Top 10 Whiskies
March 2026
A lot of people ask us what the 'best whisky' is, and we usually explain that there is no universal 'best whisky' because it's such an individual thing – there's only the best whisky for you. It's like asking someone what the 'best film' is. You're going to get a lot of strongly held yet wildly different answers.
But nobody is ever satisfied by that, so each month we hold a battle royale an earnest and civilised* debate among the expert Master of Malt team to narrow it down to their 10 favourite whiskies that month – here are our picks for March.
Berry Bros. & Rudd Irish Reserve
Irish single malt whiskey
The folks at indie bottler Berry Bros. & Rudd have a knack for picking out a good whisky – and deciding the right time to bottle it. This splendid Irish single malt is no exception, selected and bottled for The Classic Range, it's brimming with creamy custard, soft fruit, and gentle zest.
"March rolls in, everyone’s a little Irish. Fine. Do it properly. Swap the green beer for this green labelled dram, a whiskey that's silky with orchard fruit and vanilla, perfect for a St Patrick’s Day toast."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Vanilla custard and whipped cream lead the way, followed by soft orchard fruits, lemon zest, and a touch of honeyed malt.
Creamy custard, baked apple, pear drops, and sweet malt biscuits, backed up by light citrus oils and a sprinkle of white pepper.
Vanilla fudge, gentle spice, and lingering lemon peel.
The Dalmore 17yo
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
Created to showcase more sweet oak influence and delicate spice, this is a whisky with an inherent richness and decadence, according to master whisky maker Dr Kirstie McCallum. The spirit is initially aged in American white oak bourbon barrels for a base of soft vanilla and honey notes. It's then finished in different styles of oloroso sherry casks, including Amoroso, rare Apostoles and Matusalem Oloroso from their exclusive century-long partnership with the world-renowned González Byass.
"I've been wanting to taste this (just released this month!) whisky for a while and needless to say, it did not disappoint. A good balance between the oak creaminess, sweetness and spices. Although the oak is front and center, it doesn't overpower the flavours."
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes by the Producer
Seville orange, rich orchard fruit, and wood spice.
Poached pears, forest berries, sweet toffee, and orange marmalade.
Dark chocolate orange, and rich dried fruit with lingering hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Maple Syrup & Toasted Oats... 8yo
Canadian corn whisky
The full name is: Maple Syrup & Toasted Oats & Orange Zest & Vanilla 8 Year Old. For this, the &Whisky folks donned their snow boots and headed to the Great White North (that's Canada), bringing back the goods! A tremendous Canadian corn whisky that's as sweet, spicy and complex as bourbons twice the price. But how does it taste? The clue's in the name. A bottle of this, some friends, a fireplace, and we'd say that's a pretty perfect evening eh?
"Not sure if it's the Olympics, the weather, or the perpetual homesickness but I've been reaching for this whisky more than any other this past month. Sweet, soul food (for Canadians and those who love them)."
Sam Simmons
Whiskevangelist, award-winning blender & guitar shredder
Tasting notes
Buttery toffee popcorn and chocolate cornflake cakes, plantain, toasted oats and maple syrup with a rancio-like edge. Bonkers stuff!
Orange zest with Florentines full of biscuity, nutty, candied cherry, dark chocolate, honeyed goodness. Black tea and vanilla.
Juicy Fruit, sweet tea, and rolled oats. Mmm. Moreish.
Mac-Talla Mara
Scotch single malt whisky, Islay region
Mac-Talla Mara is an Islay single malt which is focused on the coastal deliciousness that you often find in whiskies from the famous Hebridean island. Though the exact distillery on Islay isn't specified, we do know that it was drawn from American oak casks, and bottled at cask strength. Mac-Talla is the Scottish Gaelic for ‘echo’, and these independently bottled Islay single malts are said to reflect (get it?) the Morrison family’s connection to the island and its whiskies spanning five generations, as well as different sides of the Islay whisky's character.
"A big month for the Morrison family, with the release of their distillery Aberargie's inaugural single malt. It jogged my memory, however, of sharing this entirely different single malt with their MD Niel Hendriksz in our Pour & Sip club. It's the classic maritime one – and the cask strength one – of four core Mac-Talla Islay releases."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Salted lemons, caraway, toasted teacakes with melted butter, seaweed.
Cask char and burnt ends, with a touch of honey. Still packed with sea breeze and maritime malt notes.
Petrichor, sea salt, a touch of smoky bacon.
Redbreast Moscatel
Irish single pot still whiskey
The fifth release in Redbreast’s Iberian Series sees its single pot still whiskey finished in Moscatel wine casks from Málaga for 16 months. Sourced from Bodegas Quitapenas, these casks impart a distinctly floral and fruit-driven influence that complements Redbreast’s rich, spiced core beautifully. It is a thoughtful, well-judged finish that expands the distillery’s sherried vocabulary rather than overwhelming it.
"A new Redbreast has landed. What, you need more? Well it also continues my exploration of less common wine finishes with Moscatel, made with the ancient and aromatic Muscat grape variety."
Chris Wood
Spirits buyer, spirits seller & spirits drinker (& also MoM OG)
Tasting notes
Floral notes, zesty fruit, nutmeg and vanilla oak.
