Vanaheim is the homeland of the Vanir gods in Old Norse mythology — peaceful, fertile and set slightly apart from the other realms.

Expert description

Bivrost Vanaheim Arctic Single Malt Norwegian Whisky is part of the distillery's series named after the Nine Realms of Old Norse mythology, bottled at 46%. Bivrost is distilled at Aurora Spirit Distillery in Lyngen, northern Norway, 69 degrees north of the equator, making it one of the world's northernmost distilleries. Construction began in 2016, and the name Bivrost comes from Old Norse mythology, where it denotes the rainbow bridge between heaven and earth — a nod to the Northern Lights often seen above the distillery. Local botanicals and glacial meltwater are used in production.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is fresh with a hint of honey, apple and light sea air.

Palate

The palate is soft and round with fruit, caramel and light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, warm and fairly mellow.

Specifications

Name: Bivrost Vanaheim Arctic Single Malt Norwegian Whisky
Distillery: Aurora Spirit Distillery
Region/Country: Lyngen, Northern Norway
Type: Single Malt Norwegian Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 50 CL

Flavour profile

Fruity · Soft · Round · Arctic

Did you know?

Some of the maturation takes place in Aurora Spirit's underground vaults, which were formerly part of a Cold War-era NATO base tunnel system.

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Yggdrasil is the world tree of Old Norse mythology, connecting all Nine Realms and carrying the whole cosmos in its branches and roots.

Expert description

Bivrost Yggdrasil 2024 Arctic Single Malt Norwegian Whisky is part of the distillery's series named after the Nine Realms of Old Norse mythology, bottled at 46%. Bivrost is distilled at Aurora Spirit Distillery in Lyngen, northern Norway, 69 degrees north of the equator, making it one of the world's northernmost distilleries. Construction began in 2016, and the name Bivrost comes from Old Norse mythology, where it denotes the rainbow bridge between heaven and earth — a nod to the Northern Lights often seen above the distillery. Local botanicals and glacial meltwater are used in production.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers forest, resin and a hint of dried fruit.

Palate

The palate is earthy with wood, walnut and light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium-length with a dry, woody close.

Specifications

Name: Bivrost Yggdrasil 2024 Arctic Single Malt Norwegian Whisky
Distillery: Aurora Spirit Distillery
Region/Country: Lyngen, Northern Norway
Type: Single Malt Norwegian Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 50 CL
Edition: 2024

Flavour profile

Woody · Earthy · Nutty · Dry

Did you know?

Some of the maturation takes place in Aurora Spirit's underground vaults, which were formerly part of a Cold War-era NATO base tunnel system.

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Soft · Maritime · Honeyed

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

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Some bottles become interesting because they disappeared. This version of Black Bottle 10 Years was pulled from the shelves when the brand changed its clothes — and only afterwards did people realise what they had been keeping.

Expert description

Black Bottle 10 Years Old Version is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

Old Version refers to the bottle shape and label used before the brand relaunch. Both the packaging and the age statement have been retired, and the whisky is no longer produced in this form. The blend is built on Islay malt as its load-bearing element, joined by malt from the rest of Scotland and grain whisky.

The colour is rich and golden, and the profile leans on peat smoke and honey rather than cask spice. Ten years give the blend the roundness that keeps the smoke from ever standing alone.

Tasting notes

Nose

Light, fresh and fruity on first approach, with unmistakable hints of peat underneath. Baked apple and a waxy grain note follow.

Palate

A gentle honey sweetness fills the palate before the signature smoke settles over everything. Malt, dried fruit and a touch of peppery warmth.

Finish

Long and warming with a clear smoked Islay character that stays put well after the sip has gone.

Specifications

Name: Black Bottle 10 Years Old Version Blended Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Black Bottle
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Old Version
EAN no.: 5029704219810

Flavour profile

Smoky · Honeyed · Malty · Fruity · Warm

Investment potential

Medium. Retired packaging with an age statement from a brand that has since reworked its profile. Older Black Bottle bottles surface less and less often on the market.

Did you know?

When Burn Stewart took over Black Bottle in 2003, the Bunnahabhain distillery came with the deal. Bunnahabhain malt has been the soft, salted core of the blend ever since.

