2015 was the distillery’s first full year of production. The stills had been fired up the previous November and everything was still new: new equipment, new people, new casks. Cask 821 comes from that year, and it is one of the earliest pieces of evidence of what Annandale can do.

The Expert's Description

Annandale Man O' Words Cask 821 is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an Oloroso Sherry Butt and bottled at 60.7% cask strength. The cask was filled in 2015, the distillery's first full year of production after reopening.

Man O' Words is the unpeated range, named after Robert Burns, and Oloroso is the classic sherry style for whisky: matured with air contact, dark and nutty, without the flor veil that keeps Fino pale. A full butt of around 500 litres works slowly, which is why the whisky has gained depth without being smothered in wood.

The combination of Annandale’s fresh, fruit-driven spirit and an Oloroso cask gives a whisky where dark fruit and bright fruit sit alongside each other rather than one taking over. The whisky is non-chill filtered and bottled undiluted.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and orange marmalade first, with walnut and a dry sherry note behind. Underneath sits the distillery’s own fruitiness, green apple and pear, pushing through the sherry rather than disappearing into it.

Palate

Full and dark to begin. Dried fruit, caramel and bitter chocolate open, then spice and a firm oak tannin arrive. At 60.7% there is plenty of concentration, and a fresh acidity beneath the sweetness keeps the whisky in balance.

Finish

Long and spiced. Raisin, walnut and dry oak, with a final warmth that lingers. No bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Annandale Man O' Words Cask 821 Single Malt Scotch Whisky 60.7%
Distillery: Annandale
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 60.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso Sherry Butt, cask no. 821
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distilled: 2015
Edition: Man O' Words

Flavour Profile

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

Investment Potential

Medium. The cask comes from the distillery's first full year of production after a break of nearly a century, and no more 2015 whisky will ever be made at Annandale. Early vintages from reopened distilleries are the kind of bottle collectors go looking for afterwards.

Did You Know?

Cask number one was filled at Annandale on 15 November 2014, six days after the first spirit ran from the stills. It was laid down in the original 1830s warehouse, which still stands on the site. Cask 821 comes from the following year, still right at the beginning of the distillery’s new life.

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Smoke from the Lowlands is a rarity. For decades the region stood for the light and floral while peat was left to the islands. Glasgow Distillery decided to do it anyway, and laid the smoke down in Pedro Ximénez casks where it found sweetness to lean against.

The Expert's Description

1770 Glasgow Peated is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Virgin Oak and PX Sherry casks and bottled at 46%. The distillery calls it Rich & Smoky, and it is their peated core expression, made from peated malt during part of the production year.

The cask choice is what makes it. Virgin Oak gives spice, cinnamon and a drier wood edge, while the PX Sherry casks lay in a thick, almost syrupy sweetness: raisins, dates and dark sugar. The smoke sits between the two and comes out rounder for the company than it would have on neutral wood.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, and bottling at 46% was chosen to keep the body intact. The water comes from Loch Katrine and fermentation runs beyond 72 hours.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet smoke first, closer to singed raisins than a bonfire. Behind it come dates, dark sugar and a note of burnt orange. There is a layer of cinnamon and dried ginger from the new oak as well.

Palate

Full and sweet. Raisins and molasses open, then the smoke steps in as a dry earthy floor. The spices arrive last: cinnamon, clove, a touch of chilli. The texture is thick and slightly clinging, which is the PX cask signature.

Finish

Long. Smoke and dark sweetness go hand in hand, and a drier, almost coffee-like bitterness lingers at the end.

Specifications

Name: 1770 Glasgow Peated Rich & Smoky Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Glasgow Distillery
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Virgin Oak and PX Sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5060411501218

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sherry Matured · Sweet · Spiced · Full Bodied · Dried Fruit

Did You Know?

Glasgow Distillery launched Makar Gin long before the first whisky was ready. It is a common strategy at new distilleries: the gin can be sold immediately and pays the bills while the whisky sits maturing for years. Without the gin, 1770 would probably have had a harder time reaching 2018.

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Some whiskies shout their pedigree from the label. This one from Lindores Abbey prefers to let the liquid do the talking. This particular release from Lowland shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Lindores Abbey Whisky The Exclusive Sherry Cask Lowland Single Malt Whisky 52,6% is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured on sherry cask #2018/0582 and bottled at 52,6%.

The whisky was distilled in 2 August 2018 and bottled in 14 March 2022.

Only 790 bottles were produced from this cask, making it a limited release for collectors.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark chocolate, dried figs and a warm sherry depth.

Palate

Sultanas, cocoa and a rounded sherried sweetness.

Finish

Long and warming with a lingering spiced oak note.

Specifications

Name: Lindores Abbey Whisky The Exclusive Sherry Cask Lowland Single Malt Whisky 52,6%
Distillery: Lindores Abbey
Region/Country: Lowland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 52,6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry cask #2018/0582
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2 August 2018
Bottled: 14 March 2022
Number of bottles: 790
Edition: The Exclusive

Flavour Profile

Sherried · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium. With 790 bottles exclusive to Denmark from a single sherry cask, this is a release not found outside the Danish market.

