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

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

The Expert's Description

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

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

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

Tasting Notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour Profile

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

Investment Potential

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

Did You Know?

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

See our full range of Glen Garioch
See our full range of Little Brown Dog

Listen to our podcast:

The cask arrived leaking. Ten kilos of whisky had gone somewhere along the way, and most people would have written it off. Little Brown Dog poured what was left into a smaller cask instead, and later gave it a spell in a cognac barrique over thirty years old. Sometimes the best thing comes out of something that went wrong.

The Expert's Description

Ardlair 2014 Little Brown Dog 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill bourbon barrel and finished in a cognac barrique over thirty years old, bottled at 52.6%. It was distilled on 22 February 2014 and bottled on 23 February 2026, twelve years and a day.

The cask history is anything but straightforward. It arrived partly leaking and had already lost around ten kilos in transit, so the whisky was decanted into a smaller refill bourbon barrel. In December 2024 it was then given an extra finish in the cognac cask to lift the fruitiness without drowning the spirit.

The cognac cask was used with a light hand. The oily, lightly spiced Highland style still stands at the centre, while the vinous sweetness supports and refines it. Ardlair is the Ardmore distillery’s unpeated whisky, and at Little Brown Dog it goes by the in-house nickname Ardless.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The colour is a warm waxy gold. On the nose muscovado sugar, glazed carrots and a yoghurt with hedgerow berries, a fruit profile at once rustic and creamy. A lightly spiced oak note sits beneath it.

Palate

Oily and full. Dark syrupy sweetness opens, then a lightly spiced warmth and a vinous fruitiness from the cognac barrique. The whisky opens up markedly with a drop of water, where both fruit and spice step forward more plainly.

Finish

Medium to long. Spiced oak, dark fruit and a dry waxy close that holds on.

Specifications

Name: Ardlair 2014 Little Brown Dog 12 Years Old Cognac Cask Finish Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 52.6%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 52.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill bourbon barrel, finished in a cognac barrique over 30 years old
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 22 February 2014
Bottled: 23 February 2026
Edition: Cognac Cask Finish

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Vinous · Spiced · Creamy · Cask Strength · Waxy

Investment Potential

Medium. The cask history makes this a one-off performance: a leaking cask, a decanting and a cognac finish from wood over thirty years old cannot be repeated. Little Brown Dog single casks also come in small outturns and have a loyal following.

Did You Know?

At Little Brown Dog, Ardlair goes by the in-house nickname Ardless, with a grin, because it lacks the smoke Ardmore is otherwise known for. It says something about the relaxed approach behind the company, which started in 2018 on a farm at Fetternear in Aberdeenshire and has since grown from pure bottling into distilling as well.

See our full range of Ardmore
See our full range of Little Brown Dog

Listen to our podcast:

Two casks with consecutive numbers, 800999 and 801000, were filled on the same day and emptied on the same day eleven years later. Neighbours the whole way through. They were vatted together into 480 bottles, and it is still single malt.

Please note: This bottle has wear and rust on the cap.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2010/2021 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks 800999 and 801000 and bottled at 46%. It was distilled on 6 May 2010 and bottled on 6 August 2021 in Signatory’s Un-Chillfiltered Collection, giving 480 bottles.

Vatting two casks rather than bottling them separately is a deliberate choice. You lose the individuality of a single cask but gain a larger, better balanced release where one cask’s quirks get evened out. As long as all the whisky comes from one distillery, the term Single Malt Whisky still applies.

Here there is no Islay past in the wood and no sherry, only plain bourbon casks. That gives Ardmore’s own peated character and malt sweetness a clear run, and the result is the most straightforward of Signatory’s Ardmore releases in this range.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and pale malt first, with dry smoke as a firm undercarriage. There is honey, green apple and a light coconut note from the bourbon wood. Clean and precise with nothing heavy about it.

Palate

Malty and soft. Vanilla and baked apple open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy note alongside white pepper. At 46% the body is good, and the balance between sweetness and smoke stays even the whole way.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, vanilla and a dry ash note that lets go cleanly without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2010/2021 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks no. 800999 and 801000
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 6 May 2010
Bottled: 6 August 2021
Number of bottles: 480
Edition: The Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Vanilla · Fruity · Dry · Spiced

Did You Know?

Ardmore’s peat comes from the mainland in Aberdeenshire, not from Islay. Mainland peat is formed from heather, moss and wood rather than seaweed and salt water, so it gives a dry, earthy and almost sooty smoke without iodine or tar. It is the same difference you can taste between a Highland and an Islay without seeing the labels.

See our full range of Ardmore
See our full range of Signatory

Listen to our podcast:

Three casks from April 2010 sat for twelve years before somebody decided they belonged together. That is the kind of choice that never makes it onto the label, yet it decides what ends up in the glass.

Please note: This bottle has wear and rust on the cap.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2010/2022 Signatory Vintage 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks 800518, 800527 and 800531 and bottled at 46%. It was distilled in April 2010 and bottled in November 2022 in Signatory’s Un-Chillfiltered Collection.

The Un-Chillfiltered Collection was created for those who want single malt in its most natural form: bottled without chill filtration and without added colour, so the whisky reaches the bottle as it came out of the cask, apart from an adjustment of strength to 46%.

Three bourbon casks give a broader starting point than one. Each cask has its own small quirk, and vatted together they even each other out. The result is an Ardmore where the peat smoke and the malt sweetness hold each other in balance rather than one cask’s character dominating.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted malt and dry smoke first, with honey and baked apple behind. There is a light coconut and vanilla note from the bourbon wood and a fine, clean cereal floor running through it all.

Palate

Full and malty. Honey and vanilla open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy floor along with a touch of pepper and citrus peel. After twelve years the edges have been smoothed off, and balance is the real strength here.

Finish

Medium to long. Malt, honey and dry smoke, letting go slowly and cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2010/2022 Signatory Vintage 12 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks no. 800518, 800527 and 800531
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: April 2010
Bottled: November 2022
Edition: The Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Honeyed · Vanilla · Dry · Balanced

Did You Know?

Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington and is today one of Scotland’s most prolific independent bottling houses. The company also owns the Edradour distillery in Perthshire, and Signatory’s warehousing and bottling facilities sit right beside it. The journey from cask to bottle is therefore a short one.

