Adelphi is known for saying no. Of the casks they get offered, very few are approved to carry the name. Private Stock is the house blend, the place where they show what they can do with an assembly rather than a single cask.

The Expert's Description

Adelphi Private Stock is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% by the independent bottler Adelphi. It is the house's own blend and differs from Adelphi's single cask releases by being assembled to hit a particular style rather than to show one cask's character.

Adelphi was founded in 1826 as a distillery on the Clyde on the edge of Glasgow. It closed in the early twentieth century and the name lay dormant for almost a hundred years. In 1993 it returned as an independent bottler when Jamie Walker, great-grandson of the former owner Archibald Walker, started the firm again. Donald Houston and Keith Falconer took over in 2004 and later built the Ardnamurchan distillery on the Scottish west coast.

Adelphi’s selection is famously strict: only a small fraction of the casks the house tastes make it through. Private Stock is the bottle where that philosophy meets everyday drinking.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bright and straightforward. Malt, honey and a touch of green apple first, then vanilla and a light cereal sweetness. There is a clean thread running through it all, no sharp edges and no smoke.

Palate

Soft and malty. Caramel and baked fruit open, then a mild spiced warmth and a light nutty note. At 40% it drinks easily, and the texture is rounder than you might expect from a blend in this style.

Finish

Short to medium. Malt and honey linger, with a dry cereal note at the close. Clean finish.

Specifications

Name: Adelphi Private Stock Blended Scotch Whisky 40%
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Private Stock

Flavour Profile

Malty · Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Light · Vanilla

Did You Know?

Adelphi today owns Ardnamurchan Distillery, which sits on the westernmost point of mainland Scotland. The firm went from being a distillery in 1826, to a pure bottler from 1993, to distilling again after 2014. Very few whisky houses have taken that road twice.

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Some whiskies are made to be analysed. This one is made to be shared. The name says it plainly: Storyman, the bottle that sits in the middle of the table while somebody finishes telling it.

The Expert's Description

Annandale Storyman 2nd Edition is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 46% by Annandale Distillery. It was created by the distillery and personally selected by the actor and storyteller James Cosmo, and the second edition carries on from the first.

A blend mixes malt whisky with grain whisky, and the result is usually softer and more approachable than a single malt. At 46% and without chill filtration, however, this sits higher than most standard blends, which are typically bottled at 40%. That gives more body and a clearer texture without giving up the approachability.

Annandale sits at Annan in Dumfriesshire in the far south of Scotland and has been running again since 2014 after nearly a century of silence. Alongside the two single malt ranges, Man O’ Sword and Man O’ Words, the distillery also stands behind Storyman.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Malt and honey first, with baked apple and a touch of vanilla behind. There is a light cereal sweetness running through it, the signature of the blend, and a clean straightforward aroma with no sharp edges.

Palate

Soft and round. Caramel, malt and bright fruit open, then a mild spiced warmth and a light nutty note. The 46% gives more body and length than you would expect from a blend, so there is something to hold on to.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, honey and a dry cereal note that lets go cleanly without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Annandale Storyman 2nd Edition Blended Scotch Whisky 46%
Bottler: Annandale
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: 2nd Edition
EAN no.: 5060427430526

Flavour Profile

Malty · Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Spiced · Light

Did You Know?

James Cosmo is a Scottish actor with decades of film and television work behind him, and he is as well known as a storyteller as he is as an actor. Putting his name to a blend rather than a single malt makes sense: a blend is the bottle that has to sit out on the table while the story gets told.

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Where the single malt edition honours the poet alone, this blend takes it a step further, combining Arran's own malt with select drops from other Scottish distilleries.

A blended whisky created as a tribute to Scotland's greatest poet, Robert Burns.

Expert Description

Arran Robert Burns is a Blended Scotch Whisky built on a foundation of single malt from the Lochranza distillery, bottled at 40%.

Combined with a few specially selected whiskies from other distilleries, Arran creates a high-quality blend meant as a broad, accessible tribute to Robert Burns's legacy, rather than a single-distillery deep dive.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light and inviting with a trace of sweetness.

Palate

Dry, light and soft with notes of sweet apple and liquorice.

Finish

A gentle trace of peat smoke in the background.

Specifications

Name: Arran Robert Burns
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5011311092269
Serving suggestion: In a standard whisky glass, ideally as a light everyday dram

Flavour Profile

Light · Soft · Fruity · Lightly smoky

Did You Know?

A blended whisky like this can contain malt and grain whisky from several different distilleries — giving the blender far more freedom to create a specific flavour profile than a single malt allows.

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Compass Box has spent years fighting for the right to say what is in their bottles. It sounds like a technicality, but it is the heart of the house: if you believe a blend can be art, you have to be willing to show the recipe.

The Expert's Description

Artist Blend is a Blended Scotch Whisky from Compass Box, bottled at 43% and neither chill filtered nor coloured. It embodies the house mission of getting people to rediscover the pleasures of a well proportioned and artful blend.

