| Bottler | Little Brown Dog, independent bottler and micro distillery |
| Founded | 2018 by Chris and Andrew, Aberdeenshire in Scotland |
| The bottle | Royal Brackla 2014, Refill Sherry Butt, single malt |
| Distillery | Royal Brackla, Highland |
| Age | 12 years |
| Strength | 53.7% ABV |
| Size | 70 cl |
| Edition | Denmark only, 276 bottles |
| Taste in short | Honey, sweet citrus, spandauer pastry, liquorice |
| More from the bottler | See all Little Brown Dog whisky at Whisky.dk |
Nanai, Andrew and a language that almost fit
Andrew dropped by Whisky.dk the other day, and so did I with my own little light-brown dog called Nanai, a name inherited from the first lioness I saw on my first self-drive safari to Samburu in Kenya. Nanai means “mine” in their local dialect of the language ol-Maa. After tuning in to each other linguistically (a Dane trying to speak English, together with a Scot trying to speak English), we got on the same wavelength.
A micro distillery that is mostly about casks
Andrew starts by telling me that the distillery itself is among the smaller ones, with just a ten-litre copper pot still and one of 350 litres, for repeated distillation of their grain until all congeners are gone. They have built their own cooling systems and a copper basket for botanicals. But their core business is mostly about choosing and buying casks, and looking after them with obsessively nerdy precision until they feel it is ready for bottling. And they must be doing that really well, because in very short time they have earned a reputation in the trade that has made their products sought after far beyond the borders of Scotland. They do not limit themselves to the country’s own single malts but dig up single casks wherever it makes sense. The two also throw themselves at rum, calvados and cognac. Andrew served me one like that, which they had looked after and nurtured until they felt it was ready. It tasted absolutely heavenly! However, one may of course no longer call it cognac, for the narrow-minded French, when you hijack a cask from their holiest of areas, bring it to Scotland and pour it into your own bottles. But we couldn’t care less about that when the result is so outstanding.
| Stills | A copper pot still of 10 litres and one of 350 litres |
| Own equipment | Cooling systems and a copper basket for botanicals, built by themselves |
| Core business | Choosing, buying and tending casks until they are ready for bottling |
| Bottlings | More than 60 over the years, most of them sold out |
| Own web shop | Nine whiskies, two gins, two calvados and one High Rye Scottish Spirit |
| More from Little Brown Dog | Whisky, rum and gin at Whisky.dk. The bottler’s own site: littlebrowndogspirits.com |
More than 60 bottlings and one little treat we still have
Over the years The Little Brown Dog has enriched us with more than 60 different bottlings, all of very high quality, and therefore most of them are already sold out. In their own web shop there are therefore only nine different types of whisky, two kinds of gin, two calvados and a single High Rye Scottish Spirit. There is no reason to panic, though, because new releases are constantly in their pipeline. A small, charming thing can still be had from us, namely a single malt from the Royal Brackla Distillery from 2014, which the boys have rehoused in old sherry casks and bottled under their own label on exactly the day they felt it was ready. So it was only natural to take an extraordinary dive into it.
Royal Brackla and the cask that began to leak
Royal Brackla lies near Nairn on the edge of the Highlands and has been distilling since 1812. It was the first distillery allowed to call itself Royal, and most of its production ends up in blends. That is why you rarely come across Royal Brackla as a single malt from a single cask, and certainly not in an edition like this.
Why this particular bottle exists has a little story. The old refill sherry butt began to leak, so in March 2026 the whisky was moved to two casks, one of which LG Whisky bought. Little Brown Dog bottled it on 27 July 2026, and it came to 276 bottles, all for Denmark.
The dog behind the name
Little Brown Dog began as a label on sample bottles. Andrew Smith shared his first bottling samples with friends under that name, named after the dog who came along to tastings and distillery visits.
Listen: Deep dive into Little Brown Dog
Whisky.dk Podcast: Deep dive into Little Brown Dog, the whisky company
An episode of 13 minutes, in English, about the bottler: Chris and Andrew, the hand-picked casks, the Single Cask series and the dog the name comes from. Press play if you want to hear more before you taste Royal Brackla 2014.
Royal Brackla 2014 Refill Sherry Butt: Jan’s tasting notes
Little Brown Dog, Royal Brackla Distillery 2014, Refill Sherry Butt, ABV 53.7%
Colour and nose: The colour is wonderfully deep golden, it hangs nicely viscous in the glass and the nose is already intoxicating when it hits you with buttery richness, honey, sweet citrus and fine malt notes that complement it.
Taste: The taste is embracing like a freshly baked spandauer with jam and it gives a fine balance of spices from childhood Christmas Eves with hints of citrus peel and liquorice. Some claim that you can dampen the richness and open up a few more botanicals by adding a couple of drops of water to the dram, but I think it is beautiful as it is.
Finish: The finish is good, warm and intense and opens up a little for the tannins of the oak, which lays a pleasant damper on the richness.
