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

Expert's description

Inchgower 23 Year The Chess Malt Collection B1 Single Speyside Malt Whisky 57,5% is a Speyside Single Malt Whisky matured on hogshead Refill and bottled at 57,5%.

This bottling comes from The Chess Malt Collection, released as part of the The Chess Malt Collection B1 range.

The whisky was distilled in November 1998 and bottled in May 2022.

Only 206 bottles were produced from this cask, making it a limited release for collectors.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh malt, orchard fruit and a light floral note.

Palate

Honey, pear and a mellow barley character.

Finish

Crisp and drying with a gentle spice.

Specifications

Name: Inchgower 23 Year The Chess Malt Collection B1 Single Speyside Malt Whisky 57,5%
Distillery: Inchgower
Bottler: The Chess Malt Collection
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Age: 23 years
ABV: 57,5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead Refill
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: November 1998
Bottled: May 2022
Number of bottles: 206
Edition: The Chess Malt Collection B1

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium. 23 years is unusually long for Inchgower, and a run of 206 bottles from The Chess Malt Collection makes the bottle interesting to collectors of themed series.

Did you know?

The Chess Malt Collection mirrors an actual chessboard exactly: two kings, two queens, four bishops, four knights, four rooks and sixteen pawns, each in a black or white bottling.

See our full range of Inchgower

Listen to our podcast:

Thirty-two bottles, thirty-two chess pieces. Two kings, two queens, four bishops, four knights, four rooks and sixteen pawns, each one a whisky from a different distillery. This one stands on g7, and behind the piece sits a seventeen year old Ardmore at full cask strength.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 17 Years Old The Chess Malt Collection G7 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured entirely in bourbon wood and bottled at 59.7% cask strength. It was distilled in February 2002 and bottled in June 2019, and the cask gave 239 bottles.

The Chess Malt Collection is a series of 32 bottlings from different distilleries across Scotland, where each bottle corresponds to a piece on the chessboard, split evenly between black and white. The series gathers distilleries you rarely see side by side, tied together by a concept rather than by a region or a cask type.

Ardmore is one of the few Highland distilleries with peat smoke as a core style, and after seventeen years in bourbon wood the smoke has grown softer and better integrated. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tropical fruit first, mango, pineapple and a little melon, which is typical of long maturation in bourbon casks. Beneath sit toasted nuts, vanilla and a light dry smoke closer to cold ash than a fire.

Palate

Full and oily. Tropical fruit and honey open, then nuts, vanilla and a dry smoky edge. The 59.7% is pronounced, but after seventeen years there is roundness enough to carry it. Water draws the fruit further forward.

Finish

Long and dry. Smoke, toasted nuts and oak, with a final sweetness of tropical fruit that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 17 Years Old The Chess Malt Collection G7 Single Highland Malt Whisky 59.7%
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: The Chess Malt Collection
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 59.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: February 2002
Bottled: June 2019
Number of bottles: 239
Edition: The Chess Malt Collection G7

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Tropical Fruit · Nutty · Vanilla · Cask Strength · Oaky

Investment Potential

Medium. The series is built to be collected, and a concept of 32 pieces creates demand for the individual bottles long after release. With only 239 bottles from this cask, an age of seventeen years and full cask strength, there are several reasons this one will be hard to find again.

Did You Know?

The series consists of 32 different whiskies, one for each piece on a chessboard: two kings, two queens, four bishops, four knights, four rooks and sixteen pawns, split evenly between black and white. The designation G7 refers to the square on the board, and on a chessboard a pawn stands on g7 at the start of the game.

See our full range of Ardmore
See our full range of The Chess Malt Collection

Listen to our podcast:

Twenty-four hours after the other Millennium cask. This one was filled on 1 January 2000 — the first day of the new millennium — and it is hard to find a whisky with a more precise birthday.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas Millennium Single Cask 2000 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a single sherry butt, bottled at cask strength 56.1%.

The cask was filled on 1 January 2000 and emptied on 28 June 2022 after twenty-one years. Sherry butt number 24 gave 569 bottles, which is a lot for a single cask — a butt holds around 500 litres where a hogshead takes only half that. The 56.1% is natural cask strength.

