Nine years on first fill sherry casks is not a long time — but it is enough when the wood is this active. There is a youthful energy here that older bottlings rarely have.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2007/2016 James Eadie 9 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in first fill Sherry Butts and bottled at 46 %.

The release is a small batch from two first fill sherry casks, distilled in 2007 and emptied in 2016. It produced 1,308 bottles, and the whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

James Eadie is a name with roots back to 1854, when the brewer James Eadie began blending whisky in Burton upon Trent. The brand was revived by his great-great-grandson in 2015 and today bottles single cask and small batch releases with unusual transparency about cask type and origin.

Tasting notes

Nose

Crisp and fruity with yellow apple, mango and cream toffee. The sherry shows as dried fig rather than dark sweetness.

Palate

Sweetness from the first sip, quickly followed by malt, vanilla and white pepper. Apricot and a hint of cinnamon give it breadth, and the 46 % holds it all together.

Finish

Medium long with caramel, dried fruit and a gently spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2007/2016 James Eadie 9 years old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: James Eadie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill Sherry Butts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2007
Bottled: 2016
Number of bottles: 1308
Edition: Small Batch
EAN no.: 5060485430018

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sherry matured · Soft · Spicy · Young

Did you know?

James Eadie bottles carry a small red seal with a triangle — a direct nod to the Bass brewery trademark, which Eadie used because his business also dealt in beer.

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Two bourbon barrels, twelve years and no added colour. Signatory have a habit of staying out of the way and letting the cask do the work — and here the result is a Benrinnes showing its brighter side.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2008/2021 Signatory Vintage 12 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Bourbon Barrels and bottled at 43 %.

Cask no. 800334 and 800335 were filled on 18 September 2008 and bottled on 3 August 2021. The whisky carries its natural colour, and the 43 % keeps it easy to approach without blunting the oak.

Benrinnes normally goes almost entirely into blends for Diageo, and official bottlings are rare. Independent houses such as Signatory therefore provide the access to the distillery's own voice — here in a version where the bourbon cask pulls the whisky towards vanilla and light fruit rather than heavy sherry.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla, coconut and fresh apples. A lightly grainy sweetness sits under the fruit, reminiscent of porridge oats with syrup.

Palate

Soft and round with vanilla custard, pear and a touch of nutmeg. The oak reads as a dry frame rather than as spice.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty with vanilla slowly fading away.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2008/2021 Signatory Vintage 12 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Barrels, cask no. 800334 and 800335
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 18/09/2008
Bottled: 03/08/2021

Flavour profile

Soft · Vanilla · Fruity · Lightly spiced · Bourbon matured

Did you know?

Signatory's warehouse in Pitlochry sits right next to Edradour Distillery — one of Scotland's smallest distilleries, which Signatory bought in 2002 and still runs by hand.

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Three years in a first fill Pedro Ximénez cask is not a finish, it is a rebuild. Fabio Rossi let the cask work until the whisky had ended up somewhere entirely different from where it started — dark, mature and almost wine-like in its sweetness.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2009/2023 Wilson & Morgan 14 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill hogshead, finished in a Pedro Ximénez cask and bottled at 57 %.

Cask no. 306993 was filled in 2009, first rested in a refill hogshead and then spent 36 months in a first fill Pedro Ximénez cask before being emptied in 2023. It produced 267 bottles in the Barrel Selection range.

Wilson & Morgan was founded in 1992 by Fabio Rossi in Treviso, and the Rossi family has traded in spirits in the Veneto since the 1920s. The house's signature is long secondary maturation in active casks — an Italian approach where whisky is handled with the same logic as wine.

Tasting notes

Nose

Very organic and almost farmyard at first, with overripe plums, fig and raisin on top. A clear wine streak runs across the whole thing.

Palate

Rich and dark with Pedro Ximénez up front: dates, dark syrup and pumpernickel. The meaty core of the spirit pushes back against the sweetness, and the 57 % gives the whisky a warm, spiced middle.

Finish

Very long and sweet with raisin, dark chocolate and a lightly bitter oak note at the end.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2009/2023 Wilson & Morgan 14 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 57 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead, finished for 36 months in a 1st fill Pedro Ximénez cask, cask no. 306993
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 267
Edition: Barrel Selection
EAN no.: 8057760350953

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Rich · Sweet · Cask strength · Ripe fruit

Did you know?

Pedro Ximénez grapes are dried in the sun before pressing, which is why PX casks deliver such concentrated sweetness. A first fill PX cask can turn a whisky almost black in under three years.

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Adelphi's nosing panel has Charles MacLean at the head of the table, and they say no to far more casks than they say yes to. Cask no. 305256 got through — and you can taste why in the nose alone.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2011/2022 Adelphi Selection 11 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled as a single cask at 56.2 % full cask strength.

Cask no. 305256 was filled in 2011 and emptied in 2022, yielding 341 bottles. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured, and Adelphi bottle, as always, without reduction.

Adelphi was revived as an independent bottler in 1993 and today owns Ardnamurchan Distillery on the west Highland peninsula of the same name. Casks are selected by a nosing panel chaired by whisky writer Charles MacLean, and only a fraction of the casks tasted reach the bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful and malty with baked apple, cinnamon sugar and a touch of melted butter. The alcohol takes up space at first but settles quickly.

