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Top 10 Whiskies
August 2025
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.
GlenAllachie 21 Year Old Batch 6
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
The sixth instalment in GlenAllachie’s limited 21 Year Old series, and another stonking cask-strength dram from Billy Walker. Matured in a tight selection of just four PX and oloroso sherry puncheons and hogsheads, this is a rich, indulgent Speysider bottled with no chill filtration and no colouring, just sherried splendour straight from the cask.
"If you're a fan of sherry cask matured whiskies, then how can you not love GlenAllachie? This release specifically is packed with dark chocolate and red berries flavours topped with heather honey and spices. Simply delicious."
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes
Dark cherries and spiced Seville orange leap out first, followed by brandy-soaked raisins, honeycomb, and polished oak.
Layers of heather honey, maraschino cherry, treacle tart and bitter dark chocolate. Hints of hazelnut and espresso creep in beneath.
Warming and well-spiced, with mocha, plum brandy, and a final flourish of leathery richness.
Ardmore 12yo 2012 (Master of Malt)
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
A single cask from our very own revamped range of indepenent bottlings! Bringing some peat to this month's list, this Ardmore also matured in a cask that previously held Laphroaig, which is particularly awesome. A total of 263 bottles join our exclusive Master of Malt collection, without added colour or chill filtration.
"One of my favourites from the new-look Master of Malt indy range, this punchy, peaty and character-rich single cask is from the criminally under-appreciated Ardmore and has extra coastal tang due to finishing in an ex-Laphroaig cask."
Sam Simmons
Whiskevangelist, Blender of the Year & guitar shredder
Tasting notes
Sea breeze, malt loaf, dark, roasty notes of coffee stout, and treacle, then seaweed, coastal peat smoke, hibiscus honey on burnt toast.
Robust right from the off, with a hearty dose of peppery peat balanced by slick salted toffee, and chocolate caramel digestive biscuits. Dark chocolate and espresso develop over time.
Sticky toffee pudding, rhubarb and custard sweets, smoky oak, meaty malt, jammy fruit, peat, ginger and peppercorn warmth.
William Larue Weller Special
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Looking for a wheated bourbon? William Larue Weller is one of the big names you want to keep your eye out for. Now owned by Buffalo Trace, it's been a staple of wonderfully mellow wheated bourbon goodness for decades upon decades. Presented at 45% ABV, the William Larue Weller Special Reserve is great stuff - a good balance of vanilla, savoury nuts, caramel and a small touch of spice on the finish.
"Hello Mellow Wellow. You see the word 'mellow' in bourbon tasting notes often, and this is the epitome of what it's all about. Not always available, so when it is, I'm always tempted!"
Emma Symons
Whisky word-engine, rum nut, imperial stout maven & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Gentle waves of floral vanilla, honeysuckle, and creamy caramel backed by hints of fresh peach and mellow oaken spice.
Silky soft honey and apricots with vanilla cream balance gentle cinnamon warmth. Buttery pastries and just a smidge of oak char join in time.
Supple wheat, butterscotch, vanilla shortbread, honeyed cereal, and a distant pinch of nutmeg.
Fielden Cask 292 - The Heart Cut #16
English single malt whisky
A rare and seriously characterful Fielden release, The Heart Cut #16 is a 100% English rye whisky, crafted from a bold and unusual mash bill. A huge 75% of the grain is heritage landrace rye, grown in sandy Oxfordshire soils that lend a natural minerality and warmth. The remaining 25% is floor-malted rye from the esteemed Warminster Maltings, adding a malty richness and texture to the spirit. Distilled and matured with Fielden’s trademark precision, this whisky has been finished for 2 years and 4 months in a 600-litre Solera oloroso sherry cask, originally seasoned for 45 years in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. That’s a serious cask pedigree, and it shows.
"Fielden Heart Cut #16 is English rye gone rogue in coastal oloroso sherry casks. Salted caramel meets cinnamon waffles, red wine tannins, pencil shavings and sea air swagger. Wildly good."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes
Big salted caramel energy – think caramel sauce with smoked sea salt flakes stirred in. Notes of ice cream cone sweets and cinnamon waffles bring a nostalgic sweetness. Then come tropical fruit notes and crushed nuts, with a puff of earthy spice and a flicker of an aroma akin to a freshly sharpened No. 2 pencil.
Layers of spiced honey and red wine tannins coat the tongue, followed by rye spice, warming oak, and toasted cereal. There's a savoury salinity threading through it all, almost Manzanilla-like, with flashes of dried pineapple and clove.
Long, nutty, and complex, with a lingering warmth. A touch of dark chocolate, candied ginger, and that coastal, saline twang to the end.
Royal Brackla 12 Year Old Oloroso Finish
Scotch single malt whisky, Highland region
A fabulous 12-year-old single malt from Royal Brackla! Bottled at 46% ABV, this whisky was finished in oloroso sherry casks, imparting a fantastically fruity, spiced depth of flavour to the distillery's grassy spirit. Royal Brackla was the first distillery to be granted the 'royal' warrant by King William IV back in 1833.
"Some whiskies demand your attention. Brackla 12 just took mine. I left a casual tasting with a full-blown obsession and absolutely no regrets."