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An everyday dram does not have to be dull. This one has spent ten years in oak, and you hear it straight away: the smoke has gone tender, the caramel deep, and there are no sharp edges left.

Expert description

Black Bottle 10 Years CVH is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

The release is a limited follow-up to standard Black Bottle, with every component in the blend matured for at least ten years. Fruity grain whisky meets both peated and unpeated single malts, and as across the range it is the Islay component that sets the tone. The extra time in wood shows most clearly in the texture, which is oilier than in the young expression.

The producer's own notes for the ten year old point to smoked cherry wood, caramel and charred embers, and that is a fair description: the smoke has a sweet, woody edge rather than the medicinal peat associated with the southern Islay distilleries.

Tasting notes

Nose

Caramelised sugar and smoked fruitwood, almost like a barbecue burning down. Behind it sit dried apricot and a brush of vanilla.

Palate

Soft and full with toffee and malted grain, then the smoke rolls in as glowing ash and a nip of black pepper.

Finish

Medium and lightly spiced. The smoke drops away slowly and leaves toasted malt and a dry, pleasant sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Black Bottle 10 Years CVH Blended Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Black Bottle
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5029704219810

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sweet · Spiced · Soft · Fruity

Did you know?

Black Bottle was created by tea merchants. The Graham brothers made their living blending tea in Aberdeen before working out that the same craft applied to whisky — and gave up the tea.

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Soft · Spiced · Maritime

Did you know?

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

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Creamy · Powerful · Oaky

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Spiced · Fruity · Elegant · Mature · Citrus

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

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Kyloe is pronounced Kahy-loh and is the name of the cattle breed that thrives in Scottish wind and sleet. The whisky borrowed the name and the temperament: no filtration, no dilution and no apologies.

Expert description

Black Bull Kyloe is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50% without chill filtration.

The blend is put together with single malt outweighing grain whisky, which is unusual for the category and is the direct reason for the full mouthfeel. Duncan Taylor bottles the range at 50% precisely to keep the aromatic compounds that normally disappear in the chill filtration most blends go through.

Kyloe is the entry point to the Black Bull range and follows the same principles as the age-stated releases, only without the age requirement. That gives fresher fruit and more direct malt, where the older versions carry more cask spice.

Tasting notes

Nose

Full gold in colour with aromas of toffee, apple, clementine, brown sugar and toasted oak. Given time in the glass, honey and pale flowers arrive.

Palate

Soft and comfortable despite the strength. Hazelnut, chocolate and raisin, with a rich citrus running over everything alongside fresh apple and pear.

Finish

Long and creamy with vanilla and oak settling as a final layer over the malt.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull Kyloe Blended Scotch Whisky 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Kyloe
EAN no.: 5060294564188

Flavour profile

Malty · Fruity · Nutty · Creamy · Powerful

Did you know?

In earlier centuries Kyloe cattle were driven on foot in large herds from the Scottish Highlands down to the Lowland markets. The journey could take weeks, and the animals were shod for the road.

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Same herd, but this one stood closer to the fire. Kyloe Peated Finish takes the malt-led blend and rests it in casks that once held peated whisky — the result smells of outdoors.

Expert description

Black Bull Kyloe Peated Finish is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 50% without chill filtration.

The release builds on the same malt-dominated base blend as standard Kyloe, then adds a finishing period in casks that carry peat smoke. It is not a blend of peated spirit from the ground up, but a blend where smoke is applied at the end. The method gives a drier, ashier smoke than the oily peat associated with the southern Islay malts.

Duncan Taylor has kept the 50% and the decision to skip chill filtration, and it shows in the texture. The smoke has body to rest on rather than standing alone.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale gold with a dry, smoked aroma. Dark malt, green apples and brown sugar sit beneath the smoke.

Palate

Heavily smoked, yet creamy and layered. Salted nuts, citrus and a balanced sweetness that keeps the peat in check.

Finish

Long and warm, both salty and sweet, with apple, cinnamon and clove and a clear smoky trace at the end.

Specifications

Name: Black Bull Kyloe Peated Finish Blended Scotch Whisky 50%
Distillery: Black Bull
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Kyloe Peated Finish
EAN no.: 5056510006587

Flavour profile

Smoky · Salty · Creamy · Spiced · Fruity

Did you know?

