Most people associate Caol Ila with bourbon or sherry. Lady of the Glen chose an ex-white wine cask – and it turns out Islay smoke handles itself surprisingly well alongside the light, fresh wine residue. 307 bottles from cask no. 311196.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2012/2021 Lady of the Glen 9 Years is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a single ex-white wine cask (no. 311196), bottled at cask strength 58.3% without chill filtration and with natural colour.

Lady of the Glen is an Edinburgh-based independent bottler founded by Gregor Hannah. The philosophy is single cask, cask strength and no compromises. White wine casks are unusual in whisky – lighter and fresher than sherry casks, they add a delicate fruitiness rather than vinous weight.

Nine years in a white wine cask from 2012 gives a Caol Ila that keeps its maritime smoke but adds an unexpected freshness and fruitiness. 307 bottles is all that exists.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and surprising – light citrus fruit and white flowers meet Caol Ila's salty smoke. A clear contrast between the heavy distillate and the light cask.

Palate

Smoke and freshness in balance. Citrus, fresh pear and maritime notes with good body. The white wine cask gives unexpected lightness without removing Caol Ila's signature.

Finish

Medium-length with fresh smoke and a clean, lightly winey note at the end. Cleaner and lighter than most Caol Ila bottlings.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2012/2021 Lady of the Glen 9 Years
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 58.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single cask – ex-white wine cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 307

Flavour profile

Peated · Fresh · Fruity · Maritime · Light

Did you know?

Lady of the Glen is named after the ballad poem 'The Lady of the Lake' by Sir Walter Scott from 1810 – a tribute to Scotland and its nature. The bottler works exclusively with single cask and cask strength.

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Signatory Vintage's Un-Chillfiltered Collection is exactly what it says: whisky bottled without chill filtration, in its natural form. From hogsheads 319473 and 319477, distilled in June 2012 and bottled in February 2022 – nine years and eight months in oak.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2012/2022 Signatory Vintage 9 Years The Un-Chillfiltered Collection is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in two hogshead casks (nos. 319473 and 319477), bottled at 46% without chill filtration and with natural colour.

Signatory Vintage's Un-Chillfiltered Collection is the accessible line – a step lower in strength than the Cask Strength Collection, but with the same philosophy: selected casks, natural colour and no manipulation. The result is a whisky you can enjoy neat without adding water.

Caol Ila's maritime smoke at 46% is balanced and light. The hogshead casks from 2012 have given nine years of oak structure – classic Caol Ila with good body.

Tasting notes

Nose

Classic Caol Ila: sea salt, light peat smoke and citrus. A soft vanilla undertone from the hogshead casks and a hint of seaweed.

Palate

Balanced and light. Smoke, maritime notes and a little honey. Body and freshness in good harmony – accessible and clean.

Finish

Moderate and fresh. Smoke fades gently with citrus and salt carrying through.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2012/2022 Signatory Vintage 9 Years The Un-Chillfiltered Collection
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogsheads
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 28/06/2012
Bottled: 03/02/2022
EAN no.: 5021944116140

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Fresh · Citrus · Balanced

Did you know?

Chill filtration removes the fatty acids and proteins that give whisky its body and flavour intensity. Bottling without chill filtration preserves these – which is why many collectors and enthusiasts specifically seek 'non chill-filtered' bottlings.

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Signatory Vintage's Un-Chillfiltered Collection is about letting the whisky stand on its own. Ten years in a hogshead, 46% and no chill filtration. It has one chance to impress – and it uses it.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2012/2022 Signatory Vintage 10 Years The Un-Chillfiltered Collection is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in hogshead casks, bottled at 46% without chill filtration and with natural colour.

Signatory Vintage's Un-Chillfiltered Collection presents selected casks from Scottish distilleries at an accessible strength without compromise on bottling principles. Ten years in a hogshead gives a Caol Ila with more depth than young bottlings without losing the characteristic freshness.

Compared to the 9-year (R65), this is one year older – which in practice gives a little more oak depth and a calmer, more integrated smoke. The profile is otherwise the same classic Caol Ila: salty, maritime and balanced.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sea salt, light peat smoke and citrus with a soft vanilla undertone. A hint of seaweed and fresh oak.

Palate

Balanced and clean. Smoke, maritime notes, honey and a mild maltiness. Good body for 46% – well-made and accessible.

Finish

Moderate and fresh. Citrus, salt and a discreet smoke that fades slowly.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2012/2022 Signatory Vintage 10 Years The Un-Chillfiltered Collection
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogsheads
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2022
EAN no.: 5021944120420

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Fresh · Balanced · Approachable

Did you know?

Signatory Vintage owns Edradour Distillery in Pitlochry, Perthshire – one of Scotland's smallest distilleries. It still runs by hand and produces fewer than 12 casks a week, while Signatory bottles many times more from external distilleries.

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Cask 319952 leaked. Lady of the Glen discovered that when they opened the bonded warehouse in 2025 – this refill hogshead with Caol Ila from 2013 had lost a significant portion of its content to the Scottish angels. What remained was 123 bottles and the concentrated essence of eleven Islay years.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2013/2025 Lady of the Glen 11 Years is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a single cask – refill hogshead (cask no. 319952) – bottled at 56.6% without chill filtration and with natural colour. 123 bottles.

Lady of the Glen is a Scottish independent bottler focusing on single-cask bottlings from carefully selected casks. The philosophy is simple: selection, not production. Each cask is assessed on its own merits, which is reflected in the small number of bottles per bottling.

A leaking cask is not a mistake – it is geology. The wood breathes, the surroundings pull, and the angels' share is never precisely predictable. The 123 remaining bottles are what it took eleven years and a particular piece of Islay air to produce.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh peat smoke and seaweed, behind which a soft vanilla and citrus from the refill cask. A hint of green apple and toasted oak.

Palate

Oily and full. Salted caramel, lemon and smoke in good harmony. The distillate's power at 56.6% gives body and depth – a drop of water opens it further.