Charlotte Gorzelak
Social media empress & "the Dr. Frankenstein of cocktails"
Tasting notes
Sherried fruit cake, buttered malt loaf, and stone fruits.
Peaches, dried apricots, dark berries, and cherries mingle with caramelised nuts, chocolate raisins, brown sugar, and baking spices.
Wafts of sweet, tangy oak, sugared fruit, and almonds.
Retribution Single Malt
English single malt whisky
A second English single malt in this month's list! Drawn from one of the first casks to be laid down by Somerset's Retribution Distilling Co. Distilled from malted laureate barley, the whisky spent three years and four months maturing in a quarter cask that previously held Buffalo Trace bourbon, bringing creamy layers of toffee and butterscotch. A batch of 170 bottles at a hearty 53.3% ABV.
"This tiny distillery in Somerset is making some really great whisky. This is the second cask, that took around 3 weeks to fill at that time! Floor malted barley, a blend of both distillers and brewers yeast, and a direct fired still. While this is young, the craftmanship is evident, and I'm really excited about what's coming too!"
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Lemon Puff biscuits, a balance of sweet malty biscuit, and citrus flavours. Some delicate floral notes alongside summer grasses. A drop of water brings crisp green apple, vanilla cream, and the citrus turns more orange blossom.
Sweet, malty, with some peppery warmth on first sip. Clean and fruity with tangy sherbet reminiscent of a Sherbet Orange sweets. With water, ripe barley leads a pleasant, light, oily mouthfeel, with a soft orange blossom honey sweetness.
Medium length, soft malt, with that signature orange citrus lingering.
Craigellachie 13yo Bas-Armagnac Cask
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
Craigellachie has gone and made a rather intriguing expression here – a single malt Scotch whisky finished in Bas-Armagnac casks! You don't see that very often at all! Inspired by the distillery's use of worm tub condensers, this expression shows off the spirit's familiarly bold profile that is imparted by said condensers in all its glory.
"In my glass right now. Old fashioned worm tub Scotch meets old fashioned worm tub Armagnac. Sweet and savoury. Honey and lemon lozenges, tinned peach, bright Solero ice cream (mango), choc limes, waxy depth, hint of cordite. Tangy. Utterly tremendous."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Nectarine, flamed orange peel, toffee pennies, a hint of tobacco.
Fragrant wood with a touch of smoke to it, mellowed by vanilla tablet and shortbread. A good crackle of peppercorn and some oily malt.
Freshly-crushed cooking spices, cedar, honeycomb.
Glentauchers 2008 Gordon & MacPhail
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
This charming bottle of Glentauchers single malt comes from Gordon & MacPhail's Distillery Labels collection. Distilled in 2008, the whisky matured until 2023, when it was bottled up complete with a superb retro Glentauchers design.
"It was a G&M Distillery Labels Glentauchers that introduced this distillery to me, and it's been a distillery I always look out for. I've never had a bad one! A signature malt of Ballantines, it's also where Chivas employees go to learn how to make whisky, so a manual process."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Medjool dates and dark chocolate blend with zesty orange and nutmeg.
Cinnamon dusted on apple pie, toasted almonds, and treacle toffee.
Foam bananas and oak spice.
Tamdhu 10yo 2013 Infrequent Flyers
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
This single malt from Tamdhu was distilled in 2013 and finished its 10-year maturation in a Pedro Ximénez sherry puncheon. The cask was opened by Alistair Walker in 2024, who independently released these 698 bottles for his Infrequent Flyers collection.
"I've been a huge fan of Infrequent Flyers for a while. Check them out if you're exploring the world of indie bottlings and cask finishes, some absolute belters to be discovered. 10 Year Old PX finished Tamdhu? What the youngsters of today would call De-Lish."
Chris Wood
Spirits buyer, spirits seller & spirits drinker (& also MoM OG)
Tasting notes
Rich red and dark sherry-soaked fruits, cherry chocolate, biscuity malt, followed by a touch of tangy marmalade and distant polished oak.
Sweet, tannic notes of tea, caramel, and candied orange join jammy cherries and bittersweet cacao as woody spices develop in the depths.
Robust oak and a touch of ginger, cocoa, nutty nougat, hints of cinnamon, and fragrant tobacco.
Compass Box Hedonism 2025
Scotch blended grain whisky
The original grain whisky disruptor returns with new flair for 2025. Hedonism gets bolder at 46% ABV and with a standout cask profile including single grain from Cameronbridge finished in Marsala barriques. Same soft style, new indulgent depth.
"Released in celebration of the expression's 25th anniversary, this is a very “gourmant” dram displaying nutmeg custard, peach puree, apple, cocoa, cinnamon and even chocolate mousse flavours! Only 9,900 bottles available give or take!"
Michael Monte
Spirits buyer, but in French (& sometimes Mandarin)
Tasting notes
Waves of caramel and powdered sugar open the show. Peach purée, pear drops, and cocoa nibs follow, with vanilla cream lingering.
Chocolate mousse, nutmeg custard, and cinnamon-spiced sponge. It’s dessert in a dram.
Fuji apple, white grape, and a gentle oak creaminess round it off.
*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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