Discovery (Gordon and MacPhail)

Established as a grocery store in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail quickly became involved in purchasing new make spirit from whisky distilleries around Scotland to mature in their own selected casks. Now in the 4th generation of family ownership and still fiercely independent, G&M offer a range of fantastic quality whiskies that can't be matched by other independent bottlers, who rely on purchasing casks of already matured whisky to bottle and sell - G&M are doing everything but the actual distilling, ensuring a care of cask management from day one.

The 'Discovery' range is a selection of whiskies that provide an introduction to what G&M offer - an entry level range highlighting three different flavour profiles: Sherry maturation, Bourbon maturation and the effect of peat

Aultmore is a distillery in Keith, Banffshire, dating back to 1895 when it was founded by Alexander Edward, the then owner of the Benrinnes Distillery. A troubled start thanks to the industry crash in 1901 and World War I saw it settle into regular production for blended whiskies from the 1920s, until it was entirely rebuilt and expanded in 1970. In 1998 the distillery was sold to John Dewar & Sons, a subsidiary of Bacardi, but it wasn't until 2004 that an official bottling was launched.

The Aultmore flavour profile is very much that is light tropical and floral notes. Those notes are very much exemplified with this release from G&M, as the use solely of Bourbon casks adds vanilla custard tones to upfront flavours of pineapple, mango and apricot. What's nice is that there is still a prickly pepper feel on the finish, meaning it doesn't just die away but lingers further, as though a custard tart with tropical fruit on the top had been sprinkled with just a touch of cardamom. It's very much a spring/summer whisky, and works brilliantly in a Scotch and soda!