Best Shot Whisky Reviews

Tobermory 12

“Tobermoorish”

Whisky Review # 1084

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Highlands - Islands - Mull

Brand: Tobermory

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.6%
Maturation: Mix of 1st-Fill Ex-Bourbon casks and Virgin Oak
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 40-55 (February 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😊 Excellent P/Q ratio

Buying Advice: 👍 Nice, Fresh Island Malt

Colour:

Golden (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Virgin Oak influence is modest and that's a good thing. The Nose is actually quite Clean. It's mix of Sweet, Salty, Sour, Yeasty and Musty notes. A few slightly Bitter tones from the Oak. The Alcohol is there but doesn't bother me. All in all a pleasant Nose.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Yeast, Wax, Grass and Straw, Apples & Pears, Apricot-Filled Puff Pastry, Banana Bread, Slightly Sour Red Berries, Lemon, Orange, Musty Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Golden Syrup, Toffee, Porridge, Dirt Track, Floral Notes, Wet Sand and Rocks, Red Grapefruit Juice, Caffe Latte, Marzipan, Nuts & Nut Shells, Cocoa, Cooked Vegetables, Herbs and Nutmeg. Very light hints of Metal and Leather.

Palate:

Oily & Waxy but still with this Clean, Fresh feeling. The Alcohol is certainly more noticeable now. The Palate basically follows the Nose. Medium-Dry at this point.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Yeast, Grass & Straw, Banana Bread, Pear and Apple, Apricot-Filled Puff Pastry, Lemon, Musty and slightly Bitter Oak, Herbs, Cacao, Licorice, Mint, Pepper, Ginger and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Butter, Wax, Dusty Track, Slightly Sour Red Berries, Nuts & Nut Shells, Milk, Wet Sand and Stones, Grapefruit, Cinnamon, Cloves and a hint of Vanilla-Flavored Pipe Tobacco.

Finish:

A bit Thin and on the Short side unfortunately. Otherwise this Tobermory would have been a great entry Single Malt. It's still Good Value for Money though! The Alcohol is more noticeable at this point. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Nuts and Nut Shells, Salted Caramel, Heather-Honey, Wax, Grass and Straw, Sweet Apples & Pears, Banana Bread, White Wine with Bourbon Cask Finish, Grapefruit, Lemon, Dusty Track, Metal, Musty Oak, Wet Paper and Sand, Cooked Vegetables, Cacao, Apricot-Filled Puff-Pastry, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Licorice, Mint, Herbs. After a while your Mouth fills with some Dry Ash. Interesting!

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Tobermory.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2) )

Nose: 8 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 6.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good. Could be even better but for the slightly disappointing Finish.

Conclusion:

The Tobermory Distillery is located on the Hebridean Island of Mull. It was formerly named Ledaig and was founded in 1798 by John Sinclair. Today it is owned by CVH Spirits. The Distillery produces unpeated Malt under the name Tobermory (30%) and peated Malt under the old Distillery name Ledaig (70%). The annual production almost reached one million litres in 2025. The whisky is mainly used in blends like Black Bottle and Scottish Leader. But more attention is given to their Single Malts as well. The core range consists of the Tobermory 12 and 21, the Ledaig 10 and 18 and a NAS Ledaig Sinclair Rioja Finish. The distillery and the isle of Mull are both beautiful and well worth a visit.

This Tobermory 12 Years is a pleasant surprise. It's quite consistent although not very complex. It would have been great even if not for the lackluster Finish and the slight Metal off-note. But it's still a very good entry Whisky and gives you good value for money. So despite the few flaws I can fully recommend this Tobermory.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende February 12, 2026

Nikka Miyagikyo Peated

“Price Tag”

Whisky Review # 1083

Country: Japan 🇯🇵

Region: Sendai - Miyagi Prefecture

Brand: Nikka Miyagikyo Peated

Type: Single Malt Japanese Whisky - Nikka Discovery Series

Age: NAS - Bottled: 2021

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 150-250 (February 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Way too expensive for what it offers

Buying Advice: 😒 No way at this price level. Would be okay at around US$ 75

Colour:

Light Amber (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Light and Crisp. The Alcohol is noticeable. The Sherry influence is rather limited. It's only very lightly peated as well. It's modern but not really memorable. At this price-level I would have expected more. The Nose is mainly Sweet but not overly so.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Toast with Butter/Margarine Mixture, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Yeast, Apple and Pear, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Musty Oak, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toasted Grains, Honey, Salted Caramel, Very light Smoke, Dry Earth, Dried Fruit like Raisins & Figs, Artificially flavored Candy (Banana, Pineapple, Cherry), Wet Stones, Floral Soap, Licorice and Mint. The slightest hint of Raw Meat.

