Fifty percent on a blend is rare today. It was not in post-war America, where 100 proof stood for something you did not have to apologise for.

Expert description

Cutty Black 100 Proof is a Blended Whisky bottled at 50% in a 75 cl bottle.

The 100 proof designation comes from the American system, where the proof figure is exactly double the alcohol percentage. The 75 cl format and the black label place the bottle in an earlier era, when the Cutty Sark house ran several parallel expressions for different markets. The higher strength gives more body and a longer finish than the ordinary bottlings from the same family.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt and dried fruit first, then honey, oak and a warm spiced note from the strength.

Palate

Full and powerful. Cereal, caramel and orange peel, with a dry oak edge and a peppery warmth that the fifty percent carries without burning.

Finish

Long and dry, with malt, nuts and a persistent spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Cutty Black 100 Proof Blended Whisky 50%
Distillery: Cutty Sark
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Whisky
ABV: 50 %
Size: 75 CL
Edition: 100 Proof
EAN no.: 721059207508

Flavour profile

Malty · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Full-bodied · Dry

Investment potential

Medium. The release is discontinued, the 75 cl format is out of production, and blends at 50% are a rarity outside American market editions.

Did you know?

The proof system comes from an old British method where spirit was poured over gunpowder and set alight. If the powder caught, the strength was proven — hence the word proof. The Americans later fixed the number at double the alcohol percentage.

See our full range of Cutty Sark Whisky

If a single malt is a virtuoso soloist, a blend is a full orchestra. Cutty Sark was created in 1923 by the wine merchants at Berry Bros & Rudd — and they wanted something pale while the rest of the trade made it dark.

Expert description

Cutty Sark is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

The blend is built on around twenty selected single malts, mostly from Speyside, married with high quality grain whisky. When the bottle appeared in 1923 it was deliberately pale at a time when whisky was otherwise sold dark — a decision taken by Berry Bros & Rudd in London, who also named it after the tea clipper Cutty Sark. The yellow label was drawn by the Scottish artist James McBey.

Tasting notes

Nose

Golden and light. Grass, flowers and coconut, with a touch of vanilla underneath.

Palate

Complex for something so light. Gentle notes of vanilla and coconut, with American oak, malt and a soft fruit sweetness. The broad palette is the whole idea — no single note sticks out.

Finish

Dry, fruity and spiced, with cereal and a mild oak warmth.

Specifications

Name: Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Cutty Sark
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 501050100095

Flavour profile

Soft · Light · Vanilla · Fruity · Fresh

Did you know?

Cutty Sark was one of the most heavily smuggled whiskies during American Prohibition. Captain William McCoy shipped it in from the Bahamas without watering it down, and his reputation for genuine goods gave the language the phrase the real McCoy.

See our full range of Cutty Sark Whisky

Nobody keeps the half bottle. It gets drunk, packed in a bag or taken to the cabin — which is exactly why the old ones are hard to find in good condition.

Expert description

Cutty Sark Yellow Label is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% in a 37.5 cl bottle.

The yellow label has followed Cutty Sark since 1923, when the Scottish artist James McBey drew it for Berry Bros & Rudd's new blend. The half bottle format was made for travel, bars and gift sets, and for that reason very few were ever kept. The contents are the same pale, fruity blend of around twenty Speyside malts and grain whisky that made the bottle known worldwide.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale and fresh. Grass, citrus and coconut, with vanilla and a trace of malt behind.

Palate

Light and soft. Vanilla, apple and cereal, with American oak and a mild spiced warmth. No edges, no smoke.

Finish

Short to medium, dry and fruity with a touch of oak.

Specifications

Name: Cutty Sark Yellow Label Blended Scotch Whisky 37,5 cl 40%
Distillery: Cutty Sark
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 37.5 CL
Edition: Yellow Label
EAN no.: 5010493008785

Flavour profile

Light · Fresh · Vanilla · Fruity · Soft

Investment potential

Medium. Half bottles are rarely kept, so well-preserved examples with the old yellow label are less common than the corresponding full bottle.

Did you know?

James McBey, who drew the label, was a respected Scottish etcher and war artist. The vivid yellow is said to be down to a misunderstanding at the printer — it was meant to be more muted, but Berry Bros decided to keep it.

See our full range of Cutty Sark Whisky

A souvenir decanter from the 1986 World Cup is the kind of bottle that ties whisky interest and football history together in one piece of glass.

About the product

The Dimple 12 Year Old Souvenir Decanter was released to mark the FIFA World Cup in Mexico 1986 and holds Dimple's classic Blended Scotch Whisky at 40%. The distinctive triangular Dimple bottle makes it instantly recognisable as part of the brand's long history of special and souvenir editions.

Today it's mainly of interest as a collector's item for whisky and football fans alike — check condition and fill level before assuming it's ready to drink.

