Strictly Limited is where Càrn Mòr puts the young casks. No age statement to hide behind, no heavy sherry coat — just the spirit and a European oak cask.

Expert description

Craigellachie 2013/2022 Càrn Mòr 8 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in European oak and bottled at 47.5% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The release gave 1,173 bottles and belongs to Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited from Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers, run by brothers Brian and Jamie Morrison. The range consists of small cask marriages bottled at a fixed strength, and past releases have included Ardmore, Bunnahabhain, Mortlach and Caol Ila. European oak gives more spice and tannin than American, and on Craigellachie's meaty spirit the result is distinctly spiced.

Tasting notes

Nose

Caramel and baked fruit first, then cinnamon, dried herbs and a trace of smoke from the distillation.

Palate

Full and spiced. Caramel, malt and dark fruit, with tannin from the European oak and the mineral edge from the worm tubs. The texture is oily despite the young age.

Finish

Medium and dry, with spice, oak and a lightly smoked warmth at the end.

Specifications

Name: Craigellachie 2013/2022 Carn Mor 8 years Single Speyside Malt Whisky 47,5%
Distillery: Craigellachie
Bottler: Càrn Mòr
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 47.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: European oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 1,173
Edition: Càrn Mòr Strictly Limited
EAN no.: 5060109229035

Flavour profile

Spiced · Caramel · Malty · Mineral · Lightly Smoked

Did you know?

European oak and American oak behave completely differently. European carries more tannin and gives spice and dryness, while American gives vanilla and coconut. The choice of wood often matters more to the flavour than the number of years in cask.

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Picture an afternoon where the light slants low through a window, carrying the scent of orange peel and heather honey. That is how GlenAllachie 10 Year French Oak Finish greets you — a whisky given extra time on a cask it rarely visits.

Expert's Description

GlenAllachie 10 Year French Oak Finish is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky at 48%, matured in American oak casks and finished in French Virgin Oak casks — virgin French oak that has never previously held spirit. It belongs to the distillery's Virgin Oak series, where experimentation with different oak origins takes centre stage.

French oak lends the whisky a different spice character than American or European sherry oak — more restrained, yet carrying a clear sweetness that plays against the spirit's natural fruitiness. The colour is golden bronze, a sign the cask has released some of its colour without any help from caramel.

Behind the bottle stand Billy Walker and the GlenAllachie team, known for an almost stubborn insistence on letting the casks speak. This 10 year old is a limited edition, and as such a snapshot of what a single cask choice can do to an already characterful spirit.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Orange peel and heather honey meet a mild spiced aroma, while caramel and mocha settle underneath as a deeper base.

Palate

Heather honey and mocha continue from the nose, joined by brittle toffee and a touch of grapefruit. Cinnamon and earthy tannins give the whisky structure.

Finish

The finish is warm and lightly spiced, with ginger lingering long after.

Specifications

Name: GlenAllachie 10 Year French Oak Finish
Distillery: GlenAllachie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in French Virgin Oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Limited Edition

Flavour Profile

Honey · Spiced · Mocha · Citrus · Oak

Investment Potential

As a limited release from a sought-after series, this 10 year old carries a cask profile that will not be repeated indefinitely. Investment potential is rated medium, driven by limited availability and GlenAllachie's rising reputation among collectors.

Did You Know?

French Virgin Oak casks are used far less often in Scotch whisky production than American or European casks, partly because the dense French oak requires a different toasting process to unlock its aromatic compounds.

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On the banks of the river Tay, where salmon fishers stand in the water from first light, sits an old country house hotel with its own whisky on the shelf behind the bar. Ballathie House Hotel is not a distillery. It is a place that had a bottling made for itself, and that sort of bottle tends to be forgotten by everyone except the people who have been there.

The expert's description

Ballathie House Hotel 8 years is a Single Speyside Highland Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

The bottling was made by Inverarity, a Scottish whisky house that has been behind a number of hotel and house bottlings over the years. Ballathie House Hotel sits in Perthshire on the Tay, known for its salmon fishing, and the bottle was made as the house own, not as a commercial release for the wider market.

It belongs to that category of Scotch whisky which exists in limited quantity and rarely resurfaces once it is gone. Eight years in cask gives a young, clean malt profile where the character of the spirit itself still reads clearly through the oak.

