On Denmark's windswept west coast, where the North Sea weather rolls straight in, there's a distillery that once had the idea of resting its rye whisky in casks that used to hold maple syrup from Vermont. Back then it was pure curiosity. Today it's one of the most talked-about Danish whiskies ever made.

Expert's Description

Stauning R.Y.E. Maple Syrup Cask Studio Series is a Danish Rye Whisky matured in new American oak casks and finished in Maple Syrup casks from Vermont, bottled at 53.5%.

The story starts with a single cask, No. 517, which Stauning experimented with a few years back. It turned out to be one of the most awarded Danish whiskies ever, winning the World's Best Single Cask Single Rye category at the World Whiskies Awards 2023. That exact cask sold out fast, and demand for another shot at the same combination never really stopped. With the Studio Series release, Stauning gets as close to the original as it can, even if it isn't the same bottle.

The grain is Danish rye and barley from local farms, floor-malted and kiln-dried at the distillery, using the same approach the distillery's nine founders started out with. The whisky is double distilled in Stauning's 24 small pot stills, heated by direct fire, an old-fashioned, labour-heavy method most other distilleries don't bother with anymore. From there, the spirit first rests in new, heavily charred American oak casks before moving into casks that once held maple syrup from Vermont. Those last casks are what really leave their mark: a rich sweetness, warm spices like vanilla and cinnamon, and a touch of liquorice and charred wood layered over the rye's natural spiciness. The release is limited to 2,500 bottles from 10 casks.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Warm spice meets dried fruit right away, cinnamon and vanilla from the maple syrup casks, with ripe raisin and a hint of fresh rye bread somewhere behind it.

Palate

Caramelised apple and ripe plum arrive first, followed by toasted oak. The sweetness is velvety and kept in check throughout by the rye's spicy, almost peppery edge.

Finish

Long and gently warming, with a fruity finish and a mouthfeel that feels softer than you'd expect at 53.5%.

Specifications

Name: Stauning R.Y.E. Maple Syrup Cask Studio Series
Distillery: Stauning
Region/Country: Denmark, Western Jutland
Type: Danish Rye Whisky
ABV: 53.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: New American Oak Casks, finished in Maple Syrup Casks from Vermont
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation Method: Double distilled in Pot Stills heated by direct fire
Number of Bottles: 2,500
Edition: Studio Series, Limited Edition
EAN: 5744002861799

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Fruity · Sweet · Rich

Investment Potential

Medium. The combination of rye and maple syrup casks has already won both World's Best Single Cask Single Rye and, the following year, Best Danish Rye at the World Whiskies Awards, and with only 2,500 bottles in this release, Stauning's limited releases tend to become sought-after among collectors of Danish whisky.

Did You Know?

The same combination of rye whisky and maple syrup casks went on to win Best Danish Rye at the World Whiskies Awards the following year, in 2024, so it clearly wasn't just one lucky cask.

See our full range of Stauning

Listen to our podcast:

190 years is a long time to keep faith with the same recipe, but that is exactly what the Grant family have done in Ballindalloch since 1836. No outside investors, no strategy reshuffles every decade – just sherry casks, patience and a distillery that still fires its stills with direct flame. For the anniversary, they have brought five decades of that whisky together in one bottle.

The Expert's Description

Glenfarclas 190 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky married from 78 sherry casks and bottled at 51.4%. The bottle is the third and final release in the distillery's Anniversary Trilogy, following Glenfarclas 175 and Glenfarclas 185, and marks 190 years since the distillery was first licensed in 1836.

Behind the selection are Distillery Manager Callum Fraser and Managing Director Douglas Belford, who dug through the warehouses and pulled casks from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. The idea was not simply to blend old and new, but to draw something specific from each decade: the fruitier notes from the 70s, the richer sherry character from the 80s and 90s, and the soft caramel from casks laid down in the 2000s. The whisky carries no added colouring and is non-chill filtered, and the strength is no accident either – 51.4% corresponds to 90 British proof, the unit Glenfarclas printed on its labels for the first 154 years of the distillery's history.

Glenfarclas has never strayed far from the sherry cask. Since being licensed in 1836, virtually everything the distillery makes has gone into sherry casks sourced through a long-standing arrangement with a family-run bodega in Jerez, and its direct-fired stills are among the last of their kind in Scotland. The label on the 190 release draws on designs from across the decades, wrapping the bottle in a piece of the distillery's own history rather than hiding it away.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Green apples and sherry sweetness arrive first, quickly followed by spiced Christmas cake and a touch of candied fruit.

Palate

Rich and velvety on the mouth, with toffee, caramel and a solid sherry weight balanced against a light apple tartness.

Finish

Long, with dark chocolate and a dry hint of tobacco leaf that lingers well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 190
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 51.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Sherry Casks from Jerez, Spain
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Bottled: 2026
Number of Bottles: 15,000
Edition: 190th Anniversary

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Caramel-rich · Spiced · Rich

Investment Potential

Medium. The two earlier releases in the Anniversary Trilogy, 175 and 185, have both become sought-after among collectors, and with only 15,000 bottles of the 190 release going around the world, the same is likely here – helped by Glenfarclas' standing as one of Scotland's last truly family-owned distilleries.

Did You Know?

The figure 51.4% is not a random choice. It corresponds to 90 British proof – the strength Glenfarclas printed on its labels for the first 154 years the distillery existed, before the British proof system was phased out.

See our full range of Glenfarclas

Listen to our podcast:

At the foot of Ben Rinnes, December settles heavy and dark over Speyside, and it's in that stretch of the year that Glenfarclas fills its last casks of the season. This bottle comes from exactly that kind of batch – set aside for nearly a decade while the Grant family waited for the right moment to send it out as this year's Christmas release, this time made exclusively for the Danish market.

The Expert's Description

Glenfarclas Jule Malt 2026 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, built from Sherry casks spanning first to fourth fill and bottled at 49.7%.

This is the second release in Glenfarclas' ongoing Jule Malt series, and the whisky inside was distilled in December 2015 – among the last batches the distillery managed to run before Christmas that year. Only 900 bottles have been produced, and the entire batch has gone to the Danish market. Glenfarclas has drawn on casks from four separate generations of Sherry fill for this blend: the first-fill casks bring power and dark fruit, while the older, repeatedly refilled casks let more of the malt's own character come through. The result is a Sherry-matured whisky with more layers than a single cask type usually gives.

Glenfarclas has stayed in the hands of the Grant family since 1865, and the distillery is today one of the last in Scotland still owned and run by the same family across six generations. The whisky is still distilled using direct-fired pot stills, the largest of their kind in Speyside, and the finished whisky is never coloured or chill-filtered.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and candied orange peel arrive first, followed by dark marzipan, a touch of nutmeg and a hint of polished oak.

Palate

Dates and walnuts meet a warm, spiced sweetness of ginger and cinnamon, while the Sherry holds it all together without turning sticky.

Finish

Long and dry, with a light oak grip and a lingering Sherry sweetness that stays with you well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas Jule Malt 2026
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 49.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Sherry casks, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distilled: December 2015
Bottled: 2026
Number of Bottles: 900
Edition: Jule Malt 2026, bottled exclusively for Denmark
EAN no.: 5018066260233

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spiced · Nutty · Rich

Did You Know?

According to Glenfarclas' own label, this particular batch was among the very last the distillery managed to run before Christmas in 2015 – a full ten years before the bottle finally lands in the glass as part of the 2026 release.

See our full range of Glenfarclas

Listen to our podcast:

Some whiskies try to say everything at once. And then there is Stauning Rye – a whisky that just is what it is. Rye. West Jutland. Floor-malted on their own lofts. Matured until it is ready.

