Aberdeenshire Glen Garioch 12 year old Little Brown Dog Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%

Two lads on a farm in Aberdeenshire had grown tired of good single malt always vanishing from the shelf before they got there. The idea was simple: make a whisky people can actually find on the shelf. This bottle is the first proof of how it should taste, and it went out of the door before the labels were ready.

Please note: The label on this preview release is handwritten and hand signed, because the printed labels did not arrive in time. Future batches will carry the final design.

The Expert's Description

Aberdeenshire Glen Garioch 12 Years Old Little Brown Dog is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in 60% 1st fill bourbon casks and 40% Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, bottled at 46%. It was distilled at Glen Garioch in 2013, bottled in 2025 by Little Brown Dog and limited to 500 hand-numbered bottles.

Andrew Smith and Chris Reid of Little Brown Dog have spent years working towards a signature bottling that does not simply appear in small rare batches but stays on the shelf. The vatting is their own work: the bulk from first fill bourbon for vanilla and cereal sweetness, the rest from sherry casks, both refill and first fill, for fruit and depth. The result lands somewhere different from an official Glen Garioch, which tends to be drier and maltier.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. This release is a preview bottling that shows the direction of Little Brown Dog’s forthcoming regular single malt under the Aberdeenshire name.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe pear and honey first, with a clear malty floor underneath. The sherry portion reports in as raisins, orange peel and a streak of dark sugar. There is a light waxy note too, which Glen Garioch often gives.

Palate

Soft and full. Vanilla and baked apple open, then the sherry brings dried fruit and a mild spiced warmth of cinnamon and a little ginger. At 46% it is round enough for a weeknight, yet there is still body enough to reward attention.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, honey and a drier oak note, with a final suggestion of raisin. Clean and free of bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Aberdeenshire Glen Garioch 12 Years Old Little Brown Dog Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Glen Garioch
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 60% 1st fill bourbon casks and 40% Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2025
Number of bottles: 500
Edition: Aberdeenshire Preview Release

Flavour Profile

Malty · Fruity · Honeyed · Sherry Matured · Soft · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium. Five hundred bottles with handwritten, hand signed labels amount in practice to a one-off release, and preview bottlings from the start of a bottler’s project tend to become sought after once the regular series is running.

Did You Know?

Little Brown Dog is named after Andrew's dog, whose nickname was exactly that, the little brown dog. The company started in 2018 on a farm at Fetternear in Aberdeenshire and has since grown from pure bottling into distilling as well, running both a small copper pot still and a larger column for neutral spirit.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Aberdeenshire Glen Garioch 12 Years Old Little Brown Dog Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%

Why are the labels handwritten?

Because the printed labels did not arrive before the bottling had to go out. Andrew and Chris wrote and signed them by hand instead, which makes every bottle in this run physically unique. Future batches will carry the final printed design.

How does it differ from an official Glen Garioch?

The cask make-up is different. Little Brown Dog vatted 60% first fill bourbon with 40% sherry casks, which gives more fruit and sweetness than the distillery’s own bottlings, which tend to be drier and maltier. Same spirit, different outcome.

What is an independent bottler?

A company that buys casks from distilleries and handles maturation, vatting and bottling itself. Because they are not bound by a distillery house style, they can take casks in directions the distillery would not choose. That is the whole point.

What characterises Glen Garioch as a distillery?

It sits in Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire and has been making malt since 1797, which makes it one of the oldest in Scotland. The style is hearty and malty with honeyed sweetness and a creamy texture. See our range of Highland Whisky.

Is 500 bottles a lot or a little?

It is a small release, though larger than a typical single cask outturn of 200 to 300 bottles. For a preview run, 500 is enough for the bottle to travel widely but small enough that it disappears quickly.

Is it meant as an everyday whisky or for special occasions?

Both, if you believe the people who made it. It is built to be opened on an ordinary Thursday, but the cask make-up gives enough depth to work when there are guests too. The handwritten labels do pull it towards something people keep.