Trade
Top 10 Whiskies
OCTOBER 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 October.
Retribution 3YO Chestnut Cask
English single malt whisky
A fascinating bit of cask wrangling from Somerset's Retribution Distilling. Made with floor-malted Maris Otter barley, the spirit spent its first 13 months divided between three new chestnut octaves. The whisky was then moved into a second-fill bourbon quarter cask (PR006) for a further 23 months. Bottled at Retribution's preferred strength of 52% ABV, just 170 bottles were produced.
"In my opinion, easily the most eagerly awaited English Whisky release to date! Having tracked its journey firsthand to becoming official 'whisky', and seeing how tremendously popular it was across the festival circuit long before it could be labelled whisky, I couldn't be happier with how this has turned out."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Plump raisins and rich dried fruit, with mixed nuts, pine resin and a touch of dark caramel.
Dried fruit, warming spice, roasted nuts and resinous wood.
Turning fresher and cooler with menthol, dried herbs and lingering pine.
Laphroaig 15 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Islay region
Laphroaig has brought back a permanent 15-year-old single malt after more than a decade away. It hasn’t tried to reinvent itself here either. Laphroaig 15 Year Old is matured entirely in American oak bourbon barrels and bottled at 46% ABV without chill-filtration, softening some of Laphroaig’s sharper medicinal edges while letting sweeter, fruitier notes creep through the smoke. Think less hospital corridor, more beach barbecue after popping some peaches on the grill.
"Laphroaig 15 is back. Huzzah. And the distillery has resisted the urge to add a daft cask to the equation. Just American oak letting time do its thing to the spirit we know and love. Huzzah again."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Bright grapefruit and orange peel lead the charge, with dried hay, vanilla fudge, charred oak, and oily barbecue smoke in support. Hints of clove and sea breeze linger underneath, with a note like a bonfire on a fishing boat throughout that keeps things very Laphroaig.
Big Islay energy straight away. Briny smoke, cracked black pepper, smoked mackerel, and earthy peat build into warming spices like cinnamon and coriander seed. Then comes a burst of peach, citrus oils, and sweet vanilla cream.
Lingering ash, sea salt, grapefruit zest, and a touch of toasted oak sweetness.
Fary Lochan 6YO 2016 (Master of Malt)
Danish single malt whisky
Made using a rather unusual technique during its production process, the barley was smoked with fresh nettles, imparting an intriguing herbaceous element to the buttery toffee and malt at the core of this intriguing single malt. A total of 309 bottles were produced from this single bourbon barrel.
"I never intended to choose two old MoM bottlings in back-to-back months, but this stuff recently stopped me in my tracks. It's completely bonkers, in a good way! Jens-Erik Jørgensen imagined a whisky where the malt was smoked not with peat, but with fresh nettles forest-foraged during a short harvesting window, inspired by a traditional Danish smoked soft cheese (fynsk rygeost) his mother used to make. Then started distilling in 2009 and made it happen! Sadly he passed away the same year this whisky was distilled, but his family have carried on his dream."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Sawdust, frosted carrot cake, and estery notes of drying paint are backed by green herbs and earthy, vegetal notes of nettle tea.
An intriguingly savoury start, with a tangle of rocket and garden herbs, leafy tea, and vegetal malt. Things are almost botanical, with sappy oak and pistachio nuts.
Gentle sweetness arrives for the finish, though that herbal vibrance remains, with lingering notes of marshmallow and forest floor.
Filey Bay 10th Anniversary
English single malt whisky
The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery has reached a big milestone and is celebrating it with whisky, of course. The Filey Bay 10th Anniversary Special Release is a blend of whisky matured in bourbon and Madeira casks, including spirit from Cask 001, filled in June 2016. It was bottled at 49.9% ABV.
"I love that this dram is incredibly fruit-forward, led by vibrant tropical and stone fruit flavours, beautifully lifted by warm spice and vanilla notes. With only 2,016 bottles available, you'd better hurry before they're all gone!"
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes by the Producer
Rich, fruity and spicy with flavours of fruit gums, vanilla slices, stone fruit, biscuit and honey.
Smoky Blend 18 Year Old - CaskCade
Scotch blended whisky
Welcome to the Master of Malt Arcade. Got any 50p pieces? This smoky blended Scotch whisky joined our own CaskCade Collection back in September, an homage to some of our favourite arcade machines. The whisky spent 18 years rolling around in a pair of PX octave and refill barrels. Just 554 bottles reached the top, bringing smoky mango and custard notes along for the ride. Game on.
"This is such a treat! All creamy custard, mango lassi, and vanilla ice cream, balanced with moreish peat smoke, charred pineapple, and burnt oak. Bonus points for the pixel art Sam on the label."
