Aberlour 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Sophisticated but very approachable.

Aberlour 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% The overall effect is a little forced as if it's trying to appear older than it actually is. A wee boy in his Dad's suit.

Ardbeg 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 Not from a particularly peaty period, but packed with Ardbeg's other flavours. Wonderfully distinctive.

Ardbeg 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 4 The same phenolic profile as in very young but more disciplined and rounder.

Ardbeg Blasda 10 Year Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 A delicate and rather charming afternoon (or 4am) dram. Will cause a stooshie though!

Auchentoshan 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Very expressive when young – as might be expected from a classic Lowlander.

Auchentoshan 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 At 10 years, Auchentoshan makes an expressive, eloquent claim to being the classic Lowlander.

Auchentoshan 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Lots of American Oak, and a super clean character. Nowt wrong, but not quite enough right.

Auchroisk 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 This version is not obviously sherryish, but still manages very big flavours indeed. I'm very impressed.

Auld Reekie 10 Years Old
- Scotland - 46.00% 7 Underplayed and understated and all the more interesting for it. Aperitif.

Balblair 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Approachable and well structured, with delicious flavours.

Balblair 2000
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 A very subtle, and discreet Balblair but another addition to what has become a compelling range.

Ben Nevis 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 The sweetness could be excessive, but it is saved by the stogie.

Bennachie 10 Years Old
Blended Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 6 Light but pleasant.

Benromach 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 8 A well-structured dram with character and delicacy. Very refreshing. A perfect Speysider to recommend.

Black Bottle 10 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 40.00% 9 A delicious, appetising, new expression of Black Bottle. As a blend, it is a star.

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.

Bladnoch 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 Lots of aromas and flavours, but lacks structure. Curiously flat.

Bladnoch 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 55.00% 7 The nose is sweeter than the palate. Water takes away some of the astringency but leaves a bitter taste.

Bruichladdich 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 7 Very slightly spirity, but appetising.

Bruichladdich 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 Not only the liveliness of youth but also the least wood influence. The use of second-fill casks leaves the fruity flavours of Bruichladdich to express themselves more freely.

Bruichladdich 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 Laddie reaches 10 in good shape.

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection 10 Years Old Zinfandel Aged
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 45.00% 7 A finer structured example but the Zinfandel element seems a little bolted on.

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection Chardonnay, 10 Years Old
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 45.00% 7 The nose is great, the palate a huge let down. I'm all for experiments but this hasn't worked.

Bushmills 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Ireland - 40.00% 7 After years of being overshadowed by its older wood finished cousins, this 10 Years Old is finally coming into its own.

Bushmills 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Ireland - 40.00% 7 Lovely nose (once again). . Lacks a bit of depth (once again).

Bushmills 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Ireland - 40.00% 6 All the woods are influential, especially the port in the finish. A very dexterous balancing act, but is the house character eventually overwhelmed?

Cadenhead's 10 Years Old, Bourbon
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 45.00% 9 I especially like bourbons when they are big and robust. This is both hearty and complex. A wonderful winter warmer.

Cadenhead's America Bourbon
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 62.20% 7 Has an extra dimension. Recommended.

Cadenhead's Lammerlaw 10 Years Old
Single Malt - New Zealand - 49.10% 7 This bottling is much more aggressive, and drying, than I remember. What happened to the soft maltiness and apricot fruitiness?

Cadenhead's Longrow 1996, 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 59.40%

Canadian Club Reserve 10 Years Old
Blended - Canada - 40.00% 7 Straight-ahead Canadian whisky, as I remember it from my early days as an eclectic drinker.

Canadian Club Reserve 10 Years Old
Blended - Canada - 40.00% 7 A rum-like whisky. More full-bodied and richer than some of the others but still unremarkable.

Canadian Club Reserve 10 Years Old
Blended - Canada - 40.00% 7 The sweet Demerara taste is still there but “enriched” with a spicy note.

Caol Ila 10 Years Old Unpeated
Single Malt - Scotland - 65.80% 7 There is a great difference between the nose and the palate. The alcohol is really aggressive on the palate. Better with water but still vibrant.

