Delicious aromas of Battenburg cake, Marzipan and vanilla, icing sugar. The palate is spicy, oaky, medium bodied and mouth coating. Quick finish with malt and licorice aftertaste. Demonstrates why we pay more for age.
Nose characters of sweet heather, honey, spices with a fresh slightly green aroma. Waves of honey with a hint of spice on the palate. The finish is short and slightly bitter.
Lots of honey fragrance with light sherry tones. Tastes of new wood that overpowers the sherry. Sherry returns in the finish; sweet and lingers deliciously.
Scents of mulled wine spices with sweet oak and honey. Delicate and gentle smoke. A very soft, rounded body with sherry and honeyed maltiness. A nutty finish with a flowery hint of peat
Aromatic notes of sherry, fruit, chocolate, and ginger. A luxurious, silky palate of sherry, raisins, chocolate, and ginger. A warm finish that lingers with ginger, citrus, and subtle chocolate.
The nose is floral and malty. Aromas of sweet cereals, coffee, and apples in puff pastry. The palate is fresh and minty; chewy – bitter sweet and creamy, subtle spice. The finish is warm, spicy, and satisfying.
A pleasant nose of strawberries and cream; vanilla, buttery. Palate is firm, slippery-smooth, cookie-like maltiness, with a spicy middle. Finish is creamy, fruity; like a sour cream pancake laced with cherry brandy.
Floral, malty nose. Aromas of sweet cereals, coffee, and apples in puff pastry. Palate is fresh and minty; chewy – bitter sweet and creamy, subtle spice. Finishes warm, spicy.
A lively nose with plenty of spicy oak, malt, and sweet fruit. Light, clean palate with cereal grain maltiness. Firm, smooth and develops toastier, nuttier flavors. Finishes with sweet grass and smoky fragrance.
Complex. Aromatic profile of sherry and spice. Orange crème brulee. Notes of oak and exotic wood; cigar box. Palate is silky and sweet, releases spice, exotic fruits, orange peel, then notes of chocolate almost minty. Finishes dry and sweet.
An array of aromatics: raisins, clotted cream, hints of fresh mint, malty honey tones, with notes of creamy toffee. Taste is very soft, slightly tannic and dry. Dried apricots and bubblegum. The palate: charming, sweet strawberry flavors with some spicy bitterness.
Attractive and gentle nose; very creamy, oats and fairly sweet. Palate contains characters of soft vanilla, light crisp oak with hints of coconut and dried banana. Firm but gentle finish; fragrant; seductive.
Buttery and soft nose; Ripe fruits, dusty and malty underneath, with some floral notes. Palate soft and creamy but still young. A plump palate with brioche, light red fruits and crisp cereal. Finishes clean, refreshing, apple mint. Hard butterscotch, rhubarb.
Smells of sherry, fruitcake, syrup and brandy butter. The palate is heavy with flavors of sherry; it is rich, weighty. Hints of orange and light wood. Finish is satisfying and falavors are deep : maltiness and spices.
Aromas of heavy sherry, molasses, treacle, pudding, and fruitcake. Syrup, brown sugar, and molasses come out on the rich palate, with a late appearance of peat. Powerful, sweet sherry finish.
A rich, robust aroma with hints of peaches and wood-spice. The palate is rich with coconut and vanilla flavours, hints of sultanas, lemon and peat. The finish lingers with sherried orange and is slightly spicy.
(check for availability)
Caramel and hints of citrus in the nose. Warm front on the palate with grass tones. The finish is long and very warm. Layers and flavor come out when cut with a drop of water.
Toffee, roasted nut, and spice aromas. Some soft notes of scented leather, sandalwood, vanilla. Fresh, spicy then soft and pleasantly sweet. Citrus and raisins, then vanilla and a hint of honey with just a trace of wood.
Fennel, creamy, spicy nutmeg fragrances. Robust exchange of sweetness and dryness. Spiky. Great momentum in the mouth with cranachan, soft baked fruits, apricot and malt. Tingly, long finish.