Compass Box was founded in 2000 by John Glaser and works from a blending room in Richmond in London. The house owns no distillery but buys whisky from across Scotland and puts it together by flavour rather than by geography. That is a different method from the one the large blending houses use.

The nose and palate are full, round and generous, with toasted oak, vanilla and spice in both. The whisky is bottled without chill filtration, which is unusual for a blend in this bracket.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted oak and vanilla first, with a round cereal sweetness underneath. There is spice in it, cinnamon and a little nutmeg, and a clear malty weight that is more than you expect from a blend.

Palate

Full and generous. Vanilla and toasted oak open, then the spices arrive along with a soft fruit sweetness. At 43% the body is good, and the absence of chill filtration is felt in the mouthfeel.

Finish

Pleasantly spiced and tingling, with a fine fading sweetness and a wisp of smoke at the close.

Specifications

Name: Artist Blend Compass Box Blended Scotch Whisky 43%
Bottler: Compass Box
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Artist Blend
EAN no.: 5060632880505

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Vanilla · Oaky · Malty · Soft · Lightly Smoky

Did You Know?

Compass Box fell foul of the Scotch whisky authorities in 2015 for stating the age of the individual components in their blends. The rules say that if you mention an age it must be that of the youngest whisky in the bottle, so disclosing the full recipe was technically against them. The house has campaigned for the rules to change ever since.

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Something happens to a blend when it puts on winter clothes. Christmas Reserve arrives in festive dress, yet the heart of it is the same calm, honeyed Speyside tone the house has traded on since 1827. A dram for the dark hours, once the tree is decorated and the house has gone quiet.

The expert's description

Ballantine's Christmas Reserve Limited Edition is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

Christmas Reserve is the house's festive release, a limited December bottling built on the same blending school George Ballantine founded when he opened his grocery shop in Edinburgh in 1827. The backbone is Speyside malt from Miltonduff and Glenburgie, two distilleries Ballantine's has drawn on for decades, and the source of the blend's soft, faintly floral centre.

The Christmas dressing is more than decoration. This one is made for the December shelf and disappears again once the new year has turned, which is exactly the sort of bottle that ends up standing unopened in the cabinet. Malt and grain whisky are married here, and the grain gives the round, almost creamy texture that lets it drink well without water.

Tasting notes

Nose

Flower honey and ripe apple first, then vanilla and a dry cereal sweetness. Behind it sits a hint of almond and pale oak.

Palate

Soft and round with caramel, pear and light cinnamon. Malt steps forward halfway through and lends a little weight before the grain settles as a creamy film.

Finish

Short to medium, dry and malty with a last note of honey and oak.

Specifications

Name: Ballantine's Christmas Reserve Limited Edition
Distillery: Ballantine's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Christmas Reserve Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5000299603161

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Creamy · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

George Ballantine was 19 when he opened his first shop in Edinburgh. He sold groceries for years before whisky became the main business at all, and the firm received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria in 1895.

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Some bottles are built to impress. This one is built to be there. Finest is the workhorse of the Ballantine stable, the blend standing at the back of every bar from Glasgow to Barcelona, and it has never tried to be anything other than exactly what it is.

The expert's description

Ballantine's Finest is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

Finest is the house bestseller and has been for generations. The blend draws on more than 40 different single malts, with Miltonduff and Glenburgie as the load-bearing Speyside voices, and the grain whisky ties it together into something light, floral and very approachable. The Master Blender role has been handed down since 1827, and the recipe has stayed remarkably steady.

This is not a whisky that demands concentration. It is built to be drunk over ice, in a highball or in a simple cocktail, and it takes that treatment without falling apart. If you are teaching someone to drink Scotch, this is a sensible place to start.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale and light. Apple blossom, vanilla and a dry cereal note, with a hint of hay and pale oak behind it.

Palate

Light in the good sense, with honey, green apple and a little vanilla sweetness. The malt is there but it does not push forward.

Finish

Short, clean and slightly dry. No bitterness, no edges.

Specifications

Name: Ballantine's Finest
Distillery: Ballantine's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5010106113127

Flavour profile

Light · Floral · Honeyed · Soft · Fresh

Did you know?

Ballantine's once kept its own guards at the Dumbarton warehouses. Two Scottish eagles, Glen and Nevis, were used for years to keep gulls and pigeons off the buildings, and they appeared on the company's own letterhead.

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De Luxe sat twelve years in cask while Bell's outsold every other blended whisky in Britain. The bottle holds 75 centilitres, which on its own tells you how far back we are. That measure left the shelves when the EU harmonised bottle sizes.

The expert's description

Bell's De Luxe 12 years is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 43 % in a 75 centilitre bottle.

De Luxe was the older and better dressed version of the standard blend. Twelve years in cask and 43 % instead of the usual 40 gave it more weight and a clearer malt core, and it was sold as the gift bottle rather than the everyday one.

