Four distinctive drams with the little brown dog - Blog post by Luka Gottschalk - Little Brown Dog

Post by Luka Gottschalk

Little Brown Dog was founded in 2018 and works in practice as both a micro-distillery and an independent bottler. As far as whisky goes, LBD buys distinctive, unusual new make spirit around Scotland and then matures it in its own casks, in its own warehouse. That way the vision of distinctive, deep whisky from Scotland's underdog distilleries can be followed closely and adjusted along the way.

To my dog-loving eyes the bottles themselves look enormously appealing and warm. Just as the name suggests, they are decorated with the silhouette of a fine little brown dog.
Little Brown Dog is named after one of the founders' beloved dog, whose nickname was "the little brown dog".

 

 

 

I have been lucky enough to taste a full four whisky bottlings from Little Brown Dog. They certainly did not disappoint.

Wee Mongrel Batch Four 22 Year Old Little Brown Dog Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 56.2%

The first one I tasted is a blended whisky called Wee Mongrel. The little mutt, in other words.
Without revealing exactly what the blend consists of, LBD says it is put together from spirit from Edrington-owned distilleries.

The whole thing is bottled at a full 56.2% and the youngest component in the mix is 22 years old.

The colour suggests a sherry-matured profile with its deep red-brown tint. That fits with the whisky having matured in oloroso sherry casks.

The nose delivers everything the colour promised. Here are notes of cherry, dark chocolate and Christmas spice. A genuine sherry bomb.
The palate is a classic oloroso profile. Here I find notes of dried fruit, dates, cacao and chocolate, and a very gentle smoke in the background.

The finish offers freshly ground coffee beans, dark chocolate again and a sort of dusty tobacco smoke (very mild).

It is labelled a blended Scotch whisky, which in short means it contains grain components alongside malt whisky. I would dare to claim that the malt whisky content makes up by far the greater part of this blend.
The elegance, the complexity and not least the flavour resemble a single malt far more than a blended malt.
If I have to guess which Edrington distilleries have been in play here, I would aim the arrow at a big slug of Macallan and a small sip of Highland Park.
Little Brown Dog 9 Year Old Campbeltown Mega Blend Small Batch Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 56.2%

The next dram the little brown dog introduces me to is nothing less than a blended malt made up of spirit from every active Campbeltown distillery.
Here the mystery is dialled right down and LBD has told us directly what the mix consists of:

• 9 year old Glen Scotia
• 12 and 16 year old Kilkerran
• 10 and 21 year old Springbank

It is safe to say this sounds like a feast for a Campbeltown fan.
In the glass you see a pale, amber-golden liquid indicating primarily bourbon maturation.

The nose offers tart, bright fruit notes, honeydew melon, malt sweetness, gentle smoke and an unmistakable Campbeltown umami funk. 

To my mind the palate is an entirely classic Campbeltown flavour, offering notes of green apple, grain, gentle pipe smoke and a funky botanical twist that reminds me of spruce needles.

The finish is long and full, and the older components of the mix certainly do not hide here. The tart stamp the nose indicated comes back strongly, along with notes of freshly ground black pepper, lemon peel, fresh mint and light peat smoke.

We are dealing with a whisky that has an almost stereotypical Campbeltown flavour. Everything this region is celebrated and sought after for is here in a charming little bottle at a sharp price. I suspect this one will find its way into my own collection in the near future.

Ben Nevis 1999/2025 Little Brown Dog 26 Year Old Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 50.5%

Now we move on to the elder statesman of this post: a 26 year old single malt from Ben Nevis.
I consider Ben Nevis something of an underdog in the Scottish whisky market. It is not a whisky that gets much attention compared with many other similar brands.
The distillery did get a fair bit of coverage a few years ago, though, when it emerged that it was the source of a good share of the spirit used in Japanese whisky. Since then the legislation has changed and it is no longer as simple to sneak Scotch into a Japanese whisky.
Personally I always enjoy a reunion with the Ben Nevis distillery. They have to be said to have a very particular profile, which I always enjoy. This older whisky is in no way an exception.

Maturation took place in refill bourbon hogsheads and has created a decent amber-golden colour that does not make much of itself. Fortunately colour is no indicator of a whisky's qualities.

The nose, on the other hand, is quite distinctive. I read it as almost dusty in expression. On top of that come notes of grass, fresh corn, strong peppermint and powerful smoke. It is a very distinctive aroma that really appeals to the nerdy part of me.

The palate offers tropical fruit along the lines of mango, papaya and passion fruit, plus a hoppy note that reminds me of a sharp IPA.

The finish turns nuttier in expression, particularly walnut. After a while come notes of rich white chocolate, coconut and a peculiar cognac-like aftertaste.

This is a distinctive, really lovely Ben Nevis bottling for those of you with a little extra put by. There is no doubt the price level is markedly higher than the other LBD bottlings, but there are also absolutely some distinctive nuances here found in only a few other places.

Drookit Dug 9 Year Old Little Brown Dog Cask Strength Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 45.2%

Sadly we have reached the end of the road. Only a single dram is left in the tasting with the little brown dog.
The last dram is a blended Scotch whisky made up of a mix of bourbon casks, sherry casks, older grain whisky and a good slug of malt whisky.

The colour does not stand apart from the other drams, with its pale grain-golden tint.

The nose, on the other hand, is quite different from the previous drams. I read it as markedly salty in expression, like a buttery salted caramel with oak shavings in it. That may sound odd, but it is really lovely.

The palate is rich and creamy, with notes of cream caramel, vanilla sugar, grain whisky and a fun note of salted popcorn. It is a distinctive experience I would not otherwise associate with Scotch whisky.

The finish offers coconut, as in a Bounty bar, and continued salted caramel.

To my taste Drookit Dug is a fun, different dram that is entirely its own character. It is not the dram I would reach for if I were longing for a classic whisky, but one to bring out when a breath of fresh air is needed.

It has been a pleasure to make the acquaintance of your little brown dog, and I look forward to meeting again soon.