Expert description

Stauning Rye Floor Malted is a Danish Rye Whisky bottled at 48%. Stauning Whisky was founded in 2005 by nine friends in Skjern, West Jutland. Rye is the distillery's original expression and flagship from the very beginning. Made from locally grown rye and floor-malted barley – all malted on their own lofts. "Floor Malted" in the name is not a marketing gimmick: it is a genuine description of a technique they use every single day. Matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and spiced rye, light honey and a hint of blossom. Bread and soft vanilla. Not heavy, but with substance.

Palate

Spiced and direct. Rye grain and pepper, followed by sweet maltiness and light caramel. A trace of dried fruit from the sherry casks.

Finish

Medium length and spiced. The rye spice persists, followed by a clean, gentle sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Stauning Rye Floor Malted Danish Whisky
Distillery: Stauning Whisky
Region/Country: West Jutland, Denmark
Type: Danish Rye Whisky
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled, pot stills
EAN no.: 5711978010605

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fresh · Rye · Malty · Sweet

Did you know?

Stauning Rye was one of the first modern rye whiskies in Europe. When the nine founders distilled for the first time in 2006, European rye whisky was virtually non-existent – primarily a North American and Canadian phenomenon. Stauning helped change that.

Browse our full range of Stauning Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

There's a quiet stubbornness to Denmark's west coast – wind, rye and salt air, and a small distillery that decided twenty years ago to make Danish whisky without asking anyone's permission first. This miniature gift set is the fastest way to understand why Stauning still gets talked about in that company.

The Expert's Description

Stauning Miniature Gift Set Høst R.Y.E. RØG is a tasting set with three Danish whiskies from Stauning Whisky in West Jutland, each bottled in 5 cl miniatures.

Stauning was founded in 2005 by nine friends with no whisky-making experience whatsoever, but plenty of stubbornness. Since then it's grown into Denmark's best-known whisky distillery, still the only one in the country to floor-malt its own rye and barley and distil on traditional copper pot stills built in the Scottish tradition. The grain is grown locally within a bicycle-ride of the distillery by Ringkøbing Fjord, and every step, from field to bottle, happens under one roof.

The three whiskies in this box each show a different side of Stauning. Høst is the house's soft and approachable double malt, R.Y.E. is the distillery's signature product and the very foundation of the range, and RØG is the newest addition to the core lineup – a smoked double malt that brings peat and heather into the glass. Together they make for a quick, hands-on introduction to what Danish whisky can be.

Tasting Notes

Høst

Soft and fruity, with ripe peach, caramel and dark berries, rounded off by a touch of port wine and light floral notes from maturation in American oak with port casks.

R.Y.E.

Spiced and full-bodied, with freshly baked rye bread, dark fruit and toasted oak, unfolding into a long, sweetish finish from ageing in new American oak.

RØG

Smoky and earthy, where peat and heather sit over dried fruit and dark chocolate, carried by the malted rye that gives the whisky its depth.

Specifications

Name: Stauning Miniature Gift Set Høst R.Y.E. RØG
Distillery: Stauning Whisky
Region/Country: West Jutland, Denmark
Type: Danish Whisky Tasting Set
Contents: Stauning Høst Double Malt Whisky 40.5%
Stauning R.Y.E. Rye Whisky 48%
Stauning RØG Smoked Double Malt Whisky 43%
Size: 3x5 CL
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5744002861836

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Spiced · Smoky · Grain-forward · Versatile

Did You Know?

RØG is the newest addition to Stauning's permanent range and is often called a smoky twist on Høst – the two whiskies share their malt base, but RØG is brewed with peat- and heather-smoked malt from West Jutland's own landscape.

See our full range of Stauning Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

In Ireland's Boyne Valley, a stone's throw from the 5,000-year-old Newgrange monument, sits a distillery that insists on doing things the hard way. Boann is a family project through and through – not a factory, but a place where the grain is still Irish, the water is their own, and every bottle carries the name of a river rather than a brand.

The Expert's Description

Boann Legacy Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is an Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey matured across seven different cask types and bottled at 40%.

The whiskey is built on a complex mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, with oats and rye added in – the kind of mixed grain recipe that once defined Irish Pot Still whiskey, before the style nearly vanished during the 20th century. Boann Distillery is one of the first in over 50 years to properly revive that tradition. The spirit is triple distilled in copper stills built specifically for the distillery, before being split across seven cask types: Bourbon, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, Palo Cortado, Amontillado, Moscatel and French oak, sourced from some of the world's finest wine and cooperage regions.

Behind the bottle stands the Cooney family, who spent more than 50 years in the Irish drinks trade before building their own distillery from scratch in 2015. Legacy is named for exactly that – an inheritance, both the distillery's own and that of Irish whiskey as a whole, gathered into one bottle where seven casks meet and become something new.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toffee apple and classic sherry warmth meet ripe orchard fruit, with a playful hint of sweet cola gummies sitting underneath.

Palate

Silky and easy from the first sip. Honey and caramel form the soft core, lifted by a light floral note and a fresh squeeze of citrus, while candied ginger and Pot Still spice arrive late without ever disturbing the easy-drinking charm.

Finish

Medium in length, warm and gently spiced, with a lingering sweetness and a quiet dusting of Pot Still pepper on the way out.

Specifications

Name: Boann Legacy Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Distillery: Boann Distillery
Region/Country: Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland
Type: Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Seven cask types – Bourbon, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, Palo Cortado, Amontillado, Moscatel and French oak
Distillation method: Triple distilled
EAN no.: 5391528256297

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spiced · Round · Sweet

Did You Know?

Boann's copper stills are custom-built with nano-technology in the neck and lyne arm, giving the spirit up to six times more copper contact than a standard still – a detail the distillery uses to fine-tune the purity of its own house style of Pot Still whiskey.

See our full range of Boann Distillery

Listen to our podcast:

The Sleat peninsula on Skye has held only one whisky distillery at a time for nearly 200 years – first Talisker, and since 2017, Torabhaig too. Here, where the sea batters the cliffs and peat runs deep in the ground, a whisky is made with roots firmly planted in the island's rough character. This bottle isn't just another vintage: it was made to mark 30 years of Mac Y as one of Denmark's most dedicated spirits importers.

Expert's Description

Torabhaig Signature Reserve Mac Y 30th Anniversary Single Cask is a Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a first-fill American oak bourbon cask combined with a first-fill European oak hogshead, bottled at 55%. It's one of the very first single cask releases Torabhaig has ever put out, created specifically to mark Mac Y's 30th anniversary in 2026.

At the heart of this bottle sits that European oak hogshead: heavily toasted and hand-built by Spanish master cooper Juan Pino. The cask was seasoned with Oloroso sherry for 24 months before it received Torabhaig's characteristic peated new-make spirit. The whisky was distilled in 2020 and has now, in the anniversary year itself, found its way into the bottle.

The malt behind this whisky is peated to over 100 ppm – an unusually heavy smoke level, even for an island whisky. That intense peat is carefully balanced against the bourbon cask's spiced sweetness and soft vanilla notes, which in turn play off the sherry cask's dried fruit and bright acidity. The result is a whisky with real depth: smoky, yet refined, powerful, yet elegant.

Tasting Notes

Nose

A bold, classic island character greets the nose first: maritime smoke, sea salt and tar sit heavy and unmistakable. The smoke runs deep, yet stays remarkably well balanced from the very first sniff.

Palate

Intense and full-bodied on the tongue. Charred cask and a rich, almost barbecue-like sweetness open things up, spiced by the toasted oak. Right in the middle, a surprising, fresh streak of mint and lime cuts through.

Finish

Long and pleasant. As the heavy smoke slowly lifts, the palate is left with delicate notes of ash and a deep sweetness from dried fruit – a beautifully balanced close.