Arthur Bell & Sons started as a grocery business in Perth in 1825, and the blend was built around Blair Athol in Pitlochry, still known as the home distillery. The firm is part of Diageo today, and De Luxe has been out of production for many years.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey, dried apple and a clear malt sweetness. Behind it sit vanilla and a touch of spiced oak.

Palate

Fuller than the standard blend, with caramel, nut and a warm note of spice. The extra three per cent reads clearly in the texture.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty with a last note of oak.

Specifications

Name: Bell's De Luxe 12 år
Distillery: Bell's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 75 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: De Luxe

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Nutty · Spiced · Soft

Investment potential

Medium. The bottling is discontinued, and the 75 centilitre format left the European market in the 1990s. Older blends from the big houses have started drawing collector attention, precisely because so few were ever put away.

Did you know?

In 1988 Bell's put a Christmas decanter into production with a new design every year, and those porcelain bottles are a collecting field of their own today. Some Scottish households keep a whole shelf of them unopened.

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A litre of Bell's is not a bottle you buy for the display cabinet. It gets bought for the house, put at the back of the cupboard and pulled out when someone drops by. That is its function, and it has held it for decades without complaint.

The expert's description

Bell's Original 100 cl is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

Original was previously called Specially Selected and took its current name in 2008. The blend is built around Blair Athol in Pitlochry, regarded as the home distillery of the house, supported by malt from several other distilleries and by grain whisky, which supplies the light, round texture.

The litre format is a practical decision more than a collector decision. The larger bottle is still around, mainly in airports and with retailers who have the shelf space, and it is meant for households where the whisky gets drunk rather than kept.

Tasting notes

Nose

Light and cereal led with vanilla, apple and a dry malt note. A little caramel sits underneath.

Palate

Soft and simple with honey, cereal and a hint of nut. No edges, no surprises, and that is deliberate.

Finish

Short and dry with a last malty warmth.

Specifications

Name: Bell's Original 100 cl
Distillery: Bell's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 100 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5000387905504

Flavour profile

Light · Malty · Soft · Honeyed · Dry

Did you know?

Bell's took over Blair Athol in 1933 and has used the distillery as the fixed pivot of the blend ever since. The visitor centre in Pitlochry remains one of the busiest in Scotland.

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There is whisky you read about and whisky you drink. This belongs to the second kind. It has no ambition of ending up in a collection, and that is exactly why it has stayed on the shelf for close to two hundred years.

The expert's description

Bell's Original is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

The story starts in Perth in 1825, where Thomas Sandeman opened a spirits business. Arthur Bell joined in 1851 and made blending the heart of the trade, and his name is still on the bottle. Through the 1970s and 1980s Bell's was the best selling blend in Britain.

The backbone of the blend is Blair Athol in Pitlochry, which the house took over in 1933. Malt from a number of other distilleries joins it along with grain whisky, and the result is deliberately kept light and approachable rather than complex.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and light with green apple, cereal and a suggestion of vanilla. A dry malt note sits behind.

Palate

Mild and smooth with honey and pale cereal. The malt peeks through halfway without taking up room.

Finish

Short and clean with a last touch of malt.

Specifications

Name: Bell's Original
Distillery: Bell's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5000387905474

Flavour profile

Light · Fresh · Soft · Malty · Cereal

Did you know?

Arthur Bell refused for years to put his own name on the bottles, believing the whisky should speak for itself. It was his sons who put the name on the label after his death in 1900.

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Blue Label arrived in 1999 and quickly picked up a nickname among the distillery staff: bottle of the month, the one that came with the pay slip. It is rarely a bad recommendation when the people who make the whisky take it home themselves.

The expert's description

Dew of Ben Nevis Blue Label is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

Dew of Ben Nevis is the blend range of the distillery, with Blue Label sitting as the lightest and sweetest expression. It differs from Special Reserve and Supreme Selection by aiming at accessibility rather than weight, and it was introduced in 1999.

The blend combines malt whisky from Ben Nevis with grain whisky, and the distillery in Fort William handles both production and composition. It is not common for a single distillery to blend and bottle its own blend under its own name as well.

Tasting notes

Nose

Light and sweet with vanilla, pale cereal and a touch of honey.

Palate

Soft and simple with caramel and malt. The sweetness dominates and there are no sharp edges along the way.

Finish

Short and clean with a last malty warmth.

Specifications

Name: Dew of Ben Nevis Blue Label
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Blue Label
EAN no.: 5026673000302

Flavour profile

Light · Sweet · Soft · Malty · Fresh

Did you know?

Ben Nevis is one of the few Scottish distilleries that distils, matures, blends and bottles at the same address. Most send their casks on to central bottling plants in the Lowlands.

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A blend with twelve years in cask is rare enough on its own. Finding it in five centilitre format is rarer still, since miniatures are usually made from the entry expressions in a range, not from the ones carrying an age statement.

The expert's description

Dew of Ben Nevis De Luxe 12 years Miniature is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40 % in a 5 centilitre bottle.

