Where the River Teith runs past Doune, a cotton mill once kept 1,500 people busy. The same water now powers a distillery, and the casks come from Kentucky. The label promises a chew of butter toffee and a slug of American cream soda. It delivers.

Expert description

Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured is a Highland Single Malt Whisky matured in 1st fill and 2nd fill bourbon casks from Kentucky and bottled at 40%.

This is the distillery's own bottling, with no age statement. The casks were hand-picked by master blender Julieann Fernandez, and the aim is an easygoing, sweet malt that works neat, over ice or in a drink.

The casks once held Kentucky bourbon. A first refill gives the most vanilla and caramel, while second fill casks are gentler. Together they add sweetness and soft spice without letting the oak take over.

The whisky is soft-filtered. The label itself warns that it may turn slightly cloudy over ice, and explains that the lighter filtration leaves in flavour a harsher process would strip out.

Deanston sits in the southern Highlands on the River Teith. The building is a cotton mill from 1785, turned into a distillery in the 1960s, and the distillery draws its own power from the river. The barley is malted without peat, so don't go looking for smoke.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honeyed barley and almonds, a little soft fruit and a hint of crème brûlée.

Palate

Butter toffee first, then something close to American cream soda. Sweet oak and a light touch of cinnamon underneath.

Finish

Toasted oak spice, ending on sweet barley.

Specifications

Name: Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill and 2nd fill bourbon casks from Kentucky
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5029704220137

Flavour profile

Honeyed · Caramel · Vanilla · Lightly spiced · Unpeated

Did you know?

The label carries signatures from the people who work at the distillery. Each one sits beside a job title, such as manager, mashman, stillman and chargehand, and every name was signed by hand.

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In Alexandria, right at the southern end of Loch Lomond, the copper stills come in two shapes. Some have the classic swan neck, others rise straight up without the bend you expect. Both end up in the same bottle, and after 18 years in American oak the result is baked apple and a soft drift of wood smoke.

Expert description

Loch Lomond 18 years is a Highland Single Malt Whisky matured in three types of American oak casks and bottled at 46%.

Master blender Michael Henry puts it together. The style rests on blending whisky from straight neck pot stills with whisky from more traditional swan neck stills, aiming for fruit, honey and soft smoke, a character Loch Lomond says you will only find in its own single malt.

All 18 years were spent in American oak of three kinds: bourbon, refill and re-charred. American oak usually brings sweetness and soft vanilla, and you can taste it: toffee and baked apple lead the way.

The bottle has collected medals along the way: gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021 and at the International Spirits Challenge and The Scotch Whisky Masters in 2020, and The Whisky Exchange named it Whisky of the Year 2024.

Tasting notes

Nose

Green apple and grapefruit first, then honeysuckle and ripe oak.

Palate

Toasted oak and cigar box. Green fruit follows, apple and gooseberry, over a base of toffee.

Finish

Long and dry. Dried tea and tobacco leaf, a light medicinal peat smoke, and mild wood smoke at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Loch Lomond 18 years
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak in three types: bourbon, refill and re-charred
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distillation method: Pot stills with straight necks and traditional swan neck stills
EAN no.: 5016840239215

Flavour profile

Fruity · Lightly smoky · Honeyed · Oaky · Tobacco

Did you know?

Loch Lomond has a malt distillery, a grain distillery and a cooperage on the same site, so the casks come from the distillery's own workshop. Few Scottish distilleries can say the same.

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The North Sea rolls in over Brora, on the Sutherland coast, and a distillery that has never tried to taste like anything but itself. Wax, honey, a little fruit. This cask was left alone for twelve years and bottled before anyone had the chance to tinker with it.

Expert's Description

Clynelish 12 Year Rare Cask is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a hogshead and bottled at 54.5%.

It was distilled at Clynelish on 9 September 2013 and bottled by Lady of the Glen on 11 March 2026, which makes it twelve years in one and the same cask, no. 231584. This is a Single Cask release with just 295 bottles filled. It is a Limited Edition, and the label carries the signature of Gregor Hannah, the man behind Lady of the Glen.

Clynelish was built in 1967 at Brora and has been known ever since for one of the waxiest styles in Scotland. That thick, almost candle-like richness is what people go looking for. A hogshead is a quiet partner for it. It adds warmth, banana and vanilla but leaves the spirit in front. The whisky is non-chill filtered and has no added colouring, so what you taste is the cask and the distillate, not a filter.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Heather honey and orange blossom come first, then the soft, slightly oily wax that is Clynelish's signature. Fruit sits just underneath, with a thread of smoke far in the back.

Palate

Dried banana and vanilla from the cask, fruity sweetness and wax that settles on the tongue. At 54.5% it has some bite.