Specifications

Name: Torabhaig Signature Reserve Mac Y 30th Anniversary Single Cask Single Malt Whisky Skye
Distillery: Torabhaig
Bottler: Mac Y
Region/Country: Skye, Scotland
Type: Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 55%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: First-fill American oak bourbon cask combined with a first-fill European oak hogshead seasoned with Oloroso sherry
Distilled: 2020
Bottled: 2026
Edition: Signature Reserve – Mac Y 30th Anniversary

Flavour Profile

Peated · Maritime · Sherry-matured · Spiced · Powerful

Investment Potential

High. This is one of Torabhaig's very first single cask releases, tied to a uniquely hand-built cask from a renowned Spanish cooper and to Mac Y's landmark anniversary. Torabhaig has established itself in just a few years as one of the most talked-about new island distilleries, and early single cask releases like this one tend to become highly sought-after among collectors.

Did You Know?

Torabhaig is only the second licensed distillery ever built on Skye – the first since Talisker opened its doors in 1830, nearly 190 years earlier.

See our full range of Torabhaig

Listen to our podcast:

There's a quiet confidence about a bonded warehouse in Leith. For centuries, Edinburgh's merchants bought, blended and sold on whisky from across Scotland here, long before single malt meant anything to ordinary drinkers. Woodrow's of Edinburgh found a cask they couldn't bear to pass on. It came from Ardmore – the distillery that spent over a hundred years hiding its peated character inside someone else's blend.

The Expert's Description

Ardmore 11 Year Old Woodrow's of Edinburgh Warehouse Reserve is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a 1st fill bourbon barrel and bottled at cask strength, 60.2%.

Distilled on 4 December 2014 and bottled on 15 April 2026, the cask yielded 229 bottles in total. Ardmore was founded in 1898 by Adam Teacher to secure malt for the family's blend, Teacher's Highland Cream, and for decades the distillery stayed almost anonymous outside the trade – a workhorse whisky with someone else's name on the label. It wasn't until around 2007 that Ardmore began marketing itself seriously as a single malt. What sets it apart is the smoke: while most Highland distilleries moved to unpeated malt long ago, Ardmore still insists on locally cut peat from around Kennethmont. The smoke is softer and spicier than Islay's, but it's there, vintage after vintage.

Woodrow's of Edinburgh started out in 2020 as cask traders, run by brothers Mark and Chris Watt. They bought and sold casks on to other bottlers, but naturally tasted along the way – and some casks turned out too good to let go. Those become Warehouse Reserve, always bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. This particular 1st fill bourbon barrel has left the Ardmore with a layer of white chocolate, vanilla and light tropical sweetness sitting on top of the earthy smoke from the malt.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Smoky and slightly earthy, with citrus peel, forest floor, cedarwood and a hint of rose petal.

Palate

Creamy in texture with a light tannic grip. Orange zest and dark chocolate sit alongside old leather, a touch of tropical fruit and a lingering, earthy smoke underneath.

Finish

Long and aromatic, with lemon zest, cardamom and cinnamon that stay for a while.

Specifications

Name: Ardmore 11 Year Old Woodrow's of Edinburgh Warehouse Reserve
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: Woodrow's of Edinburgh
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 Years
ABV: 60.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: 1st fill bourbon barrel
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2026
Number of Bottles: 229
Edition: Warehouse Reserve
EAN no.: 5060769810765

Flavour Profile

Peated · Citrus · Spiced · Creamy · Earthy

Did You Know?

Ardmore was one of the last distilleries in Scotland to fire its stills with coal – right up until 2001. When it finally switched to steam, the distillery spent months designing new steam coils with built-in kinks to replicate the hot spots the coal fires had created, so the character of the spirit wouldn't change.

See our full range of Ardmore

See our full range of Woodrow's of Edinburgh

Listen to our podcast:

Where the Clyde bends past old shipyards just outside Glasgow sits one of the Lowlands' last surviving distilleries. Auchentoshan does something almost no other Scottish distillery bothers with: they distill three times instead of two, and locals have long called the result their "breakfast whisky" – that's how light and gentle it is.

The Expert's Description

Auchentoshan 12 Years is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 40%.

The distillery sits at the foot of the Kilpatrick Hills just outside Glasgow and has been making whisky since 1823. What sets Auchentoshan apart is its triple distillation – a method historically found almost nowhere else in Scotland outside the Lowlands, and more commonly associated with Ireland. The spirit runs through three copper stills instead of the usual two, producing a lighter, cleaner distillate that then matures in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks for at least 12 years. The name Auchentoshan comes from the Gaelic Achadh an Oisein, "corner of the field", and the distillery also goes by the nickname Glasgow's Malt Whisky, thanks to its closeness to the city.

The distillery is now owned by Suntory Global Spirits, who took it over in 1994 through Morrison Bowmore Distillers. During the Second World War, one of Auchentoshan's warehouses was hit by a German bomb, and production stood still for several years before resuming in 1948. The soft, lightly sweet character that still defines the whisky today has made it a natural first stop for anyone new to single malt.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted almonds and a lightly caramelised sweetness meet fresh citrus notes and a touch of honey.

Palate

Soft and rounded, with vanilla, mild caramel and a hint of nuttiness balanced by a light citrus tartness.

Finish

Short to medium, warm and gently spiced, with a lingering nutty sweetness and a touch of ginger.

Specifications

Name: Auchentoshan 12 Years
Distillery: Auchentoshan
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Bourbon and Sherry Casks
Distillation method: Triple Distilled
EAN no.: 5010496001769

Flavour Profile

Soft · Nutty · Lightly Sweet · Creamy · Delicate

Did You Know?

During a German bombing raid in 1941, one of Auchentoshan's warehouses was completely destroyed. The crater left by the bomb was later dug out into a pond that still sits on the distillery grounds today.

See our full range of Auchentoshan

Bouze-lès-Beaune sits deep in Burgundy, a long way from Scotland's peat smoke and the sun-baked bodegas of Jerez – and yet both worlds meet right here, in the cellar Michel Couvreur dug beneath the hillside. The whisky crosses the Channel young and peaty, and only really becomes itself after years spent in the dark alongside casks shipped up from Andalusia.

The Expert's Description

Michel Couvreur Candid is a French Blended Malt Whisky, distilled at undisclosed Scottish distilleries and matured in sherry half-casks in Burgundy, bottled at 49%.

Candid carries the subtitle "The New Disclosure Expression" – a reworking of the house's earlier Disclosure bottling. The spirit arrives in France as a peaty, iodine-driven malt whisky and is then laid down exclusively in half-casks that previously held Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Part of the maturation happens in the driest section of the cellar, and the rest is moved to the humid part, where the air is denser and ageing slows down. That's the whole point of Michel Couvreur's method: the cask does most of the work, not the distillate.

The house was founded by Belgian-born Michel Couvreur, who originally traded Burgundy wine before he began, in the 1970s, bringing Scotch malt whisky home and letting it mature further in his own wine cellars. Since his death in 2013, the tradition has been carried on by his son-in-law Cyril Deschamps and cellar master Jean-Arnaud Frantzen, who still travels to Jerez for the best used sherry casks and drives them back to Burgundy himself.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried fruit and a touch of iodine meet toasted almonds and a whisper of smoke, with a sweet, almost cake-like depth from the sherry casks.

Palate

Round and full-bodied, with raisins, a light buttery sweetness and an underlying peatiness that keeps it grounded.

Finish

Long and spiced, with a dry Sherry character and a lingering, mineral smokiness.