Drookit is Scots for soaked through, the kind of wet you get when the rain arrives sideways. Little Brown Dog has handed the name to a whisky bottled at cask strength that still lands softly.

The expert description

Drookit Dug 2011 is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in refill sherry butts and bottled at cask strength 43.6%.

The point of this bottle is a small technical detail with a large consequence. After twelve years the two casks had lost so much strength that they arrived at 43.6% entirely on their own. Rather than dilute a stronger whisky down to that level, Little Brown Dog bottled the casks exactly as they stood. The result carries the texture and concentration you would normally associate with far higher strengths, in a form you can drink a full glass of.

The whisky was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2023 from two refill sherry butts with a high malt content. It yielded 509 bottles, neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting notes

Nose

Thick cut marmalade, bay leaf and a puff of pink candy floss. The sherry is present without filling the whole room.

Palate

Soft and full of pastry. Bread and butter pudding, rose water Turkish delight and a note of fresh strawberry behind it.

Finish

Toasted marshmallows on hot chocolate. Sweet, round and longer than the strength would lead you to expect.

Specifications

Name: Drookit Dug 2011
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Sherry Butt
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 509

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Fruity · Soft · Sweet · Creamy

Did you know?

Little Brown Dog began as a crowdfunding project in Aberdeenshire, where buyers could club together to finance a whole cask. The dog on the label is not a logo bought from an agency but the firm’s own, and every release carries it.

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Second round for the little brown dog. Same idea, a cask strength that lands low all by itself, but nine years on a different combination of wood, and the result has a firmer edge than its predecessor.

The expert description

Drookit Dug 9 Years Old is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at cask strength 45.2%.

Little Brown Dog has assembled it from malt and grain whisky, with a smaller share of older grain pulling the balance in a softer direction. The wood covers both 1st fill and refill bourbon and sherry casks, and nine years have given the whisky more depth than the original Drookit Dug without shifting its underlying character.

Like the rest of the range it is bottled at cask strength with no dilution, no chill filtration and no added colour. The 45.2% is simply where the casks themselves ended up.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and pale caramel from the bourbon wood, with dried apricot and a thread of cinnamon coming off the sherry side.

Palate

Rounder and more settled than its predecessor. Honey and coconut first, then raisin and dark chocolate, with a grain sweetness holding it together.

Finish

Medium length and dry with oak, black pepper and a last nutty note.

Specifications

Name: Drookit Dug 9 Years Old
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 45.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon and sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes

Flavour profile

Fruity · Soft · Creamy · Spiced · Malty

Did you know?

Grain whisky has long carried a reputation as the anonymous filler in a blend, yet it is precisely older grain that gives bottles like this their creamy texture. Little Brown Dog uses it deliberately as an ingredient rather than as padding, and says so on the label.

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Some bottles are bought for a particular evening. This one is bought because it needs to be there. The litre bottle is Famous Grouse in household format, the one that keeps on standing when guests turn up unannounced.

The expert description

Famous Grouse 1 Litre is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% in a 100 cl bottle.

The blend was created in Perth in 1896 by Matthew Gloag, who named it after the red grouse. The bird became the company mark, the whisky was known locally as Gloag’s Grouse, and when the family incorporated Matthew Gloag & Son in 1905 they made the nickname official: The Famous Grouse. The brand left the family in 1970 and has been owned by William Grant & Sons since July 2025.

The style has not moved much. Malt whisky from Scottish distilleries, with Highland Park historically among those giving the blend its character, is bound together with grain whisky into a soft and rounded blend with no sharp edges. The litre bottle holds the same whisky as the standard size and speaks to those who go through it steadily.

Tasting notes

Nose

Harmonious and calm. Dried fruit and honey first, then vanilla, nuts and a touch of citrus.

Palate

Unusually soft and round with clear fruit. Ripe undertones and a lightly spiced edge that keeps it from turning dull.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and lightly sweet with malt at the close.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse 1 Litre
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 100 CL
EAN no.: 5010314101015

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

The red grouse on the label was not drawn by an advertising artist. The image came from Philippa Gloag, a daughter of the family, who painted the bird in the late 1800s. It has followed the bottle ever since and become one of the most recognisable marks in Scotch whisky.

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Four and a half litres of whisky is not a bottle you lift with one hand. That is why it comes with a cradle, and why it ends up being the centrepiece of the evening rather than something standing on a shelf.

The expert description

Famous Grouse 4.5 Litre is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% in a 450 cl bottle.

The bottle is supplied with a metal pouring cradle so it can be served without being lifted. That is a practical necessity rather than an accessory, since a full bottle at this size weighs far too much to handle freehand at a table.