Finish

Long and persistent – ash, freshly ground pepper and citrus peel that slowly fade to a lightly salted close.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2013/2025 Lady of the Glen 11 Years
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 56.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single cask – refill hogshead (cask no. 319952)
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2025
Number of bottles: 123

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · Maritime · Oily · Intense

Investment potential

Low

Did you know?

The angels' share – what evaporates through the cask's pores – typically amounts to 2-4% of the cask's contents per year in Scotland. Over eleven years, a leaking cask can lose far more. Cask 319952 was one such – and the 123 bottles are the result.

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Pedro Ximenez is the sweetest sherry that exists – thick, dark and almost syrupy. When Caol Ila's peat smoke encounters seven months in PX hogsheads, the result is surprisingly subtle: the sweetness works its way into the smoke and gives it a fruity, dried dimension.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2014/2021 Murray McDavid 6 Years Benchmark Series is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon hogshead casks with a finish in Ximenez-Spinola PX sherry hogshead casks (nos. 2005618/19/23), bottled at 46% without chill filtration and with natural colour.

Murray McDavid's Benchmark Series is an experimental line that systematically explores cask combinations in larger batches. The PX finish here lasts seven months – short enough to preserve Caol Ila's character, long enough for the Spanish dessert wine to leave its mark.

1,242 bottles were produced. Ximenez-Spinola is one of the most acclaimed PX houses in Jerez, and it is from them that Murray McDavid sourced these casks.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit – raisins and dark plums – blends with Caol Ila's maritime smoke. A note of mocha and orange peel gives depth.

Palate

Delicate and fruity. Smoke and PX sweetness find each other in good balance. Mocha, dark dried fruit and a soft, lightly oily texture.

Finish

Gentle and lingering. Smoke and sweetness fade side by side with a fresh note of smoke and fruit at the end.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2014/2021 Murray McDavid 6 Years Benchmark – PX Sherry Finish
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon hogshead with PX sherry hogshead finish
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 1,242
Series: Benchmark Series
EAN no.: 5060353302669

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · PX-sweet · Delicate · Maritime

Did you know?

The Pedro Ximenez grape is grown in the Jerez region of Spain and is one of the world's sweetest and most concentrated varieties. The wines produced from it are so thick they almost pour like syrup.

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The world of Cognac and Islay whisky rarely meet – they pull in very different directions. But Murray McDavid found a cask that made them listen to each other: a bourbon hogshead with a finish in first-fill Cognac casks, and Caol Ila's smoke blending with the French spirit's sweetness.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2014/2021 Murray McDavid 6 Years Benchmark Series is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon hogshead casks with a finish in first-fill Cognac casks (nos. 1925785/193/194), bottled at 50% without chill filtration and with natural colour.

Murray McDavid's Benchmark Series systematically experiments with unusual cask combinations in larger batches. This batch produced 1,694 bottles. The 14-month finish in Cognac casks contributes a sweet, lightly winey complexity lifting it above a simple bourbon profile.

Caol Ila at six years is fresh and direct – the smoke is clear, the distillate body is present, and the Cognac finish adds a sweeter frame without erasing the distillate's maritime character.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet and smoky at once. Sweet peat, ginger and apple – the Cognac cask adds a lightly fruity glow behind Caol Ila's typical maritime smoke.

Palate

Soft and fruity with good body. Caramel and smoke meet notes of ginger and apple. The Cognac sweetness is discreet but notable.

Finish

Clean and fresh with salted caramel and a light medicinal Caol Ila note at the end.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2014/2021 Murray McDavid 6 Years Benchmark – 1st Fill Cognac Cask Finish
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon hogshead with finish in 1st fill Cognac casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 1,694
Series: Benchmark Series
EAN no.: 5060353302683

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · Sweet · Creamy · Fresh

Did you know?

Cognac casks are rare in whisky – they come from France and have typically held grape spirit for many years. Their nutty and fruity profile lends a completely different wininess than sherry or port casks.

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Pauillac is Bordeaux at its finest – Lafite, Mouton, Latour. When casks from one of the world's most celebrated wine regions meet Caol Ila's Islay smoke, something unexpected happens: the powerful wine residue in the wood gives a peaty and fruity note rarely found at the distillery.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2014/2022 Murray McDavid 8 Years Benchmark Series is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Pauillac wine casks, bottled at 50% without chill filtration and with natural colour. 1,399 bottles.

Pauillac casks come from the Pauillac wine district in Bordeaux – home to Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Latour. The casks are laden with red Bordeaux wine and add tannin-rich, fruity and slightly earthy notes to spirits that have rested in them.

Murray McDavid's Benchmark Series puts the distillate's character at the centre and finds casks that lift it without overpowering it. Eight years and 50% in Pauillac casks give a Caol Ila with an unexpected winey depth.

Tasting notes

Nose

Smoke and dark fruit – blueberry and cherry from the wine cask, with Caol Ila's salty maritime smoke in the background. A hint of earth and tannins.

Palate

Smoke and wine sweetness in good balance. Dark berry fruit, salt and a touch of Bordeaux tannins. Good body at 50%.

Finish

Peat and fruit alternate in a medium-length finish with a light, dried fruit note at the end.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2014/2022 Murray McDavid 8 Years Benchmark – Pauillac Wine Casks
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Pauillac wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 1,399
Series: Benchmark Series
EAN no.: 5060353303567

Flavour profile

Peated · Winey · Dark Fruit · Fresh · Tannic

Did you know?

Pauillac is home to three of the world's five classified Premier Cru chateaux in Bordeaux. Casks that have held wines from these estates are rare and highly sought after in the whisky world.

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When new, unused oak meets Caol Ila's already robust smoke profile, something unexpected happens: instead of cancelling each other out, they pull in the same direction. Wilson & Morgan used Virgin Oak casks as a finish on this 8-year expression, and the result is a Caol Ila with a forceful character that surprises.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2015/2023 Wilson & Morgan 8 Years is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in refill hogsheads with a finish in first-fill Virgin Oak casks, bottled at 57.1%.