Specifications

Name: Michel Couvreur Candid
Bottler: Michel Couvreur
Region/Country: Scotland (distilled) / Burgundy, France (matured and bottled)
Type: French Blended Malt Whisky
ABV: 49%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Sherry half-casks
Edition: The New Disclosure Expression

Flavour Profile

Peated · Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spiced · Rich

Did You Know?

Michel Couvreur never used brand-new casks. He sourced used sherry casks himself in Jerez and drove them back to Burgundy personally, so they arrived as fresh as possible – a practice still carried on today by cellar master Jean-Arnaud Frantzen.

See our full range of Michel Couvreur

Listen to our podcast:

Right at Islay's north-eastern tip, at the end of a single-track road, Bunnahabhain sits with its back turned to the rest of the island's peat-driven distilleries. They've been making whisky here since 1881, and it's always gone its own way – the 12 Year Old is where that story starts.

The Expert's Description

Bunnahabhain 12 Years is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon and Sherry casks and bottled at 46.3%.

While most of Islay's distilleries have built their name on heavy peat smoke, Bunnahabhain has always stood apart. The malt is dried with barely any peat at all, and the water drawn from the Margadale River reaches the stills before it ever touches the island's peat beds. The result is a single malt that still tastes unmistakably of Islay – salt, sea air, a whisper of smoke – without letting any of it take over.

The whisky is neither coloured nor chill-filtered, and it shows. The combination of bourbon and Sherry casks lays down a layer of dried fruit and caramel over that maritime core, and because nothing has been filtered away, the flavour sits sharper and richer in the glass than in many other 12 Year Olds on the market.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sea air and salt meet dried fruit, raisin and a touch of warm malt, with a hint of smoke sitting far in the background.

Palate

Rich and nutty with caramel and soft spice, carried by a gentle sweetness from the Sherry casks and a faint, elegant smokiness.

Finish

Medium in length, with lingering sea salt, a little dried fruit and a soft, warm close free of any sharp edges.

Specifications

Name: Bunnahabhain 12 Years
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Bourbon and Sherry Casks
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5029704217366

Flavour Profile

Maritime · Nutty · Lightly Peated · Fruity · Rounded

Did You Know?

Bunnahabhain's labels have long carried a line from "Westering Home" – Islay's unofficial anthem – a small nod to the island from a distillery that sits well off the beaten track.

See our full range of Bunnahabhain

Listen to our podcast:

Linkwood sits a little apart on the edge of Elgin, where the distillery's two stillhouses have quietly built a reputation as one of Speyside's most sought-after – and least seen – malts. Most of what comes off Linkwood's stills ends up in Johnnie Walker and White Horse, never under its own name. When a single cask does make it into a bottle, it's almost always an independent bottler who found it.

The Expert's Description

Linkwood 2012 Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel and bottled at cask strength, 59%.

Among whisky people, Linkwood is often called a "top dressing" malt – the kind of spirit blenders keep back to add an extra layer of finish and lift to their blends. Because Diageo, who own the distillery, so rarely release Linkwood as a single malt, it's the independent bottlers who have kept the name alive among enthusiasts. Signatory Vintage sourced this cask from the 2012 vintage and let it mature for ten years before drawing it straight from the cask in 2023, without colouring or chill filtration.

The cask is a 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, meaning it held no other whisky before Linkwood – giving a cleaner, more direct read of both the grain and the wood than a refill cask would. At 59% there's plenty of power in the glass, and it's up to the drinker to find the balance with a little water.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Freshly cut hay and green apples meet a creamy vanilla note from the cask, with a hint of honey and a touch of grain underneath.

Palate

Delicate malted barley and ripe pear, carried by soft vanilla and a peppery warmth that makes the cask strength obvious.

Finish

Long, dry and lightly spiced, with a lingering note of citrus peel and good oak that stays with you.

Specifications

Name: Linkwood 2012 Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection
Distillery: Linkwood
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 59%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distilled: 2012
Bottled: 2023
Number of Bottles: 143
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour Profile

Cask Strength · Vanilla · Malty · Fresh · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium. Linkwood is one of the most sought-after "top dressing" malts among blenders, yet it rarely reaches the market as a single cask under its own name. With only 143 bottles from this specific cask, drawn at cask strength by a respected bottler like Signatory Vintage, it holds real appeal for collectors chasing closed and under-exposed Speyside distilleries.

Did You Know?

After Linkwood reopened in 1945, it was run for years by the Gaelic-speaking distiller Roderick Mackenzie, who was so convinced that even the cobwebs in the stillhouse affected the character of the spirit that he refused to let anyone touch them.

See our full range of Linkwood

See our full range of Signatory Vintage

Listen to our podcast:

Where sherry casks give Kavalan darkness and body, the bourbon casks reveal a brighter, more direct side of the distillery.

Expert Description

Kavalan Bourbon Oak Matured is a Single Malt Whisky from Taiwan, bottled at 46%.

The whisky is matured exclusively in American bourbon casks from Kavalan Distillery in Yilan county. This cask type typically gives lighter colours and a more pronounced vanilla and coconut character than sherry casks, showing a different facet of the distillery's style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla, coconut and ripe tropical fruit.

Palate

Sweet and round with caramel and light honey.

Finish

Medium length and warm.

Specifications

Name: Kavalan Bourbon Oak Matured
Distillery: Kavalan
Region/Country: Yilan, Taiwan
Type: Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4710085218752

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Round · Tropical · Warm

Did You Know?

American bourbon casks, under US law, can only be used once for bourbon production, making them widely available and popular for maturing whisky worldwide, including at Kavalan.

See our full range of Kavalan

Listen to our podcast:

One field, one distillery, one whisky. 100% Islay 5th Release is another chapter in Kilchoman's most particular project — proof that terroir isn't just a word for wine.

Expert's description

Kilchoman 100% Islay 5th Release is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, at least 5 years old and bottled at 50 %.

The 100% Islay series differs from every other Kilchoman release in that the entire process — from the barley growing on the distillery's own land, through floor malting and distilling, to maturing and bottling — happens in one and the same place. 5th Release continues that story with selected 5 year old first fill and refill bourbon casks.

Because the barley used is home-grown and more lightly peated than the bought-in malt Kilchoman otherwise uses, the series carries a more delicate, floral character, where the smoke acts as a gentle layer rather than a dominant force.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft fruit notes and pear drops meet a light, delicate peat smoke, with a hint of honey.

Palate

Sweet and round, where the peat smoke slowly unfolds and leaves a warm, gentle finish.

Finish

Long and sweet, with soft smoky tones that never become overwhelming.

Specifications

Name: Kilchoman 100% Islay 5th Release Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Kilchoman
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: 100% Single Farm Single Malt Islay Whisky
Age: Min. 5 years
ABV: 50 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First Fill and Refill Bourbon Casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: 100% Islay 5th Release

Flavour profile

Peated · Floral · Delicate · Farm-to-bottle · Sweet

Investment potential

Medium. As one of the early releases in a now well-established annual series, 5th Release historically becomes harder to find as collectors seek a complete run.

Did you know?

The word terroir is normally used for wine, but Kilchoman's 100% Islay series is one of the best examples in the whisky world that the same principle applies to barley — the soil, climate and water leave their own distinct mark.

See our full range of Kilchoman

Listen to our podcast:

There was a time when almost every American home bar had a bottle like this one standing out in the open, not tucked away, ready to pour straight from the neck thanks to its built-in spout. Seagram's Seven Crown was the everyday whiskey people reached for without thinking twice, and this oversized bottle was practically the symbol of that habit.

The Expert's Description

Seagram's Seven Crown is an American Blended Whiskey bottled at 40%, here in the large 1.75 litre format with a carrying handle and built-in pourer, a bottle that was as much a piece of bar furniture as it was a whiskey.