Finish

Long and waxy. The honey lingers, with a faint echo of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 12 year 2013 Rare Cask Highland
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 54.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 9 September 2013
Bottled: 11 March 2026
Number of bottles: 295
Edition: Rare Cask Limited Edition

Flavour Profile

Waxy · Fruity · Honeyed · Floral · Banana

Did you know?

Clynelish stands right next to the old Brora distillery. When the new plant opened in the late 1960s, the old one was renamed Brora and closed in 1983. It only reopened in 2021, so the two still sit as neighbours on the same stretch of coast.

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Somewhere in a warehouse in Ballindalloch, cask 664 spent more than fifteen years doing nothing at all. The sherry had been emptied out long before the spirit went in, but the wood still remembered it. When the cask was finally drained in November 2024, there was enough for 237 bottles, and every one of them went to Denmark.

The Expert's Description

Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664 is a Speyside Single Malt Whisky matured in a 1st fill sherry cask and bottled at a natural cask strength of 59.9%.

Nothing else went into it. No other casks were vatted in, and nobody adjusted it to match a house style. The cask was filled in 2008 and bottled on 7 November 2024 as a Special Release made specifically for the Danish market. It gave 237 bottles. Once they are gone, that is the end of it.

A 1st fill cask is one that held sherry and is being used for Scotch whisky for the first time. That makes it the most active cask there is, and after more than 15 years it has pushed a lot of colour, sweetness and dried fruit into the spirit. You see it in the glass before you taste it. The distillery does not say which style of sherry the cask held.

The bottle comes from J. & G. Grant. The Grant family bought Glenfarclas in 1865 and still owns it, which is getting rare in Scotland. Water comes from springs on Ben Rinnes, and the spirit is double distilled in copper stills heated by gas flames right under the base. That gives a heavy, oily new make that can handle a long stay in an active sherry cask without being buried by the wood. It is non-chill filtered, so whatever the cask gave it is still in the bottle.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and figs up front, with caramel and candied orange peel close behind. Give it a few minutes and roasted nuts start to come through, along with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Palate

Big and full, as you would expect at close to 60%. Prunes and dark chocolate, a shot of espresso, burnt sugar, with spiced oak running underneath.

Finish

Long and warming. Cocoa and dried fruit hang on with the spice, and right at the end a fresh streak of orange peel lifts the whole thing.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 59.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill sherry cask, cask no. 664
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled in direct-fired copper stills
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: 7 November 2024
Number of bottles: 237
Edition: Special Release, Specially Bottled for Denmark

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Cask strength · Dried fruit · Dark chocolate · Spicy

Investment Potential

Medium to high. One cask, 237 bottles and a release for a single country. Glenfarclas single casks have a loyal following among collectors, and a bottling that will never be repeated rarely gets easier to find as the years go by.

Did You Know?

In 2007 Glenfarclas launched The Family Casks, a run of 43 single cask bottlings with one cask from every single year between 1952 and 1994. The range has since grown with younger vintages, while the 1952 and 1953 stock ran out long ago. Cask 664 is not part of that series, but it comes from the same habit of letting one cask speak for itself.

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Royal Brackla has been distilling near Nairn, on the edge of the Highlands, since 1812. One old sherry cask started to seep, and that is how a small bottling made only for Denmark came about.

Expert's description

Royal Brackla 2014 Little Brown Dog 12 year is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill sherry butt and bottled at 53.7%.

The spirit was distilled at Royal Brackla in 2014 and spent 12 years in a refill sherry butt, meaning a sherry cask that has been used before. In the end the butt began to leak. In March 2026 the whisky was moved into two casks, and LG Whisky bought one of them. LG Whisky was also there when Little Brown Dog bottled it on 27 July 2026. The result is 276 bottles, all of them for Denmark.

The cask was picked as a fruity spice bomb with an old-school sherry influence, balanced tannins and a very good integration between whisky and sherry.

Royal Brackla was the first distillery allowed to carry "Royal" in its name, and most of what it makes disappears into blends. That is why it is rare to meet it as a single malt from one cask.

Tasting notes

Nose

The colour is close to maple syrup. The nose opens with something like a pencil case, then moves on to sweet aged balsamic and cherry lips.

Palate

Jamaican ginger cake, Medjool dates and pipe tobacco. Sweet and spicy at the same time.

Finish

Cardamom cookies and glazed ginger.

Specifications

Name: Royal Brackla 2014 Little Brown Dog 12 year Refill Sherry Butt Single Highland Malt Whisky 53.7%
Distillery: Royal Brackla
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 year
ABV: 53.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Sherry Butt
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 27 July 2026
Number of bottles: 276
Edition: Exclusive to Denmark, selected by LG Whisky

Flavour profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spicy · Lightly sweet

Did you know?

