FIVE OF THE BEST Scotch whiskies

Scotland’s damp, cool climate may frustrate holidaymakers, but it’s ideal for making whisky, with distilleries working their magic from the Borders in the south up to the islands of Orkney. This selection of recent Scotch releases includes a distinctive solera bottling, Sherried styles and a Caribbean rum finish.

1 Glenfiddich Our Solera 15 Year Old

£47.90-£52/70cl Asda, Freds Drinks, Hard to Find Whisky, Ocado, Tesco,

The Wee Dram, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky World, Waitrose

It’s solera, Jim, but not as we know it… Glenfiddich’s solera vat is only half-emptied when a new bottling run happens, then refilled with whisky from three cask types: ex-Sherry, virgin oak and ex-bourbon. Balanced and complex – the vat was first filled in 1998 – playing off honeyed, vanilla notes against more assertive layers of ginger cake and cherries dipped in dark chocolate. Alcohol 40%

2 Glenglassaugh Sandend

£51-£55/70cl House of Malt, Master of Malt, Royal Mile, Still Spirit,

The Spirits Embassy, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop

The long-awaited unveiling of the Glenglassaugh range was a highlight of 2023 – 15 years after spirit started flowing again from the stills of the previously mothballed coastal distillery. This NAS (no age statement) release is, aptly enough, like a summer’s day out at the seaside: sun-kissed citrus and tropical fruit, rich vanilla ice cream with a chocolate flake, and just a whisper of maritime salinity. Alc 50.5%

3 M&S Collection Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt Aged 10 Years

£40/70cl Marks & Spencer

Part of a recently launched spirits collection from M&S, this offers the perfect introduction to the Glenfarclas trademark combination of spirit muscle and Sherry cask maturation. Bottled at a slightly higher strength than the standard distillery 10 Year Old, it’s relatively restrained with a cereal core around which weaves a tapestry of dark toffee, cinnamon-dusted lemon meringue and vanilla. Alc 42.5%

4 Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One 5 Year Old

£47.95-£50/70cl House of Malt, Loch Fyne Whiskies, Master of Malt, Robbies, Royal Mile, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop, The Whisky World, Whisky Kingdom, Whisky Shop Dufftown

The ‘big pursuit’ (meikle tòir in Gaelic) at the GlenAllachie distillery on Speyside is the transformation of its spirit character following its 2017 acquisition by Master Distiller Billy Walker. These releases are the first fruits of extended (160-hour) fermentation and the limited production of peated malt. Spent bonfire smoke, citrus zest and, from virgin Missouri chinquapin oak, roasted hazelnut and coffee roaster. Alc 48%

5 Mossburn Speyside Blended Malt 12 Year Old Foursquare Finish

£64.80-£67/70cl Aitken Wines, Amathus Drinks, Distillers Direct, Independent Spirit of Bath, Master of Malt, Royal Mile, The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky World, Torabaig Distillery, Tyndrum Whisky

It’s easy to get carried away with adding extra flavour to a whisky via the finishing process, but this collaboration between Mossburn and the Foursquare rum distillery on Barbados is an exercise in restraint. The distillate fruit – apple and pear, moving into stone fruits – is enhanced by cask-driven layers of root ginger, black banana and treacle toffee, with a wonderfully velvety texture. Alc 57.7% D