De Luxe is the age stated expression in the blend range of the distillery. Twelve years in cask give it more weight and a clearer malt core than Blue Label and Special Reserve, and the malt component comes from Ben Nevis in Fort William.

Ben Nevis is one of the few Scottish distilleries that distils, blends and bottles at the same address. That makes the Dew range an unusually direct link between a single distillery and a blend, where most blends draw malt from many different houses.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt, honey and dried apple with a light note of oak.

Palate

Round and malty with caramel and a hint of nut. The twelve years read as depth rather than as edge.

Finish

Medium, dry and warm with malt at the end.

Specifications

Name: Dew of Ben Nevis De Luxe 12 år Miniature
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 5 CL
Edition: De Luxe
EAN no.: 5026673000074

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Soft · Nutty · Dry

Did you know?

Dew of Ben Nevis was launched as far back as the 1800s and was for a period far better known than the single malt from the distillery. The name refers to the dew on the mountain at whose foot the distillery sits.

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Big Peat Winter Edition Madeira Cask Douglas Laing Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 53.6%

Big Peat Winter Edition Madeira Cask 53.6% is a powerful and characterful Islay blended malt, crafted by Douglas Laing as a seasonal release with a vinous twist.

This winter edition is composed exclusively of single malts from Islay – including Caol Ila, Bowmore, Ardbeg, and rare drops from Port Ellen – and is finished in casks that previously held sweet Madeira wine. The combination of maritime Islay notes and fruity wine maturation creates a complex and warming whisky, ideal for colder months.

The nose opens with sweet malt and salty sea air, followed by notes of salted caramel, vanilla, and dense peat smoke. The palate is robust and full-bodied with molasses, crème brûlée, bitter orange peel, and a distinct phenolic depth. The Madeira cask adds a subtle fruity sweetness that balances the intense smoke. The finish is long, intense, and smoky with citrus and spicy oak.

The whisky is bottled at natural cask strength of 53.6%, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. Big Peat Winter Edition Madeira Cask is an expressive dram with both edge and finesse – a perfect choice for collectors and peat lovers seeking something special for the winter season.

Distillery: Douglas Laing
Age: NA
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Cask type: Madeira Cask Finish
ABV: 53.6%
Un-chillfiltered
Natural Colour
70 cl
Other: New release replacing the Christmas Edition – Limited Edition – Read more in our blog

An everyday dram does not have to be dull. This one has spent ten years in oak, and you hear it straight away: the smoke has gone tender, the caramel deep, and there are no sharp edges left.

Expert description

Black Bottle 10 Years CVH is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

The release is a limited follow-up to standard Black Bottle, with every component in the blend matured for at least ten years. Fruity grain whisky meets both peated and unpeated single malts, and as across the range it is the Islay component that sets the tone. The extra time in wood shows most clearly in the texture, which is oilier than in the young expression.

The producer's own notes for the ten year old point to smoked cherry wood, caramel and charred embers, and that is a fair description: the smoke has a sweet, woody edge rather than the medicinal peat associated with the southern Islay distilleries.

Tasting notes

Nose

Caramelised sugar and smoked fruitwood, almost like a barbecue burning down. Behind it sit dried apricot and a brush of vanilla.

Palate

Soft and full with toffee and malted grain, then the smoke rolls in as glowing ash and a nip of black pepper.

Finish

Medium and lightly spiced. The smoke drops away slowly and leaves toasted malt and a dry, pleasant sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Black Bottle 10 Years CVH Blended Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Black Bottle
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5029704219810

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sweet · Spiced · Soft · Fruity

Did you know?

Black Bottle was created by tea merchants. The Graham brothers made their living blending tea in Aberdeen before working out that the same craft applied to whisky — and gave up the tea.

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Some whiskies shout to be heard. Then there is Black Bottle, which slips quietly into the room, lays a trail of smoke across the table and lets everyone else wonder where that depth came from.

Expert description

Black Bottle New Version is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

New Version refers to the relaunch, when the brand returned to black glass, the recipe was tightened and the smoky Islay character was pushed back to the centre. It is a blend where malt and grain work together and where smoke is structural rather than decorative.

The ambition from the start has been to let every Scottish whisky region speak in the same bottle, with Islay as the note that holds it all together. The result is an approachable blend that works as an everyday dram and as a gentle way into smoky whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft peat smoke settles first, followed by malty sweetness, a brush of vanilla and a light maritime saltiness in the background.

Palate

Round and malty with caramel and honey, seasoned by pepper and a steady, earthy smoke that rolls across the palate without taking over.

Finish

Medium and warm with a gentle ash smoke that fades out alongside a last note of malty sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Black Bottle New Version Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Black Bottle
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: New Version
EAN no.: 5029704111442

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Soft · Spiced · Maritime

Did you know?

When the brand was to be relaunched in its original black glass, no original bottle survived to work from. Only when an example from 1906 turned up could the shape be recreated.