Little Brown Dog began as a label on sample bottles. Andrew Smith shared his first bottling samples with friends under that name, borrowed from his own dog, who came along to tastings and distillery visits.

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On the shore of the Dornoch Firth in the far north of Scotland, Balblair has been distilling whisky since 1790, one of the oldest working distilleries in the Highlands. Little Brown Dog took two casks of that spirit on a road trip to Normandy and back, and what came home smells as much of orchard fruit as it does of Highland malt.

Expert description

Balblair 2014 Calvados Cask Finish is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, finished in a Calvados cask and bottled at 56.1%.

It is Little Brown Dog's first release finished in a Calvados cask, and the story behind it is classic for the bottler: two 250-litre casks of Balblair were squeezed into one small Calvados cask, with room to spare that nobody expected. The angel's share was brutal, and the outturn suffered for it, but the liquid itself came good. Balblair's long fermentation gives a fruity, clear-wort spirit, and after first maturing in ex-White Port casks, this one spent a little over 18 months finishing in the Calvados cask before being bottled in May 2026. The finish lays a bright green apple character and a faint champagne-like lift over the fuller Balblair base, without ever taking it over. Only 290 bottles exist in total.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh lemon, ice cream wafer and green apple, lifted by a gentle sweetness from the cask.

Palate

Gooseberry and apple butter arrive first, followed by a spiced, stewed plum note.

Finish

Apple skins and a dry, champagne-like sparkle linger, closing on a small hit of green chilli.

Specifications

Name: Balblair 2014 Calvados Cask Finish
Distillery: Balblair
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 56.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-White Port casks, finished in a Calvados cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 5 April 2014
Bottled: 6 May 2026
Number of bottles: 290
Edition: Little Brown Dog's first Calvados cask finish

Flavour profile

Fruity · Apple Notes · Fresh · Lightly Spiced · Elegant

Investment potential

Medium. Only 290 bottles exist worldwide, and it marks Little Brown Dog's first release finished in a Calvados cask — a combination that has historically made the bottler's small batch releases sought after by collectors.

Did you know?

The Calvados cask was brought home from Normandy by Little Brown Dog themselves, and the label is designed around a Bayeux Tapestry theme to nod to that French connection.

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Behind the gates of Little Brown Dog's distillery in Fetternear, Bennachie rises above the barley fields — the hill that watched over Aberdeenshire long before anyone thought to make whisky here. That landscape is stamped on the label, and it's the character this bottle carries through.

Expert's Description

Little Brown Dog Aberdeenshire Single Malt 12 Years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

Little Brown Dog is an independent bottler and micro distillery, founded in 2018 by vet Andrew Smith and farmer Chris Reid on a farm in Fetternear, Aberdeenshire. After eight years focused on single casks and small experimental releases, Aberdeenshire Single Malt is their first permanent core expression — a whisky designed to be bought again and again, not just tasted once.

The spirit is distilled at Glen Garioch, just ten minutes from Little Brown Dog's own bond. The Oldmeldrum distillery has been making whisky since 1797 and is known for its unpeated, malt-forward Highland style. Little Brown Dog has deliberately chosen not to put the Glen Garioch name on the label — they call themselves whisky makers in their own right, not just bottlers, though they're open about it if you ask.

Batch One is a vatting of 60% first-fill bourbon barrels and 40% oloroso and PX sherry casks, a mix of refill and first-fill wood — the same recipe used for the distillery's PPP release. The result is natural colour and never chill filtered, a balanced, old-fashioned style of unpeated Highland malt. Each batch runs to around 2,000 bottles, hand-numbered, and while the core recipe stays the same, the small batch-to-batch variation is something Little Brown Dog celebrates rather than smooths away.

The label is drawn from the silhouette of Bennachie, as seen from the gates of the distillery and bond, with forest and fields in the foreground. Look closely and you'll spot Peedie — one of the team's actual little brown dogs — hidden in the barley field, alongside a farm gate and an LBD cask. A QR code on the bottle, "Scan Yer Dram," links to a page with the full cask breakdown and the story behind this particular batch.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Stewed peaches meet apricot Danish pastry and preserved brambles — sweet and lightly baked, like a barley field on an autumn morning.

Palate

Toffee apple and a custardy texture with juicy pears, seasoned with fresh figs and a touch of sherried sweetness.

Finish

Orange marmalade and warm spiced cake fade into a last note of freshly roasted coffee, long and rounded.

Specifications

Name: Little Brown Dog Aberdeenshire Single Malt 12 Years
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 Barrels, 40% Oloroso and PX Sherry Casks (Refill and First Fill)
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Number of Bottles: Approx. 2,000 (Batch One)
Barcode: 5065015785279

Flavour Profile

Sherry-Matured · Rounded · Fruity · Toffee-Like

Did You Know?