The bottling forms part of The Family Casks and was selected specially for the Danish market. Together with the Millennium cask from the day before, the two make a pair where the difference between casks filled twenty-four hours apart can be tasted side by side.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful sherry with raisin, dates and dark syrup. The cask strength pushes the fruit forward, and there is a warm spice note beneath it all.

Palate

Dense and sweet. Dark fruit, walnut and chocolate, with a firm spiced middle. The 56.1% gives the whisky an intensity its gentler Millennium sibling does not have.

Finish

Very long. Dark fruit, nuts and a dry oak close with lasting warmth.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas Millennium Single Cask 2000 #24 Highland Single Malt Whisky 56.1%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 56.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry butt no. 24
Distilled: 1 January 2000
Bottled: 28 June 2022
Number of bottles: 569
Edition: The Family Casks - Millennium Cask, selected for Denmark

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark fruit · Chocolate · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. 569 bottles from one sherry butt with a distillation date that occurs only once. The cask was selected for Denmark alone, and together with the 1999 cask it forms a pair collectors seek as a set rather than separately.

Did you know?

The two Millennium casks were filled twenty-four hours apart — one on the last day of 1999, the other on the first day of 2000. They sit today at 50% and 56.1% respectively, which shows how differently two casks can develop under the same roof.

See our full range of Glenfarclas

Listen to our podcast:

Distilled on 31 December 1999. That is the last day of the millennium, and the cask was filled while the rest of the world was getting ready for fireworks. Twenty-two years later it yielded 203 bottles — for Denmark only.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas Millennium Single Cask 1999 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a single sherry cask, bottled at 50%.

The cask was filled on 31 December 1999 and emptied on 27 June 2022 after twenty-two years. Cask number 7512 gave 203 bottles, and the release forms part of The Family Casks — the Glenfarclas series of individual casks selected and bottled by the family without blending.

The Millennium casks hold a particular status, because the date is one of the few in whisky where you know exactly what was happening that day. This one was selected for the Danish market and has never been sold anywhere else.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep sherry with raisin and dried fig, over a base of aged oak. There is a waxy depth that twenty-two years in a single cask has created.

Palate

Full and concentrated. Dark fruit, walnut and a spiced middle, with a firm oak note keeping the sweetness in check. The 50% gives the whisky structure without being hard.

Finish

Long and dry. Nuts, dark fruit and oak ebbing away slowly with a spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas Millennium Single Cask 1999 #7512 Highland Single Malt Whisky 50%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 22 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry cask no. 7512
Distilled: 31 December 1999
Bottled: 27 June 2022
Number of bottles: 203
Edition: The Family Casks - Millennium Cask, selected for Denmark

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark fruit · Nutty · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. 203 bottles from one cask, distilled on the last day of 1999 and selected for the Danish market alone. The Millennium date makes the cask easier to recognise than most single casks, and the outturn is closed for good.

Did you know?

The Family Casks was launched in 2007 with a bottling from every single vintage between 1952 and 1994. It is a series no other distillery has been able to match, precisely because it requires unbroken stock across four decades.

See our full range of Glenfarclas

Listen to our podcast:

Cigar Malt is not meant to stand alone – it is built to meet smoke from a source entirely different from peat.

Expert's description

Tomintoul Cigar Malt Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43% is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Oloroso sherry casks from Andalusia and bottled at 43%.

Tomintoul Cigar Malt is matured in Oloroso sherry casks from Andalusia and is specifically designed by the distillery to accompany a good cigar.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Maple loaf cake, cinnamon and a hint of smoke.

Palate

Peppered oak, blackberry marmalade and chocolate.

Finish

Buttery oak and roasted coffee bean.

Specifications

Name: Tomintoul Cigar Malt Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Tomintoul
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso sherry casks from Andalusia
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
Edition: Cigar Malt
EAN no.: 5021349704676

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

Pairing whisky with cigars is a classic combination, where the sweetness of Oloroso sherry must be able to balance the strength of tobacco without drowning it.

See our full range of Tomintoul

A cartoon-style label hides a fully serious 26-year-old whisky. That Boutique-y Whisky Company is known for its illustrated bottles with a wink, but the contents here are one of the longest-matured Highland Park releases you'll find.

Expert Description

Highland Park 26 Years Old That Boutique-y Whisky Company is a Single Highland Malt Whisky from Batch 7, bottled at 50.2%.

