As the summer rolls on, whisky sometimes gets relegated to the back of the drinks cupboard because it is not refreshing enough for the weather. But while agave spirits go sun’s-out-guns-out and champagnes and rosés flash us a bit of ankle, we’re missing out on some single malts that are great summer drams.

OK, so some rich sherry bomb that smells of leather and tobacco and tastes like a Christmas pudding is not going to provide ideal summer vibes. But there are fresh and fruity numbers that really work at this time of year. And don’t let traditional strictures of drinking at room temperature inhibit you. ’Tis the season for a cube of ice (no, it doesn’t “kill” the nuances; it can open up different flavours – especially soft, fruity ones); or even a splash of soda water. 

Here is a seasonal selection of recent releases:

The Whisky Exchange, The Seasons: Summer

The Whisky Exchange has made its name over decades for its access to liquids it can offer as exclusives or bottle under its own label. Every quarter, it is releasing a collection of whiskies the experts there feel sum up the season. The first collection is a trio for summer, that can be bought separately or as a set (with pretty matching labels).

Lowland 2012 (£69.95) – The aromas of this 11-year-old whisky from an undisclosed distillery in the south of Scotland are very JL Carr – a month in the country with cereal crops harvested, cut grass, fruit-bursting hedgerows and melon for breakfast. The latter continues on the tongue, along with estery banana, fragrant apricot and light-coloured cherries. It’s a touch punchy without water, but the addition of iced water is welcome in a summer dram, and ice makes it smoother and fruitier. 

Benriach 2008 (£110) – This 15-year-old Speyside malt bursts into the nostrils with perfumed mango and sharp clementine juice, finely poised between Mediterranean and Mexico. Those flavours continue on the palate, with vanilla fudge notes. And throughout there is an underlying remnant of firepit embers. Adding ice gives it herbal notes and a violet sweetness on the finish.

Ardmore 1997 (£199) – This 26-year-old Highlander is from a distillery that makes peated whisky – albeit not the familiar medicinal style of Islay, but the drier, woodsmoke character of mainland peat. It’s certainly fruity – peaches and apricots among the tropical vibes, as well as notes of beeswax and honey. 

The Whisky Exchange, The Seasons: Summer set, £360; thewhiskyexchange.com

GreatDrams, Summer of Sport (blended)

The husband-and-wife-run independent bottler from Manchester consistently out-performs its size due to an exceptional ability to pick out a, well, great dram. Not only that, but it knows the right whisky for the right occasion and blends whiskies for specific moods. GreatDrams has deservedly won a host of awards, including World’s Best Independent Bottler in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and a regular slew of medals. Which brings us to the latest in its Blended Cask series. Summer of Sport is designed to be enjoyed as you suddenly become the world expert on kayak cross. It was blended a decade ago, ageing since then in an oloroso sherry cask. It wears its sherry spice lightly though. There is an identifiable rancio on the nose, but it is overwhelmed by lemon meringue pie zestiness. On the palate, it is either a creamy, fruity Eton mess (with added nectarines and a sprig of mint), or like Pimm’s made an ice cream. On ice, it’s a little drier and more refreshing. And it makes a great highball that finds the fulcrum of sweet, dry and fresh notes.

GreatDrams, Summer of Sport, £45; greatdrams.com

Loch Lomond, Steam & Fire

Loch Lomond has an unusual arrangement in its distillery – it has stills with swan necks but also a straight-necked still that produces a very light spirit. This bottling uses new-make from both stills to blend bright fruit notes with more rounded notes than run the gamut of burnt-sugar desserts. This is a real barbecue dram – it’s Maillard reaction in a bottle. Steam & Fire single-malt whisky is matured in three types of American oak casks before a 10-month finish in heavily charred casks, fired at its own on-site cooperage. Smoked butter and chocolate are the lasting impression. One to pass around in the garden late into the night.

Loch Lomond, Steam & Fire, £45; lochlomondwhiskies.com

Laphroaig, Elements L1.0 & L2.0

Proving that even a peated whisky can feel light and summery, Laphroaig’s Elements series whiskies are non-age-statement – and unlike some whiskies, where this is a way of avoiding saying “young”, the youth is the point here; to avoid the effect of wood-ageing as much as possible. These are experiments in tampering with the usual methodology at an earlier stage. The latest release, Elements L2.0, is a whisky made in winter that works rather well in summer. A freezing January allowed the standard fermentation time to stretch out from 55 hours to 115 (nearly five days). This gives it some bold orchard fruit flavours, along with lemongrass and orange-blossom honey on the nose. Almost clear, and bottled at 59.6 per cent when really only just legally whisky (three and a bit years), it’s a beach bonfire of a dram. But over ice, it’s crisp apples with hints of rosemary and barbecued sardines. If you can still find a bottle of Elements L1.0, that is even more of a summer dram. The use of both semi-cloudy and cloudy worts resulted, respectively, in high tropical fruit notes and smoky phenols – it’s pineapple skewers on the griddle.

Laphroaig, Elements L2.0, £170; laphroaig.com

Dalmore, Luminary No.2

Every two years, the Dalmore collaborates with an architect of note – this year, Melodie Leung of Zaha Hadid Architects working with glass – to create a sculpture and an extremely rare bottle of whisky to auction to raise money for the V&A Dundee. This year, the 49-year-old whisky and artwork sold at Sotheby’s for £93,750. There are, however, 20,000 bottles of an accompanying release available. The Collectible version of Luminary No.2 is a 16-year-old single malt assembled from components that have been finished – as is the Dalmore way – in an array of barrels including port, sherry and bourbon casks that had held a smoky whisky. The result is summer in the city on the nose… not in a bad way, but a cacophony of cigar smoke, sweet lemon balm, milk chocolate and pepper. The escape to sunnier climes comes on the tongue – orange sunshine, tropical fruit salad and honeyed smoothness, finished with creamy piña colada.

Dalmore, Luminary No.2, £275; thedalmore.com