Palate

Intense and oily. Barley, honey and peppery spice gather around a core of yellow fruit. Water loosens it up and draws out vanilla.

Finish

Long and warm with toasted grain, nutmeg and a dry oak conclusion.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2011/2022 Adelphi Selection 11 years old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 56.2%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Adelphi Selection
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 56.2 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single Cask, cask no. 305256
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 341
EAN no.: 5060383652550

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Malty · Spicy · Fruity · Intense

Did you know?

Adelphi originally began as a distillery in Glasgow in 1826 and closed in 1902. The name lay dormant for nearly a century before the great-grandson of the last owner revived it as a bottling house.

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Nine cask numbers on one label. Wilson & Morgan gathered a small handful of casks from the same vintage and gave them a shared finish in Pedro Ximénez — an Italian exercise in making single casks play together.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2011/2022 Wilson & Morgan 11 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in Pedro Ximénez casks and bottled at 46 %.

Cask no. 301607, 301611, 301614 and 301617 to 301623 were filled in 2011 and emptied in 2022 for the Barrel Selection range. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Where the house's 14 year old spent 36 months alone in one PX cask, this one is built more broadly: several casks vatted together and a shorter, more restrained sherry finish. The result is easier to approach while still carrying Rossi's handwriting.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin, toasted almond and a touch of orange marmalade. Fresh barley and a lightly sweet grain note sit under the sherry.

Palate

Soft and round with dates, brown sugar and cinnamon. The 46 % keeps it light, and the sherry lies as a layer on top of the spirit rather than swallowing it.

Finish

Medium long with dried fruit, a hint of cocoa and a dry spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2011/2022 Wilson & Morgan 11 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Pedro Ximénez casks, cask no. 301607/11/14/17-23
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Barrel Selection
EAN no.: 8033749408945

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Soft · Fruity · Spicy · Round

Did you know?

Since 1992 Wilson & Morgan have kept one firm rule: no cask is bottled unless Fabio Rossi has tasted it himself in Scotland. The family spirits business in Treviso goes back to the 1920s.

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Tawny port is an old and nutty affair — years in wood, where the fruit has dried down to fig and caramel. Let a heavy Speyside mature in one of those casks and something happens that sherry cannot deliver.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2013/2023 Lady of the Glen 10 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a first fill Tawny Port cask and bottled at 57.8 % cask strength.

Cask no. 300746 was filled on 15 January 2013 and emptied on 14 April 2023. The release yielded 282 bottles and is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Lady of the Glen was founded in 2012 by Gregor Hannah and is run from Fife. The house bottles single casks at cask strength only and seeks out casks from closed distilleries or casks with an unusual expression — one such as this.

Tasting notes

Nose

Red berries, dried fig and a touch of rose petal. The port gives a sweet, almost perfumed nose sitting on top of the dryness of the malt.

Palate

Full bodied and sweet with cherry, walnut and dark caramel. The 57.8 % brings warmth, and a clear tannin edge from the port cask runs through the middle.

Finish

Long with dried fruit, cocoa and a lightly bitter nuttiness.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2013/2023 Lady of the Glen 10 years old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57.8%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 57.8 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill Tawny Port cask, cask no. 300746
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 15/01/2013
Bottled: 14/04/2023
Number of bottles: 282
Edition: Limited Edition

Flavour profile

Port matured · Sweet · Berries · Nutty · Cask strength

Did you know?

Tawny port matures in wood until the colour shifts from red to golden brown — hence the name. A 20 year old tawny can have rested so long that the cask, once filled with whisky, is already deeply marked by dried fruit.

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Eleven years in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel is the simplest recipe there is. No finish, no detours — just an active cask and a spirit big enough to carry it.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 2013/2025 Lady of the Glen 11 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel and bottled at 56.4 % cask strength.

Cask no. 311808 was filled in 2013 and emptied in 2025, yielding 214 bottles. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Where the house's 10 year old from 2013 was given a spell in Tawny Port, this one is kept purely in bourbon wood. That makes it a rare and honest portrait of what the Benrinnes spirit looks like when nothing is trying to dress it up.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla, coconut and light honey. Behind the sweetness sit ripe pears and a hint of a warm bakery.

Palate

Full and creamy with vanilla pod, banana and spiced oak. The 56.4 % gives a firm but rounded bite, and the texture is clearly oily.

Finish

Long and warm with honey, oak and a sprinkle of white pepper.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 2013/2025 Lady of the Glen 11 years old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 56.4%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 56.4 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill ex-bourbon barrel, cask no. 311808
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2025
Number of bottles: 214

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Vanilla · Creamy · Fruity · Bourbon matured

Did you know?

Lady of the Glen bottle every single cask by hand at their warehouse in Fife. That is also why outturns rarely pass 300 bottles — there is a physical limit to what a small team can manage.

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At the foot of Ben Rinnes in Speyside sits a distillery that rarely gets top billing. Benrinnes mostly fills casks bound for blends, not bottles with its own name on the label. So when the spirit does step out on its own, it's worth paying attention.

Expert description

Benrinnes Murray McDavid Craft Cask Batch 3 Madeira Finish is a Speyside Single Malt Whisky finished in Madeira casks and bottled at 44.5%.

