The Best Hot Toddy Cocktail Variations

What is a hot toddy?

There’s nothing quite like a hot toddy to soothe the winter chill in our bones is there? The history of the hot toddy is by no means set in stone. In India, toddy has long been a fermented palm tree sap concoction, and by the end of the 1700s, it came to mean, ‘a beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices’ in the United Kingdom.

One man credited with its popularity is Robert Bentley Todd, an Irish physician who prescribed hot brandy, cinnamon, syrup, and water in the 1830s to his patients with flu. Now that sounds better than tablets to us!

These days, the winter warmer is loved by many to jump-start mornings, soothe colds, and sore throats, as a nightcap, or just to heat up during the chilly nights. So versatile! And the good thing about that is, there are tonnes of room to adapt the recipes...

So, without further ado, here are our best hot toddy variations, whatever you’re in the mood for, and even if you don’t like whisky!

For the traditionalists: The Original Hot Toddy

Some recipes are as simple as whisky + sugar + water, and others read more like full shopping lists, so we’ve kept it fairly simple with cloves and cinnamon for mellow and warming spice, honey for sweetness, lemon juice to cut through and of course, a gorgeous splash of whisky at the heart of everything. Balanced and beautiful, it’s soothing comfort in a mug.

Ingredients
1 clove
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
100ml-150ml hot water
35ml Whisky (Johnnie Walker Black Label is great)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Lemon wheel (garnish)

Method
Grab your favourite mug or handled glass and add the water. Mix in the whisky, lemon juice and honey until it’s completely disappeared. Chuck in the clove and the cinnamon if you like it. Most important of all, have a taste and adapt it how you like! You can add some sugar, or some more lemon, or even a splash of whisky if it’s not got enough oomph.

For the bourbon drinkers: Ginger Toddy

Bourbon works just as well as Scotch in a Hot Toddy, so it’s just down to your preference, but we love it with the ginger here. Those warming spicy notes, with vanilla and caramel bourbon hints create a delicious bakery feel to the cocktail. This is guaranteed to leave a lovely zing in your mouth and warm you down to your toes!

Ingredients
35ml bourbon
15ml ginger syrup
100ml hot water
Lemon wheel (garnish)

Method
Combine the bourbon, ginger syrup and hot water in your favourite mug and stir thoroughly, adding a splash of lemon juice if you want extra zing! Then enjoy!

For the cider drinkers: The Hot Apple Toddy

Now be aware that this has a serious kick to it because the water is being swapped out for apple cider. You can still add cinnamon and a clove if you wish, but if you’ve used a good cider then there should be bold enough flavours without. Along similar lines, if you’d prefer an even fruiter version, use apple brandy instead of whisky! Oh so satisfying and that subtle tang is lovely.

Ingredients
1 tsp honey
100ml apple cider
35ml whisky or apple brandy
1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Method
Heat up your cider in a saucepan and pour this into your mug or glass coated with honey at the bottom. Add your whisky and optional spices and stir well.

For the gin lovers: Hot Gin Toddy

There are even options for you gin lovers out there. The Hot Gin Toddy relies on the beautiful botanicals in the gin, with the heat opening them up and giving them a new lease of life. It’s just as warming, but with a pleasantly aromatic profile that’s surprisingly light and refreshing too.

Top Tip: Dry gin will work better because the botanicals tend to react to hot water more reliably.

Ingredients
1 tsp sugar
35ml gin (dry)
100ml hot water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick (garnish)
1 lemon wheel (garnish)

Method
Super simple, just mix everything really well with the hot water and give it a final stir with the cinnamon stick. Make sure the water isn’t boiling hot because this may be too harsh on the gin.

For the rum drinkers: Hot Rum Toddy

Rum fits so nicely into the Hot Toddy recipe, with those warming spices and underlying sweetness accentuated beautifully. Whilst Scotch has always been the Hot Toddy go-to in the UK, rum used to be far more readily available in America, so this or brandy was usually used. Any rum works, but we would suggest dark rum for that deep caramel flavour, and the spicier notes.

Ingredients
1 tbsp honey
35ml rum (preferably dark)
100ml hot water
1 cinnamon stick
Lemon wedge (garnish)

Method
Stir together everything so that the honey is completely dissolved and drop in the cinnamon stick giving it plenty of time to diffuse. Garnish with a lemon wedge to finish, and squeeze in a little juice if you prefer! Truly a fireside sipper that gives the original a run for its money.

For the vodka drinkers: Toffee Apple Hot Toddy

This may ring some bells because we recommended it as the perfect Bonfire Night cocktail when Lewis Stairs, founder of Sunday Cocktail Club joined us in Ep.96 of the Bring a Bottle Podcast. It’s gorgeously smooth, with that slightly sweeter bourbon intertwining with crisp toffee vodka. The apple juice completes the hot toffee apple vibe, and it’s a fantastic option if you’ve got a sweeter tooth.

