Aberfeldy 16

One glass of this fruity rhapsody and you know it immediately: there's divine nectar in this bottle.

On the nose: raisins and cinnamon up front, then a freight train of caramel and dried apple, all rounded off by a flowery malt. ("The nose" is just what it smells like. You're allowed to say "smell.")

On the palate: beautifully rounded and dangerously drinkable. That apple weaves through everything again, and then you're hit with a touch of poached pear in chocolate sauce, clementine, and honey.

The finish: a flash of ginger, a whisper of smoke, and oak. (The finish is the taste that hangs around after you swallow. Longer is usually better.)

A lovely, well-rounded whisky we'd recommend to any fan of the Speyside style, as an everyday dram, or as a proper birthday gift for your best man, your cousin, or your old man.