There's no actual tomato in this bottle, but Glen Garioch has a surprisingly green-fingered history: from 1977, the distillery piped waste heat from its stills into on-site greenhouses, growing up to 200 tonnes of tomatoes a year for sale locally.

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North of Keith, wrapped in a bog they call the Foggie Moss, a distillery has been quietly building a reputation for well over a century. Aultmore rarely gets to speak for itself – most of what it makes disappears into Dewar's blends before anyone notices. Every so often, though, a single cask gets pulled aside, and this time it's Cadenhead's turn to let it shine.

The Expert's Description

Aultmore-Glenlivet 15 Year Original Collection is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Manzanilla Sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

Aultmore-Glenlivet is the distillery's old-fashioned name – back when many Speyside distilleries tacked "Glenlivet" onto their label to borrow a little of their famous neighbour's shine, and Cadenhead's still keeps the tradition alive on its bottlings. Most of what comes out of Aultmore's quiet stills goes straight into Dewar's blends, so a standalone release like this one is a rare find. The whisky was distilled in 2011 and has spent time since 2022 in fresh Manzanilla Sherry casks, where Aultmore's light, grassy spirit has taken on the dry, saline sweetness of the sherry. It's part of Cadenhead's Original Collection – the bottler's more accessible range, which still sticks to the house rules: no chill filtration and no added colouring, so nothing the cask gave the whisky has been stripped or dyed away along the way.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe nectarines and orange liqueur open things up, with a sweet macaroon note sitting just underneath.

Palate

Caramelised sugar and stroopwafel meet a warm ginger spice, while juicy peaches keep it fresh and light.

Finish

The finish is buttery with a touch of cocoa, before an unexpected smoked paprika and a cinnamon-laced syrup round it off.

Specifications

Name: Aultmore-Glenlivet 15 Year Original Collection
Distillery: Aultmore
Bottler: Cadenhead's
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Manzanilla Sherry Casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2026
Edition: Original Collection
EAN No.: 610854013127

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spiced · Sweet

Did You Know?

Aultmore has no visitor centre and barely gets a mention in Dewar's own marketing – it's one of Scotland's most tightly kept distilleries, even though its whisky was reportedly a key part of the deal when Bacardi bought John Dewar & Sons from Diageo in 1998.

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High in the Monadhliath Mountains south of Inverness, Tomatin has been quietly maturing spirit in a cool mountain climate since 1897. One single refill hogshead from that stock, filled in 2014, has now been bottled — not by Tomatin itself, but by Woodrow's of Edinburgh, a bottler that treats its own bonded warehouse like a workshop for flavour.

Expert Description

Woodrow's of Edinburgh Tomatin 11 Year Old Warehouse Reserve is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Refill Hogshead and bottled at 57.8%.

The whisky belongs to Woodrow's Warehouse Reserve range, reserved for the casks that surprise the bottlers themselves. Woodrow's of Edinburgh often buys whole casks unseen and untasted, trading many of them on to fellow independent bottlers — but when they draw their own sample and it stops them in their tracks, that cask goes into Warehouse Reserve instead. This particular hogshead, cask 300931, was filled in September 2014 and bottled in July 2026. Eleven years of maturation have given the spirit Tomatin's signature soft, fruity Highland character without letting the oak take over. Only 259 bottles came from this single cask, none of them coloured or chill filtered, so nothing the wood gave up along the way has been filtered back out.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Juicy peaches and mango meet a touch of raspberry, with golden syrup and marzipan settling underneath as a sweet, rounded base.

Palate

Silky and mouth-coating, with peach, apricot and dried mango sitting alongside creamy milk chocolate, vanilla syrup and almond butter.

Finish

Medium in length and honeyed, closing out with bergamot, oolong tea and a trace of soft sandalwood that lingers well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Woodrow's of Edinburgh Tomatin 11 Year Old Warehouse Reserve
Distillery: Tomatin
Bottler: Woodrow's of Edinburgh
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 Years
ABV: 57.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Refill Hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 03.09.2014
Bottled: 20.07.2026
Number of bottles: 259
Edition: Warehouse Reserve
EAN no.: 5060769810833

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Creamy · Spiced · Gentle

Did You Know?

Woodrow's of Edinburgh often buys entire casks without tasting them first, since they also trade casks on to other independent bottlers. Only when they draw a sample for themselves and it genuinely surprises them does the cask make it into their own Warehouse Reserve range. That's exactly how this Tomatin came to be.

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190 years is a long time to keep faith with the same recipe, but that is exactly what the Grant family have done in Ballindalloch since 1836. No outside investors, no strategy reshuffles every decade – just sherry casks, patience and a distillery that still fires its stills with direct flame. For the anniversary, they have brought five decades of that whisky together in one bottle.