Tasting notes

Nose

Young and clean. Barley, pale bread and peeled pear, with a single note of vanilla from the cask.

Palate

Light and malty with honey and a hint of lemon peel. The oak stays discreet and lets the barley do the talking the whole way.

Finish

Short and dry with a last malty warmth.

Specifications

Name: Ballathie House Hotel 8 år
Distillery: Ballathie
Bottler: Inverarity
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks

Flavour profile

Light · Malty · Fresh · Soft · Dry

Investment potential

Medium. Hotel bottlings like this one are made in small quantities for a single venue and are rarely repeated. That makes them hard to track down again, and they hold a solid position with collectors of Scottish house bottlings.

Did you know?

Ballathie House was built in the 1850s as a country mansion and has been a hotel since 1971. Salmon fishing on the Tay remains the main draw, and the hotel holds its own beat on the river.

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Murray McDavid has built its name on giving whisky one last, distinctive turn on unusual cask types — and here that turn is cognac. This GlenAllachie, distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2020 after 12 years, spent its final year in ex-cognac casks following maturation in a sherry butt. The result is creamy malt, fruity toffee and a touch of vanilla.

Expert's description

GlenAllachie 2008/2020 Murray McDavid 12 Year Old is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky, matured in a sherry butt and finished in 1st fill cognac casks, bottled at 50% ABV.

Murray McDavid calls itself the "pioneers of whisky maturation" and has built its reputation on exactly this kind of cask experimentation, where an already mature distillate is given one final finish that pulls it in a new direction. Here, the last 12 months of maturation took place in two specific 1st fill cognac casks (#1910865 and #1920865), after the whisky had already drawn its base character from a sherry butt.

The result is a whisky where GlenAllachie's creamy, fruity sherry character meets the softer, more perfumed wood notes of cognac casks — a combination rarely seen outside the kind of independent bottlings Murray McDavid is known for.

Tasting notes

Nose

Creamy malt and fruity toffee, with an underlying note of soft oak and a touch of vanilla from the cognac casks.

Palate

Soft fruit and vanilla sit up front, supported by a round, creamy sweetness from the original sherry maturation.

Finish

Medium length, with a gentle oak note and a lingering hint of cognac's perfumed sweetness.

Specifications

Name: GlenAllachie 2008/2020 Murray McDavid 12 Year Old 1st fill Cognac Casks
Distillery: GlenAllachie
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry Butt, finished in 1st fill cognac casks (#1910865, #1920865)
Number of bottles: 771
Edition: Limited Release – Benchmark Series
EAN no.: 5060353302645

Flavour profile

Creamy malt · Fruity toffee · Soft oak · Vanilla · Cognac finish

Investment potential

With only 771 bottles and a rare cognac finish from a respected independent bottler like Murray McDavid, this release sits at the high end of investment potential. The Benchmark Series is known among collectors for exactly this kind of unconventional cask choice, hard to come across twice.

Did you know?

The two specific cognac casks behind this finish — #1910865 and #1920865 — are named by their own cask numbers, something Murray McDavid often highlights to underline just how specific and traceable each finish is.

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Dalmunach began distilling in 2015. This bottle comes from that very first year — and six years on it is already a historic release from a distillery nobody knows yet.

Expert description

Dalmunach 2015/2021 Lady of the Glen 6 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in an oloroso quarter cask and bottled at cask strength of 59.6% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The cask carries the number 22 and gave 157 bottles. Dalmunach opened in 2015 at Carron in Speyside on the site of the demolished Imperial distillery and is one of the most modern productions in Scotland. A quarter cask is only about a quarter of a normal cask, which gives far more contact between wood and spirit — an efficient way of getting cask character into a young whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark and intense for its age. Raisin, dark chocolate and orange peel, with a young, cereal freshness under the sherry.

Palate

Powerful and concentrated. Dried fruit, cocoa and spice, with malted cereal and a peppery warmth from the cask strength. The quarter cask has worked fast and left clear wood structure.

