Each issue of Whisky Magazine, our duo of experts Alwynne Gwilt and Bradley Weir blind taste 20 whiskies from around the world and share their tasting notes, thoughts, and overall scores. Here, we take a look at the top five whiskies from our most recent issue, including the expression that was named Editor's Choice.
Although American whiskeys were among those awarded a Recommended badge, Scotch took the podium in this issue. Read on to discover our tasters' favourites, and visit our tastings pages to see all the tasting reviews from issue 205.
5th: The GlenAllachie — Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish 9 Years Old
Speyside distillery the GlenAllachie released this amontillado cask finished expression in 2024, as part of its three-strong sherry cask series. Each bottling in the collection, which also included Fino Sherry Cask Finish and Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish, had an age statement of 9 Years Old.
The GlenAllachie — Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish 9 Years Old
The GlenAllachie Distillery
ABV: 48% | Style: Single malt | Country: Scotland | Region: Speyside | Bottling: Distillery | Availability: Worldwide
Combined score: 16.7
Bradley says...
Medicinal on the nose, disguising a smooth and delightful palate with pressed oranges, mango juice, and fresh pineapple. The pineapple lingers for a medium finish. I wish the aromas had been more enticing, but this is a really great dram.
Score: 8.8
Alwynne says...
Pineapple in all forms: pineapple upside-down cake; warm freshly sliced pineapple; tinned. Victoria sponge leads on the palate. With water, a nice grassiness emerges. Perfectly tasty, good, classic Speyside whisky.
Score: 7.9
Read Bradley and Alwynne's full tasting notes here.
=2nd: Glen Scotia — Double Cask Rum Finish
Glen Scotia's Double Cask Rum Finish, which the distillery says pays tributes to Campbeltown's roots as a port, has been matured in first-fill bourbon and Guyanese demerara rum casks. A "sibling" to its Double Cask expression which uses PX casks, the Double Cask Rum Finish recently received a nod in the World Whiskies Awards Scotland 2025.
Glen Scotia, Double Cask Rum Finish
Loch Lomond Group
ABV: 46% | Style: Single malt | Country: Scotland | Region: Campbeltown | Bottling: Distillery | Availability: Worldwide
Combined score: 16.9
Bradley says...
Fruit-forward on the nose, with banana and coconut. Hints of plums, melon, mango. On the palate, cinnamon and nutmeg are predominant. This is a pleasing showing for Campbeltown.
Score: 8.3
Alwynne says...
Sugar water, Crunchie bars, and a touch of smoke. Surprisingly fruity and full, with mangosteens and passion fruit. A complex and intriguing whisky with some beautiful texture.
Score: 8.6
Read Bradley and Alwynne's full tasting notes here.
=2nd: Kinloch Anderson — The Kiltmaker Series: Pleated to Sett
Kinloch Anderson may strike some as an unusual source for a Recommended whisky, given that it is a kiltmaker, not a whisky maker. Its first limited release blend is the result of the brand's collaboration with whisky consultant Blair Bowman, Woven Whisky, and the Leith Export Co. The Pleated to Sett release is the first in a series of limited-release collaborative blends, all of which will nod to the kiltmaker's heritage in Leith and Edinburgh.
Kinloch Anderson — The Kiltmaker Series: Pleated to Sett
Kinloch Anderson
ABV: 46.8% | Style: Blended | Country: Scotland | Region: N/A | Bottling: Independent | Availability: UK
Combined score: 16.9
Bradley says...
Hazelnut, chocolate-coated peanuts, then caramel sweetness. On the palate, a sharp burst of black pepper and cinnamon that opens up to vanilla custard and sticky toffee pudding. This is tremendous in its complexity. Once used to the spicy bursts, it’s a really smooth and beautiful whisky.
Score: 8.7
Alwynne says...
Apples and pears, marzipan, crayon. Palate brings creamy fruit — peach, apricot, raspberry. A nice spice rounds things out. Really delicious. Great texture and a brilliant balance between the fruit element and spice. Impressive.
Score: 8.2
Read Bradley and Alwynne's full tasting notes here.
=2nd: Glenfarclas — 15 Years Old
Part of the Speyside distillery's core range of age-statement malts, the Glenfarclas 15 Years Old is matured in European oak oloroso sherry casks from Spain. Holyrood Distillery's Calum Rae recently picked the dram as one of his desert island whiskies. "It’s so drinkable," he said, "your classic sherry-cask whisky."
Glenfarclas — 15 Years Old
J&G Grant
ABV: 46% | Style: Single Malt | Country: Scotland | Region: Speyside | Bottling: Distillery | Availability: Worldwide
Combined score: 16.9
Bradley says...
Apple crumble at first, then orange and apricot. The fruit-forwardness remains on the palate, with apricot standing out, and a hint of chocolate-covered-raisin. The fruitiness of this whisky is a delight, and the chocolate surprise is pleasant. An enjoyable Speyside dram.
Score: 8.5
Alwynne says...
Wafts of beeswax to start, then blackcurrant leaf, raspberries, and honey-glazed doughnuts. Buttery sweetness starts on the palate — I want to put this on toast. Complex, indulgent, and comforting — this is a great wee dram.
Score: 8.4
Read Bradley and Alwynne's full tasting notes here.
1st: Glenmorangie — A Tale of Ice Cream
Glenmorangie released the latest in its 'A Tale of...' series in 2024, with this ice-cream-inspired whisky. Whisky makers Dr Bill Lumsden and Gillian Macdonald crafted the single malt using whisky aged in high-vanillin new oak casks, which were toasted to enhance the vanilla qualities and notes of peaches, vanilla, and coconut.
Glenmorangie — A Tale of Ice Cream
Moët Hennessy
ABV: 46% | Style: Single Malt | Country: Scotland | Region: Highland | Bottling: Distillery | Availability: Worldwide
Combined score: 17.2
Bradley says...
Vanilla-forward, like walking past an ice-cream truck. Citrus leads on the palate, with orange and lime. There is also a distinct flavour of Mr Whippy ice cream. This is a brilliant conception; all it’s missing is two Cadbury Flakes.
Score: 8.8
Alwynne says...
Toasted nuts on the nose,then peanut brittle, maple syrup, and fudge. Fruit sits alongside those sweet toffee notes on the palate. Nutmeg and cinnamon keeps it balanced. Yummy. A whisky I could happily have instead of pudding — sweet but balanced.
Score: 8.4
Read Bradley and Alwynne's full tasting notes here.
A note on blind tasting at Whisky Magazine
- All samples are blind tasted, with ABV, country/region, and style the only information disclosed.
- Samples are tasted individually over a two-week period.
- Tasters work to tasting and scoring guidelines in order to assess samples consistently.
- The top-scoring sample is awarded Editor’s Choice.
- Samples receiving scores of 16.5+ receive a Recommended award.