Emma Symons
Whisky word-engine, rum nut, imperial stout maven & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Clotted cream, smoked almonds, burnt biscuits, and maple charcoal. Baked earth, pungent peat, vanilla wafers, and flambéed fruit.
That creaminess carries through to the palate, coupled with vibrant notes of grilled tropical fruit. Smoked vanilla ice cream softens hints of peppery seaweed.
Sweet, tangy, creamy, smoky with mango lassi, charred pineapple, custard, and burnt oak.
High Coast Aurora
Swedish single malt whisky
A lightly peated Swedish whisky matured with a significant influence from sherry casks. The distillery is located in northern Sweden on the banks of the Ångerman River, producing single malt whisky in one of the most extreme maturation climates in the world. Aurora is a fine introduction to the High Coast range.
"This summer has been all about juicy and fruity whiskies and as the seasons change, I've found myself holding on to summer by reaching for this Swedish distillery's balanced, approachable, lightly peated, gently woody and highly fruity 'Aurora'."
Sam Simmons
Whiskevangelist, award-winning blender & guitar shredder
Tasting notes
Sultanas, apples, woodsmoke, and oakspice.
Dried fruit, sweet peat, vanilla custard, tobacco, and ginger.
Smoke, sherry, and spice.
Hibiki Japanese Harmony
Japanese blended whisky
Harmony - a rather apt word to describe this well-balanced Japanese blended whisky from the Hibiki range. Hibiki Japanese Harmony is made with malt whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries, as well as grain whisky from the Chita distillery. The whiskies are drawn from five different types of cask, including American white oak casks, sherry casks and Mizunara oak casks. An elegant expression, with wafts of honey, orange, a herbaceous touch or two, and light oak.
"A very elegant sipper. It's floral on the nose, with candied orange, white chocolate, classic sandalwood on the palate. This is sublime; a masterclass in what a Japanese dram should be."
Maia Berney
Our erstwhile Maverick Cocktail Queen in the North
Tasting notes
Red berries, green apple and layers of rich honey.
Melted butter and caramelised dates. A hint of fragrant sandalwood develops into warming, oaky spice.
Brown sugar, citrus peels, white grape, and black pepper.
World Whisky Blend 21YO (Boutique-y)
Global Blended whisky
That Boutique-y Whisky Company brought together four different countries that each boast long histories of whisky-making for this marvellous blend. A marriage of long-aged whiskies from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and Japan, sherry cask-finished for a complex profile, laden with exotic spices, buttery pastry, and nostalgic layers of biscuity malt and oaken vanilla. A release of 440 bottles.
"This blend stays true to its constituent parts while creating something unique and absolutely delightful. Every sip reveals a new note - spice, subtle smoke, vanilla and so much more - and I get completely lost in its diversity. Can't get enough of it!"
Callie Thirsk
Our Midlands Maverick & award-winning Brummie bar (Fox & Chance) owner
Tasting notes
An alluring introduction to Planet Earth, where damp earth and fresh petrichor meet blooming flora.
The palate offers a velvety mouthfeel of exotic spices and Kyoto-inspired sweetness — sandalwood, ginger, and matcha — before developing into buttery Parisian patisserie layers of puff pastry and crème pâtissière.
A dry, structured conclusion of oak tannins and chalky smoke that resolves into a nostalgic, balanced trail of malted biscuits and vanilla.
Cragganmore Distillers Edition
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
Cracking Cragganmore from the Distillers Edition series, which sees some spectacular single malt double matured in a variety of wine casks. This Speysider has been matured in Port seasoned American oak, bringing a depth of red fruit and gentle sweetness.
"Cragganmore is one of the original 'Classic Malts of Scotland', yet most of its whisky heads to the blenders! Its whisky has always had a fragrant, almost layered nose, and the Port cask finishing adds a jammy sweetness, deepening the complexity. Perfect for these autumnal evenings!"
Dave Worthington
Olive-fuelled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Dark cherries, plums, and cocoa nibs, with subtle smoke.
Wine gums, forest fruit, with oaky spice, and distant bonfire.
Drying, with red fruits lingering.
Glengoyne 21 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
A fabulously sherried single malt from Glengoyne, matured predominantly in first fill European oak sherry casks for 21 long years. Its time in the cask has bestowed upon it lovely rich fruity notes with an exceptionally long finish. Impressive stuff, and great value.
"I got to try this whisky again among fine single malts from the range. I was struck by something: It’s fucking great. I don’t have anything insightful or quippy to say. Sometimes great whisky is just that."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Punchy oak, potpourri, cranberries, raspberries, a little malt and figs on the nose.
Richly sherried. Everything is tangy and spiced - molasses, hot apple cider, Christmas pudding with flaming brandy and a touch of cracked black peppercorns.
Ends with oloroso and sweet malt.
*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.
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