See our full range of Ardmore
See our full range of Signatory

Listen to our podcast:

Càrn Mòr means the great cairn in Gaelic, and the Strictly Limited range is the house’s younger half: whisky that has not yet reached double figures but already has something to say. This one is nine years old and comes from a bourbon barrel.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 2012/2022 Càrn Mòr 9 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Bourbon Barrel and bottled at 47.5%. It was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2022 in the Strictly Limited range, giving 1,184 bottles.

Strictly Limited is Càrn Mòr’s range for younger releases, all bottled at 47.5% and typically composed from a small group of casks. Over the years the series has held whisky from Glen Ord, Bunnahabhain, Benrinnes, Ben Nevis, Pulteney, Caol Ila, BenRiach and Mortlach, and now Ardmore too.

Nine years in a bourbon barrel is enough for Ardmore’s peated character to settle without being rounded away. The smoke is still fresh, and the cask’s vanilla and cereal stand clearly beside it. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Càrn Mòr is part of Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted malt and dry smoke first, with vanilla and pale honey behind. There is green apple and a light coconut note from the bourbon wood, and it all reads clean and young.

Palate

Fresh and malty. Vanilla and baked apple open, then the smoke arrives as a dry earthy line along with white pepper. At 47.5% the body is good, and the youthful freshness is part of the point rather than a shortcoming.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, dry smoke and a light oak dryness that lets go cleanly without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 2012/2022 Càrn Mòr 9 Years Old Single Highland Malt Whisky 47.5%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Càrn Mòr
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 47.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Barrel
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 1,184
Edition: Strictly Limited
EAN no.: 5060109229295

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Malty · Vanilla · Fresh · Dry · Spiced

Did You Know?

Càrn Mòr is run by Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, one of Scotland’s oldest whisky families. The same house is behind the Aberargie distillery and the Old Perth range. The family formally traded as Morrison & Mackay until October 2020, when the name was changed to the present one.

See our full range of Ardmore
See our full range of Càrn Mòr

The bottle did not say whisky, and that was deliberate. Scottish law requires three years in cask before the word can be used, and Ardnamurchan had not got there yet. So they called it Spirit and sent it out anyway, so people could follow the distillery from the very beginning.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2017 AD2 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit from Ardnamurchan Distillery, bottled at 53.6% by Adelphi. It is the distillery’s second annual release of young spirit and may not be called whisky, because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires.

Ardnamurchan was built by the independent bottler Adelphi on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula on Scotland’s west coast. There had never been a legal distillery on the peninsula before the site opened in 2014. The distillery makes two styles, one peated and one unpeated, matured in American and Spanish oak.

The run of Spirit releases spans 2016 to 2019, and AD2 is the second in the sequence. The distillery’s first proper Single Malt Whisky arrived in September 2020. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Young and direct. Fresh malted barley first, then pear, green apple and a clear cereal sweetness. A light peat smoke sits beneath it all along with a clean, almost bready note you only meet in spirit that has not had time to be rounded off.

Palate

Powerful and raw in the good sense. Malt and grain fill the middle of the mouth, while the cask’s vanilla has only just begun to report in. There is a peated undercurrent and a peppery warmth, and at 53.6% the texture is oily and full.

Finish

Medium and dry. Grain, malt and a lightly smoky edge that lets go sooner than an older whisky would.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2017 AD2 Spirit Adelphi 53.6%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 53.6%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2017
Edition: AD2 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060386504023

Flavour Profile

Young · Malty · Fruity · Lightly Smoky · Cask Strength · Grain Forward

Investment Potential

Medium. The Spirit releases were made during a short window before the distillery could call its spirit whisky, and they will never come again. For anyone collecting a distillery’s history from the first bottle, AD2 is a link in a sequence that cannot be recreated.

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan draws all its electricity from a hydro generator on the river beside the distillery. The location is so remote that producing its own power was easier than running a supply network out there. The environmental case was there too, but the practicality came first.

See our full range of Ardnamurchan
See our full range of Adelphi

Listen to our podcast:

Third year in the sequence, and now sherry casks only. Ardnamurchan put all of AD3 into hogsheads and butts from Spain, and the difference from the year before is obvious before you have tasted anything: the colour alone tells you what the wood has done.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit matured in sherry casks in the form of hogsheads and butts and bottled at 55.3% by Adelphi. Approximately 5,000 bottles were made. The designation Spirit is because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires before the word whisky may be used.

The two cask sizes do different things. A hogshead holds around 250 litres and works relatively fast, while a butt of around 500 litres moves more slowly and gives a more measured sherry character. Using both gives you speed and depth in the same release.

Ardnamurchan makes both peated and unpeated malt, and both styles feature in the house’s releases. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dried fig first, clearly sherried for something this young. Beneath sit fresh malt and a light peat smoke, along with a nutty note the butts have laid in.

Palate

Sweeter and rounder than you would expect from anything under three years. Dark fruit and spice open, then the cereal character comes through along with a peated undercurrent. At 55.3% the concentration is good, and the sherry carries the youth well.

Finish

Medium length. Raisins, malt and a lightly smoky dryness that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit Adelphi 55.3%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 55.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, hogsheads and butts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2018
Number of bottles: Approximately 5,000
Edition: AD3 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060383650426

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Young · Dark Fruit · Nutty · Lightly Smoky · Cask Strength

Did You Know?

The Ardnamurchan peninsula is so remote that the road out there is single track along much of its length. The distillery sits at Glenbeg overlooking Glenmore Bay towards the island of Mull, and it is one of the remotest distilleries in Scotland. Seven years of work went from the idea to the finished distillery.

See our full range of Ardnamurchan
See our full range of Adelphi

Listen to our podcast:

The last chapter before the whisky. AD4 is the fourth and final Spirit release from Ardnamurchan, and the following year the distillery could finally write whisky on the label. Octaves are in play here too, the smallest casks in the house.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit matured in sherry casks in the form of hogsheads, butts and octaves and bottled at 57.4% by Adelphi. Approximately 5,100 bottles were made. It is legally a Spirit because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires.

Octaves are the addition compared with the year before. An octave holds around 50 litres, the smallest cask in common use, and with so little liquid per square centimetre of wood it works very fast. It is an efficient way to give young spirit more cask character than the years alone would allow.

