1 | Spirits | Scotch, $20 to $50, 750 ml

"Pure amber color. Buttered toast and grain, buckwheat honey, and mossy stone aromas. A silky entry leads to a dryish medium body of honey buttered wheat toast, roasted nuts, dried banana, and peppery spice. Finishes with a lingering toffee, wet stone, and spice fade. A rock solid blend."

"The initial aroma is sweetish, winey and oaky; aeration allows the aroma to expand to include marzipan, treacle, molasses, honey, vanilla bean, cinnamon and cocoa butter. The palate entry is sweet, creamy and assertive; at midpalate the flavor becomes intensely nutty, buttery and bacon fat-like, with the beginnings of rancio. Remains one of Speyside’s standard-bearer 12 year olds." 90-95 pts.

"Off-dry malted barley and light toffee smells greet the olfactory sense along with flowery fragrances of heather, rose petal and pine. Entry features sweet grain and candied apricot tastes; the midpalate is mellow, malty, fruity (white raisins, apricots) and sophisticated. Ends on a buttery note. Remains the Speyside benchmark." 90-95 pts.

"The nosing finds dry grainy notes with background scents of dried flowers and parchment, and deeper fragrances of light toffee, almond paste and yellow fruit. Entry is oily, buttery and semisweet; the whisky dazzles at midpalate with layered flavors of brown butter, cooking oil, barley malt and oatmeal cookie underpinned by the single malt foundation. Concludes smoky, satiny and ultra-sophisticated." 90-95 pts.

"Rich, amber color. Malty, caramel aromas have a sour cream pastry edge. A round, rich entry leads to an off-dry medium-to full-bodied palate with sweet toffee, brown spices, leather, and robust exotic peppercorns. Finishes with a long sherried fade of caramel, pepper, and salty roasted nuts."

"The complex bouquet contains rich malt and fruity aromas with just a hint of peatiness. The palate is rewarded with a unique combination of attractive flavours – a balance of apples, pears and malt, with a gentle hint of nuttiness enhanced by the subtle use of sherry wood. The result is a wonderfully rich and elegant taste producing a long and satisfying finish."

"The aromatic profile is assertive yet welcoming, sweetish yet cereal dry, and oaky yet floral and a touch briny; the quintessential 12-year-old malt bouquet. In the mouth, the integrated flavors come in waves of toasted walnut, dark caramel, toasted marshmallow and barely perceptible seaweed." 96-100 pts.

"Stately aroma reminds me of butter- cream candies; further air contact reveals deeper scents of melon, white raisins, dried yellow plums and fudge. Entry is honey-sweet, ripe and fruity (dried yellow fruits, banana, pineapple, pear); midpalate is long, satiny, honeyed, eggy, fruity and balanced. Concludes on notes of Sherry, apricot, white raisins and light toffee." 90-95 pts.

"Bright golden amber color. Aromas of buttery caramel corn kernels, honeyed date bread, and Provence bath soap follow through on a supple entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with oil texture and floral honey and delicate spice fade. A pleasant sipper." Silver Medal.