In this hottest of summer's for the northern hemisphere, spirits served at room temperature may not seem all that appetizing.
And for those familiar with the cyclical nature of the spirits industry, releases do indeed slow down in the summer months for this very reason. But despite the mercury rising, our tasters have got their hands on some tremendous liquid to assess for our loyal readers.
July’s highest-scoring spirits are dominated by Scotch and bourbon, including one liquid aged with fresh pineapple, but we also see an interesting tequila that certainly puts the extra in extra añejo.
Tamnavulin, 25 Year Old Diamond Anniversary
Tamnavulin marks its 60th anniversary with this cask strength release. Matured for 20 years in ex-bourbon American oak before five years in a Moscatel sweet wine European oak cask, this is a 25-year-old Speyside single malt with a peculiar history.
The bottle originates as a newmake spirit from when the original Tamnavulin stills were fired in 2000, between the distillery’s 1995 closure and 2007 reopening, and marks the last liquid from these original stills.
It’s limited to 295 bottles and bottled at 51.8% ABV.
The Last Drop, Extra Añejo Tequila, Release No. 40
Sometimes a spirit comes along that alters the image of the category as a whole. This tequila arguably does just that.
Long known for unearthing rare and remarkable spirits, The Last Drop Distillers commissioned pioneering tequilera Carmen Villarreal of Casa San Matías to create this highly limited extra añejo expression, limited to 435 bottles and priced at $2,300. Extra añejo tequila must spend at least three years in a barrel.
This one goes well beyond that, with liquid aged between seven and ten years. Villarreal chose three casks: two ex-bourbon barrels aged a decade and one port pipe aged seven years.
The Heart Cut, Ardnamurchan, #24
Founded in 2023, The Heart Cut is juvenile in the Scotch business but has already announced itself as a major player capable of doing things differently.
While other independents rely on bottling big-name distilleries, The Heart Cut looks to champion the up-and-coming pretenders around the world.
Ardnamurchan is the perfect example: a young distillery on the most westerly part of the British mainland, it’s already highly regarded among whisky drinkers just 12 years after opening.
Gordon & MacPhail, Talisker 1987, 39 Year Old
This is the final Talisker in Gordon & MacPhail’s inventory, from 1987. At 39 years old and bottled under the brand’s new Connoisseurs Choice Heritage range at a cask strength of 51.4% ABV, it’s a stylish send-off for the Skye distillery.
Talisker has been largely absent from Gordon & MacPhail’s modern portfolio, with the independent bottlers best known for aging and bottling Speyside and Highland whiskies such as Glenlivet and Glen Grant.
In fact, it’s been over 30 years since a Talisker was last bottled under the Connoisseurs Choice range, when this whisky was in its infancy.
Glen Garioch, 2003, Cask #808
Glen Garioch is an underrated distillery, and with the power of Suntory Global Spirits behind it, a potential sleeping giant of Scotch whisky. This 2003 single cask is exactly why Glen Garioch could and should have a bright future.
Bottled exclusively for Wu Dram Clan in 2003 from Cask #808, this whisky was aged in a first-fill Oloroso sherry cask and has slowly gained a fabled reputation among experienced whisky drinkers.
Today, it’s only available on collector specialist sites for many times its original price.
Gordon & MacPhail, Mortlach 15 Year Old (Distillery Labels)
Gordon & MacPhail has been operating as an independent bottler for over a century, and its success is down to long-standing relationships with Scotland’s equally storied distilleries.
The Distillery Labels collection celebrates these relationships by championing the producer on the label.
Mortlach’s famously muscular spirit is often described as the “Beast of Dufftown”, yet Gordon & MacPhail’s 15-year-old bottling reveals that power need not come at the expense of poise.
Old Overholt, Cask Strength Aged 11 Years (2026)
Old Overholt’s reputation as a value rye whiskey has been tested in recent years, with this extra-aged, cask-strength edition growing in reputation.
At 11 years old and $110, it still offers remarkable value for what it is. The standard variety has always delivered bang for buck in terms of flavor, and is a favorite among bartenders for Sazeracs.
While at 125.6 proof (62.8% ABV), this extra-aged edition would make one hell of a cocktail, this release is very much aimed at the sipping market.
Bardstown Bourbon Co, Victoria Pineapple
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s latest Barrel Finish release began with rum casks sourced from the Caribbean, previously used to age premium rum with Victoria pineapple, a small varietal prized for its sweetness.
At the distillery’s Bardstown facility, the casks were filled with a custom blend of 10- and 11-year-old straight bourbon and rye, with fresh pineapple introduced during finishing to mirror the original process.
Elijah Craig, 18 Year Old
Often described as the pinnacle of Elijah Craig’s range, the 18 Year Old is one of the oldest continually available single-barrel bourbons in the world.
While no two barrels are the same, all barrels are charred to the same specifications, and all whiskey is bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof). This is a proudly oak-driven bourbon. It’s bold. It’s robust.
You can certainly taste that charred oak from start to finish. But that’s what people love about this whiskey.
Tamdhu, 21 Year Old
Famed for its commitment to sherry maturation, Tamdhu’s core range peaks with the 21 Year Old.
Released in limited quantities each year, the Tamdhu 21 Year Old is matured in a combination of first-fill and refill American and European oak sherry casks, sourced directly from Jerez, Spain.
Bottled at 47.5% and non-chill filtered, this is a full-throttled sherry bomb in the truest sense.
