Top 10 Whiskies
April 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 April.
The Golden Union: A Field in England
English blended malt whisky
This English blended malt is brought to us by The London Distillery Company and was created to showcase the diversity, depth, and creativity in England's growing community of whisky producers. The blend brings together a host of carefully selected English malt whiskies, matured in a collection of hogsheads and barrels. With vibrant layers of tropical fruit, citrus, and buttered toast, there's plenty to explore and enjoy here, just like a good country walk.
"The TLDC revival could have been just old English whisky. Instead, each bottling is picked like a fan would, teasing a bright future with every gem. The Golden Union is a glimpse into its increasingly eclectic world."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes by the Producer
Creamy toffee and buttery corn join breakfast cereals and meringue, whilst earthiness sits alongside expressive waxed lemons.
Mouthcoating with vibrant citrus and developing tropical fruits – preserved lemons and ripening mango. White pepper cask spicing gives way to milk chocolate, oats and buttered toast.
A prolonged finish of zesty lemons and tingling cask char.
Glen Garioch 27yo (Boutique-y Whisky)
Scotch single malt, Highland region
At the end of 2025, the team at That Boutique-y Whisky Company delved through the treasures in their warehouse and chose a handful of the best single casks to bottle for a limited edition series. This grand old Glen Garioch single malt makes a fine addition! Matured in a single refill sherry butt, "Time travel in a glass" is how the Boutique-y folk describe the nose. It's funky, it's old school, it's wild – some ought to read this as a warning, while others lap it up with glee. A classic distillery, a generous age, and with it, plenty of distinction. A release of 189 bottles.
"I've got a big soft spot for Glen Garioch. It was the first Scottish distillery I visited. That classioily heather note shines through, and the refill sherry butt maturation adds layers of soft over-ripe fruit."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Wet hay/farmyard, and a touch of ripe cheese, polished oak, warm vinyl/laminate flooring, rich malt, hints of gooseberry, brown banana, and overripe fruit funk.
Playdough, fruity esters, burnt cream, damp oak, and more of that brown banana funk. Dense old oak and leather, backed by hints of mango yoghurt, and salted papaya.
Tropical fruit sweetness lingers for the finish, with hints of guava balancing notes of composted peels, caramelised biscuits, earthy toffee, and ancient oak.
Glen Moray Forbidden Fruit
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
This fruitful single malt from Glen Moray honours the sweet temptations of the delicious apple, in whisky form! The supple Speyside malt was treated to a finish in casks that previously aged apple Calvados in Normandy, bringing heaps of orchard fruits, fresh florals, and patisserie sweetness to the table.
"Calvados cask finish under £40?! Super fruity, this will be awesome for summer Highballs. Forbidden Fruit because – apples, but also a nod to a historical cider cask-related wrist slap from the SWA."
Emma Symons
Whisky word-engine, rum nut, imperial stout maven & MoM OG
Tasting notes by the Producer
Green apples, toffee, apple blossom perfume and sweet pastries.
Apple pie, baking spice, vanilla custard, barley sugar, very subtle wood tannins and a slight acidity.
A very long finish with an initial spice which subsides to reveal notes of oak with poached pears and cloves.
GlenWyvis Highland Legacy: The Drover
Scotch single malt, Highland region
This is the first single malt in the four-part Highland Legacy Series from community-owned GlenWyvis distillery. The inaugural release honours the traditional Highland occupation of cattle droving with a single malt matured in a combo of Sauternes (37%), Madeira (30%), oloroso (12%), and bourbon (21%) casks, and a profile layered with leathery oak, chocolate, candied orange, and toasted nuts.
"A not-for-profit distillery owned by nearly 4,000 members? Super cool. (Even if it's not all been plain sailing, having fallen out with the project's originator who still owns the land). Lots going on here, wonderfully integrated. Grain forward, earthy, grassy, nutty, unripe banana, apricot pastries, rich honey, cocoa... Worth spending time over."
Jake Mountain
Resident doer of things, spirits buff & MoM OG
Tasting notes by the Producer
Leather, milk chocolate, fresh walnut, crumble, poached pears.
Walnut, pepper, cocoa nibs, orange zest.
Long-lasting, cocoa, toasted nuts, bitter almonds.
Compass Box Hedonism 2026
Scotch blended grain whisky
A stunning grain whisky with none other than Scottish Hollywood star Karen Gillan (Avengers, Jumanji, Doctor Who) on its label.
Hedonism 2026 sees Compass Box dig deep into its grain whisky reserves and, for the first time, introduce an antique sherry butt into the mix. The backbone is Port Dundas single grain, with 31% aged for 24 years in a refill sherry butt and 28% matured for 20 years in recharred American oak hogshead. Add parcels from the 2025 and 2024 Hedonism releases, plus 21-year-old blended grain, 20-year-old Cameronbridge, and a 30-year-old Strathclyde, and you’ve got a properly layered composition. It was filled at 46% ABV, natural colour, lightly chill-filtered at 5 microns, with 13,218 bottles drawn in November 2025.
"Hedonism has always been a special whisky. Compass Box's first. Breaking the mold. Forging its own path. Now a limited annual release, this one's the oldest, the rarest, and they say 'the most iconic'. With Karen Gillan becoming the Hedonism muse, nobody's arguing with that!"
Giovana Petry
Spirits marketer, cervaja founder & pomeranian parent
Tasting notes
Caffè latte and polished oak open the door, followed by cherry compote, raisin, and a gentle dusting of cumin spice. Vanilla fudge, custard, and orange cream swirl through, with hazelnut praline and soft floral lift in the background.