Wilson & Morgan is an Italian, family-owned bottler founded in Barolo country in 1992 with a keen eye for Scottish casks. This is the 2nd batch of the series from Caol Ila, with cask numbers #314293-97 and #314299-301. 2,383 bottles were produced.

The Virgin Oak cask – never previously used – is intense: it contributes powerful notes of vanilla and coconut along with spice, but none of the buttery sweetness that a sherry cask would give. Combined with Caol Ila's maritime smoke, an aromatic backbone emerges that is clear and vivid.

Tasting notes

Nose

Warm vanilla and coconut from the Virgin Oak open, followed by Caol Ila's peat smoke and fresh citrus. A hint of cinnamon and cloves in the background.

Palate

Robust and aromatic. Smoke and oak spice sit close together, with an underlying freshness of green apple and citrus peel. No buttery sweetness – direct, clean character.

Finish

Medium-long. Spice and smoke linger with a dry, lightly bitter ending from the fresh oak.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2015/2023 Wilson & Morgan 8 Years
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 57.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogsheads with Virgin Oak finish
Distilled: 2015
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 2,383
Edition: 2nd batch
EAN no.: 8057760350366

Flavour profile

Peated · Spiced · Fresh · Vanilla · Robust

Did you know?

Wilson & Morgan is based in Piedmont, northern Italy – and that is no coincidence: Italy's whisky enthusiasm is world-class. Italy ranks among the countries with the most whisky purchasers per capita globally.

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Thirty-three years in a single cask. While Caol Ila has distilled and matured its well-known 12-year for Diageo's needs, this cask has waited – unseen and untouched – in a refill bourbon hogshead in a Scottish warehouse. Hunter Laing found it in 2023 for The Kinship: the series' most important bottling of the year.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 33 Years The Kinship Series Hunter Laing is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a single refill bourbon hogshead, bottled at 44.5% without chill filtration and with natural colour. 300 bottles.

The Kinship is Hunter Laing's prestige series – one expression per distillery, released once a year. For 2023, the choice fell on this 33-year Caol Ila, which according to Hunter Laing itself celebrates the Scottish whisky community and the regions that have made Scotland world-famous.

Three decades in a refill bourbon hogshead give a Caol Ila that has changed: the smoke is there, but softened and integrated over time. This is not the young, salty Caol Ila – it is a mature, layered version of it.

Tasting notes

Nose

Light peat smoke with caramel, stewed fruit and soft beeswax. A salty sea breeze that immediately sets the scene on Islay's coast – but in a slower, more reflective tone than young bottlings.

Palate

Soft and layered. Clear maritime saltiness, seaweed and fresh oysters. The smoke is discreet and elegantly integrated, with room for deeper notes of oak, dried fruit and medicinal herbs. A bottling to spend time with.

Finish

Long, leathery and satisfying. Worn leather, glowing peat embers and a persistent salty close that is in no hurry.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 33 Years The Kinship Series Hunter Laing
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Hunter Laing & Co.
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 33 years
ABV: 44.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single cask – refill bourbon hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 300
Series: The Kinship Series

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Leathery · Layered · Elegant

Investment potential

High. A single-cask bottling at 33 years from a respected bottler with only 300 bottles is rare – and Hunter Laing's Kinship series is sought by collectors worldwide.

Did you know?

Hunter Laing also operates Ardnahoe Distillery on Islay – the island's newest distillery, opened in 2019. Ardnahoe uses traditional worm tubs for condensation, giving a heavier and more complex distillate than modern condensers.

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Five years is a short time. But Murray McDavid knew what they had – a young, vibrant Caol Ila distillate that needed a pivot point. Justino Madeira casks from the Atlantic island provided it: a sweet, slightly oxidised wine sweetness meeting the young smoke halfway.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 5 Years Murray McDavid Benchmark Series Justino Madeira Cask Finish is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 2018, bottled in 2023 at 51.5% with a Justino Madeira cask finish, without chill filtration and with natural colour.

Murray McDavid is a Scottish bottler with a long history and a clear philosophy: find interesting casks, experiment with unexpected combinations and bottle with respect for the distillate's character. The Benchmark Series is the line of larger batches – this batch yielded 1,803 bottles.

Justino Madeira's casks – from the Portuguese Atlantic island – are known for their sweet, nutty and lightly oxidised profile. Caol Ila's young smoke meets it and produces an expression both fresh and surprisingly complex for its age.

Tasting notes

Nose

Young, fresh Caol Ila smoke meets sweet, nutty Madeira notes. Dried fruit, a warm spice note and a hint of salt.

Palate

Light and fresh with a sweet Madeira frame around Caol Ila's smoke. Toffee, light citrus and a slightly medicinal edge showing the distillate's youth.

Finish

Relatively short but fresh. Smoke and Madeira sweetness close with light saltiness and a little pepper.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 5 Years Murray McDavid Benchmark Series Justino Madeira Cask Finish
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 51.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Justino Madeira casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2018
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 1,803
Series: Benchmark Series
EAN no.: 5060353304618

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · Sweet · Fresh · Nutty

Did you know?

Justino Madeira is one of the oldest wine houses on Madeira, founded in 1870. Their casks carry flavour and aroma from decades of dessert wine – that is the heritage they lend to whisky finishes.

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At Port Askaig on Islay's north-east coast, where the tidal current sweeps past whitewashed buildings and the Paps of Jura rise across the sound, stands a distillery that spent decades feeding Johnnie Walker's blends in near-anonymity. Here it appears under its own name, bottled by a young whisky house from Edinburgh.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 8 Years Edinburgh Whisky Co The Discovery Collection is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in refill hogsheads and bottled at 46.3% without chill filtration and with natural colour.

Caol Ila Distillery, founded in 1846 at Port Askaig, is Islay's largest distillery and a key supplier to Diageo's blends – primarily Johnnie Walker. Only a small share is bottled as single malt, giving each independent release a degree of rarity.

