The ImpEx Collection enters round four this year, with six whiskies comprising the lineup. Four are Scotch, and two are from elsewhere in the world (namely New Zealand and India). We had a full bottle of the Benrinnes release to play with and received smaller samples of the rest. Thoughts on the full lineup follow.

The ImpEx Collection Benrinnes 2011 12 Years Old Cask #306532

There’s a surprising amount of citrus punch on the nose here for a whisky that is aged in relatively neutral hogsheads, with aromas offering various elements of blood orange and grapefruit peels, then clear layers of fresh rosemary, almost biting at times. There’s a sweet underbelly that’s detectable, but this is countered by a vague medicinal note, adjacent to menthol, with well-seasoned, spiced oak coming up behind.

The palate is sharp and again quite fruity, though more traditional notes of vanilla custard, toffee, come into focus, helping to temper that enduring rush of citrus. As this fades, what’s left behind evokes almond nougat, brighter notes of lemon, and a mix of fresh green herbs — less rosemary but more of a mélange from the garden. Tempering with water helps bring this all into clearer focus (and this whisky can handle plenty of it), with a finish that evokes sandalwood, coconut, and lingering hints of those old bourbon barrels.

This is a whisky that feels like it could be from anywhere in Speyside, but that happens with a lot of the distilleries in the region. I found its charms significant enough to return to the well more than once.

117.8 proof. 274 bottles produced.

A- / $100

The ImpEx Collection Dailuaine 2009 14 Years Old Cask #312079

Once the largest distillery in Speyside and a pioneer in Scotch, Dailuaine is now mainly used as a blending component by Diageo and is rarely bottled as a single malt.

The hogshead-aged 14 year old is pale as a ghost but full of life, its nose evoking a big, sunny rush of spun sugar and baking spices. A light slick of petrol wafts over the top, but the whisky does not strike the nose as medicinal or industrial, paradoxically. Rather, it comes across as sharp but slightly austere, perhaps more mature than its 14 year age statement would suggest.

The palate does not rock the boat, featuring a bright sweetness that evokes notes of spun sugar and golden syrup, moving from there into notes of fresh sesame seed, orange blossom honey, and lingering notes of coconut and milk chocolate. Very much approachable and agreeable, the finish hangs on for longer than expected, quite sweet but immersive and, put simply, a lot of fun.

113.6 proof. 250 bottles produced.

A- / $150

The ImpEx Collection Royal Brackla 2011 12 Years Old Cask #110000245

Another pale hogshead-aged whisky, this Highland malt has a surprising complexity on its nose, dialed back and a bit savory, with notes of mushroom layered against bolder notes of dried flowers and, eventually, sweetened breakfast cereal.

The palate shows off more of those roasted, toasty grain notes, abutting vanilla custard-driven sweetness. It’s a chewy dram, but the heat here surprisingly comes across as a bit pushy. Water helps to tame the beast and coax out hints of lemon on the finish, but the final product never wholly coalesced for me.

116 proof. 282 bottles produced

B+ / $125

The ImpEx Collection Strathmill 2009 14 Years Old Cask #802952

Hogshead-aged Speyside, 14 years old. Rather vague on the nose, heavy on cereal, though with sharper lemon notes building with time in glass. Gentle hints of cinnamon fade more toward nutmeg as the whiskey gets a bit of air.

The palate surprises as even less distinct, mildly sweet with a gentle honey character, then showing flavors of candlewax (or beeswax) and coconut nectar. Mild, white flowers emerge on the finish, which is otherwise fairly sweet and chewy. Gossamer and ephemeral, this may be a case where I just didn’t have a big enough sample to fully appreciate all it had to offer.

115 proof. 272 bottles produced.

B+ / $150

The ImpEx Collection Indri 2015 7 Years Old Ex-Bordeaux Cask #1746

It’s a nice change of paste to check out a whisky with this depth of color, thanks to 7 years of aging in lightly toasted Bordeaux casks. The Indian single malt dazzles on the nose with aromas of plum and prune and red raspberry, a fruit-forward explosion that tempers some of the aggressive spice evident — evoking a complex range of aromas including saffron, rose petals, and white pepper.

The palate keeps the train rolling, lightly sweet and very well-spiced — Indian malt and Bordeaux casks apparently making for wonderful bedfellows. Elements of dark chocolate and anise tamp down the exuberant fruit, while late-game notes of black tea, sassafras, and barrel char linger. The “lower” abv works to this whisky’s favor, making for a much more nuanced experience. Another one I wish I had more time to fully explore — and maybe my favorite of the lineup.

107 proof. 175 bottles produced.

A / $160

The ImpEx Collection Pokeno 2020 3 Years Old Amontillado Cask #20-26

Talk about an outlier: 3 years old. New Zealand whisky. First-fill Amontillado cask aged?

The amontillado is immediate on the nose here: It’s sherry from start to finish, quite wine-soaked but laden with classic sherry notes of dates, leather, torched orange peel, and oxidized red wine. Vaguely mushroomy and damp, in the way that only Amontillado can be.

No real departure on the palate, though the austerity of roasted mushrooms, soy, and leathery notes are impossible to get away from, keeping that dried/preserved fruit at bay, at least for a time. The finish sees a reprise of wine-soaked figs and raisins, all dusted with out-of-date baking spices. I mean that in the best possible way. This is a really unique whisky that’s worth spending some time with.

117 proof. 330 bottles produced.

A- / $110

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