Centennial Premium Rye 10 Years Old
Rye - Canada - 40.00% 7 The nose makes you expect a more original profile. Lack of balance. Too much of that “rummy” sweetness.

Chieftain's Choice Benrinnes 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 For me this has been bottled too early and before the sulphuriness of youth has been fully matured out.

Chieftain's Choice Glenturret, 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 Pleasant, but I have had more complex bottlings from this distillery.

Chieftain's Choice The Glenrothes 1992, 10 Years Old, Port Finish
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 More mature than its 10 years would suggest. Fruitier than the conventional distillery bottlings. Refreshing. Like sorbet between courses.

Chieftain's Cigar Malt Robusto 1997 10 Years Old
- Scotland - 55.10% 6 The smoky character is more expressive on the palate than on the nose. Goes with the season.

Clynelish 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 59.80% 8 The true maritime taste of Clynelish.

Cooper's Choice Mortlach 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 8 A good bottling of this lovely malt. Mortlach has such complexity that I find new aromas and flavours every time I raise the glass.

Crested Ten Irish Whiskey, 10 Years Old
Blended - Ireland - 40.00% 7 This is a highly respected ‘sophisticated' whiskey, but it has never done anything for me. Good sherry character, but the whiskey itself is just too thin in the middle. I find it unbalanced.

Dun Bheagan Mortlach 10 Years Old, Port Finish
Single Malt - Scotland - 55.00% 7 Mortlach is usually a supple, muscular malt. At ten years, this already seems a trifle tired.

Eagle Rare 10 Years Old
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 45.00% 7 Slightly less sweet than the last bottling I tasted.

Eagle Rare 10 Years Old, Single Barrel
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 50.50% 7 More delicate and restrained than I expect from Eagle Rare...distinctly the sweeter of the Bourbons in this tasting.

Edradour 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Much more sherried than the previous 10 Years Old distillery bottling. The back-label still lifts (unattributed) phrases from my tasting notes for that edition. The new version is very elegant, but th...

Evan Williams Single Barrel 2001
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 43.30% 8 A more rye-accented single barrel but one which maintains this series' high standard of excellence.

Glen Deveron 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 6 Too monolithic. No variety. The nose opens up after a while though.

Glen Deveron 1987, 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Slightly less richness and wood-extract than in the 12, with which I am more familiar.

Glen Garioch 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 I have always enjoyed Glen Garioch as one of the few peaty whiskies still made in the Highlands. I hope this peaty character does not totally vanish.

Glenkinchie 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 I always enjoy this whisky, even though it is not the most typical of Lowlanders.

Glenkinchie 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 Very much in its regional style, but lacks finesse or genuine interest.

Glenlossie 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 45.00% 7 Doesn't deliver the promise of the nose. Surprisingly smooth for a fairly high alcohol strength.

Glenmorangie 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Slightly sweeter on the nose, and less complex, than the best bottlings I have tasted.

Glenmorangie 10 Years Old
- Scotland - 40.00% A perfectly sound,easy-going,sweet dram. Not a patch on ‘Original'(which of course is newer).

Glenmorangie Astar
Single Malt - Scotland - 57.10% 8 A gorgeous,luscious dram. ‘Morangie to the max.

Glenmorangie Original
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 A standard malt? This is a very classy dram,so LVMH stop discounting. It only makes you seem like you're ashamed of it!

Golden Horse Chichibu 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Japan - 43.00% 7 Fresh, lively, flirtatious but slightly tart and astringent.

Gordon & MacPhail 10 Years Old Cask Strength
Single Malt - Scotland - 59.90% 7 Fresh and vibrant. Attractive.

Hellyers Road 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Australia - 46.20% 7 The nose is more expressive than the palate. A delicate sweetness.

Inchmurrin 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Very scenty and sweet. A restorative. Perhaps after a bath or swim?

Isle of Jura 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 A lovely aperitif.

Isle of Jura Legacy, 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Not as enticing as the older versions. Lacks depth but it has nothing to do with youth. Water kills it down.

