Dalmore King Alexander III, 70cl * offer

Beautifully packaged as a testament to the quality of the dram, Glenmorangie Signet is intense and deep with chocolate malty flavours. The nose of this offering is wonderfully rich, with chocolate raisins, citrus peels and old-fashioned cocktail flavours. The palate is sweet and syrupy thick with dry cinnamon, strong hits of cocoa and of course that archetypal malt which makes this Glenmorangie dram so moreish. Pleasant dry notes bring the drink to a close in refined, elegant style.

Nose: The first hints of fresh almond and harvest aromas immediately open up into preserved lemon and dried fruits, the whole rounded off by darker smoky and toasted qualities. Palate: The presence of the wine on the palate is immediately captivating. Paradoxically concentrated yet creamy, it is energetic and warm in the mouth, focusing on the fruit, then gradually taking on more profound bass notes. The whole holds its note perfectly, intensively, with just a subtle, elegant hint of underlying bitterness.

El Dorado 21 years uses that 21 year period as a minimum benchmark and the blend is in fact made up of blends as old as 25 years and the maturity of this rum is apparent from simply opening the bottle. The aroma is filled with sweet scents reminiscent of an old fashioned sweet shop, with boiled sweets coming through strong on the palate too. The finish brings in some of the more intense notes including fresh tobacco, spiced chocolate and together they create a rum which is ideal for after dinner sips.

Suntory are the gods of the Japanese whisky scene and their Hakushu line is amongst the most popular. The Hakushi distillery is hidden in the forests near the Japanese Alps and this particular offering is aged for 12 years. An exceptional single malt, Hakushu 12 year is a light and refreshing offering with hay and mixed peels on the nose and gentle barley malt, smokiness and hazelnut coming through in the taste. Sweetness is perfectly balanced against spice.