Butterscotch, brown sugar, and milk chocolate lead, joined by caramelised apple, nutmeg, and nougat. The antique sherry butt brings a subtle richness and dried fruit depth.
Cocoa powder, vanilla, toasted oak, and soft honeyed grain.
Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2025 Release
Scotch single malt whisky, Islay region
This edition of Loch Gorm marks a milestone for Kilchoman, it’s the first-ever release aged over 10 years in oloroso sherry butts. Selected by Anthony Wills, it's crafted from a total of 23 oloroso sherry butts (20 first-fill and 3 refill) which deliver an exceptional balance of sherried depth and Kilchoman’s signature Islay peat smoke. Bottled non-chill filtered and at natural colour, this extended maturation brings rich caramelised sweetness, complex spice, and a smoky-savoury edge, making it the boldest Loch Gorm yet.
"If you're like me and you love a combination of peat and sherry then this one's difinitely for you. Loch Gorm is cracking stuff. Best of both. Grab this cracking edition before its gone."
Chris Wood
Spirits buyer, spirits seller & spirits drinker (& also MoM OG)
Tasting notes
Floral notes, zesty fruit, nutmeg and vanilla oak.
Vibrant orchard and tropical fruit, honeycomb, toffee and gentle herbs.
Lingering pot still spice with wine seasoned oak sweetness.
Blair Athol 10yo 2015 Master of Malt
Scotch single malt, Highland region
A special edition from our Single Cask collection, originally released for Mother's Day 2026. Distilled at Blair Athol in 2015, the whisky spent the next decade maturing in a single refill hogshead, developing glorious notes of butter, toffee, and apricot. With elegant label artwork by abstract painter Katie Murrell, this handsome Highlander is perfect for any occasion (such as sitting down in a comfy chair at the end of a long day). A release of 376 bottles.
"When a distillery is producing large volumes, mostly for the world's biggest blended whiskies, consistency is key. So when a single cask in a parcel of a dozen or more comes in and is NOT like the other ones, when it is darker, fuller, fruitier, more mature, well that is by definition and practice EXACTLY what single cask Scotch whisky is all about."
Sam Simmons
Whiskevangelist, award-winning blender & guitar shredder
Tasting notes
Juicy barley, creamy grist, and sweet, biscuity malt open the way. Browned butter financier cakes, apricot jam, and fresh apricots, too. It's creamy and rich, with tropical hints of pineapple and dulce de leche.
Superbly soft, with vanilla buttercream, a touch of clotted cream fudge, and peach fromage frais, backed by toffee pennies and mellow, buttery oak. Gentle spices gather beneath, with more soft stone fruits in tow.
Vibrant barley lingers, a more savoury touch of oak pokes through for just a moment, with blanched almonds, butterscotch, apricot pastries and softly spiced butter biscuits.
The Glenlivet Small Batch 2.3 20 Year Old
Scotch single malt whisky, Speyside region
A whisky dubbed 'Orchard Fruitiness', this Glenlivet single malt has been matured in a combo of first-fill American oak barrels, second-fill Scotch barrels, and second-fill American oak hogsheads and bottled at 56.2% ABV.
Oh, and it's a Master of Malt exclusive. Get it here and only here!
"Who doesn’t like apples? The Glenlivet makes whisky with an Eden-esque complexion anyway, so when it ramps up the orchard fruit vibe, you grab a glass and delight in every drop."
Adam O'Connell
Whisky nerd and certified mate of Ainsley Harriott
Tasting notes by the Producer
Juicy ripe pears, crisp red apples. Sweet cherries, treacle sponge, with a hint of clove and sweet toasted oak.
Spiced apple slices, caramelised figs, ripe plums, fresh nectarines, toffee sauce, followed by warming baking spices, namely cinnamon.
Incredibly fruity and syrupy.
Titanic Distillers 5 Year Old
Irish single pot still whiskey
Five years in the making, this pot still whiskey from Titanic Distillers is rich and nutty with creamy depth and a lingering spice that captures the character of modern Irish whiskey rooted in tradition. It's a perfect sipper after dinner or a strong contender in an Irish Coffee.
"I happened to come across this at the recent NRB Trade Show, and it was pretty damn good. Single pot still Irish whiskey incorporates unmalted barley especially into the mash bills, creating a unique, 'spicy' style."
Dave Worthington
Olive-fueled, affable & beardy award-winning whisky ambassador
Tasting notes
Honeyed cereal, vanilla pod, and toasted hazelnut with a touch of candied ginger and dried apricot.
Full and creamy, showing buttery pastry, almond, and golden syrup. Spice builds with cinnamon, clove, and a crackle of ginger warmth.
The ginger returns with soft oak and creamy malt.
Michter's US*1 Straight Rye
Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
A straight rye whiskey from the Michter's Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Every bottle of their excellent rye comes from a single barrel, highlighting the quality of their craft. A top choice for cocktails. Sazeracs for the win.
"Moreish and memorable. This is what rye whiskey is all about. Annoying how quickly my bottles always seem to run out."
Emma Symons
Whisky word-engine, rum nut, imperial stout maven & MoM OG
Tasting notes
Werther's Original, dry wood, plenty of spicy rye notes, a hint of blackcurrant.
Dried orange peel and stem ginger, followed by brown sugar, cherry, hickory, cumin and buttered corn.
New leather, caramel, cinnamon, peppercorn, apple.
*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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