14yo shortly before owners Allied sold up to Pernod Ricard.
A special bottling for the Friends of the Classic Malts, this is a 12 year-old bottled at the classic Talisker strength of 45.8% and is a definite step up in depth and class from the always-terrific 10 year-old. Spicy, peppery and complex - delicious.
A bottle of Cameron Bridges single grain whisky, released as Cameron Brig. This is the now discontinued 12 year old version, with a touch more richness than the NAS edition.
A bottle of Glenfiddich's sadly discontinued Caoran Reserve. Subtitled 'Peat Ember', this used lightly peated barley for a smoky twist on the traditional Glenfiddich character. This is the silver labelled version.
An old release of Dalmore 12 year old whisky. This appears to have been bottled sometime in the 1980s, before they switched to their current 'dumpy' bottles.