Tastes

Nose: Marzipan, mandarin, salted caramel, vanilla Open: basic honey notes indicative of a Speyside heavy blend, rather thin mouthfeel Back: fades quickly with slight campfire burn

Sweet, Christmas cake nose, honey and champagne. Full, clinging, oaky mouth feel full of classic Speyside tastes, sweetbread, cooked banana, honey and a hint of pineapple.

If someone's wanting to dip a toe in the smokey whiskey pool, this exhibits a really nicely balanced peat element. Smells exactly like Christmas cake. Taste exhibits elements of dark chocolate and coffee.

Very pleasing whiskey, this would be an easy entry point to single malt whiskey if not for the heavy oak elements. Surprising citrus open almost instantly turns to honey and vanilla. Bourbon influence is very apparent.

Nose: In a word, gorgeous! Sweet sticky buns, caramel, raisin, orange citrus, slightly floral, I could sit and just nose this whiskey for hours. Taste: Sweet honeyed arrival with minimal burn very quickly turns tart and herbal, licorice perhaps. Light and easy dram, quite delicate so probably best enjoyed before a large meal than after.

Nose: Red toffee apples, oak, sherry, caramel, almond, musk Taste: Very smooth open quickly turns bitter and salty, lingers with salted caramel, celery, perhaps a hint of peat. A few days later... completely different, much sweeter, closer to bourbon. Really interesting. Feel: clings to the mouth nicely, very little burn on arrival but builds slowly from the throat. Definitely unique!

Push through the sharpie smell and you'll get vanilla and banana. Taste is one-note sweetness but the mouthfeel is fuller than other cheap American whisky and it's better tasting than Gentleman Jack.

Nose: Sweet, sugary, smooth, maraschino cherry, vanilla Colour: deep amber Taste: Sweet on arrival though quickly turns oaky, barrel proof burn Water added: sweetness lingers longer, slight licorice saltiness, develops cloves and cinnamon later

Oak nose, sweet and smooth with pleasant yet perhaps thin finish.