91 The Whisky Advocate

Peppermint bark, lemonade, and sour cherry juice kick off this bright and breezy whisky. The nose has an herbal quality that’s nicely balanced by tart fruit notes. On the palate, this one is straightforward with well-define flavors of lemon meringue, vanilla custard, and oatmeal raisin cookies. The interplay between the nose and palate is elegant and, while this is a light sipper, the aromas and flavors come together to tell a compelling story.

95 Tastings.com (Beverage Testing Institute)

Straw yellow color. Grassy, green, hoppy, herbal, candied aromas and flavors of dark cocoa mole sauce, lime, citrus, vanilla, roasted pineapple, and cotton candy with a round, crisp, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a warming, nuanced, medium-length finish that exhibits overtones of sweetened italian peppers on an italian beef sandwich, grassy tones, and cucumber skins. A sweet, savory, and peppery stunner of a Reposado Tequila that hits all the right notes.

93 Tastings.com (Beverage Testing Institute)

Rich amber color. Aromas of salty roasted nuts, brown butter, honeyed dried fruit,and delicately smoky minerals with a silky, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a long, earthy roasted grain and ash accented finish. A complex blend with an artful layer of smoke. International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal

90 Malt Advocate

So how brave can you be? Would you take one of the world's most iconic blends and risk messing with it? If you've got a whisky maker as good as Jim Beveridge, then why not? This picks up from the regular JW Black and its signature Caol Ila smoke and peat heart and then adds to it, doing exactly what it says on the tin. But the clever part of this is upping the apple, orange, and fruit content too. Great.

93 The Whisky Advocate

Sweet scents of Boston cream pie, citrus, and fresh forest, growing more fragrant as the liquid rests in the glass. On the palate, the citrus sweetens to baked orange tart and lemon meringue pie, with underpinnings of chocolate malt, raisins, and pepper spice. The mouthfeel is creamy and concentrated, and the finish is like a rich, full, spiced chocolate dessert. Water enhances things, bringing out more spice and chocolate.—David Fleming

96 Tastings.com (Beverage Testing Institute)

Mahogany color. Aromas and flavors of clove, nutmeg, and mace in mocha ice cream, sweet pipe tobacco, stewed red fruits, and dutch apple pancake with coffee in the batter with a thick, bright, dry fat body and a warming, very complex, long finish with accents of cherry wood smoked brisket, padron maduro 1945 anniversario, bananas foster with loads of nutmeg and clove, and burned vanilla bean. A Whisky rich in rounded mocha notes and hints of savory meats laden with loads of ripe fruit that would pair excellently with a cigar.