Finish

Long and dry, with dark fruit, nuts and a warm spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Dalmunach 2015/2021 Lady of the Glen 6 years Single Speyside Malt Whisky 59,6%
Distillery: Dalmunach
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 59.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso quarter cask no. 22
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2015
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 157
Edition: Single Cask

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dried Fruit · Chocolate · Young · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. A release from the distillery's first production year in only 157 bottles. Early vintages from new distilleries often become sought after once the house later finds its form.

Did you know?

Dalmunach is built on the site of the Imperial distillery, demolished in 2013. The still house is laid out so that the eight pot stills stand in a formation meant to recall a sheaf of barley — an architectural nod to the grain the whole business rests on.

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Twenty-seven years after distillation, a single refill hogshead remains the only witness. Cask No. HL16113 held a mature, rounded Tamnavulin that Hunter Laing chose to let stand entirely on its own.

Expert description

Tamnavulin 1991/2019 Old Malt Cask 27 Year Old is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky, matured in a refill hogshead and bottled at 48.6%.

The whisky is bottled under Old Malt Cask, a series originally created by Douglas Laing in 1998 and continued since 2013 by Hunter Laing & Co., after Stewart Laing left the family business and set up his own house together with sons Scott and Andrew. The series is known for a consistent strength around 50% and for letting each individual cask's character speak for itself.

This release comes from Cask No. HL16113, a refill hogshead that held the whisky from distillation in 1991 to bottling in 2019 - 27 years in total. Only 308 bottles were drawn from this single cask, with no chill-filtration and no added colour, so what reaches the glass is the pure, time-worn character of this particular cask.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe apple and a trace of beeswax meet gentle butter and a muted note of old oak.

Palate

Round and oily, with notes of honey cake, dried apricot and a warm streak of clove spice.

Finish

Long and dry, closing on a hint of walnut and a lightly tannic oak from the many years of maturation.

Specifications

Name: Tamnavulin 1991 / Old Malt Cask / Hunter Laing
Distillery: Tamnavulin
Bottler: Hunter Laing & Co. (Old Malt Cask)
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 27 Years
ABV: 48.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead, Cask No. HL16113
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1991
Bottled: 2019
Number of bottles: 308

Flavour profile

Mature · Honeyed · Spiced · Oily · Dry oak

Investment potential

Medium. A 27-year-old single cask with only 308 bottles from a distillery rarely seen this old tends to draw collectors and enthusiasts as remaining bottles are opened and disappear from shelves.

Did you know?

The Old Malt Cask series was founded in 1998 by Douglas Laing and passed to Hunter Laing & Co. in 2013, when Stewart Laing left the family business and started afresh alongside his two sons.

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That Boutique-Y puts cartoons on the label and batch numbers instead of cask numbers. Beneath the slightly unserious surface sits a very serious approach to finding casks from distilleries that otherwise never appear under their own name.

The expert's description

Benrinnes 11 years Batch 11 That Boutique-Y Whisky Company is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky bottled at 49 % in a 50 centilitre bottle.

Benrinnes sits at the foot of the mountain of the same name near Aberlour and is owned by Diageo. The distillery has for decades sent almost all of its production into blends, and official bottlings are rare. That is why independent houses like this one are the most practical route to tasting the place.

That Boutique-Y numbers its releases in batches rather than stating cask numbers, and each batch is made only once. This one gave 241 bottles, and the 50 centilitre format is the house standard.

Tasting notes

Nose

Barley, orange peel, apple and light nutmeg.

Palate

Soft and spiced with more nutmeg, ginger, fruit, citrus and peach.

Finish

Full of dried fruit, honey and almond.

Specifications

Name: Benrinnes 11 år Batch 11 That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 49 %
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Batch 11
Number of bottles: 241
Edition: Batch 11

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Malty · Honeyed · Nutty

Investment potential

Medium. The batch was made once in 241 bottles and is not repeated. That Boutique-Y has a steady following among collectors, and the labels are collected in their own right.

Did you know?

Until 2007 Benrinnes used an unusual system with three stills in series, a partial triple distillation. It gives a heavy, almost meaty spirit that blenders have valued for decades.

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Some whiskies you remember forever because they were the first. For a great many whisky drinkers around the world, that bottle is a Glenfiddich 12 Years Old.

