Top 10 Whiskies
January 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 January.
Wire Works Amarone Wine (2025 Release)
English single malt whisky
Wire Works Amarone Wine takes the White Peak Distillery's lightly peated spirit and matures it in bourbon barrels before a finishing period in first-fill Amarone wine barriques. This dual maturation brings layers of deep red fruit, spice, and chocolate sweetness to the English whisky’s smoky backbone, bottled at a robust 53.6% ABV.
"One of my highlights at the superb The English Whisky Festival back in November was this single malt from Derbyshire's White Peak Distillery. Amarone cask finishing is a divisive style, and it doesn't always work. However, the rich, fruity Amarone notes complement the Wire Works whisky character beautifully here."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Strawberry laces and blackcurrant jam mingle with orange oil, caramel fondant, and a touch of polished oak.
Rich notes of sultanas, maraschino cherry, clove, and cinnamon roll through layers of milk chocolate and liquorice, with a jammy sweetness.
Dark chocolate, coffee grounds, and a dusting of chilli flakes fade into strawberry preserve and icing sugar.
Amrut Fusion
Indian single malt whisky
Fusion is a particularly apt name for this fantastic single malt whisky from Amrut. Y'see, it's made with barley grown in India, where the Amrut Distillery can be found, as well as peated barley from Scotland! Makes sense, right? Not just a clever name, it's also a cracking whisky, offering up generous helpings of fresh fruit, honey, spice and a good whiff of smoke.
"I don't like the term 'world whisky'. It's outmoded and a bit weird, like 'new world' wine. It should come as no surprise today that great – and well-established – whiskies abound globally. Around 15 years ago, however, this malt opened those doors for me (as well as how radically different climates of course affect maturation). I still revisit it, like an old friend."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Rich, barley, fruity. Big on citrus, spices, creamy sweetness. A hint of peat.
Oaky, rich, gentle peat, coffee, dark chocolate. Fruity.
Long, spiced, marmalade, sweetness.
Virginia Courage & Conviction Cuvée Cask
American single malt whisky
The Virginia Distillery Co. uses 100% North American malted barley to make this American single malt whisky. It's treated to a long fermentation (72 hours) with a two-strain proprietary yeast mixture (one for yield, one for flavour), and this edition spent a minimum of six years maturing in a host of first-fill STR (shaved, toasted, and recharred) European red wine casks! Packed with toasted pecans, chocolate, and dried red fruits.
"STR wine casks pile on fruit, cocoa and burnt sugar swagger. Virginia staked its claim before American single malt was a gold rush. That confidence is paying off."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
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.
Dry at first, then very fruity. Blood orange marmalade, strawberry, and ripe red berries roll across the tongue, followed by anise, amaretto and a soft herbal edge. Cocoa powder and light brown sugar emerge, then toasted pecans and nutmeg.
Coffee bean, cacao nibs and tobacco leaf fade into sweet malt, milk chocolate and lingering citrus. Dry oak and wine tannin close things out.
Laphroaig 10 Year Old Cask Strength
Scotch single malt whisky, Islay region
The folks at Laphroaig describe its 10 Year Old Cask Strength as the Islay distillery's most powerful expression, and here we have Batch 16! Bottled in 2022 at a robust cask strength of 58.5% ABV, it's packed with pungent layers of peppery peat smoke, meaty malt, sea salt, and oaken vanilla.
"If Laphroaig 10 Year Old has been a staple in your cupboards for decades then discovering the cask strength expression will be a revelation. All that smokey, spicy amazing-ness.......enhanced, multiplied and more. Love this stuff."
Chris Wood
Spirits buyer, spirits seller & spirits drinker (& also MoM OG)
Tasting notes
Rich and oily, with woody spice and bonfire ash, smoked fish, salted nuts, anise, and hints of iodine.
A tangle of sweetness and smoke, with vanilla honey, cooked apples, buttery pastry and tarry, medicinal peat. Briny, with warming notes of ginger.
Bold and drying. Smouldering smoke lingers, with charred oak, candied almonds, and iodine.
Deanston 18 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
A 2015 addition to the Deanston range, this expression has been matured for 18 years, including a finishing period in first-fill Kentucky bourbon casks. It was bottled without chill filtration at 46.3% ABV. Oodles of rich honey, luxurious vanilla, sugary shortbread and a touch of fresh ginger.
"While the nose is aromatic and floral, the palate reveals vibrant tropical fruit flavours, lifted by warming spices—most notably vanilla and honeyed ginger. An fantastic bourbon cask–matured whisky at an equally fantastic price."
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes
Enjoyable earthy vanilla up front, paired with Golden Grahams, honeydew melon and flint.
Lemon cheesecake and orange boiled sweets, shortly followed by stem ginger and beeswax.
Oily walnut and barley.
