Ten luxury whiskies to warm the winter months

How better to survive the colder months than with a glass – or two – of the finest whiskies on the market? Our friends at The Whisky Exchange have selected ten labels to be enjoyed with the curtains drawn and the fire blazing

Compass Box Phenomenology

£150 – 70cl / 46%

Leap into the unknown with this limited-edition blended malt, inspired by phenomenology - 'the study of consciousness and the objects of direct experience'. To encourage people to experience this whisky without preconceptions Compass Box have not released any tasting notes, or even listed which single malts make up this blend. All we know is that they were selected due to their distinct and different flavour profiles, something that promises a complex and surprising whisky. via Whisky Exchange

Glenfarclas 2007, Marriage of Casks

£69.95 – 70cl / 51.1%

Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange, this 2007 Glenfarclas has been aged in a pair of sherry casks providing a subtle and refined style of sherried Glenfarclas with notes of raisins, nutmeg, sherry and fruity chocolate. Via The Whisky Exchange

Dalmore 1998, 18 Year Old Port Vintages Collection

£199 – 70cl / 44%

Thanks to two years of ageing in rare aged Tawny port pipes reserved from Graham’s vineyard in the Douro region of Portugal, this 18-year-old Dalmore has notes of honeyed banana, blueberry and grape. Having been used to age the finest port for 20 years, the casks impart a full body and lots of character to this unique whisky. via The Whisky Exchange

Glenfiddich 19 Year Old, Age of Discovery Bourbon

£99.95 – 70cl / 40%

The second release in Glenfiddich's Age of Discovery series, this was aged in ex-bourbon casks for 19 years. It’s the perfect anti-dote to cold weather – vanilla meets leather, tobacco and caramel with notes of sweet orchard fruit and soft spice. via The Whisky Exchange

Glenlivet 18 Year Old Auchvaich

£185 – 70cl / 55.7%

A single cask from Glenlivet named Auchvaich. Aged for 18 years in cask 96404, this was bottled at a natural cask strength of 55.7% in March 2016. via The Whisky Exchange

Glengoyne 21 Year Old

£110 – 70cl / 43%

You’ll know Christmas is on the way when you taste this. The distillery’s tasting notes describe ‘Christmas cake, honey, and rich fruit – with a long cinnamon finish.’ And we don’t disagree. Glengoyne 21 Year Old is noticeably deeper than younger expressions of Glengoyne, with delicious rich, fruity and oaky notes – the darker colour and long finish are testament to the extra years in the sherry wood. via The Whisky Exchange

Art of Whisky, Glenthrothes 27 Year Old ‘Art of Whisky Ageing’

£120 – 70cl / 51.1%

The Art of Whisky series was created for The Whisky Show 2017 with each bottle featuring a label designed by Royal Society of Art fellow Raj Chavda. The ‘art of whisky ageing’ was the inspiration behind the label for this delicious Glenrothes 27 Year Old. This is a rich whisky for cold nights, full of notes of stewed fruit and winter spice, buttered pastry and sultanas. via The Whisky Exchange

North of Scotland 50 Year Old

£950 – 70cl / 40.4%

Buying this bottle quite literally means buying a piece of history since it is the first and only official bottling from the North of Scotland Distillery Co in Alloa. The distillery started producing whisky in 1957 but it closed in 1980 without having released an official bottling. This is a rare chance to taste long-aged whisky from this lost distillery and experience a drop of history. And it won’t disappoint thanks to more than 50 years ageing in bourbon casks. via The Whisky Exchange

Single Malts of Scotland, Glengoyne 40 Year Old ‘Director’s Special’

£1,000 – 70cl / 56.8%

Filled from a single sherry cask, this is an exceptional limited-edition bottling of Glengoyne 40 Year Old. A rich dram that shows its sherry influences through exotic notes of warming cinnamon spice and a cornucopia of dense, dark fruit - juicy damsons and sloes, and baked apples. And well worth the investment…there aren’t many 40 year old whiskies of this quality available at this price. via The Whisky Exchange

Port Askaig Perfect Measure Tasting Set

£150 – 5 x 3cl

Port Askaig is a range of Islay single malt whiskies that embody the unique spirit of Islay and its people. This set is the ideal way to experience everything about this unique whisky. The Port Askaig range is selected from the finest casks from distilleries around Islay, ensuring that the whiskies are always elegant and characterful. This Perfect Measure set examines the range, including everything from the young and feisty to the old and elegant. via The Whisky Exchange