Expert description

Glenfiddich 12 Years Old Our Original Twelve is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in american ex-bourbon casks and European sherry casks and bottled at 40%. Our Original Twelve is Glenfiddich's best-selling release and the very foundation of the range. It matures in a combination of American ex-bourbon casks and European sherry casks, giving the fresh, pear-driven style Glenfiddich is known for worldwide.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh pears, delicate florals and a touch of oak.

Palate

Light and soft, with pear and malt sweetness carried by mild spice.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and refreshing, with a final hint of oak.

Specifications

Name: Glenfiddich 12 Years Old Our Original Twelve Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Glenfiddich
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years old
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American ex-bourbon casks and European sherry casks
Edition: Our Original Twelve
EAN no.: 5010327025155

Flavour profile

Fresh · Pear-sweet · Soft · Light

Did you know?

Glenfiddich was the first Scotch distillery to actively market single malt whisky outside Scotland, back in 1963 — a decision that effectively created the category as we know it today.

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Amber gold in the glass and three different sherry casks behind the scenes. Sherry Cask Edition is Tamnavulin's most layered everyday whisky, where each cask has left its own mark.

Expert description

Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky, matured in American oak casks and finished in three different types of sherry cask, bottled at 40%.

Where Double Cask relies on a single type of used sherry cask for its finish, Sherry Cask Edition goes a step further and combines three different sherry cask types. That gives the whisky a broader layer of complexity without losing the underlying Speyside expression from the American oak. Combining several cask types is a technique often used to achieve a more layered sweetness than a single cask can deliver alone.

The result is an amber-gold whisky where caramel, dried fruit and spice play off each other across several layers, from nose to finish.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla, caramel and banana, accompanied by notes of milk chocolate and a hint of fresh ginger.

Palate

Layers of maple syrup, raisin and orange with hints of apricot and melon.

Finish

Complex and rich, with impressions of fruitcake and overripe apricot that linger.

Specifications

Name: Tamnavulin Sherry Cask Edition
Distillery: Tamnavulin
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in three types of sherry cask
EAN nr.: 5013967015401

Flavour profile

Amber gold · Sweet · Spiced · Fruitcake · Complex

Did you know?

Under Spanish regulation, sherry casks must have held genuine sherry before they can be sold on to whisky producers, meaning every cask already carries several years of Spanish wine history before it ever meets Tamnavulin's spirit.

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The cooper toasts the cask over an open fire and the wood turns from pale to honey gold. That smell is what this bottle is built around: warm timber, burnt sugar and a little smoke off the coals, long before anyone pours whisky in.

The expert's description

Balvenie 12 The Sweet Toast of American Oak is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in American oak, finished in new toasted oak casks and bottled at 43 %.

The bottle belongs to The Balvenie Stories, a series where every release is tied to a specific story from the distillery. Here the story is the cooperage. The whisky takes its first maturation in traditional American casks and then moves into new, heavily toasted oak where the sugars in the wood have been caramelised by the heat.

The second cask type is what matters. New oak gives quickly and generously, and the toasting turns the natural sugars in the timber into vanilla and caramel notes. Bottling at 43 % keeps the texture in place without letting the wood take over the whole glass.

Tasting notes

Nose

Warm vanilla, burnt sugar and pale caramel. Underneath sits a hint of coconut and freshly planed timber.

Palate

Sweet and wood driven with toffee, vanilla and a light peppery edge. The malt holds back the sweetness and gives it a little resistance.

Finish

Medium with toasted oak, caramel and a dry, warm close.

Specifications

Name: Balvenie 12 år The Sweet Toast of American Oak
Distillery: Balvenie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in new toasted oak casks
Edition: The Balvenie Stories

Flavour profile

Vanilla · Caramel · Oak driven · Soft · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Balvenie is one of the last distilleries with full-time coopers on its own site. They repair and rebuild casks there, and it is exactly that kind of cask this release is built around.

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Two hogsheads, filled on the same day in May 1997, emptied on the same day in February 2018. Exactly twenty years and eight months in between. Signatory has a habit of writing the dates out in full, and here it gives a neat picture of how closely the two casks tracked each other.

Please note: The image is a stock photo.

The expert's description

Glen Keith 1997/2018 Signatory 20 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky from two hogsheads, bottled at 46%.