Seven Crown was created by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and grew into one of the best-selling whiskey brands in American history, with sales peaking at around 32 million cases a year in the early 1970s. It is a blended whiskey, combining a smaller share of straight whiskey with neutral grain spirit, a style built for easy, uncomplicated drinking rather than sipping complexity. The label still carries the old crest with the crown and the line "Distillers since 1857", a nod to the Seagram name's Canadian origins, long before the brand became an American household fixture.

Bottles like this one were sold by the millions for home use and bar service in the decades after the Second World War, and the handle-and-pourer format was built specifically for pouring straight from the bottle without any fuss. Today it is the kind of bottle collectors look for more for the history and design than for what's left inside.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft brown sugar and a touch of vanilla meet a mild grainy sweetness, with no sharp edges.

Palate

Round and lightly sweet, with caramel and a hint of honey carried by a mellow grain character.

Finish

Short and warm, with a last trace of vanilla that fades quickly.

Specifications

Name: Seagram's Seven Crown 1.75 L
Bottler: Joseph E. Seagram & Sons
Region/Country: USA
Type: American Blended Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 175 CL

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Soft · Vanilla · Light · Grainy

Did You Know?

The built-in pourer set into the neck wasn't just a novelty — it was designed so you could pour straight from the oversized 1.75 litre bottle without a separate stopper or decanting into something smaller, exactly the kind of practical detail that made Seven Crown a fixture of the American home bar.

See our full range of Seagram's Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

Some bottles never tell the whole story themselves. Half the label on this one has peeled away, the rest has yellowed behind decades on some bar shelf, and yet the name Haller's S.R.S. still peers out through the cracks – an echo from an America that poured its whiskey out of half-gallon jugs and never thought twice about it.

The Expert's Description

Haller's S.R.S. Special Reserve Stock is an American Blended Whisky bottled at 43%. Behind the name sits the now-defunct brand W.A. Haller Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and according to the original label, the whiskey is made up of 30% straight whiskies with a stated age of 8 years, blended with 70% grain neutral spirits – a completely ordinary recipe for the budget and bar blends of its era, where the goal was a smooth, easy-drinking whiskey rather than a complex sipping experience.

The bottle is a Half Gallon at 175 cl, a size that was common on the American market through the 1960s and 70s, when a larger bottle simply meant better value for the home bar or the local watering hole. The glass's base markings and the absence of a barcode point to a bottling from roughly that period. Haller's S.R.S. is discontinued today, and the brand changed hands between several different American producers over the decades, which makes it hard to say with certainty which distillery stands behind this particular bottle.

The label carries a small crowned coat of arms reading "Duke of Haller" alongside the year 1894 – a classic marketing trick from the golden age of American whiskey, when brands would borrow noble symbols and invented lineages to lend an ordinary blend a veneer of tradition and prestige.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft and fairly neutral, with a touch of grain and a mild sweetness, typical for a blend built on a high share of neutral spirit.

Palate

Round and lightly sweet, without sharp edges – several people who have tasted older bottles of Haller's S.R.S. describe it as surprisingly smooth and well suited to a classic Manhattan.

Finish

Short and mild, with a faint grain and caramel note that fades quickly.

Specifications

Name: Haller's S.R.S. Special Reserve Stock Blended Whiskey
Bottler: W.A. Haller Company
Region/Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Type: American Blended Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 175 CL

Flavour Profile

Mild · Smooth · Lightly Sweet · Round

Did You Know?

The small crowned emblem at the top of the label reading "Duke of Haller" was a common trick in the American whiskey industry in the early 1900s: brands invented a noble past for themselves to seem more exclusive, even when the whiskey behind the label was an entirely ordinary blend made for everyday drinking.

See our full range of Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

There was a time when almost every American home bar had a bottle like this one standing out in the open, not tucked away, ready to pour straight from the neck thanks to its built-in spout. Seagram's Seven Crown was the everyday whiskey people reached for without thinking twice, and this oversized bottle was practically the symbol of that habit.

The Expert's Description

Seagram's Seven Crown is an American Blended Whiskey bottled at 40%, here in the large 1.75 litre format with a carrying handle and built-in pourer, a bottle that was as much a piece of bar furniture as it was a whiskey.

Seven Crown was created by Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and grew into one of the best-selling whiskey brands in American history, with sales peaking at around 32 million cases a year in the early 1970s. It is a blended whiskey, combining a smaller share of straight whiskey with neutral grain spirit, a style built for easy, uncomplicated drinking rather than sipping complexity. The label still carries the old crest with the crown and the line "Distillers since 1857", a nod to the Seagram name's Canadian origins, long before the brand became an American household fixture.

Bottles like this one were sold by the millions for home use and bar service in the decades after the Second World War, and the handle-and-pourer format was built specifically for pouring straight from the bottle without any fuss. Today it is the kind of bottle collectors look for more for the history and design than for what's left inside.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft brown sugar and a touch of vanilla meet a mild grainy sweetness, with no sharp edges.

Palate

Round and lightly sweet, with caramel and a hint of honey carried by a mellow grain character.

Finish

Short and warm, with a last trace of vanilla that fades quickly.

Specifications

Name: Seagram's Seven Crown 1.75 L
Bottler: Joseph E. Seagram & Sons
Region/Country: USA
Type: American Blended Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 175 CL

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Soft · Vanilla · Light · Grainy

Did You Know?

The built-in pourer set into the neck wasn't just a novelty — it was designed so you could pour straight from the oversized 1.75 litre bottle without a separate stopper or decanting into something smaller, exactly the kind of practical detail that made Seven Crown a fixture of the American home bar.

See our full range of Seagram's Whisky

Listen to our podcast:

In the 1870s, a young Julius Kessler travelled from saloon to saloon in the mining town of Leadville, Colorado, selling his own whiskey out of his own hands. He sold more than anyone else of his time, and the name stayed on the bottle for well over a century afterwards.

The Expert's Description

Kessler American Blended Whiskey is an American Blended Whiskey built on neutral grain spirit and matured straight whiskies, bottled at 40%.

The brand was founded in 1888 and quickly earned a reputation as an easy-drinking, gentle whiskey under the slogan "Smooth as Silk" – Kessler's own description of his whiskey, and one the brand has carried on the label since the end of Prohibition. In 1935 Kessler became part of Seagram, and this particular 1.75-litre bottle carries the marks of that era: the label shows Julius Kessler's portrait and facsimile signature alongside a horse-drawn stagecoach in front of a small mountain town, while the cap still bears an old paper excise strip marked "Export". The bottle was filled across three different Seagram plants – Lawrenceburg in Indiana, Dundalk in Maryland and San Francisco in California – the way large American producers of the era spread production across several sites.

The blend itself is a classic American blended whiskey: mostly neutral grain spirit, with straight whiskies aged at least a couple of years blended in, and it's exactly that combination that gives the brand its light, "silky" style. After Seagram, the brand has changed hands several times and today sits with Suntory Global Spirits.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe apples and baking spice meet a touch of liquorice and a light caramel sweetness.

Palate

Soft and round, with caramel, vanilla and a streak of citrus peel, carried on a light, dry spirit character.

Finish

Short to medium, spiced and slightly leathery, without any heavy cask influence.

Specifications

Name: Kessler American Blended Whiskey 175 cl
Bottler: Kessler (Julius Kessler Company)
Region/Country: USA
Type: American Blended Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 175 CL
EAN no.: 0 87000 20075

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Caramel · Citrus · Medium-bodied · Soft

Did You Know?

Before Julius Kessler made his own whiskey famous, he served as president of the Distillers Securities Corporation – better known under its far less flattering nickname, the "Whiskey Trust".