Edinburgh Whisky Co is a family-owned independent whisky house from Edinburgh that assembled the Discovery Collection to celebrate Scotland's whisky regions. The series covers Speyside, Highland and Islay, and is always bottled without artificial colour or chill filtration.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet barbecue smoke meets fresh citrus and a touch of salt-laden sea air. A soft vanilla note from the cask lingers in the background.

Palate

Creamy and round. Warm smoke integrated with fresh fruit notes and a light hint of honey. The balance holds throughout.

Finish

The smoke lingers, soft and persistent, with a final suggestion of sweetness and maritime notes.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 8 Years Edinburgh Whisky Co The Discovery Collection
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Edinburgh Whisky Co
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogsheads
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: The Discovery Collection

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · Creamy · Maritime · Sweet

Did you know?

Caol Ila – Gaelic for 'Sound of Islay' – is the island's most productive distillery, yet among the least known by name. It forms the backbone of Johnnie Walker Black Label.

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Dram Mor chose a French oak Oloroso hogshead for their Caol Ila – and that is not obvious. Scotch whisky is traditionally matured in American oak. French oak is denser, more spiced and contributes differently to the aroma profile than its American counterpart.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 9 Years Dram Mor is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in a French oak Oloroso hogshead, bottled at 55.2%. 288 bottles.

Dram Mor is an independent bottler specialising in single-cask bottlings with a focus on unusual cask combinations. The name is Gaelic for 'big dram'. French oak's denser structure gives more spice – cinnamon, cloves and a spicy dryness – combined with Oloroso sherry's fruitiness.

The existing tasting panel describes the whisky as 'sublime' with salted caramel, cigar smoke and stone fruits on the nose, and a massive, long-lasting finish. 288 bottles were bottled.

Tasting notes

Nose

Salted caramel and cigar smoke from the French oak meet Caol Ila's peat smoke and stone fruit. A complex and fascinating combination.

Palate

Intense and layered. Salted caramel, Oloroso sweetness and a depth of smoke and spice from the French oak. For those who want everything at once.

Finish

Massive and persistent. Smoke, fruit sweetness and spices hold without weakening for a long time – the kind of finish that rewards patience.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 9 Years Dram Mor French Oak Oloroso Hogshead
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Dram Mor
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 55.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single cask – finished in French oak Oloroso hogshead
Number of bottles: 288

Flavour profile

Peated · Oloroso-sweet · Spiced · Intense · Long-finishing

Did you know?

French oak (Quercus Robur) is denser and contains more tannin and spice than American white oak (Quercus Alba). It is traditionally used for the finest Bordeaux wines and is rare in Scotch whisky production.

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Rothes lost Caperdonich in 2002, and the walls came down a few years later. Only the casks remain, and there are fewer of them every year. This is one of them, pulled from the warehouse after 22 winters.

Expert description

Caperdonich 1997/2020 Lady of the Glen 22 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead and bottled at cask strength of 60.5%.

The cask carries the number 19130 and was filled in 1997, five years before Chivas Brothers closed the distillery for good. Lady of the Glen, the Scottish independent bottler from Fife, bottled it in 2020 without chill filtration and without added colouring. Caperdonich was originally built as Glen Grant No. 2 and mostly made malt for blends, which is why official bottlings are scarce. Bottlers like this one keep the distillery character alive.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried apricot and hay first, then vanilla, coconut and a thick waxy note from the bourbon cask. Give it five minutes in the glass and baked apple and a touch of white pepper appear.

Palate

The strength is there from the first sip, but it does not bite. Caramelised pear, honey, malt and toasted oak, with an oily texture that coats the tongue. A few drops of water open up a clear lemon peel.

Finish

Long and dry, with oak, nutmeg and a faintly bitter almond note that lingers well after the sweetness has gone.

Specifications

Name: Caperdonich 1997/2020 Lady of the Glen 22 years Single Speyside Malt Whisky 60,5%
Distillery: Caperdonich
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 22 years
ABV: 60.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon hogshead no. 19130
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2020
Number of bottles: 171
Edition: Single Cask

Flavour profile

Fruity · Waxy · Malty · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. Caperdonich is closed and demolished, and the supply of single cask bottlings with two decades in wood keeps shrinking. Bottles from the distillery have risen sharply in value since it shut down.

Did you know?

Caperdonich was originally named Glen Grant No. 2 and stood across the road from its parent distillery. A pipe ran under the road carrying spirit from one house to the other, and locals called it the whisky aqueduct.

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Two Italians with too much love for Scotch bought a cask from a distillery that no longer exists. Twenty years later it went into bottle. That is how Caperdonich survives.

Expert description

Caperdonich 20 years 2000/2020 Valinch & Mallet is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead and bottled at cask strength of 54.1%.

The cask is numbered VMT29511 and was filled in 2000, just two years before Caperdonich closed. Valinch & Mallet is an Italian bottling house founded by Davide Romano and Fabio Ermoli, working exclusively with single casks bottled at full strength. The outturn was 315 bottles. Caperdonich mainly made malt for blends and the site was demolished in 2011, so every cask that surfaces is one of the last.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bright and sharply fruity. Green apple, pear and peach, with cereal and a dry vanilla pod behind. After a while in the glass, wax and a hint of mint appear.

Palate

Sweetness comes first — honey and baked fruit — and is quickly followed by malt, white pepper and dry oak. The mouthfeel is dense and lightly oily, and the strength carries the flavour a long way without burning.

Finish

Medium long and dry, with cereal, oak and a fresh lemon note closing it off.

Specifications

Name: Caperdonich 20 years 2000/2020 Valinch & Mallet Single Speyside Malt Whisky 54,1%
Distillery: Caperdonich
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 20 years
ABV: 54.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon hogshead no. VMT29511
Distilled: 2000
Bottled: 2020
Number of bottles: 315
Edition: Single Cask

Flavour profile

Fruity · Malty · Fresh · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. The distillery is closed and demolished, the outturn is 315 bottles, and Caperdonich releases have become noticeably harder to find in recent years.

