With Christmas and New Year around the corner, the holiday season is finally here. And the best way to be party-ready is to ensure that your home bar showcases the best international single malt whiskies you can get your hands on!
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Winter, Christmas, and New Year. The best combination possible to enjoy a dram or two of your favourite international single malt. Whether it’s the Glenmorangie Signet or Bushmills, nothing beats ringing in the festivities with the amber liquid for company. Here are your home-bar must-have single malts that will bring extra cheer to your party.
1. Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The renowned Islay Single Malt Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest, and most complex of all the Islay malts. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is celebrated for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’. Matured with a higher proportion of Oloroso Sherry casks, Batch Four is subtly different to the previous releases of Traigh Bhan, taking on more flavours of chocolate and raisin, alongside a distinctive mentholic character.
Notes
- Nose: Rising aromas of herbal pine and fennel flow into sharp notes of citrusy lime sorbet and medicinal lozenge, while eucalyptus and saddle soap follow on the breeze. A splash of water releases a cascade of hazelnut, sweet vanilla, and currants, before rich minted chocolate brings the nose to a close.
- Taste: An intense wave of wood smoke, ripples of decadent dark chocolate and ground coffee. Sweeter notes of lemon curd and peanut brittle, with delicate hints of creamy raisin fudge and hazelnut. Suggestions of more medicinal, spicy notes. Menthol, fresh lemongrass, aniseed, clove, and white pepper emerge from rich, smoky depths.
- Finish: Sweet and peat collide with creamy vanilla fudge, dark cocoa powder, and a warm, woody clove tingle. A sharp, intense, and long finish.
2. Glenmorangie Signet Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Spiralling mocha flavours, tiramisu tones, and melting chocolate. Yes, we are sighing over the Glenmorangie Signet. Beginning with chocolate malt spirit, its espresso-like intensity is a joy for the olfactory senses! Over the years, its power has been tempered with rare and treasured casks. Then there’s Bourbon for creaminess and Sherry for sweetness, with the spice of virgin charred oak. The result? A velvet explosion of flavour. Bursts of bitter mocha, sizzling spice, and waves of dark chocolate, mellowed by smooth butterscotch. Whisky, as you have never tasted it before.
Notes
- Nose: Coffee, ginger and cinnamon melt into dark chocolate and tiramisu, with dark toffee, crystallized orange peel and rich fruit cake.
- Taste: A velvet explosion of crackling spices swirls around bitter mocha and dark chocolate, toasted hazelnuts, and mellow butterscotch.
- Finish: Mocha and spice combine with cappuccino and amaretto, before a finale of chocolate-coated raisins and orange.
3. Glenmorangie Grand Vintage 1996 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1996 is luxurious and creamy. Aged entirely in first-fill casks, it showcases a supreme creaminess from the wood, entwined with a deep concentration of the spirit’s fruity, floral influences. A rather glorious Glenmorangie single malt, its oak is from the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, US, and the casks seasoned with bourbon, adding a luscious, creamy depth to the whisky.
Notes
- Nose: Fresh and perfumed, like a bouquet of roses, carnations, and jasmine, with a piquant hint of coriander. Mandarin orange and pear follow on, enhanced by a fruity, candied sweetness. A splash of water reveals more carnations, scents of geraniums and gentle, buttery vanilla.
- Taste: A zesty, citrus mouthfeel brings a surge of oranges and lemons, tempered by ripples of vanilla and fudge. Next, with remarkable finesse for a whisky of such age, come subtle notes of ginger, sweet chilli, and oak.
- Finish: Delicate and dancing, with the softness of cake mix, almonds, and pear.
4. Aberlour 16-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This rich golden and amber-coloured spirit has been double-matured in traditional oak and sherry casks. It is deep and complex, with lip-smacking spices, accompanied by sweet notes of plum and gentle oak. With the depth and complexity that comes from being matured for 16 years in a combination of American Oak casks and the finest Sherry butts, this expression’s warm and fruity notes are enriched by an engagingly spicy sweetness.
Notes
- Nose: Creamy with sweet raisin aromas and a spicy nuttiness.
- Taste: A smooth blend of floral and spicy flavours, paired with a sweet plum fruitiness and gentle oakiness.
- Finish: Gloriously long, with a warm, honeyed spiciness.
5. Glenlivet 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky represents the signature style of The Glenlivet distillery. This iconic single malt is matured in European and American oak casks. The double oak maturation process imparts vanilla notes and gives Glenlivet 12 Year Old its distinctive smoothness. Fruity and exceptionally well-balanced, it has a delicate yet complex character. One of the most famous malts in the world, Glenlivet 12 year old has a soft smooth balance of sweet summer fruits and the floral notes of spring flowers.