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Highland cattle do not step aside for weather. Neither does the whisky with the bull on the label — 50% and eighteen years in oak give a blend that holds its ground against whatever you put it next to.

Expert description

Black Bull 18 Years is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50%.

The range comes from Duncan Taylor Ltd. in Huntly, an independent bottler with one of Scotland's better stocked cask inventories. Black Bull stands apart from most blends through its bottling strength, where competitors typically land at 40%. The recipe leans on Highland malt, and both the malt and the grain carry eighteen years.

The brand itself is a tribute to the golfer Sir Nick Faldo, whose career Duncan Taylor has marked with several bottlings. The Black Bull name comes from Scottish Highland cattle, whose hardiness the range borrows.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep gold in the glass with a delicate aroma of dried fruit, creamy yoghurt, Turkish delight and sweet oak.

Palate

Open and direct, but full of character. Apples, pastry, cinnamon and clove, carried by the 50% without burning.

Finish

Long and intense with clear, creamy notes of spice and vanilla.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull 18 Years Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5056510005290

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Creamy · Powerful · Oaky

Investment potential

Medium. Age-stated blends at this strength form a small category, and the Black Bull range has drawn steady collector interest since Duncan Taylor revived the name.

Did you know?

Duncan Taylor was founded in Glasgow in 1938 as a cask and warehousing business. The reason the company now holds one of Scotland's oldest private cask stocks is that for decades it bought casks with no concrete plan to bottle them.

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Thirty years is a long time to wait for a blend. The casks stood still while the world outside changed, and the result is a whisky where nothing is in a hurry any more.

Expert description

Black Bull 30 Years is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50%.

This is the oldest standing release in the range and comes from Duncan Taylor Ltd. in Huntly. Both the malt and grain components have spent thirty years in wood, which is unusual for a blend, where the grain share is normally used young. The weight sits on Highland malt, and the 50% keeps the aromas together despite the long maturation.

The release marks Sir Nick Faldo's three world championships and three Masters victories, and the number thirty runs through both the age and the story. It is a blend where the cask has been allowed to work at length without taking command of the spirit.

Tasting notes

Nose

Handsome gold with a full aroma of fruitcake, almond and a hint of roses.

Palate

Beautifully balanced with warm winter spices and a whole cocktail of citrus fruit that keeps the profile fresh despite the age.

Finish

Fine and lightly spiced with notes of dried fruit that linger.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull 30 Years Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 30 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5056510005306

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Elegant · Mature · Citrus

Investment potential

High. Thirty years across both malt and grain is an unusual resource to commit to a blend, and the release is limited in scale. Older Black Bull bottlings have appreciated since launch.

Did you know?

Grain whisky is rarely matured this long, because it is traditionally treated as the filler in a blend. That is precisely why thirty year old grain has become one of the most sought-after categories among enthusiasts.

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Kyloe is pronounced Kahy-loh and is the name of the cattle breed that thrives in Scottish wind and sleet. The whisky borrowed the name and the temperament: no filtration, no dilution and no apologies.

Expert description

Black Bull Kyloe is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50% without chill filtration.

The blend is put together with single malt outweighing grain whisky, which is unusual for the category and is the direct reason for the full mouthfeel. Duncan Taylor bottles the range at 50% precisely to keep the aromatic compounds that normally disappear in the chill filtration most blends go through.

Kyloe is the entry point to the Black Bull range and follows the same principles as the age-stated releases, only without the age requirement. That gives fresher fruit and more direct malt, where the older versions carry more cask spice.

Tasting notes

Nose

Full gold in colour with aromas of toffee, apple, clementine, brown sugar and toasted oak. Given time in the glass, honey and pale flowers arrive.

Palate

Soft and comfortable despite the strength. Hazelnut, chocolate and raisin, with a rich citrus running over everything alongside fresh apple and pear.

Finish

Long and creamy with vanilla and oak settling as a final layer over the malt.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull Kyloe Blended Scotch Whisky 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Kyloe
EAN no.: 5060294564188

Flavour profile

Malty · Fruity · Nutty · Creamy · Powerful

Did you know?

In earlier centuries Kyloe cattle were driven on foot in large herds from the Scottish Highlands down to the Lowland markets. The journey could take weeks, and the animals were shod for the road.

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Same herd, but this one stood closer to the fire. Kyloe Peated Finish takes the malt-led blend and rests it in casks that once held peated whisky — the result smells of outdoors.

Expert description

Black Bull Kyloe Peated Finish is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50% without chill filtration.

The release builds on the same malt-dominated base blend as standard Kyloe, then adds a finishing period in casks that carry peat smoke. It is not a blend of peated spirit from the ground up, but a blend where smoke is applied at the end. The method gives a drier, ashier smoke than the oily peat associated with the southern Islay malts.

Duncan Taylor has kept the 50% and the decision to skip chill filtration, and it shows in the texture. The smoke has body to rest on rather than standing alone.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale gold with a dry, smoked aroma. Dark malt, green apples and brown sugar sit beneath the smoke.