Did you know?

Caperdonich stood silent from 1902 to 1965 — 63 years without a drop of spirit. When it finally reopened it was still in the shadow of Glen Grant, and only in 1977 did its own name appear on the label.

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A bottle in the tall shape, still in its carton, holding 75 centilitres and three extra percentage points. Cardhu as it was sold when off-licences still called themselves wine merchants.

Expert description

Cardhu 12 years Tall Bottle Old Version is a Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 43% in a 75 cl bottle.

It comes with its original carton, which is rarer than the bottle itself — boxes were thrown away, bottles were kept. The release predates the move to 70 cl and 40%, and the higher strength shows clearly in the body. By then Cardhu had already spent nearly a century inside John Walker & Sons, and the soft, honeyed house style had long been the backbone of Scotland's best selling blend.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft and mature. Honey, poached pear and vanilla, with a dry malt note and a hint of dried camomile behind.

Palate

Full and lightly syrupy. Malt, pale caramel, apple compote and a little cinnamon, carried by a warmth that stays longer than in the current release.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty, with a faintly bitter oak note at the end.

Specifications

Name: Cardhu 12 years Tall Bottle Old Version Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 75 cl 43%
Distillery: Cardhu
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 75 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Tall Bottle Old Version with carton

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Malty · Fruity · Unpeated

Investment potential

High. Discontinued format, discontinued bottle shape and the original carton intact. That combination is hard to find, and complete examples leave the market quickly.

Did you know?

Cardhu is one of the few Scottish distilleries where a marriage decided the history. Helen Cumming sold whisky through the kitchen window while her husband worked the farm — and it was her daughter-in-law Elizabeth who later turned the place into a proper distillery.

See our full range of Cardhu Whisky

Cardhu is known as the gentle one. Then came 2021, when Diageo gave the distillery fourteen years, wine casks and 55.5% — and suddenly the gentle one was not gentle at all.

Expert description

Cardhu 14 years Special Release 2021 is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in wine casks and bottled at 55.5%.

The bottle is called The Scarlet Blossoms of Black Rock and belongs to Diageo's annual Special Releases series, where eight distilleries each year show a side of themselves you do not otherwise see. For Cardhu that meant a finish in wine casks, laying dark fruit and a dry, almost tannic edge over the usual house honey. The series is released once and never repeated.

Tasting notes

Nose

Red berries and plum first, then honey and baked apple underneath. The wine cask brings a dry, almost dusty spice, and the strength reads as warmth rather than sharpness.

Palate

Powerful and juicy. Cherry, dark chocolate and orange peel, with Cardhu's honeyed sweetness beneath it all. The oak tightens things up in the middle and gives a dry grip the 12 year old simply does not have.

Finish

Long and dry, with red berries, cocoa nibs and a spiced warmth that stays put.

Specifications

Name: Cardhu 14 years Special Release 2021 Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55,5%
Distillery: Cardhu
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 55.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in wine casks
Edition: Special Release 2021 The Scarlet Blossoms of Black Rock
EAN no.: 5000267186696

Flavour profile

Fruity · Spiced · Honeyed · Red Berry · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. Special Releases appear in a single run per year and are never made again. Older editions of the series have risen noticeably as they left the shelves.

Did you know?

The Special Releases series began in 2001 as a way of getting rare casks out of Diageo's warehouses. Several of the distilleries featured over the years no longer exist, which is exactly why the series has become one of the most closely watched annual events in Scotch whisky.

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Chivas Brothers began as a grocer's shop in Aberdeen selling coffee, spices and a little whisky on the side. This bottle comes from the days when the house still put the word finest on the label and meant it literally.

Please note: The bottle carries a white Danish excise band.

Expert description

Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 43% in a 75 cl bottle.

The label calls it a blend of the house's oldest and finest Scotch whiskies, and the white Danish excise band places the bottle in a period when spirits were still banded on import into Denmark. Both the 75 cl format and the 43% strength have long since left the shelves. Chivas Brothers was founded in Aberdeen in 1801 and supplied whisky to the British royal household long before Chivas Regal became a name in its own right.

Tasting notes

Nose

Round and mature. Dried fruit, honey and pale caramel, with a dusty, old-fashioned note that only comes from time in glass.

Palate

Soft and oily. Raisin, orange marmalade and malt, with a layer of vanilla and a light nutty dryness beneath. The extra strength carries the flavour further than most modern blends.

Finish

Medium and dry, with malt, spice and a faint wisp of smoke right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Chivas Brothers Oldest and Finest Blended Scotch Whisky 43%
Distillery: Chivas Brothers
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43 %
Size: 75 CL
Edition: Oldest and Finest
EAN no.: 5000299274002

Flavour profile

Soft · Dried Fruit · Malty · Honeyed · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. The release is discontinued, the 75 cl format is out of production, and bottles with an old Danish excise band are sought after precisely because they can be dated.

Did you know?

Chivas Brothers started life as a colonial grocer. James and John Chivas sold everything from French delicacies to exotic spices, and blending whisky began as a sideline because customers asked for something softer than the fierce single malts of the day.

See our full range of Chivas Regal Whisky

A hundred distilleries in one bottle. Not as an arithmetic exercise, but as an attempt to draw a map of the whole of Scotland — Islay, Speyside, Highlands and Lowlands in the same glass.

Expert description

Chivas Century Of Malts is a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky built from 100 Scottish single malts and bottled at 43% in a 75 cl bottle.

The idea behind it was simple and rather bold: gather so many different malt whiskies that no single distillery signature could dominate. The whole was meant to give a picture of Scottish malt whisky as such. The bottle contains no grain whisky, which sets it apart from the house's ordinary blends. The release has long been discontinued, and both the 75 cl format and the 43% belong to an earlier era.

Tasting notes

Nose

Broad and layered. Heather, honey and dried fruit first, then malted cereal, a touch of sea salt and a distant peat smoke in the background.

