5 great whiskies for Christmas
1. UNDER £50:
COMPASS BOX SPICE TREE
As the name would suggest, Spice Tree has some wonderful notes of festive-influenced spice and fruit, developed from blending together Highland malts, partly matured in French wine-tempered casks. Perfect to go with your Christmas pud. £35.50, www.masterofmalt.com
2. UNDER £100:
MACKINLAY’S SHACKLETON REPLICA BLENDED WHISKY
After finding a case of whisky buried deep under the ice at the base camp abandoned by Antarctic explorer Earnest Shackleton, Whyte & Mackay have painstakingly recreated this incredible relic, from a range of rare casks. Timeless whisky making. £97.95, www.thewhiskyexchange.com
3. UNDER £300:
GLENFARCLAS 40 YEAR OLD
Glenfarclas is one of the only independently-owned distilleries in the Speyside region.
Expect to find a big, rich palate of dried fruit, oaky notes, seasonal spice and cigar box aromas in this masterpiece of whisky making. £292, www.masterofmalt.com
4. UNDER £500:
PORT ELLEN 1978 27 YEAR OLD
When the Port Ellen distillery closed in 1983, it left behind a legacy of a whisky with unfinished business. Port Ellen is now one of the most highly sought-after collectors’ malts, and this bottling is a superb investment as well as a sensational whisky to sip and savour. £450, www.thewhiskyexchange.com
5. OVER £1000+:
HIGHLAND PARK 1970 ORCADIAN VINTAGE
Based on the Isle Of Orkney, Highland Park saved the very best of their extra mature casks to create the Orcadian Vintage Series. The 1970 vintage is a beguiling, complex beast of a whisky, with soft fruit notes and delicate smoke. £2,300, www.highlandpark.co.uk