The whisky inside is the classic Famous Grouse, created in Perth in 1896 and owned by William Grant & Sons since July 2025. Malt whisky from Scottish distilleries, with Highland Park historically among those providing the character, is bound together with grain whisky into a soft blend with no sharp edges. The format is aimed at parties, bars and collectors with shelf space.

Tasting notes

Nose

Calm and harmonious with dried fruit, honey and vanilla, and nuts plus a touch of citrus underneath.

Palate

Soft and round with clear fruit, ripe undertones and a lightly spiced edge.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and lightly sweet with malt at the close.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse 4.5 Litre
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 450 CL
Edition: Supplied with a metal pouring cradle

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Large bottles do not mature differently from small ones, since whisky does not develop in glass, but they do last longer once opened. The less air there is relative to liquid, the slower the oxidation, so a nearly full large format is better off than a nearly empty standard bottle.

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In 1896 a whisky merchant in Perth needed a name for his new blend. He chose the bird out on the moor. A hundred and thirty years later it still stands on the label, and the whisky behind it has never felt any need to reinvent itself.

The expert description

Famous Grouse is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

Matthew Gloag created the blend in Perth in 1896 and took the red grouse as his mark. Customers started asking for the famous grouse, and in 1905 the family took the hint and named it The Famous Grouse. The family sold up in 1970, and since July 2025 the brand has been owned by William Grant & Sons.

The recipe rests on malt whisky from Scottish distilleries, with Highland Park historically setting much of the tone, bound together with grain whisky. The malt delivers fruit and spice, the grain delivers the softness, and the balance between them is why the bottle has been the best selling blend in Scotland for decades.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep gold in the glass. A harmonious aroma of dried fruit and honey, with vanilla, nuts and citrus behind it.

Palate

Exceptionally soft and round with a pleasing fruitiness. Beneath it sit ripe, lightly spiced undertones that give it more to work with than expected.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and lightly sweet with malt at the close.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5010314700003

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Famous Grouse has held a royal warrant since 1984, but the connection reaches back further: Matthew Gloag’s business in Perth supplied wine to Queen Victoria when she visited Scotland in 1842, more than fifty years before the first Grouse was blended.

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Port casks leave a clear mark. They tint the whisky reddish, pull it towards berries and plums, and can easily end up drowning everything else. Ruby Cask stays on the right side of that line.

The expert description

Famous Grouse Cask Series Ruby Cask is a Blended Scotch Whisky finished in ruby port casks and bottled at 40%.

Cask Series is the name for the releases where the classic Grouse blend gets an extra period in a cask with a past. Here it is ruby port, the fresh and fruity style rather than the nutty tawny, and the difference registers immediately. The base whisky is still soft and rounded, but the port wood lays a layer of red fruit and baking spice over the top.

The finishing period is short enough that the blend underneath still comes through. This is not a port whisky but a Famous Grouse with the port cask as an added voice.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baking spice first, soft vanilla, cinnamon and clove, and beneath it red berries, a touch of oak and a light sweetness.

Palate

Ripe stone fruit and red berries, plums and caramel, with light tannins from the port wood keeping the sweetness in check.

Finish

Medium to long, soft and sweet with fruit that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse Cask Series Ruby Cask
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in ruby port casks
Edition: Cask Series
EAN no.: 5010314306540

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sweet · Soft · Spiced · Berry

Did you know?

Ruby and tawny port come from the same grapes but are handled entirely differently. Ruby is aged briefly in large vessels and keeps its fresh, deep red fruit, while tawny spends years in small casks and turns nutty and brown. That is why a ruby cask pulls whisky towards berries rather than towards walnut.

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Five centilitres is enough to form an opinion. That is what the miniature is for, as a sample, as a place setting gift, or as the bottle that goes in a pocket when carrying a full one makes no sense.

The expert description

Famous Grouse Miniature is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% in a 5 cl bottle.

The contents are identical to the full size bottle: the classic Grouse blend that Matthew Gloag created in Perth in 1896 and named after the red grouse. The brand has been owned by William Grant & Sons since July 2025.

Miniatures like this get used for three things, trying a whisky without committing, setting one at each place at dinner, or taking one along where a full bottle would be absurd. Malt whisky, with Highland Park historically among the load bearing names, bound together with grain whisky, gives the same soft profile in small format.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit and honey, with vanilla, nuts and a touch of citrus underneath.

Palate

Soft and round with a fruitiness that carries all the way, and ripe, lightly spiced undertones.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and lightly sweet with malt at the close.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse Miniature
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 5 CL
EAN no.: 50792511

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Miniatures are a collecting field of their own. Some collections run to tens of thousands of bottles, and old miniatures from closed distilleries can be the only way to taste whisky that was never bottled at full size in that particular year.

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The black label signals what has happened here: somebody has laid peat smoke underneath the soft Grouse profile. The result is not an Islay whisky, but it is not the same bird as before either.