AD4 is the last in the run of Spirit releases that spanned 2016 to 2019. In September 2020 the distillery’s first proper Single Malt Whisky arrived. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark fruit and syrup first, more concentrated than the preceding years. There are raisins, dates and a clear spiced sherry note, and beneath sit fresh malt and a light peat smoke.

Palate

Full and sweet, almost dessert-like in the middle. Dark fruit, spice and burnt sugar open, then the cereal character and the smoke come through. At 57.4% the concentration is marked, and the small casks make themselves felt in the texture.

Finish

Medium to long. Spice, dark fruit and a dry, lightly smoky close.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2019 AD4 Spirit Adelphi 57.4%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 57.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, hogsheads, butts and octaves
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2019
Number of bottles: Approximately 5,100
Edition: AD4 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060383650730

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Sweet · Spiced · Young · Cask Strength · Dark Fruit

Did You Know?

An octave holds around 50 litres and is the smallest cask used in ordinary whisky production. The name comes from it being roughly an eighth of a butt. Because the ratio of liquid to wood is so extreme, an octave can deliver in a few months what a butt takes years to give.

See our full range of Ardnamurchan
See our full range of Adelphi

Listen to our podcast:

December 2014, five months after the distillery opened. Cask 440 is a Spanish Oloroso butt filled with unpeated spirit, and it is among the earliest casks in existence from Ardnamurchan. Six hundred and ninety-three bottles, released to one Danish importer.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an unpeated Oloroso Sherry Butt of Spanish oak and bottled at 59.1% cask strength. The cask was filled in December 2014 and gave 693 bottles released exclusively for FC Whisky.

This is the unpeated side of the distillery. With no smoke to contend with, the Oloroso cask can work directly on the spirit’s fruitiness, and a full butt of around 500 litres works slowly and in measured fashion. The result is a sherry profile where dark fruit and nuts get room without being forced.

The cask was filled five months after the distillery opened in July 2014, which makes it one of the very earliest casks in the house. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dark orange first, with walnut and a dry sherry note behind. Beneath sit fresh malt and a lightly waxy fruitiness that is Ardnamurchan’s unpeated signature.

Palate

Full and dark. Dried fruit, walnut and bitter chocolate open, then spice and an oak tannin tighten things mid-palate. At 59.1% the concentration is considerable, and a fresh acidity beneath the sherry keeps it from turning heavy.

Finish

Long and spiced. Raisin, nut and dry oak, with a warmth that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD 12:14 CK.440 FC Whisky Single Highland Malt Whisky 59.1%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 59.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Unpeated Oloroso Sherry Butt of Spanish oak, cask no. 440
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: December 2014
Number of bottles: 693
Edition: Single Cask CK.440 for FC Whisky
EAN no.: 5060383651652

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Dark Fruit · Nutty · Spiced · Cask Strength · Fresh

Investment Potential

Medium. The cask dates from the distillery’s first six months, and 693 bottles exist, released through one channel. Casks filled in 2014 are the oldest in existence from Ardnamurchan, and there will be no more.

Did You Know?

Ardnamurchan keeps its peated and unpeated production separate in different periods of the year, and the casks are marked accordingly. CK.440 is marked unpeated, so you know in advance there is no smoke in the bottle, a clarity very few distilleries offer on single casks.

See our full range of Ardnamurchan
See our full range of Adelphi

Listen to our podcast:

Madeira is the only wine in the world that improves by being heated. The wine matures at around fifty degrees for months on end, and the casks carry that treatment with them: a cooked, nutty sweetness you will not find in other wine casks.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release AD is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in madeira casks and bottled at 52%. It combines the distillery’s craft approach and sustainable production with the distinctive influence of the madeira wood.

Madeira differs from other fortified wines in undergoing a heat treatment during maturation, where the wine is held warm for a long period. That gives a caramelised, nutty character not found in sherry or port, and the casks carry it on to the whisky.

At 52% there is body enough to carry both the madeira sweetness and Ardnamurchan’s own maritime character. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe stone fruit, candied orange peel and honey open the nose, joined by a light touch of sea breeze and spice. A nutty, almost caramelised note sits beneath it all, the fingerprint of the madeira cask.

Palate

Roasted nuts, dark caramel and dried fruit melting together with a light mineral character and a hint of smoke in the background. At 52% the texture is full, and the sweetness is dry rather than syrupy.

Finish

Long, warm and silky with an elegant sweetness from the madeira casks and a final dry nutty note.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release AD Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 52%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in madeira casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Madeira Cask Release AD
EAN no.: 5060383654325

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Nutty · Caramel · Spiced · Maritime · Lightly Smoky

Did You Know?

Madeira is matured by heat because the wine was historically carried as ballast in ships crossing the tropics. It was discovered that the wine improved on the journey, from the heat and the movement. Today the effect is reproduced artificially, but the cooked, nutty character still comes from something that began as an accident at sea.

See our full range of Ardnamurchan

Listen to our podcast:

Mezcal and peated whisky have more in common than you might think. Both get their smoke from something that has lain in the ground and burned: agave hearts in a stone-lined pit in Oaxaca, peat under a malting floor in Scotland. Here they meet in the same cask.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Mezcal Cask Release AD is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in traditional bourbon and sherry casks and then finished in used mezcal casks from Mexico, bottled at 55%.

Mezcal is known for its smoky, earthy character, which comes from agave hearts roasted in earth pits over embers. The casks add a depth and complexity distinct from classic Scottish malt whiskies, a mineral structure not found in wine casks.

The release is part of the distillery’s continuing work with unconventional cask types. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet malt and a lightly medicinal peat smoke open, quickly followed by characteristic mezcal notes: green agave, citrus, white pepper and toasted oak. It is all rounded off by a subtle spiced undertone.

Palate

Green apples and fresh lime meet a finely balanced peat smoke and a lightly saline character. Warm notes of vanilla, honey and a touch of cinnamon and clove sit in the middle. The texture is full, and the minerality from the mezcal casks gives structure without drowning the fruity base.

Finish

Long and mineral. Smoke, citrus and a dry, almost stony close where the agave lingers longest.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Mezcal Cask Release AD Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 55%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon and sherry casks, finished in used mezcal casks from Mexico
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Mezcal Cask Release AD

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Mineral · Citrus · Spiced · Cask Strength · Fruity

Did You Know?