Did you know?

Lindores Abbey is the place where King James IV in 1494 asked Friar John Cor to distil 'aqua vitae', an order now regarded as the first written mention of Scotch whisky.

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Not every great dram carries a famous name on the label — Lindores Abbey is proof that quiet distilleries can still produce remarkable whisky. This particular release from Lowland shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Lindores Abbey Whisky The Exclusive Bourbon Cask Lowland Single Malt Whisky 54,3% is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured on bourbon cask #2018/0382 and bottled at 54,3%.

The whisky was distilled in 24 May 2018 and bottled in 14 March 2022.

Only 220 bottles were produced from this cask, making it a limited release for collectors.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Custard, malt and a hint of citrus zest.

Palate

Creamy vanilla, oak spice and ripe orchard fruit.

Finish

Warm and rounded with a final vanilla note.

Specifications

Name: Lindores Abbey Whisky The Exclusive Bourbon Cask Lowland Single Malt Whisky 54,3%
Distillery: Lindores Abbey
Region/Country: Lowland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 54,3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask #2018/0382
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 24 May 2018
Bottled: 14 March 2022
Number of bottles: 220
Edition: The Exclusive

Flavour Profile

Smooth · Spiced

Investment Potential

High. As a single cask release bottled exclusively for Denmark with only 220 bottles, this Lindores Abbey is not available elsewhere and will not be reissued.

Did you know?

Lindores Abbey traces its roots back to 1494, when the first documented distillation of Scotch whisky took place on this very site in Fife.

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Some whiskies shout their pedigree from the label. This one from Lindores Abbey prefers to let the liquid do the talking. This particular release from Lowland shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Lindores Abbey Casks of Lindores Bourbon Casks Lowland Single Malt Whisky 49,4% is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured on bourbon casks and bottled at 49,4%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Custard, malt and a hint of citrus zest.

Palate

Creamy vanilla, oak spice and ripe orchard fruit.

Finish

Warm and rounded with a final vanilla note.

Specifications

Name: Lindores Abbey Casks of Lindores Bourbon Casks Lowland Single Malt Whisky 49,4%
Distillery: Lindores Abbey
Region/Country: Lowland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 49,4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Casks of Lindores
EAN no.: 5060638170129

Flavour Profile

Smooth · Spiced

Did you know?

It was at Lindores Abbey that the monk John Cor, on the orders of King James IV, distilled in 1494 what is the first written record of whisky in Scottish history.

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The first official bottling from whisky's reborn spiritual home.

Expert description

Lindores Abbey Whisky Commemorative First Release Lowland Single Malt Whisky marks the distillery's first official release, bottled at 46%. Lindores Abbey is regarded as the spiritual birthplace of whisky. Scotland's Exchequer Rolls of 1494 record that the monk Friar John Cor was issued eight bolls of malt by order of the King to make 'aqua vitae' — the earliest known written reference to Scotch whisky distillation, equivalent to around 400 bottles by today's standards. Lindores Abbey monastery was founded in 1191 on the banks of the River Tay, and in 2018 archaeologists found remains of a distillation vessel in the ruins. The modern distillery opened in 2017 right next to the historic abbey ruins.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers grain, honey and a hint of fresh fruit.

Palate

The palate is soft with malt, caramel and light spice.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, soft and sweet.

Specifications

Name: Lindores Abbey Whisky Commemorative First Release Lowland Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Lindores Abbey Distillery
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Commemorative First Release

Flavour profile

Malt · Soft · Sweet · Grain

Investment potential

As the distillery's first release, this bottling carries special historical significance and can hold collector interest among enthusiasts of modern Scotch whisky history.

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Harmony is the name on the bottle, and it is not far off. Twenty-eight years have made this grain whisky calm and balanced without costing it the natural sweetness it started with.

Expert description

Cameronbridge Spiritualist Harmony 1991/2020 Old Particular 28 Years is a Single Grain Scotch Whisky bottled at 52.6% without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky was distilled in October 1991 and bottled in August 2020 from a single cask that gave 297 bottles for the entire world. Old Particular is Douglas Laing's series for single casks, and The Spiritualist is a sub-range where each bottle receives its own name.

Cameronbridge in Fife is Europe's largest grain distillery and has been producing since 1824. The spirit is light and smooth, and after nearly three decades in cask it has developed the creamy depth old grain whisky is known for.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and pale caramel with ripe pear, coconut and a stroke of light grain.

Palate

Natural sweetness balanced by a spiced edge. Fudge, honey and citrus peel with a soft, oily texture.

Finish

Long and warm with vanilla, spice and a fine, dry close.