Listen to our podcast:

Every summer, Islay fills with smoke, music and whisky people from every corner of the globe – that's Fèis Ìle, the island's own festival for the peat-loving crowd. Big Peat has marked it with a special release every year since 2013, and in 2026 the festival turns 40. Beneath this year's mosaic label sits a peated whisky that's been left to rest a little longer, in Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks.

Expert's Description

Big Peat Fèis Ìle 2026 Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky finished in Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks and bottled at cask strength, 52.6%. The bottle's full name is Friends of Fèis Ìle 2026, Douglas Laing's contribution to the island's legendary whisky festival in its anniversary year.

Big Peat isn't tied to a single distillery. Douglas Laing in Glasgow blends single malt whisky from several of Islay's distilleries into one whisky that gathers the island's peated character into a single bottle, without disclosing the exact sources. For this release, the father-daughter team behind the house, Fred and Cara Laing, let the blend rest further in Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, and every bottle is then signed by hand. The casks lay a layer of figs, dates and roasted coffee over the earthy Islay smoke, while the whisky is neither coloured nor chill-filtered – so whatever the cask gave it stays in the glass.

The label is a small work of art in itself: a mosaic portrait of Big Peat's bearded mascot, built from thousands of faces submitted by fans around the world. It makes the 2026 release as much a tribute to the community around the festival as to the whisky itself.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Earthy Islay peat leads the way, followed by sweet bonfire smoke, sticky figs, dates, dark-roast coffee and a hint of sea air.

Palate

Toasted walnuts and cocoa meet a velvety sweetness from the Pedro Ximénez Sherry, while medicinal peat and charred oak keep things balanced.

Finish

Long and warming, with a dry Sherry richness and a lingering, coastal smokiness that stays in the mouth.

Specifications

Name: Big Peat Fèis Ìle 2026 Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks
Bottler: Douglas Laing & Co.
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 52.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Bottled: 2026
Edition: Friends of Fèis Ìle 2026

Flavour Profile

Peated · Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spiced · Rich

Investment Potential

Medium. Big Peat's annual Fèis Ìle releases tend to become sought-after among collectors, and this one carries extra weight as an anniversary bottling for the festival's 40th year, plus Fred and Cara Laing's hand signature on every bottle.

Did You Know?

This year's label is a mosaic portrait of Big Peat's iconic bearded face, built from thousands of small portraits submitted by whisky fans from all over the world.

See our full range of Douglas Laing

Listen to our podcast:

There's something about an old Chivas bottle that makes time slow down for a moment — the silver-embossed box, the heavy cap, a small label on the back still speaking of import rules from another era. This isn't just a whisky. It's a fragment of Aberdeen, sealed away in a cupboard for decades.

Expert's Description

Chivas Regal 12 Year is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 43%. This particular bottle comes from an original bottling for the German market, imported by Übersee Spirituosen-Import GmbH of Hamburg — a company that fades from the record later in the 1970s, once Seagram Deutschland took over distribution. The back label's wording, "Ausländisches Erzeugnis," was a legal requirement on all Scotch whisky sold in West Germany until the end of 1983, and combined with the importer's name it points to a bottling from the 1970s, possibly earlier.

The blend is created by Chivas Brothers Ltd in Aberdeen, a company whose roots trace back to 1801, when brothers James and John Chivas ran a well-stocked grocery and wine merchant's shop in the city. At its heart, then as now, sits Strathisla Distillery in Speyside — the oldest working distillery in the Highlands, founded in 1786 — whose rich, fruity malt ties the blend together. The box carries relief-printed scenes of Scottish Highland life, a style that disappeared from the packaging during the 1980s, and the bottle is sealed with its original screw cap rather than the cork that later became standard.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey and ripe apples meet a hint of resin and old timber. There's a depth here rarely found in today's 12 Year bottling — a touch more sherry character, likely because blends of that era typically carried a higher proportion of older whiskies than the stated age suggests.

Palate

Soft and rounded, with baked fruit, dried apricot and a whisper of cinnamon. Custard-like sweetness meets a light citrus edge reminiscent of lemon peel, with a warm, spiced undercurrent of clove sitting beneath it all.

Finish

Long and gentle, closing with vanilla and a dry, faintly smoky note that speaks of an old, well-used cask.

Specifications

Name: Chivas Regal 12 Year
Distillery: Chivas Brothers Ltd
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 75 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Natural colour: No
Bottled: 1970s

Flavour Profile

Honey · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Soft Oak · Classic

Investment Potential

Medium-High. This specific 1970s bottling for the German market has long been discontinued and is consistently sought after by collectors in both the UK and continental Europe — it typically changes hands for several times the current recommended price of the standard bottling, partly because the box, cap and label style document a period of Chivas history that no longer exists in production.

Did You Know?

The "Ausländisches Erzeugnis" wording on the back label isn't just decoration — it was a legal requirement for all Scotch whisky sold in West Germany right up until 1983, and today it's one of the most reliable ways collectors date old Chivas bottles.

See our full range of Distilleries

There's something steady and unhurried about the valley outside Dufftown, where the distillery has stood since 1887. William Grant built it with his own hands and named it Glenfiddich – Valley of the Deer in Gaelic. This 12 Year Old is still the distillery's signature malt, the one people keep coming back to.

Expert Description

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American bourbon casks and Spanish sherry casks, bottled at 40%.Yellow danish taxstamp, 1990´ies.

The whisky is made from malted barley, double distilled in traditional copper pot stills, using water drawn from the distillery's own Robbie Dhu spring just outside Dufftown. Fermentation happens in Douglas fir washbacks rather than the more common stainless steel, giving a longer, slower process that pulls extra fruitiness out of the spirit.

After a minimum of 12 years in cask, the bourbon- and sherry-matured whiskies are brought together by Malt Master Brian Kinsman in large oak marrying tuns, where they're left to settle before bottling. Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is part of the distillery's permanent core range, not a limited release – it remains the world's best-selling single malt whisky.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh and fruity, with clear notes of pear and green apple, backed by honey and a touch of malt.

Palate

Soft and gently sweet, with butterscotch, creamy vanilla and a mild spice held together by delicate oak.

Finish

Short to medium, with a hint of citrus and warm spice that slowly gives way to soft wood.

Specifications

Name: Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Glenfiddich
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Casks and Sherry Casks
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN: 5010327000176

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Lightly Spiced · Soft Oak

Did You Know?

It was actually Glenfiddich that, back in 1963, took the leap and began marketing single malt whisky internationally, at a time when almost all Scotch was sold as blended. Without that move, the "single malt" category as we know it today would look very different.

See our full range of Glenfiddich

Listen to our podcast:

High in the Scottish Highlands, where winter cold slows every drop through the stills, Cù Bòcan's spirit is distilled each January.

This time, the lightly peated malt met something Tomatin had never tried before – icy Canadian dessert wine and crisp Spanish white wine, both in the same bottle.

Expert Description

Cù Bòcan Creation #8 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, dual-matured in Ice Wine casks and Verdejo casks and bottled at 46%.

The whisky is the eighth release in Cù Bòcan's Creations series, Tomatin's experimental sub-brand that finds a new, unusual cask type for its lightly peated malt every year.

Creation #8 is also the oldest release in the series to date. The spirit matured in Ice Wine casks is 18 years old, while the portion aged in Verdejo casks is 16 years old. The two parts are then married into the finished whisky.

The Ice Wine casks come from Pillitteri, a family-owned Canadian winery known for sweet, concentrated ice wine pressed from grapes frozen solid on the vine.

The Verdejo casks were sourced from Belondrade, a Spanish winery in the Rueda region. The casks were filled with Cù Bòcan spirit just weeks after the wine was emptied, a deliberate choice to capture the wine's character as vividly as possible.