Palate

Soft, but never flat. Malt, honey, apple and orange peel, with spice and a lightly smoked edge appearing towards the middle. No single note takes over, which is precisely the point.

Finish

Medium and dry, with malt, nuts and a last trace of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Chivas Century Of Malts One Hundred Single Malt Scotch Whisky 43%
Distillery: Chivas Brothers
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43 %
Size: 75 CL
Edition: The Century Of Malts
EAN no.: 5000299203101

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Fruity · Lightly Smoked · Complex

Investment potential

High. A discontinued release in a format no longer produced, and a concept nobody has repeated since. Collector interest has grown as the bottles have left the market.

Did you know?

Scotland had roughly a hundred working malt distilleries when this bottle was put together. Several have since closed and a few have been demolished, so the bottle is now also a snapshot of an industry that no longer looks like that.

See our full range of Chivas Regal Whisky

No distillery is named on the label, and that is not an oversight. Douglas Laing has gathered the Highlands into one bottle and let the region speak instead of the name.

Expert description

Clan Denny Highland Edition Small Batch Release is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

Clan Denny is Douglas Laing's range of regional small batch releases, where a handful of casks from the same region are married into a single expression. The distillery is not disclosed, and that is the whole idea — you are buying a regional character rather than a name. Douglas Laing has worked as an independent bottling house in Glasgow since 1948, and the family still picks the casks themselves in the sample room.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey and ripe fruit first. Apple, pear and a touch of peach, over a warm cereal base and pale vanilla from the wood.

Palate

Round and malty. Dried fruit, caramelised oak and a layer of spice with cinnamon and nutmeg under the sweetness. The texture is soft and lightly oily.

Finish

Long and fruity, with cereal, toasted nuts and dark honey fading into a lightly dry close.

Specifications

Name: Clan Denny Highland Edition Small Batch Release Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Small Batch Release Highland Edition
EAN no.: 5014218831177

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Malty · Lightly Spiced

Did you know?

The Clan Denny name comes from Douglas Laing's old Denny range, originally reserved for single grain whisky from closed distilleries. Today the name also covers regional malts, but the principle is unchanged: the casks speak, not the label.

See our full range of Clan Denny Whisky
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Peat smoke, seaweed and sea air with no distillery name to steer your expectations. Clan Denny Islay Edition lets you meet the island on its own terms.

Expert description

Clan Denny Islay Edition Small Batch Release is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

Douglas Laing selected the casks as a portrait of Islay as a whole rather than of one particular house. The island has only a handful of working distilleries, and although the source is not disclosed the style is unmistakable: peat smoke, salt and a medicinal edge no other Scottish region delivers in quite the same way. Bottling without chill filtration and without colouring means both texture and colour are as the cask left them.

Tasting notes

Nose

Peat smoke, sea breeze and a light medicinal note of iodine and seaweed. Under the smoke sit vanilla, honey and a touch of citrus.

Palate

Round and silky with a clear balance between sweetness and smoke. Apple caramel, baked pear and candied orange meet salted liquorice, bonfire smoke and a hint of nuts. The oak provides a lightly spiced frame.

Finish

Long and persistent with peat smoke, warm spice and a slowly fading sweetness that leaves salt sea air and dark chocolate.

Specifications

Name: Clan Denny Islay Edition Small Batch Release Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Small Batch Release Islay Edition
EAN no.: 5014218817904

Flavour profile

Smoky · Maritime · Sweet · Salted · Medicinal

Did you know?

Islay is only about 40 kilometres long but supplies a wildly disproportionate share of the world's peated whisky. The peat there is formed from moss, heather and seaweed, and it is the seaweed that gives the maritime, iodine-like note you do not find in mainland peat.

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Speyside has the most distilleries and the fewest extremes. This bottle does not try to be a particular house — it tries to be the region.

Expert description

Clan Denny Speyside Edition Small Batch Release is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

Douglas Laing married a small number of Speyside casks into one expression without disclosing the source. The region around the river Spey holds more than half of Scotland's working malt distilleries, and what they share is a style built on fruit, malt and soft sweetness rather than smoke. Small batch here means each release is limited and may vary slightly from one run to the next.

Tasting notes

Nose

Apple compote, honey and pale malt. Behind them sit vanilla, dried apricot and a light floral note.

Palate

Soft and malt-sweet. Pear, honey and pale caramel, with a touch of cinnamon from the oak. The mouthfeel is light and straightforward, without hard edges.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty, with cereal and a faint nutty warmth at the close.

Specifications

Name: Clan Denny Speyside Edition Small Batch Release Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Small Batch Release Speyside Edition
EAN no.: 5014218817898

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Malty · Honeyed · Unpeated

Did you know?

Speyside was only formally recognised as a whisky region in its own right in 2009. Until then its distilleries were officially counted as Highland, which explains why so many old labels say Highland Malt on whisky that came from the Spey valley.

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There is a texture in Clynelish that nobody quite explains. Candle wax, beeswax, something that coats the tongue and stays there. Whisky people simply call it waxy and leave it at that.

Expert description

Clynelish 14 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 46%.

The distillery sits on the coast in Sutherland, where the original Clynelish was founded in 1819 by the Marquess of Stafford. When a new distillery was built across the road in 1968, the old one was renamed Brora and closed in 1983. Clynelish is today one of the main ingredients in Johnnie Walker, but the 14 year old is where the distillery character stands at its clearest: maritime, waxy and with a freshness you do not find further south.

Tasting notes

Nose

Citrus peel and sea salt first, then wax, vanilla and heather. A cool, mineral note runs underneath it all and points straight at the coast.

Palate

Creamy and lively. Ripe fruit, malt, honey and a suggestion of smoke, carried by that distinctive waxy mouthfeel. The 46% gives bite without tightening things up.

Finish

Long, dry and elegant, with maritime nuances, pepper and a mild spiced warmth fading slowly.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 14 years Coastal Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Clynelish
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5000281016528

Flavour profile

Waxy · Maritime · Citrus · Honeyed · Lightly Smoked

Did you know?