The Expert's Description

Glenfarclas 190 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky married from 78 sherry casks and bottled at 51.4%. The bottle is the third and final release in the distillery's Anniversary Trilogy, following Glenfarclas 175 and Glenfarclas 185, and marks 190 years since the distillery was first licensed in 1836.

Behind the selection are Distillery Manager Callum Fraser and Managing Director Douglas Belford, who dug through the warehouses and pulled casks from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. The idea was not simply to blend old and new, but to draw something specific from each decade: the fruitier notes from the 70s, the richer sherry character from the 80s and 90s, and the soft caramel from casks laid down in the 2000s. The whisky carries no added colouring and is non-chill filtered, and the strength is no accident either – 51.4% corresponds to 90 British proof, the unit Glenfarclas printed on its labels for the first 154 years of the distillery's history.

Glenfarclas has never strayed far from the sherry cask. Since being licensed in 1836, virtually everything the distillery makes has gone into sherry casks sourced through a long-standing arrangement with a family-run bodega in Jerez, and its direct-fired stills are among the last of their kind in Scotland. The label on the 190 release draws on designs from across the decades, wrapping the bottle in a piece of the distillery's own history rather than hiding it away.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Green apples and sherry sweetness arrive first, quickly followed by spiced Christmas cake and a touch of candied fruit.

Palate

Rich and velvety on the mouth, with toffee, caramel and a solid sherry weight balanced against a light apple tartness.

Finish

Long, with dark chocolate and a dry hint of tobacco leaf that lingers well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 190
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 51.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Sherry Casks from Jerez, Spain
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Bottled: 2026
Number of Bottles: 15,000
Edition: 190th Anniversary

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Caramel-rich · Spiced · Rich

Investment Potential

Medium. The two earlier releases in the Anniversary Trilogy, 175 and 185, have both become sought-after among collectors, and with only 15,000 bottles of the 190 release going around the world, the same is likely here – helped by Glenfarclas' standing as one of Scotland's last truly family-owned distilleries.

Did You Know?

The figure 51.4% is not a random choice. It corresponds to 90 British proof – the strength Glenfarclas printed on its labels for the first 154 years the distillery existed, before the British proof system was phased out.

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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.

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A cask filled on the last day of September 1996, and then seventeen years in which nobody touched it. Signatory left it standing until it was finished with itself, and bottled it as it was.

Please note: wear and rust on the lid and the box.

The expert description

Fettercairn 1996/2014 Signatory 17 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a single hogshead and bottled at 46%.

The cask, number 4339, was filled on 30 September 1996 and bottled on 20 February 2014. Signatory Vintage of Pitlochry buys single casks from distilleries across Scotland and bottles them without chill filtration and without added colour, and it is exactly this kind of release where the character of Fettercairn is allowed to stand without being tidied up.

Seventeen years in a hogshead is a calm maturation. The cask is large enough that the oak never takes charge, and the result is the clean, fruity house style in a more mature and restrained form than the official releases.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft notes of ripe barley, citrus oil and vanilla, with light tropical fruit and a touch of fresh oak and honey behind.

Palate

Round and full with classic Fettercairn tones of malt, pale caramel and fresh fruit, held together by a discreet spiced warmth from the cask.

Finish

Long, clean and lightly mineral with a dry elegance that reveals both the age and the quiet work of the cask.

Specifications

Name: Fettercairn 1996/2014 Signatory 17 Years Old
Distillery: Fettercairn
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead no. 4339
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 30 September 1996
Bottled: 20 February 2014

Flavour profile

Fruity · Malty · Soft · Mineral · Single Cask

Did you know?

Signatory was founded in 1988 by brothers Andrew and Brian Symington and sits next to Edradour in Pitlochry, a distillery they later bought. The firm is therefore both an independent bottler and a distiller at the same address.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Sometimes the simplest expression is also the most honest. The Original One is Woodrow's of Edinburgh's answer to what a Highland single malt tastes like when everything extra is stripped away and the grain, the oak and the time are left to speak for themselves.

Expert description

The Original One from The Jane Street Collection is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 48.5% ABV by independent bottler Woodrow's of Edinburgh.

Woodrow's of Edinburgh, founded in 2020 by brothers Mark and Chris Watt in Leith, works from a philosophy of transparency and flavour-led releases. The Jane Street Collection is built around clear sensory themes, and The Original One is the collection's most straightforward expression: an honest picture of Highland style without additional cask finishing.

The whisky is matured in bourbon casks, allowing the spirit's own fruitiness and malt character to shine rather than heavy cask influence.

Tasting notes

Nose

Green apples and pear meet a mild malt profile, lifted by soft vanilla and a touch of honey.