Vibrant orchard and tropical fruit, honeycomb, toffee and gentle herbs.
Lingering pot still spice with wine seasoned oak sweetness.
Empire Rye 2 Year Old (Boutique-y)
American Rye
Back in 2015, a group of New York State distillers created a consortium to establish a style for the state they call their home. The result is Empire rye, an homage to New York's pre-Prohibition rye history and testament to the skills of its modern distillers. This particular expression is a blended Empire rye spirit from nine different New York distillers! (Even if it can't technically be called whisky/whiskey over here because it's not old enough...) Batch 1 is a release of 685 bottles.
"You may have noticed I've been tasting and re-tasting a lot of rye whiskies these past two months. This was one of my highlights. Bringing together nine different Empire Straight Ryes had never been done before, and Dr Whisky Sam Simmons did a superb job for this limited release."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Honeyed sweetness, balanced by hints of baked earth spiciness and a kick of cumin.
Soft and creamy with vanilla pod and buttered bread. Soon more cumin and a kick of peppercorn follows.
Touches of red liquorice and toasted spice.
The Glenrothes 15 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
A wonderful introduction to the rich, fruity, and sherried single malt this Speyside distillery makes. Aged in predominately first-fill European oak sherry-seasoned casks, if you love The Glenrothes whisky already then this will appeal to you. The packaging uses shades of lichen green, inspired by the natural greenery found throughout The Glenrothes Estate, to create a rather beautiful design.
"I was recently at the distillery and had the chance to revisit this whisky. It truly is a fantastic sherried dram, showcasing a beautiful balance of rich fruit and warming spice."
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes by Producer
Dark brown sugar combines with sweet baking spices.
Baked orchard fruits, hazelnut praline and dark chocolate work in harmony with crystalised ginger and orange marmalade. Hints of toasted oak and soft worn leather chime in, adding depth and complexity.
Rich. Sweet. Bright spice.
Brother's Bond Bottled in Bond 7yo
American straight bourbon
Distilled from a mash bill of 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted rye, this straight bourbon was treated to a generous seven years minimum maturing in deep charred barrels, and bottled without chill filtration. Created by long-time friends Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who starred beside each other for over a decade in The Vampire Diaries, this bourbon has been crushing it in America with 98 and 97 point Double Golds in consecutive San Francisco World Spirits Competition blind tastings (2024 & 2025).
"An older bottled-in-bond bourbon at 50% ABV stands a good chance of charming me. This one certainly did. The founders can pick 'em. You could probably wean a vampire off blood by feeding them this."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Candied plums and boozy dark cherries join rich oak char, burnt brown sugar, floral honey, and dried herbs.
Jammy dark fruits, with notes of figs and raisins, butterscotch, and maple syrup. Herbaceous spice gathers beneath, with hints of cinnamon warmth and mint.
Rich oak char, vanilla, and a hint of leather linger.
Orkney (HP) 14yo 2011 - 100 Proof (Signatory)
Scotch single malt whisky, Islands
Independently bottled at a hearty 57.1% ABV, this whisky finished its 14 year maturation with a stay in a host of amontillado sherry hogsheads, bringing layers of toasted nuts and honeyed fruit to the robust Orkney (the initials in the name are probably another clue...) malt.
"Please, no one tell the good folks at Signatory that it's not the early 2000s... their prices are INSANE! I'm choosing this 'HP' but all the whiskies in this range are insane value. Sometimes excellent, sometimes meh, but always worth the punt."
Sam Simmons
Whiskevangelist, award-winning blender & guitar shredder
Tasting notes
Rich oloroso fruitcake, raisin, toasted nuts and soft peat smoke with hints of leather, orange peel and warm spice.
Bold and warming with dark sherry sweetness, treacle, cocoa, smouldering peat, oak spice and a touch of roasted barley.
Long, robust and satisfyingly old-fashioned, with lingering smoke, dried fruit, nutmeg and sherried richness.
New Riff Straight Balboa Rye
American rye whiskey
Apologies if you've got Eye of the Tiger stuck in your head. This Kentucky straight rye whiskey has nothing to do with the popular film franchise and everything to do with a rare heirloom 'Balboa' rye grown exclusively for New Riff distillery! 95% of this whiskey is made up of this Balboa variety, with malted rye making up the other 5%. Matured for a minimum of four years, and bottled without chill filtration, it's bursting with fruit and spice.
"The mission: Find a totally badass rye that Dave 'the rye guy' Worthington hasn't worked his way through during his JanuaRye & FebruaRye Insta extravaganza (or in these Top 10s). I think I've smashed it. Mind you, there are only a handful of bottles left..."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Oaky char, with crunchy plums, dried cranberries, pepper, and allspice.
Drizzles of caramel, with vanilla, redcurrants, cinnamon, more rye spice.
Plenty of spicy rye character, pepper, nutmeg, clove, and nigella seeds.
*No humans were harmed this month during the 'debate'**
**Okay, relatively few were harmed***
***Fine, many were seriously injured, but the local A&E department was perfectly able to cope and they appreciated us sharing our samples with them.
Whisky by flavour
Choosing between hundreds or thousands of whiskies can be overwhelming to say the least. We've organised the world of whisky into five instantly understandable flavour groups to help you explore this amazing and diverse spirit.
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