The expert description

Famous Grouse Smoky Black is a Blended Scotch Whisky made with peated malt, bottled at 40% in a 5 cl bottle.

The release was originally called The Black Grouse and was later renamed Smoky Black. The recipe takes the classic blend and raises the proportion of peated malt whisky, so the smoke becomes a load bearing element rather than a seasoning. The underlying honey and fruit are still there, but they now sit behind a sooty foreground.

The miniature is a sensible way to settle whether the style is for you. Smoky blends divide opinion, and 5 cl is enough to answer the question without committing to a full bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry smoke and bonfire ash first, then honey and dried fruit working their way up through it.

Palate

Soft and sweet at the base with the smoke as a clear frame. Malt, vanilla and a touch of dark chocolate as the peat builds.

Finish

Medium and sooty with a dry, almost peppery close.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse Smoky Black
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 5 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Smoky Black
EAN no.: 5010314302481

Flavour profile

Smoky · Soft · Sweet · Malty · Peaty

Did you know?

The change of name from The Black Grouse to Smoky Black was not incidental. The black grouse is a threatened species in Scotland, and for years the brand supported conservation work with a share of the proceeds, but a name describing the flavour sells better on a shelf than one describing a bird.

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Most whiskies go cold and close up. This one was made for the opposite. It belongs in the freezer until it turns thick, and only then does it make sense.

The expert description

The Snow Grouse is a Blended Grain Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% in a 2 cl bottle.

Where the rest of the Famous Grouse family builds on malt bound together by grain, Snow Grouse is grain whisky throughout. That is a deliberate choice, because grain whisky is softer, sweeter and carries fewer sharp edges, which is precisely why it can be served ice cold without the flavour disappearing the way it would in a malt.

The producer recommends keeping the bottle in the freezer and pouring it straight from there. The cold makes the whisky syrupy in texture and pushes it towards vanilla and cream. It is a different way of drinking whisky from the usual one, and that is the entire idea.

Tasting notes

Nose

Discreet and clean. Vanilla, pale caramel and a touch of green fruit, more restrained still when the bottle comes straight from the freezer.

Palate

Soft, sweet and almost creamy. Vanilla and cream in front, cereal sweetness underneath, with no sharp alcohol edge.

Finish

Short and clean with a final sweetness of malt and vanilla.

Specifications

Name: The Snow Grouse
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 2 CL
Edition: The Snow Grouse

Flavour profile

Soft · Sweet · Creamy · Vanilla · Light

Did you know?

Grain whisky accounts for the great majority of all Scotch whisky produced, yet it is almost never sold on its own. It disappears into blends where nobody names it. Snow Grouse is one of the few cases where it gets to stand alone on the label.

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Glenturret is the oldest working distillery in Scotland, and it almost never makes peated whisky. Almost. The handful of casks that do get made end up here, and that is the entire reason Smoky Black tastes the way it does.

The expert description

Famous Grouse Smoky Black is a Blended Scotch Whisky made with peated malt, matured in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The blend launched in 2015 as the successor to The Black Grouse and is built around a rare peated expression of Glenturret. This is not an Islay whisky poured into a blend. It is malt from a Highland distillery that carries its peat smoke from home, and it gives a different kind of smoke: drier, more bonfire-like and less medicinal than the west coast style.

Beneath the smoke sits the classic Grouse profile of honey and fruit, bound together with grain whisky. The master blenders select both malt and grain casks with enough character to carry the smoke rather than vanish behind it. The brand has been owned by William Grant & Sons since July 2025.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bonfire smoke and dry ash come through first, but honey, dried fruit and a note of toasted malt sit behind them.

Palate

Sweetness and smoke in the same mouthful. Vanilla and pale caramel carry it while the peat builds and lays dark chocolate and soot over the top.

Finish

Medium, dry and sooty with a final touch of pepper.

Specifications

Name: Famous Grouse Smoky Black
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Smoky Black
EAN no.: 5010314302504

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sweet · Soft · Malty · Peaty

Did you know?

Glenturret has been distilling since 1763, making it the oldest continuously working distillery in Scotland. For decades it also housed The Famous Grouse Experience, where visitors walked through the story behind the blend, and where many discovered for the first time that there was a distillery behind the bird on the label at all.

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Alpha Edition was made for airport shelves and disappeared from them again. It is the heaviest of the Black Grouse family, the same starting point with every dial that has anything to do with smoke turned up a notch.

The expert description

Famous Grouse The Black Grouse Alpha Edition No 1 is a Blended Scotch Whisky made with peated malt and bottled at 40%.

The release originally appeared as a travel retail exclusive and has since been discontinued. It builds on The Black Grouse, but where the original draws its smoke from a rare peated expression of Glenturret, Alpha Edition turns the volume up by letting peated Islay malt take up far more of the blend. The result is denser, darker and less compromising than anything else in the Grouse family.