Palate

Soft and slightly oily, with apple, pear and a hint of peach, while the malt provides structure and a subtle spiced edge.

Finish

Medium-length and clean, with notes of malt, citrus and a light dryness from the oak.

Specifications

Name: The Original One
Series: The Jane Street Collection
Bottler: Woodrow's of Edinburgh
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NA
ABV: 48.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes

Flavour profile

Fruity · Malt · Clean

Did you know?

The name Jane Street refers to a street in Leith, Edinburgh's historic dockside district, home to many of the city's whisky merchants and bottlers throughout history.

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Virgin Oak was Deanston's first attempt at doing something unexpected with the house honey. This bottle predates the redesign — same idea, older packaging.

Expert description

Deanston Virgin Oak Old Version is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in traditional oak casks with a final maturation in new American oak casks and bottled at 46.3% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The release comes from an earlier version of Virgin Oak, which Deanston later gave a new design. The idea is unchanged: fresh, untreated casks lift the pale, fruity and naturally honeyed house style with spice and vanilla sweetness. Deanston has distilled in a converted cotton mill by the River Teith since 1966 and uses no peat at all.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean, fresh and inviting. Citrus, malt, vanilla and lightly spiced oak, with touches of honey, fresh apples and a mild nutty note.

Palate

Soft but lively. Vanilla, caramel, citrus and pale fruit, where the virgin oak casks contribute warm spice, a hint of pepper and a creamy sweetness.

Finish

Medium and lightly spiced, with vanilla, oak and a soft honey note.

Specifications

Name: Deanston Virgin Oak old version Single Highland Malt Whisky 46,3%
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks with a new American oak finish
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Virgin Oak Old Version

Flavour profile

Vanilla · Citrus · Spiced · Honeyed · Creamy

Investment potential

Medium. A discontinued bottle design from a range still in production. Older versions of a running series become interesting precisely because they can be dated by appearance.

Did you know?

Deanston sends surplus electricity from its own hydroelectric plant out to the grid. The distillery uses nowhere near everything the River Teith can deliver, and the money from the sold power goes back into production.

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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.

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There is a calm to Macduff that only truly reveals itself once you give it time in the glass.

Expert's description

Macduff 2009 The First Edition 14 år Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 58,4% is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, matured in oloroso butt and bottled at 58,4%.

The whisky is distilled at Macduff and independently selected and bottled by The First Editions as part of the The First Editions series.

It was distilled 2009.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose opens with grain, a fleeting sulphur note that clears to fruit and stewed plums.

Palate

On the tongue you find a fleeting sulphur note that clears to fruit, dried fig and walnut.

Finish

The finish is short but concentrated, with stewed plums and malt.

Specifications

Name: Macduff 2009 The First Edition 14 år Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 58,4%
Distillery: Macduff
Bottler: The First Editions
Region/Country: Highland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 58,4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso Butt
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Edition: The First Editions

Flavour profile

Sherry-matured · Rounded · Spicy

Did you know?

Macduff is known for its unusual stills, some fitted with as many as five lyne arms, a rare design in Scotch whisky production.

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Madeira is wine that has been deliberately heated. The casks carry that treatment with them, and it is a quite different sweetness from sherry — more caramelised, less raisiny. On the bright Glencadam spirit it makes for an unusual combination.

The expert's description

Glencadam Madeira Wine Cask Finish is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky with a finishing period in madeira casks, bottled at 46%.

Madeira is made by heating the wine over an extended period, which gives it a dry, nutty and lightly burnt character. The casks therefore add dried fruit, honey and spice rather than the dark syrup you get from Pedro Ximénez. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured and carries no age statement.

The Glencadam spirit is bright and fruit-driven, and precisely for that reason it takes a cask finish without disappearing. The madeira settles as a layer of rich fruit over the softer core, and the result is rounder than the core release without turning heavy.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit and honey, with spice and a lightly burnt sweetness. Behind it the bright Glencadam orchard fruit keeps things fresh.

Palate

Rich and fruity. Dried apricot, honey and nuts, with a soft, round sweetness and a spice that arrives late. The 46% gives the whisky enough body to carry the cask.

Finish

Medium and soft. Honey and dried fruit sliding out into a dry, lightly nutty close.

Specifications

Name: Glencadam Madeira Wine Cask Finish Highland Single Malt Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Glencadam
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finishing period in madeira casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Madeira Wine Cask Finish
EAN no.: 5021349706588

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Spiced · Soft · Wine-finished

Did you know?

The Glencadam pot stills have lyne arms angled upwards rather than down. That forces more of the vapour back into the still, and the extra reflux is why the spirit comes out so bright and fruit-driven.