Palate:

Light, Thin and Bitter-sweet. The Alcohol is noticeable despite the reasonable ABV. Hardly any Smoke and Peat to speak of. Not really bad but no need to wake me up for this.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Grass and Straw, Apples & Pears, Lemon, Milk, Wet Stones and Paper, Dried Herbs, Musty Oak, Licorice, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger & Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Light Peat & Smoke, Ashes, Dusty Earth, Salted Nuts, Dried Herbs, Dried Fruit like Black Cherries, Raisins and Prunes, Floral Soap, Tobacco, Gasoline and Grilled Pineapple. A touch of Oriental Spices.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Sweet at first but with increasing Bitter notes towards the moderate dry end. The Alcohol is more noticeable at this point. A few Metallic and Gasoline notes that I could do without. I also find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, mild Peat & Smoke, Vanilla, Salted Nuts, Wet Newspaper, Musty Oak, Dark Chocolate, Mint, Dark Prunes, Grass and Straw, light Oriental Spices, Pepper, Ginger, Licorice and Dry Herbs.

Drinking Advice:

I added some Water and you will get additional Floral and Fruity notes on the nose while Palate and Finish become less harsh. You will lose some other Aromas so best try it out both ways.

Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 7 - Finish: 6

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

Drinking Experience Neat:

Okay at best.

Conclusion:

The Miyagikyo distillery is owned by the Nikka Group and was founded in 1969. In 2015 Nikka discontinued the entire Miyagikyo range. It was replaced by one new NAS Expression only that comes in 3 expressions i.e. Un-Peated, Peated and an Un-Peated with Apple Brandy Wood Finish.

This Nikka Miyagikyo Peated won't stay in my memory for a long time. First of all it's very lightly peated. Secondly the Sherry influence is very limited. And thirdly I find some moderate off-notes here and there. Nothing really bad but enough to be noted. The Alcohol is really noticeable as well. All this would still be okay at a price of around US$ 75. But the Price range for this Nikka is between 150 and 250 US-Dollars. And that's not acceptable for such an average Single Malt. Therefore I can't recommend this Japanese Single Malt.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende February 6, 2026

Annandale 2015 (North Star Spirits)

“Leaving Only Ash-Filled Ashtrays”

Whisky Review # 1082

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Lowlands

Brand: Annandale - Distilled: November 2015

Bottled By: North Star Spirits (NSS) - Cask Series 021

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Bottled: November 2022

Age: 7 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 54.9% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt - 458 Bottles
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 70-120 (January 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Okay at max. US$ 80

Buying Advice: 😐 Very interesting but not for everybody. Try a sample first!

Colour:

Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

There's a Dirty feel to the Nose of this Annandale. It's not unlike Campbeltown but not as refined. It's very Earthy as well. In fact it's like smelling dirty factory smoke while standing on a muddy track after a long downpour. The Sherry influence is discrete. There is some Sulfur around though. This certainly isn't mainstream Malt and that's a plus in my book. This isn't for everybody though.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Demerara Sugar, Treacle, Yeast, Burnt Buttered Toast, Dirty Factory Smoke, Forest Floor after a Rain shower, Wet Earth, Grass and Mud, Musty Old Wood, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Plums and Prunes, Pork on the BBQ, Charred Casks, Unripe Berries, Cinnamon and Aniseed

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Caramel, Struck Matches, Wet Asphalt, Tar, Rubber Tires, Tobacco, Cooked Vegetables, Worn down Leather, Cigar Butts in a full Ashtray, Scottish Fruitcake, Dark Chocolate, Ginger and Mint.

Palate:

Quite close to Campbeltown now but slightly Thinner. On the Palate we find a mix of Sweet, Bitter, Muddy and Burnt notes. There's still some Sulfur around and the Alcohol is a bit more noticeable. I would have liked a bit more Sherry influence.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Treacle, Burnt Buttered Toast, Oil, Factory Smoke, Forest Floor, Wet Mud & Straw, Matches, Cigar Ashes, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Plums and Figs, Charred Oak, Salted Pork on the BBQ, Cinnamon, Pepper, Cloves and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Vanilla, Tobacco, Old Leather, Asphalt, Tar, Rubber, X-Mas Cake, Ginger and Dark Chocolate.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Dirty. Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness towards the Medium-Dry end. Burnt notes here too. After a while you feel like you've licked an Ashtray. My least favorite part of this Annandale. I also find Toasted Malt, Toffee, Caramel, Treacle, Wet Forest Floor, Wet Mud/Grass, Cigar Ashes, Factory Smoke, Sulfur, Rubber, Tar, Asphalt, Charred Oak, X-Mas Cake, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Pepper, Aniseed and Ginger. A hint of Dry-rubbed Pork on a very smoky BBQ.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Annandale in my opinion.