The bottle belongs to Murray McDavid's Cask Craft series, where the independent bottler puts the cask itself in the spotlight rather than the age statement. This Benrinnes spirit has been moved into Madeira barriques from Justino's in Madeira, batch #MAD-03, letting the sweet, oxidative wine notes work their way into the whisky. There's no age statement on the label, and the whisky is bottled without chill filtration or added colouring, so what's in the glass is exactly what came out of the cask.

Benrinnes distillery mostly supplies spirit for blends such as Johnnie Walker and J&B, and official single malt releases from the distillery are few and far between. That makes this Madeira finish a rare chance to meet the distillery's character on its own, without sharing the stage with other malts in a blend.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Redcurrants and orange blossom arrive first, followed by honeyed cereal and a touch of stone fruit.

Palate

Creamy caramel with a hint of honey, while sweet spice and ripe orange unfold as it opens up.

Finish

Medium length, with vanilla, floral honey and a last trace of what the Madeira cask has given along the way.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes Murray McDavid Craft Cask Batch 3 Madeira Finish Single Speyside Malt Whisky 44.5%
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 44.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Madeira barrique from Justino's, Madeira (finish, batch #MAD-03)
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Cask Craft Batch 3
EAN: 5060353304793

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Floral · Sweet · Spicy

Did you know?

Until 2007, Benrinnes used an unusual distillation method with six stills — two wash stills, two intermediate stills and two spirit stills — cooled by old-fashioned worm tubs rather than modern condensers. The method produced a heavier, more sulphury spirit, but was dropped in favour of conventional double distillation when the distillery was expanded.

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Benromach make whisky the way Speyside tasted before everything turned light and floral. A little peat smoke, plenty of sherry and a team of very few people doing it all by hand in a small building outside Forres.

The expert's description

Benromach 10 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in first fill bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 43 %.

The whisky matures in around eighty percent first fill bourbon casks and twenty percent first fill sherry casks, then spends a year in Oloroso Sherry casks where the two parts marry. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The distillery was founded in 1898, closed in 1983 and stood silent for fifteen years until Gordon & MacPhail bought it and reopened in 1998. The stated aim was to recreate the Speyside style that existed before the 1960s — lightly peated malt, less steel, more handwork.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich sherry, nuts and old oak with charred casks and dark chocolate in the background. The peat smoke runs through it all as a thin thread.

Palate

Rounded malt, ripe red berries and gentle peat smoke. There is clear sweetness from the sherry, held in check by a dry, smoky edge.

Finish

Medium long with lightly burnt caramel, ash and a warm spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Benromach 10 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benromach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill bourbon casks and first fill sherry casks, followed by one year in Oloroso Sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5020613023680

Flavour profile

Lightly peated · Sherry matured · Malty · Berries · Rounded

Did you know?

Benromach runs with a team of fewer than a handful of people and still uses wooden washbacks. The distillery was formally reopened by the then Prince of Wales in October 1998.

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Fifteen years exclusively in first fill casks is an expensive decision. Benromach took it anyway, and the whisky carries the result: dark fruit, black pepper and a thread of smoke that never quite lets go.

The expert's description

Benromach 15 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured exclusively in first fill sherry and bourbon casks and bottled at 43 %.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Using first fill casks for the full fifteen years is unusual — most distilleries mix in refill wood to keep the oak from taking over.

Benromach reopened in 1998 after fifteen silent years, so the 15 year old is among the first releases distilled entirely under Gordon & MacPhail's stewardship. It shows the house style at full length.

Tasting notes

Nose

Forest fruits, apple and dark chocolate with cracked black pepper on top. The sherry is rich, and a puff of smoke drifts across the whole thing.

Palate

Creamy and nutty with almond, roasted malt and orange peel. Sherry sweetness meets a dry spiced edge, and a hint of peat smoke still sits in the middle.

Finish

Balanced and warming with dried fruit, oak and a touch of smoke at the end.

Specifications

Name: Benromach 15 years old Single Speyside Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Benromach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill sherry casks and first fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5020613051485

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Lightly peated · Spicy · Creamy · Dark fruit

Did you know?

Benromach still uses a wooden mash tun and larch washbacks — something most distilleries swapped for stainless steel decades ago, because wood is harder to keep clean.

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Organic whisky sounds like something invented last week. Benromach started in 2006, and the entire chain from barley to bottle is certified — something nobody had done before them.

The expert's description

Benromach Contrasts Organic 2013/2022 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in virgin American oak and bottled at 46 %.

The whisky was distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2022 after nine years in virgin American oak casks. It is neither chill filtered nor coloured, and the entire production is accredited by the British Soil Association from field to bottle.

Benromach launched the world's first fully certified organic single malt in 2006. The Contrasts range is the distillery's playground, where they push one variable at a time — here both the organic barley and the completely new wood.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet malt, banana and creamy vanilla. Virgin oak gives a clear sawdust freshness and a hint of coconut.

Palate

Malt rich and creamy with pepper, coffee and cocoa. The new oak pulls the whisky towards a carpenter's workshop and toasted sugar rather than the soft bourbon vanilla most people know.

Finish

Medium long, dry and spicy with cocoa, oak and a warm peppery close.

Specifications

Name: Benromach Contrasts Organic 2013/2022 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Benromach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Virgin American oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Contrasts: Organic
EAN no.: 5020613091160

Flavour profile

Creamy · Spicy · Vanilla · Cocoa · New oak

Did you know?