The waxy character is unintentional. It comes from feed pipes at Clynelish that are not fully cleaned, letting an oily layer build up and mark the spirit. When the system was thoroughly scrubbed in the 1970s the wax vanished, and it took years to coax it back.

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The cask was filled in May 1992 and emptied again in May 2004 — almost to the day twelve years later. Signatory has a fondness for that kind of precision, and it rubs off on the whisky.

Please note: The bottle is supplied without a carton.

Expert description

Clynelish 1992/2004 Signatory Vintage 12 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a hogshead and bottled at 46% without added colouring.

The cask carries the number 6304 and gave 395 bottles. Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington and is among the most prolific independent bottlers in Scotland; the house also owns Edradour today. A twelve year old Clynelish from bourbon wood shows the distillery's waxy core with little cask interference, and releases from the early 1990s are becoming hard to find.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and cool. Lemon peel, green apple and wet stone, with wax and a light saline note behind.

Palate

Crisp and malty. Apple, honey, cereal and that oily Clynelish texture, with pepper and a touch of liquorice towards the end.

Finish

Medium and dry, with mineral, citrus and a waxy finish that sits around for a long time.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 1992/2004 Signatory Vintage 12 years Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead no. 6304
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 12/05/1992
Bottled: 19/05/2004
Number of bottles: 395
Edition: Single Cask

Flavour profile

Waxy · Citrus · Mineral · Malty · Dry

Investment potential

Medium. The bottling is over twenty years old, the outturn was 395 bottles, and Clynelish from the 1990s is increasingly traded among collectors. Unopened examples are getting scarcer.

Did you know?

Signatory is known for printing both the cask number and the exact distillation and bottling dates on the label. It looks like a technicality, but it makes the bottles traceable, and it is one reason collectors keep a particularly close eye on this house.

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The label says The Waxy Highland Distillery and nothing else. That is the kind of silence that says the most, because only one Highland distillery is ever called waxy.

Expert description

Clynelish 1996/2020 The Waxy 24 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead and bottled at 48.5%.

The cask is numbered MZ01-4 and gave 353 bottles after 24 years. The release was Valinch & Mallet's hundredth, and the house marked it by leaving the distillery unnamed under the byword The Waxy — an obvious nod to the texture Clynelish is famous for. A bourbon cask over that many years lets the spirit stand forward without much cask sweetness, which is exactly the point of this kind of bottling.

Tasting notes

Nose

Beeswax and lemon oil first, then ripe pear, honey and a cool mineral note. A distant sea air sits under it all.

Palate

Dense and oily. Citrus, malt, honey and wax, with white pepper and a dry herbal edge. The 24 years have given depth without the wood taking room from the fruit.

Finish

Long and dry, with wax, mineral and a slowly fading spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 1996/2020 The Waxy 24 years Valinch & Mallet Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 48,5%
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 24 years
ABV: 48.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon hogshead no. MZ01-4
Distilled: 1996
Bottled: 2020
Number of bottles: 353
Edition: The Waxy 100th Whisky

Flavour profile

Waxy · Citrus · Mineral · Honeyed · Dry

Investment potential

High. Twenty-four years in one bourbon cask, 353 bottles and the status of the bottler's hundredth release. Older Clynelish from independent bottlers has become noticeably harder to source in recent years.

Did you know?

Independent bottlers often hide the distillery name when the contract forbids its use. The solution is a byword such as The Waxy, Secret Highland or a nod to the region — and for enthusiasts, guessing the house is half the fun.

See our full range of Clynelish Whisky
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Eleven years is not much for a Clynelish. But if the cask is quiet enough, the wax comes through anyway — and you get the distillery almost in raw form.

Expert description

Clynelish 2014/2026 Càrn Mòr 11 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon wood and bottled at cask strength of 52.4%.

The release belongs to the Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited range from Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, run by brothers Brian and Jamie Morrison. The range consists solely of single batch and single cask bottlings, and once a release is gone it never returns. This one gave 264 bottles. The cask was chosen to let the distillery stand forward rather than sit on top of it — a young, energetic Clynelish with no cask make-up.

Tasting notes

Nose

Lemon oil, wax and ripe pears first. Behind them sit a light floral note and a cool mineral edge.

Palate

Creamy and lively. Citrus, honey, malt and wax, with a mild saline note and a touch of tropical fruit. The cask strength brings energy rather than sharpness.

Finish

Medium with dry mineral nuances, sweet malt and a clean, fresh close.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 2014/2026 Carn Mor 11 years Single Highland Malt Whisky 70 cl 52,4%
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Càrn Mòr
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 52.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2026
Number of bottles: 264
Edition: Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited

Flavour profile

Waxy · Citrus · Fresh · Mineral · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. The outturn is 264 bottles from one batch, and Càrn Mòr releases are never repeated. Clynelish is at the same time a distillery attracting growing collector attention.

Did you know?

Càrn Mòr means large cairn in Gaelic. The Morrison family has been in whisky for generations — Stanley P. Morrison was behind Morrison Bowmore, and the sons have since built their own bottling house from the ground up.

See our full range of Clynelish Whisky
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The label is a comic strip. The contents are a twenty-four year old Clynelish. That Boutique-Y Whisky Company built its entire identity on that contrast, and it still holds.

Expert description

Clynelish That Boutique-Y Whisky Company 24 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 49.7% in a 50 cl bottle.

This is the house's batch 5 from Clynelish and gave 154 bottles. That Boutique-Y Whisky Company was founded in 2012 by Ben Ellefsen and is known for its hand-drawn labels, where every bottle gets its own illustration with a story inside it. Behind the playful packaging sits a quite serious selection of casks — and a twenty-four year old Clynelish is not something you stumble across.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey cake and red berries first, then wax, orange peel and a warm spiced note from the old wood.

Palate

Full and round. Saffron, sea salt, golden syrup and ripe apples, with mild smoke appearing towards the end. The texture is thick and oily, as the age suggests.

