A true classic in a new disguise!
Bowmore 15 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask Finish combines the characteristic smoky style of Islay with a rich, fruity sweetness from Spanish oak sherry casks.
After maturation in traditional bourbon casks, the whisky gains extra depth from a final aging in specially selected Sherry Oak Casks.

On the nose, you'll encounter lovely aromas of peated smoke, dark caramel, raisins, and a hint of orange peel.
The taste is silky-smooth and balanced with notes of dark chocolate, licorice root, spices, and an elegant smokiness that lingers in a long, warm finish.

In short:
Bowmore 15 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask Finish is an experience for those who love classic Islay smoke — with added layers of sweetness, power, and elegance. Perfect for relaxation or as a gift for any whisky lover.

Distillery: Bowmore
Age: 15 years
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Islay
Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon & Oloroso Sherry
ABV: 43%
70 cl
Other: 

Apple wood smoke gives this rye whiskey an unusual, fruity complexity.

Expert description

Widow Jane Apple Wood Rye 2023 Blended Straight Rye Whiskey is a blend of rye whiskeys, proofed with the Widow Jane Mine's mineral water, bottled at 46.5%. Widow Jane was created by aerospace engineer Daniel Preston in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where the distillery is now housed in a former chocolate factory. The whiskey's name and signature water come from the Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, New York, a historic limestone mine whose cement was used to build both the Brooklyn Bridge and the base of the Statue of Liberty. The mine was named after Jane, wife of the tough mine owner A.J. Snyder, who was beloved by the local community for her kindness. Rosendale limestone contains a higher mineral content than that typically found in Kentucky, and the distillery uses this naturally filtered spring water to proof down each batch.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers spiced rye, apple and a hint of smoky wood.

Palate

The palate is spicy and full with rye, caramel and a light smoky nuance.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, spiced and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Widow Jane Apple Wood Rye 2023 Blended Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: Widow Jane Distillery
Region/Country: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Type: Blended Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 46.5%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: 2023

Flavour profile

Spicy · Rye · Smoky · Full-bodied

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Some bottles tell an entire story in the name alone. Linkwood 2013/2021 Virgin Oak Wilson & Morgan 7 år Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48% is one of them.

Expert's description

Linkwood 2013/2021 Virgin Oak Wilson & Morgan 7 år Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48% is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky, matured in virgin oak hogshead and bottled at 48%.

The whisky is distilled at Linkwood and independently selected and bottled by Wilson & Morgan as part of the Virgin Oak series.

It was distilled 2013 and bottled 2021, giving it 7 years.

Only 407 bottles were released from this batch, making it an exclusive release for collectors.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose opens with beeswax, ripe pears and fresh baked wood.

Palate

On the tongue you find blossom, fresh baked wood and spiced oak.

Finish

The aftertaste is long and spicy, with fresh baked wood and blossom.

Specifications

Name: Linkwood 2013/2021 Virgin Oak Wilson & Morgan 7 år Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48%
Distillery: Linkwood
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 7 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Virgin Oak Hogshead (#303767)
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 407
Edition: Virgin Oak
EAN no.: 5714772001220

Flavour profile

Spicy · Sweet · Rich

Did you know?

For a period, Linkwood ran an old and a new still house side by side, each with differently shaped stills, before production was later consolidated.

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In 2004, Mackmyra sold a small cask of raw, unpeated spirit to one of the men behind Whisky.dk. The cask took his name, and almost five years later it became 54 bottles of Swedish whisky that have never been recreated since.

The Expert's Description

Mackmyra Reserve Bertelsen Cask No.1 is a Swedish Single Malt Whisky matured in a 30-litre Swedish oak cask and bottled at 48.3%.

The story begins in 2004, when Mackmyra sold a small 30-litre cask of Swedish oak filled with unpeated new-make spirit to one of Whisky.dk's owners. The cask took the name Bertelsen Cask No.1 after the buyer, while another Whisky.dk co-owner received his own cask at the same time, since known as Olsen's Barrel.

After nearly five years of maturation in the small cask, the whisky arrived in Denmark as 54 bottles with a deep colour and a surprisingly full flavour for such a young cask. It was distilled on 8 November 2004 and bottled on 6 April 2009.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Clear oak character with vanilla and a touch of honey, supported by a light nutty sweetness.

Palate

Full-bodied and warm with notes of caramel and toasted oak, where the small cask's intense maturation is clearly felt.

Finish

Medium length with a dry, woody close and a last trace of sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Mackmyra Reserve Bertelsen Cask No.1 Swedish Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Mackmyra
Region/Country: Gästrikland, Sweden
Type: Swedish Single Malt Whisky
Age: 4 year(s)
ABV: 48.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 30-litre Swedish oak cask, cask #04-638
Distilled: 2004
Bottled: 2009
Number of bottles: 54

Flavour Profile

Oaky · Full-bodied · Sweet · Nutty · Warm

Investment Potential

High. With only 54 bottles from a single small cask, and a story tied directly to Whisky.dk's own past, this is one of the rarest Swedish whiskies ever to have reached shelves in Denmark.

Did You Know?

Bertelsen Cask No.1 is named after one of Whisky.dk's owners, who personally bought the cask directly from Mackmyra in 2004. It is one of very few bottles in the world to carry the name of a Danish whisky retailer.

See our full range of Mackmyra

Adelphi has a reputation for bottling only the casks that truly deserve it – with just 177 bottles from this single refill bourbon barrel, this Glenlossie is one of the rarest names in our Scottish range.

Expert's Description

Glenlossie 2011/2025 Adelphi Selection 13 Year Old is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at cask strength, 59.9%.

Distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2025 by Adelphi Selection, from a refill bourbon barrel, cask number 35429. The long years in cask have given the whisky an elegant oak imprint and a soft, rich character, without losing its complexity.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft oak and caramel meet a light sweetness of honey and ripe apple. The high strength gives a clear, but not sharp, spice.

Palate

Rich and full, with toffee, roasted nuts and a warm, peppery spice. The 13 years in cask have added good depth without taking over.

Finish

Long and warm, with lingering oak and a last hint of honeyed sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Glenlossie 2011/2025 Adelphi Selection 13 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 59.9%
Distillery: Glenlossie
Bottler: Adelphi Selection
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 59.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill bourbon barrel, Cask no. 35429
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2025
Number of bottles: 177

Flavour Profile

Oak-driven · Rich · Spiced · Warm

Did You Know?

Adelphi Selection traces its roots back to 1826 and was revived in its current form in 1993 – today the company also runs its own distillery, Ardnamurchan, on Scotland's west coast.

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Cask number one. Sall Whisky's first retailer single cask – bottled from a single oloroso sherry cask for the retailers who wanted to be first with an exclusive edition of the North Jutland single farm malt.

Expert description

Sall Whisky Forhandlernes Fad #1 Oloroso Cask is a Danish Single Malt Whisky bottled at 50.3% from Sall Whisky in Djursland. It is the distillery's first "retailer cask" – a single cask chosen and bottled specifically for selected retailers. The cask is an oloroso sherry cask, which adds a sweet, nutty sherry character with dark fruits and dried grapes to Sall Whisky's organic single farm malt. 50.3% is a good strength to show the sherry cask's nuances without losing the malt's grain character.

Tasting notes

Nose

The oloroso sherry's sweet, nutty character meets Sall Whisky's clean Jutland single farm malt. Dried grapes, hazelnut and a light spiciness from the sherry cask.

Palate

50.3% gives a good balance. The sherry cask's sweetness and nuts are clear, but the grain base is still visible – lightly fruity and organic beneath the classic oloroso character.

Finish

Long and warm with oloroso sherry's nutty and lightly sweet close.

Specifications

Name: Sall Whisky Forhandlernes Fad #1
Distillery: Sall Whisky
Region/Country: Djursland, Denmark
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 50.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso sherry cask

Flavour profile

Sherry · Nutty · Dried fruit · Single Cask

Investment potential

Medium. Single cask bottling from a limited retailer cask programme – Forhandlernes Fad #1 exists in one cask's volume.

Did you know?

Oloroso is one of the driest sherry styles – it is made without the protective biological flor film that characterises fino and manzanilla, and instead oxidises slowly. This gives oloroso casks a dense, nutty and sweet profile that is easily recognisable in whisky. For Sall Whisky's clean single farm malt, it is an exciting partnership.

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In a region crowded with famous names, Inchgower has quietly gone about its business for generations. This particular release from Speyside shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Inchgower 2010/2025 Adelphi Selection 14 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky 57,7% is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured on first fill Palo Cortado Sherry Butt, fad nr. 809891 and bottled at 57,7%.

This bottling comes from Adelphi Selection, released as part of the Adelphi Selection range.

The whisky was distilled in 2010 and bottled in 2025.

Only 542 bottles were produced from this cask, making it a limited release for collectors.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried raisins, toasted almonds and a rich sherry sweetness.

Palate

Toffee, dark fruit and a layer of warming spice.

Finish

Rich and sweet with a slow fade of dark fruit.

Specifications

Name: Inchgower 2010/2025 Adelphi Selection 14 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky 57,7%
Distillery: Inchgower
Bottler: Adelphi Selection
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 57,7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill Palo Cortado Sherry Butt, fad nr. 809891
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2010
Bottled: 2025
Number of bottles: 542
Edition: Adelphi Selection
EAN no.: 5060383654394

Flavour Profile

Sherried · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium. Two extra years on the rare Palo Cortado cask have produced an even deeper and more powerful whisky, and with only 542 bottles produced it is attractive to collectors of Adelphi's Inchgower series.

Did you know?

Adelphi owns its own working distillery, Ardnamurchan, the most westerly distillery on the Scottish mainland, where the same uncompromising philosophy is carried into production.

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Off the coast of West Cork the Atlantic runs grey and restless, and it was here that two of the distillery's founders once hauled nets for a living, long before they swapped trawlers for copper pot stills. That same maritime spirit gives its name to the series this bottle belongs to.

Expert Review

West Cork Sherry Cask Finished Maritime Release is an Irish Single Malt Whiskey matured in first fill Bourbon casks and finished in Bodegas Baron Sherry casks, bottled at 46%.

The bottle belongs to West Cork Distillers' Maritime Range, a series built as a tribute to the founders' years at sea. The whiskey is triple distilled from Irish malted barley and rests first in ex-Bourbon casks, picking up soft vanilla sweetness, before moving to Spanish Sherry casks for a finish that adds depth and dried fruit character.

The bottle itself is shaped like an old glass fishing float, the kind fishermen once used to keep their nets afloat, and the spout sits deliberately off-centre for a smoother pour. A small but deliberate design touch that ties the story to what is in the glass.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Stewed prunes and dried fig meet a touch of sherry and a soft vanilla sweetness that settles over everything.

Palate

Sweet to start, with caramel and raisins, before spice steps in and pulls the flavour toward a peppery finish.

Finish

Dry, with a lingering spiced edge, rounded off by soft oak.

Specifications

Name: West Cork Sherry Cask Finished Maritime Release Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Distillery: West Cork Distillers
Region/Country: County Cork, Ireland
Type: Irish Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill Bourbon casks & Bodegas Baron Sherry casks
Edition: Maritime Range
EAN no.: 5391524716085

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Sweet · Fruity · Spiced · Rounded

Did You Know?

West Cork Distillers was founded in 2003 by three childhood friends from the West Cork area. Two of them had spent years at sea as fishermen, and it is that background that gave both name and shape to the entire Maritime Range this bottle belongs to.
See our full range of West Cork Distillers

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

Expert description

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Soft · Fruity · Malty · Honeyed · Unpeated

Did you know?

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

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

Expert description

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Malty · Lightly Spiced

Did you know?

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

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

Expert description

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Smoky · Maritime · Sweet · Salted · Medicinal

Did you know?

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

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Mezcal and peated whisky have more in common than you might think. Both get their smoke from something that has lain in the ground and burned: agave hearts in a stone-lined pit in Oaxaca, peat under a malting floor in Scotland. Here they meet in the same cask.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan Mezcal Cask Release AD is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in traditional bourbon and sherry casks and then finished in used mezcal casks from Mexico, bottled at 55%.

Mezcal is known for its smoky, earthy character, which comes from agave hearts roasted in earth pits over embers. The casks add a depth and complexity distinct from classic Scottish malt whiskies, a mineral structure not found in wine casks.

The release is part of the distillery’s continuing work with unconventional cask types. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet malt and a lightly medicinal peat smoke open, quickly followed by characteristic mezcal notes: green agave, citrus, white pepper and toasted oak. It is all rounded off by a subtle spiced undertone.

Palate

Green apples and fresh lime meet a finely balanced peat smoke and a lightly saline character. Warm notes of vanilla, honey and a touch of cinnamon and clove sit in the middle. The texture is full, and the minerality from the mezcal casks gives structure without drowning the fruity base.

Finish

Long and mineral. Smoke, citrus and a dry, almost stony close where the agave lingers longest.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan Mezcal Cask Release AD Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 55%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 55%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon and sherry casks, finished in used mezcal casks from Mexico
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Mezcal Cask Release AD

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Mineral · Citrus · Spiced · Cask Strength · Fruity

Did You Know?

Mezcal is made by roasting agave hearts in a pit in the ground, covered with stones and glowing wood, for several days. That is where the smoke comes from, not from the cask or the distillation. The method resembles Scottish peat firing more than anything else in the spirits world, which is probably why the two work together.

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Some whiskies need decades to truly find themselves. This 20-year-old Ballechin is one of the clearest examples of what patience and good oak can do for a peated whisky.

The expert's description

Edradour Ballechin 20 years old 2004/2024 Bourbon Barrels is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 52.8%.

The whisky was distilled in the spring of 2004 and spent a full 20 years in bourbon casks before being bottled in March 2024. Those long years on wood have given it an unusual depth, where Ballechin's forceful peat has gradually been softened by the vanilla and sweetness of American oak. With 2,016 bottles, this is one of the larger releases in the series, but still a rare chance to taste what two decades of maturation do to a peated Highland whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Smoked vanilla meets grilled pineapple and heather honey, with hints of leather and dried coconut. Malt and oak sit as a deeper undercurrent.

Palate

Silky in texture, where the bourbon cask's sweetness weaves together with layers of peat smoke, caramelised nuts, citrus oil and cinnamon.

Finish

Long, warm and lingering, with dried fruit, sweet oak, ash and a hint of dark chocolate.

Specifications

Name: Edradour Ballechin 20 years old 2004/2024 Bourbon Barrels Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 52.8%
Distillery: Edradour Ballechin
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 20 years
ABV: 52,8 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbonfade
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: spring 2004
Bottled: 04/03/2024
Number of bottles: Only 2,016 bottles
EAN no.: 5021944125494

Flavour profile

Peated · Creamy · Spicy · Smooth

Did you know?

Edradour is still so small that the distillery's entire annual output matches what many larger Highland distilleries produce in under a week.

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In a green Perthshire valley, Edradour's tiny copper stills have been distilling whisky since 1825. But there's another, smokier side to this quiet farm distillery. Ballechin takes its name from a neighbouring distillery that closed nearly a century ago, and the name now lives on in these heavily peated bottlings.

The expert's description

Edradour Ballechin 13 years old SFTC 2004/2018 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a port cask and bottled at 53.3%.

The whisky belongs to the Straight From The Cask series, where every bottling comes from a single cask with no filtration and no added colour. This particular release was distilled in April 2004 and matured for 13 years in cask no. 199, a port cask that has given the whisky a deep reddish-brown hue and a wine-like sweetness that meets Ballechin's signature peat smoke head-on. The series has long been discontinued, and only 396 bottles were drawn from this one cask.

Tasting notes

Nose

Red berries and dark chocolate arrive first, quickly followed by pecans and damp oak. The port cask lends a sweet, almost wine-like depth that melts into a heavy, earthy peat smoke.

Palate

Strawberries and dark brown sugar sit in layers over the peat, which is present without ever taking over. Spiced oak, caramel and a touch of dried herbs round things off.

Finish

Long and lingering, with flamed orange peel, dark smoke and black pepper, closing on warm spice and a sweetness that takes its time to fade.

Specifications

Name: Edradour Ballechin 13 years old SFTC 2004/2018 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 53.3%
Distillery: Edradour Ballechin
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 53,3 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Port cask (cask no. 199)
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 15/04/2004
Bottled: 15/01/2018
Number of bottles: Only 396 bottles
Edition: SFTC
EAN no.: 5021944093960

Flavour profile

Peated · Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spicy

Investment potential

This release is assessed to have high investment potential, largely due to the discontinued SFTC series, only 396 bottles and a single cask bottled at cask strength. This is a general assessment based on available information about rarity and demand, not a guarantee of future value growth.

Did you know?

The Ballechin name comes from a small distillery near Edradour that closed in the 1920s — today it lives on as the name for Edradour's peated bottlings.

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Not every Speyside distillery seeks attention. Miltonduff has spent two centuries preferring to work quietly.

Expert's Description

Miltonduff 2011/2021 Coopers Choice 10 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky from The Vintage Malt Whisky Co., matured in a fresh bourbon barrel and bottled at cask strength 56.5%.

The Coopers Choice series was founded in 1992 by Brian Crook under The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. and is known for consistently high quality in its single cask releases. This Miltonduff was filled from a single fresh bourbon barrel yielding only 228 bottles.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The glass first greets you with honey, quickly followed by shortbread and a hint of vanilla.

Palate

The palate is full-bodied with apple compote, malt and creamy vanilla.

Finish

The finish is gently sweet.

Specifications

Distillery: Miltonduff
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 56.5 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Fresh Bourbon Barrel, cask #800531
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2010
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 228
Edition: Single Cask
EAN no.: 5024720861685

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Soft · Vanilla-sweet · Floral

Did You Know?

Miltonduff was once home to a Lomond still named Mosstowie, which produced a distinctly different style of malt until 1981.

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Sauternes exists because a fungus attacks the grapes and draws the water out of them. The result is one of the world's sweetest white wines — and a cask that does something quite particular to whisky.

Expert description

Deanston 2014/2024 Coopers Choice 10 years is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon wood with a final maturation in a Sauternes cask and bottled at 52.5% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The whisky was distilled in 2014 and bottled in 2024 from cask number 1149 by The Vintage Malt Whisky Company in Glasgow as part of the Cooper's Choice range. Sauternes comes from Bordeaux and is made from grapes affected by noble rot, which concentrates the sugar. On a honeyed Highland malt like Deanston it reinforces the sweetness rather than working against it.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey, apricot and orange marmalade, with vanilla and a light floral note from the wine cask.

Palate

Full and sweet. Ripe fruit, honey and spice, with oak and a creamy texture. The Sauternes cask lays a layer of concentrated fruit sweetness over the house honey.

Finish

Long and warm, with fruit, spice and a dry oak note at the close.

Specifications

Name: Deanston 2014/2024 Coopers Choice 10 years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 52,5%
Distillery: Deanston
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 52.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask with a Sauternes finish, cask no. 1149
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2024
EAN no.: 5024720863290

Flavour profile

Honeyed · Fruity · Spiced · Creamy · Wine Cask

Investment potential

Medium. A single cask with a Sauternes finish from a bottler working with individual casks. Wine cask finishes of this kind exist in small numbers.

Did you know?

Noble rot sounds like something that ruins a harvest, and most of the time it does. Only under very particular humidity does the fungus draw water from the grapes without spoiling them — which is what makes Sauternes both rare and expensive.

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264 bottles. That is everything that came out of thirty-two years in a single bourbon cask. Evaporation took the rest, and what remains is concentrated in a way young whiskies cannot imitate.

Expert description

Cambus 1991/2024 Coopers Choice 32 Years is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky from Bourbon Cask #79880, bottled at 47.5% without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky was distilled in September 1991 at the now closed Cambus distillery and bottled in January 2024 as part of the Cooper's Choice series from The Vintage Malt Whisky Company. The cask gave 264 bottles.

After thirty-two years the strength sits at 47.5%, which tells you the cask lost some power along the way. That is typical of very long maturation in a quiet warehouse and gives a softer whisky than bottlings still above 50%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla custard and coconut macaroon with ripe banana and a trace of pale oak.

Palate

Very soft and creamy with fudge, honey and white chocolate. The age reads as texture rather than as wood.

Finish

Long, soft and sweet with vanilla, grain and a fine, dry close.

Specifications

Name: Cambus 1991/2024 Coopers Choice 32 Years Bourbon Cask Finish Single Grain Scotch Whisky 47.5%
Distillery: Cambus
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 32 years
ABV: 47,5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask #79880
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: September 1991
Bottled: January 2024
Number of bottles: 264
EAN no.: 5024720862989

Flavour profile

Creamy · Vanilla · Sweet · Very soft · Mature

Investment potential

High. Thirty-two years, 264 bottles and a distillery that no longer exists. The number of 1991 Cambus casks is severely limited.

Did you know?

The angel's share is the amount of whisky that evaporates through the cask each year. After thirty-two years more than half the contents can be gone, which is one reason very old whiskies exist in such small volumes.

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In the shadow of the famous names, Mannochmore quietly does its work — consistent, without fanfare.

Expert's description

Mannochmore 2011/2023 Coopers Choice 11 år Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 51,5% is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky, matured in american oak & ruby wine butt and bottled at 51,5%.

The whisky is distilled at Mannochmore and independently selected and bottled by The Cooper's Choice as part of the The Cooper's Choice series.

It was distilled 2011 and bottled 2023, giving it 11 years.

Only 600 bottles were released from this batch, making it an exclusive release for collectors.

Tasting notes

Nose

The aroma offers pear, floral notes and mild sweetness.

Palate

On the tongue you find lemon zest, spice and light oak.

Finish

The aftertaste is short but concentrated, with spice and green apples.

Specifications

Name: Mannochmore 2011/2023 Coopers Choice 11 år Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 51,5%
Distillery: Mannochmore
Bottler: The Cooper's Choice
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 51,5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American Oak & Ruby Wine Butt (#8264)
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 600
Edition: The Cooper's Choice
EAN no.: 5024720862699

Flavour profile

Fruity · Soft · Classic

Did you know?

In the 1990s Mannochmore was the source spirit behind the notorious 'Loch Dhu – The Black Whisky', whose near-black colour from heavy cask charring and caramel made headlines and is now a cult collector's item.

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Grain whisky is rarely allowed to stand alone, but when it does, as here from North British, it reveals a very different side of Scotch.

Expert's Description

North British 2006/2024 Coopers Choice 17 Year Old is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky finished in an oloroso sherry cask, bottled at cask strength 52%.

The whisky matured in American oak casks and finished in a single oloroso sherry cask, cask #4358, adding a rich and complex character to North British's usually light base profile. Only 246 bottles were filled.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers dark chocolate, chestnut honey and raisin.

Palate

On the palate there is spiced oak and walnut, while brown sugar adds a final twist.

Finish

The finish is long and spicy.

Specifications

Distillery: North British
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 52 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso Sherry Cask, cask #4358
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: Juni 2006
Bottled: Januar 2024
Number of bottles: 246
EAN no.: 5024720863160

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Spicy · Full-bodied · Dark fruit

Did You Know?

The North British distillery in Gorgie is one of the last grain whisky distilleries in Edinburgh and has run continuously since the mid-1880s.

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From Rothes to Normandy — that is the journey this Glen Spey cask has taken. Eleven years matured in American oak, followed by a finish in a calvados cask from the apple orchards of Normandy. The result is a Speyside single malt that combines the familiar with the unexpected.

Expert's description

Glen Spey 2010/2021 Coopers Choice 11 year is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak and finished in a calvados cask, bottled at 55% by The Vintage Malt Whisky Co. The Coopers Choice is the series from The Vintage Malt Whisky Co., founded in 1992 by Brian Crook in Milngavie. The company is named after the cooper — the cask-maker — one of the oldest and most essential crafts in the whisky world. Every release is single cask, natural colour and without chill filtration.

Glen Spey is the Rothes distillery that is rarely seen as a single malt. Distilled on 1 June 2010 in American oak casks, this bottling received a finishing period in a calvados cask (#803006) before being released in January 2021. Calvados — the Norman apple spirit — leaves clear traces: sweet, crisp apple fruitiness and a lightly spiced complexity. Only 354 bottles.

Tasting notes

Nose

Delicate peaches and sweet vanilla open first, supported by tropical notes — mango and passionfruit — along with apple peel from the calvados cask.

Palate

Soft spice and walnut whip with sweet poached pears and cooked apples in balance with lightly malty oak. The calvados cask adds a sweet, fruity complexity without dominating.

Finish

Crisp and dry with fruit and spice cutting through. Clean and well-defined.

Specifications

Name: Glen Spey 2010/2021 Coopers Choice 11 year
Distillery: Glen Spey
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 55%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American Oak & Calvados Cask
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 354
Cask no.: #803006

Flavour profile

Fruity · Apple · Spicy · Floral · Creamy

Did you know?

Calvados is France's answer to whisky — a distillate based on apple cider or pear cider from Normandy, matured in oak casks. Combining it with Scotch single malt is a relatively new trend, but the results can be surprisingly harmonious.

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Fifteen years on American oak and a final chapter on a single Malaga wine cask. Cooper's Choice has captured Tamnavulin in a rare, sun-warmed expression sweetened by Andalusia's dessert wine.

Expert description

Tamnavulin Distillery 2009/2024 Cooper's Choice 15 Year Old Malaga Cask is a Single Speyside Scotch Whisky, matured in American oak casks with a finishing period in a Malaga wine cask and bottled at 50%.

Cooper's Choice is one of Scotland's most respected independent bottling series, created by The Vintage Malt Whisky Company, founded in 1992 by Brian Crook after many years as export director for one of Scotland's most renowned distilleries. The series is known for seeking out rare, characterful single cask releases from across the country.

This expression was distilled at Tamnavulin in 2009 and bottled in 2024, having first matured in American oak casks before finishing in a single Malaga wine cask, Cask No. 0772. Malaga is a sweet, sun-ripened Spanish dessert wine, and the cask lends the whisky a distinctive winey sweetness and depth not found in the distillery's standard core range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dried fig meet caramelised sugar and a light touch of dark chocolate.

Palate

Sweet and full-bodied with notes of blackcurrant, brown sugar and a spiced hint of nutmeg.

Finish

Medium in length, winey and lightly tart, closing on dried apricot and warm oak.

Specifications

Name: Tamnavulin Distillery Cooper's Choice 15 Year Old Malaga Cask
Distillery: Tamnavulin
Bottler: Cooper's Choice (The Vintage Malt Whisky Company)
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 Years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in Malaga wine cask, Cask No. 0772
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2024
Number of bottles: 300
EAN nr.: 5024720863184

Flavour profile

Winey · Sweet · Fruity · Spiced · Rich

Investment potential

Medium. A single Malaga wine cask with only 300 bottles and an unusual finish makes this one of the more sought-after Tamnavulin bottlings from Cooper's Choice.

Did you know?

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company was founded in 1992 by Brian Crook, who had spent many years as export director for one of Scotland's most renowned distilleries before turning to independent bottling.

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The name says it all – here Bunnahabhain's peated spirit meets a finishing period in oloroso sherry, bottled by one of Scotland's most respected independent houses.

Expert's Description

Bunnahabhain Sherried Smoke Coopers Choice is a Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky finished in an oloroso sherry butt and bottled at 46%.

Coopers Choice is the work of The Vintage Malt Whisky Company, which since 1992 in Glasgow has specialised in selecting and bottling rare, characterful single casks from Scotland's finest distilleries. At Coopers Choice, quality trumps quantity – every bottle is bottled in small batches, typically without chill filtration and with natural colour.

This release was distilled at Bunnahabhain and finished in oloroso sherry casks from cask #0322, adding both depth and a warm smoky character to the already peated spirit.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Smoky notes combined with sweetness from dried fruit and a hint of sea salt.

Palate

A harmonious balance of peat, caramel, tobacco ash, sherry sweetness and spiced undertones.

Finish

Long and warm with lingering smoke and fruity nuances.

Specifications

Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Scotland (Islay)
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Oloroso Sherry Butt / Cask No. #0322
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation Method: Double Distilled
Bottled: 2024
Number of Bottles: 480
Edition: The Coopers Choice
EAN No.: 5024720863269

Flavour Profile

Peated · Sherry-Matured · Spicy · Full-Bodied

Did You Know?

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company has run the Coopers Choice series since 1992, naming it in honour of the coopers – the craftsmen whose casks ultimately shape the flavour of every whisky.

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Marsala comes from Sicily and is almost never used for whisky. That is exactly why a bottler like Cooper's Choice tries it — and why the bottle tastes unlike its neighbour on the shelf.

Expert description

Dalmunach 2016/2024 Coopers Choice 8 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak with a final finish in Marsala wine casks and bottled at cask strength of 57.5% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The whisky was distilled in April 2016 and bottled in 2024, with an outturn of 324 bottles. Marsala is a Sicilian fortified wine, far less used in whisky than sherry and port — it gives a nutty, lightly bitter fruit character unlike anything else. Dalmunach opened in 2015 and is among Scotland's youngest distilleries.

Tasting notes

Nose

Nuts and dried fruit first. Apricot, almond and orange peel, with a warm spiced note and young, cereal freshness underneath.

Palate

Full and lightly bitter in the good sense. Nuts, dried apricot and caramel, with a dry fruit edge from the Marsala cask and a peppery warmth from the strength.

Finish

Long and dry, with nuts, spice and a faintly bitter fruit close.

Specifications

Name: Dalmunach 2016/2024 Coopers Choice 8 years Single Malt Scotch Whisky 57,5%
Distillery: Dalmunach
Bottler: The Coopers Choice
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 57.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak with a Marsala wine cask finish
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: April 2016
Bottled: 2024
Number of bottles: 324
Edition: Single Cask
EAN no.: 5024720863283

Flavour profile

Nutty · Dried Fruit · Spiced · Fruity · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. An unusual cask type in 324 bottles from a young distillery. Marsala finishes are rare enough to be remembered.

Did you know?

Marsala was originally created by an English merchant in the 1770s, who added alcohol to Sicilian wine so it would survive the voyage home. The same trick as port and Madeira — and the three cask types behave in related ways in whisky.

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Croftengea is Loch Lomond's peated alter ego – the name the distillery uses when the smoke is allowed to run free. This release comes straight from a single cask and takes one last, colourful detour through a Jamaican rum barrel.

Expert's Description

Croftengea 2016/2024 Jamaican Rum Cask is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak with a rum finish and bottled at 53%.

The whisky was distilled at Loch Lomond in 2016 under the distillery's heavily peated Croftengea profile and, after its time in American oak, was given a final finish in a Jamaican rum cask before being bottled in 2024 by the independent bottler Cooper's Choice. Cask strength and single-cask bottling mean no other bottle is quite like this one.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Heavy smoke and earthy peat meet sweet molasses and preserved tropical fruit from the rum cask.

Palate

Full and oily with burnt caramel, black pepper and a wave of cane sugar that ties the smoke together with the rum's sweetness.

Finish

Long, smoky finish with lingering spice and a hint of tar.

Specifications

Name: Croftengea 2016/2024 Jamaican Rum Cask Heavily Peated Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Bottler: Cooper's Choice
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 53%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in a Jamaican rum cask
Distilled: 2016
Bottled: 2024
EAN: 5024720862996
Serving suggestion: Neat or with a few drops of water to tame the cask strength

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Peated · Spiced · Full-bodied

Investment Potential

Medium – single-cask peated Croftengea releases from Cooper's Choice are limited and sought after among collectors of independent bottlings, and the cask strength adds extra appeal for the dedicated collector.

Did You Know?

Croftengea is not a distillery in its own right, but the name Loch Lomond uses for its heavily peated style – named after an old farm on the shore of the loch.

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The name is invented, and it fits rather well. Nectarosity tries to catch the fruit sweetness that appears when pale malt and active American oak are given long enough together.

Expert description

Compass Box Nectarosity is a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 46% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The whisky matured in a combination of first fill bourbon casks, refill sherry puncheons and custom made American oak casks. The three cask types pull in different directions — vanilla and coconut from the bourbon wood, dried fruit from the sherry, and a softer spiced sweetness from the bespoke oak. Compass Box has since 2000 worked on the principle that the recipe should be told openly, and the house publishes the composition of its blends.

Tasting notes

Nose

Peach, apricot and pale honey. Under the fruit sit vanilla, coconut and a light floral note.

Palate

Fruit-sweet and round. Caramel, ripe pear, orange and vanilla, with a malt core keeping the sweetness in check. The 46% gives a decent grip without turning hard.

Finish

Medium and soft, with honey, pale caramel and a dry, spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Compass Box Nectarosity Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Bottler: Compass Box
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill bourbon casks, sherry puncheons and American oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Nectarosity
EAN no.: 5060632881724

Flavour profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Vanilla · Soft · Caramel

Did you know?

Compass Box does not just blend whisky — it also has casks built to order. By commissioning custom American oak with a specified toast, the house can aim at a flavour direction that does not exist in ordinary refill wood.

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John Glaser came from the wine world before he made whisky. Crimson Casks is probably the clearest evidence — sherry and red wine casks, put together the way a wine blender would have done it.

Expert description

Compass Box Crimson Casks is a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 46% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

The bottle arrived in 2024 as part of the house core collection and is built around the influence of sherry and red wine casks. Compass Box was founded in 2000 by the American John Glaser, formerly marketing director at Johnnie Walker, and the house has since made its name by treating blending as a craft on a level with distilling. Bottling without chill filtration and without colouring is standard at Compass Box — they want the cask to speak unedited.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark berries and raisin first, then orange peel, cinnamon and a warm note of toasted oak. A lightly tart fruit note from the red wine casks sits behind.

Palate

Rich and layered. Cherry, fig, dark chocolate and spice, with a malt sweetness holding it all together. The 46% gives structure without tightening things up.

Finish

Long and warm, with dried fruit, cocoa and a dry, lightly tannic close.

Specifications

Name: Compass Box Crimson Casks Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Bottler: Compass Box
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks and red wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Crimson Casks
EAN no.: 5060632881731

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark Berry · Spiced · Full-bodied · Chocolate

Did you know?

Compass Box has clashed with industry rules more than once. When the house published the exact age composition of its blends in 2015, it was technically against EU regulations — and it set off a debate about transparency that is still running in Scotch whisky.

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Sherry and peat are rarely seen together on Islay, but Hunter Laing insists the two can dance well in a single glass.

Expert's Description

Scarabus Sherry Cask Edition is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Hunter Laing, matured in first-fill sherry casks, including Oloroso sherry casks, and bottled at 46%.

The release was exclusive to the German market and combines Scarabus's signature smoky Islay profile with the sweet, nutty tones from the sherry casks. The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Smoky peat meets dry sherry, toasted nuts and a hint of orange peel.

Palate

Sweet and smoky at once, with Oloroso depth and an underlying salty peat.

Finish

Long and complex with lingering smoke and a dry sherry note.

Specifications

Name: Scarabus Sherry Cask Edition
Bottler: Hunter Laing
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Single Islay Malt Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: First-fill Oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
EAN No.: 5060354288047

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Smoky · Nutty · Complex

Did You Know?

This edition was originally made exclusively for the German market, making it one of the rarer Scarabus releases to find outside Germany.

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A private bottling is not a marketing exercise. Somebody tasted their way through a row of casks in a warehouse in southern Scotland, pointed at number 836 and said: that one, the whole cask, for us. Two hundred and thirty-one bottles of conviction.

The Expert's Description

Annandale 2016/2024 Single Cask Private Release 8 Years Old is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a bourbon cask and bottled at 62.8% cask strength. Cask 836 was distilled on 3 November 2016 and bottled on 11 December 2024, giving 231 bottles released exclusively for The Norseman.

In a private bottling the buyer takes the whole cask, and there is no blending and no adjustment of strength. The whisky goes into the bottle as it came out of the wood, so 62.8% is not a choice but a result. The bourbon cask has laid in vanilla, coconut and cereal sweetness across eight years, and because Annandale’s spirit is fruity and fresh in itself, the profile ends up bright rather than woody.

The whisky is neither chill filtered nor coloured. Annandale sits at Annan in Dumfriesshire, only a quarter of an hour’s drive from the English border, which makes it one of the southernmost distilleries in Scotland.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and coconut macaroon first, clearly bourbon-driven. Behind them crisp green apple, pear and a warm cereal note like fresh bread. At 62.8% there is alcohol on the nose, so let the glass sit for a couple of minutes.

Palate

Powerful and concentrated. Custard and baked apple open, then white pepper, cinnamon and a drier oak edge. A clear sweetness runs underneath and keeps the strength in check. The texture is thick, close to syrupy.

Finish

Long and warm. Vanilla, spice and a dry cereal note that lets go slowly. The alcohol leaves a pleasant heat rather than a burn.

Specifications

Name: Annandale 2016/2024 Single Cask Private Release 8 Years Old Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 62.8%
Distillery: Annandale
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 62.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask, cask no. 836
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 3 November 2016
Bottled: 11 December 2024
Number of bottles: 231
Edition: Private Release for The Norseman

Flavour Profile

Vanilla · Fruity · Spiced · Cask Strength · Fresh · Creamy

Investment Potential

Medium. The cask was bought by one customer, and there are 231 bottles and nothing more. Private bottlings rarely resurface on the secondary market, precisely because they were distributed through a single channel to a small audience.

Did You Know?

Annandale lies so far south in Scotland that the distillery is closer to Carlisle in England than to the nearest Highland distilleries. Only a quarter of an hour separates it from the border. That was once an advantage: the whisky could be sent straight south to the English market without the long haul down the country.

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The Beast has a name that doesn't lie. 167 ppm makes this Octomore one of the smokiest encounters you can have with a whisky, and yet citrus and honey hide beneath the ash.

Expert description

Octomore The Beast is a super-peated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Bruichladdich, matured for 6 years and bottled at 60.5%.

The whisky has a phenol content of 167 ppm, making it one of the most heavily peated whiskies in the world. It was distilled in 2008 and matured for five years in American first-fill bourbon casks, as part of the Octomore series The Futures.

The bottle was released as a limited edition with a total of 9,600 bottles worldwide, one of the larger outputs in the Octomore family, yet still a sought-after release for peat lovers.

Tasting notes

Nose

Intense smoke reminiscent of a campfire with fresh ash, gradually giving way to citrus, honey, caramel and vanilla.

Palate

Powerful smoky experience with warmth from the alcohol, initially dominated by citrus fruit and floral honey, with a maritime, mineral edge and notes of oak and caramel.

Finish

Long and complex with a dry ash aftertaste.

Specifications

Name: Octomore The Beast
Distillery: Octomore (Bruichladdich)
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 60.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First-fill American bourbon casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2008
Number of bottles: 9,600
Edition: The Beast, The Futures

Flavour profile

Smoky · Maritime · Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

At 167 ppm, The Beast is one of the most heavily peated whiskies Bruichladdich has ever released, measured in pure phenol strength before dilution and maturation.

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Port wine's dark sweetness has had three years to sink into an already 21 year old blend. The result is deep, jammy and spiced.

Expert description

The Antiquary 21 Year Old Port Cask is a blended Scotch whisky matured for at least 21 years and then married in Port Casks, casks that previously held tawny Port wine, before bottling at 40% ABV.

The Port casks come from the Symington family's estates in Portugal, and the whisky has been allowed to rest in them for up to three years after its long base maturation, giving it a markedly deeper and sweeter profile than the house's standard 21 year old.

The Antiquary was founded by the Hardie brothers in Edinburgh and is now owned by Tomatin Distillery Co, which relaunched the brand in 2024 with a new trio of blends, of which this Port Cask expression is one.

Tasting notes

Nose

Floral peat, waxy hessian and drying hay, carried by vanilla and freshly brewed coffee.

Palate

Stewed plums, dark berry jam and a hint of chocolate-dipped orange.

Finish

Smoky, meaty malt that slowly gives way to a warm, Port-like sweetness.

Specifications

Name: The Antiquary 21 Year Old Port Cask
Bottler: The Antiquary
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Port Casks
EAN: 5018481101623

Flavour profile

Port sweetness · Smoke · Dark fruit

Investment potential

As a 21 year old blend with an exclusive Port cask finish, relaunched in limited scale, this bottle carries appeal for collectors of modern reissues of classic Scotch brands.

Did you know?

The Port casks used for this bottling come from Symington Family Estates, one of the most respected Port producers in Portugal's Douro Valley.

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