A peated finish means the whisky has rested in casks that previously held peated whisky. The cask gives back its remaining peat character, which is why the smoke here reads drier than in whisky distilled from peated malt.

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A snake sheds its skin but keeps its venom. Black Snake works on the same principle: every time a portion is drawn off, something stays behind in the cask, and the next release inherits it.

Expert description

Blackadder Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in First Fill Bourbon and an Oloroso Sherry Butt and bottled at cask strength, 59.6%.

The series runs on a solera-inspired system. The whisky first matures in first fill bourbon casks and is then moved into an oloroso sherry butt. From there a share is bottled while the rest is topped up with fresh bourbon-matured whisky. That means a remnant of the very first Black Snake is always present, and every bottling carries a little of all the ones before it.

Vat No. 17 identifies the cask, and Third Venom records that this particular cask has been drawn from three times. Blackadder does not disclose which distilleries the malt comes from, which is standard practice for the house's vatted releases.

Tasting notes

Nose

Full sherry straight away, followed by vanilla, spiced oak and dark fruit. At cask strength the concentration on the nose is considerable.

Palate

Powerful and oily. Caramel, dried fruit, spice and roasted nuts arrive in layers, and the alcohol carries all of it without cutting.

Finish

Long, warm and layered with clear sherry character and the intensity cask strength brings.

Specifications

Name: Blackadder Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 59.6%
Bottler: Blackadder
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 59,6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First Fill Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Butt
Bottled: March 2021
Edition: Black Snake Vat No. 17 Third Venom
EAN no.: 5055030611905

Flavour profile

Sherried · Spiced · Powerful · Nutty · Dark fruit

Investment potential

Medium. The Black Snake series is released in small numbered vats, and the early Venom bottlings have become hard to find. The concept has a steady following among collectors of independent bottlings.

Did you know?

Robin Tucek, the man behind Blackadder, declined to patent the method behind the house's Raw Cask releases. His explanation was that nobody else would dare filter as roughly as he does.

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Smoky · Maritime · Powerful · Salty · Iodine

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Smoky · Salty · Earthy · Sweet · Powerful

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Floral · Fresh · Soft · Fruity · Light

Did you know?

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

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Fresh · Lightly spiced · Oaky

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

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Californian red wine and Scottish Lowland malt are not an obvious pairing. It works anyway: the wine cask supplies colour and dark fruit while the spirit holds on to its lightness.

Expert description

Bladnoch 17 Years Limited Edition is a Single Lowland Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks and Californian red wine casks and bottled at 46.7%.

The whisky first matured in used bourbon casks, which lay down vanilla and pale grain, and was then transferred to Californian red wine casks. Those deliver the cherry, prune and dark colour that is unusual for a Lowland malt.

The release is a limited bottling from the distillery in Galloway and belongs to the run of wine cask experiments Bladnoch has worked with over the years. Seventeen years is a high age for the region, and the combination of time and wine wood gives a whisky with more weight than the profile normally allows.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich and fruity with dried fruit, cherry, coffee, vanilla and toffee, closing with a hint of sweet, spicy oak.

Palate

Spiced oak meets marmalade, cherries and prunes, held in balance by liquorice and cinnamon.

Finish

Long and dry with dark fruit slowly giving way to oak and a final flick of cinnamon.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 17 Years Limited Edition Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46.7%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 46,7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks and Californian red wine casks
Edition: Limited Edition

Flavour profile

Fruity · Spiced · Wine matured · Dark · Elegant

Investment potential

Medium. A limited high-age release from a distillery whose production has been interrupted several times. Wine cask bottlings from Bladnoch exist only in small numbers.

Did you know?

Red wine casks take more work than sherry casks, because wine is lower in alcohol and leaves a wetter cask behind. Many distilleries dry and re-toast them before the whisky goes in.

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Distilled in 1987, bottled in 1999. Between those two dates Bladnoch changed hands, fell silent and was restarted — and the whisky simply waited in the cask, none the wiser.

Please note: The bottle is sold without its original box.

Expert description

Bladnoch 1987/1999 Connoisseurs Choice 12 Years is a Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% by Gordon & MacPhail.