Ingredients
25ml toffee vodka
50ml bourbon
40ml apple juice
Splash of lemon (optional)
Cinnamon stick (garnish)

Method
All you’ve got to do is heat everything up in a saucepan until it’s hot throughout, but not bubbling. Keep some cool apple juice behind to cool it down if needs be. We love the very subtle sour edge that the lemon provides, but feel free to leave it out – it’s your creation! Feel free to check out Lewis making it here.

For the non-alcoholic drinkers: Apple Berry Toddy

There are lots of alcohol-free hot toddy variations using different types of tea, but we wanted something that still has the boozy profile to it... just without the booze itself. Step up Crossip Rich Berry, perfect for mulled wines but also hot toddies. It’s packed with rich blackberries and cherries, and a lovely layer of spice. Obviously, there isn’t quite the power that comes from a spirit, so swap out the water for some lovely hot apple juice and it’s a warming winner with heaps of flavour.

Ingredients
25ml Crossip Rich Berry
125ml Apple Juice
Lemon (garnish)

 Method
Like every hot toddy, it’s easy to pull together. Just heat everything together and decant! A little squeeze and garnish of lemon is a nice finishing touch. The only difficult bit is trying not to finish it all in one sitting!

If you are looking for more delicious drink ideas this January, why not check out our recommendations for the best no and low alcohol drinks?

Words by Calum Ecroyd

10 Stunning Scotch Whiskies For Hogmanay

There’s nothing like a dazzling dram to usher in the New Year. Whether you’re clinking glasses with friends and loved ones or looking for a tasty Scotch to arrive with as a ‘first footer’, we’ve got you covered.

Not familiar with first footers? It’s the Scottish tradition of being the first person to enter the house after midnight, who usually brings gifts including coal and whisky in exchange for a meal, before cracking open the good stuff afterwards.

Well, if you bring any of these, you’ll definitely be welcomed into any house in your neighbourhood (okay, maybe not any), because whether it’s peaty, fruity, or sweet, you’ll find the standout Scotch for your Hogmanay in this Top 10.

Black Bottle Double Cask Alchemy Series

Inside this gorgeous retro bottle is an equally gorgeous wine-finished whisky with two intertwined blends. First, a grain whisky matured in red wine casks, and second a malt matured in Spanish sherry. Bright red berries run from nose to finish and are offset by mellow vanilla and nutty notes for a really well put together Scotch on the sweeter side. One of the best options for the price.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.3%
Find here: £25.75

Glen Grant 10 Year Old

We loved sipping this on our Bring a Bottle podcast because it appeals to whisky beginners and seasoned dram drinkers all the same. Behind that gorgeous amber colouring is a Speyside single malt that’s spent a decade in bourbon casks infusing with a light and malty profile. Green orchard comes through, as does distinct toffee and vanilla with a gentle peat finish. It's completely deserving of its awards, and you’ll have no regrets whatsoever about making it your first drink of the new year!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%    
Find here: £30.99

Glen Moray 12 Year Old Elgin Heritage

Glen Moray has a great portfolio of whiskies, but this is probably their best – the flagship 12-year-old. There’s none of the slightly unusual casks you often see with Glen Moray here, simply American oak done super well. It’s a classic Speyside single malt with good malty depth and variety of notes, from apple and shortbread on the nose to a light vanilla and honey palate. Nothing dominates, the balance is spot on and it’s more than up to the job of being your Hogmanay dram!

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £35.90 // US $43.99

CreAg Dhu

Another beautiful bottle with that river of whisky nectar running through inviting you in, and the landscape hints at Craeg Dhu’s mission too. Smoky Scotch requires peat burning, which releases carbon and can cut into the biodiverse peatlands in an unsustainable way. Therefore, funds from each bottle of this non-peated Scotch sold go towards saving the peatlands, which are the largest UK carbon store. The Speyside dram itself is matured for 8 years in Sherry casks and there’s sumptuous, dried fruits with honey alongside nutty malt notes and warming ever so slightly charred spice. If you like sweet and fruity Scotch then this is great for you, and you’re supporting a good cause at the same time. Win win.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40.2%
Find here: £33.99

Bladnoch Vinaya

Since changing ownership, renovating, and bringing in a new Master Distiller, Bladnoch’s new expressions have levelled up. Vinaya is wonderful single malt matured in first-fill bourbon and first-fill sherry casks for a complexity beyond the price, capturing summery lowland florals, gentle spice with pepper and cinnamon and a comforting fruity sweetness through the heart of it. Easy drinking and a distillery to keep an eye on going forward!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.7%
Find here: £48.99