James MacArthur Allt-a-Bhainne 1995 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 58.90% 6 Quite harsh and burning. Alcohol is not tamed at all.

James MacArthur Auchentoshan 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 64.20% 7 I have not previously encountered such a full expression of Auchentoshan, but the style suits the whisky.

Karuizawa Master's Blend, 10 Years Old
Blended - Japan - 40.00% 7 For once, a whisky that delivers more on the palate than on the nose. It could make a pleasant summer dram.

Laphroaig 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 8 The most medicinal of Islay malts. I love it.

Laphroaig 10 Years Old
- Scotland - 40.00% A peaty classic. Uncompromising yes, but great balance.

Laphroaig 10 Years Old, Cask Strength
Single Malt - Scotland - 57.30% 8 A fine robust dram with lots happening. Laphroaig at its best.

Laphroaig 10 Years Old, Cask Strength
Single Malt - Scotland - 55.70% 4 The tough guy. Medicine man? Muscular, solidly built. Dominated by camphor.

Ledaig 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 Another that's growing in character. I'm looking forward to the 12 Years Old.

Ledaig 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.30% 7 Not exactly refined, but a bit of rough does you no harm and certainly a big improvement. There's just something about the wood that isn't quite right.

Longrow 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 A beautifully composed whisky. Classic intense, Scottish flavours.

Longrow 10 Years Old, Sherrywood
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 Many blenders feel that second-fill sherry casks give a more balanced result than first-fill. This whisky is a lesson in that technique.

Master of Malt Laphroaig 10 Years Old 1998
Single Malt - Scotland - 55.50% 8 The perfect image of the countryside in autumn on a wet chilly morning, with a mixture of fog and smoke hovering over the fields and the woods. Very suggestive.

McGibbon's Linkwood (Sherry Matured)
- Scotland - 46.00% 6 Not come to life yet.

Michael Collins 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Republic of Ireland - 40.00% 7 Should we try pairing that whisky with cheese? I am not convinced...

Michael Collins Single Malt
Single Malt - Ireland - 40.00% 7 A little lacking in impact after such a big nose. Worth a look though.

Midleton Single Cask 1991 10 Years Old
Pot Still - Republic of Ireland - 53.70% 8 Complex, subtle. Recommended quite a bunch this issue.

Milford 10 Years Old
Single Malt - New Zealand - 43.00% 7 Good flavour development.

Milford 10 Years Old
Single Malt - New Zealand - 43.00% 7 A good combination of fruit and oak. Wood is well integrated. Quite a moreish dram.

Miyagikyo 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Japan - 45.00% 7 Nose is more attractive than the palate. Lacks elegance and cohesion.

Old Malt Cask Bowmore 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 50.00%

Old Malt Cask Highland Park 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 50.00% 7 Utterly delicious, but the sherry masks the peat and salt.

Parker's Heritage Collection 10 Year Old Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 63.90%

Parker's Heritage Collection Cognac Finish 10 Years Old
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 50.00% 8 Everything meshes very nicely here.

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?

Queen of the Moorlands Caol Ila 10 Years Old, Rare Cask
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 8 Very good, but better without water. Is Caol Ila the most consistent distillery ever? So many indies, so few duff drams.

Royal Brackla 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 A pleasant malt, but this bottling has less structure than I remember. It is to be hoped that new owners Dewar's give more prominence to this distillery.

Sam Houston Very Small Batch 10 Years Old
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 45.00% 7 An attractive, tawny, colour and a good, straight-ahead, whiskey. Could be more complex at ten years. Ideal with a Texas barbecue?

Speyburn 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Quite a pleasant pre-dinner dram, with light nibbles perhaps. A little shy though. Would yield more at a higher alcoholic strength or in a few years.

Springbank 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Scores extra points for complexity.

Springbank 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 7 The nose is lighter and more subtle than the palate. A dash of water tones down the flavours. Disappointing.

Springbank Vintage, 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 55.20% 8 There's an uncompromising feral power to this. Magnificent.

Sullivans Cove Bourbon Maturation
Single Malt - Australia - 60.00% 6 The overriding impression is of young whiskies released too soon.