Connoisseurs Choice is Gordon & MacPhail's oldest and best known series of independent bottlings, and the early releases with the map label are sought after in their own right today. The series has historically been the route to whisky from distilleries that were either closed or released nothing themselves.

The 1987 Bladnoch spirit dates from the years under Bell's and later United Distillers, that is, before the modern rebuilding of the distillery. It is a pale, classic Lowland style that would hardly be made the same way now.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale and clean with grain, hay and lemon peel. Given time, pear and a light waxiness come forward.

Palate

Soft and dry with malt, white fruit and a touch of almond. 40% keeps it light, but there is a maturity in the middle that only time provides.

Finish

Short to medium, dry and grainy with a trace of oak.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 1987/1999 Connoisseurs Choice 12 Years Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distilled: 1987
Bottled: 1999
Edition: Connoisseurs Choice
EAN no.: 5020613209824

Flavour profile

Light · Grainy · Dry · Fruity · Classic

Investment potential

High. A vintage from a period that will not return, released in a series with collector value of its own. Older Connoisseurs Choice bottles with map labels have become a category in themselves.

Did you know?

Gordon & MacPhail began buying casks as early as 1895 and has stored whisky in its own warehouse in Elgin ever since. The company today also owns the Benromach distillery.

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See our full range of Gordon & MacPhail

The label shows a map of Scotland with the distillery marked. It is a detail that now dates the bottle instantly — and makes it as recognisable to collectors as the whisky inside.

Expert description

Bladnoch 1987/1999 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 12 Years is a Single Lowland Malt Whisky bottled at 40%.

The release carries the map label Gordon & MacPhail used on Connoisseurs Choice for a number of years and retired in the 2000s. The whisky was distilled in 1987 and bottled in 1999 after twelve years in cask.

Bladnoch was producing in that period under Bell's and United Distillers, and the spirit is made in the pale, classic Lowland style. After 1993 the distillery stood idle for long stretches, which has left the 1980s vintages thin on the ground.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and grainy with hay, apple blossom and a pale citrus note.

Palate

Soft, dry and light. Malt, green fruit and a fine waxy texture typical of the period.

Finish

Medium and dry with grain and a faint suggestion of oak.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 1987/1999 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 12 Years Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distilled: 1987
Bottled: 1999
Edition: Connoisseurs Choice

Flavour profile

Light · Floral · Dry · Grainy · Classic

Investment potential

High. The combination of a 1980s vintage, the retired map label and original packaging is exactly what collectors of Connoisseurs Choice look for.

Did you know?

Gordon & MacPhail runs its own cask programme and has for decades supplied casks to the distilleries it buys from. That is one reason the house's older bottlings often carry pronounced cask influence.

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See our full range of Gordon & MacPhail

Eight years does not sound like much, but on a light Lowland spirit it is enough. The bourbon cask has had time to set vanilla and fudge in place without smothering the freshness that makes the style recognisable.

Expert description

Bladnoch 8 Years is a Single Lowland Malt Whisky matured in refill bourbon casks and bottled at 46%.

This is an older version of the distillery's eight year old, a bottle from before the current range was built. Refill bourbon casks were chosen precisely so as not to drown the spirit, and the result is soft and round with plenty of sweetness.

Bladnoch sits in Galloway and is Scotland's southernmost distillery. The house works with unpeated malt and a pale spirit style, where bourbon casks have traditionally formed the backbone of the range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and fudge first, then fresh apples, a little coconut and a light grainy sweetness.

Palate

Soft and round with caramel, vanilla and white fruit. The 46% gives it enough body to keep the sweetness from flattening out.

Finish

Medium and light with vanilla, grain and a dry oak note at the end.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 8 Years Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill bourbon casks

Flavour profile

Soft · Vanilla · Fruity · Sweet · Light

Did you know?

US law allows a bourbon barrel to be used only once for bourbon. That is why Scotland has had access to inexpensive, nearly new oak casks for decades — and why vanilla is such a widespread note in Scotch whisky.

See our full range of Bladnoch

New oak is a risky thing to hand a light Lowland malt. Use too much and the spirit vanishes into sawdust. Liora finds the spot where oak adds spice instead of taking over.