Behind the smoke sit the malts that have defined the brand, Highland Park among them, bound together with grain whisky. The number on the label suggests more were planned for the series, but it is the first that has held on as a collector item.

Tasting notes

Nose

Heavy bonfire smoke and soot, with seaweed and a touch of iodine underneath. The honey sweetness is still there, but you have to look for it.

Palate

Powerful and oily. Peat smoke, dark chocolate and toasted malt, while a syrupy sweetness holds the whole thing together.

Finish

Long, dry and ashy with pepper and a final salted note.

Specifications

Name: The Black Grouse Alpha Edition No 1
Distillery: The Famous Grouse
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Alpha Edition No 1
EAN no.: 5010314095000

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peaty · Maritime · Sweet · Spiced

Investment potential

Medium. The release is discontinued, was only ever sold in travel retail and will not be made again. It is also the heaviest bottling the brand has produced, which makes it interesting for anyone collecting the Grouse family in full.

Did you know?

Travel retail has been the whisky industry laboratory for decades. Because airport shelves sit outside the ordinary distribution chain, producers could try heavier and stranger expressions there without risking the brand at home, and a number of the ones that worked later reached the regular trade.

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The islands along the west coast of Scotland were governed from the sea, not from land. That is the world the Flatnöse name points back to, and the whisky has been given the same direct character to carry.

The expert description

Flatnöse Blended Scotch Whisky is a lightly peated blend bottled at 43% in small batch.

Where the Islay Boys blended malt sticks to pure malt whisky, this release is a proper blend with both malt and grain. The grain gives softness and a cereal sweetness that malt alone does not deliver, and the smoke therefore has a rounder base to stand on.

The name is taken from Ketill Flatnöse, the Norse chieftain who in the late 800s was king over the islands along the west coast. Bottling happens in small batch and without chill filtration, so the contents can vary a little from run to run.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt and sweetness first, with an appealing note of smoke settling in underneath.

Palate

Pleasingly smoky, where pepper steps clearly forward alongside the smoke. The cereal sweetness sits below and holds it together.

Finish

Medium and dry with smoke, pepper and a final malty sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Flatnöse Blended Scotch Whisky
Bottler: Islay Boys
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Small Batch
EAN no.: 5060406110029

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Spiced · Soft · Sweet

Did you know?

Very few blends are bottled without chill filtration. The process removes the compounds that can turn whisky hazy at low temperature, and it is used on almost every bottle at this level because haze gets mistaken for a fault. Islay Boys chose to skip it and explain why instead.

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Rum casks and Scotch whisky have travelled together since the trading ships began running the same route both ways. Here that connection is made concrete: a lightly peated blend that has ended its life in Latin American rum casks.

The expert description

Flatnöse Rum Finish is a Blended Scotch Whisky finished in Latin American rum casks and bottled at 43% in small batch.

The base whisky is the same light, peated blend from Islay Boys that the rest of the Flatnöse family is built on. The difference lies in the closing period in rum wood, which among other things has contributed exotic demerara notes, the dark, almost molasses-like sweetness familiar from rum made on cane syrup.

The rum cask makes the whisky softer and rounder without the smoke disappearing. It is bottled without chill filtration in small batch, so the contents can vary a little from run to run.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft and sweet with demerara sugar, a light smoky edge and a note of ripe banana.

Palate

Lively and lightly spiced with vanilla and demerara in the background, while the malt and smoke keep it from turning too sweet.

Finish

Medium and soft with syrup, spice and a final touch of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Flatnöse Rum Barrel Finish
Bottler: Islay Boys
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Latin American rum casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Small Batch
EAN no.: 5060406110227

Flavour profile

Sweet · Lightly smoky · Spiced · Vanilla · Soft

Did you know?

Demerara takes its name from a river in Guyana where the sugar cane grew along the banks. Today the word covers both a type of sugar and a style of rum, and it is the dark, molasses-like sweetness of that style the rum casks leave behind in the whisky.

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A blended whisky that has been given time to become more than the sum of its parts. White Heather 21 Year Old is built on casks that each matured separately for eighteen years before being brought together for a final marriage in PX and Oloroso puncheons alongside Appalachian Virgin Oak. Only 2,000 bottles have been released.

Expert's description

White Heather 21 Year Old is a Blended Scotch Whisky, married in Pedro Ximénez puncheons, Oloroso puncheons and Appalachian Virgin Oak casks, bottled at 48% ABV.

The first eighteen years of the whisky's life were spent in used first-fill American barrels, sherry butts and second-fill barrels/hogsheads — a wide spread of cask types, each contributing its own character to the different whiskies in the blend. Only afterwards were they brought together and left to marry in three types of specialist casks, rounding off the story with one final layer of sweetness and spice.