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The same day in September 1996, the same distillery, two casks. Signatory left them for nineteen years and then married them together, nearly two decades in the coolest corner of the Highlands gathered into one bottle.

Please note: wear and rust on the lid.

The expert description

Fettercairn 1996/2015 Signatory 19 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in two married hogsheads and bottled at 46%.

The casks, numbers 4351 and 4356, were filled on 30 September 1996 and bottled on 29 October 2015. Two casks from the same filling day give a slightly broader profile than a single cask without losing the stamp of the individual vintage.

Nineteen years is enough for the light, sweet spirit of the distillery to gain depth without turning woody. The whisky is bottled in natural colour and without chill filtration, so every nuance stands untouched.

Tasting notes

Nose

Opens with ripe cereal notes, citrus and vanilla, and a light tropical sweetness followed by fresh oak and a touch of honey.

Palate

Full and rounded with classic Fettercairn tones of malt, pale caramel and green fruit, and a mild spiced warmth from the cask.

Finish

Long, clean and lightly mineral with a dry elegance that speaks of nearly two decades of quiet maturing in the Highland climate.

Specifications

Name: Fettercairn 1996/2015 Signatory 19 Years Old
Distillery: Fettercairn
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highland Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 19 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogsheads no. 4351 and 4356
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 30 September 1996
Bottled: 29 October 2015

Flavour profile

Fruity · Malty · Soft · Mineral · Mature

Did you know?

When two casks from the same filling day are married, it is no longer called single cask, but it is not a blend either. Bottlers do it because two identical casks rarely taste identical, and because two casks stretch to twice as many bottles as one.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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In the shadow of the famous names, Ian MacLeod Distillers quietly does its work — consistent, without fanfare.

Expert's description

Macleods Highland 8 år Ian MacLeod Distillers Single Highland Malt Whisky 40% is a Highland Single Malt Whisky, matured in sherry and bourbon casks and bottled at 40%.

The whisky is blended and bottled by Ian MacLeod Distillers under the name MacLeod's Regional Malts – Highland.

Tasting notes

Nose

The aroma offers fruit, grain and light oak.

Palate

On the tongue you find grain, spice and light oak.

Finish

The finish is short but concentrated, with spice and fruit.

Specifications

Name: Macleods Highland 8 år Ian MacLeod Distillers Single Highland Malt Whisky 40%
Bottler: Ian MacLeod Distillers
Region/Country: Highland
Type: Highland Single Malt Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: MacLeod's Regional Malts – Highland

Flavour profile

Fruity · Soft · Classic

Did you know?

Whisky.dk keeps a close eye on new releases from this distillery and its independent bottlings.

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Diageo has once again sent its distillers into uncharted territory. 'Into the Blue' is Glen Ord's answer to the question: what happens when mezcal meets Highland malt?

Expert's Description

Singleton of Glen Ord 17 Year Old Special Release 2025 'Into the Blue' is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Glen Ord distillery, matured in ex-mezcal casks and second-fill ex-sherry casks, bottled at natural cask strength of 55.5%.

The release is part of Diageo's annual Special Releases 2025 and showcases the distillery's experimental side, where the unusual mezcal maturation adds an exotic, lightly smoky edge to the classic Highland character.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried apricot, caramel and vanilla rise alongside a hint of agave and smoke from the mezcal cask.

Palate

Round and creamy with tropical fruit, toasted nuts and spiced honey, lifted by a delicate smoky minerality.

Finish

Long and intricate with spice, nutty undertones and toasted oak.

Specifications

Name: Special Release 2025 Into the Blue
Distillery: Glen Ord
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 55.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Ex-mezcal casks and second-fill ex-sherry casks
Natural Colour: Yes
Edition: Special Release 2025

Flavour Profile

Experimental · Smoky · Fruity · Cask strength

Investment Potential

Medium. As part of Diageo's annual Special Releases series, previous years' editions have typically seen growing collector interest after being discontinued.

Did You Know?

Mezcal casks remain rare in Scotch whisky production, making 'Into the Blue' one of the most experimental Special Releases in Diageo's history.

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Rye inside a Scottish still house. It sounds like something went wrong, but at Teaninich in Alness it was entirely deliberate. Back in 2016 they mashed rye alongside barley, ran it through the plant and put it away in ex-bourbon casks. Then eight years passed before anyone was told what was sitting there.

The Expert's Description

Teaninich 8 Years Old Special Release 2025 Rye Rebel is a Single Grain Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 60.3% cask strength. It is the only bottling in Diageo's Special Releases 2025 collection, Horizons Unbound, that is not a Single Malt Whisky, and the first whisky built around rye that Teaninich has ever let out of the door.

