"This year’s Summer Edition of Equinox & Solstice is a small batch mix of two 2008 1st fill barrels of Balblair. They’ve been bottled at 15 years of age and this series’ trademark strength of 48.5%. The result is an extremely easy and luscious summer dram that showcases an abundance of Balblair’s natural green fruitiness and lusciousness, along with a nicely rich and creamy vibe from the 1st fill barrels. A gorgeous dram that balances simplicity, directness, freshness and maturity – perfect for summer as an easy sipper or in a highball with ice and soda! This year’s series features a set of wonderful original artworks by Skye-based artist Ellis O’Connor. For the Summer edition her inspiration was taken from some of the colours associated with long and luminous Scottish summer nights."

This 1980 vintage Blended Scotch whisky is from a single Sherry Butt (cask #37) bottled after 44 years at 47.8% exclusively for KWM. It is an Edrington Blend, married in 2005, the youngest component of which had been distilled in 1980. The whisky has an antique-y, old-school sherry profile, reminiscent of the way old whiskies used to taste 20 years ago.

The whisky is named for KWM's store dog, and Chief Morale Officer, Walter. As it say on the label, this is "Man's Best Blended Scotch Whisky", "Doggone - Finest - Deluxe - Rare Auld Whisky", "A Special Treat for Ony the Goodest Boys & Girls", and it is "Aged 308 Dog Years!"

A Royal Brackla, single cask, cask strength 16 year old. Bottled for the Regiment, one of only 248 bottles worldwide.

This 27 year old Glen Grant is exclusive to KWM in Alberta, with only a dozen bottles coming in. Matured in an ex-Bourbon Barrel, it was bottled at 49.1%. 88.57pts Whiskybase! 

Matured in Virgin American Oak casks this Single Malt displays sweet, charred Oak aromas with rich fruit flavours and soft peat smoke, 

Non Chill Filtered and Natural Colour. 

GB Organic Certifification 5. 

This Special Edition bottling of Benromach Organic is made using the finest Scottich Organic Barley, then dried using peat smoke, to produce an Organic Speyside Single Malt which displays a distinctive smoky character. 

"Rare Cask is created from oak casks which exhibit an intense sweet raisin note coupled with an incredibly rich, smooth complexity. These hand-selected casks are a rare and special discovery."

• Nose
  A little closed at first. But then, shimmers of a distant farm from somewhere around Campbeltown enter the nose. There's apricot, fig, raisin, banana, strawberry yoghurt, orange marmalade, salted caramel, light smoke, cow shed, sheep wool, burlap, creamy malt, honey and walnut. Very good! Can't detect any dissonant notes,

• Taste
  Mouth coating arrival, and not even that hot for its ABV. Typical Springbank DNA here. Apricot, fig, blood orange, cranberry, salted caramel, apple pie, honey, sheep wool, leather, roast almond, herb butter, engine oil and ground pepper. Brilliantly balanced, do I miss the sherry casks in here? Not per se. I think it's for the better but I can't make a comparison now.

• Finish
  A vibrant, long reverberation of the palate. Orange peel, apricot, cherry, salted caramel, chocolate brownie, creamy malt and almond.

SMWS Tasting Panel's tasting note:  "We sat around a beach bonfire, with eggplants charring in the embers for some proper baba ghanoush; while some of us thought there was maybe a sea battle going on in the distance. The palate was big, bold and smoky; porridge made with smoke-damaged oats, grilled lamb skewered on rosemary sprigs, focaccia, porchetta, basil pesto and smoked salt on tomatoes.

The reduced nose found burnt herbs and balsamic, barbecue gloves, ash, tar and a fisherman’s sweater. On the palate, candied oranges and gummi bears, smoked mackerel pâté and barbecued Italian sausages came to the fore – solid and rewarding. After 10 years in ex-bourbon wood, we transferred this whisky into a refill heavy toast, medium char hogshead."