Delicately spicy aroma. Fresh. Aniseed. Sandalwood. Flavors of burnt toffee, sugary, nutty; pistachios. Finish of pink marshmallow and crème de menthe.
Warm aromas of sherry, cloves and vanilla with a hint of toffee. Redolant flavors of malt and faintly smoky. Medium body weight. Palate is dry, spicy with a zesty citrus tang. Rounded finish, complex.
Sweet smells of marzipan, notably nutty, very heavy sherry aromas. Palate characters are sweet and silky with sherry, cream, and nuts. Finish is warming, gingery, and becomes dry.
Rich, dry scented floral and sweet raisin aromas with a spicy nuttiness. Smooth, full, sweet floral and spicy flavors with a soft plum fruitiness and gentle oakiness. The finish is long, warm with spicy fruitiness.
Incredibly aromatic: heavy spices, Cointreau, Mulled wine, Oloroso sherry, stewed fruits. The palate is rich and creamy, with a hint of mint, oranges, heavy spice and sweet like a liquor. Long peppery finish with a dry orange aftertaste.
A nose of vanilla, sherry, orange, and honey. Sweet palate; notes of honey and nuts, sherry, cinnamon spiciness, and orangy fruitiness. The finish is long, warming, and spicy
Aromas of sweet oak, vanilla, custard, cinnamon, and honey. The palate is chewy with sweet oak and extraordinary waves of honey; mellow. Long finish with sugared almonds, honey, honey, and honey. Let it breathe.
A well matured Balvenie; its soft, honey and oaky notes are balanced with a delicate influence from the NewWood adding spiciness and hints of vanilla.
The nose is perfumy, fruity. Raisiny. Nutty dryness and a hint of marzipan. The palate is very complex: silky, toffee, creamy, winey. The finish is enormous: wave upon wave of deep smoky/oaky notes; dry.
Starts with aromas of grass and coriander then honey, vanilla, and fruit are well balanced with wood overtones. The palate is rounded medium with rich honey, vanilla, herbs. The finish is short and dry.
Aromas of Crème brulée, honey, cinnamon and coconut in harmony with rich port notes and oak wood. A palate of butterscotch, herbs, cinnamon, peaches and sultanas, infused with port and oak wood notes.
Sweet and intense nose with a fruity twinkle. Vanilla, fresh hazelnuts. Marshmallow. Rum influence peeps through the creamy fruitiness. Smooth palate with bags of vanilla soft fruits and a lightly floral touch. A medium finish with a touch of rum.
Scents of honey, sultanas, dark chocolate with a flood of Pedro Ximinez Sherry. Tastes of cream, honey, infused with papaya, rosehips, eucalyptus and dark chocolate, all interwoven with rich Pedro Ximinez Sherry and oak wood.
Lightly malty with plenty of sweet spices in the nose. Water brings a fluffy citrus quality and butteriness. A big broad texture on the tongue with sweet pale sultanas, caramel and a sweet breadiness.Nutty and clean finish, with decent length, some concentrated fruit.
An explosion of smoke and peat, in combination with teasing hints of honey, apples and spices. Aroma of smoky wood fires. Sweet and then bitter. A sneeze inducing pepperiness. A thick and juicy texture. The finish is oily and less phenolic than the nose; appestising smoke.
Mulled fruits and sherry, sweet, chocolate aroma. Palate sweet with sherrywood flavors, charred oak, sweet spice, dry grass. Sweet, smoky finish.
The nose is notably herbal, rich malt, and sweet fruits, grassy. The palate is complex; an interplay of teasing sweetness and stony dryness. Flavor notes of honey, orange blossom, and walnuts. Finish is heathery smoke.
Smells of stewed fruits, raisins, caramel, nutty notes, and vanilla, citrus. A silky, creamy feel; Sherry surges past other flavors with hints of pecan. Crisp finish, with balancing nutty dryness from sherry notes.
