Auchentoshan
18-Year-Old Limited Edition
Oloroso Sherry Matured Lowlands
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; White Rock Distilleries, Inc., Lewiston, ME)
55.8% abv, $1,000.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation

The bouquet offers toffee aromas with complementary smells of bakery spices, especially nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon. The palate entry is delightful and focused on delicate Sherry sweetness; the midpalate tastes include spice, baked bread, Sherry, caramel and nougat. Yet another sterling expression from this hallmark distillery. Classic.

Jura Twenty-One
Isle of Jura
21-Year-Old
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Gemini Spirits & Wine Co., Loomis, CA)
43% abv, $129.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation

The wonderful bouquet is grainy dry, lightly nutty with additional vibrant scents of buttered honeywheat toast, sauteed almonds, cigar tobacco and buttermilk. The palate entry is sap- and maple-like; by midpalate the flavors run from chocolate milk to nougat to oatmeal-with-honey. Finishes gracefully and with late taste thrust. The new benchmark for Jura.

Duncan Taylor
Auld Blend
38-Year-Old
Blended Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Preiss Imports, Ramona, CA)
40% abv, $181.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The bouquet is lean and svelte with scents of hemp, wheat kernel, crackers and dry breakfast cereal. The palate entry is fuller and sweeter than the bouquet indicated; the midpalate is reminiscent of baked bread with herbs and seeds, like rosemary and caraway. Finishes dry and keenly sappy.

Gordon Graham’s Black Bottle
Blended Scotch Whisky
(Scotland; International Beverage Company Inc.)
43% abv, $39.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The nosing passes find aromas of peat, iodine and ash with subtle scents of hemp, road tar, burnt toast and seaweed. The palate entry is medium-weight, smoky sweet and oaky; at midpalate the strong taste of sautéed butter wonderfully suits the aroma. One of the best deals in Scotch whisky at present.
Best Buy.

Laphroaig
Cask Strength
10 Year Old Islay
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
(Scotland; Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Deerfield, IL)
55.7% abv, $60.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended

A veritable aromatic feast of maritime notes: seaweed, iodine, pine needle, matchstick and olive brine. The palate entry is full of mint, Sherry, pork rind, bacon fat, chimney soot and rancio tastes; by midpalate flavors of cocoa, coffee, pipe tobacco, chocolate-covered orange, marzipan and vanilla extract proliferate. Luscious and stupendously good.

Littlemill
12-Year-Old Lowlands
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland)
43% abv, $61.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The nosing passes find sweet scents of honeywheat toast, breakfast cereal, peat moss/vegetation, baked pear and baked pineapple. The palate entry features elegant tastes of key lime, meringue and toffee; the midpalate phase offers deeper flavors that include marshmallow, dark caramel, cocoa, cinnamon, marzipan and maple. Finishes sweet, concentrated and smooth.

Old Forester
2006 Birthday Bourbon
Distilled Spring 1993/Bottled 2006
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
(USA; Brown-Forman Distillers, Louisville, KY)
48% abv, $40.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The bouquet features a delightful corn aroma with additional scents of sweet oak, charcoal and palm oil. The palate entry offers graceful tastes of honeysuckle, light honey and hard candy; at midpalate there are succulent waves of bacon fat, bacon rind and caramel corn tastes. The finish is succulent and semisweet.

George T. Stagg
2006 Antique Collection
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
(USA; Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, KY)
70.3% abv, $55.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The nosing passes find dry, cardboard/parchmentlike and biscuity/grainy smells. The palate entry is heavy, honey sweet and moderately oaky; midpalate features flavors of pork rind, bacon fat, nougat, walnut paste and chocolate-covered cherries. Finishes with huge waves of sweet oak, sweet corn and dark fudge tastes. Add mineral water before tasting.

Hirsch Selection
21-Year-Old
Kentucky Straight Rye
(USA; Preiss Imports, Ramona, CA)
46.5% abv, $133.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended

The peculiar bouquet emits concentrated baked tar odors with vague nut- and carnival candy-like aromas. The palate entry offers big, oily textured flavors of oak resin, sap and maple; the midpalate is chocolaty in its bittersweetness. Finishes on a semisweet maple note. A strange, idiosyncratic creature that's oddly compelling, even luscious.