Expert description

Bladnoch Liora is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Ex-Bourbon and New Oak and bottled at 52.2% without chill filtration and without added colour.

The combination of refill bourbon casks and new American oak is chosen to set the distillery's fresh apple character against toasted caramel and spice. New oak gives up considerably more tannin and vanillin than a refill cask, which is why it is usually used in smaller proportions.

Liora belongs to Bladnoch's named series, where the age statement is dropped in favour of the cask make-up. The high bottling strength is part of the concept and makes the whisky more concentrated than the Lowland style normally is.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh cut apples with toasted caramel and a floral note on top.

Palate

Caramelised apples with spice and freshly cut oak. The strength carries everything and gives the whisky a weight unusual for the region.

Finish

Long with a gently warming dryness where the oak gets the last word.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch Liora Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 52.2%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 52,2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-Bourbon and New Oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Liora
EAN no.: 857921006051

Flavour profile

Fresh · Spiced · Floral · Caramel · Powerful

Did you know?

New oak must be toasted on the inside before it can be used. The degree of toasting decides whether the cask gives vanilla and coconut or darker notes of caramel and smoke — one of the most precise levers a whisky maker has.

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Samsara means rebirth, and the name was chosen carefully. Bladnoch stood silent for six years before the distillery was started up again — this bottle belongs to the second round.

Expert description

Bladnoch Samsara is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in red wine casks and bourbon casks and bottled at 46.7% without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky brings together malts where Californian red wine casks deliver dark fruit and the reddish tone, while bourbon casks build vanilla and pale sweetness underneath. The cask combination has been a running signature for the distillery since the restart.

Samsara is one of the named releases without an age statement, where cask history rather than maturation time is the pivot. That lets Bladnoch work with younger and older components in the same bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose

Plum and red berries with vanilla, orange peel and a light floral note.

Palate

Sweet and full with plum, vanilla and citrus, carried by a soft texture that owes much to the lack of chill filtration.

Finish

Medium and lightly dry with red fruit slowly giving way to oak and grain.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch Samsara Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46.7%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46,7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Red wine casks and bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Samsara
EAN no.: 0851370006044

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sweet · Floral · Wine matured · Soft

Did you know?

The word samsara comes from Sanskrit and describes the cycle of birth and rebirth. It is an unusual name for a Scotch whisky and a direct nod to the distillery's own history of closures and reopenings.

See our full range of Bladnoch

A refill bourbon barrel rarely promises much. This one kept its cards close for eleven years and then delivered a dram that tastes of far more than the paperwork suggests.

Expert description

Blair Athol 11 Years Dram Mor is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Refill Bourbon Barrel #308610, bottled at cask strength, 56%.

The bottler Dràm Mòr buys single casks and bottles them without blending. This cask gave 305 bottles, which fits a single barrel, so the entire run comes from the same wood and the same day at the distillery.

Blair Athol sits in Pitlochry in the Highlands and is best known as the backbone of the Bell's blend. The distillery's own spirit is heavy and lightly nutty, and it does well in a quiet refill cask where the house character has room to show.

Tasting notes

Nose

Very fresh with a surprising note of prunes. A trace of honey syrup, sweet green grapes, a hint of blue cheese and lilies.

Palate

Cool, syrupy and lightly spiced with a full mouthfeel that coats everything in spiced butter. Far more than a refill bourbon barrel normally offers.

Finish

Bright, soft and clean with a lasting play of honey, warmth and gentle bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 11 Years Dram Mor Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 56%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Bottler: Dràm Mòr
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 56%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Bourbon Barrel #308610
Number of bottles: 305

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Spiced · Full · Floral

Investment potential

Medium. A single cask bottling of 305 bottles from a smaller bottler, and single casks by definition cannot be repeated.

Did you know?

Blair Athol distillery draws on a spring called Allt Dour, Gaelic for the otter's burn. Water from it has been used in production since the distillery was founded in 1798.

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An otter on the label and a distillery few people could name. The Flora & Fauna series was the first attempt to give the workhorses behind the big blends a bottle of their own.

Expert description

Blair Athol 12 Years Flora & Fauna is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 43%.