Mezcal is made by roasting agave hearts in a pit in the ground, covered with stones and glowing wood, for several days. That is where the smoke comes from, not from the cask or the distillation. The method resembles Scottish peat firing more than anything else in the spirits world, which is probably why the two work together.

See our full range of Ardnamurchan

Listen to our podcast:

The Scottish midge is a national affliction. It weighs nothing, it arrives in millions, and it ruins any summer evening in the Highlands. Naming a whisky after it is either self-deprecation or defiance, and probably both.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan The Midgie is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky composed of 50% ex-American bourbon casks, 48% port barriques and 2% sherry casks, bottled at 48%. The whisky is made from 75% unpeated and 25% peated malt.

The cask make-up is unusual in that the port barriques account for almost half. Most distilleries use port as a short finish, while The Midgie carries the casks as a full half of the blend. That gives red fruit and a vinous sweetness that does not normally take up so much room.

The ratio of peated to unpeated malt is also set differently from the house standard: only a quarter is peated here, where AD/ is an even split. The smoke is therefore a suggestion rather than a floor. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Complex from the first moment. Layers of cooked ham meet charred pineapple, prunes dipped in salt and strawberry jam on a salted cracker. The aromas round off with almond oil, coconut macaroon and a fresh touch of green mint.

Palate

Salt-baked pear, meadowsweet and wild flowers joined by lemon thyme. Deeper notes of raisin, cherry and cocoa powder add warmth, while pink peppercorns bring a subtle spiced bite.

Finish

Elegant and persistent with a gentle breath of liquid smoke, Himalayan salt and redcurrant juice. The balance between sweet and salty elements gives a dry, long-lasting close.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan The Midgie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 50% ex-bourbon casks, 48% port barriques and 2% sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: The Midgie

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Saline · Vinous · Floral · Lightly Smoky · Spiced

Did You Know?

The Scottish midge is Culicoides impunctatus, and only the females bite, needing blood in order to lay eggs. They are most active at dusk and in still weather, which are precisely the conditions you would otherwise choose for a dram outdoors. There is a certain logic in naming a summer whisky after them.

See our full range of Ardnamurchan

Listen to our podcast:

A refill hogshead gives up very little. It has been used before, the sugar layers are spent, and so it takes twenty-six years to reach where a first fill cask would have been at ten. In return, what you taste is the spirit and not the wood.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 1998/2025 Lady of the Glen 26 years is a Single Highland Malt Whisky matured in a refill hogshead, cask no. 176, and bottled at 43.2 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky was distilled on 11 May 1998 and bottled on 4 April 2025. The cask yielded 276 bottles, and the strength of 43.2 % is what the cask gave after twenty-six years rather than the result of dilution. That says something about how long it lay and how much evaporated along the way.

Lady of the Glen is run by Gregor Hannah under Hannah Whisky Merchants and works consistently with natural colour, no chill filtration and bottling at the strength the cask offers. It is a line that lets the character of the distillery come through, and with Ben Nevis that is precisely the point.

Tasting notes

Nose

Tropical fruit with pineapple and passion fruit up front, then sweet malt and light pastry.

Palate

Soft and balanced with fruity sweetness, a creamy texture and discreet spice. The low cask strength makes it remarkably easy to drink for its age.

Finish

Long, warm and complex with fruit, malt and a last touch of oak.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 1998/2025 Lady of the Glen 26 år
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 26 years
ABV: 43,2 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead, cask no. 176
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 11 May 1998
Bottled: 4 April 2025
Number of bottles: 276

Flavour profile

Tropical fruit · Soft · Creamy · Malty · Lightly spiced

Investment potential

High. Twenty-six years in cask, 276 bottles and a single refill hogshead is a combination that cannot be repeated. Lady of the Glen has built a steady following among single cask collectors, and their older Ben Nevis casks disappear quickly.

Did you know?

A hogshead holds around 250 litres and is typically rebuilt from 200 litre American bourbon barrels by adding extra staves. The slightly larger volume gives a lower wood to liquid ratio, so the whisky matures more slowly.

See our full range of Ben Nevis Whisky
See our full range of Lady of the Glen Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

The Warehouse Tasting bottles are drawn straight from the Cadenhead warehouse in Campbeltown and filled for the tastings held on site. You rarely meet them anywhere other than with a glass in hand between the casks.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 2012/2021 Cadenhead's 9 years Warehouse Tasting is a Single Highland Malt Whisky matured in a Manzanilla hogshead, finished from 2020 and bottled at 56.7 % cask strength without chill filtration and without added colour.

Wm Cadenhead is the oldest independent bottler in Scotland, founded in Aberdeen in 1842 and based today in Campbeltown next door to Springbank. The Warehouse Tasting series consists of a small handful of casks each year, chosen for the tastings the house runs itself, and they are bottled raw and unadjusted.

Manzanilla is a dry sherry from Sanlucar de Barrameda on the Atlantic coast, and the cask gives a saltier, more mineral influence than an Oloroso would. The Ben Nevis went into the cask in 2020 after eight years in its original wood, and the combination of dry sherry and the oily weight of the distillery is unusual.

Tasting notes

Nose

Salted almond, dry hay and a sharp mineral note. Behind it sit oily malt and a touch of green apple.

Palate

Powerful and dry with salted nut, lemon peel and an oily middle. The cask strength bites, but the whisky has the body to carry it.

Finish

Long, dry and salty with a lingering mineral edge.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 2012/2021 Cadenhead's 9 år Warehouse Tasting
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Cadenhead's
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 56,7 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Manzanilla hogshead, finished from 2020
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2021
Edition: Warehouse Tasting

Flavour profile

Dry · Maritime · Mineral · Nutty · Cask strength

Investment potential

High. Warehouse Tasting bottlings are made in very small quantities for the Cadenhead tastings and rarely reach normal distribution. The combination of Ben Nevis and a Manzanilla cask makes it harder still to replace.

Did you know?

Cadenhead has never put a distillery logo or house colours on its labels. The firm uses the same sober template for everything, whether the contents come from an obscure distillery or from one of the best known names in Scotland.

See our full range of Ben Nevis Whisky
See our full range of Cadenhead's Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Eight years and one month between filling and bottling. Signatory notes the dates precisely, down to the day, and that is not pedantry. It is the kind of information that makes it possible to understand why two bottles from the same distillery taste different.