The White Heather brand traces back to Campbell Distillers in the 1950s and was relaunched in 2021 with GlenAllachie and Billy Walker at the helm, giving this 21 year old one foot in tradition and one in present-day craft.

Tasting notes

Nose

A layered aroma where mature sherry sweetness meets notes from American oak and a hint of the fresh, robust character of Appalachian Virgin Oak.

Palate

Round and full-bodied, with sherry spice up front and an underlying sweetness from the puncheons that ties the many cask types together.

Finish

Long, warm and lightly tannic, with a closing dryness from the Virgin Oak casks.

Specifications

Name: White Heather 21 Year Old
Distillery: White Heather
Bottler: GlenAllachie
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First 18 years in first-fill American barrels, sherry butts and second-fill barrels/hogsheads, then married in Pedro Ximénez puncheons, Oloroso puncheons and Appalachian Virgin Oak casks
Number of bottles: 2,000
EAN no.: 5060568320731

Flavour profile

Sherry sweetness · American oak · Spiced puncheon finish · Virgin Oak dryness · Layered complexity

Investment potential

With only 2,000 bottles of a 21 year old blended whisky from a respected name like GlenAllachie and Billy Walker, this release sits at the high end of investment potential. It combines age, a limited run and a relaunched historic brand — a combination collectors rarely tire of.

Did you know?

The White Heather brand originally dates back to Campbell Distillers in the 1950s and was only relaunched in 2021 — so this 21 year old carries the name forward from an era when blended whisky ruled the Scottish market.

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It does not say which distilleries are in the bottle, and that is deliberate. Glenalmond is a marriage of Highland malts, and who supplied what is a trade secret at The Vintage Malt Whisky Company. What you are told is how it tastes.

The expert's description

Glenalmond is a Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, bottled at 40%.

A blended malt is not the same as a blended whisky. There is no grain whisky in the bottle — only single malt from several distilleries married together. That lets the blender build a profile no single distillery could deliver alone, and it is exactly what Glenalmond is meant to be: an approachable Highland style with no sharp edges.

The bourbon casks lay vanilla and bright fruit in, while the sherry casks add the darker sweetness. At 40% the whisky is light and round rather than powerful, and the bottling carries no age statement, which allows the profile to stay consistent from batch to batch.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla fudge and sweet malt, with cinnamon and a trace of honey. Bright and welcoming rather than complex.

Palate

Fruity sherry notes and fresh pale stone fruit, with candied citrus and soft vanilla. The body is light, and there are no sharp edges anywhere.

Finish

Mild and warming. Malt and vanilla ebbing away quietly with no bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Glenalmond Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks and sherry casks

Flavour profile

Soft · Vanilla-sweet · Fruity · Light · Malty

Did you know?

Brian Crook founded The Vintage Malt Whisky Company in 1992, having been a director at Morrison Bowmore. Glenalmond was one of the very first brands the company put on the market, and it has been there ever since.

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An ale cask for a Scotch blend sounds like an unusual combination – but Grant's has found a way to give their classic blend a new twist with the Cask Edition series.

Expert's Description

Grant's Cask Edition No. 1 is a Blended Scotch Whisky where part of the blend has been given extra maturation or a finish in a cask that previously held ale.

The whisky is bottled at 40% and builds on Grant's well-known, accessible blend style, but with a lighter, malty, bready twist from the ale cask.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft malt, with a hint of bready sweetness and light honey.

Palate

Round and light, with caramel, malt and a hint of hops from the ale cask.

Finish

Medium length and softly malty.

Specifications

Name: Grant's Cask Edition No. 1 Ale Cask Blended Scotch Whisky 70cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Cask type: Ale Cask
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Malty · Soft · Light · Bready

Did You Know?

Grant's is one of the best-selling blended Scotch whiskies in the world, produced by William Grant & Sons – the same family behind Glenfiddich and Balvenie.

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Nordic oak instead of American or European – Grant's third release in the Cask Edition series draws inspiration from forests closer to our own backyard.

Expert's Description

Grant's Cask Edition No. 3 Nordic Oak Cask is a Blended Scotch Whisky where part of the blend has been given extra maturation or a finish in casks made from Nordic oak, instead of the more traditional American or European oak.

The whisky is bottled at 40% in the large 100cl bottle, building on Grant's well-known, accessible blend style with a lighter, spiced twist from the Nordic oak.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Softly spiced, with a hint of fresh wood and light vanilla.

Palate

Round and light, with caramel, a hint of pepper and a dry, spiced oak.

Finish

Medium length, dry and lightly spiced.

Specifications

Name: Grant's Cask Edition No. 3 Nordic Oak Cask Blended Scotch Whisky 100cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Cask type: Nordic Oak Cask
ABV: 40%
Size: 100 CL

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Soft · Dry · Light

Did You Know?

