Though the palate is a confusion of conflicting flavors, the nose is actually quite intriguing. Hints of virtually every whisky related aroma imaginable emerge and recede making it very challenging and pleasurable.

The 21-year-old is similar, with deeper, richer notes. The nose has more toffee and hints of tobacco and licorice. The palate is again, sweet at first then dry, slightly citric.

Both are very enjoyable malts.

Though youthful, Kenloch is a pleasant surprise. It has a cereal grain and sugary quality, somewhat like a lowland malt.

Recently a bottling of 1,000 cases under the name Glen Breton Rare Canadian Single Malt Whisky, has been released by the new owners.

In addition, there is a special release of 500 bottles of an Inaugural Day Bottling (October 31, 2000), from the first cask produced at the distillery. Each bottle is signed by the master distiller and comes in a wooden box. The first bottle from the cask is a pricey $15,000 (Canadian dollars -- US about $10,000). There is a descending scale for bottles #2 through #100, and then the price for bottles #101 through #500 come out to about $200 US.

My thanks to several visitors who corrected my misreading of the pricing. I had originally stated that the first bottle in every order cost $15,000. My apologies to the distillery.

Highlands.

A visitor to maltwhiskey.com asked about Lismore so I located a bottle labeled "Pure Single Highland Malt" which is available in the US (no age statement). My first surprise was the unbelievably low price ($13).

My second surprise was that it was actually pleasant! It has a malt and toffee nose, and a sweet, lightly floral palate. Its main shortcoming is a somewhat abrupt and rather tart finish. Unfortunately there is no indication of the source of this malt.

Don't throw away your prized Balvenies and Glenlivets, but don't dismiss this too quickly either. We can't all afford to drink the finest whiskies every day.

There are also 21 and 25-year-old bottlings of Lismore single malt that would be worth trying.

25-year-old: I have it on good authority that this is actually a 25-year-old from The Macallan distillery -- selling for $60 a bottle! Before you get too excited, there are a couple of words of explanation necessary.

When you buy a 25-year-old Macallan, 25 years is the youngest whisky in the bottle, there are probably elements of 30-year-old, 40-year-old, maybe even older whiskies in the mix. As a whisky ages it reduces in volume and alcohol content, becoming thicker, smoother, and in most cases, softer. The 25-year-old Macallan is reduced to 43 vol. by the addition of older whiskies, and probably some water, and the flavor you experience is thick, deep, and rich.

The 25-year-old Macphail's most likely comes from 25-year-old casks of The Macallan, which are reduced with water to 40 vol., without the addition of older whiskies to strengthen it. The result is a whisky that is enjoyable, but seems a bit thin and watery.

12-year-old: This release is presumably mixture of various malts from one distillery. I haven't sampled this.

31-year-old: "Single, Single" again. I haven't sampled this bottling, but from experience with the others I'm certain it's excellent.

The same company also bottles a blended whisky, Te Bheag.

My guess is that it comes from Bunnahabhain. It has a spiciness (juniper) with a hint of sea breeze. Rich amber/gold color with a sweet malty palate. For about $30 a bottle the price is right and it's a very enjoyable malt.

Bottled at 43 vol., the whiskey has a gold color and an extremely powerful, perfumy nose. Some lemony notes come through but the overriding sensation is of perfume. The palate is much the same. The finish is again -- perfumy. Let's hope that over the years, as this whiskey is released in older and more mature bottlings, the perfumy character diminshes.

Bottled at 40 vol. it has a light golden color. The nose is quite aromatic with an oily, briny character and has an underlying peaty nuttiness. The palate is dry, somewhat light, faintly chewy, with a nutty creaminess. The finish is dry, long, and salty.

Vintage Orkney (Highland Park distillery, 7-years-old).

Bottled at 40 vol., the color is golden and the nose is rich and creamy with vanilla and faint honey notes over a soft peatiness. The palate is sweet, creamy, slightly buttery, with a smooth nuttiness. The finish is buttery also, with lingering vanilla and a mild saltiness. 76