Rich, spicy nose of cake, oak, sherry and apricots. The palate is sharp, almost spiky with hard toffee and burnt, peat smoke notes. Short, gentle finish of spice; ginger.
Appetising nose of brandy butter, floral nots, sweet oak and coconut. Lovely fresh palate, soothing sweetness, fresh fruit, light oak. Finish is long, oaky, spicy.
An elegant starter whisky with a sweet and gentle palate. Smells of sweet heather, lemon grass, and vanilla. Has a warm, medium finish.
Smells of dates and dried fruits, orange peel, and burnt toffee. Palate consisting of sweet fruit with a cedary, oily, marshmallow characteristics. A long, warming, dry, burnt fruit finish.
Aromatics are mealy with some sweet grassiness and a floral character (lilac). Intense and focused palatewith real lemon tartness to start. Mellows into clotted cream, tangerine
Fat, buttery nose with a vegetal note. Palate has a pleasing round maltiness, followed by a crisp mineral-like character; oily.
A fragrant nose of orange-zest, light smokiness, gentle oak and honey. Light on the tongue, but lively flavours; oily, clean fruitiness, tangerines. Finishes softly spiced with long, rich malt.
A fragrant nose of orange-zest, light smokiness, gentle oak and honey. Light on the tongue, but lively flavours; oily, clean fruitiness, tangerines. Finishes softly spiced with long, rich malt.
Smells of sweet grass. Lightly peppery/ mustardy. Palate notes of creamy maltiness, peat, fruit, grapes. Finishes fresh, slightly smoky, and dry.
Tempting aromas of peat-smoke, orange marmalade, malt, and sherry. A mouth-filling and chewy palate; orange, cream, honey, toffee. A long, chewy finish; notes of toffee with malt and vanilla. (check for availability)
Light aromatics of spice; grassy and heathery. The palate is sweet at first; light with flavors of heather. An oaky, warming finish. A nice, light whisky.
Nose is delicate intertwining of honey, butterscotch, and dry oak; a touch peat. Palate starts lightly oily, lemon grass, sweet; moves to malt and oak. Lemon grass and a nutty dryness.
Aromatics of autumn leaves, grass, and peat smoke. Palate notes of ginger, nuts, and intense malt with increasing sweetness; toasty. Finishes with honey, cream, and some peat.
Scents of heather; incense-like, perfumy, slight smoke and herbs. Palate starts malty, but becomes drier. Quite rich. More spicy. Finishes with a thick layer of peat, but softened with pepper
Smells of fresh leather with an attractive blend of sherry and peat. The palate is creamy with raisin like flavor and sweet, juicy oak. Peat emerges when water is added. The finish is smoky and smooth. A very sophisticated bottling. Perfect after a fine dinner
Smells of walnuts, vanilla, a flowery sweetness; well balanced. Flaky oakiness with complex toastiness; flowery and herbal. Long, dry finish with initial sweetness which moves to almonds and oak.
Envelops the tongue in a warm, smooth coating then moves on to release notes of chocolate, caramel and even a touch of mint. There is a complexity of flavors from being aged 10 years in a bourbon barrel and transferred for an extra two years in port pipes.
Malty nose with toffee notes, slightly grassy with peaty undertones. Palate is smooth and somewhat chewy. Malty sweet at first then becomes dry.
Succulent honeyed traits with a briney background. Palate is rich, nutty, malty and full-bodied with dark chocolate and spice emerging. Long lingering finish.; chocolatey and warming. With a late peaty finesse.
The nose has a lovely balance of sherry, honey, heather, and mint. An aroma of toffee apples, coffee, and toasted almonds. The palate is rich with fruitcake, spiced bread, and malt. The finish is luscious and smoky.
Nose of drying grass with ligh cereal and sherbert like citric lift. Hints of green walnut and tangerine. The flavor is a real malty sweetness and mouth filling with soft fruits in the centre and balancing oak. The finish is short but balanced.