The series was launched in 1991 by United Distillers, today Diageo, and gathered 26 different single malts from distilleries that otherwise supplied only blends. The aim was to show the differences between Scotland's whisky regions. Most were bottled at 43%, while a few appeared at cask strength or in wooden boxes.

Blair Athol in Pitlochry has been the spirit's home since 1798. The style is heavy and nutty with a syrupy sweetness that makes the whisky recognisable among the other Highland malts in the series.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malty sweetness with raisin, brown sugar and a nutty, almost meaty note underneath.

Palate

Full and syrupy with dried fruit, dark sugar and a stroke of spice. There is real weight through the middle.

Finish

Medium and dry with nuts, malt and a lightly bitter oak note.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 12 Years Flora & Fauna Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 43%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Flora & Fauna
EAN no.: 5000389405318

Flavour profile

Malty · Nutty · Sweet · Spiced · Full

Investment potential

Medium. The Flora & Fauna series has become a collecting field in itself, and several releases have already been discontinued. Demand has risen as the series has been cut back.

Did you know?

The animal on the label is not chosen at random. Every bottle in the series shows an animal or plant from the area around the distillery, and Blair Athol's otter refers to the Allt Dour spring, the otter's burn.

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The label could have been torn from a 1960s comic. Behind it sits something considerably more serious: a single first fill bourbon cask from Blair Athol, bottled without filtration.

Expert description

Blair Athol 12 Years Agent Ivy Trapped is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky from 1st Fill Bourbon Hogshead #308050, bottled at 55.1% without chill filtration and without added colour.

The Whiskyheroes series comes from Brave New Spirits and takes its visual language from old comics and B-movies. Behind the colourful labels sit single cask bottlings from Scottish distilleries, chosen for the character of the cask rather than the name value of the distillery.

A first fill bourbon cask gives more wood than a refill, and it shows: vanilla, maple syrup and pale fruit take up more room than they would in a used cask. All 257 bottles come from the same hogshead.

Tasting notes

Nose

Green apples and evening meadow, with maple syrup and a pale, sweetish grain note.

Palate

Papaya, thick honey and ripe bananas, cut through by white peppercorns and a clear oak edge.

Finish

Long and sweet with honey and pepper slowly drying out.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 12 Years Agent Ivy Trapped Whiskyheroes Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 55.1%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Bottler: Whiskyheroes
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 55,1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st Fill Bourbon Hogshead #308050
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: 257
Edition: Agent Ivy Trapped

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Spiced · Tropical · Powerful

Investment potential

Medium. A single cask bottling of 257 bottles from a series with clear collector appeal thanks to the label artwork.

Did you know?

Blair Athol closed in 1932 and stood silent for nearly twenty years until Arthur Bell & Sons reopened the distillery in 1949 to secure malt for their blend.

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See our full range of Whiskyheroes

Eleven years in a quiet refill hogshead, then almost three more in a sherry butt at the end. It is a cask history where the order matters: the spirit was allowed to be itself first, and the sherry came afterwards.

Expert description

Blair Athol 2007/2022 Signatory 14 Years is a Single Highland Malt Whisky from a Refill Hogshead finished for 35 months in a Sherry Butt and bottled at cask strength, 54.3%.

Signatory Vintage bought the Blair Athol spirit, distilled on 7 September 2007, and bottled it on 19 January 2022 as part of the house's Cask Strength Collection. The run is 670 bottles, which fits a butt, and the whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Blair Athol's heavy, nutty spirit is good company for a sherry cask. Thirty-five months is a long finishing period, so the cask has had the chance to reach further into the whisky than a typical six to twelve month finish.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dark sugar with walnut, orange peel and a breath of leather.

Palate

Full and oily with dried fruit, cinnamon and roasted nuts. The sherry sits heavily, but the malty core of the spirit shines through.

Finish

Long and warm with nuts, dark chocolate and a trace of tobacco.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 2007/2022 Signatory 14 Years Sherry Butt Single Highland Malt Whisky 54.3%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 54,3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Hogshead finished for 35 months in a Sherry Butt, Cask No. 1
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 07/09/2007
Bottled: 19/01/2022
Number of bottles: 670
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour profile

Sherried · Nutty · Spiced · Dark fruit · Powerful

Investment potential

Medium. A bottling of 670 bottles from a series that is not repeated, with an unusually long sherry finish.