Please note: The cap on the bottle is rusty. It has no bearing on the whisky inside, but we would rather say so up front.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 2013/2021 Signatory Vintage 8 years is a Single Highland Malt Whisky matured in hogsheads, casks no. 427 and 429, and bottled at 46 %.

The whisky went into cask on 17 October 2013 and was drawn on 19 November 2021. Two hogsheads were bottled together, which gives a slightly larger outturn than a single cask, but it remains a limited release from two casks that lay side by side.

This and the seven year old sister bottling come from the same distillation day. The difference lies purely in which casks were chosen and when they were drawn, which makes the pair an unusually good exercise in what a single year in cask actually means.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt, pear and pale oak with a note of melted butter. A hint of wet stone sits behind it.

Palate

Rounder than the seven year old with honey, cereal and a touch of cinnamon. The oily texture is still there, but the edges have been worn down a little.

Finish

Medium and warm with malt, oak and a dry close.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 2013/2021 Signatory Vintage 8 år
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead, casks no. 427 and 429
Distilled: 17 October 2013
Bottled: 19 November 2021
EAN no.: 5021944116133

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Soft · Oily · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Signatory has printed the distillation date and the bottling date on the label from the start. That was far from normal in 1988, when most bottlers made do with an age statement, and the practice has since spread across the trade.

See our full range of Ben Nevis Whisky
See our full range of Signatory Vintage Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

The bottle sits low and broad with a short neck, closer to an apothecary jar than a whisky bottle. Signatory has used that shape for its Decanter Collection for years, and it stands out on the shelf against everything else in the range.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 2014 Signatory Vintage 8 years Decanter Collection is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Oloroso sherry butts and bottled at 46 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The Decanter Collection is the Signatory range in the distinctive broad bottle. The series holds a fixed bottling strength of 46 %, and casks are chosen for their ability to carry sherry influence without the distillery style disappearing. This whisky was distilled in 2014 and lay eight years in cask.

Sherry butts hold around 500 litres, giving a lower wood to liquid ratio than smaller casks. Maturation is therefore slower and more restrained, and after eight years the weight of the Ben Nevis spirit still sits clearly beneath the dried fruit.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fig, raisin and walnut with a dry sherry edge. Behind it sit malt and a suggestion of dark chocolate.

Palate

Full and dry with dark fruit, nut and spiced oak. The oily core of the spirit keeps the sherry in check all the way through.

Finish

Long and dry with nut, cocoa and a warm note of spice.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 2014 Signatory Vintage 8 år Decanter Collection
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso sherry butts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Edition: The Decanter Collection
EAN no.: 5021944124923

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Dry · Nutty · Full bodied · Spiced

Did you know?

The Signatory Decanter Collection uses a bottle shape originally used for pharmacy goods and spices. The form makes the bottle heavy and low, and it takes more room in the case, which is why few other bottlers have copied it.

See our full range of Ben Nevis Whisky
See our full range of Signatory Vintage Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

In the shadow of Ben Nevis at Fort William, where the highest mountain in Scotland looms over the distillery, sits some of the most understated character in whisky. No smoke, no noise, just malt, clay and time, caught in a pair of old sherry casks.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 2014/2023 Signatory Vintage 8 years Un-Chillfiltered Collection is a Single Highland Malt Whisky matured in two 2nd fill Oloroso sherry butts, casks no. 277 and 278, and bottled at 46 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The Un-Chillfiltered Collection is the Signatory range where everything is released unfiltered and uncoloured, so the whole character of the cask stays in the glass. The whisky was distilled on 8 December 2014 and bottled in January 2023 after eight years in wood.

The two refill butts give a more restrained sherry influence than a first fill cask would, but enough to draw out dried fruit, nuts and a lightly spiced warmth. The Ben Nevis spirit is rustic and powerful and built for this kind of maturation, where the weight of the malt meets the sweetness of the cask without either taking charge.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit, hazelnut and an earthy malt note. Behind it sit a hint of wet clay and orange.

Palate

Rustic and powerful with raisin, nut and spiced warmth. The malt takes up more room than the cask, and that is the whole point of the range.

Finish

Long and dry with nut, spice and an earthy undertone.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 2014/2023 Signatory Vintage 8 år Un-Chillfiltered Collection
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Two 2nd fill Oloroso sherry butts, casks no. 277 and 278
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 8 December 2014
Bottled: January 2023
Edition: Un-Chillfiltered Collection

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Rustic · Nutty · Spiced · Dry

Did you know?

Chill filtration spread in the 1960s because supermarkets complained about cloudy whisky on the shelves. The process removes the fatty acids that cause haze at low temperatures, but it takes a share of the texture with it.

See our full range of Ben Nevis Whisky
See our full range of Signatory Vintage Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

The Original Collection is the Cadenhead way of keeping quiet. No cask stories on the front, no series names with swords and mountains, just distillery, vintage and strength. The rest has to stand up in the glass.

The expert's description

Ben Nevis 2012/2025 Cadenhead's 13 years Original Collection is a Single Highland Malt Whisky matured in bourbon hogsheads and Oloroso hogsheads and bottled at 46 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The Original Collection is the standing range of the house, where the whisky is bottled at 46 % rather than at cask strength so it is ready to drink straight away. The series still uses neither colouring nor chill filtration, and the cask types are not hidden.

The two cask types pull in different directions. The bourbon wood gives the brightness and the sweet core, while Oloroso lays the darker, nuttier layers on top. Thirteen years is enough for the muscle of the Ben Nevis spirit to remain intact underneath the cask influence.

Tasting notes

Nose

Biscotti and clootie dumpling, the Scottish steamed pudding full of dried fruit. Apricot marmalade and a sneeze of ginger on top.

Palate

Walnut whip and golden syrup, soft and sweet, with spiced cardamom buns adding warmth and bite.

Finish

Hazelnut and cocoa slide into blackcurrant, fading out on a dark, slightly bitter note.

Specifications

Name: Ben Nevis 2012/2025 Cadenhead's 13 år Original Collection
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Cadenhead's
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon hogsheads and Oloroso hogsheads
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2025
Edition: Original Collection

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Nutty · Spiced · Fruity · Full bodied

Investment potential

Medium. Cadenhead bottlings are made in limited parcels and not repeated, and the house has a steady following among collectors. Ben Nevis is also a distillery where independent releases are in demand, since official bottlings are few.

