Drams for the New Year

Fresh peat smoke mingles with a soft cooked stone fruit sweetness, with layers of smoke. On the palate there is a surge of tangy peat smoke and a vanilla pudding sweetness that leads to a sea-side, peppery smoke. The barley, oak and peat come together in harmony on the finish which is long and peaty. Consistently one of the best whiskies to come from Islay, made by the Wills family at Rockside farm.

The Red Door gin is produced by the family owned Benromach distillery on the fringes of the Speyside region in Scotland. Distilled in Peggy, the distillery's hand-made copper pot gin still, the base spirit is vapour-infused with local botanicals including some that are uniquely Scottish such as rowanberry and sea buckthorn. A zingy citric flavour is joined by floral notes (heather) and an edge of earthyness can be found neat, and with the addition of raspberries in the G&T serve, it brings out the fruity character of the spirit.

A very easy drinking, quaffable Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Speyburn distillery, situated right on the river Spey. An excellent value dram with flavours of creamy toffee, citrus (particularly oranges, marmalade), delicate floral notes and a drying finish with a wee whiff of smoke in the background. A lovely and easy-to-drink malt from the heart of whisky in Scotland.

Langskip, a norse word for Longship, is the latest release from Scotland's far-north distillery, Wolfburn. This is the first high-strength whisky from the distillery, offering fruity and aromatic notes of dried apple, raisins and dates and rich fruit cake. The palate has maple syrup, dark chocolate and fruit and nut mix. A fading vanilla-sweet finish comes through in the finish. A welcome new addition to the popular Wolfburn range.