Delicate wafts of smoke mingle effortlessly with sweet malt, a hint of oaky salt, apples, old polished leather and trademark heather. Exceptionally smooth palate. Succulent, with smoky dryness, heathery-honey sweetness and maltiness. Long, smoky finish with a heathers dryness and spice.
Nose is warm, notably flowery. Heather-honey, fresh oak, sap, peat, smoky fragrance. Very aromatic and appetising. Beautifully sweet: even sweeter than the 12 year old with peat on the back of the palate. Beautifully chewy, oily and substantial. Finish is peaty and a little oaky. Cocoa and toffee cream compexity.
Lightly piney aromas, earthy, salty, dry. The palate is sweetish, soft, malty, oily, slowly developing a slight island dryness and saltiness. Finish is has a malty sweetness and some saltiness.
A nose of pine, citrus, and oak. The palate has notes of coriander, sweet fruits, and dry wood. A medium bodied whisky with a dry and sweet finish.
A rustic bouquet of burnt apple, peat, and hints of the seashore. Others may find notes of baked bread or nuts. The palate is silky and sweetness fills the mouth. There are hints of nuts and heather. The finish is sweet and spicy.
Young and lightly floral before smoke is ignited with a drop of water. Some vanilla. Sweet, smokiness and some tinned peaches. It’s like a florist’s shop with a peat fire blazing in the corner. A finish of dry smoke and ash.
Heathery nose. Aromas of oak, light peat, damson jam. Lavender honey dripping off hot buttered toast. Water brings out sweet almond, orange and cumin. The palate is sweet and honeyed with balancing oak and a long unctuous feel. Leather and caramelized notes. A medium finish with a tickle of smoke.
A wonderful aroma: a razor-sharp spiciness lances through sugary sweetness and rich peat accented with smoke. A complex palate: full maltiness, slightly syrupy with an enormous build up of spice which adds to the multi-layered peat. The finish is massively warming and still spicy. The peat lingers while the spice bristles.
Nose is sweet with a touch of peat smoke. The palate is lightly peated with an enjoyable interplay of malt, nutty, dryness and toffee, minty, sweetness. The finish is gently smoked with a continuing malty, sweetness.
Smells of smoldering peat and sea air; seaweed and oak. Taste is sweet and velvety then the peat comes through the smoke. Finish lingers; dry and smoky.
Nose is intensely smoky, but a dry clean, tangy smoke (like peat fires on the beach). Palate is rich and powerful with hints of lime and soot. The finish is hot and long.
In Gaelic means‘Shelter of the Beast’. Aromas of unsweetened dark chocolate, then peat smoke and salt. Palate is great wallop of peat! Followed by smoke, pepper, creamy chocolate fudge and a very refined smoothness. The finish is lengthy, creamy, with strong coffee, pepper, but predominantly peat smoke.
Floral and peaty nose with hints of American oak. Subtle aromas of smoke and seashore. Smooth, sweet palate that’s rounded with light maltiness, smoke to the back palate and a touch of seaweed. Medium, ashy finish with a trace of peat.
Fragrantly smoky. Very floral. Sea air. Astonishingly fresh, delicious, appetizing, complex. Big and chewy palate with the sherry and the peat in perfect harmony, nutty. Long with a hint of molasses/licorice adding to the toasty malt and rumbling smoke.
Sweet smells of peach, cream, lemon meringue, mint and a hint of smoke. The palate is slightly malty, creamy, and surprisingly soft with a spiky sweetness. The medium finish is peppery and lingers elegantly.
Aromas of rich oak and sherry with a hint of spiciness and slightly earthy. The palate is gentle, clean with a nutty-malty sweetness and a pleasant sherry-oak flavor. The finish is prickly and herbal.
Nose releases honeyed nuts and slightly sea-induced salty tang. Notes of rich toffee and leathery oak aromas release after time. Velvety palate is influenced by mellow sherried nuts and shavings of the finest natural oak wood. Finish is dry and lightly spiced.
The nose is lively with aromas of morning sea-breeze, smoked paprika, soft peat and bread. The palate is soft, mellow, and clean. Sweet peat comes out with the ash and medium body. The finish lingers with smoke and spice.
Contains all the ingredients of a really good Islay. A very pleasant smoky and peaty nose, a full palate, which is dry, smoky & fresh, clean & big-bodied. The smoke really dominates. A short finish. Water not recommended. A great introductory Islay.
Massive peat aroma. Ultra-intense iodine carries. The fruity-sherry notes are clean, vanilla is much deeper. Beautifully layered. Peat so thick you could stand a spoon in it. Chewy iodine bolstered by sherry and big oak. Finish dries off with malt, dried dates and peat.
Powerful nose with scents of brine, peat, and seaweed alongside soft oak and fruity sweetness. Oily, salty and sweet peat all over the tongue. Long finish, peaty and peppery.
Same peaty nose as the ten year old, but fruitier with hints of lavender and vanilla. The palate is surprisingly soft and chewy, but the hot peat rounds out the flavor. The finish is round, dry, long and warming.
The big, rich nose is sweet, minty peat with lavender, smoked nuts, and a medicinal touch mingled with oaky tones. The complex palate is sweet and silky. Sherry elegantly balanced by peat. Finish is dry, spicy, and lightly smoked.
(check for availability)
Aged in quarter sized casks. The additional oak influence creates a soft sweetness and velvety feel when first tasted, then the intense peatiness comes bursting through. The finish is very long and alternates between the sweetness and the peat.
Very sweet nose with lots of estery notes: lemon, apple, iris, American cream soda, Palate is clean, sweet, start. Barley sugar, banana, lightly floral/chestnut blossom. Water shows a touch of honey. Lovely feel. The finish glides away with great length.
Aromas of pine, peat, but not overly smoky. The taste has stunningly fresh peat flavors and the long finish is sweet, salty, and peppery. Classic intense, Scottish flavors.
Fragrant, salty. The sea begins to emerge. Fresh. Spirity orange with a hint of dry peat. A smooth sweet palate then a blast of flavor: dried herb, salt spray, smoke, moss, toffee apple. Finishes with mint toffee, hot peppermint, and late saltiness on the front.
Smells of dried apricots and buttery toffee with slight smoke. Rich, full body with sweet, honeyed oak on the palate and floral notes after opening. Finish has a lingering sweetness and hint of smoke.
Independent bottlers can offer a fantastic range of Scotch whiskies and through acquiring a number of whisky casks; sometimes from distilleries that are currently 'mothballed' or have been completely dismantled they are preventing certain fine Scotch whiskies from disappearing altogether. The casks will be matured by the Independent Bottler as they see fit, bottled and presented under their own particular label. Some Independent Bottlers specialize in producing limited editions of rare, premium single malt whiskies from specially selected casks (from brokers or direct from the distillery). Such whiskies are attractive to the real whisky connoisseur as an opportunity to sample a rare vintage, or a whisky from their favorite distillery that has been matured in a different type of cask or bottled at a different age from the normal standard production. An increase in demand for more specialist whiskies has seen various independent bottlers extend their range to offer 'Cask Strength Whiskies'. Proprietary whiskies are normally bottled at 40% vol, 'cask strength' means that no water has been added to the whisky prior to bottling and therefore the whisky may be over 50% vol. Other attractive bottling features may include 'NO chill filtering or colouring'. (scotchwhisky.net)
The Scottish Arms currently presents selections from these independent bottlers:
Duncan Taylor Signatory Gordon &MacPhail Murray McDavid
By their very nature independent bottlings tend to come in small quantities and when they’re gone, they’re gone. For this reason we have chosen to leave out these whiskies and list them separately. Please ask for a list from you server or bartender.