The casks were filled on 26 May 1997 and emptied on 26 February 2018 — hogsheads number 72609 and 72610, married into one bottling, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. The 46% is chosen rather than cask strength, and it suits a spirit like Glen Keith: bright and lightly waxy, where too much alcohol easily tramples over the fruit.

The spirit dates from 1997, which is two years before Glen Keith was mothballed. Seagram used the distillery as its experimental plant and ran trials on yeast strains and mashing here, so production varied more than at an ordinary Speyside distillery. That is exactly why the year on a Glen Keith matters more than on most others.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bright and clean. Pear, green apple and lemon peel, with vanilla and a dry malt note behind. After a couple of minutes a trace of beeswax emerges.

Palate

Soft and lightly oily. Honey, ripe pear and pale caramel, with a hint of toasted almond. The dryness only arrives at the end and keeps the whisky from turning dully sweet.

Finish

Medium. Malt, pear and a dry, faintly peppery close.

Specifications

Name: Glen Keith 1997/2018 Signatory 20 Year Old Speyside Single Malt 46%
Distillery: Glen Keith
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 20 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogsheads no. 72609 and 72610
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 26 May 1997
Bottled: 26 February 2018
EAN no.: 5021944094752

Flavour profile

Fruity · Malty · Honeyed · Dry · Soft

Investment potential

Medium. The spirit dates from 1997, from the final years before Glen Keith closed, and those bottlings exist in a number that cannot grow. A 20 year old from the period at an ordinary bottling strength is the kind of bottle that quietly disappears from shelves without being speculated on.

Did you know?

Seagram used Glen Keith to trial new yeast strains and mashing methods before putting them into service at other distilleries. That makes the older spirit less predictable than most — two vintages from Glen Keith can sit further apart than you are used to.

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Two cask types, one rounded whole. Tamnavulin Double Cask is the distillery's take on a soft everyday dram, where American oak and used sherry casks meet in a calm, golden glass.

Expert description

Tamnavulin Double Cask is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky, matured in American oak casks and finished in used sherry casks, bottled at 40%.

Double Cask is part of Tamnavulin's core range and represents the distillery's contemporary, approachable style, prioritising softness over complexity. After primary maturation in American oak, the whisky moves into casks that previously held sherry, adding an extra layer of sweetness and a light floral character without losing the underlying Speyside lightness.

The style is designed as an accessible entry point into the Tamnavulin range and is often used as a reference point for the distillery's other finished expressions, including Sherry Cask Edition and the various wine-cask series.

Tasting notes

Nose

Golden honey and ripe apple with a light floral scent and a hint of vanilla custard.

Palate

Medium-bodied and soft, with notes of caramel, dried apricot and a lightly tart freshness that keeps the whisky light on the palate.

Finish

Short to medium, refreshing and clean, closing on a hint of nuts and oak.

Specifications

Name: Tamnavulin Double Cask
Distillery: Tamnavulin
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in used sherry casks
EAN nr.: 5013967011557

Flavour profile

Honeyed · Soft · Floral · Light nutty · Approachable

Did you know?

Tamnavulin sits on the River Livet, a tributary of the Spey, and by pure coincidence the river's name reads almost like the Danish word for "life" - a small linguistic quirk locals enjoy pointing out to visitors.

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In 1963, Glenfiddich did something no other Scotch distillery had dared before — they sold their single malt outside Scotland. The Original is a direct tribute to the bottle that changed the whisky world.

Expert description

Glenfiddich The Original Limited Edition is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in american ex-bourbon casks and European sherry casks and bottled at 40%. The release is built on the same cask combination Glenfiddich used for its very first export bottling: American ex-bourbon casks and European sherry casks. The Original was created in a limited run to celebrate the distillery's pioneering work, rather than as a fixed part of the core range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh pear and a touch of honey, with a delicate underlying sherry sweetness.

Palate

Light and fruity with soft malt, honey and a mild spice.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Glenfiddich The Original Limited Edition Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Glenfiddich
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American ex-bourbon casks and European sherry casks
Number of bottles: Limited release
Edition: The Original - tribute to the 1963 release
EAN no.: 5010327325569
Notice: No box

Flavour profile

Fruity · Light · Soft · Classic

Investment potential

Low. The Original pays tribute to the 1963 release that first brought Scotch single malt to the world, and historic tribute bottlings like this tend to appreciate quietly over time.