Blair Athol 12 Year Old - Flora and Fauna

This is a Highland gem from the Flora and Fauna series of single malts. Dating back to 1798, Blair Athol Distillery sits on the peaty foothills of the Grampian Mountains in a stunning landscape, and the Scotch is just as magical. Pure sherry cask maturation gives rich dried fruit spices and a toffee aroma that builds as it’s exposed to the air. As the ice in your glass melts, fresh gooseberries and apricots come to the front before a curiously sweet and slightly unusual aftertaste. One of the most characterful sherried whiskies around and well worthy of celebrating the New Year with.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £48.94

Big Peat 12 Year Old

This Islay Blended Malt arrives in a very distinct and eye-catching bottle, and it’s the first permanent release from Douglas Laing’s peat series, blending various single malts from the island’s distilleries. At 12 years old, the peaty intensity is bold but not overpowering and there’s a fine balance, with forward coastal sea-breeze vibes too. Citrus complexity adds depth to the flavour, and the campfire char arrives early on. Simply put, this is a must try for those of you who love peaty whisky and one you’ll probably revisit a few times in the year ahead after trying.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: UK £49.95 // US $45.99

Deanston 12 Year Old Oloroso Cask Matured

This Oloroso Sherry Cask Matured Scotch is very special, and if you can’t pour it on celebrating a new year then when else can you? It was limited to 13,227 bottles when it was distilled in 2008, and at almost 53%, it has serious oomph. With dried fruit, honey and warming gingery spice, it’s a fantastic way of continuing the Christmassy flavours. From the minute it hits your nose, it’s bold and the smooth mouthfeel is so moreish. Nom!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 52.7%
Find here: £76.99

The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky

Double Gold winner for Blended Scotch at the 2020 World Spirits Competition, The Sassenach is the first Scotch launched by actor Sam Heughan (Outlander) and it’s a triumphant debut. It’s bursting with warmth and vibrancy, with cinnamon and zest on the nose, and honeyed almonds alongside vanilla fudge rising up on the palate. It really is a completely satisfying dram with beauty to match the Highlands it’s inspired by. Classy bottle too.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £79.95

Jura Tide 21 Year Old

We’ll finish on a pricier option, but it’s impossible to leave it out. It’s gilded with major awards and if you’re able to splash out, then this is where you want to put your money. 60 miles off the west coast of Scotland is the tiny, remote, and rugged island of Jura. There are 20x the number of deer as there are people, but for an island with just a single road and pub, it leaves its mark and then some. It also has just one distillery that has always been at the centre of the community, and since being rescued from ruin in the 1960s, it has a flawless reputation now. Tide is their 21-year-old single malt that’s released as part of their Aged Vintage series. It’s double matured, in ex bourbon barrels first, and then virgin American white oak casks. The spicy complexity is beguiling, with warming spices like ginger and pepper balanced out by lofty banana and white chocolate biscuits. From start to finish, it’s heaped with flavour that’s driven home by the high alcohol percentage. When it comes to bottling the magic of the surroundings, Jura Tide hits the nail on the head.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.7%
Find here: £144.99

If you’re more into Irish whiskey, then it might not be the most traditional Hogmanay but hey ho, who’s gonna notice just by looking at it? Here are the best!

Words by Calum Ecroyd

Is Johnnie Walker Blonde the Perfect First Whisky?

Very few take to whisky on the first sip which is why many dram debutants quickly disregard it, leaving them completely puzzled about what all the fuss is for. If anyone has an interest in changing that, it should be the world’s best selling Scotch blend Johnnie Walker – introducing, ‘Blonde’.

We’ve covered the iconic colours of Johnnie Walker before, and from their complex black label to their sweeter gold, they have been slowly diversifying their range. This blonde bombshell is a blend of whiskies from Cameronbridge and Cardhu that are then matured in American oak giving the whisky delicious notes of toffee and caramel, as well as sweet fruit and vanilla. 

Not only is this specifically made to be a surprisingly sweet scotch, but it’s also one of the most versatile. Whilst it isn’t likely to offer the more seasoned whisky drinkers much in the way of neat sipping, it is ‘made to be mixed’. As a refreshing whisky lemonade or in most whisky cocktails, Johnnie Blonde truly comes into its own. 

By responding to, ‘a change in who’s ordering whisky, and how they’re drinking it’ as brand ambassador Tim Phillips-Johansson said, the hope is that this light and sweet scotch will win more drinkers around from the off, who then fall in love with whisky and go on to explore more challenging and complex flavour profiles – a well-trodden path indeed, and one that many of you might recognise yourself?