The whisky is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. Only 3,600 bottles have been produced, presented in a distinctive electric purple and neon green bottle whose twisted shape echoes both smoke and cask staves.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh and fruity with a whisper of smoke. Fruit salad, pear and peach mingle with candied citrus peel, pineapple and lime zest, while green grapes, herbs, soft oak, almond and an earthy peat note sit underneath.

Palate

Lively and sweet-fresh, with tropical fruit, lime, green grapes and citrus marmalade. Honey and soft oak add body, while a gentle smoke trails along in the background.

Finish

Medium in length, fresh and lightly smoky, with citrus zest, green fruit, pineapple and spiced oak fading into a clean, fairly dry close.

Specifications

Name: Cù Bòcan Creation #8 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Tomatin
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ice Wine casks and Verdejo casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: 3,600
Edition: Creation #8
EAN no.: 5018481102002

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Fruity · Sweet · Citrus-fresh · Spiced

Did You Know?

The name Cù Bòcan means "ghost dog" in Gaelic, referring to a legendary creature said to have once haunted the village of Tomatin.

Explore our full range of Tomatin

Listen to our podcast:

Bunnahabhain sits at the edge of nowhere, where Islay turns its back on the mainland and faces the open sea. An Cuan Garbh No.1 carries the name of that crossing – it simply means "the rough sea" – and it drinks that way too: sweetness and salt, weather and calm, sitting side by side.

Expert Description

Bunnahabhain 15 Year Old An Cuan Garbh No.1 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in White Port casks from Portugal's Douro Valley and bottled at 51.6%.

This is the first release in the 2026 chapter of Bunnahabhain's Westering Home Collection, a three-part collector series built around the journey home to Islay. Last year's opening chapter, Turas Math, was about setting sail. An Cuan Garbh is about the crossing itself, the rough and changeable stretch that comes in between. The whisky has spent 15 years resting on oak before being transferred into casks that previously held White Port from the Douro Valley. It's an unusual finishing cask for Scotch whisky, and it shows: Bunnahabhain's salty, nutty backbone picks up a brighter, more fruit-driven edge. The whisky is unpeated, naturally coloured and non-chill filtered, and arrives in a limited release tied to Fèis Ìle 2026.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bright and floral, honeysuckle and elderflower giving way quickly to ripe stone fruit and candied citrus peel. Underneath sits a warm, honeyed note of ripe malt.

Palate

Peach and apricot lead, backed by candied lemon and honey-roasted almonds. Toasted malt gives it weight, while a light ginger spice keeps things lifted.

Finish

Long and nutty, with a last trace of candied fruit and a touch of coastal salt air.

Specifications

Name: Bunnahabhain 15 Year Old An Cuan Garbh No.1
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 51.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Oak, finished in White Port casks from the Douro Valley
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation Method: Double distilled
Bottled: 2026
Edition: An Cuan Garbh No.1, Westering Home Collection, Fèis Ìle 2026
EAN No.: 5029704221745

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Floral · Coastal · Lightly Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium – An Cuan Garbh No.1 is a limited Fèis Ìle release and the opening bottle in a new trilogy chapter from Bunnahabhain. Earlier chapters in the Westering Home series have drawn growing collector interest, and the limited outturn points toward solid value growth over time.

Did You Know?

Until the 1960s, Bunnahabhain could only be reached by boat, there was simply no road in. That remote setting still runs through the brand's story, which is why the journey home is the thread tying the whole Westering Home Collection together.

Browse our full range of Bunnahabhain

Listen to our podcast:

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting Notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Floral · Sweet · Spicy

Did you know?

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

See our full range of Benrinnes

See our full range of Murray McDavid

Listen to our podcast:

Some whiskies carry their age on the label rather than in the glass. This particular Glenkinchie still wears the label design the distillery retired years ago, from before its 12-year-old successor even existed.

Expert Description

Glenkinchie 10 Year Old Edinburgh Malt Old Version is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 43%. This bottling belongs to the original 10 Year Old expression Diageo launched in 1988 as the Lowland representative in its famous Classic Malts of Scotland range, alongside names like Talisker, Oban and Lagavulin. Production of this 10 year old version continued until 2006, and it was officially discontinued in 2007 when a 12 year old expression took its place, making this a distinctly earlier generation than what sits on shelves today.

Glenkinchie sits in East Lothian, a short drive from Edinburgh, and earned its nickname "The Edinburgh Malt" precisely because of that proximity. The distillery has been running since 1837 and is known for housing some of Scotland's largest stills, which produces a lighter, more floral spirit than what most people associate with Scotch whisky. The barley grown on the surrounding farmland is said to mature quickly into the whisky's character, giving it the fresh, almost green style the Lowland region is known for.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light and delicate with a clean, fresh aroma. There's a hint of freshly cut grass and a touch of dryness underneath, hinting at the classic Lowland style.

Palate

Soft and rounded with fresh, green notes and a touch of summer fruit. The body stays light, almost delicate, making it easy to enjoy without water.

Finish

Short to medium, with a delicate dryness that rounds off the experience nicely.

Specifications

Name: Glenkinchie 10 Year Old Edinburgh Malt Old Version
Distillery: Glenkinchie
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 100 CL
Edition: Classic Malts Of Scotland
EAN no.: 5000281003610

Flavour Profile

Light · Floral · Fresh · Green · Dry Finish

Did You Know?

When Diageo picked the six whiskies for its Classic Malts range in 1988, Glenkinchie got the nod for the Lowlands over Rosebank, a choice many whisky people at the time considered the more obvious one. Rosebank closed not long after, and today collectors treat that bottle as one of the great lost names, while Glenkinchie remained standing as the public face of the Lowlands.

Se hele vores udvalg af Glenkinchie

Listen to our podcast:

Cadenhead’s Whisky Talk in Sjølund Wednesday, 23 September at 18:00 – at Whisky.dk, Vejstruprødvej 15, 6093 Sjølund

Wednesday evening in Sjølund is getting a serious whisky boost 🥃🔥

On Wednesday 23 September at 18:00, Whisky.dk opens its doors for a special Cadenhead’s whisky presentation – with guests coming straight from Scotland. Jenna and Sofia from Cadenhead’s will guide us through a lineup that can only be described as pure whisky‑nerd luxury.

We’ll taste our way through six unique bottlings: from the iconic 7 Stars Blended Scotch to deep Speyside classics and fresh sherry finishes that show exactly why Cadenhead’s is Scotland’s oldest independent bottler.

It will be an evening filled with stories, craftsmanship, flavour and great atmosphere – and yes, you’ll have the chance to buy whisky at sharp prices after the tasting. The presentation is held in English, and you should not drive home afterwards.

Cadenhead’s + Whisky.dk + Sjølund = an evening you don’t want to miss ✨

We will be tasting these new releases:

Cadenhead's 7 Stars Blended Scotch Whisky 46% Cadenhead's Original Collection Dufftown‑Glenlivet 16 Years 46% Cadenhead's Enigma Collection SPY3B Speyside 16 Years 46% Cadenhead's Original Collection Aultmore‑Glenlivet 15 Years Fresh Manzanilla Finish 46% Cadenhead's Original Collection Glen Spey‑Glenlivet 16 Years Fresh Amontillado Finish 46% Cadenhead's Original Collection Balmenach‑Glenlivet 15 Years Fresh Palo Cortado Finish 46%

Hvis du vil have en kort SoMe‑version, kan jeg lave den her: kort_tekst.

Beech forest meets north Jutland grain. Thy Whisky Bøg is the distillery's smoky expression – but not with peat. Here it is beech wood shavings from the Jutland forests that provide the character.

Expert description

Thy Whisky Bøg Core Expressions is a Danish Organic Single Malt Whisky bottled at 50% in a 5 cl bottle. Distilled from certified organic barley, floor-malted in-house and smoked with beech wood shavings – not peat. The result is a distinctly smoky whisky with a soft and natural smoke character that differs markedly from Scottish peated expressions.