Sullivans Cove Port Maturation
Single Malt - Australia - 60.00% 6 It sticks to the tongue and you can't get rid of it.

Talisker 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 45.80% 9 Always a classic, though I still miss the 8 Years Old.

Talisker 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 45.80% 7 Less peppery than in my memory. As if the spicy outburst on mid palate has been tamed. A bit harsh too. Seems to have lost its volcanic temper.

Talisker 10 Years Old
- Scotland - 45.80% It's the sweetness that's the key here.

Talisker 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 45.80% Once again balance struck between seemingly contradictory elements.

Teaninich 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 7 Teaninich seems to have become more fruity and herbal over the years. And thinner. Or is it me who has become fatter?

The Arran Malt 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 7 Have this before lunch and maybe chilled down.

The Arran Malt Robert Burns 250 Years Anniversary, 10 Years Old, 1998
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 3 Acharming but whispering dram, refreshing and comforting.

The Balvenie 10 Years Old, Founder's Reserve
Single Malt - Scotland - 43.00% 8 The most honeyish of Speyside malts?

The Macallan Sherry Oak
- Scotland - 40.00% Glossy and polished. Big flavour rules here.

The Macallan 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Very satisfying.

The Macallan 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 8 Modern-day Macallan. Full of flavour but neither cloying nor overwhelming.

The Macallan 10 Years Old, Cask Strength
Single Malt - Scotland - 58.80% 8 With its distinctly reddish chestnut colour, this is clearly well sherried. An uncomplicated, robust, Macallan. Simply delicious.

The Macallan 10 Years Old, Fine Oak
Single Malt - Scotland - 0.00% 8 The extra two years have made this a little drier, and it still lacks complexity. Improvement to come here.

The Speyside 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Good to see one of the newest distilleries now offering a 10 Years Old. One to watch.

The Tweedale Blend 10 Years Old
Blended - Scotland - 46.00% 7 A new name but a well put together blend that's worth a punt.

The Wee Dram Caol Ila 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.00% 7 Precise and poised. Happy Birthday Wee Dram.

Three Ships 10 Years Old
Single Malt - South Africa - 43.00% 7 Some odd esters on the nose, but a nicely festive whisky.

Three Ships 10 Years Old
Single Malt - South Africa - 43.00% 7 Precocious. A fantastic 10yo and marked accordingly.

Tobermory 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Classic bourbon cask profile. Perfumy like Eau de cologne. Well balanced. Nuttier with water but it takes the freshness off.

Tobermory 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 46.30% 7 The feel is what is the biggest improvement here.

Tomatin 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Simple and straight forward but well composed and enjoyable. A reliable, solid, malt. I always enjoy it.

Tomintoul 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 Quite a muscular Speysider. The perfect dram to buck you up after a woodland walk mushroom-picking on a cold November day.

Tullibardine 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Scotland - 40.00% 7 A delicate malt, but with some complexity.

Tyrconnell Madeira Finish 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Ireland - 46.00% 8 Well put together, the finish not too obtrusive.

Tyrconnell Port Finish
Single Malt - Ireland - 46.00% 7 This just balances the whiskey and the finish.

Whistle Pig 10 Years Old Straight Rye
Rye - U.S.A. - 50.00% 7 It packs a wallop but too intense for me.

Wild Turkey 10 Years Old, Russell's Reserve
Bourbon - U.S.A. - 50.50% 8 Slightly austere and cerebral. One to sip while watching a video of an art-house movie.

Yamazaki 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Japan - 40.00% 7 A charming summery dram. The perfect “herbal tea” to savour while gazing at the moonlit sky.

Yoichi 10 Years Old
Single Malt - Japan - 43.00% 8 This is a wonderful whisky at 10 Years Old. I love the almost shocking hit of heavy peating.

Yoichi 10 Years old, 1998
Single Malt - Japan - 55.00% 8 Another cracker from that great distillery. Just a splash of water and it takes you further and further.

Yoichi 10 Years Old, Single Cask
Single Malt - Japan - 59.90% 9 A terrific whisky, beautifully rounded, with lots of everything.