Notes
- Nose: Remarkably flowery, clean, and soft.
- Taste: Flowery and peachy with notes of vanilla, there’s a delicate balance between sweetness and malty dryness.
- Finish: Long, gently warming.
6. Macallan 12-Year-Old Sherry Oak
Deliciously smooth, with rich dried fruits and sherry, balanced with woodsmoke and spice, the Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old is an iconic single malt Scotch whisky born of Macallan’s unrivalled commitment to the mastery of wood and spirit. Twelve years in Oloroso Sherry-seasoned oak casks have delivered an exquisitely rich and complex flavour profile full of dried fruit, opulent vanilla, and warm spice.
Notes
- Nose: Vanilla with hints of ginger, dried fruits, sherry sweetness, and wood smoke.
- Taste: Deliciously smooth, with rich dried fruits and sherry, balanced with wood smoke and spice.
- Finish: Sweet toffee, dried fruits, lingering wood smoke, and spice.
7. Balvenie 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
A classic after-dinner malt, Balvenie’s extra complexity and richness are a result of a second maturation in fresh sherry casks. Aged in two kinds of oak casks, it was first matured in refill American oak casks before being treated to a finish in first-fill European oak Oloroso sherry butts for an additional nine months. Launched in 1993, it has become an iconic whisky over the years. Its supple nuttiness intertwined with spices makes it a well-integrated classic. A rich and complex dram for sure!
Notes
- Nose: Sweet fruit and oloroso sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla.
- Taste: Smooth and mellow with beautifully combined flavours — nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness, and a delicately proportioned layer of sherry.
- Finish: Long and warming.
8. Aberlour A’bunadh
Aberlour offers up a variety of sensations, including the all-sherry-influenced A’Bunadh. Even though it is a non-age-statement whisky, much of the contents of the bottle are aged between five and 25 years. The extra-aged components are evident in the deep, rich character of the whisky. The auburn gold A’Bunadh is non-peated. Instead, it’s all about the oloroso sherry influences: Candied orange, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, dark chocolate. Warm and full-bodied, the long finish is pleasant and relaxing. It is bottled at cask strength resulting in a robust and deeply intense, sherried whisky.
Notes
- Nose: Aromas of mixed spices, praline and spiced orange harmonising with rich, deep notes of Oloroso Sherry.
- Taste: Orange, black cherries, dried fruit, and ginger spiked with dark bitter chocolate and enriched with Sherry and Oak. Full bodied and creamy.
- Finish: Robust and intense with bitter-sweet notes of exotic spices, dark chocolate, and oak.
9. Kavalan Solist Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Kavalan distillery is Taiwan’s first whisky distillery. Despite their relative youth, the malt whiskies made at Kavalan are amazingly flavourful, complex, world-class spirits — modelled after Scottish single malts — that are a product of ingenuity, Scottish tradition and ingredients, and the unique tropical Taiwanese climate that accelerates the aging process. This elegant Kavalan Solist release is a single cask whisky matured in wood that previously housed Madeira — the famous fortified wine produced in Portugal. The results are a rich and fruity tasting experience that brings everything from charred oak, sticky dates, and bitter chocolate to gentle citrus fruits and vanilla.
Notes
- Nose: Demerara sugar, burnt caramel, carob, treacle. Cherries, lavender, baked pears, prune, raisins, damp oak, tobacco leaves, sandalwood
- Taste: Creamy, strawberry jam, cherries, black peppers, oak spices, ginger, apple pie.
- Finish: Very long and lingering, juicy. Oak spices, cinnamon, and caramelized butter.
10. The Macallan Double Cask 12-Year-Old
Macallan 12-Year-Old Double Cask has been aged in a combination of American oak and ex-sherry casks. This is a harvest sun-coloured rich whisky which combines fruity citrus and caramel with spicy ginger and nutmeg. The Macallan Double Cask 12 year has been crafted to deliver a new style of Macallan. One that is the perfect balance of 100 per cent Sherry-seasoned American and European Oak, a great marriage of two wood types. Smooth, sweet, and balanced.
Notes
- Nose: Creamy butterscotch, toffee apple, candied orange, vanilla custard, and newly felled oak.
- Taste: Wood spices (ginger and nutmeg), citrus, caramel, raisins, and resinous.
- Finish: Oak lingers, warm, sweet, and drying.
11. Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Monkey Shoulder is a mix of three different Speyside single malts and is great with mixers or just on its own. Smooth, sweet, and very easy to drink, it is a unique blend. Monkey Shoulder is a smooth, creamy, supple, and very malty Scotch which works superbly well neat, over ice, or in whisky cocktails (where it really excels). It’s whisky with a personality with plenty of vanilla and a sprinkling of winter spice (nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon), with a mouth-watering hint of aniseed.
Notes
- Nose: Zesty orange meets mellow vanilla, honey and spiced oak.
- Taste: Mellow vanilla with spicy hints.
- Finish: Super smooth.
12. Glenmorangie: The Tayne
Released at the start of 2016 for the travel retail market, The Tayne from Glenmorangie has been finished in selected Amontillado Sherry casks. A non-age statement expression, it exudes a unique harmony of deep, spicy Sherry cask notes, and unusually fragrant, floral top notes of rose petals and roast chestnuts. A hint of ground clove lends spiciness to this fragrant and floral magic in a bottle.
Notes
- Nose: Almonds and walnuts, covered in caramel and brown sugar. Fragrant and floral, with hints of rose and roasting chestnuts. Lots of toffee/caramel, sweet apricots, and some nuttiness.
- Taste: Orange oil starts off the palate and leads to rich, sweet flavours of toffee, brown sugar, tropical fruits (peaches, mango and orange).
- Finish: Quite long and spicy, with bitter-sweet citrus and dried fruits.
13. Smokehead Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Smokehead is a popular single Islay malt from Ian Macleod distillers. Originating from an undisclosed distillery, Smokehead is an intensely peaty range of single malts. A heavily-peated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky that’s intensely rich yet subtly sweet, the amber-gold spirit hits the extremes of spice and sweetness. Smokehead is definitely an explosion of peppery, peaty heat, soothed by a honeyed sweetness.
Notes
- Nose: Thick and full of peat, salt, and spices.
- Taste: A new hit of peat, followed by herbs, a touch of sherry, and some fruity sweetness.
- Finish: A long, salty, and strong finish.
14. Bushmills 10-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whisky
The benchmark Irish single malt, this has a far greater depth of flavour than standard Irish blends. It is triple distilled from 100 per cent malted barley and matured for a minimum of 10 years in former Sherry and Bourbon seasoned casks. That’s the secret of its honey, vanilla, and milk chocolate aroma. With an exceptionally smooth finish, it can be served neat or over ice.
Notes
- Nose: Light fruity and spicy aroma.
- Taste: Melted chocolate that rests on the tongue before releasing a hint of honey in your cheeks.
- Finish: Crisp and clean‚ gently dies off.
15. Glenmorangie: The Lasanta
Glenmorangie’s Lasanta is aged for 12 years, and is finished in a combination of oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. It radiates with raisins, honeycomb, and chocolate-covered hazelnuts lightened by cinnamon breezes. After a 10-year maturation process in American white-oak, ex-Bourbon casks, the blend is transferred to superior casks that once contained Spanish Oloroso or PX Sherry. This single malt is infused with just the right level of sweetness, with enticing textures and aromas.
Notes
- Nose: Warm spices mix with smooth chocolate-covered raisins, honeycomb, and caramel toffee.
- Taste: Deliciously sweet sherry flavoured sultanas, orange segments, walnuts, and butterscotch combine to create complex warm spices.
- Finish: Long and satisfying finish with spiced orange and chocolate covered hazelnuts.
16. Epitome Reserve Peated Single Malt
From Diageo India, Epitome Reserve Peated Single Malt whisky embodies the grandiose of the Himalayan Foothills and northern plains, and the beauty of the Mandovi river. It is created using seven inimitable steps. Distilled in Goa, this peated single malt is a play of sea and spice. Vibrant, with a lively flavour, with hints of mint, plum, mulberry, and cherry, it can be enjoyed neat, or over ice.
Notes
- Nose: Spicy, with a richness of dried fruit layers
- Taste: Intense woody flavours with a touch of sweet toffee, caramel butterscotch, and vanilla.
- Finish: Best enjoyed neat or over ice, the Sherry and Cherrywood casks come alive.
17. Dewar’s 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Dewar’s 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch Whisky is one of the signature products for Dewar’s, a luxuriously rich, fruity, and smooth blend. Double-aging the whisky in hand-selected, first-fill American Oak Bourbon casks for the first time has created a distinctly different experience, with a greater depth of flavour, and a richer mouthfeel. The new whisky builds upon the renowned Dewar’s house style of floral, honeyed Highland whisky, with a hint of smoke.
Notes
- Nose: Honeyed, fruity, and rich.
- Taste: Smooth and rich.
- Finish: A rounded, smooth, and long finish.
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