So, if you’ve simply never got on with whisky or you just want to try something a bit different, then a bottle of Blonde might surprise you. 

You can find it here for £27.88. If your scotch experiment goes well, then you might want to dive deeper into the world of whisky and explore some of Johnnie Walker’s other colours! You can find our breakdown of those here. 

Oh, one last thing - definitely let us know if Blonde has turned out to be your whisky breakthrough! And congratulations, a whole new world awaits you!

8 Stunning Wine Finished Whiskies You Need in Your Glass

If you’re not familiar with a ‘whisky finish’, then let us very quickly explain what it is. It’s when the spirit is aged in a cask from a certain origin, before being moved to a different cask for further maturation. More often than not you’ll find American oak ex-Bourbon barrels have been used for the first cask, but it’s often with the second cask that more unusual flavours come into play. 

One of our favourites for this whisky finish is wine, but there’s a hell of a lot of inconsistency with the results. It’s no simple task aging whisky with wine, so if it sounds like it might be up your street, here are a few of our absolute favourites worth seeking out.

Black Bottle Double Cask Alchemy Series

Two blends intertwine to create this; a malt whisky matured in Spanish sherry casks and a grain whisky matured in red wine casks. As a result, the red fruits and berries are influential from nose to finish, but they are balanced out by vanilla and nutty notes. This is delightfully sweet wine finished whisky and we love the bottle too!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.3%
Find here: £25.75

Tamnavulin Red Wine Cask Edition

This splendid whisky is matured in American oak barrels and finished in French Cabernet Sauvignon casks imparting gorgeous notes of apple, honey, vanilla, and sweet red berry. It’s beautifully balanced because the mellow Tamnavulin works so well with the expressive fruity sweetness. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £33.74

Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Cask Finish

This is a gloriously golden single malt distilled in the Scottish Highlands finished in a 225-litre cask - hence the name! These casks used to hold Sauternes dessert wine, so it’s no surprise that this whisky is particularly creamy and citrusy, with traces of sweet spice lingering on the finish. It would work really nicely for a fruitier Irish Coffee.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £39.90

Linkwood 12 Year Old 2008 Bordeaux Edition

A fairly rare dram with a total of 358 bottles produced, it was distilled at Linkwood in Speyside and finished in a Bordeaux wine barrique (a fancier way of saying oak barrel, but particularly used for wines like Bordeaux). There’s a lot of very alluring baking notes with this one, including gentle spice, buttery pastry, baked apples and rich red fruits. The finish in particular is very warming with touches of roasted nut, pepper, and nutmeg. Super sippable!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £49.95

Green Spot Château Léoville Barton

Another whiskey finished in barriques, but this one is Irish! In fact, it’s billed as the first of its kind in that respect. Before reaching these Château Léoville Barton casks though, it’s initially matured in a mixture of ex-Oloroso Sherry and ex-bourbon barrels. The result is a deeply layered blend, with floral fruity notes, and a lingering spice that continues from palate to finish.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £53.99

Glenmorangie Nectar D'or Sauternes

The exquisitely named Nectar d’Or has the syrupy, honeysuckle, and orange peel notes that you’d expect from a sweet Sauternes wine. No smokiness, it’s golden inside and out and is definitely one for the wine lovers out there. It would work well with a lightly flavoured soda like grapefruit, but at this quality you’ve got to try it neat first. 

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: UK £58.94 // US $81.99

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Sauternes Finish 

This was whisky legend Billy Walker’s favourite wine finished whisky when he spoke with us recently, so you’re in good hands trying this one. A wonderfully well balanced Sauternes cask finish with plenty of fresh fruity sweetness on the palate, it’s a delightful dram.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £59.95

Whistle Pig 12 Year Old - Old World

Whistle Pig have been impressing people big time with their releases over the last few years and their award shelves must be feeling the strain, which explains the jump in price for this one. Old World is straight rye whiskey finished in three different wine casks – Madeira, Sauternes and finally Port. The spicy rye combines so well with the sweetness from the casks to create probably the best wine finished rye whiskey in the world. If you want to go all out, then this is the one for you.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £174.95 // US $179.99

We love wine finished whiskies at The Three Drinkers, so there’s a more detailed article here about Helena’s journey of discovery in Scotland. There’s also a few other fantastic options there that aren’t mentioned above!

Words by Calum Ecroyd

50 Years of Whisky Making History: Billy Walker’s Favourite Bottles from the GlenAllachie Range

We recently had the greatest pleasure of talking to one of the legends of the whisky industry, Billy Walker. Billy has been in the Scotch Whisky industry for 50 years and throughout his time in it has gained many awards including Master Distiller/Blender of the Year at the World Whisky Awards as well as being inducted into Whisky Magazine’s Hall of Fame in 2020!