Specifications

Name: Cameronbridge Spiritualist Harmony 1991/2020 Old Particular 28 Years Single Grain Scotch Whisky 52.6%
Distillery: Cameronbridge
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 28 years
ABV: 52,6%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: October 1991
Bottled: August 2020
Number of bottles: 297
Edition: Old Particular The Spiritualist
EAN no.: 25014218816222

Flavour profile

Creamy · Sweet · Spiced · Soft · Mature

Investment potential

High. Twenty-eight years, one cask and 297 bottles for the whole world. Douglas Laing's older grain bottlings have become hard to find on the market.

Did you know?

Douglas Laing was founded in 1948 and for many years was primarily a blending house. The company was divided in 2013, when Hunter Laing was split off, and the two halves are today run by separate branches of the family.

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Most distilleries talk about smoke and leave sweetness as a feeling. Ailsa Bay measures both. Twenty-two ppm of phenol, nineteen ppm of sweetness, and they print the figures on the bottle as though it were a lab report. Nerdy? Yes. It also makes sense in the glass.

The Expert's Description

Ailsa Bay 1.2 Sweet Smoke is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured first in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks and then in American white oak, bottled at 48.9%. It is the distillery’s second release and sits at 22 ppm of phenol and 19 SPPM of sweetness, where the first release measured 21 ppm and 11 SPPM.

Micro-maturation is the heart of it. The spirit goes first into casks of between 25 and 100 litres, Hudson Baby bourbon casks from the United States, where the small volume gives an extreme amount of wood contact per litre. It is then moved into standard American oak casks for the longer maturation. No other Scottish malt distillery uses the method.

One detail is worth holding on to: the 22 ppm is measured in the distillate rather than in the malt, which is the usual practice. The figure therefore cannot be compared directly with the ppm numbers on an Islay bottle. Ailsa Bay was built in 2007 by William Grant & Sons on the site of the Girvan distillery in South Ayrshire.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet smoke first, closer to burnt sugar than a bonfire. Behind it come vanilla, fudge and a note of toasted malt. There is salt and a little tar in the background too, a reminder of the coast where the whisky is made.

Palate

The sweetness arrives before the smoke. Caramel, honey and custard open, and only then does the peat report in as a dry, almost mineral floor. The 48.9% gives good body, and the texture is thicker than you would expect from a whisky this young. That is the small casks showing themselves.

Finish

Medium length. Smoke and sweetness let go at roughly the same time, with a dry ash note and a last touch of salt.

Specifications

Name: Ailsa Bay 1.2 Sweet Smoke 22 ppm Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48.9%
Distillery: Ailsa Bay
Bottler: William Grant & Sons
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Micro-maturation in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks, then American white oak
Edition: Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke
EAN no.: 5010327655697

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sweet · Vanilla · Maritime · Caramel · Spiced

Did You Know?

SPPM stands for sweetness parts per million, and Ailsa Bay invented the term. No other whisky producer measures sweetness that way. Whether it is science or marketing is open to argument, but it is at least the first time anyone has tried to put a number on that half of the balance.

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When a new Scottish malt distillery sends its very first whisky out into the world, it usually goes to Britain or the United States. Ailsa Bay chose Denmark. It is a detail that tends to please Danish whisky people rather more than it probably should.

The Expert's Description

Ailsa Bay 21 ppm is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured first in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks and then in American white oak, bottled at 48.9%. It is the distillery's very first release, and it had its world premiere on the Danish market.

The phenol content sits at 21 ppm measured in the distillate, giving a clear but restrained smoke, roughly on a level with a Bowmore if you compare the experience rather than the figures. Sweetness was measured at 11 SPPM, the distillery’s own sweetness scale, and that is markedly lower than in the later Sweet Smoke release. This is therefore the drier and more smoke-driven of the two.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Ailsa Bay was built in 2007 by William Grant & Sons at Girvan in South Ayrshire, where eight stills can run several different spirit styles side by side.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Smoky and slightly medicinal on first impression, like a muted Islay. Then honey, liquorice and a floral sweetness take the edge off. Dry cereal and a trace of seawater sit at the back.

Palate

Spicy and smoky from the start, with honey and liquorice underneath. Floral notes come mid-palate along with a drier mineral streak that keeps the sweetness at arm’s length. The 48.9% is well integrated: there is strength, but it does not push.

Finish

Short to medium with a firm bite at the close. Smoke and sweetness leave together, and a dry ash note lingers.

Specifications

Name: Ailsa Bay 21 ppm Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48.9%
Distillery: Ailsa Bay
Bottler: William Grant & Sons
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Micro-maturation in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks, then American white oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: First Release
EAN no.: 5010327405629

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Spiced · Honeyed · Liquorice · Dry · Mineral

Investment Potential

Medium. This is the first whisky ever released from the distillery, and this expression is no longer in production. First releases from new distilleries often become sought after once the distillery finds its feet, and the Danish world premiere gives the bottle an extra twist on that market.

Did You Know?

Ailsa Bay has eight stills, and they were deliberately built in different shapes and sizes. That makes it possible to produce several different spirit styles at one distillery, something most Scottish malt distilleries cannot do. Ailsa Bay was originally built to supply William Grant blends with malt in many different characters.

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