Rating: 7 (*******)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 6.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

Drinking Experience Neat:

Weird but interesting.

Conclusion:

Annandale was originally founded in the 1830's. It was owned by Johnnie Walker from 1895 to 1918 when it closed. Naturally the distillery ground was in a poor condition when it was bought by David Thomson and his wife. It was a huge task to transform the place into a working distillery but finally the first spirit saw the light in 2014. The distillery specializes in Single casks. The main whiskies are the un-peated Man O'Words and the peated Man O'Sword. A 10 Year old was released last year. North Star Spirits is an independent bottler founded in 2016 and located in Glasgow.

It's my first Annandale and for sure I will try to get more samples of this Lowland distillery. This expression by North Star is certainly interesting. It's dirty in the style of Campbeltown but it misses balance. I blame the cask for that. It does not provide sufficient Sweet Fruity notes to soften up the dirt. In fact while reviewing the Finish I had to think of a specific line from the song Homburg by Procol Harum that thus became the title of this review. But I certainly see the potential of this distillery and am looking forward to taste additional expressions.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende January 31, 2026

Aber Falls 2021

“Aber Falls Short”

Whisky Review # 1081

Country: Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Region: Abergwyngregyn - North Wales

Brand: Aber Falls - Distilled 2021

Type: Single Malt Welsh Whisky - Bottled: 2024

Age: 3 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Probably Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Range: US$ 25-35 (January 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Borderline okay

Buying Advice: 👎 Too young and under-matured for a Single Malt Whisky

Colour:

Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Young, Sweet & a bit Rough. It's Fruity in a slightly acidic way but not unpleasant for a 3-year old Whisky. I do find a Metallic off-note in the background. It's got no depth of course but that was to be expected.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Grains, Green Apple, Floral Soap, Grass, Nutshells, Toast and Margarine, Milk Chocolate and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Nectarine, light Citrus, Dusty Oak, Books, Metal, Studentenhaver (Mixed Nuts and Dried Fruit), Cider, Exotic Fruit on Heavy Syrup, Air Freshener & Cloves.

Palate:

Thin, Young and Sweet. The Sweetness is more artificial now than it was on the Nose. A few Sour and Bitter accents as well. The Alcohol is more noticeable now. You can't expect a lot from a 3 years-old and the Palate confirms this. Not really bad but utterly forgettable. Almost like a simple Blended Scotch Whisky.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Toffee, Artificially Flavored/Sweetened Candy, Grass, Green Apple, Nuts and Nutshells, Pepper and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Grain Alcohol, Cider, Floral Perfume, slightly Sour Apple Vinegar, Milk Chocolate, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Cinnamon and Mint.

Finish:

Very Thin and quite on the Short side. Fruity at first. Increasing Herbal Bitter notes towards the Dry end. There's not much going on here. I find some Grains, Toffee, Vanilla, Grass, Floral Soap, Herbs, Green Apple, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Industrial Alcohol and slightly Sour Apple Vinegar.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and while it eases the effects of the Alcohol it also removes most of the already scarce Aromas and Flavors. It also increases the Dry Mouth-Feel.

Rating: 6 (******)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 6 - Finish: 5.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

Drinking Experience Neat:

Bottom line acceptable.

Conclusion:

Aber Falls is a very young distillery that was founded in 2017. It started with Gin but Single Malt Whisky followed quickly, the first being released in May 2021. The latest releases include a 3 year old Sherry cask matured bottled at 47% and a Madeira cask matured 3 year old.

Is it a good idea for a new distillery to launch a very young/undermatured Single Malt? If I was the owner of a distillery I would not do it although I understand the economic and publicity reasons to do so. I'd prefer the long term view though and would only present a fully matured Single Malt to the market, fully understanding that that would require substantial capital. Aber Falls choose the other way and went to the market with this 3 Year Old Single Malt that, while not bad, is simply too young and too weak to be considered a mature, interesting sipping Malt. It does not work for me although it's pleasantly priced of course. I will try to get a sample of the new Sherry cask matured Aber Falls bottled at a more respectable 47%. This 2021 edition of Aber Falls short of expectations though!

PS: It would be nice if the bottle would include information about a/o Color, Chill-Filtration and Type of Casks!