Did you know?

Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 and is based at Edradour in Pitlochry — less than ten kilometres from Blair Athol. The whisky did not have far to travel.

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Four casks, the same day at the distillery, the same treatment. Signatory shaved off the old layer of wood and toasted the casks again — and the whisky has had eleven years to get used to it.

Please note: There is wear and rust on the cap.

Expert description

Blair Athol 2011/2023 Signatory Vintage 11 Years is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky from four Dechar/Rechar Hogsheads, bottled at 46% without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky was distilled on 30 September 2011 and bottled in January 2023. Casks #306899, #306905, #306911 and #306913 all went through the same treatment, where the innermost layer of wood is planed away and the cask charred anew. The method recharges a used cask and returns vanilla, caramel and pale spice.

Blair Athol's spirit is heavy and malty, and the re-charred casks add sweetness without laying sherry or wine over it. The result is a clean reading of the distillery's own style.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and baked apple with malted grain, cinnamon and a lightly toasted note.

Palate

Malt and caramel with pale oak, honey and a stroke of white pepper. The texture is full for 46%.

Finish

Medium and dry with grain, vanilla and a toasted oak note.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 2011/2023 Signatory Vintage 11 Years Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Dechar/Rechar Hogsheads #306899, #306905, #306911 and #306913
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 30/09/2011
Bottled: January 2023
EAN no.: 5021944121700

Flavour profile

Malty · Vanilla · Spiced · Sweet · Toasted oak

Did you know?

Dechar/rechar means planing the charred layer from the inside of a used cask and burning it again. The cask then behaves almost like new, but without delivering the same fierce tannin.

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288 bottles for the entire world, and very few of them reached Denmark. Adelphi picks casks by taste rather than by name, and a first fill bourbon barrel from Blair Athol is exactly the kind of find the house is known for.

Expert description

Blair Athol 2011/2024 Adelphi Selection 13 Years is a Single Highland Malt Whisky from First Fill Bourbon Barrel #305319, bottled at cask strength, 58.3%, unfiltered and without added colour.

Adelphi was founded as a distillery in Glasgow in 1826 and returned in modern times as an independent bottler. The house is known for tasting its way to single casks and bottling them without compromise, and the same philosophy sits behind the Ardnamurchan distillery Adelphi built in 2014.

The cask gave 288 bottles after thirteen years, which points to a barrel with normal evaporation. First fill American oak gives the whisky pronounced vanilla and coconut, which Blair Athol's heavy spirit has the body to carry.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and coconut with baked banana, honey and a layer of freshly planed oak.

Palate

Powerful and sweet with caramel, tropical fruit and a core of malt. The alcohol brings warmth without burning through.

Finish

Long and sweet with vanilla, oak and a dry, spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 2011/2024 Adelphi Selection 13 Years Single Highland Malt Whisky 58.3%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 58,3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First Fill Bourbon Barrel #305319
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2024
Number of bottles: 288
Edition: Adelphi Selection

Flavour profile

Vanilla · Tropical · Sweet · Powerful · Oaky

Investment potential

Medium. A single cask of 288 bottles from a bottler with a strong reputation among collectors, and Adelphi releases typically sell out quickly.

Did you know?

Adelphi takes its name from a distillery that closed in 1907. When the company opened Ardnamurchan on Scotland's west coast in 2014, it was the first time in over a century that the name appeared on a working distillery again.

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Ruby port is the youngest and most fruit-driven of the ports, and a cask that has held it gives colour straight away. Here it has spent thirteen years with a Highland spirit built to take it.

Expert description

Blair Athol 2011/2025 Signatory Vintage 13 Years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a First Fill Ruby Port Hogshead, bottled at cask strength, 57.7%, without chill filtration and without added colour.

The release belongs to Signatory Vintage's Cask Strength Collection and comes from a single cask. First fill port casks are forceful and give colour, acidity and dark fruit, which can overwhelm a light spirit — but Blair Athol's heavy, malty style has the weight to stand its ground.

Full maturation in a port cask combined with a high bottling strength gives a whisky with clear vinous character and a velvet texture, where sweetness and spice pull in opposite directions.