That Boutique-y Whisky Company is known for its colourful, illustrated labels and a playful, straightforward approach to independent bottling. Behind the cheerful look lies a serious release: 26 years of maturation have given the whisky a depth and complexity only the longest-aged Highland Park releases can offer. Only 598 bottles exist of this Batch 7 bottling.

The 26 years on cask have softened the characteristic Orkney peat in favour of a more mature, oak-driven sweetness.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe dried fruit, honey and a gentle, fading peat, with a hint of upholstered wood.

Palate

Round and oak-driven, with caramel, walnut and a muted, mature smoke.

Finish

Long and soft, with lingering sweetness and a final, dry wood note.

Specifications

Name: Highland Park 26 Years Old That Boutique-y Whisky Company
Distillery: Highland Park
Bottler: That Boutique-y Whisky Company
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 26 Years
ABV: 50.2%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Batch 7
Number of bottles: 598
EAN: 5052598179472

Flavour Profile

Peated · Oak-driven · Mature · Soft

Did You Know?

That Boutique-y Whisky Company is known for its illustrated labels, drawn by artist Emily Chappell, giving each bottling its own graphic universe.

See our full range of Highland Park

Listen to our podcast:

A piece of bar nostalgia from an era when branded advertising items were as much a part of the bar as the bottles themselves.

About the product

The ashtray carries the Grants logo in a classic style, a genuine piece of bar memorabilia likely dating from the heyday of promotional advertising in the mid-20th century. Today it's mainly of interest as a collector's item and decor piece rather than something to use.

A natural pick for anyone collecting whisky-related merchandise, or for giving a home bar an authentic touch of bar history.

At the foot of the Cairngorms, cold mountain water runs down the outside of the copper stills at Fettercairn. It looks as odd as it sounds, and no other Scottish distillery does it.

The expert description

Fettercairn 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American white oak and ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 40%.

Alexander Ramsay founded the distillery in 1824 in the village of Fettercairn in the Mearns, where the Grampians drop away towards the coast. The distinctive feature is the cooling rings: a ring fitted around the top of each pot still lets crystal clear mountain water run down the copper from outside. The cooling creates more condensation inside, so only the lightest vapours make it all the way up, and that is the source of the clean, sweet spirit the distillery is known for.

Twelve years in American oak lays vanilla and soft spice on top of that. The result is a Highland malt with no smoke and no sharp edges, where the fruit is allowed to do the carrying.

Tasting notes

Nose

The colour of sunlight and amber honey. The aroma gives vanilla, ripe pear and soft spices, with a touch of fresh oak behind.

Palate

Soft and rounded. Nectarine and tropical fruit first, then milk chocolate and sweet cream, while fresh pineapple is balanced by oak and a note of damp leaves.

Finish

Cinnamon, candied ginger and nutmeg develop alongside creamy coffee, and menthol and crunchy apples are what remain at the end.

Specifications

Name: Fettercairn 12 Years Old
Distillery: Fettercairn
Region/Country: Highland Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American white oak and ex-bourbon casks
EAN no.: 5013967013957

Flavour profile

Fruity · Soft · Vanilla · Creamy · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

When the warehouse at Fettercairn was built, the masons are said to have sealed a full bottle of whisky into the stone wall as a charm. As far as anyone knows it is still there, since nobody has fancied pulling the wall down to check.

See our full range of Fettercairn

The 2022 golf season brought The Open back to St Andrews, and Loch Lomond celebrated it in more ways than one – including this 10-year-old expression, meant as a more everyday tribute to the anniversary than the grandest limited editions.

Expert's Description

Loch Lomond 10 Year Old 150th Open Limited Edition 2022 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak and bottled at 40%.

The whisky is part of Loch Lomond's series of Open-related releases from 2022, when the distillery marked The Open's 150th anniversary at St Andrews. This 10-year-old version is matured in American oak and offers an accessible, fruity introduction to the distillery's Open theme.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet apple and caramel with a touch of vanilla and a light, green freshness.

Palate

Honey and soft fruit meet light spice and a creamy vanilla tone.

Finish

Medium, mild finish with lingering sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Loch Lomond 10 Year Old 150th Open Limited Edition 2022 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak
Edition: The 150th Open, St Andrews 2022
EAN: 5016840158219
Serving suggestion: Neat or on ice

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Smooth

Did You Know?

2022 was the 150th anniversary year of The Open, and Loch Lomond marked it with an entire series of bottles – from this accessible 10-year-old to the far more exclusive Open Course Edition.

See our full range of Loch Lomond

Listen to our podcast:

St Andrews is the home of golf, and when The Open celebrated its 150th anniversary there, Loch Lomond marked it with a bottle created alongside golf legend Colin Montgomerie. Bordeaux casks give it a colour all its own.

Expert's Description

Loch Lomond 150th Open Special Edition 2022 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak with a Bordeaux cask finish and bottled at 46%.

The whisky was created by Master Blender Michael Henry together with golf ambassador Colin Montgomerie to celebrate The Open's 150th anniversary at St Andrews. After maturing in American oak, the whisky is given a final finish in Bordeaux red wine casks, adding an extra layer of fruit. The whisky is non-chill filtered.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Strawberry and peach meet lime citrus and a creamy fudge sweetness.

Palate

Vivid strawberry and peach continue on the palate, supported by creamy vanilla and a lingering spiced oak note.

Finish

Soft smoke and warming oak spice in a long, rounded finish.

Specifications

Name: Loch Lomond 150th Open Special Edition 2022 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in Bordeaux casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: The 150th Open, St Andrews 2022
EAN: 5016840132516
Serving suggestion: Neat or with a few drops of water

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Spiced · Smooth

Did You Know?

St Andrews is often called "the home of golf" and hosted the 150th staging of The Open in 2022 – a milestone Loch Lomond marked with this special edition.

See our full range of Loch Lomond

Listen to our podcast:

The barley is spread across a stone floor, turned by shovel over several days and dried above the kiln. That is the slow way to malt, and it survives at only a handful of Scottish distilleries. Here the entire bottle is made from it.

The expert's description

BenRiach Malting Season Second Edition 2013/2022 is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 48.9 %.

Malting Season is the distillery range made purely from barley malted on the house floor maltings. BenRiach is one of very few Scottish distilleries to have kept the facility, and it is only used in limited periods each year, which sets a natural ceiling on how much whisky the range can yield.

The second edition was distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2022 after nine years in first fill bourbon wood. The fresh American oak gives vanilla and pale sugar, and because the malt was floor malted the cereal character stands out more clearly than in the other bottlings from the distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh barley, vanilla and pale sugar with a note of hay and baked bread.

Palate

Malty and creamy with honey, coconut and a touch of citrus. The cereal character takes up more room than in the other expressions from the distillery.

Finish

Long and dry with malt, vanilla and a lightly spiced close.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach Malting Season Second Edition 2013/2022
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 48,9 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Malting Season Second Edition
EAN no.: 5060716143229

Flavour profile

Malty · Vanilla · Creamy · Honeyed · Dry

Investment potential

High. The range is limited by how much barley the distillery can malt on its own floors, and each edition is made only once. Floor malted whiskies are a small category in Scotch whisky and hold a steady audience among collectors.

Did you know?

The floor maltings at BenRiach stood idle from 1999 and were brought back into use in 2013. Malting Season Second Edition is made from barley from that very restart, which makes the 2013 vintage the starting point of the range.

See our full range of BenRiach Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Another vintage, same philosophy. Islay Barley 2013 continues Bruichladdich's work of combining grain from several Islay farms into one unpeated bottle, this time with a year more behind it than the 2012 release.

Expert description

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2013 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, matured for 8 years and bottled at 50%.

Like its 2012 predecessor, this release is built on barley from eight different farms across the west and centre of Islay. The whisky is matured in a combination of American whiskey casks and French wine casks.

Distilled in 2013 and matured for eight years, it offers a slightly different balance than the 2012 release, shaped by that specific vintage's weather and harvest.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet grain and ripe apples, with a light nutty note and a hint of grape from the wine casks.

Palate

Soft and malty with honey, citrus fruit and a gentle spiciness that builds slowly.

Finish

Medium length with a touch of winey sweetness and soft toasted grain.

Specifications

Name: Islay Barley 2013
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American whiskey casks and French wine casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2013
EAN no.: 5055807415460

Flavour profile

Fruity · Grainy · Nutty · Soft

Did you know?

Because Islay Barley is released vintage by vintage, two consecutive releases like 2012 and 2013 can taste noticeably different, even though the barley comes from the same eight farms.

See our full range of Bruichladdich

Listen to our podcast:

Eight farms, one island, one whisky. Islay Barley 2012 brings together grain from across the west and centre of Islay in a single unpeated malt, letting eight years give the grain's own character room to unfold.

Expert description

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, matured for 8 years and bottled at 50%.

The barley comes from eight different farms across the west and centre of Islay, combined into a single unpeated release. The whisky is matured in a combination of American whiskey casks and French wine casks, together giving a full yet still fresh character.

Distilled in 2012 and matured for eight years, it shows how Bruichladdich lets barley from several farms meet in the same bottle without losing its local, earthy identity.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh barley and apple juice, with a sweet vanilla note from the bourbon casks and a hint of grape from the wine casks.

Palate

Round and full-bodied with honey, toasted malt and a light tart fruitiness that keeps the palate lively.

Finish

Medium length with soft grain, honey and a light winey finish.

Specifications

Name: Islay Barley 2012
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American whiskey casks and French wine casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2012
EAN no.: 5055807414562

Flavour profile

Fruity · Grainy · Soft · Wine cask finish

Did you know?

The Islay Barley series deliberately combines grain from several different farms in one bottle, unlike Bruichladdich's single-farm releases, where only one field lies behind the whisky.

See our full range of Bruichladdich

Listen to our podcast:

There is something honest about an object that was never meant as decoration. The jug was made to be grabbed with wet hands, filled in a hurry and put down hard again. It survived anyway.

Please note: This is a used vintage jug, so it may show wear from its years in service. Every example is its own.

The expert's description

Bell's Water Jug 5 is a vintage water jug in Bell's livery, made for use behind the bar.

The shape is practical before it is pretty. A wide base so it does not tip, a solid handle so it can be caught one-handed, and a spout that doses rather than pours. All of it demanded by a workplace rather than by a designer.

Bell's supplied bar ware of this kind to pubs across Britain during the years when the house was the biggest blend in the country. The jugs came with the orders and stayed on long after the bottles were emptied.

Specifications

Name: Bell's Water Jug 5
Distillery: Bell's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Water jug
Edition: Vintage

Did you know?

The water jug is one of the few objects in the bar world that has barely changed shape in a hundred years. The form solves the task, so nobody has found a reason to redo it.

See our full range of Bell's Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Whisky collectors chase bottles. Sooner or later some of them work out that the things which stood around the bottles are at least as hard to find today. Jugs, trays and ashtrays were used up and thrown out, which is why they have grown scarce.

Please note: This is a used vintage jug, so it may show wear from its years in service. Every example is its own.

The expert's description

Bell's Water Jug 3 is a vintage water jug in Bell's livery, made for use behind the bar.

Bar ware from the spirits houses has a collecting field of its own, filed under breweriana in English. The pieces were produced in large numbers but used hard and rarely put away, which is exactly why they are difficult to find in decent condition today.

This jug carries the mark of a house that has had signage in British pubs since the 1800s. It is a working object with patina rather than a display piece, and it can be put straight back into use on the table at home.

Specifications

Name: Bell's Water Jug 3
Distillery: Bell's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Water jug
Edition: Vintage

Did you know?

Most British pub jugs were made in the ceramics factories of Staffordshire, which also produced tableware for the domestic market. The factories printed brands to order, and the same shape could end up carrying ten different logos.

See our full range of Bell's Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Before plastic advertising existed, the branded water jug was the spirit house's most common gift to the bar — a small, standing ad next to the bottle.

About the product

The Grants water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Grants was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.

Back when whisky houses shipped promotional items to bars worldwide, this type of jug was one of the most common — and today, one of the most collected.

About the product

The Grants water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Grants was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.

Back when whisky houses shipped promotional items to bars worldwide, this type of jug was one of the most common — and today, one of the most collected.

About the product

The Grants water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Grants was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.

Before plastic advertising existed, the branded water jug was the spirit house's most common gift to the bar — a small, standing ad next to the bottle.

About the product

The Grants water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Grants was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.

Back when whisky houses shipped promotional items to bars worldwide, this type of jug was one of the most common — and today, one of the most collected.