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende January 21, 2026

Bruichladdich Octomore 13.1

“Peat For Peat’s Sake” (Money For God’s Sake)

Whisky Review # 1080

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich Octomore 13.1 (137.3 PPM)

Series: The Impossible Equation

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Bottled: 15-03-2022

Age: 5 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 59.2% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: Around US$ 160-200 (January 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for such a Young Single Malt

Buying Advice: 👍 Positive if you're into Young, heavily Peated Islay Whisky and money is not an issue.

Colour:

Pale Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Alcohol is strong so avoid to nose in the middle of your glass. Peat and Smoke are quite dominant and all the related Aromas are there. The Nose reveals Sweet, Salty and Sour notes. I get a minor Plastic off-note in the background. The nose is typical of a Young heavily peated Single Malt from Islay. Not bad but perhaps a bit one-dimensional.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Fudge, Vanilla, Bonfire Smoke and Wet Peat, Soot, Tar, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, Meat, Bacon and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Herbs and Lemon, Mixed Nuts, Charred Wood, Chocolate, Polished Leather, Blue Cheese, Pepper, Ginger and Cloves.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Ashes, Asphalt, Wax, Iodine, Damp Cellar, slightly Sour Yellow Plums and Grapefruit, Green Apple, Grilled Pineapple, Apricot Jam, Wet Rocks, Licorice, Mint, Menthol and Plastic. A hint of Coconut Milk.

Palate:

The Alcohol is more noticeable on the Palate but I do like the pleasant rather Oily mouthfeel of this Octomore. Peat and Smoke continue to dominate on the Palate. You will find a mix of Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Burnt and Salty notes. Not bad if you're into this type of Whisky.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Fudge, Vanilla, Campfire Smoke, Wet Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Asphalt, Iodine, Hospital, Meat, Bacon and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon and Herbs, Polished Leather, Toasted Pineapple, Charred Oak, Nuts and Nutshells, Pepper, Cloves, Mint, Licorice and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Burnt Grass and Straw, Wax, Orange-flavored Chocolate, Butter -Biscuits, Green Apple, Apricot Jam, Wet Rocks & Sand, Forest Floor, slightly Sour Yellow Plums & Grapefruit, Blue Cheese, Aniseed, Menthol, Cinnamon and Ginger. A hint of Plastic.

Finish:

Middle-Long & Bitter Sweet. The Bitterness increases towards the Dry end. I get a distinct Hospital feeling at this point. The Finish is without a doubt a bit of a let-down after the pleasant mouthfeel. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Campfire Smoke, Wet Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Hospital, Iodine, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Wax, Meat and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon and Herbs, slightly Sour berries such as Gooseberry & Strawberry, Charred Oak, Burnt Straw, Nuts and Nutshells, Blue Cheese, Green Apple, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Aniseed, Cinnamon and hints of Plastic and Mirabelle Plum Eau de Vie. The Alcohol is slightly more noticeable now as well.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that helps to calm down the Alcohol on the Nose. I also get extra Malt and some canned Peaches now. Less Hospital on the Palate but a bit of Metal in the Finish. Please try it out both ways in order to finds out what is best for you.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 6.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good except for the Finish.

Conclusion:

Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by Barnett Harvey. During its history it was mothballed various times, the last time in 1998. In 2012 the Islay distillery was bought by Remy Cointreau (France). Since, Bruichladdich is showing a healthy growth again. The distillery produces 3 types of Single Malt, i.e. the unpeated Bruichladdich & the heavily peated Port Charlotte & Octomore. The basic core range includes the Classic Laddie, the 18, the 30 and Port Charlotte 10 & 18. The annual production currently amounts to around 1 million litres. About 10% of that is Octomore. Octomore stand for "The Big Eighth". This is a medieval division of common ground.

I have tasted a lot of different Octomores so far down the road. The Ex-Bourbon cask matured ones are probably the closest to what the makers had in mind when they started the series. Young, heavily peated straight to the point Young Islay. The 13.1 is a good example of this. Personally however I preferred those that were finished in a second cask, especially Ex-Sauternes. Those casks give that bit of extra Aroma and Flavor and provide balance with Peat and Smoke. If you like pure and young Peat and Smoke from Islay you can safely buy the 13.1 if money is not an issue. If money is an issue however I would advise you to have a look at the Kilchoman distillery.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende January 16, 2026

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014

About this site

There are a lot of people writing about whisky. There are few people that write independent reviews. If you have to believe the first category, there are only excellent whiskies. That just is not true. There are a lot of excellent whiskies yes. As there should be because whisky today is expensive! But there is a lot of indifferent product and some stuff is just not good enough. There is a clear need for independent reviewers. I am one of them. I have nothing to do with the industry. I don't sell anything. I don't have the perfect Palate. My opinion is as good as yours! I just taste whiskies and tell you what I think about them. That's all.