Palate

Heavily smoked, yet creamy and layered. Salted nuts, citrus and a balanced sweetness that keeps the peat in check.

Finish

Long and warm, both salty and sweet, with apple, cinnamon and clove and a clear smoky trace at the end.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull Kyloe Peated Finish Blended Scotch Whisky 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Kyloe Peated Finish
EAN no.: 5056510006587

Flavour profile

Smoky · Salty · Creamy · Spiced · Fruity

Did you know?

A peated finish means the whisky has rested in casks that previously held peated whisky. The cask gives back its remaining peat character, which is why the smoke here reads drier than in whisky distilled from peated malt.

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In 1837 the last whisky production in the Scottish Borders shut down. It took 181 years before anyone tried again. This bottle is among the first things the new distillery in Hawick sent out into the world.

Expert description

Borders Malt & Rye is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

The release is the first in The Borders Distillery's Workshop Series and appeared in 2022. The name says what it is: a marriage of malt whisky and rye, an unusual combination in Scotch whisky, where rye has historically played a very small part.

The Borders Distillery opened in 2018 in Hawick and was the first Scottish whisky distillery in the Borders since 1837. The Workshop Series is the house playground, where grain types and cask types are tested while the proper single malt is still maturing.

Tasting notes

Nose

Spiced rye bread crumb with cinnamon, dill and a pale malty sweetness underneath.

Palate

Dry and peppery from the rye, met by caramel from the malt and a stroke of vanilla. There is a fresh, almost minty edge.

Finish

Medium and dry with spice, grain and a lightly sweet tail.

Specifications

Name: Borders Malt & Rye Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: The Borders Distillery
Region/Country: Scottish Borders, Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Workshop Series WS:01
EAN no.: 5060947341203

Flavour profile

Spiced · Dry · Grainy · Fresh · Malty

Did you know?

The Borders Distillery occupies a former electricity works building from the early 1900s in Hawick. The town is best known for knitwear and cashmere, not whisky — until recently.

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Scotland's oldest independent bottler pulls a forgotten name out of the cellar and dusts it off. Seven Stars is not a bottle that shouts. It whispers about old warehouses in Campbeltown and about a time when a blend had to prove itself with flavour.

Expert description

Cadenheads 7-Stars is a Blended Scotch Whisky finished in Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

Seven Stars revives a historic Cadenhead's brand originally bottled to show that outstanding whisky could be made by blending carefully chosen casks from the house's own stocks. Wm Cadenhead was founded in 1842 and is Scotland's oldest independent bottler, today run by J & A Mitchell, the people behind Springbank and Glengyle.

The contents combine malt and grain whisky from distilleries across Scotland with the weight on the grain share. After blending, the whisky is finished in oloroso sherry casks, and that is where the character gains depth, body and a darker tone.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dried fig with malted grain, orange peel and a stroke of toasted nut.

Palate

Soft and creamy with toffee, dark fruit and a fine sherry spice. The 46% carries more weight than a standard blend.

Finish

Medium and dry with nuts, grain and a lightly bitter oak note.

Specifications

Name: Cadenheads 7-Stars Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Bottler: Cadenhead's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Oloroso sherry casks
Edition: Seven Stars

Flavour profile

Sherried · Nutty · Malty · Creamy · Spiced

Did you know?

Wm Cadenhead has never owned a distillery in its own name, but its owners J & A Mitchell run both Springbank and Glengyle in Campbeltown. That leaves the company independent of the large groups in a way very few others are.

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Most people know Campbeltown Loch as the easy introduction to the region. The 21 year old is something else entirely - a mature, age-stated blend where time has been allowed to shape both malt and grain into something deeper.

Expert Description

Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old is a Campbeltown Blended Scotch Whisky composed of up to 60% single malt whisky and the remainder grain whisky, all a minimum of 21 years old, and bottled at 46%.

Where the younger Campbeltown Loch is a blended malt with no grain content, the 21 year old is a classic blended whisky carrying a substantial share of Springbank in its malt component. The long age guarantee across every component gives it a maturity and roundness that clearly sets it apart from the range's younger expressions.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Beeswax and graphite meet crisp apples, with ripe peaches sitting deep beneath the surface.

Palate

Complex and spiced, with ginger biscuits, cinnamon and orange peel unfolding across the palate.

Finish

Soft and spiced, with a lingering sweetness of orange and cinnamon that slowly fades.

Specifications

Name: Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old
Bottler: J&A Mitchell & Co
Region/Country: Campbeltown, Scotland
Type: Campbeltown Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Spicy · Creamy · Maritime

Did You Know?

Campbeltown Loch 21 Year Old contains a substantial share of Springbank malt, giving it a depth and oily character usually only associated with the distillery's own single malts.

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Where the Kintyre peninsula runs into the sea and the waves still roll into Campbeltown Loch, the story of Scotland's smallest and once most famous whisky region lives on. This bottle gathers that story into a single glass - the three distilleries still keeping Campbeltown alive.