About the product

The Grants water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Grants was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.

There was a time when a whisky brand didn't just sit on the shelf — it sat on the ashtray, the glass and the sign behind the bar too.

About the product

The ashtray carries the Grants logo in a classic style, a genuine piece of bar memorabilia likely dating from the heyday of promotional advertising in the mid-20th century. Today it's mainly of interest as a collector's item and decor piece rather than something to use.

A natural pick for anyone collecting whisky-related merchandise, or for giving a home bar an authentic touch of bar history.

There was a time when a whisky brand didn't just sit on the shelf — it sat on the ashtray, the glass and the sign behind the bar too.

About the product

The ashtray carries the Grants logo in a classic style, a genuine piece of bar memorabilia likely dating from the heyday of promotional advertising in the mid-20th century. Today it's mainly of interest as a collector's item and decor piece rather than something to use.

A natural pick for anyone collecting whisky-related merchandise, or for giving a home bar an authentic touch of bar history.

A piece of bar nostalgia from an era when branded advertising items were as much a part of the bar as the bottles themselves.

About the product

The ashtray carries the Grants logo in a classic style, a genuine piece of bar memorabilia likely dating from the heyday of promotional advertising in the mid-20th century. Today it's mainly of interest as a collector's item and decor piece rather than something to use.

A natural pick for anyone collecting whisky-related merchandise, or for giving a home bar an authentic touch of bar history.

A piece of bar nostalgia from an era when branded advertising items were as much a part of the bar as the bottles themselves.

About the product

The ashtray carries the Grants logo in a classic style, a genuine piece of bar memorabilia likely dating from the heyday of promotional advertising in the mid-20th century. Today it's mainly of interest as a collector's item and decor piece rather than something to use.

A natural pick for anyone collecting whisky-related merchandise, or for giving a home bar an authentic touch of bar history.

The batch number is gone. It sounds like a detail, but it is a statement: the distillery now considers the whisky consistent enough from one run to the next that you no longer need to keep track of which one you have.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan AD/ is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky composed of 65% ex-bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks and bottled at 46.8%. It is the first release without a batch number, marking the shift from numbered one-off releases to a permanent core expression.

The malt is split evenly between peated and unpeated. That is the distillery’s founding move: rather than keeping the two styles apart they bring them together, so the smoke becomes a floor rather than the main event. The split between bourbon and sherry gives vanilla, bright fruit and darker sherry fruit alike.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, the carton is 100% recycled board, and every bottle carries a QR code giving access to blockchain-registered production data.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh malt and bright fruit first, pear and apple from the bourbon casks. Then raisins and orange peel from the sherry portion, and beneath it all a dry peat smoke, clear without dominating.

Palate

Soft and well balanced. Vanilla, honey and baked fruit open, then the sherry’s darker fruit and a lightly spiced warmth arrive. The smoke gathers it up towards the close. At 46.8% the body is good without weight.

Finish

Medium length. Malt, dark fruit and a dry smoky edge that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan AD Single Highland Malt Whisky 46.8%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 65% ex-bourbon casks and 35% sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: AD/

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Fruity · Vanilla · Sherry Matured · Balanced · Malty

Did You Know?

Dropping the batch number is a vote of confidence in your own craft. As long as a distillery numbers its releases, it is implicitly saying every run tastes different. When the number disappears, the message is that the same expression can now be hit again and again, and that is harder than it sounds when the casks are never identical.

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

Listen to our podcast:

Back when whisky houses shipped promotional items to bars worldwide, this type of jug was one of the most common — and today, one of the most collected.

About the product

The Chivas Regal water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Chivas Regal was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.

Back when whisky houses shipped promotional items to bars worldwide, this type of jug was one of the most common — and today, one of the most collected.

About the product

The Chivas Regal water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Chivas Regal was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.

Back when whisky houses shipped promotional items to bars worldwide, this type of jug was one of the most common — and today, one of the most collected.

About the product

The Chivas Regal water jug is a classic branded jug, originally made as a promotional item to sit at bars and in homes where Chivas Regal was poured. It's used to add water to whisky drop by drop or in small amounts, letting the aromas open up.

Today it's as much a collector's item for whisky enthusiasts as a piece of everyday bar kit — both uses work well.