Did you know?

The original 1963 release was sold in a triangular bottle — a design detail that still echoes in Glenfiddich's bottles today.

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Cragganmore is almost always sold at forty percent and twelve years. Every so often Diageo opens the warehouse door and lets it out at full strength — and then it becomes a different whisky entirely.

Expert description

Cragganmore 2016 Annual Release is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 55.7% without an age statement.

The release belongs to Diageo's annual Special Releases and was made in 4,932 bottles. Cragganmore sits at Ballindalloch between mountain and sea, in the triangle of land locally called the Garden of Scotland, where barley is a natural crop and the Spey is Scotland's fastest flowing river. It was precisely that combination of barley, water and peat from the uplands to the south that made John Smith build here in 1869. At 55.7% the herbal, malted house style stands far more clearly than in the 12 year old.

Tasting notes

Nose

Concentrated heather and honey, dried herbs and a warm resinous note. Underneath sit malt, apple skin and a trace of wood smoke.

Palate

Powerful and dense. Honey, sandalwood, malt and candied citrus, with a peppery warmth from the strength and a dry herbal edge keeping the sweetness in check.

Finish

Very long and dry, with malt, herbs, oak and a slowly fading smoked warmth.

Specifications

Name: Cragganmore 2016 Annual Release Single Speyside Malt Whisky 55,7%
Distillery: Cragganmore
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 55.7%
Size: 70 CL
Number of bottles: 4,932
Edition: Annual Release 2016
EAN no.: 5000281046082

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Herbal · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. The outturn is 4,932 bottles, the vintage is bottled once and never repeated, and Cragganmore appears rarely in the series. Older Special Releases have risen sharply as they left the shelves.

Did you know?

Cragganmore sits in what locals call the Garden of Scotland — a fertile triangle between mountain and sea where barley grows well. John Smith chose the spot because everything a distillery needs lay within walking distance: grain, water, peat and a railway.

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Thirty years in a cask is a long time. The world outside Dufftown has changed a great deal since this whisky went into wood sometime in the 1980s, and since 2007, when Glenfiddich redesigned the 30 Year Old and raised the strength to 43%, this version has stood apart as a small piece of distillery history in its own right. This bottle is from before that change, back when it carried the name Blue Label and was bottled at 40%.

The Expert's Description

Glenfiddich 30 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Oloroso Sherry Casks and American Bourbon Casks and bottled at 40%. This is the original edition of Glenfiddich's 30 Year Old, launched in 2000 and discontinued when the distillery gave both the label and the strength an overhaul in 2007. Since then the 30 Year Old has been bottled at 43%, while this particular bottling still carries the old strength. Every cask is personally nosed and approved by Glenfiddich's Malt Master before it earns a place in the final vatting, and only a limited number of casks make it all the way through thirty years in the warehouse. Maturation alternates between Spanish Oloroso Sherry Casks, which lend depth and dark fruit, and American Bourbon Casks, which contribute vanilla and a touch of sweetness. The result is a whisky that carries three decades of patience within it, complex but never heavy.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark oak, toasted almond and a hint of spiced sherry greet the nose first. Behind that sits dried fig and a faint, damp earthiness reminiscent of an old library.

Palate

The palate is round and full-bodied with notes of date, caramelised sugar and a slightly bitter orange peel. Oak steps forward clearly alongside warm festive spices, cinnamon and clove.

Finish

The finish is long and dry, with a last flicker of dark chocolate and worn wood that lingers well after the final sip.

Specifications

Name: Glenfiddich 30 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Glenfiddich
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 30 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso Sherry Casks and American Bourbon Casks
Bottled: 2007
Edition: Blue Label, discontinued edition prior to the 2007 redesign
EAN no.: 5010327395258

Flavour Profile

Sherry-Matured · Spiced · Fruity · Oak-Driven · Round

Investment Potential

The investment potential is rated medium to high. This pre-2007 edition is discontinued and is becoming harder to find every year, and it now trades noticeably above what a comparable newer 30 Year Old from Glenfiddich costs. Collectors are especially drawn to the old 40% strength and the original Blue Label design.

Did You Know?

Glenfiddich was the first Scotch distillery to open its doors to visitors, back in 1969, at a time when most other distilleries kept production firmly behind closed doors.

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Madeira is an island where the sun bakes the wine denser and sweeter than most European climates allow. Glenfiddich has borrowed exactly that sweetness for one of its most exotic expressions.

Expert description

Glenfiddich 19 Years Old Age of Discovery Madeira Cask is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks finished in Madeira casks and bottled at 40%. Age of Discovery Madeira Cask matures for 19 years in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in casks that previously held Madeira wine. That adds a deep, nutty sweetness that clearly sets it apart from the distillery's other Age of Discovery expressions.

Please note wear on the top of the box and on the inside of the box

Tasting notes

Nose

Toasted nuts, dried apricot and a warm, wine-like sweetness.

Palate

Round and sweet with caramelised nuts, raisin and a slightly tangy fruitiness.

Finish

Medium and warm, with a final hint of dried fruit.

Specifications

Name: Glenfiddich 19 Years Old Age of Discovery Madeira Cask Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Glenfiddich
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 19 years old
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks finished in Madeira casks
Edition: Age of Discovery - Madeira Cask
EAN no.: 5010327315669

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sweet · Round · Nutty

Investment potential

Low. The Age of Discovery series has been discontinued from Glenfiddich's core range, which makes the remaining bottles gradually scarcer.

Did you know?

Madeira wine was historically shipped across the oceans in oak casks, because the heat and movement of the voyage was found to improve the wine's flavour — the same cask tradition is now reused to shape whisky.

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An old warehouse in Ballindalloch, steam from short flat-topped pot stills and water from the Craggan Burn. This is Speyside as it was once bottled — in the big litre bottle with the yellow band.

Expert description

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

The release dates from the 1990s, when Cragganmore was still sold in the discontinued litre measure with a yellow duty band — a design collectors know and look for. The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith, who sited it close to the Strathspey railway, locally known as The Whisky Line. Cragganmore still uses worm tub condensers, which almost nobody else does, and that is a large part of the reason for the heavy, complex house style.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet heather and meadow flowers first, then honey, vanilla and a dry nutty cereal note from the years in glass.

Palate

Soft and finely woven. Malt, honey, sandalwood and a touch of sweet wood smoke, carried by a lightly oily texture the modern bottlings do not quite reach.

Finish

Long and malty with sweet hints, dried herbs and a faint smoked warmth at the end.

Specifications

Name: Cragganmore 12 years 1 litre Old Version Single Speyside Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Cragganmore
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 100 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks
Edition: Old Version litre bottle with yellow duty band

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Honeyed · Complex · Lightly Smoked

Investment potential

High. The litre measure is discontinued, the yellow duty band is no longer used, and 1990s bottlings are only available to the extent that people kept them.

Did you know?

Cragganmore was built where it was because John Smith wanted the railway close by. The Strathspey line was called The Whisky Line, and the distillery got its own siding — whisky out, barley and coal in, without touching the poor roads.

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Twenty-five years is where the coffee arrives. Not as an addition, but as something that emerges on its own once sherry cask and time have worked together long enough — and at Glenfarclas it comes alongside orange marmalade and sweet smoke.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 25 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 43%.

The 43% may look low for a twenty-five year old, but it is a deliberate choice. After that many years in sherry casks the whisky is already concentrated, and a higher strength would make it hard rather than elegant. The balance between the sherry and the alcohol is the whole point of this bottling.

Glenfarclas can offer a continuous ladder from ten to forty years, which few family-owned distilleries can. It is because several generations have held back from selling the old casks off — something that requires being able to do without the income in the short term.

Tasting notes

Nose

Delicate sweet smoke, orange marmalade and honey, with freshly ground coffee, sherry and nuts over a base of aged wood.

Palate

Robust and full with great body. Sweet smoke and nuts, with a fine balance between the sherry casks and the alcohol. Dark chocolate settles at the back of the mouth.

Finish

Intense and long. Dry, malty, nutty and lightly smoky, with a dark chocolate note that lingers well afterwards.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 43%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5018066254317

Flavour profile

Sherried · Nutty · Coffee · Lightly smoky · Full

Investment potential

Medium. A twenty-five year old from a family-owned distillery that owns its own old stock is not a bottle produced in large volumes. Glenfarclas has kept its older age statements in the range, but the quantities shrink as the casks empty.

Did you know?

Glenfarclas can offer an unbroken age ladder from ten to forty years because the family has let the old casks stand over generations. It is a luxury few distilleries have, and it cannot be built up in a short time.

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It began as a Christmas present. In 1968 George S. Grant bottled a cask of Glenfarclas at full strength and gave it to family and friends, and it later became the 105 — the first cask strength single malt to be regularly available.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured primarily in oloroso sherry casks and bottled at cask strength 60%.

The whisky carries no age statement, but the contents typically sit somewhere between eight and ten years. The number 105 refers to the old British proof scale, where 105 degrees equals the 60% alcohol. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

When the 105 reached the market, the cask strength category barely existed as something you could buy in a shop. It was a time when almost all single malt was reduced to 40 or 43%, and Glenfarclas took a chance sending something this powerful out to ordinary customers.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisins, nuts and dark chocolate, with a touch of oak. There is a light floral note that balances the heavy sherry elements.

Palate

Intense and full from the first sip. Sweet malt and dark syrup, followed by spiced oak, cloves and a trace of liquorice. The strength registers clearly, but it is warming rather than sharp.

Finish

Long, dry and lasting. Spices, dark fruit and a pleasant warmth that hangs on for a long time.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Whisky 70 cl 60%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 60%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Primarily oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: 105 Cask Strength
EAN no.: 5018066105015

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark fruit · Spiced · Powerful · Cask Strength

Did you know?

Glenfarclas 105 was born in 1968 when George S. Grant bottled a cask at full strength as a Christmas gift for family and friends. It later became a permanent part of the range and is regarded as the first regularly available cask strength single malt.

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Two years more than the ten year old and three percentage points higher. It does not sound like much, but at Glenfarclas it makes the difference between a whisky you drink and a whisky you sit with.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 12 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 43%.

The twelve years is the distillery best-selling release and the one most people use as a reference point for the house style. The sherry is clear but has not taken over yet, and at 43% the whisky carries more body than the 10 year old without demanding anything particular of the drinker.

The name Glenfarclas means the glen of the green grassland, and it is exactly that freshness you find beneath the sherry here. It is a note that runs through the whole range and keeps turning up, however many years the cask is given.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and crisp, with a lightly spiced sweetness and a touch of orange. The sherry sits as a warm base beneath it all.

Palate

Full with notes of dried fruit, new wood and a light sweet smoke. The 43% gives the whisky a firmness the 10 year old lacks, and the spice builds slowly towards the end.

Finish

Surprisingly long. Elegant spice and dried fruit lingering further than the age suggests.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 70 cl 43%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks

Flavour profile

Sherried · Spiced · Dried fruit · Fruity · Malty

Did you know?

Glenfarclas has a board room panelled with wood from the ocean liner Empress of Australia. The panelling came from the ship’s drawing room and was put up in the visitor centre, which has been called The Ship’s Room ever since.

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Sherry from the first sip. Glenfarclas does not use sherry casks as a finish but as the foundation itself, and you can taste it already in the youngest release in the range.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 10 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 40%.

Ten years is the distillery entry release, and it is built to show the house style rather than to impress with age. The sherry takes up clear room, but at 40% the whisky is light enough to be drunk without ceremony, and there is a trace of smoke in the background that comes from the direct firing under the stills.

Glenfarclas sits at Ballindalloch by the River Spey and has been in the hands of the Grant family since 1865. The water comes from a spring in the Ben Rinnes hills, and the distillery is one of very few left that still fires its pot stills directly with gas rather than using steam heating.

Tasting notes

Nose

Plenty of sherry, with honey, a touch of caramel and barley behind.

Palate

Spices, dried fruit, pastry and caramel, with a very small hint of smoke in the middle. The body is light at 40%, but the sherry gives it more weight than the number suggests.

Finish

Medium. More spice, dried fruit and oak closing quietly.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 10 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5018066104018

Flavour profile

Sherried · Spiced · Dried fruit · Malty · Light

Did you know?

John Grant bought Glenfarclas in 1865 for £512, and the distillery has been in the family ever since. That makes Glenfarclas one of very few Scottish distilleries still run by the same family after more than a century and a half.

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