Finish

Long, spiced and rich, with syrup, salt and a dry oak note that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish That Boutique-Y Whisky Company 24 years Single Highland Malt Whisky 49,7%
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 24 years
ABV: 49.7%
Size: 50 CL
Number of bottles: 154
Edition: Batch 5
EAN no.: 5052598158163

Flavour profile

Waxy · Spiced · Syrupy · Maritime · Lightly Smoked

Investment potential

High. 154 bottles from a single batch, 24 years in cask and a distillery whose bottles have become markedly harder to find. The Boutique-y labels also have a collector following of their own.

Did you know?

That Boutique-Y Whisky Company bottles in 50 cl rather than 70 cl, precisely to make rare and old casks available to more people. The idea has since spread to other bottlers, but the house was among the first to make it a standing policy.

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A copper dog was a home-made tube that distillery workers dropped into casks to smuggle whisky out in a trouser pocket. The name is a nod to that small crime.

Expert description

Copper Dog is a Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky built from eight distilleries and bottled at 40%.

All eight distilleries sit in Speyside, and the whisky is conceived as a distillation of the region's style rather than a portrait of one house. Copper Dog was developed at the bar of the Craigellachie Hotel, which is also where the name comes from — distillery workers used a small copper tube to draw an unauthorised sample from a cask. Diageo is behind the bottling.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fruit-driven and light. Apple, pear and honey first, then a lightly spiced note over a warm malted base.

Palate

Soft and round. Honey, ripe fruit and pale vanilla, with a touch of cinnamon and malt. There are no edges here — it is built to go down easily.

Finish

Short to medium, malty and lightly sweet, with a mild spiced warmth at the end.

Specifications

Name: Copper Dog Speyside Blended Malt Scotch 40%
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Copper Dog
EAN no.: 5000267165493

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Honeyed · Malty · Unpeated

Did you know?

The Copper Dog Bar at the Craigellachie Hotel gave the bottle its name, and the hotel sits in the middle of Speyside with eight distilleries within reasonable walking distance. It is no accident that exactly eight malts ended up in the recipe.

See our full range of Copper Dog Whisky

Eight years in cask, 43 percent and a name from Leith. Crabbie belongs to the blends that were drunk a lot and kept a little — which is exactly why the surviving bottles are interesting.

Please note: The bottle is supplied without a carton.

Expert description

Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured for at least 8 years and bottled at 43%.

John Crabbie & Co was based in Leith near Edinburgh and was as much a merchant house as a whisky producer. Age-stated blends were a quality marker in that period, and eight years meant even the youngest component had lost its edges. The 43% was standard for export bottlings and gives more body than today's 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt, cereal and dried fruit. Behind them sit honey, pale caramel and a trace of old wood.

Palate

Soft and rounded. Raisin, orange, malt and vanilla, with a lightly spiced warmth and a dry edge from the grain whisky.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty, with nuts and a hint of smoke right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky without carton 43%
Distillery: Crabbie
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Dried Fruit · Cereal · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. The release is discontinued, and older age-stated blends keep leaving the market as they get drunk.

Did you know?

Leith was Scotland's most important whisky port for more than a century. Casks were stored in warehouses along the quay and the blending houses sat close together — it was the harbour, not the distillery, that decided who could build a whisky business.

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Most people know the Crabbie name from ginger wine. Fewer know the Leith house also sold whisky — and that bottles from those days still turn up with the carton intact.

Expert description

Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured for at least 8 years and bottled at 43%.

John Crabbie & Co was founded in Edinburgh in the early 1800s and became world famous for its green ginger wine, but the house also traded and blended whisky. This release comes with its original carton, which makes a noticeable difference to a collector, since packaging was rarely kept. The 43% strength and the eight year age statement place it in an era when blends were still bottled with a little more body than today.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt and dried fruit first, then honey, pale caramel and a dusty note from the years in glass.

Palate

Round and malty. Raisin, orange peel, cereal and a little vanilla, with a warm spiced edge from the 43%. The mouthfeel is softer than today's standard blends.

Finish

Medium and dry, with malt, nuts and a lightly smoked close.

Specifications

Name: Crabbie 8 years Blended Old Scotch Whisky with carton 43%
Distillery: Crabbie
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: With carton

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Dried Fruit · Honeyed · Lightly Spiced

Investment potential

High. A discontinued release with an age statement and the original carton intact. Older blends carrying eight years on the label have become a niche collectors actively hunt.

Did you know?

John Crabbie began as a wine merchant and importer in Leith, Edinburgh's port. It was the harbour that gave access both to ginger from Asia and to the casks that later became whisky — two businesses grown from the same quayside.

See our full range of Crabbie Whisky

Flat-topped pot stills and copper worm tubs. Two old-fashioned choices Cragganmore has never changed — and the entire reason the whisky does not taste like its neighbours.

Expert description

Cragganmore 12 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 40%.

The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith at Ballindalloch and still draws water from the Craggan Burn alongside it. The unusual part is the equipment: the pot stills have short, flat-topped necks, and condensing happens in worm tubs rather than modern shell-and-tube condensers. Both give less copper contact, and the result is a heavier, more layered spirit. The 12 year old is the core expression and Speyside's seat in Diageo's Classic Malts range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet herbs and meadow flowers, honey and vanilla. Behind them sit a dry malted cereal note and a trace of resin.

Palate

Strongly malted for a 40% whisky. Honey, poached apple and sandalwood, with a suggestion of sweet wood smoke arriving mid-palate.

Finish

Long and malty with sweet hints and a mild herbal dryness at the close.

Specifications

Name: Cragganmore 12 years Single Speyside Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Cragganmore
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks
EAN no.: 5000281005430

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Honeyed · Herbal · Complex

Did you know?

Cragganmore is one of the few distilleries still condensing in worm tubs. The big wooden vats with their coiled pipes stand outside behind the distillery, and swapping them for modern condensers would change the whisky — one of the most concrete ways equipment shapes flavour.

See our full range of Cragganmore Whisky

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