Another bourbon cask, another heavily peated Glenturret – Coopers Choice keeps finding fine examples of the distillery's rare Ruadh Maor expression.

Expert's Description

Glenturret 2010 Ruadh Maor Heavily Peated is part of the Coopers Choice series from The Vintage Malt Whisky Co., founded in 1992 by Brian Crook, who has more than 20 years of experience in the whisky trade.

This release was distilled in December 2010 and bottled in 2020, after 9 years of maturation in a bourbon cask, Cask No. #186. The whisky is bottled at cask strength, 58%, non-chill-filtered and with natural colour – only 342 bottles.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Powerful smoke and peat, with a sweet vanilla tone in the background.

Palate

Full-bodied and salty, with tar, ash and a hint of citrus.

Finish

Long, dry and smoky.

Specifications

Name: Glenturret 2010/2020 Coopers Choice Ruadh Maor 9 Year Old Cask 186 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl 58%
Distillery: Glenturret
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Vintage: Distilled: December 2010, Bottled: 2020
Age: 9 years
Cask number/type: Bourbon Cask / Cask No. #186
Bottles: 342
ABV: 58%
Size: 70 CL
Filtration: Non-chill-filtered
Colour: Natural colour

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Salty · Powerful · Peated

Investment Potential

With only 342 bottles from a single cask and a rare, heavily peated version of Glenturret, this whisky belongs to the single cask releases that often attract collectors of smoky Highland whisky.

Did You Know?

Glenturret is considered one of Scotland's oldest distilleries, but it's only under the name Ruadh Maor that they occasionally produce a heavily peated style.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Most know Wolfburn for its clean, unpeated style, but Morven is the exception that proves the rule. It is the house's careful handling of smoke for the curious drinker.

The expert's description

Wolfburn Morven Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 46% is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky and bottled at 46%.

The whisky was created by distillery manager Shane Fraser as a lightly peated release, the only one of its kind in Wolfburn's core range. It is designed as a gentle introduction to smoky whisky, without compromising the distillery's clean, craft-driven base style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and honey with a light hint of smoke.

Palate

Soft and rounded with a discreet twist of peat.

Finish

Medium length with a mild, smoky finish.

Specifications

Name: Wolfburn Morven Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Wolfburn
Region/Country: Thurso, Caithness, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: Created by Distillery Manager Shane Fraser, lightly peated
EAN no.: 0634158496370

Flavour Profile

Lightly peated · Soft · Sweet

Did you know?

Morven is named after a mountainous area in the west of Scotland, and the name fits well with the whisky's role as the distillery's only peated release, a kind of change of landscape in bottle form.

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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.

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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

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.

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In Bordeaux, a 225-litre wine cask is called a barrique, and that number gives this release its name. Tullibardine 225 is the distillery's tribute to the sweet French dessert wine cask.

The expert's description

Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Finish Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43% is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, matured in Ex-bourbon casks with a 12-month finish in 225-litre ex-Sauternes casks from Château Suduiraut and bottled at 43%.

After a long maturation in ex-bourbon casks, the whisky is transferred to 225-litre ex-Sauternes casks from the renowned Château Suduiraut, a Premier Cru Classé. A further 12 months of maturation follows, creating an elegant, golden whisky with no added caramel colouring, true to Tullibardine's philosophy.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Citrus, grain and a good measure of vanilla.

Palate

Sweet with a hint of pineapple and orange.

Finish

Long with lingering citrus and a light sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Tullibardine 225 Sauternes Finish Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Tullibardine
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks with a 12-month finish in 225-litre ex-Sauternes casks from Château Suduiraut
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5060074861308

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Elegant

Did you know?

Château Suduiraut, which supplied the casks for this whisky, is one of the most respected Sauternes wine houses, classified as Premier Cru Classé as early as 1855.

See our full range of Tullibardine

Where the Sauternes edition draws its sweetness from wine, this sister release draws its depth from sherry. A butt is the largest of the classic cask sizes, a full 500 litres, and the name is no accident.

The expert's description

Tullibardine 500 Sherry Wood Finish Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43% is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, matured in Ex-bourbon casks with a 12-month finish in 500-litre ex-sherry butts and bottled at 43%.

After a long maturation in ex-bourbon casks, the whisky is transferred to 500-litre ex-sherry butts for a further 12 months of maturation. This has created a deep, dark brown whisky with notes of malt sweets and green apples, tied together with vanilla, dates and spice.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Malt sweets, green apples and vanilla.

Palate

Dates and spice with a creamy, fruity impression of red summer fruits.

Finish

Long and lasting with lingering vanilla and chocolate tones.

Specifications

Name: Tullibardine 500 Sherry Wood Finish Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Tullibardine
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks with a 12-month finish in 500-litre ex-sherry butts
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5060074861285

Flavour Profile

Sherried · Full-bodied · Fruity

Did you know?

A sherry butt is by far the largest cask type used in the whisky industry, holding roughly twice as much as a standard hogshead, giving the spirit more time to gently meet the wood.

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Tomatin has sold whisky to the world for more than a century without ever shouting about it. This 12-year-old is proof of why it never had to.

Expert's description

Tomatin 12 år Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43% is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 43%.

Tomatin 12 Year Old is the distillery's best-selling release and serves as the perfect introduction to the house's soft, easy-drinking Highland character.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sherry and fruit sweetness, raisins, orange and distinct malt.

Palate

Toffee and spice, creamy and full.

Finish

Short with a soft malt sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Tomatin 12 år Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Tomatin
Region/Country: Highland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
EAN no.: 5018481100206

Flavour Profile

Round · Spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

Tomatin was founded in 1897 by local man John MacDougall, shortly after the Highland Railway decided to route its line past the site.

See our full range of Tomatin