Beech smoking is a Nordic tradition rooted in smoke ovens and food preservation. In whisky it gives a milder, rounder smoke than peat – with notes of forest floor and light resin rather than ash and sea air.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft beech smoke with forest floor, honey and light fruit. Very different from classic peated whisky.

Palate

Rounder than expected. Smoke, malt and light nut in fine balance. Sweetness carries through the smoke.

Finish

Moderate with soft smoke and malt sweetness. Pleasant and natural.

Specifications

Name: Thy Whisky Bøg Core Expressions
Distillery: Thy Whisky
Region/Country: Thy, Denmark
Type: Danish Organic Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 5 CL
Distillation method: Double distilled

Flavour profile

Beech-smoked · Soft smoke · Malt-sweet · Natural · Nordic

Did you know?

Beech smoking is used in Denmark to smoke meat, fish and cheese. Thy Whisky is one of the first distilleries in the world to bring this tradition directly into whisky production as the primary smoke source.

Most bottles of Jack Daniel's are a blend of many barrels. This one is from just one — and you can taste it.

Expert description

Single Barrel Select is drawn from a single barrel rather than a blend of many, giving a more intense, barrel-driven profile than Old No. 7. Barrels for this range are selected from the top floors of the warehouses, where temperature swings are greatest. Jack Daniel's Distillery was founded in 1866 by Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and is officially registered as America's first distillery. All production still happens on the same site, where the whiskey is filtered drop by drop through nearly 3 metres of sugar maple charcoal before going into new, charred oak barrels — the Lincoln County Process that defines Tennessee Whiskey.

Bottled at 45%, it carries extra power compared to the core range's 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers bold caramel, burnt sugar and toasted oak, more intense than Old No. 7.

Palate

The palate is full-bodied with vanilla, caramel and spiced oak, backed by the higher strength.

Finish

The finish is long and warm, with lingering oak spice and caramel.

Specifications

Name: Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
Distillery: Jack Daniel's
Region/Country: Tennessee, USA
Type: Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 5 CL
Distillation method: Column distilled, Lincoln County Process
Edition: Single Barrel

Flavour profile

Bold · Barrel-driven · Caramel · Spiced · Full-bodied

Investment potential

Low — the single-barrel range varies in availability but isn't a dedicated collector's series on the level of annual special releases.

Did you know?

The name Lincoln County Process comes from the original county line: the distillery sat in Lincoln County until 1871, when it became part of the newly formed Moore County — but the name for the filtering method stuck.

See our full range of Jack Daniel's

A green label, a little gold foil and not one word too many. Behind the quiet packaging sit seven summers in fresh charred oak and a bottling that never met a drop of water. Old Ezra comes out of Lawrenceburg, Indiana — a river town once known as Whiskey City, because nobody else in America handled rye quite like this.

The Expert's Description

Old Ezra 7 years Full Proof is an American Straight Rye Whiskey matured for seven years in new charred American oak casks and bottled at 57%.

It arrived in November 2022 as the rye counterpart to Old Ezra 7 years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which had just been named Best Overall Bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition that same year. Old Ezra is the heavyweight branch of the Ezra Brooks family, and this was the first rye ever released under the name.

The whiskey is distilled and matured in Indiana at Ross & Squibb Distillery — the plant formerly known as MGP — and bottled by Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, Kentucky. It says so in small print at the bottom of the label, and it is worth reading. Lawrenceburg has been distilling rye since 1847 and still supplies rye spirit to a sizeable slice of the American whiskey trade.

Two mashbills are married together here. One is built on 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and it carries the sharp, peppery rye edge. The other runs 51% rye, 45% corn and 4% malted barley, laying sweetness and body underneath. Between them they explain why the whiskey tastes unmistakably of rye while still coming across rounder than most people expect at this strength.

The casks are new and charred, exactly as the law demands of a Straight Rye Whiskey. Seven Indiana summers pull vanilla, caramel and dry oak spice out of that burnt layer, and because the whiskey goes into the bottle at cask strength, none of it gets diluted away again. Before bottling the spirit is charcoal filtered, the same treatment the whole Ezra Brooks range receives, which takes the roughest corner off without flattening the whiskey. Gold at both ASCOT and SIP in 2024.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dry oak and earthy rye spice lead. Then it loosens up: caramel, vanilla, a hint of dark cherry. Give it a quarter of an hour in the glass and tobacco and old leather come forward.

Palate

Spiced honey and toffee arrive first, soft and thick. Then the rye asserts itself properly with black pepper, cinnamon and a sharp streak of orange peel. The 57% is clearly there, but it warms rather than burns.

Finish

Long and dry. Oak, pipe tobacco and a peppery heat that sits around well after the glass is empty.

Specifications

Name: Old Ezra 7 years Full Proof Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Ross & Squibb Distillery
Bottler: Lux Row Distillers
Region/Country: Indiana, USA
Type: Straight Rye Whiskey
Age: 7 years
ABV: 57%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New charred American oak casks
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Full Proof
EAN no.: 0088352139449

Flavour Profile

Spicy · Vanilla · Caramel · Oak · Tobacco · Cask strength

Did You Know?

The Squibb half of Ross & Squibb comes from William Squibb's distillery of 1869. In 1921 it was bought by George Remus, the bootlegger they called the King of the Bootleggers, and one of the figures F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have had in mind when he wrote The Great Gatsby.

See our full range of Ezra Brooks Whiskey

Listen to our podcast:

The southern tip of Arran is not a gentle place to build a distillery. The wind comes straight off Kilbrannan Sound, and peat sits thick in the ground around Kilmory. That rawness is what Lagg has built its name on – and now it meets something entirely different: the pale, salty world of Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Expert's Description

Lagg Manzanilla Sherry Finish Small Batch is an Islands Single Malt Scotch Whisky, first matured in 1st and 2nd fill Bourbon casks before being finished in 1st fill Manzanilla Sherry casks for over a year, bottled at 57.6%. It's the distillery's second small batch release, following 2025's Palo Cortado Small Batch, and another step in Lagg's ongoing exploration of unusual Sherry cask types for its heavily peated spirit. Manzanilla isn't like most other Sherries – it's produced exclusively in the small coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where it matures under a protective layer of flor yeast right on the Atlantic. That gives it a paler, drier and fresher style than something like Oloroso or PX, with a touch of salt and almond rarely allowed anywhere near peated whisky. Peated to 50 ppm, non-chill filtered and free of added colour, Lagg hasn't held back – only 2,000 bottles exist of this release.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet syrup and maraschino cherry arrive first, carried by a gentle warmth that hints at what's underneath. Beneath it, a thread of smoke that never quite fades.

Palate

Hot honey meets spiced red fruit and cherry syrup, while a salted minerality cuts through the sweetness and keeps everything tight.

Finish

Long, dry and warming, with ashy bonfire smoke and a faint brine that recalls the sea just outside the distillery's windows.

Specifications

Name: Lagg Distillery Manzanilla Sherry Finish Small Batch
Distillery: Lagg Distillery
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 57.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: 1st and 2nd fill Bourbon casks, finished in 1st fill Manzanilla Sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2026
Number of bottles: 2,000
Edition: Small Batch Release
EAN No.: 5037377000116

Flavour Profile

Peated · Sherry-matured · Salty · Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

Graham Omand, Lagg's current distillery manager, learned the trade as a stillman at Arran's Lochranza distillery – under his own uncle, former master distiller James MacTaggart. That knowledge came with him seven years ago, when he set out to build an entirely new distillery from scratch on the island's southern tip.

Listen to our podcast: