Like it or not (we love it), the Holiday season is pretty much here, and the diligent among us are already thinking about gift lists and the like. If someone on your list (or you yourself) are a whisky fan/collector, you're in luck, because your buying just got a lot easier with this roster of outstanding single-malt Scotch collector's gems that won't break the bank.
Aberlour's 95-point 16 Year Old is a unanimous hit once again, showing all the fan-favorite depth and intensity that have made this one of the most successful single malt brands of the past decade among ardent enthusiasts. Kilchoman's limited-edition Loch Gorm is back and better than ever with the newly released 2025 version, "a complex rollercoaster of a whisky" as noted by Whisky Advocate. A "stunningly well-integrated and seamless whisky," it’s the first Loch Gorm to be aged a full ten years in Oloroso sherry butts, 20 of the 23 barrels being first-fill. From boutique bottler phenom Compass Box, Secrets of Smoke is their ode to the incredible nuance and detail of peated whisky, a special concoction that essentially takes their beloved Peat Monster blend (predominantly Caol Ila and Laphroig) to the next level.
Among hardcore single malt aficionados, Linkwood's cult status seems to be growing with each passing year, and our single-cask stunner from SMoS shows "pure, elegant, and utterly mesmerizing Linkwood character in every way" according to B-21 Spirits Buyer Andrew Kitz. As any savvy buyer knows, when you get a shot at such "a beautifully classic, unpeated Speysider that hits every note clear as a bell," you take it. For the peat fanatics out there, few names hold a candle to Ardbeg, their 14 Year Old Unicorn's Tale takes a unique twist with a Maderia cask finish that brings head-turning opulence and depth to the distillery's famed peat-heavy profile. Finally, Highlands icon Bruichladdich is an undisputed favorite among collectors, and their 18 Year Old shot to the top of the list last year when it was ranked #2 on Whisky Advocate's Top 20 Whiskies of 2024. It's a sure bet that no fan of Highland malt will disappointed with this one.
These are just a handful of the countless thrilling options in our single malt inventory, proving once again there's never been a better time to be a lover (or a giver) of great Scotch.
Part two of this experimental trilogy brings madeira cask-matured Ardbeg into the recipe. Creamy aromas of lime zest, mandarin, banana bread, and white pepper as the peat smoke builds, adding notes of cedar and rolling tobacco. On the palate, warming citrus fruits, lime juice, apricot, peach, marble cake, spicy peat smoke, toasted peppercorns, nutmeg, cinnamon, and aniseed are all present. The smoky finish with menthol and eucalyptus really goes the distance.
93 points, Jonny McCormick, Whisky Advocate (Fall 2024)
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