Top 10 Whiskies
February 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 February.
Balvenie 12yo 2012 Montilla Wine Casks
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
The Balvenie adds to its A Collection of Curious Casks range with a 12-year-old single malt that spent its life in European oak casks seasoned with sweet wine from Montilla in Andalusia, Spain. Selected by malt master Kelsey McKechnie, it adds a sun-drenched Spanish twist to The Balvenie’s trademark honey and vanilla, layering in delicate fruit and spice. Bottled at 47.3% ABV, the label artwork is by Andy Lovell, featuring McKechnie in the iconic Warehouse 24.
"I'm loving Montilla casks at the moment. I bought a Thompson Bros Mystery Malt (see Adams second pick below) and got a Tormore 11yo Montilla Cask, which I enjoyed over Christmas. This truly delicious Balvenie is just as great, if not better."
Chris Wood
Spirits buyer, spirits seller & spirits drinker (& also MoM OG)
Tasting notes
Fresh and delicate, with light barley sugar, floral honey, and gently toasted oak.
Sweet candy tones up front, followed by rich vanilla oak, dried apricots, and a rounded warmth of spice.
Refreshingly sweet, with fruit and wood in graceful balance.
Wilderness Trail Cask Strength Rye
American Rye Whiskey
Single barrel, cask strength rye whiskey from Wilderness Trail! Following its classic mash bill of 56% rye, 33% corn and 11% malted barley, the whiskey is matured in air-dried charred barrels, bringing plenty of spice and citrus, with a gloriously creamy texture.
"You may have heard that I love a good rye whisky. I vividly remember being introduced to Wilderness Trail at a Pour & Sip club tasting. It really stood out, and as we're in the Rye months (JanuaRYE and FebruaRYE), this is going in my shopping trolley. A high corn ration in the mashbill brings a creamy sweetness to this rye whiskey that makes it very moreish."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Solero ice cream, lemon curd and spiced dessert, with a helping of custard.Strawberry laces and blackcurrant jam mingle with orange oil, caramel fondant, and a touch of polished oak.
Tobacco leads into chilli chocolate, orange peel and oak char, with some fragrant clove in there too.
Orange oil and creamy vanilla notes.
Jane Street The Sherried One
Scotch single malt whisky
Jane Street The Sherried One is one of three whiskies that Woodrow's of Edinburgh has bottled for a range that wants to demystify single malt Scotch. Hence the name, which promises exactly what the whisky delivers, with flavours of rich, sweet, and nutty sherry. You can distinguish The Sherried One from sister bottlings The Smokey One and The Original One by the distinctive colourful labels, with sherry naturally taking the colour red, as that's the hue sherry casks give whisky. Every Jane Street is vatted in small batches and bottled at 48.5% ABV.
"I enjoyed Woodrow's bottlings in the past, but didn't know what to expect with this one. It's actually rich, fruity and indulgent. Quite a pleasant surprise! The sweetness of the sherry is layered with dried fruits, warm spice, and dark chocolate aromas."
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes
Sticky raisins, figs roll in first, and dark chocolate followed by nutmeg and some roasted nuttiness.
Mocha, spiced fruit, cinnamon, and sherried oak.
Long and warming.
Ben Nevis 10 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
This 10 year old Ben Nevis single malt exudes some beautiful coffee, chocolate and toffeed peat notes, a firm representative of the Western Highland style.
"A hidden gem with a funky, rich, dry, and green character that's a bit of a throwback and sits somewhere between Springbank and Clynelish. Get on that marmalade note, like the finest homemade."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Fresh and quite dry. A supple greenness with soft leafy notes with a rich fruitiness. Hints of orange and Seville marmalade with a light vinous character and nutty undertones.Immediate lift of cherry compote, red plum and apricot nectar, wrapped in vanilla custard and honeyed malt. There is a wine-led dryness here too, with citrus peel, fig, and flickers of red fruit sweets. Powdered ginger and tannic oak sit underneath.
Gentle dryness. Toffee. Looming omnipresent are solid peat notes with a bitter sweetness.
Silken, toffee and caramel notes balanced with a touch of mochaccino and dark chocolate on the tail.
James Eadie's Trade Mark X 100 Proof - Batch Two
Scotch Blended whisky
A limited edition 100 proof release of James Eadie’s Trade Mark X, which takes the much-loved blend and pushes it closer to the spirit of Mr Eadie’s original 19th century recipe. The team began with the classic Trade Mark X profile, then dialled up the sherry influence by using a combination of first-fill and refill oloroso hogsheads. Bottled at 57.1% ABV (a traditional 100 Imperial proof), with no added colour and non-chill filtered, it retains the blend’s signature sherried richness and gentle peat while adding extra depth, punch and old school character.
"This second batch of Eadies X has been a recent weather-appropriate, one dram evening go-to. Spicy backbone, bit of old school funk, a satisfying winter sipper."
Sam Simmons
Whiskevangelist, Blender of the Year & 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.
Balblair 15 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
The relaunch of Balblair's core range in early 2019 saw the distillery say "So long!" to vintages and "Hello there!" to age statements. This particular expression is the Balblair 15 Year Old, which is initially matured in ex-bourbon casks before being moved over to first-fill Spanish oak butts. A deeper concentration of fruit notes compared to the 12 Year Old, and joined by some yummy chocolatey elements too.
"Throughout the end of 2025 I was still really enjoying some light, bright sippers, but as January wore on I finally started turning to something richer to keep the cold at bay. This 46% natural colour 15yo hit the spot."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Honey-covered apple, citrus freshness, coffee and walnut cake.
Dried fruit and more apple, dark chocolate shavings, ginger.
Curaçao orange, dried oak, caramelised dates.
Leith Bond Staoisha 12yo Single Cask
Scotch single malt whisky, Islay region
This heavily peated Bunnahabhain aka Staoisha matured for 12 years in a refill Pedro Ximénez hogshead, yielding 302 bottles at a bold 52% ABV. With the phrase 'To Go Pear Shaped' front of mind, the label is a reference to the shape of the distillery’s distinctive stills, and presumably how the spirit they produce is usually entirely unpeated. Here, peat and sherry come together. Bottled without chill filtration or added colouring.
"Honestly, this cask-strength, heavily peated Staoisha from the lovely folks at Leith Bond is exactly the kind of dram you want by your side on a cold winter night - smoky, rich, and dangerously moreish."
Thomas Burton
Customer service guru, translator to the dev team & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Damp peat smoke, dark chocolate, banana bread, smoked bacon, and maple syrup.
Burnt toast, clove, star anise, rich PX sweetness and earthy smoke.
Long, bold and smoky, with lingering chocolate and spiced fruit.
Helsinki Distilling CO 6yo - Boutique-y
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
From Finland's Helsinki Distilling Company, this six-year-old rye whisky joins That Boutique-y Whisky Company's Cinema Series, and it's sure to be a success at the box-office. Boasting a high rye mash bill of 70% malted rye and 30% malted barley, the whisky was treated to a finish in an oloroso sherry cask, imparting sumptuous fruit character to the hearty notes of chocolate, and herbaceous rye spice beneath. Batch 3 is a release of 572 bottles.
"More rye, but this time from Finland. The Scandinavian countries have been making some brilliant whiskies lately. The 70/30 rye malt/barley malt mashbill, and full term maturation in an Oloroso sherry cask brings a softer spice profile, complimented by the sherry fruits. The label is brilliant too!"
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Sweet, dark notes of Black Forest gateau, with hearty helpings of jammy fruit, chocolate, and toasted rye bread.
Figs and layers of cassis lead to dark cherry chocolate, backed by biscuity malt, and waves of herbaceous fennel.
Drying, herbal spices gather for the finish, while the boozy berry sweetness brings balance.
Penelope Architect Straight Bourbon
Straight bourbon whiskey
This straight bourbon is finished with French oak staves developed in collaboration with Tonnellerie Radoux using its OakScan process. Aged at least four years and bottled at 52% ABV (104 proof), it focuses on precision, balance and layered flavour rather than brute force. Architectural metaphors aside, Penelope has made a very tasty whisky here.
"I've been wanting to taste this 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
Candied cream, florals, crème brûlée.
Creamy sweetness with herbal and floral notes.
Long, rich vanilla with a touch of heat.
Mystery Malt #5 (Thompson Bros.)
Japanese blended whisky
In 1985, Nikka Whisky released a bold whisky packaged in a small square bottle called Nikka From the Barrel. Master blender Shigeo Sato created a rich whisky enhanced by graphic designer Taku Satoh's minimalist style, and 40 years later it is a legend worth celebrating. That's what this new whisky is for. Nikka From The Barrel Extra Marriage brings together grain whisky from Nikka’s renowned Coffey stills with malt whiskies sourced primarily from the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. It pushes the original From the Barrel further by adding a cask marriage period twice as long. Presented in its original bottle with a smart new silver label stamped with the words Extra Marriage, this whisky is a tribute to 40 years of one of the great expressions.
"Among the most interesting whiskies you can buy. Because it could be any number of whiskies. Well, 38, to be precise. Is it 27yo Glen Garioch? Or 11yo Glen Scotia? You won’t know until you open it."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
*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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