The whisky renaissance is well and truly underway. Will Reardon recommends his top three tipples.

Some call it liquid sunshine, others the water of life, the most devout call it the elixir of gods. I call it delicious. And while gin's rise in popularity has been well-documented, the rise of whisky has gone almost unnoticed.

Aldi recently revealed, however, that whisky is the nation's new tipple of choice, accrediting its rise in popularity (at least in part) to the hit TV show Peaky Blinders.

Whisky cocktails are popular as well. I mean, who doesn't want to look as smooth as Don Draper with an Old Fashioned?

So, whether you're a lover of whisky already, or fancy getting on board with one of the biggest drink trends of 2018, these are the drams to sup on.

1. Four Roses Small Batch (45% ABV)

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Four Roses (£27, Marks & Spencer) was one of only six distilleries in America allowed to sell Bourbon through the Prohibition - albeit you had to get a prescription from your doctor for a pint of the stuff. This mellow, oaky whisky reflects the natural production that created it and is ideal for making a 'new' Old Fashioned.

2. The Old Pulteney 12 years (40% ABV)

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Old Pulteney (£32, Tesco) comes with a taste of history and the flavour of the sea. Unashamedly excellent, this is a whisky everyone can cherish.

3. Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky (46%)

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The first whisky to be distilled in the beauty of the Cotswolds, Cotswolds Distrillery's Single Malt (£46.95, The Whisky Exchange) boasts smells of honey and butterscotch, with a taste combination of malt, dark sugar and spice.