Expert Description

Campbeltown Loch is a Campbeltown Blended Malt Scotch Whisky composed of single malt whisky from all three of the region's distilleries and bottled at 46%.

Behind the bottle stands J&A Mitchell & Co, the owners of Springbank Distillery, who blend malt from Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle into a shared tribute to Campbeltown. Springbank itself contributes three different styles to the overall character - the lighter Hazelburn, the medium-peated Springbank and the heavily peated Longrow - matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks. The result is a blend that gathers the region's maritime salinity, cask fruit and a whisper of smoke into one glass.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft peach and apricot meet honey and a touch of citrus zest, while a hint of salty soot lingers in the background.

Palate

Oily in texture with herbaceous notes creeping in beneath sweet vanilla caramel and juicy baked fruit. Salty sea spray and baking spice keep it balanced, with a whisper of peat poking through.

Finish

Long and warming, with smoked almonds, oak and a maritime salinity that never quite lets go - a dry, earthy close.

Specifications

Name: Campbeltown Loch Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Bottler: J&A Mitchell & Co
Region/Country: Campbeltown, Scotland
Type: Campbeltown Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon and sherry casks
EAN no.: 610854005016

Flavour Profile

Maritime · Fruity · Spicy · Lightly peated

Did You Know?

Campbeltown once housed more than 30 distilleries and was known as the whisky capital of the world - today only Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle remain, and Campbeltown Loch is the only blend to gather malt from all three.

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Chivas Brothers began as a grocer's shop in Aberdeen selling coffee, spices and a little whisky on the side. This bottle comes from the days when the house still put the word finest on the label and meant it literally.

Please note: The bottle carries a white Danish excise band.

Expert description

Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 43% in a 75 cl bottle.

The label calls it a blend of the house's oldest and finest Scotch whiskies, and the white Danish excise band places the bottle in a period when spirits were still banded on import into Denmark. Both the 75 cl format and the 43% strength have long since left the shelves. Chivas Brothers was founded in Aberdeen in 1801 and supplied whisky to the British royal household long before Chivas Regal became a name in its own right.

Tasting notes

Nose

Round and mature. Dried fruit, honey and pale caramel, with a dusty, old-fashioned note that only comes from time in glass.

Palate

Soft and oily. Raisin, orange marmalade and malt, with a layer of vanilla and a light nutty dryness beneath. The extra strength carries the flavour further than most modern blends.

Finish

Medium and dry, with malt, spice and a faint wisp of smoke right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest Blended Scotch Whisky 43%
Distillery: Chivas Brothers
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43 %
Size: 75 CL
Edition: Oldest and Finest
EAN no.: 5000299274002

Flavour profile

Soft · Dried Fruit · Malty · Honeyed · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. The release is discontinued, the 75 cl format is out of production, and bottles with an old Danish excise band are sought after precisely because they can be dated.

Did you know?

Chivas Brothers started life as a colonial grocer. James and John Chivas sold everything from French delicacies to exotic spices, and blending whisky began as a sideline because customers asked for something softer than the fierce single malts of the day.

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Colin Scott spent thirty years learning the warehouses before he put his name on a bottle. Gold Signature is his signature, and the eighteen years are not decoration — you can taste them.

Please note: The bottle is supplied without a carton.

Expert description

Chivas Regal 18 years Gold Signature is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured for at least 18 years and bottled at 40%.

The blend was built by Master Blender Colin Scott, who led the Chivas blending team for decades. The core is Speyside malt whisky carried by mature grain whisky, and the eighteen years give a depth and richness the house rarely shows in its younger releases. The Gold Signature name refers to the blender's own signature on the bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark chocolate and dried fruit first, then orange peel, flowers and a warm note of toasted oak. A lightly smoked edge sits right at the bottom.

Palate

Silky and full. Raisin, dark chocolate, caramel and spice, with a clear malty core beneath. The oak gives structure without tightening things up.

Finish

Long and warm, with spice, dried fruit and a soft cocoa note that stays put.

Specifications

Name: Chivas Regal 18 years Gold Signature Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Chivas Regal
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Gold Signature
EAN no.: 5000299225004

Flavour profile

Soft · Dark Chocolate · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Full-bodied

Did you know?

Colin Scott grew up on Orkney, where his father worked at Highland Park. He went on to become one of the longest serving Master Blenders in Scotch whisky — and it is his name, not the company's, that appears as the signature on this bottle.

See our full range of Chivas Regal Whisky

A blend normally holds dozens of whiskies. The Double Single holds two. One single malt and one single grain, and after that there is nothing left to hide behind.

Expert description

Compass Box The Double Single 10th Anniversary Limited Edition is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 53.3% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The original Double Single arrived in 2010 built on exactly two components, which is where the name comes from. This anniversary edition marks ten years on and is bottled at cask strength rather than the usual strength, which makes it fuller and more intense without breaking the idea. The concept is unchanged: as few moving parts as possible, so you can taste precisely what the malt and the grain each contribute.

