Hamish's Top 7 Whiskies Of The Year

  Hello there! What a year 2018 has been eh! But where has it went?! After such a fantastic year for whisky comes to a close, I thought it would be the perfect time to share my favourite whiskies this year!   1. Highland Park 2002 Single Cask - Loch Fyne Exclusive

Now you don’t need me to tell you how much of a belter this bottle is, Jim Murray awarded this expression Liquid Gold status in his 2019 Whisky Bible giving it 96 points! I especially love the costal notes of seaweed and brine with a sweet honey undercurrent on the nose. The palate has notes of heather honey, with wisps of smoke and delicious milk chocolate and the finish is more heather honey and smoke with malty barley and cocoa. This is a special wee bottle with only 458 being made with each one at a natural cask strength of 58.4% abv. I’ll toast to that!     2. The Tweeddale: The Evolution

This award winning bottle is really something! This is the oldest Tweeddale yet, the youngest component whisky is 28 years old! The nose has blackcurrants, cherries and plums with lemon icing and a wee hint of honey. The palate has blackcurrant again and is big and juicy with Christmas cake, pear and a hint of orange zest. The finish has an American oak influence and milk chocolate notes. Talk about packing a punch! The Tweeddale range is inspired by Richard Day’s cellar book. Now he was a Borders blender in the early 20^th Century and his great-grandson now recreates the original Tweeddale whiskies from Richard Day’s cellar book! Pssst…. As a special Christmas treat I’ve managed to get this reduced by 40% over Christmas! But act fast, I’ve heard there’s limited stock!     3. Laphroaig Lore

What a brilliant whisky, named 2019 Best No Age Statement Scotch by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible! This expression is unmistakably Laphroaig - rich and deep with distinctive smoke, peat and seaside minerality! Laphroaig Lore uses different whiskies aged from 7 to 21 years creating delicious, rich flavour. Liquids are drawn from a selection of casks including first fill sherry butts, smaller quarter casks and their most precious stock. This is essentially the spirit of the Laphroaig Distillery in a bottle! Get yours for only £65 today, this offer won’t be around much longer folks!     4. Loch Fyne Chocolate & Orange Liqueur

If you’re looking for a wee twist, this is what you’re looking for! I know some folk will say that a Scotch liqueur is auld hat, but I’ll tell ye, they’ve never sampled this! Not too sweet and not too sticky, this liqueur finds the perfect balance with orange notes and a milk chocolate base delivering a knock-out with The Loch Fyne Blend at it’s heart! Whether you have it on its own, over ice or even in a spritzer with tonic or soda, this is brilliant. Drink it any way you want, as with all whiskies!     5. Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood

Och, who doesn’t love a beautiful Balvenie eh! This rare expression has been matured for at least 21 years and then transferred to Port casks for the perfect amount of time. The nose has notes of sultana, plums and raisins with a nutty dryness with a dry palate with hazelnuts and heather honey, toffee and fruit bursts. All with a long and gentle finish. Spectacular!     6. The Loch Fyne Glentauchers 10 Year Old

A delightful single malt bottled in 2007 after being distilled and matured in a sherry cask for a decade! This was selected for The Loch Fyne Whiskies Single Cask expressions and limited to just 1,184 bottles. The nose is mellow and rounded with fudge and light spices. The palate is sweet and textured with toffee, nougat and fondant with hints of ash. The finish has pleasantly bitter chocolate notes with a whisper of smoke.     7. The Loch Fyne Springbank 28 Year Old

This belter of a bottle was first distilled in December 1989 and held in a cask for more than fifteen years, this is an extremely rare expression, with just 211 bottles filled from cask 591, each one presented at a strength of 40.07% abv. Jim Murray awarded this whisky a score of 94.5 in his 2019 Whisky Bible and yer auld pal Hamish has to agree! Jim actually said this I probably the softest whisky launched in 2018, due to the “amazing silk-like qualities”! From honeyed sweetness to spiced ripe fruit you’ll discover something new with each sip!