Tasting notes

Nose

Black cherries and fruit preserve with hazelnut caramel and a hint of ginger.

Palate

Full and sweet with port-soaked sponge cake, strawberry jam, candied orange peel and dark chocolate.

Finish

Long and warm with dark berries, spice and a dry, chocolatey close.

Specifications

Name: Blair Athol 2011/2025 Signatory Vintage 13 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57.7%
Distillery: Blair Athol
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Highlands, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 57,7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First Fill Ruby Port Hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2025
Edition: Cask Strength Collection

Flavour profile

Port matured · Fruity · Spiced · Chocolate · Powerful

Investment potential

Medium. A single cask from Signatory's Cask Strength Collection with full maturation in a first fill port cask, a wood type used sparingly and never yielding the same result twice.

Did you know?

Port casks for whisky are rarer than you might think. Port is traditionally aged in very large vessels used over and over, and the smaller casks the whisky industry can use are often made for the purpose.

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The original bottle, the original horse figure on the stopper — the world's first modern single-barrel bourbon.

Expert description

Blanton's Single Barrel 93 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the brand's original edition, where each bottle comes from a single, hand-selected barrel, bottled at 46.5%. Blanton's is named after Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton, who started as an office boy at the Buffalo Trace distillery at age 16 and became the company's president in 1921, a role he held until 1952. He personally selected the best 'honey barrels' from Warehouse H for his guests and bottled whiskey one barrel at a time. In 1984, master distiller Elmer T. Lee honoured him by launching the world's first modern single-barrel bourbon, based on barrels from that same warehouse.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers caramel, vanilla and a hint of fruit.

Palate

The palate is round and full with caramel, honey and lightly spiced oak.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, warm and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Blantons Single Barrel 93 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Region/Country: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 46.5%
Size: 70 CL
Single Barrel

Flavour profile

Full-bodied · Caramel · Rounded · Sweet

Investment potential

Blanton's original Single Barrel edition is among the most sought-after bourbons internationally and often has limited availability.

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Some bottles carry a date that means nothing to the world and everything to the collector who finally tracks it down. This one was filled from barrel 138 on Rick 25 in Buffalo Trace's Warehouse H, and on the 1st of October 2005 it was dumped, bottled, and sent out into a market that had barely started paying attention to single barrel bourbon.

Expert's Description

Blanton's Special Reserve is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Buffalo Trace Distillery, matured in new, charred casks of white American oak and bottled at 40%.

Special Reserve is the gentlest of Blanton's single barrel expressions and is sold exclusively outside the United States, built for drinkers who want Blanton's signature character in a softer, more approachable form than the 46.5% Original. Like every Blanton's release, it matures only in Warehouse H, the distillery's sole metal-clad warehouse, built by Albert B. Blanton in the years following Prohibition. Metal conducts heat far faster than the traditional brick warehouses, and the sharper temperature swings through Kentucky's seasons push the whiskey deeper into the oak than it would otherwise reach.

This bottle comes from barrel no. 138 on Rick 25 and was dumped on 1 October 2005, a date that is always printed on the label so collectors can trace exactly which barrel and which day the whiskey left the wood. Atop the bottle sits one of eight classic horse-and-jockey stoppers, which together spell out B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S and depict a race from start to finish.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Cedar and ripe raisin meet a touch of florals and a shy, understated vanilla.

Palate

Light and airy on the tongue, with vanilla and caramel drifting around dried fruit and a flick of white pepper.

Finish

Oak, a hint of rye spice and a touch of leather, mild and medium in length.

Specifications

Name: Blanton's Special Reserve 2005 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New charred casks of white American oak
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 1 October 2005
Edition: Special Reserve – barrel no. 138, Warehouse H, Rick 25

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Sweet · Fruity · Light Oak

Investment Potential

Medium. A 2005 dump date is rare to come across today, and older Warehouse H barrels like this one draw collectors chasing specific vintages and dates. That said, Special Reserve is the lowest-proof expression in the Blanton's range and typically doesn't command the same premium as Original, Gold or Straight From the Barrel.

Did You Know?

This bottle was dumped in 2005, a full decade before Blanton's truly exploded as a global collector's item on social media around 2015. Back then, it could still be found on shelves without a queue or a bidding war.

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