Virgin oak is almost never used for Scotch whisky, because it can overwhelm the spirit in a few years. Benromach could use it here because their distillate is powerful enough to stand up to fresh wood.

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Bertelsen has hand-picked five drams with character for December — more than chocolate in this year's advent calendar.

Expert description

Bertelsens Favorites Whisky Advent Calendar 5 x 3 cl Unique Whisky Samples is an exclusive whisky advent calendar featuring five carefully selected samples, personally hand-picked by Bertelsen at Whisky.dk. He has a soft spot for cask strength whisky, bourbon-matured expressions, old grain whisky and unexpected surprises, and it clearly shows in the calendar's contents: Linkwood 2012/2022 Adelphi Selection 10 år 59,9%, North British 32 år Little Brown Dog Small Batch 44,2%, Balvenie 12 år Montilla Wine Cask 47,3% and Arran 10 år Arran Barley Batch 001 50%, plus an extra bonus dram in Macduff 2007/2024 Adelphi Selection FC Whisky Cask 16 år 57,3%.

You get four 3 cl samples for the advent Sundays, plus an extra surprise, adding up to five unique whiskies to look forward to throughout December. 2 Perfect Dram glasses are included, so every dram can be enjoyed in style.

Specifications

Name: Bertelsens Favorites Whisky Advent Calendar 5 x 3 cl Unique Whisky Samples
Number of samples: 5 x 3 CL
Accessories: 2 Perfect Dram glasses

Flavour profile

Cask Strength · Bourbon-driven · Old Grain · Surprising

The number of calendars is limited, and the contents may change from year to year.

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Big Peat is not a distillery but a fisherman with a wild grey beard and four Islay distilleries behind him. The twelve year old is the one where he has picked up some manners — the smoke is still there, but the edges have softened.

The expert's description

Big Peat 12 years is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 46 % without chill filtration and without added colour.

The blend consists solely of single malts from Islay, all at least twelve years old: Caol Ila contributes sweetness, Bowmore balance, Ardbeg the medicinal and earthy character, and Port Ellen a measure of elegance.

Douglas Laing created Big Peat in 2009 as a single-bottle account of Islay. The firm was founded in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing and is still run by the family from Glasgow, where they now also operate their own distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

Charred oak, chimney smoke and wet rock pools. Under the smoke sit vanilla, butterscotch and dark fruits such as blackcurrant and black cherry.

Palate

Fruit driven with toffee, dark chocolate and a nutty edge. The spiced peat smoke settles around the sweetness instead of fighting it, and the salt of the coast is obvious.

Finish

Long and lingering with brown sugar, bonfire ash and a dry phenolic quality that stays.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 12 years old Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5014218814903

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Smoky · Sweet · Full bodied

Did you know?

Port Ellen closed in 1983 and only reopened in 2024. Big Peat has over the years contained whisky from the closed distillery — one of the few ways ordinary people have ever tasted Port Ellen.

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The first chapter of a trilogy that began with a question: what happens to Islay smoke when it is left for a quarter of a century? The answer is not less smoke — it is smoke with manners.

The expert's description

Big Peat 25 years Vintage 1992 Gold Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 52.1 % cask strength.

The whiskies were distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2017 in an outturn of 3,000 bottles. The release is neither chill filtered nor coloured and is the first of three in Douglas Laing's Vintage Series.

The Gold Edition opened a trilogy that continued with the Platinum Edition at 26 years and The Black Edition at 27 years. All three come from the same 1992 vintage and are built from some of Islay's most sought after single malts.

Tasting notes

Nose

Complex and nuanced. Smoke meets caramel and vanilla, with dried fruit, sea salt and a light medicinal tone behind.

Palate

Full and oily. Powerful peat smoke up front, balanced by honey and burnt sugar, followed by dark chocolate, leather and spice.

Finish

Long and warm, with peat and sweetness fading slowly. An elegant dryness of oak and nuts closes it.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 25 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 1 Gold Edition Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 52.1%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 52.1 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: 2017
Number of bottles: 3,000
Edition: Vintage Series No 1 The Gold Edition

Flavour profile

Peated · Mature · Smoky · Sweet · Cask strength

Investment potential

High: The first release in a completed trilogy from the 1992 vintage, in an outturn of 3,000 bottles that will not be made again. Complete sets of the three editions are sought after by collectors, and the Gold Edition is the hardest of them to track down.

Did you know?

Cara Laing, whisky director at Douglas Laing, explained at the launch that the casks had been tasted year after year until the team felt the vatting was finally ready. The trilogy was not planned from the outset — it was decided along the way.

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The second chapter. Same 1992 vintage, one year longer in wood and a touch less strength. The Platinum Edition is the middle of the three — and the one where the balance between smoke and maturity sits closest.

The expert's description

Big Peat 26 years Vintage 1992 Platinum Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 51.5 % cask strength.

The whiskies were distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2018 in an outturn of 3,000 bottles. The release is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

The Platinum Edition is the second in Douglas Laing's Vintage Series, between the Gold Edition at 25 years and The Black Edition at 27 years. All three are assembled from Islay's most sought after single malts of the same vintage.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry ash, seaweed and salted liquorice. Beneath the smoke hide dried apricots, honey and a warm nuttiness.

Palate

Rich and broad with peat smoke, dark caramel and roasted malt. There is a mineral salt edge and a hint of leather that only comes with age.

Finish

Very long with dry smoke, cocoa and a sweet note that holds on for some time.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 26 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 2 Platinum Edition DL Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 51.5%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 26 years
ABV: 51.5 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: 2018
Number of bottles: 3,000
Edition: Vintage Series No 2 The Platinum Edition

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Mature · Nutty · Cask strength

Investment potential

High: The middle release in a completed trilogy of 3,000 bottles from the 1992 vintage. Complete sets of all three editions are difficult to assemble, and demand for mature Islay whisky has been rising for years.

Did you know?

All three editions in the trilogy were bottled in exactly 3,000 bottles, regardless of age. Douglas Laing had the cask volumes planned from the moment the series was decided.

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The final chapter. After twenty-seven years the peat has become something else — barbecued meat, coal dust and rock salt, as Douglas Laing themselves described it when the bottle was let loose in 2019.

The expert's description

Big Peat 27 years Vintage 1992 The Black Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 48.3 %.

The whiskies were distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2019 in an outturn of 3,000 bottles, without chill filtration and without added colour. It is the closing release in the Vintage Series trilogy.

The series began with the Gold Edition at 25 years in 2017 and continued with the Platinum Edition at 26 years in 2018. The Black Edition closes the row and is at once the oldest and the most restrained of the three in strength.

Tasting notes

Nose

Coal dust, barbecued meat and rock salt. Beneath the heavy smoke lie dried figs, coffee and a hint of old oak.

Palate

Deep and broad with ash, black pepper and salted caramel. The 48.3 % makes it softer than its two predecessors, and the texture is clearly oily.

Finish

Very long and dry with smoke, cocoa beans and a mineral salt edge.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 27 years old Vintage 1992 Series No 3 The Black Edition DL Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 48.3%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 27 years
ABV: 48.3 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: 2019
Number of bottles: 3,000
Edition: Vintage Series No 3 The Black Edition

Flavour profile

Peated · Meaty · Salt · Mature · Smoky

Investment potential

High: The closing release in a complete trilogy and the oldest of the three. The series will not be repeated, the outturn is 3,000 bottles, and the Black Edition is the one collectors most often lack to finish the set.

Did you know?

Big Peat celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2019, the very year the Black Edition appeared. Douglas Laing marked it with both a 10 year old limited edition and the close of the trilogy in the same season.

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Thirty-three years. The whisky in this bottle was distilled while Port Ellen had only recently fallen silent, and it has rested in wood longer than most whisky enthusiasts have been interested in whisky.

The expert's description

Big Peat 33 years Vintage 1985 Limited Edition is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky finished in cognac and sherry casks and bottled at 47.2 %.

The individual distillates were made in 1985 and bottled 33 years later in 2018 in an outturn of 1,500 bottles. Of those, 15 bottles came exclusively to Denmark through Whisky.dk.

Douglas Laing added the release to the Big Peat range as an old and rare expression, where the combination of cognac and sherry casks lays a layer of dark fruit and sweetness over the mature Islay smoke.

Tasting notes

Nose

Old oak, dried plums and the sweet fruit of cognac. The smoke sits deep down as cold ash and wet seaweed.

Palate

Soft, broad and oily with raisin, dark chocolate and salted caramel. The peat is tempered by the years and works as a dry undercurrent rather than as the lead.

Finish

Very long with dried fruit, tobacco and a last breath of ash.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat 33 years old Vintage 1985 Limited Edition Blended Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 47.2%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 33 years
ABV: 47.2 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in cognac and sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1985
Bottled: 2018
Number of bottles: 1,500
Edition: Vintage 1985 Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5014218812176

Flavour profile

Mature · Peated · Cognac matured · Sherry matured · Dark fruit

Investment potential

High: Only 1,500 bottles worldwide and an unusual combination of 1985 vintage, cognac casks and Islay smoke. Whisky from this period exists in ever smaller quantities, and the release has long been discontinued at the producer.

Did you know?

Cognac casks are rarely used for peated whisky, because the delicate grape sweetness is easily run over by peat. After 33 years the smoke has quietened enough for the two finally to meet.

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The ultimate distillation of Islay — four distilleries in one bottle.

Expert description

Big Peat Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Whisky is the series' core expression, a blend of single malt whisky from several Islay distilleries, bottled at 46%. Big Peat was launched in 2009 by independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co as the first in the company's 'Remarkable Regional Malts' series. The idea was to create the 'ultimate distillation of Islay' by blending single malt whisky from several of the island's distilleries, including Caol Ila, Bowmore and Ardbeg, without using grain whisky. Big Peat is non-chill filtered, with no colouring added. Each year Douglas Laing releases a Christmas Edition of Big Peat at natural cask strength, and at Islay's Fèis Ìle whisky festival, special limited editions are regularly released.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers smoke, peat and a hint of sea salt.

Palate

The palate is smoky and full with peat, caramel and a hint of citrus.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, smoky and lightly salty.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Douglas Laing Blended Islay Malt Whisky
Bottler: Douglas Laing & Co
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Salty · Full-bodied

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An early Fèis Ìle release of Big Peat, created for Islay's 2018 whisky festival.

