Perhaps it’s the effect of lockdown, but I find myself more and more eager to sit in front of the six o clock news armed with a healthy slug of good whisky. And these are very good whiskies.

As the evening news continues to scare us all into never leaving home again, telling us we are little better than granny murderers if we do, I think and I drink.

I think mostly of all the good people I know in the restaurant and bar business who will probably never recover from having their livelihoods taken away from them, despite doing, and spending, so much to try and create safe spaces.

A good whiskey makes the world a better place, especially if it’s drunk in front of a real fire as a freezing cold wind whips through your ancient and useless sash windows and chills your extremities. Well, that’s our house anyway.

Well here are three very good whiskies, sent to us as samples because the bottles are rather expensive.

We spent a happy hour tasting them, and then the next hour in such a benign haze I couldn’t even muster the energy to shout abuse at Jon Snow when he did the patronising proud parent act he always does when he interviews anyone under twenty years old.

We’ve been to Knockdhu before, not literally of course but on a zoom tasting.

Here their second batch of anCnoc Peatheart, from their distillery in the Highlands, is again made using barley peated to 40ppm. It offers a mix of soft smokey and juicy fruit notes, balanced by a touch of sweet fudge. RRP £52

A 2014 addition to Glen Moray’s selection of Speyside single malt Scotch whiskies, their Classic Port Cask Finish is treated to an eight month finishing period in Tawny Port casks before being bottled beforehand. RRP £26.95.

anCnoc 24 Years Old has been bottled in its most natural form – neither chill-filtered nor coloured. On the palate, spiciness continues with hints of candied orange slices, warm honey and worn leather.  RRP: £120

Glen Moray 12 Year Old Single Malt has been aged exclusively in American Oak casks. Distilled in Speyside, it’s lightly toasty with notes of summer fruits, vanilla toffee and fresh herbs. RRP: 36.95

You can find all these whiskies at Master of Malt