Taste at a glance
| Colour | Deep golden, hangs viscous in the glass |
| Nose | Buttery richness, honey, sweet citrus and fine malt notes |
| Taste | Freshly baked spandauer with jam, Christmas spices, citrus peel and liquorice |
| Finish | Good, warm and intense, with the tannins of the oak as a soft damper |
Royal Brackla 2014 in detail
| Distillery | Royal Brackla, Highland, Scotland. Distilling since 1812 near Nairn |
| Distilled | 2014 |
| Bottled | 27 July 2026 by Little Brown Dog |
| Cask | Refill sherry butt |
| Age | 12 years |
| ABV | 53.7% |
| Bottles | 276, all for Denmark, selected by LG Whisky |
| Not chill-filtered | Yes |
| Natural colour | Yes |
| The bottle at our shop | Royal Brackla 2014 Little Brown Dog 12 yr |
How to taste it
Give it a tulip-shaped glass and a little time. At 53.7% there is enough body for the nose to open up on its own, and only afterwards can you consider a drop of water if you want to see whether the richness is dampened. Jan left it neat, and that is a fine place to start.
My verdict: the sweet spot for rum and sherry
The conclusion must be that this little thing gave me an experience on a par with some of the best rum I have tasted – only with malt instead of molasses. I must blow a little fanfare on the bagpipes.
That comparison actually says a lot about who the bottle is for. If you mostly drink rum and find it hard to get malt under your skin, this one can be the door in. If you like sherry character, spices and a full, butter-soft dram, it sits right in the middle of what you are looking for. And at 53.7% you can decide for yourself whether a drop of water goes in. Jan doesn’t think it needs one.
It was a good afternoon with Andrew, which my little light-brown dog enjoyed so much that she called for a nap on her own private Masai tartan.
Frequently asked questions about Little Brown Dog whisky
What is Little Brown Dog?
An independent bottler and micro distillery, founded in 2018 by the two Scottish friends Chris and Andrew. The base is Chris’ farm in Aberdeenshire. Most of the work is about selecting and tending casks until they are ready for bottling.
Why is it called Little Brown Dog?
The name comes from Andrew’s dog, who went by the nickname Little Brown Dog and followed him to all his distillery visits. She died in 2022, and today Andrew has two new little brown dogs, Winnie and Peedie.
What is Royal Brackla 2014 Refill Sherry Butt?
It is a 12 year old Highland single malt from Royal Brackla, distilled in 2014 and matured in a refill sherry butt, meaning a sherry cask that has been used before. It was bottled at 53.7% by Little Brown Dog.
What does Royal Brackla 2014 from Little Brown Dog taste like?
Jan Ohrt describes honey, sweet citrus and malt notes on the nose, and a taste like a freshly baked spandauer pastry with jam, Christmas spices, citrus peel and liquorice. The finish is warm and intense with a touch of oak.
How many bottles are there?
There are 276 bottles, all for Denmark.
Should I add water to Royal Brackla 2014?
Some say a couple of drops of water dampen the richness and open up more botanicals. Jan thinks it is beautiful as it is. Taste it neat first, then try water afterwards.
What is the difference between an independent bottler and a distillery?
A distillery makes the spirit itself. An independent bottler buys casks from others, lets them mature further if needed, and bottles under its own name. Little Brown Dog does both on a small scale, since they also have their own small copper stills. You can find more bottles from bottlers like them under independent whisky bottlers at Whisky.dk.
Is Royal Brackla 2014 chill-filtered?
No. It is neither chill-filtered nor coloured, so the colour is completely natural.
What does refill sherry butt mean?
A butt is a large sherry cask, typically around 500 litres. Refill means it has been used before, so the sherry influence is more subdued than in a brand new cask.
Why can’t you call it cognac?
Because the name is protected and may only be used for what is made in the French region. When Little Brown Dog takes a cask from there and bottles it in Scotland, the result may not be called cognac, even though Jan found it heavenly.
Where can I buy Little Brown Dog whisky in Denmark?
At Whisky.dk. If you want to buy Little Brown Dog whisky in Denmark, you can see the whole Little Brown Dog range and Royal Brackla 2014 right here on the site.
Read and listen on
Want more of the little brown dog? Mads Thorup has written about Little Brown Dog as the new independent bottler, and Luka Gottschalk has tasted four distinctive drams with the little brown dog. If you want to know more about the man who wrote this story, you can meet rum blogger Jan Ohrt. And then there is Whisky.dk Podcast, if you would rather have the stories in your ears.
Want to taste Little Brown Dog yourself?
If this afternoon in Sjølund made you smile, there are still bottles. Grab Royal Brackla 2014 from Little Brown Dog, or go exploring in the whole Little Brown Dog whisky range and our Royal Brackla, or see all independent whisky bottlers. There are only 276 of them, and they have to go around all of Denmark.
More from:
Jan Ohrt
