Chivas Regal 18 Years Old Gold Signature
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 9 This jewel is bursting with life and joie de vivre, like a bright aromatic rainbow. Want a wee refill?

Compass Box The Peat Monster
Blended Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 A monster? As compared to earlier creations from the same house, but don't expect mass hysteria on Park Avenue.

Duncan Taylor Glen Garioch 1988, 16 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 56.10% 8 Very sweet but the classic heather honey is balanced by the gently peaty, smoky dryness that has vanished from most Highland malts.

Douglas Laing Bowmore 20 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 50.00% 8 Bowmore is a great malt. Let's see more of it in straightforward ages.

Royal Salute 21 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 43.00% 8 Antique shop aromas. Oak and fruit locked in a sensual embrace.

Whyte & Mackay Special Reserve, 21 Years Old, Sherry Wood Finish
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Well-balanced and luscious. Keeps talking if you let it breathe. A blend of distinction.

Bailie Nicol Jarvie 8 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 A pleasant drink with an interesting freshness. Leaves a burning sensation with a spirity feel back in the throat though. No reason to get excited.

Benromach 1969
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 An old-fashioned whisky for an old-fashioned winter's evening. Wins points for being cuddly rather than complex.

Black Bottle 10 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 8 An uncompromising Islay blend. Washes along sea fragrances. But reveals a sweet nature on the palate. Grain and malt are well married. A good cure for Islay-sickness.

Compass Box Asyla
Blended Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 A refreshing dram. Straightforward, clean. No complexity but it does not boast sophistication. Simplicity and natural are also great qualities.

Compass Box Orangerie
Whisky Liqueur - Scotland - 40.00% 7 It is not a whisky, so it cannot be scored as one. In character, I would regard it as an aperitif liqueur, rather than an-after dinner drink. In a category of its own, it secures a high score.

Cutty Sark Imperial Kingdom
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 8 A smooth and caressing blend. Full of charm. The balance is superb. Gives a sense of comfort and relief.

Dewar's Signature
Blended - Scotland - 43.00% 7 Quite ordinary. Surprisingly firey for the strength. Lacks delicacy.

Duncan Taylor Invergordon 1965 38 Years Old
Single Grain - Scotland - 50.10% 7 Such a long ageing has made the bourbon wood very dominating. The crisp, cleansing, hint of pine in the distillery bottling better suited a single grain.

Famous Grouse Finest
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 A beautifully mingled aromatic palette. But this whisky would have delivered more character if bottled at a higher strength.

Glen Moray 1986 Commemorative Bottling
Single Malt - Scotland - 64.40% 7 Robust. Complex. After dinner.

Gordon & MacPhail Glen Calder
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 On the sweet side, although the finish brings out a more assertive note. A good winter warmer.

Isle of Skye 8 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 6 Nose and palate seem to be flattened by excess of sickly sweetness.

Langs Select 12 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 A light, refreshing and aromatic blend. To be enjoyed with light food such as seafood salad or trifle. No water please.

Matisse 12 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Quite a complex blend but it takes time to deliver. Well-balanced. Again it would have displayed more at a higher strength.

Old Malt Cask Laphroaig 17 Years Old, Rum Finish
Single Malt - Scotland - 50.00% 7 Confident. Slightly austere.

Old Masters Bladnoch 1992 12 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 56.10% 7 Quite assertive for Bladnoch. Not keen on the papery character. Quality of wood?

Pendleton 10 Years Old
Blended - U.S.A. - 40.00% 7 Very drinkable, but does it have sufficient complexity to retain the drinker's interest?

The Arran Malt Rum Cask
Single Malt - Scotland - 58.50% 7 Rather cloying.

Whyte & Mackay 15 Years Old, Premium Reserve
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Oak is better expressed on the palate than on the nose. Will please sweet tooth. Very drinkable but lacks the distinction of the older expressions.

Whyte & Mackay 18 Years Old, Founders Reserve
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 A well balanced dram. Rather shy and restrained at start but with time and a drop of water, becomes more attractive.

Whyte & Mackay 30 Years Old, Rare Reserve
Blended - Scotland - 43.00% 8 Heavier than the 21 Years Old due to its sweetness. But harmonious and elegant.

William Grant's 15 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Quite an assertive blend. The nose delivers to the palate but it tastes older than 15 years.

William Grant's 18 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 7 The nose lets us expect some exotic promises. Did too much dilution blow all that galore off? Disappointing.