Tasting notes

Nose

Golden and layered. The natural sweetness of cereal first, then creamy vanilla, honey and ripe apples, with a light citrus freshness and a suggestion of smoke underneath.

Palate

Full and velvety. Honey, vanilla and ripe pear meet citrus and dark caramel, while the malt base gives depth and a touch of spiced smoke. The strength warms without cutting.

Finish

Long and warm, with cereal, vanilla, light oak and a dry spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Compass Box The Double Single 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Blended Scotch Whisky 53,3%
Bottler: Compass Box
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 53.3%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: The Double Single 10th Anniversary Limited Edition

Flavour profile

Creamy · Honeyed · Vanilla · Lightly Smoked · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. A limited edition at cask strength, built on a concept the house rarely returns to. Anniversary releases from Compass Box have historically sold out quickly.

Did you know?

The word blend has been used as an insult among malt enthusiasts for decades. The Double Single was made as a counter-argument: two components, full transparency about the recipe, and a whisky that shows what grain can actually contribute when it is good enough.

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Eight years in cask, 43 percent and a name from Leith. Crabbie belongs to the blends that were drunk a lot and kept a little — which is exactly why the surviving bottles are interesting.

Please note: The bottle is supplied without a carton.

Expert description

Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured for at least 8 years and bottled at 43%.

John Crabbie & Co was based in Leith near Edinburgh and was as much a merchant house as a whisky producer. Age-stated blends were a quality marker in that period, and eight years meant even the youngest component had lost its edges. The 43% was standard for export bottlings and gives more body than today's 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt, cereal and dried fruit. Behind them sit honey, pale caramel and a trace of old wood.

Palate

Soft and rounded. Raisin, orange, malt and vanilla, with a lightly spiced warmth and a dry edge from the grain whisky.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty, with nuts and a hint of smoke right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky without carton 43%
Distillery: Crabbie
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Dried Fruit · Cereal · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. The release is discontinued, and older age-stated blends keep leaving the market as they get drunk.

Did you know?

Leith was Scotland's most important whisky port for more than a century. Casks were stored in warehouses along the quay and the blending houses sat close together — it was the harbour, not the distillery, that decided who could build a whisky business.

See our full range of Crabbie Whisky

Most people know the Crabbie name from ginger wine. Fewer know the Leith house also sold whisky — and that bottles from those days still turn up with the carton intact.

Expert description

Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured for at least 8 years and bottled at 43%.

John Crabbie & Co was founded in Edinburgh in the early 1800s and became world famous for its green ginger wine, but the house also traded and blended whisky. This release comes with its original carton, which makes a noticeable difference to a collector, since packaging was rarely kept. The 43% strength and the eight year age statement place it in an era when blends were still bottled with a little more body than today.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt and dried fruit first, then honey, pale caramel and a dusty note from the years in glass.

Palate

Round and malty. Raisin, orange peel, cereal and a little vanilla, with a warm spiced edge from the 43%. The mouthfeel is softer than today's standard blends.

Finish

Medium and dry, with malt, nuts and a lightly smoked close.

Specifications

Name: Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky with carton 43%
Distillery: Crabbie
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: With carton

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Dried Fruit · Honeyed · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. A discontinued release with an age statement and the original carton intact. Older blends carrying eight years on the label have become a niche collectors actively hunt.

Did you know?

John Crabbie began as a wine merchant and importer in Leith, Edinburgh's port. It was the harbour that gave access both to ginger from Asia and to the casks that later became whisky — two businesses grown from the same quayside.

See our full range of Crabbie Whisky

Captain William McCoy ran whisky into the United States during Prohibition and never watered it down. People started asking for the genuine article — the real McCoy. This bottle is a nod to him.

Expert description

Cutty Sark Prohibition is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50%.

The edition was made as a tribute to Prohibition, when Cutty Sark was among the most smuggled whiskies on the American east coast. McCoy anchored outside territorial waters and sold bottles on to small boats — and because he never diluted the goods, his name turned into a phrase. The 50% strength was chosen to reach the body the whisky had before it passed through many hands.

Tasting notes

Nose

Stronger than the yellow label. Vanilla, dried fruit and cereal, with a touch of spice and a warm oak note.

Palate

Full and oily. Caramel, orange peel and malt, with a peppery warmth from the strength and a dry oak edge. There is more body than in the standard release, but the same pale fruit character underneath.

Finish

Long and dry, with spice, cereal and a persistent warmth.

Specifications

Name: Cutty Sark Prohibition Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 50%
Distillery: Cutty Sark
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Prohibition Edition
EAN no.: 5010504100309

Flavour profile

Full-bodied · Spiced · Vanilla · Dried Fruit · High Strength

Did you know?

The phrase the real McCoy is, on one widely repeated account, down to Captain William McCoy, who refused to dilute or adulterate his smuggled whisky. The expression stuck long after Prohibition ended.

See our full range of Cutty Sark Whisky