Nordic oak grows more slowly than American oak, giving denser wood with a different pore structure – this can give whisky a more spiced, dry character than the classic bourbon and sherry casks.

See our full range of Grant’s

Same Nordic oak, smaller bottle – Cask Edition No. 3 also comes in the more everyday-friendly 70cl size.

Expert's Description

Grant's Cask Edition No. 3 Nordic Oak Cask is a Blended Scotch Whisky where part of the blend has been given extra maturation or a finish in casks made from Nordic oak, instead of the more traditional American or European oak.

The whisky is bottled at 40% in the classic 70cl bottle, building on Grant's well-known, accessible blend style with a lighter, spiced twist from the Nordic oak.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Softly spiced, with a hint of fresh wood and light vanilla.

Palate

Round and light, with caramel, a hint of pepper and a dry, spiced oak.

Finish

Medium length, dry and lightly spiced.

Specifications

Name: Grant's Cask Edition No. 3 Nordic Oak Cask Blended Scotch Whisky 70cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Cask type: Nordic Oak Cask
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Soft · Dry · Light

Did You Know?

Nordic oak grows more slowly than American oak, giving denser wood with a different pore structure – this can give whisky a more spiced, dry character than the classic bourbon and sherry casks.

See our full range of Grant’s

Grant's Family Reserve is the whisky most people think of when they hear the name Grant's – a classic, accessible blend that has stood the test of decades.

Expert's Description

Grant's The Family Reserve is a Blended Finest Scotch Whisky, composed by William Grant & Sons – the same family-owned company behind Glenfiddich and Balvenie.

The whisky is bottled at 40% and is built on a blend of malt and grain whisky, giving a light, accessible and versatile character equally suited to enjoying neat or in a drink.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light fruitiness, caramel and a hint of honey.

Palate

Soft and light, with vanilla, caramel and a hint of spice.

Finish

Short to medium length, mild and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Grant's The Family Reserve Blended Finest Scotch Whisky 70cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Finest Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Light · Soft · Fruity · Accessible

Did You Know?

Grant's iconic triangular bottle was designed in 1957 and remains one of the most recognisable bottle shapes in the whisky world.

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Same classic Family Reserve, but in the large 150cl bottle – perfect for anyone who likes keeping plenty of their favourite on the bar.

Expert's Description

Grant's The Family Reserve is a Blended Finest Scotch Whisky, composed by William Grant & Sons – the same family-owned company behind Glenfiddich and Balvenie.

The whisky is bottled at 40% in the large 150cl bottle and is built on a blend of malt and grain whisky, giving a light, accessible and versatile character equally suited to enjoying neat or in a drink.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light fruitiness, caramel and a hint of honey.

Palate

Soft and light, with vanilla, caramel and a hint of spice.

Finish

Short to medium length, mild and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Grant's The Family Reserve Blended Finest Scotch Whisky 150cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Finest Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 150 CL

Flavour Profile

Light · Soft · Fruity · Accessible

Did You Know?

150cl bottles, also known as magnums, are often used for whisky meant to be shared at parties or larger gatherings, since they hold twice as much as a standard bottle.

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This version of Family Reserve comes from an earlier label generation – a small piece of whisky history for anyone curious about how the bottle has evolved over the years.

Expert's Description

Grant's The Family Reserve Old Version 3 is a Blended Finest Scotch Whisky, composed by William Grant & Sons – the same family-owned company behind Glenfiddich and Balvenie.

This release represents an earlier label or bottle design generation of the Family Reserve blend, which has gone through several visual updates over the years while the underlying blend style has remained the same light, accessible character.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light fruitiness, caramel and a hint of honey.

Palate

Soft and light, with vanilla, caramel and a hint of spice.

Finish

Short to medium length, mild and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Grant's The Family Reserve Old Version 3 Blended Finest Scotch Whisky 70cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Finest Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Light · Soft · Fruity · Accessible

Did You Know?

Grant's has periodically updated the label design on the Family Reserve bottle over the years, making older versions interesting to collectors of whisky packaging and history.

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Three different cask types, one flavour – Grant's Triple Wood is the blend's answer to making an everyday whisky a little fuller without making it complicated.

Expert's Description

Grant's Triple Wood is a Blended Whisky from William Grant & Sons, where the blend has been allowed to mature in three different types of wood.

The whisky is bottled at 40% in the large 100cl bottle. The combination of the three cask types gives a smooth, full-bodied and soft flavour, building on Grant's accessible, versatile style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft malt, with caramel and a hint of vanilla.

Palate

Full-bodied and smooth, with toffee, light spice and a round sweetness.

Finish

Medium length, soft and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Grant's Triple Wood Blended Whisky 100cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Whisky
Cask type: Matured in three different cask types
ABV: 40%
Size: 100 CL

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Smooth · Soft · Sweet

Did You Know?

The name Triple Wood refers to the whisky having matured in three different cask types, giving a more layered flavour than a whisky matured in just one cask type.

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Same Triple Wood blend, the more everyday-friendly 70cl bottle – three cask types in a whisky that doesn't overcomplicate things.

Expert's Description

Grant's Triple Wood is a Blended Whisky from William Grant & Sons, where the blend has been allowed to mature in three different casks.

The whisky is bottled at 40% in the classic 70cl bottle. The combination of the three cask types gives a full-bodied, soft flavour, building on Grant's accessible, versatile style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft malt, with caramel and a hint of vanilla.

Palate

Full-bodied and smooth, with toffee, light spice and a round sweetness.

Finish

Medium length, soft and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Grant's Triple Wood Blended Whisky 70cl 40%
Producer: Grant's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Whisky
Cask type: Matured in three different casks
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Smooth · Soft · Sweet

Did You Know?

The name Triple Wood refers to the whisky having matured in three different cask types, giving a more layered flavour than a whisky matured in just one cask type.

See our full range of Grant’s

Compass Box and John Glaser have one mission with Great King Street: to get us all to (re)discover the pleasures of a well-proportioned, artfully composed blended whisky.

Expert's Description

Great King St. is composed from a carefully assembled mix of whisky types: Lowland Grain Whisky (51.4%), two different Northern Highland Single Malts (23.2% and 17.7%) and a Speyside Single Malt (7.7%), matured in a combination of first fill American oak casks (62.3%), new French oak finish (27.7%) and first fill sherry butts (10%).

The result is a full-bodied, round and generous whisky, bottled at 43%, neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted oak, vanilla and spice.

Palate

Full-bodied and round, with toasted oak, vanilla and spice.

Finish

Spiced and tingling, with a fine fading sweetness and a hint of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Great King St. Compass Box Blended Scotch Whisky 50cl 43%
Distillery: Great King St. – a blend of different whiskies
Bottler: Compass Box – John Glaser
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 50 CL
Filtration: Non-chill-filtered
Colour: Natural colour

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Round · Spiced · Elegant

Did You Know?

Great King Street is named after the street in Edinburgh's New Town where Compass Box previously had their offices.

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Hear more about Compass Box and John Glaser's story in our podcast:

Same Great King Street, the more common 70cl bottle – Compass Box and John Glaser's tribute to artfully composed blended whisky.

Expert's Description

Great King St. is composed from a carefully assembled mix of whisky types: Lowland Grain Whisky (51.4%), two different Northern Highland Single Malts (23.2% and 17.7%) and a Speyside Single Malt (7.7%), matured in a combination of first fill American oak casks (62.3%), new French oak finish (27.7%) and first fill sherry butts (10%).

The result is a full-bodied, round and generous whisky, bottled at 43%, neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted oak, vanilla and spice.

Palate

Full-bodied and round, with toasted oak, vanilla and spice.

Finish

Spiced and tingling, with a fine fading sweetness and a hint of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Great King St. Compass Box Blended Scotch Whisky 70cl 43%
Distillery: Great King St. – a blend of different whiskies
Bottler: Compass Box – John Glaser
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Filtration: Non-chill-filtered
Colour: Natural colour

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Round · Spiced · Elegant

Did You Know?

Great King Street is named after the street in Edinburgh's New Town where Compass Box previously had their offices.

See our full range of Compass Box

Hear more about Compass Box and John Glaser's story in our podcast:

The lighthouse on the label is Japan's oldest of its kind - a symbol of safety and guidance that Hatozaki has borrowed for its own name.

Expert Description

Hatozaki The Kaikyo Distillery is a Japanese Blended Whisky, bottled at 40%.

The whisky comes from Kaikyo Distillery in the town of Akashi, run by Akashi Sake Brewery, which has made spirits since 1856 and whisky since 2017. Hatozaki is named after Japan's oldest stone lighthouse, located near the distillery, honouring the Yonezawa family's long craft tradition.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Apple and pear with a light, floral aroma and a touch of honey.

Palate

Soft and round with caramel and a mild spice.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and gently sweet.

Specifications

Name: Hatozaki The Kaikyo Distillery
Distillery: Kaikyo
Region/Country: Akashi, Japan
Type: Japanese Blended Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4970860800002

Flavour Profile

Soft · Round · Sweet · Light

Did You Know?

Hatozaki is named after Japan's oldest stone lighthouse, a protected historic structure near Akashi Sake Brewery, which has made spirits since 1856.

See our full range of {'da': 'Hatozaki whisky', 'en': 'Hatozaki whisky', 'sv': 'Hatozaki whisky'}