Because the mash carries malted rye as well as malted barley, the whisky cannot be called Single Malt. It is Single Grain: one grain beyond barley, one distillery. Ex-bourbon casks were chosen because they give vanilla and coconut without drowning the dry peppery edge of the rye. The result tastes more American in the middle than at the edges.

Teaninich was founded in 1817 by Hugh Munro and is now Diageo’s third largest malt distillery. Most of what it makes disappears into large blends such as Johnnie Walker Red Label, which is exactly why a bottling under the distillery’s own name is unusual. Rye Rebel also carries the name Daring Rye in some markets.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh rye bread crust and dried dill meet vanilla and coconut macaroon from the bourbon wood. Underneath sit honey, white pepper and a faintly resinous note you rarely find in Scottish malt whisky. At 60.3% it is forceful; a little water brings out lemon peel and cinnamon sugar.

Palate

The rye takes charge immediately: dry, peppery, almost green. Then the bourbon cask arrives with vanilla, caramel and baked corn, and the two pull in opposite directions in a way that keeps your mouth awake. The texture is oily and fills out well. The alcohol is obvious but it pushes rather than burns.

Finish

Medium length and dry. Pepper, oak and a last rye note that grips the tongue lightly. A trace of aniseed right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Teaninich 8 Years Old Special Release 2025 Rye Rebel Single Grain Scotch Whisky 60.3%
Distillery: Teaninich
Bottler: Diageo
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 60.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distilled: 2016
Edition: Special Releases 2025 Horizons Unbound

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Dry · Peppery · Vanilla · Cask Strength · Grain Forward

Did You Know?

Teaninich runs the only mash filter in operation at a Scottish malt distillery. Instead of a traditional mash tun the wort is pressed through filter plates, producing unusually clear wort, and clear wort tends to give a light, grassy, almost fruity spirit. That is also why the rye can push through so plainly here.

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The heart of the harbour town beats in this 12-year-old release, where Oban's clean, maritime style is left to stand fully on its own in American oak.

Expert Review

Oban Special Release 2025 Heart of the Harbour 12 år Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 54,7% is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks of American oak and bottled at 54.7% ABV.

Oban 12 Year Old Special Release 2025 is an exclusive single malt from the legendary Oban Distillery, bottled at natural cask strength and part of Diageo's sought-after Special Releases series. Maturation takes place solely in ex-bourbon casks, giving a clean, full style that puts the focus on the malt's fruitiness and the cask's vanilla character.

Oban Distillery is among Scotland's smallest, with just two stills, which keeps production volume low but consistent year after year. Its location in the heart of the small harbour town gives the whisky its name, Heart of the Harbour, underlining the close bond between distillery and town.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose opens with sea salt, fresh breeze and a hint of dried kelp, balanced by green apple, pear and mild vanilla from the oak.

Palate

The palate brings soft malt sweetness, baked apple, toffee and subtle wood spice, with sea breeze and light smoke in the background.

Finish

The finish is warm and medium-long with notes of oak, fruit and a hint of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Oban Special Release 2025 Heart of the Harbour 12 år Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 54,7%
Distillery: Oban
Region: West Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 54.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: ex-bourbon casks of American oak
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Edition: Special Release 2025
EAN No.: 5000281080406

Flavour Profile

Maritime · Fruity · Cask Strength · Spicy

Did You Know?

Oban is the only distillery in Scotland where the name refers to both the distillery and the entire town it sits in – both are simply called Oban.

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Some whisky exists to quench a thirst, and some whisky exists to be sat with, because it has something to say. Loch Lomond 21 Year Old belongs firmly in the second category – a mature, unhurried story from a distillery unafraid to do things its own way.

Expert's Description

Loch Lomond 21 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak and bottled at 46%.

The whisky was launched alongside the distillery's major brand relaunch and is built from three different spirit styles from the distillery, two of which are peated. All three are matured separately in American oak casks before being married for up to three months in cask ahead of bottling. The whisky is neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Apple and suet pastry give an impression of old-fashioned steamed pudding, growing thicker and sweeter over time with a hint of char.

Palate

Sweet and lightly salty with warming spice, while sherry casks shine through with a deep hit of dried fruit and chocolate.

Finish

Sharp fruit and barley notes meet the sweet chocolate tones in a long, rounded finish.

Specifications

Name: Loch Lomond 21 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, partly peated spirit
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Serving suggestion: In a tulip glass, ideally with a few drops of water to open the sweet notes

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spiced · Smooth

Investment Potential

Low to medium – as part of Loch Lomond's relaunched core range it is not an obvious investment bottle, but the 21-year age and peated components make it attractive to collectors building a vertical Loch Lomond series.

Did You Know?

Loch Lomond 21 Year Old is composed of three different spirit styles from the same distillery – a combination only Loch Lomond's unique set-up of multiple still types makes possible.

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