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It’s also very light and approachable while still feeling like a solid whisky. That leads towards a very easy and soft woodiness with a touch of candied pear and more vanilla cream. This dram is creamy like a vanilla pudding with a bright pear orchard and some mild toffee. The juice is aged in a combination of used American and European oak before it’s married, rested, proofed with Speyside’s iconic water, and bottled. This is an entry whisky not only to Speyside but to single malts in general. Moreover, if you’re curious about iodine-heavy peat monsters, this is the right way to plunge into that category. A $50 bottle of booze isn’t special enough to be precious about (ever). Laphroaig 10 remains the damn-near perfect entry point to the island’s vibe while being inexpensive enough to just try. When it comes to Islay peated malts, the sky is the limit in price and variation of flavors. The end really amps up the smokiness while holding onto the iodine of the sea with a final note of salted toffee. The palate holds onto the smoke while adding a wet seaweed brininess next to hints of vanilla cream, peppery spice, and soft oak. The smoke is what greets you with a hint of fruity wood, creating an almost sweet smoke next to a hint of anise and maybe some Band-Aid scent (not in a bad way!). The craft behind this whisky is a blend of the unique Islay peat (used to smoke the malts) and the influence of the sea, which laps at the distillery’s outer walls. This might be one of the most “classic” Islay smoky whiskies on the shelf.
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Best for sherry sweetness: Balvenie DoubleWood 12, £43.95.Best for the whisky buff: Nikka Yoichi single malt, £77.75.Best whiskies to buy as gifts at a glance
Best macallan whiskey plus#
For more, visit our reviews section and find over 200 practical buyer's guides including taste tests of gin, vodka, rum, brandy and more, plus gift guides like the best letterbox gifts to order online. Here are our top whiskies to order online for that special someone in your life. We've pointed out the whiskies best enjoyed with a little something extra. But it's a matter of preference sometimes you need a neat Islay dram after a long day, sometimes you want to enjoy a long drink of Irish malt over ice.
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Whisky is, more often than not, best enjoyed neat. Learn more in our article on Whiskey or whisky, what's the difference?
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Key to remember is that you have Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey – outside of these two nations, bottlers can decide themselves whether they're keeping or dropping the 'e'.
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