Billy grew up in the whisky town of Dumbarton and having developed an interest in making whisky at a young age he went to The University of Glasgow and studied Chemistry gaining a BSc Honours Degree in 1967. It is this chemistry background that Billy has always said stood him in great stead along his whisky making career, and his advice to anyone wanting to make whisky is that having a background in chemistry would be very useful.

Billy’s huge enthusiasm for whisky was evident when he told us “The blending side of the business is unquestionably the most exciting part for me. It encompasses looking at what you have at the start of the journey and using experience to decide what needs to happen to a whisky to get it into that sweet spot such as which casks to place it in, or which casks to finish it in. That’s the most enjoyable side of the business for me”.

As for his favourite thing about the industry, he replied, “There is one thing I will say about this industry, and it may not be my favourite thing, but it is important. While we are competition (for each other), we are friendly competition, we will help each other out. There is no great envy or secrecy about who we are and what we are doing, and we will help each other out in certain circumstances which perhaps wouldn’t happen in other industries”.

We congratulate Billy on his fifty years and can’t wait to see what he produces next. Here are some of his favourite bottles from the GlenAllachie range:

What is the Best Bottle of Whisky for Newbies?

‘If you’re dipping your toe in the water, the 8 year old and the 12 year old are great. These two whiskies give an introduction to the style and the flavour experience that represents the real flavour and personality of GlenAllachie.’

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £47.95

GlenAllachie 8 Year Old

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.44

What is the Best Bottle of Fruity Whisky?

Billy told us ‘From the start we wanted the whisky to be a sherry style whisky which delivers flavour characteristics such as mocha, chocolate, vanilla, Christmas cake and so on, but in terms of a fruity whisky I would say the Port finish or Marsala finish releases. All of these are different styles but they are wonderfully fruity experiences.’

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Ruby Port Wood Finish

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £62.99

What is the Best Bottle of Smoky Whisky?

‘The one I would go for in the range at the moment is the Lum Reek 10 year old Cask Strength. It’s not too peaty and has lots of fruity flavours too. Our journey isn’t finished here as I have been looking at and spending time with these casks and there will be some really, really nice peated expressions coming out in the future.’

Lum Reek 10 Year Old Cask Strength

Size: 700ml
ABV: 55.4%
Find here: £69.99

What is the Best Bottle from the GlenAllachie Range for Those Who Want to Splash Out?

‘The single cask range is always good to look out for, but in the near future, a very nice release with a mizunara cask twist is coming. That would be a good call. Also, If you were lucky enough to be in the visitor centre in the last few weeks, there was a sherry cask release which was transferred into a peated cask which was delicious.’

GlenAllachie Billy Walker 50th Anniversary Mizunara Virgin Oak Finish
Unfortunately, this has now sold out but more single casks are coming soon!

What is the Best Wine Finished Whisky?

‘I’ve done quite a few of these, I have to say, and we’re continuing to do a lot of interesting work with wine casks. It’s a tough choice, but it would be between a Sauternes cask release and a Grattamacco cask release. It’s hard to choose between the two but the Sauternes release has lots of sweet fresh fruits and is wonderfully well balanced.’

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Sauternes Finish

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £59.95

What is the Best Virgin Oak Whisky?

‘We have used many virgin oak casks. We’ve looked at Ozark, Chinquapin, Japanese Mizunara, French, Spanish and Scottish oak. My initial favourite was Chinquapin, which as well as the usual notes of honey, vanilla and butterscotch has a hint of anise and liquorice in the background. But the one that I really love is the Scottish Virgin Oak. Some was bottled quite recently but it is hard to get your hands on. The wood is difficult to work with, the coopers hate working with it because it is complicated and has lots of knots but once the whisky is in it and it has been given two to three years it’s terrific.’

GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Chinquapin Virgin Oak Finish

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £61.50

And our final question…

What is your favourite whisky from the whole GlenAllachie Range?

‘That’s difficult to answer. It would have to be the 15 year old, but it would have good competition from the 21 year old. It’s the whisky that I spend a lot of time engaging with... and drinking!’

GlenAllachie 15 Year Old

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £66.95

With those last tempting words from Billy, we leave him to his work of creating some of the most magical drams around and wish him all the best for all the further years of distilling, blending and keeping our palates excited and souls warmed.

For more exciting whisky news, click on this link!