Expert description

Big Peat Feis Ile 2018 is a limited edition of the Islay blend, created specifically for the 2018 Fèis Ìle festival, bottled at 48%. Big Peat was launched in 2009 by independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co as the first in the company's 'Remarkable Regional Malts' series. The idea was to create the 'ultimate distillation of Islay' by blending single malt whisky from several of the island's distilleries, including Caol Ila, Bowmore and Ardbeg, without using grain whisky. Big Peat is non-chill filtered, with no colouring added. Each year Douglas Laing releases a Christmas Edition of Big Peat at natural cask strength, and at Islay's Fèis Ìle whisky festival, special limited editions are regularly released.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers smoke, peat and a hint of sea salt.

Palate

The palate is smoky and spiced with peat, caramel and a hint of citrus.

Finish

The finish is long, smoky and lightly salty.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Feis Ile 2018 Douglas Laing Fèis Ìle Blended Islay Malt Whisky
Bottler: Douglas Laing & Co
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Fèis Ìle 2018

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Salty · Spiced

Investment potential

Older Fèis Ìle releases like this one from 2018 are hard to find today, which can make them attractive to collectors of limited Islay bottlings.

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A rare Fèis Ìle release, created for Islay's annual whisky festival.

Expert description

Big Peat Feis Ile 2024 The Thropaigeach is a limited edition of the Islay blend, created specifically for the 2024 Fèis Ìle festival, bottled at 48%. Big Peat was launched in 2009 by independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co as the first in the company's 'Remarkable Regional Malts' series. The idea was to create the 'ultimate distillation of Islay' by blending single malt whisky from several of the island's distilleries, including Caol Ila, Bowmore and Ardbeg, without using grain whisky. Big Peat is non-chill filtered, with no colouring added. Each year Douglas Laing releases a Christmas Edition of Big Peat at natural cask strength, and at Islay's Fèis Ìle whisky festival, special limited editions are regularly released.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers smoke, peat and a hint of sea salt.

Palate

The palate is smoky and spiced with peat, caramel and a hint of citrus.

Finish

The finish is long, smoky and lightly salty.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Feis Ile 2024 The Thropaigeach Fèis Ìle Blended Islay Malt Whisky
Bottler: Douglas Laing & Co
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Fèis Ìle 2024

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Salty · Spiced

Investment potential

Fèis Ìle releases of Big Peat are often produced in limited numbers and can become sought after by collectors after the festival.

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Some whiskies tell the story of a single cask. Apogee XII tells the story of a distillery unafraid to blend its own craft with the best of Scotland.

Expert's Description

Bimber Apogee XII is a 12 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky, composed of selected single malts from the Highlands and Speyside and finished in ex-bourbon casks that had previously matured Bimber's own spirit, bottled at 46.3% ABV.

Bimber Distillery sits in the heart of London and was founded in 2015 by whisky enthusiasts with Polish roots – the name "bimber" is Polish slang for homemade moonshine, a nod to the founders' own journey from home experiments to an acclaimed distillery. With the Apogee series, they step outside their own distillate and show a deep understanding of vatting and cask management in the more classic Scottish tradition.

The name Apogee means "highest point," a tribute to the oldest and most developed malts used in the blend. It's a whisky that bridges two whisky cultures: Scottish heritage and Bimber's own London craft.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Nutmeg and honeycomb meet brown sugar and soft oak, while cooked orchard fruit and a touch of orange blossom honey give the nose a warm, baked character.

Palate

Syrupy pears and stewed peaches roll into crushed pepper and menthol, while caramel settles beneath a cool, gentle cedar note.

Finish

White pepper and lightly charred oak provide contrast to the sweet fruit, which slowly fades into mint and a hint of peach candy.

Specifications

Name: Bimber Apogee XII
Distillery: Bimber Distillery
Region: Scotland/England (blend)
Type: Pure Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70cl
Cask Type: Ex-bourbon (previously used for Bimber's own spirit)
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2021
EAN no.: 5060444431322

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Spicy · Round

Investment Potential

Medium. The Apogee series is among the more sought-after corners of Bimber's output among collectors, combining mature Scottish malts with the distillery's own casks in a way not replicated elsewhere in the range.

Did You Know?

The ex-bourbon casks used to finish Apogee XII previously matured Bimber's own London spirit, meaning this bottle literally carries a piece of the distillery's own history into a Scottish composition.

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A whole island is folded into this bottle. Not as a claim on the label, but as a note that lingers after the glass is empty. Black Bottle with a heart of Islay — that was the promise, and it held.

Expert description

Black Bottle "With A Heart Of Islay" 10 Years is a Finest Blended Islay Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

This is the green bottle from the years before the relaunch, when Black Bottle still carried the Islay line straight on the label. The recipe drew malt from every Islay distillery operating at the time, tied together with grain whisky and a running seam of peat smoke. The expression has since been discontinued, which has made it one of the more sought-after older Black Bottle releases.

Ten years of maturation settles the blend. The smoke is still there, but it has had time to sink into the malt sweetness rather than stand apart from it. The Aberdeen house of Gordon Graham & Co. created the blend in 1879, and this release sits closest to the smoky style the house built its name on.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and lightly fruity at first, with yellow apples and a twist of lemon peel. Underneath sits a clear but unhurried peat smoke and a hint of wet seaweed.

