Top 10 Whiskies
August 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 August.
Wire Works Calvados Arrivée
English single malt whisky
Wire Works Calvados Arrivée takes White Peak Distillery's lightly-peated spirit and initially ages it in bourbon barrels, before a three year finish in first-fill Calvados casks! These particular casks held the famed apple cider brandy for a whole decade. Did someone say summertime Highballs?
"Yes, I'm French, and I love Calvados. I especially enjoy whiskies matured in Calvados casks, where vibrant fresh apple notes shine through. That's exactly what this dram delivers, complemented by a gentle touch of peat, adding a subtle smoky complexity without overpowering."
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes by the producer
Green apples, vanilla extract, rhubarb and custard, fresh cut grass, fruit salad sweets, raspberries, watermelon, dolly mixture.Poached pear, apricot jam, pineapple syrup, and candied peach drift through soft heather smoke, citrus zest, fennel seed, and almond pastry.
White chocolate, baked apple pie, cinder toffee, green grapes, Digestive biscuits, honeydew melon, cinnamon buns, icing sugar.
Delicate smoke, baking spices, meringue, apple crumble.
Jaywalk Bonded
American straight rye whiskey
Made with Horton rye, a true heirloom grain discovered through an investigation into historic New York rye varieties alongside Cornell University. They then managed to get hold of just 10 seeds! It took years to propagate, test, and grow enough to even start using in whiskeys, which is here then aged for a generous seven years. The mash bill consists of 75% rye, 13% corn, and 12% malted barley, and being a Bottled in Bond release, each bottle is produced in a single season and bottled at 50% ABV. Great neat or in an Old Fashioned, or for a different take on classic rye cocktails.
"I’ve been a fan of Allen Katz’s New York Distilling Company since 2013 when Dorothy Parker Gin landed in the UK (it's been restocked on my drinks shelf ever since), but their heirloom rye journey is truly extraordinary, and the deeper, fruitier, less spicy rye whiskey released is just fantastic."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Brown sugar, floral honey, earthy vanilla, some dark fruit.
Rich, cacao, pink peppercorn, clove, ripe peach, dried mango.
Butterscotch, slightly herbal, gently warming.
Isle of Raasay 7yo
Na Sia Single Cask
Scotch single malt Whisky
For their regular single malts, Isle of Raasay brings together peated and unpeated malt from American rye, chinkapin (also spelt Chinquapin - see Meikle Tòir below...) oak and Bordeaux red wine casks. Two peat levels, three casks, six variations or blending building blocks. The Na Sia single cask series lets you look behind the curtain at each. Here we have an unpeated American rye cask, showing off Raasay’s naturally fruity spirit. Bottled at a cask strength of 60% ABV, non-chill filtered, and with natural colour.
"Unpeated Isle of Raasay spirit aged in a single Woodford Reserve Rye cask! We're talking peppery rye spice, vanilla, butterscotch, and saline all wrapped up in a unique summer dram."
Maia Berney
Our erstwhile Maverick Cocktail Queen in the North
Tasting notes
Vanilla fudge, butterscotch, gentle spice, caramel sauce, toasted oak, and a touch of soft orchard fruit.
White pepper and rye spice balanced by caramel, vanilla, toasted grain, and a little nutty sweetness.
Vanilla, caramel, white pepper, and drying oak spice lingering nicely.
Hakushu 18 Year Old 100th Anniversary
Japanese single malt whisky
As if Hakushu 18 Year Old wasn't impressive enough, this Peated Malt limited edition is richer, bottled at a higher strength (48%), and released to celebrate House of Suntory's 100th anniversary! There's still refined, elegant smokiness here even if it's more robust, and it's still balanced by the distinct herbaceous nuances Hakushu is known for, green fruit, and soft spice.
"Hakushu is a wonderful distillery. Like if Studio Ghibli imagined a whisky of the forest. This 18 shows that signature style, eucalyptus and pear cooked over woodsmoke, wrapped up neatly to toast 100 years of Suntory."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Orange, pear and a dry smokiness. Fruit salad.
Patisserie sweet, baked goods and baked goodness!
Long and fruity with Manuka honey with subtle smokiness.
Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
From the first series of whiskies by Meikle Tòir, a peated whisky brand made at GlenAllachie Distillery under the watchful eye (and nose) of owner and master whisky maker Billy Walker. Peated to 35ppm (using mainland St. Fergus peat, a sweeter variety than its coastal counterparts) and fermented for a lengthy 160 hours fermentation, this was aged in American oak bourbon barrels followed by Chinquapin variety fresh oak casks. A bold choice that imparts big, sweet, and rich flavours.
Chris hasn't actually submitted a quote, but we know this is one of his absolute faves. Always banging on about it he is. And who can blame him? Peated Speyside single malt from Billy Walker? Erm... Yes please.
Chris Wood
Spirits buyer, spirits seller & spirits drinker (& also MoM OG)
Tasting notes
Old leather, cigar box, oak char, ginger, vanilla, liquorice, and cinder toffee.
Dark chocolate, cinnamon, marmalade, vanilla, sweet peat, rich crème brûlée and toasted almonds.
Smoky and sweet.
