Esquire's favourite whiskies to toast with this International Whisky Day

LARK Fire Trail Single Malt

LARK has released its new signature collection just in time for International Whiskey Day. Fire Trail, the introduction to the collection, is what LARK master distiller Chris Thomson calls “the essence of LARK’s signature style and everything we do”.

Matured in a mix of rare port and sherry casks, Fire Trail is built around a heavily layered profile. It opens brighter than you might expect, with a lift of citrus that quickly gives way to baked fruit and a thread of burnt caramel. There’s a savoury edge running through it too, thanks to the use of applewood smoked water, which adds a gentle smokiness rather than making it overtly peated. As it settles, a light cedarwood note comes through, giving the finish a bit of structure and dryness.

Sullivans Cove Double Cask Single Malt

Sullivans Cove’s Double Cask is a good reminder of how much blending matters, even in single malt. It brings together French and American oak, producing a flavour profile with plenty going on. You get a mix of tropical and stone fruit up front, followed by an expected run of caramel and vanilla from the oak. From there, it opens into spice with nutty, floral and lightly herbal notes sitting underneath.

LARK Ruby Abyss Single Malt

Another new release from LARK, Ruby Abyss is a rich, full-bodied single malt. It’s matured in first-fill vintage port and sherry casks (including a 100-year-old port reserve) from the renowned Seppeltsfield wine region of South Australia. That pedigree comes through clearly in the glass.

Up front, you get a wave of dark fruit alongside a hit of caramelised brown sugar. It’s sweet, but not overdone. As it opens up, there’s a softer, more rounded side to it, with notes of mocha and a smooth, almost creamy texture. The finish brings a a touch of sweetness that adds a bit of lift without overpowering what came before.

Archie Rose Heritage Red Gum Cask Single Malt

Archie Rose’s Heritage Red Gum Cask Single Malt is one of the more distinctive recent Australian releases. The whisky is matured in native red gum (a cask you really don’t see very often) that previously held apera. On the nose, it’s dense and detailed. Sun-dried raisins and apricot lead, backed by a thread of bush honey. Hints of eucalypt and sandalwood give it a distinctly Australian feel. The palate starts smooth with glacé cherry and dried orange zest before pushing into a more textured middle. Rockmelon, roasted pecans and a light floral note all come through, giving it a bit more lift than the nose suggests. It finishes with milk chocolate and honey at the centre, with a faint incense note trailing out at the end.

Callington Mill Pedro Ximenez Single Malt

While most distilleries purchase empty barrels to mature their whisky, Callington Mill sources premium casks directly from Portugal and Spain – including Jerez de la Frontera, Spain’s famed Sherry Triangle – full of their original contents. The liquids are then carefully removed, leaving the oak casks still saturated with fortified wine, sherry or port. The result is a deeper and richer seasoning that yields a layered spirit.

The Pedro Ximénez Single Malt is a beneficiary of this radical maturation process. It’s deep, layered and indulgent, opening with aromas of dark chocolate, figs and Christmas pudding, followed by layers of raisin, burnt toffee and spiced oak. On the palate, it’s velvety and full-bodied, offering waves of dried fruit, candied orange peel and warm sherry richness.

Hibiki 30 Year Old x Hiroshi Senju Limited Edition

The Hibiki 30 Year Old sits at the very top of The House of Suntory’s range. This is a blend of whiskies drawn across Yamazaki, Hakushu and Chita, with decades of ageing pulling everything into a place. The profile is rich from the outset. Brown sugar and dried fig come through first, followed by deeper notes of gingerbread and apricot jam. There’s a clear thread of Mizunara oak running underneath it all, adding structure and a slightly spiced edge. The finish is long and polished, with a gentle lift of cinnamon.

If the flavour profile wasn’t enough, this is also a limited edition collaboration with artist Hiroshi Senju. Senju designed the case, which features a traditional byōbu-style display with multi-panel screens, complete with a reflective base, an etched Hibiki emblem and a waterfall wrap at the neck of the crystal bottle. If there is something higher than top shelf, that’s where you would keep this whisky.

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt

Glenfiddich’s 12 Year Old expression is one of the benchmarks of the category, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a straightforward Speyside style, matured in a mix of Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks, then brought together in oak tuns. The nose is led by fresh orchard fruit, with pear front and centre. On the palate, that fruit carries through before giving way to softer notes of butterscotch, cream and malt. The finish is mellow, tapering off gently rather than trying to leave a big impression.

Jack Daniel’s Bonded Triple Mash

Jack Daniel’s has made another foray into the premium space with the Triple Mash. For those who aren’t in the know, a bonded whiskey is a spirit that’s distilled by a single distiller during a lone distilling season, is matured in a bonded warehouse for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof – as was stipulated by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. Triple Mash is actually a blend of three bottled in bond whiskeys. It’s 60 per cent bonded rye whiskey, 20 per cent bonded Tennessee whiskey, and 20 per cent bonded American malt whiskey. The result is a balanced, well-rounded final product with a complex flavour profile consisting of honey sweetness, refreshing grain spice and a hint of dry oak. With Triple Mash, you can enjoy three fine whiskies in one pour.

The Macallan Double Cask 12 Year Old Single Malt

This 12 Year Old Double Cask from The Macallan brings together American oak and sherry-seasoned European oak, and you can track both influences pretty clearly from start to finish. The American oak shows up first, with vanilla, citrus and a lighter, sweeter profile. That sits over the top of the more familiar Macallan base – dried fruit, sherry and a touch of wood spice from the European oak. On the palate, the sweeter notes carry through, but there’s enough spice and oak underneath to keep it from drifting too far in one direction. The finish is steady and consistent, with the oak and spice lingering just long enough.

Teeling 15 Year Old Sauv Blanc Cask

Teeling’s 15 Year Old Sauvignon Blanc Cask is a good example of how far Irish whiskey is pushing into experimental territory. The base is mostly corn with a touch of malted barley, aged in ex-bourbon barrels before a finishing period in former Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc casks, and that final step shapes a lot of what you get in the glass. It’s bright on the nose, with citrus and green apple leading, backed by a light floral note. On the palate, you get a mix of zesty pepper and softer fruit with a thread of vanilla running underneath from the bourbon casks. The wine influence shows up more in the texture and lift than anything vinous. The finish is dry and fairly long, with subtle fruit lingering rather than sweetness. It’s a slightly left-field whisky, but it works.