Colonel EH Taylor Small Batch
Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
This small batch bourbon is named after Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, an incredibly important figure in bourbon's history from the 1800s who owned a whole host of distilleries and innovated production methods which are still used today. It's only right that the Colonel EH Taylor Small Batch lives up to his name by being absolutely amazing.
"Iconic! At 50% it's punchy, then piles on sweet, creamy vanilla, buttery corn, and just the right amount of rye spice. Honouring Edmund Haynes Taylor – a hugely important figure in bourbon's history."
Emma Symons
Whisky word-engine, rum nut, imperial stout maven & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Caramel apples, fresh corn and cloves. Butterscotch sneaks in after a while.
More corn sweetness, mixed with slight spiciness of rye and cinnamon.
Medium and very rich with creamy vanilla.
The English Chapter 18 (18th Anniversary)
English single malt whisky
Marking 18 years since the founding of England’s first registered whisky distillery in over a century, this commemorative release sees The English Distillery revive its beloved Chapter series. Chapter 18 is a blend of single malts aged between 10 and 18 years, drawn from bourbon, sherry, and new oak casks, including both unpeated and lightly peated spirit. It’s a complex, celebratory dram with a nod to both past and future.
"Another highlight from the English Whisky Festival, from the OG of English Whisky. When they started making whisky in 2006, they were all alone in the English Whisky scene, and now they have truly come of age with Chapter 18, and I love that they've brought the 'Chapter' back for this release."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Rhubarb crumble, candied citrus, toasted oak and a faint whiff of distant smoke.
Stewed apples and pears dusted with cinnamon and black pepper. Burnt toffee, brown sugar and vanilla custard mingle with spiced oak and peat.
A final flourish of baked fruits, old wood and sweet spice.
Jameson Black Barrel
Irish blended whiskey
Jameson Black Barrel is a special blend of Jameson Irish Whiskey, matured in double charred first-fill bourbon casks (black barrels). The result is a smoother, richer whiskey with a complex taste. Jameson Black Barrel is perfect for sipping neat or on the rocks. Jameson Black Barrel is a super release from Jameson, with a high proportion of Irish pot still whiskey as well as small-batch grain. The result is an increased body and level of richness when compared to the core expression. Well worth a look...
"Geeky Fact: Additional butterscotch sweetness also comes from using two different types of grain whiskey in the blend, one regular, and one (made from barley – the 'small batch' element) put through a pot still before a second distillation in a column. Not a lot of people know that."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Rich and fruity with notes of tropical fruits, coconut, nectarines in yoghurt, guava and a thick core of sweet cereals.
Thick and full on the palate, with an intense, unctuous creaminess, alongside dates, walnuts and peels. Good peach and coconut notes, and a little cinnamon.
Long finish, and very fruity with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg and hints of potpourri.
Nikka From The Barrel Extra Marriage
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.
"A cult favourite here and beyond, given a longer cask marriage as a 40th anniversary treat. May the From The Barrel love affair last another 40."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Honeycomb and beeswax lead a rich nose that's ripe with soft tropical fruit and warming spice. The latter builds gently, with nutmeg and fresh ginger as well as a measured thread of smoke. There is an earthy undertone too grounding the sweeter notes.
Candied lemon and cocoa powder first, then roasted cereals and toasted malt. Darker fruit comes into play with plum jam and stewed orchard fruit, alongside a savoury, almost flinty mineral edge. The peat adds salinity.
Cocoa and gentle spice linger together, with the earthiness returning at the close. It fades slowly, leaving a dry, savoury impression with a final salty lick of peat smoke.
Secret Islay 10 Year Old 2014 - Black Friday
Scotch single malt whisky, Islay region
THIS ONE'S SOLD OUT I'M AFRAID! Natural cask strength, natural colour, 10 whole years in an oloroso sherry cask, and under £50 – what anarchy is this?! Black Friday, that's what, and we bottled this whisky up to mark the occasion. Never mind the tellies and hairdryers, here's the Secret Islay! This smoky single malt was distilled in 2014 and spent the next 10 years maturing in an oloroso sherry butt.
"Well this bottle is empty and as it only came in the house a few weeks ago, I think it has to be my whisky of the month for the simple fact that it's in my belly. Love it, and great value for single cask sherried islay at natural cask strength"
Sam Simmons
Whiskevangelist, Blender of the Year & guitar shredder
Tasting notes
Sticky sweetness and smoke, runny salted caramel, honeyed brioche, and grilled peach. There's balanced peat, a hint of hickory, and strawberry foams. Earthen oak and a touch of smoky black tea nestle in the depths.
Dense toffee and bold peat smoke collide with cracked black pepper heat and jammy berries. Hot ribena, singed rosemary, dark Swiss chocolate, robust oak, and earthy ash follow, while Scottish tablet and dried fruit sweetness linger.
Meaty malt, wood smoke, Frazzles, burnt custard, charred apricot, pungent peat, and a tingle of peppery heat.
*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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