Cutty Sark 17 Year Old
Scotch Blended whisky
After a century on the waves, Cutty Sark still knows how to navigate flavour. This 17 Year Old blend sees Master Blender Stephen Woodcock bring together whisky matured in American oak, sherry, and Port casks. It leans richer and darker than the easy-going house style many will know and while it's smooth, but there’s more going on beneath deck.
"I've long been a fan of Cutty Sark. I was poured a dram of this at a recent whisky festival, and it was an instant hit with me. Since getting my hands on a bottle, it's grown on me even more. I love the bottle, stopper, and box too! Top work all round."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Candied orange peel and milk chocolate, followed by glossy red cherries, plum jam, and soft caramel sweetness. A little cinnamon warmth and toasted oak too, plus jelly sweets and praline.
Freshly baked brown bread, cappuccino foam, cocoa powder, and warming oak spices. A balance of sweet fruit, roasted coffee notes, and mature malt add character.
Lingering oak, cocoa, and soft malt fade slowly alongside hints of orange oil and drying wood spice.
Invergordon 16yo 2009 MoM Single Cask
Scotch single grain whisky
You want seriously delicious whisky?! We deliver with this addition to our exclusive Master of Malt indie bottlings! Distilled at Invergordon in 2009, it spent 16 years maturing in a single oloroso sherry puncheon. With sugary, cakey sweetness backed by layers of vanilla and toasted nuts, it's a marvellously indulgent, moreish sipper. A total of 828 bottles were drawn from the cask this year.
"I could just carry a vial of this around with me forevermore to smell when I need cheering up. Pure delightful. Fruity, creamy, sweet. I'm going to have to order another bottle now, aren't I?"
Emma Symons
Whisky word-engine, rum nut, imperial stout maven & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Sugar-coated almonds, candied pecans, classic birthday cake (sponge, vanilla, icing, sprinkles), apple chips, overripe tropical fruit, flakes of buttery pastry, vanilla custard, a touch of molasses. Glorious!
Sweet coffee, milk stout, toasted brown sugar, and vanilla cream, backed by grilled nectarine, hazelnut chocolate, stroopwaffels.
Decadent, rum-like, cakey golden syrup sweetness lingers. Notes of Kopiko coffee sweeties, with rich, candied, nutty depth.Long, smoky, lingering.
Maker’s Mark London Edition
Kentucky straight bourbon
From Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing City Series, which also saw Singapore, New York City, Sydney, and Frankfurt editions in travel retail, we're glad to see this wheated bourbon titan honouring our shores with this limited edition. It's finished with a combination of additional staves chosen in collaboration with chef Douglas McMaster (Silo London), and our old mate and tip-top bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana (Mr Lyan). It's fair to say they know a thing or two about flavour!
"With Maker's Mark Cask Strength at its core, and then Douglas and Ryan collaborating with Maker's for the wood stave-finishing, it was never going to disappoint. Everything you know and love, with a little extra sparkle."
Thomas Burton
MoM Customer Service alumnus, translator to the dev team & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Toasted vanilla intertwines with orange peel, salted caramel and hints of floral sweetness. A thread of charred oak and tobacco leaf adds savoury depth.
Opening with orchard fruits and bright citrus before moving into warming spice, toasted marshmallow and honeycomb.
Lingering vanilla, peppery warmth and a flicker of citrus brightness.
Kilchoman Rockside 11 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Islay region
Kilchoman is Islay's farm distillery. That's always been its raison d'être. It sits among the traditional buildings of Rockside Farm on the north-west coast, and after fifteen 100% Islay barley releases, this is the distillery's first core release using all their own barley. And an 11 year old at that! Peated to 20ppm, distilled in 2015, and matured in bourbon and sherry casks, it was then bottled non-chill filtered, no colour added, at 46% ABV. Everything taking place on site at Rockside Farm. A milestone worth celebrating!
"Summer is here, and while I tend to avoid heavily peated whiskies at this time of year, I still enjoy a touch of smoke in my dram. This release strikes exactly the right balance for me: gentle peat, vibrant tropical fruit, and just enough spice to lift everything beautifully."
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes by the producer
Orange, lemon peel, fragrant elderflower, honeyed sweetness, and maritime smoke.
Citrus, tropical fruits, barley sugars, toffee apple, salted caramel sweetness, and subtle peat smoke.
Butterscotch, notes of walnuts, lingering juicy citrus, and stone fruit.
Glenglassaugh Sandend
Scotch single malt Whisky, Speyside region
The distillery sits on the rugged north Aberdeenshire coast, nestled behind the beautiful surfer's haven, Sandend Bay. Master blender Rachel Barrie has fond childhood memories of time spent at Sandend and even learned to surf there, and now the bay is honoured in the form of this unpeated single malt. Matured in a combo of bourbon, sherry, and manzanilla casks, it's bursting with notes of tropical fruit and tablet, with delicate coastal salinity in the distance.
"Fruity, coastal malt with a lick of dry, coastal manzanilla sherry is just a dream. Throw in the facts that it was Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year in 2023, comes in that jaw-droppingly gorgeous bottle, and is bottled at 50.5% ABV and things are getting serious!"
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
We're met with delightful notes of buttery fudge, vanilla ice cream, candied mango, and salted papaya.
Tablet, mango, and toasted vanilla trickle throughout, backed by boiled pineapple sweeties and creamy barley.
Grapefruit and juicy berries, more vanilla and butterscotch, and a distant coastal breeze.
*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
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