Did you know?

Cadenhead moved from Aberdeen to Campbeltown in the 1970s, when J & A Mitchell, the owners of Springbank, bought the firm at auction. The stocks came along, and the house has bottled from the same site as the distillery ever since.

See our full range of Ben Nevis Whisky
See our full range of Cadenhead's Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Ruby port is the youngest and most fruit-driven of the ports, and a cask that has held it gives colour straight away. Here it has spent thirteen years with a Highland spirit built to take it.

Expert description

Blair Athol 2011/2025 Signatory Vintage 13 Years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a First Fill Ruby Port Hogshead, bottled at cask strength, 57.7%, without chill filtration and without added colour.

The release belongs to Signatory Vintage's Cask Strength Collection and comes from a single cask. First fill port casks are forceful and give colour, acidity and dark fruit, which can overwhelm a light spirit — but Blair Athol's heavy, malty style has the weight to stand its ground.

Full maturation in a port cask combined with a high bottling strength gives a whisky with clear vinous character and a velvet texture, where sweetness and spice pull in opposite directions.

Tasting notes

Nose

Black cherries and fruit preserve with hazelnut caramel and a hint of ginger.

Palate

Full and sweet with port-soaked sponge cake, strawberry jam, candied orange peel and dark chocolate.

Finish

Long and warm with dark berries, spice and a dry, chocolatey close.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 2011/2025 Signatory Vintage 13 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57.7%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 57,7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First Fill Ruby Port Hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2025
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour profile

Port matured · Fruity · Spiced · Chocolate · Powerful

Investment potential

Medium. A single cask from Signatory's Cask Strength Collection with full maturation in a first fill port cask, a wood type used sparingly and never yielding the same result twice.

Did you know?

Port casks for whisky are rarer than you might think. Port is traditionally aged in very large vessels used over and over, and the smaller casks the whisky industry can use are often made for the purpose.

See our full range of Blair Athol
See our full range of Signatory Vintage

Listen to our podcast:

No distillery is named on the label, and that is not an oversight. Douglas Laing has gathered the Highlands into one bottle and let the region speak instead of the name.

Expert description

Clan Denny Highland Edition Small Batch Release is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

Clan Denny is Douglas Laing's range of regional small batch releases, where a handful of casks from the same region are married into a single expression. The distillery is not disclosed, and that is the whole idea — you are buying a regional character rather than a name. Douglas Laing has worked as an independent bottling house in Glasgow since 1948, and the family still picks the casks themselves in the sample room.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey and ripe fruit first. Apple, pear and a touch of peach, over a warm cereal base and pale vanilla from the wood.

Palate

Round and malty. Dried fruit, caramelised oak and a layer of spice with cinnamon and nutmeg under the sweetness. The texture is soft and lightly oily.

Finish

Long and fruity, with cereal, toasted nuts and dark honey fading into a lightly dry close.

Specifications

Name: Clan Denny Highland Edition Small Batch Release Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Small Batch Release Highland Edition
EAN no.: 5014218831177

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Malty · Lightly Spiced

Did you know?

The Clan Denny name comes from Douglas Laing's old Denny range, originally reserved for single grain whisky from closed distilleries. Today the name also covers regional malts, but the principle is unchanged: the casks speak, not the label.

See our full range of Clan Denny Whisky
See our full range of Douglas Laing Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Andrew Symington has spent almost four decades picking casks for other people. Symingtons Choice is the range where he picks for himself — and he started with a sherry butt from 1995.

Expert description

Clynelish 1995/2024 Symingtons Choice 28 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an oloroso sherry butt and bottled at cask strength of 53.5%.

The cask is numbered 11250, was filled on 21 November 1995 and emptied on 29 April 2024. It gave 447 bottles. The Symingtons Choice range is named after Signatory founder Andrew Symington, who entered the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame in 2021. Leaving Clynelish for 28 years in oloroso is a bold call — the distillery's waxy core can easily be buried in sherry, but here the two hold each other in check.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep and dark. Raisin, fig and toffee first, then orange peel, walnut and a damp tobacco note from the old wood.

Palate

Full and oily. Dried fruit, dark chocolate, candied ginger and a layer of cocoa. Beneath the sherry, Clynelish still pulls with its waxy texture and a trace of salt.

Finish

Very long and warm, with fig, nuts, dark cocoa and a dry spiced close that keeps going.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 1995/2024 Symingtons Choice 28 years Signatory Single Highland Malt Whisky 53.5%
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 28 years
ABV: 53.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso sherry butt no. 11250
Distilled: 21/11/1995
Bottled: 29/04/2024
Number of bottles: 447
Edition: Symingtons Choice

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dried Fruit · Full-bodied · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. Twenty-eight years in one cask, 447 bottles and a range carrying the founder's own name. Old sherried Clynelish is scarce, and demand for the distillery has climbed steadily since Brora reopened.

Did you know?

Signatory bought Edradour in 2002 — then Scotland's smallest distillery, where three men could run the whole production. Andrew Symington went from bottler to distiller without giving up either role.

See our full range of Clynelish Whisky
See our full range of Signatory Vintage Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

González Byass in Jerez has casks that have held Matusalem oloroso for thirty years. Dalmore gets to borrow them — and that arrangement is what the entire house style rests on.

Expert description

Dalmore 2023 Edition 18 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American white oak and 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 43%.

The distillery sits at Alness on the shore of the Cromarty Firth and has since 1839 worked in a heavy, sherried style. The partnership with the sherry house González Byass gives Dalmore access to oloroso casks that held wine for three decades, and it is those that give the 18 year old its depth. This release is the 2023 version of the standing 18 year old, which is adjusted from year to year.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep and inviting. Orange peel, raisin and dark chocolate, with cinnamon, roasted nuts and a warm note of old oak.

Palate

Full and silky. Dried fruit, caramel and marzipan, with spice from the sherry cask and a malted core underneath. The 43% carries the sweetness without making it sticky.

Finish

Long and warm, with raisin, cocoa and a dry spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Dalmore 2023 Edition 18 years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: The Dalmore
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American white oak and 30 year old Matusalem oloroso sherry casks
Edition: 2023 Edition
EAN no.: 5013967019324

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dried Fruit · Chocolate · Orange · Full-bodied

Investment potential

Medium. Eighteen year age statements keep getting rarer in the trade, and Dalmore's annual versions of the 18 year old are not reprinted once the year has passed.

