Color: amber.Nose: some classic Balvenie notes here -- apples, honey, and vanilla, some citrus -- but also something herbal, like Yerba Mate tea. And a kind of vegetable smell, like freshly cut green…

Color: remarkably light, almost as if the sun sneezed on a glass of water.Nose: without water, alcohol burn and a little smoke. Water mellows it out a bit and brings out the maple-smoked barbecue notes…

Color: goldenrod.Nose: light and fresh. As with most Balvenies, apples are at the fore. Vanilla and honey follow. There's a grassy/graininess in the background. All very subtle. Perhaps a little too…

My first-year graduate students surprised me at the end of the semester with this incredibly generous gift to thank me for my work with them for the past year.The Glenfiddich 12 was once a mainstay in…

Color: gold.Nose: this is ashier and peatier than the Lagavulin, but it shares that whisky's sweet, floral undertones. Not as sweet to me as others have reported though. Mostly this nose is very savory…

Color: sunburnt straw.Nose: pineapple, clementines, and cherries. White chocolate. Honey drizzled in Greek yogurt. Champagne.Body: full-bodied and creamy.Palate: pow! This one's a punch in the mouth in…

Color: a rosy copper.Nose: mmm. Thick and luxuriant. Cinnamon cooked apples. Butterscotch and caramel poured over vanilla ice cream. Old books! Just the slightest hint of pipe tobacco and burnished…

Color: gold.Nose: earthy, grassy, and grainy, with an undercurrent of leather and brine. A drop of water brings out hints of vanilla and honeysuckle.Body: medium, oily.Palate: wow. This is interesting…

Color: gold.Nose: apples, pears, barley, and a hint of caramel.Body: dry, rough, and chalky in the mouth.Palate: very salty — almost overwhelmingly so — with a little ginger and lemon. It burns the…

Color: gold.Nose: fresh cut apples, cinnamon, and honey butter. Water brings out notes of sour candies.Body: thick and oily.Palate: apple rum cake -- sweet, sour, and buttery. And incredibly smooth…