Palate

Honey and malt fill the palate first, soft and almost round, until the smoke rises from behind with soot, black pepper and a touch of salt.

Finish

Long and warming. The Islay character arrives last and stays put alongside dried grain and ash.

Specifications

Name: Black Bottle "With A Heart Of Islay" 10 Years Finest Blended Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Black Bottle
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Finest Blended Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5029704111466

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Soft · Maritime · Honeyed

Investment potential

Medium. A discontinued bottling in the original green glass with an age statement, and demand for older Black Bottle releases has climbed steadily since the range was reworked.

Did you know?

The black bottle the brand is named after was supplied from Germany. When that supply stopped during the First World War, the Graham brothers switched to green glass — and green it stayed for close to a century.

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Some whiskies shout to be heard. Then there is Black Bottle, which slips quietly into the room, lays a trail of smoke across the table and lets everyone else wonder where that depth came from.

Expert description

Black Bottle New Version is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

New Version refers to the relaunch, when the brand returned to black glass, the recipe was tightened and the smoky Islay character was pushed back to the centre. It is a blend where malt and grain work together and where smoke is structural rather than decorative.

The ambition from the start has been to let every Scottish whisky region speak in the same bottle, with Islay as the note that holds it all together. The result is an approachable blend that works as an everyday dram and as a gentle way into smoky whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft peat smoke settles first, followed by malty sweetness, a brush of vanilla and a light maritime saltiness in the background.

Palate

Round and malty with caramel and honey, seasoned by pepper and a steady, earthy smoke that rolls across the palate without taking over.

Finish

Medium and warm with a gentle ash smoke that fades out alongside a last note of malty sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Black Bottle New Version Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Black Bottle
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: New Version
EAN no.: 5029704111442

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Soft · Spiced · Maritime

Did you know?

When the brand was to be relaunched in its original black glass, no original bottle survived to work from. Only when an example from 1906 turned up could the shape be recreated.

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Highland cattle do not step aside for weather. Neither does the whisky with the bull on the label — 50% and eighteen years in oak give a blend that holds its ground against whatever you put it next to.

Expert description

Black Bull 18 Years is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50%.

The range comes from Duncan Taylor Ltd. in Huntly, an independent bottler with one of Scotland's better stocked cask inventories. Black Bull stands apart from most blends through its bottling strength, where competitors typically land at 40%. The recipe leans on Highland malt, and both the malt and the grain carry eighteen years.

The brand itself is a tribute to the golfer Sir Nick Faldo, whose career Duncan Taylor has marked with several bottlings. The Black Bull name comes from Scottish Highland cattle, whose hardiness the range borrows.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep gold in the glass with a delicate aroma of dried fruit, creamy yoghurt, Turkish delight and sweet oak.

Palate

Open and direct, but full of character. Apples, pastry, cinnamon and clove, carried by the 50% without burning.

Finish

Long and intense with clear, creamy notes of spice and vanilla.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull 18 Years Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5056510005290

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Creamy · Powerful · Oaky

Investment potential

Medium. Age-stated blends at this strength form a small category, and the Black Bull range has drawn steady collector interest since Duncan Taylor revived the name.

Did you know?

Duncan Taylor was founded in Glasgow in 1938 as a cask and warehousing business. The reason the company now holds one of Scotland's oldest private cask stocks is that for decades it bought casks with no concrete plan to bottle them.

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Thirty years is a long time to wait for a blend. The casks stood still while the world outside changed, and the result is a whisky where nothing is in a hurry any more.

Expert description

Black Bull 30 Years is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50%.

This is the oldest standing release in the range and comes from Duncan Taylor Ltd. in Huntly. Both the malt and grain components have spent thirty years in wood, which is unusual for a blend, where the grain share is normally used young. The weight sits on Highland malt, and the 50% keeps the aromas together despite the long maturation.

The release marks Sir Nick Faldo's three world championships and three Masters victories, and the number thirty runs through both the age and the story. It is a blend where the cask has been allowed to work at length without taking command of the spirit.

Tasting notes

Nose

Handsome gold with a full aroma of fruitcake, almond and a hint of roses.

Palate

Beautifully balanced with warm winter spices and a whole cocktail of citrus fruit that keeps the profile fresh despite the age.

Finish

Fine and lightly spiced with notes of dried fruit that linger.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull 30 Years Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 30 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5056510005306

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Elegant · Mature · Citrus

Investment potential

High. Thirty years across both malt and grain is an unusual resource to commit to a blend, and the release is limited in scale. Older Black Bull bottlings have appreciated since launch.

Did you know?

Grain whisky is rarely matured this long, because it is traditionally treated as the filler in a blend. That is precisely why thirty year old grain has become one of the most sought-after categories among enthusiasts.

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There are small flakes at the bottom of the bottle. That is not a fault — it is the whole point. Raw Cask means the whisky has gone from cask to glass without being cleaned up in any way.

Expert description

Blackadder Raw Cask Peat Reek 2016 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a single Oak Hogshead, bottled at cask strength, 61.8%.