Did you know?

Matusalem is González Byass' oldest oloroso, a VORS sherry with at least thirty years in cask. The casks serve sherry for decades and only then whisky — one reason Dalmore can hold such a dark and concentrated style.

See our full range of Dalmore Whisky

Castle Leod still stands at Strathpeffer and is still the Mackenzie clan home. Dalmore has carried the clan stag on its label for nearly two centuries — here the castle gets a bottle of its own.

Expert description

Dalmore Castle Leod 1995 Vintage is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American white oak and Spanish sherry oak with a final finish in 1er Cru Classé Bordeaux casks and bottled at 46%.

The whisky was distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2011 in an outturn of 5,000 bottles. It belongs to the Lands of Clan Mackenzie series, where each release is tied to a place in the clan's history. Castle Leod at Strathpeffer is the clan seat and lies a few kilometres from the distillery. The Bordeaux finish is unusual for Dalmore and lays a dry fruit acidity over the usual house sherry sweetness.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich and inviting. Dark fruits, orange peel, honey and caramel, accompanied by warm spices, chocolate and a touch of roasted nuts.

Palate

Full and silky. Raisins, prunes and ripe fruit melt together with vanilla, spices and dark cocoa, while the oak contributes structure and depth.

Finish

Long, warm and elegant with lasting notes of fruit, spice and light oak.

Specifications

Name: Dalmore Castle Leod 1995 Vintage Lands of Clan Mackenzie Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: The Dalmore
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American white oak and Spanish sherry oak with a 1er Cru Classé Bordeaux finish
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: 2011
Number of bottles: 5,000
Edition: Lands of Clan Mackenzie Castle Leod
EAN no.: 5013967007116

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark Fruit · Chocolate · Spiced · Elegant

Investment potential

High. A 1995 vintage in 5,000 bottles from a closed series. Lands of Clan Mackenzie is collected as a whole, and the individual releases will not return.

Did you know?

Castle Leod has been in Mackenzie hands since the fifteenth century and is still lived in. The castle sits at Strathpeffer, a short drive from Dalmore — and that geographical closeness is what the whole series is built on.

See our full range of Dalmore Whisky

Cromartie is the name of the earldom the Mackenzie clan received from the crown. Third bottle in the series, third place on the map — and the whisky gets darker with each release.

Expert description

Dalmore Cromartie 1996 Vintage is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American white oak with a final maturation in oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 45%.

The whisky was distilled in 1996 and is the third release in the Clan Mackenzie Series, where the clan's twelve-point stag appears on every bottle. The combination of American oak first and oloroso at the end is the classic house recipe, and the 45% gives more weight than most of Dalmore's standing releases. The series is limited and ties each bottling to a place or title in the clan's history.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich and inviting. Dried fruits, orange peel, dark chocolate and caramel, accompanied by warm spices and a touch of roasted nuts.

Palate

Full and round. Raisin, prune and ripe fruit bind together with vanilla, cocoa and spice, while the distinctive Dalmore sweetness holds it all together.

Finish

Long and warm, with dried fruit, spice and a dry oak note.

Specifications

Name: Dalmore Cromartie 1996 Vintage Lands of Clan Mackenzie Single Highland Malt Whisky 45%
Distillery: The Dalmore
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 45 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American white oak with a final maturation in oloroso sherry casks
Distilled: 1996
Edition: Lands of Clan Mackenzie Cromartie
EAN no.: 5013967007758

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dried Fruit · Chocolate · Spiced · Full-bodied

Investment potential

High. A 1996 vintage in a closed series where each release is tied to a specific place in the clan's history. Collectors go after the whole run.

Did you know?

The title Earl of Cromartie was granted to the Mackenzie family in 1861 and still exists. The Lands of Clan Mackenzie series follows those traces through the landscape north of Inverness — and the distillery sits in the middle of it.

See our full range of Dalmore Whisky

Six cask types in one bottle. Not because it reads well on a label, but because Dalmore wanted to see how many layers you can put into a whisky before it falls apart.

Expert description

Dalmore King Alexander III is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in six different cask types and bottled at 40%.

The whisky brings together components from bourbon casks, oloroso sherry casks, Madeira casks, Marsala casks, port pipes and Cabernet Sauvignon casks. When it appeared it was the first single malt built on that many different cask types. The name refers to King Alexander III, who according to legend was saved from a charging stag by an ancestor of Clan Mackenzie — and in gratitude granted the clan the right to carry the animal on its arms. It is the same stag that appears on every Dalmore bottle today.

Tasting notes

Nose

Layered and sweet. Red fruit, orange and vanilla first, then raisin, marzipan and a warm spiced note from the port and Madeira.

Palate

Soft and round. Passion fruit, citrus and caramel meet dried fruit, chocolate and spice, while the many cask types settle in layers rather than colliding.

Finish

Long and soft, with fruit, spice and a lightly dry oak note.

Specifications

Name: Dalmore King Alexander III Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: The Dalmore
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon, oloroso sherry, Madeira, Marsala, port and Cabernet Sauvignon casks
Edition: King Alexander III
EAN no.: 5013967005044

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sherried · Spiced · Soft · Complex

Investment potential

Medium. The bottle is a fixture in the Dalmore range, but nobody else has repeated the six-cask concept — and demand for the house's upper tier has climbed steadily.

Did you know?

Marrying six cask types sounds simple but requires each component to mature separately and only be brought together at the end. The distilling team at Dalmore therefore has to hit the balance in six directions at once — and do it again on the next batch.

See our full range of Dalmore Whisky

Third batch of the 18 year old, bottled before Deanston changed the packaging. Same whisky, different wardrobe — and that is exactly the kind of detail collectors watch.

Expert description

Deanston 18 years Batch 3 Old Version is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American bourbon casks and bottled at 46.3% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The long maturation in American oak gives the whisky natural colour, rich texture and a balanced sweetness. Deanston uses Scottish barley, long fermentation and classic pot stills, and the house has occupied a converted cotton mill by the River Teith since 1966. Batch 3 is a limited release from before the current bottle design, which makes it easy to tell apart from today's 18 year old.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey from wildflowers, creamy vanilla and floral notes, followed by citrus and mild spice.