Dram Fruity: The 6 Best Fruity Whiskies For Your Glass

Words by Colin Hampden-White

With all the talk in the whisky world being about the extremes, like heavily peated, big sherry bombs, or very old whisky, I wanted to bring the conversation back to why the majority of us like whisky, which is its fruitiness. Beyond all the extremes of flavour and age and price, there are loads of great fruity whiskies which don’t cost the earth and make for great drinking drams. Fruit is becoming centre stage again. I was recently talking to the Master Blender at Diageo’s Johnny Walker, Emma Walker, and she was saying she wanted to bring the whisky she creates to taste as the tasting notes do, so for example if the main tasting note is apples, then the consumer should be able to taste apples when drinking the whisky. Here I’ve put together a few whiskies I love because of their fruitiness.

Glenfiddich Experimental Series Orchard

This is the 5th in the experimental series from Glenfiddich and it is an unusual combination of Scotch whisky and Somerset Pomona Spirit casks from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company. This all came about during a walk around the orchards when Brian Kinsman, Glenfiddich’s Malt Mast visited the Somerset Cider Brandy Company to meet their Master Distiller Matilda Temperly. The resulting whisky as well as having lovely vanilla and oaky spice has a core of crunchy ripe apples. 

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £42.95

Benriach The Original Ten

This was part of the new core range after Brown Forman took over the distillery and Rachel Barrie became the master blender. It was created by using three different types of casks, ex-bourbon barrels giving lots of vanilla and honey, sherry casks giving some light spice and toasty oak and virgin oak casks. The combination gives lots of fruity aromas of apricot, melon and orchard fruits. The palate brings more of the creamy orchard fruits and there is a touch of smoke. The finish brings the apricots back and a little maltiness. It’s a lively fruity whisky with lots of complexity and with that little touch of smoke, the orchard fruits really sing.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £34.99

Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

Fruity flavours can come in all types with whisky, and one of my favourites is created by finishing whisky in a rum cask. This whisky began life in traditional oak casks and then was finished in Caribbean rum casks. Balvenie even went as far as asking their Malt Master David Stewart to create the blend of rums to go into the casks to season them for the whisky. The nose is very tropical with mangoes and passionfruit as well as the usual vanilla and toffee, the palate brings in apples and a little banana and the finish is very long with the fruity flavours persisting.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £55.99

Tomatin 12 Year Old – 125th Anniversary

Tomatin has always made a fruity style of whisky and this expression is no exception. Using both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks has created a very fruit forward style that is incredibly well balanced. There’s not much more to say about the flavour, it’s simply very good. However it does come with a great anniversary box designed by paper cut artist Emily Hogarth, so makes a great gift, and let’s hope that if you gift it they open it whilst you're there!

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £36.95

Glendronach Port Wood

There has been an upward trend over the last ten years of finishing whisky in Port Pipes. And with this expression from Glendronach, we have a cracker. It’s uncomplicated, very fruity, fabulously rich and the fruit content very deep. There are lots of dried fruits like raisins and dates but also tropical notes too and even darker fruits like blackberry jam. There is some drying oak on the finish, but this is mixed with back grapes and a little charred wood. A little more expensive, but well worth every penny.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £59.85

Johnny Walker 12 Days of Discovery

Fruity whisky doesn’t have to be the domain of the Single Malts, there are many types of blended whisky, but Johnny Walker is known for its fruity style with a wisp of smoke. I think the best way to be able to delve into the world of Johnny Walker is to try the entire core range. And with this set, you can do just that without breaking the bank. It contains 12 50ml miniature bottles, 2 for each expression, spanning the Johnnie Walker range: Red Label, Black Label, 12 year old Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, 18 Year Old and Blue Label. Considering Blue label is nearly £180 a bottle, this is a brilliant way to try some of the more expensive Johnny Walker whiskies and experience their lovely fruitiness.

ABV: 40%
Size: 600ml
Find here: £45.94

To read more about the Johnnie Walker range, have a read of The Colours of Johnnie Walker and for some tasty drams that don’t cost the earth, make sure you check out 10 Cheap Whiskies that Taste Expensive.

From Budget to Blow Out: The Best Scotch of 2022

Words by Colin Hampden-White

I know we are only really halfway through the year, however, I have come across some blindingly good whiskies and wanted to share them with you. As with most great things, they are not all easy to find. However, this little selection covers some which are, some which you will have to find at auction or somewhere on the secondary market, and some I am afraid you will never find, but do show how private bottlers of whisky someone owns in cask can be absolutely brilliant. The one thing they all have in common is that they are uncommonly good whiskies! I am starting off with one that can be found fairly easily, and if the second half of this year is as good as the first, my Christmas round-up of 2022 is going to be a belter.

Thompson Bros SRV5 8-year-old Blended Malt

The Thompson Bros are both independent bottlers and distillers. The independent bottling side of their business has been lauded with praise. They manage to find extraordinary expressions of whiskies and sell them for a reasonable price. They had maintained the idea that they would in time have a regular expression they would be able to create with consistency, and this is that expression. The balance of the malts is superb and the resulting whisky is very moreish and easy to drink. The SRV5 stands for Station Road VAT 5, as the whisky is created in a solera vat which is never emptied more than 2/3 for any bottling run. The flavours are complex with green apples and lemon. A little char and grassiness. There is gentle smoke in the background and lots of citrus on the finish. An incredibly affordable blended malt, and if you haven’t got into smoky whisky yet and want a good opener, then this is a good bet.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48.5%
Find here: £34.95

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 year old

From the stable of the biggest brand in Scotch Whisky, Johnnie Walker sells more whisky than any other brand globally, which is a testament to the consistency of the whisky they produce. This 15 year old blended malt is one of the greatest value whiskies of all time. It is rich and incredibly well balanced with orchard fruit flavours and a deep maltiness and honey sweetness. With vanilla and toffee ice cream and a touch of spice, this is a great dram.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £37.95 // US $58.99

Glen Moray 18 year old

This has to be the best value 18 year old whisky on the market. It is from their heritage range that gives approachable and easy to drink whiskies. This was matured in first-fill American oak barrels giving lots of vanilla with apricot and honey. There are some dried fruits on the palate and a touch of florality and the finish includes a little spicy ginger and dark honey. It’s an impressive dram for the money.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 47.2%
Find here: UK £62.90 // US $121.19

Fettercairn 16 2nd release

This is the second release of the Fettercairn 16 year old, and it is quite different from the first but is certainly not a lesser whisky. This is very sherried in style, using three different sherry cask types in the maturation: first fill Oloroso, refill Oloroso and first fill Palo Cortada butts. This is a complex whisky which is very impressive. The bottling strength might put off purists, but I think they have got it just right. Smooth, yet spicy and brilliantly balanced, with lots of dried fruits and toasty oak too. This won’t be around for long, so grab it whilst you can.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.4%
Find here: £64.95

Lagavulin 12 year old Fèis ìle 2022

This is the first bottling under the new distillery manager Jordan Paisley and is very rich for a Lagavulin. It is sweet and spicy with a full body and lots of spice as well as well integrated smoke and oak. It was matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in virgin American oak casks. One of the other things I liked about this year’s Fèis ìle release is that it came with no outer packaging. Diageo is reducing the number of products that have packaging and that makes environmental sense to me.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 57.7%
Find here: £165

GlenAllachie 2006 Single Cask 3292 Oloroso Sherry Butt

Exclusively bottled for The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2022, this is a 15-year-old single cask expression. It has a great colour and the flavours are intense and rich. It was initially matured in an ex-bourbon cask, and then re-racked into a first fill Oloroso puncheon, and left to rest in a very old Sherry butt which had been part of a solera system for 55 years. It’s got lots of spice and Christmas cake characteristics, as well as fine oak, chocolate, and damp tobacco and on the finish, there are fine tannins and touches of sweetness.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 59.4%
Find here: At auction for around £200 - £250

Benromach 40 2022

This 2022 40 year old recently won best in show at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and it was well deserved. Having spent a full maturation in sherry casks the result is complex and elegant. With nutty flavours and cooked orchard fruits, mixed with ginger and chocolate, cedar wood and dark honey with touches of orange zest in the background it’s an absolute delight. There are only 1132 bottles, so be quick when it is released!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 57.6%
Find here: Coming soon 

The Octave Cask Glenglassaugh Whisky for Everyone  

A bit of a leftfield whisky here as it isn’t for sale. It was bottled by my friends Matt and Karen from Whisky for everyone from a quarter cask. Normally I am not too keen on quarter casks as the wood quite often overtakes the spirit and distillery character, giving a rich whisky, but taking away its essence. This whisky has been bottled with near perfect balance. The distillery character is still there, even though the flavours are rich and warming. Expect cooked and dried fruits and manuka honey with soft spices and a touch of umami. If you ever come across a bottle. Enjoy. It was one of my favourites this year.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.7%

Royal Lochnagar 1994 26year old Casks of Distinction

This was bottled within Diageo’s Casks of Distinction range and was sold at auction with the proceeds going to the Scottish Ballet Endowment Fund to support the future of scotland’s national dance company. There were only 470 bottles, and occasionally they come up again at auction. Expect to pay upward of £600. The whisky was incredibly elegant and refined with dried apricots and touches of fresh red apple. The spices were soft and there was a layer of honey running throughout the dram. With a little water, floral notes come through and the finish is not dry at all. A satisfying whisky.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.3%
Find here: At auction upward of £600

Brora Tryptic

To mark the reopening of the Brora distillery 36 years after it closed, this set of very special bottles is incredibly rare. Selling originally for £30,000 these can usually only be found at auction. The expressions show off three eras of Brora flavour each giving waxy, peated and earthy flavour. The 1972 Elusive Legacy at 42.8% gives an earthy background, the 1977 Age of Peat gives a peaty flavour and the 1982 Timeless Original shows off the typical Brora waxy flavour. In their own ways, each of these whiskies is incredible to taste and is worth savouring. At the time of writing, I could find one of the 300 sets available at retail in the Netherlands.

Size: 1500ml
ABV: 42.8%, 46.8%, 47.5%
Find here: €53,500

Are you interested in investing in whisky? Then why not have a read of How to Invest in Whisky? If you’re looking for more whisky recommendations, this is a great place to start: The World’s Best Value Whisky.

New and Exciting Whiskies to Try

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There seems to be a new whisky release every few weeks these days. This can largely be attributed to the myriad of distilleries that started to distill a few years ago that now have spirit they can call whisk(e)y due to it having spent at least three years maturing in a barrel. I have tasted a great deal of them, and there are certainly whiskies which stand out in the crowd. Unsurprisingly, some of these come from outside of Scotland, but not all, and there is a particular whisky from the other side of the world which is already good and will get better and better with age. I’ll start off my recommendations in my home country and then range further afield giving my picks of whisky that is well worth discovering.

Nc’nean Organic Single Malt Whisky Batch 14

I have written about Nc’nean before with previous batches, and the consistency keeps on going. The batches are all very consistent and very good. The whisky is rich and fruity by using both wine and ex bourbon STR casks (shaved, toasted, re-chared). Added to that they are using 100% recycled bottles. A great start from one of Scotland’s newest distilleries.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £46.45

Isle of Raasay Batch R-02 Hebridean Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Continuing from the first whiskies produced by the Isle of Raasay distillery is a brilliant second batch. In the same tradition as the first, using peated and non-peated whisky, in various types of oak including American Oak Chinkapin and ex port pipes, this gives lots of red fruit flavours and rich honey with a soft bbq smoke running through the background. Even having been bottled at a slightly higher strength than most whiskies, it is still extremely smooth.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.4%
Find here: £48

White Peak 2 year old (That Boutiqu-ey Malt Company)

I visited White Peak for the first time for the launch of their new whisky called Wire Works. The whisky is seriously impressive with big bold flavours using STR casks. The balance and depth of the whisky is akin to drams a great deal older, and had I tasted this whisky blind I would never have guessed it was little over three years old. There were only tiny amounts of the first release, so look out for further releases, but for now to get an idea of how good this whisky is, the chaps at That Boutiqu-ey Malt Company have bottled an excellent spirit from White Peak. It’s called spirit as it’s only two years old, but excellent all the same!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 50%
Find here: £49.95

Masthouse Single Malt

Masthouse Malt comes from one of the most southerly distilleries in England. Down in Kent, right on the coast, the Copper Rivet distillery is specialising in local barley malted in Kent from the Isle of Sheppey. The result is a fruity and complex whisky which has great balance. It manages to be mature and ready to drink whilst retaining its distillery and spirit character. It’s no mean feat, and a whisky I would certainly try if you’re after something new and exciting.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £39.95

Aber Falls Autumn 2021 release

Moving away from England we have only the second distillery to be built in Wales. At the foot of Snowdonia, Aber Falls is on the coast in a beautiful area that is well worth a trek to. They work with local farmers for their barley, so the whisky truly is from Wales. Using ex Pedro Ximénez, oloroso, bourbon casks and virgin oak casks, there are bountiful fruit flavours and a subtle underlying spice in this whisky. The whisky has lots of complexity with nuts and dark chocolate with coffee, zesty orange peel and vanilla toffee.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26

The Cardrona Growing Wings Solera – Sherry and Bourbon Cask

Hailing from the other side of the world in New Zealand is Cardrona. Their first batch “Just Hatched” was a huge success, and this next one is even more complex and fruity. Bottled at a huge 64.9%, it certainly packs a punch, but not so much as to blow your head off. It is surprisingly gentle on the nose and full of flavour. The wood and climate have certainly worked their magic. It’s an exotic whisky, and although quite pricy in comparison to other young whiskies, it is made in tiny amounts and is a real treat.

Size: 350ml
ABV: 64.9%
Find here: £73.99

Do you like Irish whiskey? If so, why not have a read of The Best Irish Whiskeys, or if you are a fan of an Old Fashioned Cocktail, how about checking out The Best Whiskies for an Old Fashioned?!