Peat Reek is Blackadder's series for peated Islay whisky where the distillery name is withheld. Robin Tucek, who runs the house, has consistently kept the source confidential, but the series name leaves little doubt about what waits in the glass. Cask PR2016-2 yielded 279 bottles, and the whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Raw Cask is the house signature: filtration is coarse enough only to hold back the largest pieces of wood. Everything else comes along, including the particles and sediment that settle in the bottle over time. The method produces an unusually thick, flavour-saturated whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry peat smoke and heather, with lemon peel, salted caramel and a trace of iodine underneath. Cask strength makes the aroma sharp and penetrating.

Palate

Massive and oily. Soot, black pepper, toasted barley and a honeyed sweetness fighting the smoke for room.

Finish

Very long with ash, salt and dried citrus. The smoke stays put well after the glass has been set down.

Specifications

Name: Blackadder Raw Cask Peat Reek 2016 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 61.8%
Bottler: Blackadder
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 61,8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak Hogshead PR2016-2
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: April 2016
Number of bottles: 279
Edition: Raw Cask Peat Reek

Flavour profile

Smoky · Maritime · Powerful · Salty · Iodine

Investment potential

Medium. A single cask bottling of 279 bottles from a series no longer produced in this form. Blackadder's Raw Cask releases are followed closely by collectors.

Did you know?

The word reek is Scots for smoke. Auld Reekie, the old nickname for Edinburgh, comes from the same root and refers to the city's thick coal smoke.

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Embers are what is left when the flames have gone out but the heat keeps going. That is a fair description of what peat smoke does to a whisky bottled without a filter.

Expert description

Blackadder Raw Cask Peat Reek Embers 2018 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at cask strength, 58.5%, without chill filtration and without added colour.

Embers is a variation on Blackadder's Peat Reek theme, bottled in May 2018 in a run of 620 bottles. As across the series the distillery is not disclosed, but the whisky is an Islay single malt and peat is the load-bearing component. The bottling strength sits slightly below the 2016 release, which gives a rounder expression.

The Raw Cask method means the whisky is only coarsely filtered before bottling. The result is a texture noticeably fatter than conventionally bottled whisky, and a flavour with nothing sanded off.

Tasting notes

Nose

Embers and wet ash, with sweet barley, salted liquorice and a little grilled lemon. An earthy, almost loamy note sits beneath the smoke.

Palate

Thick and round with soot, caramel and peppery spice. The smoke is constantly present, but cask sweetness keeps it from drying out.

Finish

Long and warm with ash, seaweed and a final flick of salt.

Specifications

Name: Blackadder Raw Cask Peat Reek Embers 2018 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 58.5%
Bottler: Blackadder
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58,5%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: May 2018
Number of bottles: 620
Edition: Raw Cask Peat Reek Embers
EAN no.: 5055030617341

Flavour profile

Smoky · Salty · Earthy · Sweet · Powerful

Investment potential

Medium. A limited bottling of 620 bottles from a series whose individual releases are not repeated. Demand for unfiltered Islay bottlings has held steady.

Did you know?

Blackadder takes its name from the Blackadder Water, a river in the Scottish Borders — not from the television series, as many assume.

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Drive as far south in Scotland as you can without ending up in England. That is where Bladnoch sits by its own river in Galloway, far from the whisky motorways, making something quite unlike the rest.

Expert description

Bladnoch 13 Years is a Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

Bladnoch was founded in 1817 and is Scotland's southernmost distillery. The site has closed and reopened several times over its history, which makes older bottlings scarce, and the style has always been the light, floral Lowland profile rather than peat and sherry.

Thirteen years is an unusual age statement and longer maturation than Lowland malt normally receives. The extra time gives the whisky more body without losing the freshness the region is known for.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale flowers and fresh cut grass, with lemon peel, pear and a light grainy sweetness.

Palate

Soft and clean with vanilla, honey and pale grain. The cask keeps to the background and lets the spirit lead.

Finish

Medium and dry with a touch of oak and a last fresh citrus note.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 13 Years Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Floral · Fresh · Soft · Fruity · Light

Did you know?

Bladnoch sits on the river of the same name and has historically drawn its water from it. The area around Wigtown is best known today as Scotland's official book town.

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Sixteen years is a long time for a Lowland malt. The light style, normally bottled young and fresh, is allowed to settle here, and that changes the whole balance in the glass.

Expert description

Bladnoch 16 Years is a Single Lowland Malt Whisky bottled at 46%.

This is a distillery bottling from Bladnoch in Galloway, Scotland's southernmost distillery, founded in 1817. The 46% is chosen over the classic 40%, which gives more body and a clearer cask profile without losing the pale character of the spirit.

Bladnoch has been through several periods of closure in its history, so high-age bottlings come from limited stocks. That makes the age-stated releases a different proposition from the younger, named bottles in the range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey and baked apple, with pale oak, vanilla and a trace of dried hay in the background.

Palate

Round and malty with grain, soft caramel and a point of white pepper. The 46% carries more weight than a classic Lowland bottling.

Finish

Medium and dry with oak, lemon peel and a last grainy sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 16 Years Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Fresh · Lightly spiced · Oaky

Investment potential

Medium. Age-stated Bladnoch bottlings are limited by the distillery's periods of closure, and the supply of older bottles keeps falling.

Did you know?

Bladnoch was for a time owned by two Northern Irish brothers who originally bought the site to build holiday homes on the land. The sale came with a condition that no distilling take place — a term they later renegotiated.

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