Palate

Sweetness and warmth in interplay. Barley sugar, lemon confection, ginger cake and deep Manuka honey, with a rich, waxy texture.

Finish

Long and dry with clear ginger, light oak and a soft honeyed warmth.

Specifications

Name: Deanston 18 years Batch 3 Old Version Single Highland Malt Whisky 46,3%
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Old Version Limited Release Batch 3

Flavour profile

Honeyed · Waxy · Citrus · Ginger · Soft

Investment potential

Medium. A limited release in a bottle design no longer in use. Batch numbers make the series collectable, and the early numbers get hard to find first.

Did you know?

Batch numbers are the whisky world's answer to edition numbers. Even when the recipe is the same, the casks vary from batch to batch — so batch 3 does not necessarily taste like batch 6, however alike the labels look.

See our full range of Deanston Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Rich local barley, canny local knowledge, soft water from the River Teith and first fill bourbon casks. And then time. A great deal of time.

Expert description

Deanston 18 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in first fill bourbon casks and bottled at 46.3% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

First fill casks are the ones taking Scotch for the first time after bourbon. The wood is still active and gives vanilla, coconut and a clear sweetness — over eighteen years that becomes a deep, honeyed character without the oak taking over. It is the house signature, sweet honeyed fruit with a long swell, pushed as far as it goes. Deanston has distilled in a converted cotton mill at Doune since 1966.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep honey and ripe fruit. Baked apple, vanilla and coconut, with a light floral note and malted cereal underneath.

Palate

Full and creamy. Honey, vanilla fudge and ripe fruit, with spice from the oak and a waxy mouthfeel that the absence of filtration preserves.

Finish

Long and warm, with honey, malt and a soft oak spice fading slowly.

Specifications

Name: Deanston 18 years Single Highland Malt Whisky 46,3%
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5029704218073

Flavour profile

Honeyed · Waxy · Fruity · Creamy · Spiced

Investment potential

Medium. Eighteen year age statements keep getting rarer, and Deanston's 18 year old is the oldest standing release in the house range.

Did you know?

A bourbon cask may only be used once in the United States. That is why thousands of used casks sail to Scotland every year to begin a second — and often third and fourth — life. Without that American rule, Scotch whisky would look completely different.

See our full range of Deanston Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Six bourbon casks, brought together into one batch — that's the recipe behind this 13-year-old, which shows Edradour in one of its most classic and direct forms.

The expert's description

Edradour 2007/2021 Bourbon Cask 13 years old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks and bottled at 59.1%.

The whisky was distilled on 16 November 2007 and matured for 13 years across six selected bourbon casks, numbers 382, 383, 384, 386, 387 and 388, before being bottled in May 2021. The relatively high cask strength preserves the bourbon cask's vanilla sweetness in an intense, concentrated form, while Edradour's light, floral core character comes through clearly. 1,290 bottles were released.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and honey, with a hint of green apple and pale oak.

Palate

Spicy and full-bodied with caramel, citrus peel and a fine peppery warmth.

Finish

Medium to long with lingering vanilla and a dry, spicy finish.

Specifications

Name: Edradour 2007/2021 Bourbon Cask 13 years old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 59.1%
Distillery: Edradour
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 59,1 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks (cask no. 382, 383, 384, 386, 387, 388)
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 16/11/2007
Bottled: 19/05/2021
Number of bottles: Only 1,290 bottles
EAN no.: 5021944113279

Flavour profile

Spicy · Fresh

Did you know?

Edradour is one of the last Scottish distilleries to still run its entire production through a single, very small pair of copper stills — a scale that's almost closer to home distilling than most other Highland distilleries.

See our full range of Edradour

Listen to our podcast:

Ten years in bourbon casks at an unusually high natural strength — this release is a good example of just how intense a relatively young Edradour can become.

The expert's description

Edradour 2012/2022 Bourbon Cask 10 years old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks and bottled at 59.6%.

The whisky was distilled on 8 February 2012 and matured for 10 years across eight selected bourbon casks before being bottled in February 2022. The relatively young age combined with a high natural cask strength gives the whisky a fresh, intense character, where the bourbon cask's vanilla and sweetness come through clearly. 1,783 bottles were released.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh vanilla and green apple, with a hint of honey and pale oak.

Palate

Intense and spicy with citrus peel, caramel and a fine peppery warmth from the high strength.

Finish

Medium length with lingering vanilla and a dry, spicy finish.

Specifications

Name: Edradour 2012/2022 Bourbon Cask 10 years old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 59.6%
Distillery: Edradour
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 59,6 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: bourbon casks (cask no. 47, 50, 53, 54, 55, 57, 61, 63)
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 08/02/2012
Bottled: 28/02/2022
Number of bottles: Only 1,783 bottles
EAN no.: 5021944117086

Flavour profile

Spicy · Fresh

Did you know?

Edradour's whisky has traditionally had a heavier, more oily texture than many other Highland malts — a result of the slow, old-fashioned distillation methods the distillery still uses.

See our full range of Edradour

Listen to our podcast:

Ballechin's most approachable expression is also one of its most characterful — a solid peated Highland whisky without unnecessary fuss.

The expert's description

Edradour Ballechin 10 years old Peated Cask is a Single Highland Malt Whisky bottled at 46%.

This 10-year-old release is one of the more approachable bottlings in the Ballechin series and serves as a solid introduction to the distillery's peated style. At a moderate strength of 46%, the whisky shows Ballechin's earthy, powerful smoke in an accessible and well-balanced form, without compromising on character.

Tasting notes

Nose

Earthy smoke and fresh malt, with a hint of citrus and a touch of tar.

Palate

Full-bodied smoke meets a soft sweetness of honey and caramel, with a lightly salty undercurrent.

Finish

Medium length with lingering smoke and a dry, spicy finish.

Specifications

Name: Edradour Ballechin 10 years old Peated Cask Single Highland Malt 46%
Distillery: Edradour Ballechin
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN no.: 5021944087846

Flavour profile

Peated · Fresh

Did you know?

Ballechin takes its name from a small distillery near Edradour that closed in the 1920s — Edradour revived the name in 2003 for its own peated series as a tribute to local whisky history.

See our full range of Edradour Ballechin

Listen to our podcast: