Peel an orange on a terrace in July and the smell is out in the air before the knife is done. Grant's has tried to bottle that moment. Scotch whisky at the bottom, Sicilian oranges on top, and not much more to it than that.

Expert's Description

Grant's Summer Orange is a Spirit Drink with Blended Scotch Whisky and natural orange flavouring, bottled at 35%.

The label doesn't call it whisky, and there's a good reason. Scotch Whisky has to be at least 40% and can't have flavouring added. Summer Orange breaks both rules, so officially it's a Spirit Drink. The base is still Blended Scotch Whisky, a blend of malt and grain whisky, and you can taste it under the orange.

It reached Europe in 2022 as the first flavoured expression from Grant's. The flavour comes from natural orange flavouring and orange extract, and the label points to oranges from Sicily. It's sweet and fruity without tasting like a liqueur. The whisky still gets to be part of it.

Grant's is a family brand from William Grant & Sons, who also own Glenfiddich and The Balvenie. Summer Orange is made for mixing. Pour it over plenty of ice, top up with soda or lemonade and drop in a slice of orange. You end up with a long drink that works for people who normally steer clear of whisky.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh orange peel straight away, a bit like orange sweets. Behind it sit lime and a quiet hint of malt.

Palate

Sweet and juicy. Orange takes the lead, but there's soft malt sweetness underneath and a touch of vanilla cream. A small sour edge of lemon keeps it from turning sticky.

Finish

Short to medium. Orange peel, a little oak and malt, fading out quietly.

Specifications

Name: Grant's Summer Orange
Distillery: William Grant & Sons
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Spirit Drink with Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 35%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5010327253848
Serving suggestion: Long drink with ice, soda or lemonade and a slice of orange

Flavour Profile

Orange · Sweet · Fresh · Malty · Citrus

Did You Know?

The label says 1887. That's the year William Grant built Glenfiddich with his children, and the first spirit ran from the stills the same year. It happened on Christmas Day.

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The wind on Octomore Farm comes straight off the Atlantic and finds very little to stop it. Irene's Field is the name of the barley plot, and two miles away sits the distillery that turns its harvest into some of the smokiest whisky ever poured.

Expert description

Octomore 17.3 5 year is an Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon casks and 2nd fill wine casks and bottled at 60.9%. It is Edition 17.3 in Bruichladdich's Octomore Series 17, and at 132.1 ppm in the malted barley it is the most heavily peated of the 2026 releases.

Everything happens on Islay. The barley is 100% Concerto from the 2019 harvest, grown in Irene's Field on Octomore Farm. It was distilled in 2020 at Bruichladdich Distillery, then matured and bottled on site, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. The back label calls it The Impossible Equation and sets out age, cask types, barley origin and variety like a sum on a blackboard. Adam Hannett's signature sits on the bottle on behalf of the distillery.

Five years in wood, no more. The bourbon casks are 1st fill and bring vanilla and coconut. The rest is 2nd fill European oak that previously held Ribera del Duero, Sauternes, Eiswein and Syrah, and those casks add sweetness, ripe fruit and dark spice on top of the smoke instead of pushing it aside.

Tasting notes

Nose

Coastal peat with salt, tar and a medicinal edge underneath. Above it sit salted caramel, smoked apple, green apple and pear, lemon zest, marzipan and vanilla cream. Give it a few minutes in the glass and beach bonfire and dried apricots appear.

Palate

Full-bodied and firm, with pepper from the first sip. Salted caramel, toasted coconut and praline arrive first. Then charred peat takes over, dry and ashy, with a mineral saltiness running right through.

Finish

Long, dry and smoky. Citrus oil and sea salt linger, and in the end only earthy peat is left, staying with you well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: Octomore 17.3 5 year Islay Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 60.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon and 2nd fill casks from Ribera del Duero, Sauternes, Eiswein and Syrah
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2020
Edition: 17.3
EAN no.: 5055807422031

Flavour profile

Super heavily peated · Smoky · Salty · Caramel · Fruity · Spicy

Investment potential

Medium. Octomore appears in limited annual series, and at 132.1 ppm the 17.3 is the most heavily peated in the lineup, which appeals to collectors who follow the range.

Did you know?

The 132.1 ppm figure is measured in the malted barley, not in the whisky in your glass. A good share of the phenols is lost during distilling and maturation, so what ends up in the bottle sits well below the number on the label.

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In Fife, below the Lomond Hills, the fermentation vessels sit outdoors and the weather gets a say in the spirit. That is how Inchdairnie works, and it is where this peated malt was made before Lady of the Glen sent it into a small Madeira cask to finish. Think bonfire ash on the nose and crème caramel on the tongue.

Expert's Description

Inchdairnie Finglassie 7 year Rare Cask is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a hogshead, finished in a refill ex-Madeira quarter cask and bottled at 60%.

Finglassie is the name independent bottlers use for Inchdairnie's peated malt spirit. This one was distilled on 5 December 2018 and bottled on 6 April 2026 from cask no. 1A, with no chill filtration and no added colouring. Only 115 bottles exist. The cask was split in two: the first half came out as the festival bottling for the 2025 Fife Whisky Festival, and this is the second half.

The whisky spent its first years in a hogshead before moving into a refill quarter cask that once held Madeira. A cask that small means a lot of wood contact, and here it lays caramel and walnut over the peat smoke.

Inchdairnie sits near Glenrothes and was founded by Ian Palmer, with the first spirit run in December 2015. The distillery has four copper pot stills from Frilli, uses local Fife barley, and ferments in stainless steel washbacks that stand outdoors without active temperature control. Lady of the Glen is Gregor Hannah's bottling company, also based in Fife, founded in 2012 and known for single cask releases. His signature is printed on the Limited Edition label of this bottle.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bonfire ash and fresh eucalyptus leaf lead, with a floral edge and a hint of fruit behind them.

Taste

Crème caramel opens the palate, followed by walnut and ripe fruit, with the smoke running through it like a thin thread.

Finish

The smoke lingers, and caramel and walnut echo after it.

Specifications

Name: Inchdairnie Finglassie 7 year Rare Cask Madeira Quarter Cask Lowland
Distillery: Inchdairnie
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 7 years
ABV: 60%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead finished in refill ex-Madeira quarter cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 5 December 2018
Bottled: 6 April 2026
Number of bottles: 115
Edition: Rare Cask Limited Edition

Flavour Profile

Peated · Smoky · Fruity · Floral · Caramel · Walnut

Did you know?

Instead of a traditional mash tun, Inchdairnie uses a mash filter press with 45 membranes. Among Scotch malt distilleries, only Teaninich does the same.

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Locals around Largo Law in Fife will tell you there is gold buried in the hill, and that the sheep give it away when their wool turns yellow. A ghost guards the hoard. It promised a shepherd the secret at eight o'clock, provided no cock crowed and no horn sounded. Tammie Norrie, the cow-herd, blew his horn anyway.

Expert description

Cameronbridge 23 year The Hidden Gold of Largo Law is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky matured in a refill hogshead and bottled at a cask strength of 63.3%.

The spirit was distilled at Cameronbridge in Fife on 5 June 2003 and spent 23 years in cask number 800299 before bottling on 31 July 2026. Only 228 bottles were filled, with no chill filtration and no added colour.

Cameronbridge is one of Scotland's big grain distilleries. It dates back to 1824, belongs to Diageo today and runs continuous column stills. Most of the output goes into blends and neutral spirit for gin and vodka, and only a small share is set aside to become single grain whisky. A single cask bottling like this one is the exception.

A refill hogshead has been used before, so it gives up less wood than a fresh cask and leaves room for the grain's own sweetness. After 23 years that sweetness has turned toward caramel, vanilla and coconut.

Lady of the Glen is an independent bottler from Fife, founded in 2012 by Gregor Hannah. This bottle belongs to the Samhain Series, a limited run where every label illustrates a local legend from the area around the distillery. The artwork is by Edinburgh-based artist Steven Shand, and the series was released in October 2026. The label tells the rest of the story: Norrie dropped dead on the spot, and a cairn now marks Norrie's Law.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla fudge and honeycomb toffee lead, followed by coconut and baked apple. Sweet cereal and caramel sit underneath, and the nose closes on polished oak.

Palate

Rich and concentrated. Butterscotch and vanilla cream take up most of the room, then toasted coconut, orchard fruit and toffee. Spice arrives late, and the grain sweetness stays with you throughout.

Finish

Long and warm, with caramel, vanilla, sweet oak, coconut and a touch of spice.

Specifications

Name: Cameronbridge 23 year Lady of the Glen The Hidden Gold of Largo Law Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Cameronbridge
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 23 years
ABV: 63.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill hogshead no. 800299
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Column distillation
Distilled: 5 June 2003
Bottled: 31 July 2026
Number of bottles: 228
Edition: Samhain Series The Hidden Gold of Largo Law

Flavour profile

Sweet · Vanilla · Caramel · Coconut · Spicy

Did you know?

Around 1819 a man digging sand at Norrie's Law uncovered a stone coffin holding silver scale armour, a shield and a sword handle. Some take it as a sign that the legend of the treasure has a grain of truth in it.

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The North Sea rolls in over Brora, on the Sutherland coast, and a distillery that has never tried to taste like anything but itself. Wax, honey, a little fruit. This cask was left alone for twelve years and bottled before anyone had the chance to tinker with it.

Expert's Description

Clynelish 12 Year Rare Cask is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a hogshead and bottled at 54.5%.

It was distilled at Clynelish on 9 September 2013 and bottled by Lady of the Glen on 11 March 2026, which makes it twelve years in one and the same cask, no. 231584. This is a Single Cask release with just 295 bottles filled. It is a Limited Edition, and the label carries the signature of Gregor Hannah, the man behind Lady of the Glen.

Clynelish was built in 1967 at Brora and has been known ever since for one of the waxiest styles in Scotland. That thick, almost candle-like richness is what people go looking for. A hogshead is a quiet partner for it. It adds warmth, banana and vanilla but leaves the spirit in front. The whisky is non-chill filtered and has no added colouring, so what you taste is the cask and the distillate, not a filter.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Heather honey and orange blossom come first, then the soft, slightly oily wax that is Clynelish's signature. Fruit sits just underneath, with a thread of smoke far in the back.

Palate

Dried banana and vanilla from the cask, fruity sweetness and wax that settles on the tongue. At 54.5% it has some bite.

Finish

Long and waxy. The honey lingers, with a faint echo of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Clynelish 12 year 2013 Rare Cask Highland
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 54.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 9 September 2013
Bottled: 11 March 2026
Number of bottles: 295
Edition: Rare Cask Limited Edition

Flavour Profile

Waxy · Fruity · Honeyed · Floral · Banana

Did you know?

Clynelish stands right next to the old Brora distillery. When the new plant opened in the late 1960s, the old one was renamed Brora and closed in 1983. It only reopened in 2021, so the two still sit as neighbours on the same stretch of coast.

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Locals on Islay say Loch Indaal turns red at sunset. Some blame the light. Others remember Kranna Dubh, the sea-dragon that Fionn mac Cumhaill woke with a thrown stone and sent back to the deep with an enchanted sword. Here the legend is bottled, nine years after the spirit first went into the cask.

Expert's Description

Bowmore 9 Year Fionn Slays The Kranna Dubh is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a 1st fill bourbon cask and bottled at cask strength, 57%.

The spirit was distilled at Bowmore, the oldest working distillery on Islay, on 28 March 2017. Lady of the Glen bottled it on 29 July 2026, after nine years in one and the same cask, number 56. Only 268 bottles exist. The sea-dragon on the label is no coincidence either, since it has long featured on Bowmore's own bottles.

This release belongs to the Samhain Series, where Lady of the Glen pairs single casks with Scottish folklore. The series takes its name from the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marks the turn from harvest to winter. This year it runs to seven releases, and this is the only one from Bowmore. The story on the label follows Fionn and his two hounds, Bran and Seeolang, across Islay. To amuse them he hurls a huge standing stone into Loch Indaal, and the splash wakes a dragon that has slept beneath the dark sands for a thousand years.

A 1st fill bourbon cask gives a lot to a nine-year-old spirit. Here it shows up as milk chocolate and toffee, while sea salt and lemon make sure you never forget which island this comes from. Like every Lady of the Glen release, it is non-chill filtered and keeps its natural colour.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet and soft to begin with, then sea salt, lemon and a hint of sea spray. The sweetness stays in the background throughout.

Palate

Milk chocolate and toffee meet tobacco and a whisper of lightly smoked ham. Lemon peel and gingerbread build after a few seconds.

Finish

Long, with dark chocolate cherries and buttered malt loaf.

Specifications

Name: Bowmore 9 Year Fionn Slays The Kranna Dubh
Distillery: Bowmore
Bottler: Lady of the Glen
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 years
ABV: 57%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 28 March 2017
Bottled: 29 July 2026
Number of bottles: 268
Edition: Samhain Series

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Maritime · Lightly smoked · Citrus · Chocolate

Did you know?

Lady of the Glen takes its name from the Green Lady said to haunt Stirling Castle. The Fife-based bottler was started in 2012 by Gregor Hannah.

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A tiny black elf trails a knight through a battle on Islay. He offered his help, got laughed at, and went over to the other side instead. The story is printed on the label, and in the bottle sits seven-year-old Laphroaig, peated and powerful, exactly as it left the cask.

Expert's Description

Laphroaig 7 year The Eighth Part Measure of a Carle is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill barrel and bottled at cask strength, 58.6%.

It belongs to the Samhain Series from Lady of the Glen, a run of Single Cask releases where every whisky carries a Scottish myth or legend on its label. The bottler is Hannah Whisky Merchants of Fife, founded in 2012 by Gregor Hannah. The title is the elf's nickname in the story: a very small, brownie-like creature known as the Eighth Part Measure of a Carle.

The spirit comes from Laphroaig, where peated malt and double distillation deliver the smoke, seaweed and medicinal edge the distillery is known for. It went into cask no. 66 on 29 November 2018 and was bottled on 29 July 2026, seven years and eight months later. A refill barrel has held whisky before, so it adds less vanilla and wood sweetness than a 1st fill cask and leaves the spirit in charge.

Only 137 bottles were filled from the cask. The whisky was bottled without dilution.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tar and creosote first. Vanilla, coconut and green apple follow from the cask.

Palate

Ripe peach, blackcurrant and candied lemon sit on top. Underneath runs Laphroaig's own smoke, in the form of salted liquorice.

Finish

Long and dry. Cloves, ginger and nutmeg, wrapped in something close to cigar leaf.

Specifications

Name: Laphroaig 7 year The Eighth Part Measure of a Carle
Distillery: Laphroaig
Bottler: Hannah Whisky Merchants
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 7 years
ABV: 58.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single Cask, refill barrel no. 66
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Bottled: 29 July 2026
Number of bottles: 137
Edition: Samhain Series, The Eighth Part Measure of a Carle

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Tarry · Fruity · Spicy · Liquorice

Did You Know?

The labels in the Samhain Series are drawn by Edinburgh-based designer Steven Shand. The series is named after Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the turn from harvest to winter, and the forerunner of modern Halloween.

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He is the smallest of the thirteen brothers. In mid-December he comes down from the mountains, creeps in while everyone sleeps, and heads straight for the frying pans. It is the crispy scrapings stuck to the bottom he is after. On the label he hovers in front of a red moon with a pan in each hand.

Expert Description

Sall Whisky Stúfur Julewhisky 3/16 is a Single Malt Danish Whisky from East Jutland, matured on 1st fill port casks, finished in small Oloroso casks and bottled at 50%.

This is number three in Sall Whisky's annual Christmas whisky series, and after Stekkjastaur and Giljagaur it is Stúfur's turn. The series is built around the Icelandic Yule Lads, the Jólasveinar, and their parents Grýla and Leppalúði. The idea came from the distillery's Icelandic Master Distiller, who brought the legend with him from his childhood. Each release has its own Yule Lad on the label, and the Stúfur illustration is by Jon Gotlev.

The whisky is made from pale malt of Prospect barley, harvested in 2022 on the field Højmark N near Mosevang, and it is not smoked. It is both Single Malt and Single Farm, and the bottle carries the EU organic logo and the Authentic Danish Whisky mark.

The cask story comes in two steps. Three years on 1st fill port casks, then a finish in small Oloroso casks. Only 700 bottles of 50 cl were filled.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe dark fruit, raisins and dried figs, with a touch of red berries from the port casks. Behind them come toasted nuts and caramel, and some spiced oak from the Oloroso.

Taste

Sweetness and spice meet in good balance. There is dark chocolate, candied fruit and orange peel, with warm spices on top. At 50% it has weight and a full mouthfeel, but the cask notes are never drowned out.

Finish

Long and warm. Dried fruit, oak and nuts linger, and a gentle spiced sweetness closes it.

Specifications

Name: Sall Whisky Stúfur Julewhisky 3/16 Østjylland Single Malt Whisky 50 cl
Distillery: Sall Whisky
Region/Country: East Jutland, Denmark
Type: Single Malt Danish Whisky
ABV: 50%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: 1st fill port casks, finished in small Oloroso casks
Number of bottles: 700
Edition: Julewhisky 3/16

Flavour Profile

Port-matured · Sherry-finished · Dried Fruit · Spicy · Nutty · Sweet

Did You Know?

The legend of Grýla and the Icelandic Yule Lads can be traced all the way back to the 13th century, and it is far from a cosy Christmas story. The Yule Lads were notorious for stealing naughty children and terrorising the population. Stúfur is the smallest of them, and he settles for the frying pans.

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Up in Thy, in the far northwest of Jutland, a family farm has been passed down through eight generations. Today the barley goes from the field to the farm's own malt house, then the still, then the cask. Five years later, this is what comes out.

Expert description

Thy Whisky PX & Bourbon 5 year is an organic Danish Single Malt Whisky matured in PX sherry casks and bourbon casks and bottled at 51.7%.

It is made from Odyssey barley at Thy Whisky in northwest Jutland, where growing, malting, mashing, distilling, maturing and bottling all happen on the same estate. The malt is a mix of pale malt and malt smoked over beechwood, so the smoke comes from beech and not from peat.

Two kinds of cask do the work. PX stands for Pedro Ximénez, a sweet sherry known for dried fruit and cocoa, while bourbon casks usually add vanilla and toffee. The spirit was distilled in 2020 and 2021, spent five to six years in wood and was bottled in October 2026.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit and cocoa first, then vanilla and something close to fresh pastry. The beechwood smoke sits behind it all, warming.

Palate

Rich and malty, with fruit, toffee and vanilla. Warm spices and cocoa arrive mid-palate, and the smoke stays with you throughout.

Finish

Warm and spicy, with beechwood smoke and juicy oak at the end.

Specifications

Name: Thy Whisky PX & Bourbon 5 year
Distillery: Thy Whisky
Region/Country: Thy, Denmark
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 51.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: PX sherry casks and bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2020-2021
Bottled: October 2026
Number of bottles: 2,165
EAN no.: 5745000725694

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sherry-matured · Smoky · Spicy · Cocoa

Did you know?

Thy's first release in 2015 was just 300 bottles, sold only locally. The distillery designed its own malt house, and it now also supplies malt to local brewers and distillers.

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There is a corner of south-east Islay that locals call the Enchanted Cape, and Trudernish sits on it. Ardbeg took the name for its first permanent 15 year old, a whisky where the smoke has settled down and something creamy has moved in underneath.

Expert description

Ardbeg Trudernish 15 year is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks, new charred oak casks and Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 48.8%.

It is the first 15 year old in Ardbeg's core range, released in September 2026 alongside a fresh look for the whole line-up. The spirit spent fifteen years in a mix of three cask types. According to Ardbeg, the casks bring the rich vanilla, while the years bring the mellow creaminess. At 48.8% it is bottled stronger than the 46% used for several of the distillery's other core releases.

Ardbeg is known for heavily peated whisky, and that is still the backbone here. The peat has just been rounded off, so it sits next to the vanilla instead of shouting over it.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla cream and fudge come first, followed by woodsmoke and earthy peat. Think vanilla ice cream with fudge sauce, next to a fire that is dying down. A few dried herbs drift in at the edges.

Palate

Creamy and full, with a silky texture. Peat and gentle smoke are tucked into the vanilla, along with pine needles and damp forest floor. Dark liquorice, chocolate lime and mint follow, then orchard fruit and nuts in milk chocolate.

Finish

Long and soft. It glows with peat embers, vanilla pod and toasted nuts, and the very last note is smoke.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Trudernish 15 year Islay Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 year
ABV: 48.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, new charred oak casks and Oloroso sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Edition: Ardbeg's core range
EAN no.: 5063547001461

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Creamy · Vanilla · Nutty

Did you know?

The Trudernish well is famously hard to find, hidden in a thick copse of trees. According to Ardbeg, anyone who takes a pebble home from the beach at Trudernish will one day return to Islay.

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A decanter with a hole in the middle and whisky all the way round. Macallan has drawn time as a circle with no start and no end, and in this chapter it is Jerez de la Frontera holding the pen. The casks come from the sherry town. The whisky, twenty years in the waiting, comes from the Macallan Estate.

Expert's Description

Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask 20 year is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks and bottled at 44.8%.

This is the third chapter in the TIME : SPACE Collection, following the two releases that marked Macallan's 200th anniversary, TIME : SPACE and TIME : SPACE Mastery. This time the cask is the main character.

The whisky began life on the Macallan Estate in a selection of predominantly European oak casks that had held sherry, hand-picked by Macallan's Whisky Mastery Team. After all those years it was married in a selection of the very first 200 casks seasoned in Macallan's own Valdespino bodega in Jerez de la Frontera. The casks were built in Macallan's own cooperages in Jerez and shipped to Scotland, where they were filled in 2024, the anniversary year. Most are still quietly maturing whisky for future releases. Only a small handful were allowed to give this twenty-year-old a second chapter of sherry influence.

That makes it the first Macallan influenced by casks seasoned with Valdespino sherry since Macallan took over Valdespino. It is also the first time Valdespino sherry has been used to season oak casks for Macallan. Kirsteen Campbell, Master Whisky Maker, stands behind the release, and the colour is entirely natural, taken from the wood alone.

The bottle is the collection's familiar circular decanter. The box takes its shape from the palomino grapes grown in Valdespino's vineyards, and its warm golden hue is meant to recall the Andalusian sun.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sherry-soaked raisins, figs and medjool dates, with sweet frangipane, cinder toffee and caramelised nuts. Dark chocolate truffles, cinnamon, star anise and ginger lay a foundation under it all.

Palate

Rich and layered. Sultanas, dates and apricots meet sticky ginger cake, treacle toffee, bramble jam and chocolate-coated cherries. Cloves and cinnamon sticks build warmth, before cocoa nibs and polished oak take over.

Finish

Warming wood spices, a hint of espresso and waves of gentle oak.

Specifications

Name: Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask 20 year
Distillery: Macallan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 20 year
ABV: 44.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Predominantly European sherry-seasoned oak casks, married in the first casks seasoned with Valdespino sherry
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: TIME : SPACE Collection, chapter three

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Dried fruit · Spicy · Chocolate · Full-bodied

Investment Potential

High. Macallan is one of the most traded names at auction, and this is a collection release in a distinctive circular design that is also the first whisky influenced by Valdespino casks. Collectors remember a first like that.

Did you know?

For the launch, Macallan released the documentary Mastery Beyond Reason, narrated by photographer Steve McCurry. Sommelier Josep Roca features in it, and the film follows the oak from the forests of the USA and Northern Spain through Macallan's own sawmills and cooperages to the bodega in Jerez.

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Down at Bowmore the warehouses sit below the waterline, with the Atlantic pressing against the walls. Eighteen years is a long time for peat smoke to settle. Then Pedro Ximénez arrived and added one last coat of dark sweetness.

Expert description

Bowmore 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and bottled at 43%.

It belongs to Bowmore's Sherry Oak Collection, launched in 2024 in four ages: 12, 15, 18 and 21 years. The range is built around European oak and sherry, and only the 18 and 21 get a final Pedro Ximénez finish.

The cask story is a long one. First 18 years in hand-selected ex-bourbon casks of American oak and oloroso sherry casks of European oak. The bourbon wood brings vanilla and lighter fruit, while the oloroso adds nuts and dried fruit. Finally the whisky is finished in European oak casks that previously held Pedro Ximénez, a sherry that tastes almost like raisin wine and pulls the whisky towards the darker end: dates, cocoa, treacle.

The smoke is still there, but it sits behind the fruit rather than in front of it. The citrus notes keep the sweetness from turning heavy.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark chocolate and freshly ground cocoa right away, then toffee with a dense, treacly sweetness. Dates, orange zest and a surprising chunk of fresh pineapple. Underneath it all the peat smoke hums away.

Palate

Bitter orange peel and plump sultanas. Aniseed and cocoa nibs follow, and halfway through the smoke slips in softly, a little meaty and warm. The sweetness never quite lets go.

Finish

Long and fruity. Raisins, cocoa and a thread of smoke that fades very slowly.

Specifications

Name: Bowmore 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask Islay Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Bowmore
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
Natural colour: No
Edition: Sherry Oak Collection
EAN no.: 5010496002674

Flavour profile

Lightly smoky · Sherry-matured · Dark fruit · Chocolate · Citrus

Did you know?

The black bottle and label of the Sherry Oak Collection pay tribute to Black Bowmore, the famous whisky distilled in 1964.

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It is just before nine on a Saturday morning in March. The halls at Sydbank Arena are still quiet, the glasses are polished, and behind the bars the first bottles are waiting to be opened. As a VIP you are already inside before the queue outside has even settled.

Expert description

Membership of Whiskymessen VIP Club 2027 is a VIP ticket to Whiskymessen on Saturday 6 March 2027 at Sydbank Arena in Kolding, Denmark, with entry one hour ahead of general admission, your own Glencairn glass and 25% off in the fair's three exclusive bars.

2027 marks the 30th edition of Whiskymessen, Denmark's largest whisky event. Expect whisky from all corners of the world, rum, bourbon, masterclasses and a hall full of people who are more than happy to talk casks and spirit with you. It is a long day. Which is exactly why the VIP ticket makes sense.

You notice the difference first thing in the morning. VIP guests are let in at 09:00, a full hour before the doors open to everyone else. That hour is worth a lot if you want some peace at the Exclusive Bar, a proper chat with the exhibitors without standing three rows back, or simply your first dram in quiet.

The VIP Club has had an overhaul for 2027. Early entry is now longer, and the VIP area has moved to Hall 3, with seating close to the Exclusive Bar. Nice to have when your legs start complaining around lunchtime.

What you get as a VIP

When you sign up

You receive an orange wristband for Whiskymessen 2027. It is your entry ticket, and it holds two fields for spring water and one field for a dram. You also get a Glencairn glass from Whiskymessen and a neck holder, so the glass hangs around your neck while you flick through the catalogue or jot down notes. On top of that comes a sample of Whiskymesse Malt to redeem at the Exclusive Bar, two bottles of spring water and an "I love Whisky.dk" sticker for your laptop or fridge.

On the day

You get 25% off at the Exclusive Bar, home of the rare bottles, at the Rum Exclusive Bar and at the Bourbon Bar with its bourbon and rye. At the entrance you are handed the tasting catalogue, so you can plan your route through the halls. The cloakroom is free, so your coat can stay put all day.

Specifications

Name: Membership of Whiskymessen VIP Club 2027
Organiser: Whiskymessen
Type: VIP membership incl. entry
Date: Saturday 6 March 2027
Venue: Sydbank Arena, Kolding
VIP doors open: 09:00
Early entry: 1 hour before general admission
VIP area: Hall 3
Included: Orange wristband, Glencairn glass, neck holder, sample of Whiskymesse Malt, 2 bottles of spring water, tasting catalogue, cloakroom and sticker
Discount: 25% at the Exclusive Bar, Rum Exclusive Bar and Bourbon Bar

Did you know?

Whiskymessen is run by the same pair of whisky enthusiasts who are behind Whisky.dk. The very first fair took place in Park Hallen in Kolding, a far cry from the big halls it fills at Sydbank Arena today.

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• Orange Wristband for Whiskymessen 2027: Includes 2 water slots + 1 slot for a dram (V V D) (Value: 399 DKK)
• Glencairn Whiskymessen Glass (Value: 60 DKK)
• Glass Lanyard (Value: 30 DKK)
• Whiskymesse Malt Sample: Redeemable in the Exclusive Bar at Whiskymessen (D) (Value: 50 DKK)
• Two Bottles of Spring Water: Redeemable at the Exclusive Bar or Info Stand (V V) (Value: 40 DKK)
• "I Love Whisky.dk" Sticker (Value: 5 DKK)

On the Day of the Event:

• 25% Discount in the Exclusive Whisky Bar: Featuring a wide range of rare whiskies on March 6, 2027
• 25% Discount in the Exclusive Rum Bar: Offering a selection of rare rums
• 25% Discount in the Bourbon Bar: Showcasing a large variety of bourbon and rye whiskies
• VIP Early Access to Whiskymessen: Entry 1 hour before regular guests, doors open at 09:00
• VIP Area in Hall 3: Includes seating near the Exclusive Bar 
• Tasting Catalogue: Provided at the entrance
• Complimentary Coat Check at Whiskymessen (Value: 20 DKK)

This exclusive membership ensures an enhanced Whiskymessen experience with added perks, early access, and discounts, making it a must-have for whisky enthusiasts.

VIP Membership - What You Get Upon Registration:

• Orange Wristband for Whiskymessen 2027: Includes 2 water slots + 1 slot for a dram (V V D) (Value: 399 DKK)
• Whiskymesse Malt Sample: Redeemable in the Exclusive Bar at Whiskymessen (D) (Value: 50 DKK)
• Two Bottles of Spring Water: Redeemable at the Exclusive Bar or Info Stand (V V) (Value: 40 DKK)
• "I Love Whisky.dk" Sticker (Value: 5 DKK)

On the Day of the Event:

• 25% Discount in the Exclusive Whisky Bar: Featuring a wide range of rare whiskies on March 6, 2027
• 25% Discount in the Exclusive Rum Bar: Offering a selection of rare rums
• 25% Discount in the Bourbon Bar: Showcasing a large variety of bourbon and rye whiskies
• VIP Early Access to Whiskymessen: Entry 1 hour before regular guests, doors open at 09:00
• VIP Area in Hall 3: Includes seating near the Exclusive Bar 
• Tasting Catalogue: Provided at the entrance
• Complimentary Coat Check at Whiskymessen (Value: 20 DKK)

This exclusive membership ensures an enhanced Whiskymessen experience with added perks, early access, and discounts, making it a must-have for whisky enthusiasts.

When the leaves start to turn, a new book turns up in whisky circles. On the cover, one glass sits on a mossy rock with the Scottish coast and a line of mountains behind it. Inside is a full year of whisky: new distilleries, old arguments and a good many facts that would otherwise be scattered across the internet.

Expert's Description

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2027 is an English-language reference book on Single Malt Whisky and distilleries around the world, edited by Ingvar Ronde and published as a paperback by MagDig Media Limited.

This is the 22nd edition, and every autumn brings a freshly revised one. The heart of it is the section on Scottish malt distilleries, updated from start to finish. The chapter on distilleries from the rest of the world has been expanded, and there is a section on new distilleries.

Five articles come first. Jan Wisniewski explains what goes on inside a condenser and how that shapes flavour. Nick Morgan makes the case that American Prohibition in the 1920s actually rescued Scotch Whisky. Stefan Van Eycken looks at new Japanese producers finding their own way. Felipe Schrieberg asks the uncomfortable question of how safe a cask of Scotch really is as an investment. Kristiane Westray writes about past, present and people. In his introduction, Ronde admits the industry is still in turmoil, but says there are signs of better days ahead.

The back half holds The Whisky Year That Was, a summary of the year's major events, along with chapters on independent bottlers, whisky shops and whisky on social media. You'll also find tables and statistics on production and consumption, maps and an index. The book includes more than 150 tasting notes on Single Malt Whisky from working distilleries in Scotland and over 500 photographs, most of them new since the last edition.

Specifications

Name: Malt Whisky Yearbook 2027
Author/editor: Ingvar Ronde
Publisher: MagDig Media Limited
Website: Malt Whisky Yearbook
Type: Reference book on Single Malt Whisky and distilleries
Language: English
Edition: 22nd edition
Year of publication: 2026
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 300
ISBN: 978-1-7394492-3-0
EAN no.: 9781739449230

Did You Know?

The editor has another obsession besides whisky: Ingvar Ronde has been birdwatching, on and off, since the early 1970s.

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Somewhere in a warehouse in Ballindalloch, cask 664 spent more than fifteen years doing nothing at all. The sherry had been emptied out long before the spirit went in, but the wood still remembered it. When the cask was finally drained in November 2024, there was enough for 237 bottles, and every one of them went to Denmark.

The Expert's Description

Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664 is a Speyside Single Malt Whisky matured in a 1st fill sherry cask and bottled at a natural cask strength of 59.9%.

Nothing else went into it. No other casks were vatted in, and nobody adjusted it to match a house style. The cask was filled in 2008 and bottled on 7 November 2024 as a Special Release made specifically for the Danish market. It gave 237 bottles. Once they are gone, that is the end of it.

A 1st fill cask is one that held sherry and is being used for Scotch whisky for the first time. That makes it the most active cask there is, and after more than 15 years it has pushed a lot of colour, sweetness and dried fruit into the spirit. You see it in the glass before you taste it. The distillery does not say which style of sherry the cask held.

The bottle comes from J. & G. Grant. The Grant family bought Glenfarclas in 1865 and still owns it, which is getting rare in Scotland. Water comes from springs on Ben Rinnes, and the spirit is double distilled in copper stills heated by gas flames right under the base. That gives a heavy, oily new make that can handle a long stay in an active sherry cask without being buried by the wood. It is non-chill filtered, so whatever the cask gave it is still in the bottle.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and figs up front, with caramel and candied orange peel close behind. Give it a few minutes and roasted nuts start to come through, along with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Palate

Big and full, as you would expect at close to 60%. Prunes and dark chocolate, a shot of espresso, burnt sugar, with spiced oak running underneath.

Finish

Long and warming. Cocoa and dried fruit hang on with the spice, and right at the end a fresh streak of orange peel lifts the whole thing.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 59.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill sherry cask, cask no. 664
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled in direct-fired copper stills
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: 7 November 2024
Number of bottles: 237
Edition: Special Release, Specially Bottled for Denmark

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Cask strength · Dried fruit · Dark chocolate · Spicy

Investment Potential

Medium to high. One cask, 237 bottles and a release for a single country. Glenfarclas single casks have a loyal following among collectors, and a bottling that will never be repeated rarely gets easier to find as the years go by.

Did You Know?

In 2007 Glenfarclas launched The Family Casks, a run of 43 single cask bottlings with one cask from every single year between 1952 and 1994. The range has since grown with younger vintages, while the 1952 and 1953 stock ran out long ago. Cask 664 is not part of that series, but it comes from the same habit of letting one cask speak for itself.

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Between the Gribskov forest and Solbjerg Engsø lies the Falkendal farm, and in the old horse stable the copper stills stand ready. Cask #118 was filled in March 2022 and left alone for a little over four years. Now it has a bottle of its own.

Expert description

Thornæs Friends of Thornæs Cask 118 is an organic Danish Single Malt Whisky matured in a 130-litre Oloroso sherry cask of French oak and bottled at 58.9%.

This is a Private Cask Bottling in a limited edition, with only approx. 250 bottles from a single cask. It was bottled exclusively for Friends of Thornæs, a Facebook group for people who follow the distillery. Thornæs Distillery distilled, matured and bottled it themselves. The cask was filled on March 14, 2022, and the whisky was bottled on July 29, 2026. It is non-chill filtered and has natural colour. The distillery double distils on traditional alembic copper stills.

The cask does a lot of the talking here. The Oloroso pulls the whisky in a dark, full direction, while the French oak adds structure, spicy wood notes and a dry finish. It is the balance between the two that makes this bottle worth pouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe, dark fruit and prunes lead the way, with a candied sweetness behind them.

Palate

The Oloroso fills the mouth with roasted nuts and warm spices. The French oak pushes back with spicy wood notes and an elegant dryness, so the sweetness never takes over.

Finish

Long and warm. Fruit sweetness, spice and oak travel together all the way out.

Specifications

Name: Thornæs Friends of Thornæs Cask 118
Distillery: Thornæs Distillery
Region/Country: North Zealand, Denmark
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
Age: 4 years
ABV: 58.9%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: French oak, Oloroso sherry, 130 L
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Bottled: July 29, 2026
Number of bottles: approx. 250
Edition: Private Cask Bottling Limited Edition, Cask #118, Friends of Thornæs

Flavour profile

Sherried · Ripe fruit · Spicy · Roasted nuts · Oak

Did you know?

The Mad Owl gin range from Thornæs Distillery is named after an owl that once lived in the distillery loft.

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Royal Brackla has been distilling near Nairn, on the edge of the Highlands, since 1812. One old sherry cask started to seep, and that is how a small bottling made only for Denmark came about.

Expert's description

Royal Brackla 2014 Little Brown Dog 12 year is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill sherry butt and bottled at 53.7%.

The spirit was distilled at Royal Brackla in 2014 and spent 12 years in a refill sherry butt, meaning a sherry cask that has been used before. In the end the butt began to leak. In March 2026 the whisky was moved into two casks, and LG Whisky bought one of them. LG Whisky was also there when Little Brown Dog bottled it on 27 July 2026. The result is 276 bottles, all of them for Denmark.

The cask was picked as a fruity spice bomb with an old-school sherry influence, balanced tannins and a very good integration between whisky and sherry.

Royal Brackla was the first distillery allowed to carry "Royal" in its name, and most of what it makes disappears into blends. That is why it is rare to meet it as a single malt from one cask.

Tasting notes

Nose

The colour is close to maple syrup. The nose opens with something like a pencil case, then moves on to sweet aged balsamic and cherry lips.

Palate

Jamaican ginger cake, Medjool dates and pipe tobacco. Sweet and spicy at the same time.

Finish

Cardamom cookies and glazed ginger.

Specifications

Name: Royal Brackla 2014 Little Brown Dog 12 year Refill Sherry Butt Single Highland Malt Whisky 53.7%
Distillery: Royal Brackla
Bottler: Little Brown Dog
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 year
ABV: 53.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Sherry Butt
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 27 July 2026
Number of bottles: 276
Edition: Exclusive to Denmark, selected by LG Whisky

Flavour profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spicy · Lightly sweet

Did you know?

Little Brown Dog began as a label on sample bottles. Andrew Smith shared his first bottling samples with friends under that name, borrowed from his own dog, who came along to tastings and distillery visits.

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Burnside sounds like a distillery on a burn somewhere in the glens. It isn't one. The name is a cover, and underneath sits a Speyside whisky that spent its last three of fourteen years in a cask that once held Ruby Port.

Expert's Description

Burnside 14 year Ruby Port is a Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a refill hogshead, finished in a 1st fill Ruby Port Hogshead cask and bottled at cask strength, 52%.

It comes from Woodrow's of Edinburgh, a bottler based in Edinburgh, and belongs to their Warehouse Reserve range in the Curators' Cut Edition. The whisky is drawn from one single cask, number 900018, filled on 27 April 2011 and bottled on 14 October 2025. Only 292 bottles exist.

Burnside is a brand name, not a distillery. Behind it sits a teaspooned Balvenie: malt from Balvenie in Dufftown with a small dash from another distillery added, so it can legally be called a Blended Malt and sold without Balvenie on the label.

The cask story is short. Around eleven years in a refill hogshead, a cask that has been used before and lets the spirit speak without a heavy hand of wood. Then three years in a 1st fill cask from Ruby Port, the young, red, fruity style of port wine. That cask still has plenty to give, and it shows in the berries and sweetness. Nothing has been coloured or chill filtered.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Heather honey first, then ripe summer berries and a hint of milk chocolate. Light and elegant.

Palate

Silky and layered. Milk chocolate, raspberries, strawberry jam and orange zest, with figs and toffee underneath. A touch of hazelnut at the end.

Finish

Medium to long. The jam lingers, and the baking spices stay sweet and quiet.

Specifications

Name: Burnside 14 year Ruby Port
Distillery: Balvenie
Bottler: Woodrow's of Edinburgh
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Hogshead cask, finished for 3 years in 1st fill Ruby Port Hogshead cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 14.10.2025
Number of bottles: 292
Edition: Curators' Cut Edition
EAN no.: 5060769810611

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Port-finished · Sweet · Smooth · Lightly spiced

Did You Know?

This bottle has a twin. Cask 900019 was filled on the very same day, 27 April 2011, and got the same three years on port, only tawny instead of ruby. Both were bottled on 14 October 2025.

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The label says Westport and Highland, and keeps quiet about the rest. What it does reveal is who chose the cask: an Italian oenologist in Treviso, who moved this whisky into a wood that once held Marsala and then bottled it at full strength, no water added.

Expert description

Westport 2004/2019 Wilson & Morgan 15 year Marsala Finish is a Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky finished in a Marsala cask and bottled at 59.5%.

It belongs to Wilson & Morgan's Barrel Selection series and comes from one single cask, number 900095, which filled 265 bottles. The whisky was distilled in 2004 and bottled in 2019 after fifteen years in wood, and it goes into the bottle at the cask's own strength.

Westport is a brand name rather than a distillery, and the label does not say which distillery made the spirit. Wilson & Morgan has used the name for sherry-matured releases too. What the whisky sat in during its first years is not stated; at the end it was moved into a Marsala cask.

Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily. On the back label, Wilson & Morgan describe its influence as light-handed but obvious. The nose recalls a refill sherry cask, while the palate is dry, almost austere, with nuts and pepper leading.

Wilson & Morgan is based in Treviso, north of Venice, and has bottled Scotch whisky since 1992. Founder Fabio Rossi comes from a family of wine merchants and trained as an oenologist in Conegliano, which explains the house habit of finishing malts in sherry, port and Marsala casks. The Marsala bottlings have become something of a signature.

Tasting notes

Nose

Winey, nutty and a little sour. On the first sniff it could pass for a refill sherry cask, almost traditional.

Palate

The Marsala cask shows itself clearly but with a light touch. Biscuity and very dry, almost austere, with pepper and nuts up front before a fruity, slightly sharp attack.

Finish

Strength and spice keep building all the way out, and the finish ends warm and peppery rather than soft.

Specifications

Name: Westport 2004/2019 Wilson & Morgan 15 year Marsala Finish Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 59.5%
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 59.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished in Marsala cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2004
Bottled: 2019
Number of bottles: 265
Edition: Barrel Selection
EAN no.: 8033749406057

Flavour profile

Dry · Nutty · Spicy · Winey · Fruity

Did you know?

Marsala owes its strength to an Englishman. When the wine merchant John Woodhouse landed in Sicily in 1773, he added local brandy so the wine would survive the voyage home.

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The stag on the label still looks out over the Fiddich valley, just as it has for decades. Behind it stands a green, three-sided bottle holding a full litre of Speyside whisky from the days when Glenfiddich still printed Pure Malt across the front.

Expert description

Glenfiddich Special Old Reserve Pure Malt is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 43%.

This is an older litre bottle, and it has been discontinued. The label says the whisky was distilled and bottled at The Glenfiddich Distillery by William Grant & Sons, that the distillery was established in 1887, and that the family has now been making it for five generations. The back label calls it a Single Malt Whisky matured on Speyside and translates the name: Glenfiddich means Valley of the Deer in Gaelic.

There is no age statement, and the label says nothing about the casks beyond oak. The style is classic light Speyside. Pear and apple sit on top, malt and honey underneath, and the oak stays in the background with a little vanilla and spice.

Pure Malt stayed on the front until Glenfiddich dropped the wording in 2000. The triangular bottle shape dates from the late 1950s, and in 1963 Glenfiddich was among the first to sell single malt as a brand in its own right.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe pear and crisp apple first, then malt and a honeyed sweetness. Older bottles can carry a dusty note in the background, and a few tasters pick up creamy butterscotch and a little coconut.

Palate

Soft and light-bodied. Apple and pear carry on, joined by vanilla, malt and a sharp prick of fresh ginger. The sweetness is bright and fruity rather than heavy.

Finish

Medium in length and dry, with a little oak, honey and a faint creaminess. Some bottlings leave a light liquorice edge.

Specifications

Name: Glenfiddich Special Old Reserve Pure Malt 100 cl
Distillery: Glenfiddich
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 100 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Special Old Reserve Pure Malt
EAN no.: 5010327000299

Flavour profile

Fruity · Light · Malty · Honeyed

Did you know?

The label gives Banffshire as the distillery's address, but Dufftown now falls under Moray. The address on the bottle is older than the map.

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Legend has it that when Ireland's great poets wept, their tears took on the glow of whiskey. Walsh Whiskey borrowed the story for a name and a style, and here it is bottled at a full 54.6%. Pear drops and candied fruit come first, followed by an herb garden in full bloom.

Expert description

Writers Tears Cask Strength Vintage Release 2022 is a Pot & Malt Irish Whiskey matured in American oak bourbon casks and bottled at 54.6%.

This is the 12th edition of Walsh Whiskey's annual Cask Strength series from Carlow. The 2022 vintage is a closed chapter, while the series carries on with new releases. The full run was 7,920 bottles, with 2,100 going to the USA and 5,820 to the rest of the world. Every bottle is individually numbered and signed by Bernard Walsh, the man behind Writers Tears.

Inside is a vatting of Single Pot Still and Single Malt Irish Whiskey, both triple distilled and matured in lightly toasted American oak. Single Pot Still is made from malted and unmalted barley together, Single Malt from malted barley only, and the label shows both grains side by side. Marrying the two is the whole idea behind Writers Tears, which draws on the pot still and malt blends of the 19th century. Bourbon casks tend to add sweetness and toffee, which suits the creamy finish well.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet and fragrant, with pear drops and candied fruit.

Palate

The sweetness opens into an herb garden in full bloom: heather honey, fennel spice and cinnamon. The flavours build in waves, and the body is full.

Finish

Creamy, chewy toffee that lingers with a warmth like a summer's evening.

Specifications

Name: Writers Tears Cask Strength Vintage Release 2022
Distillery: Walsh Whiskey
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Pot & Malt Irish Whiskey
ABV: 54.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distillation method: Triple distilled
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 5,820
Edition: Vintage Release 2022 (12th edition)
EAN no.: 5099811090923

Flavour profile

Fruity · Herbal · Spicy · Sweet · Full-bodied

Did you know?

In the 19th century, a master blend of pot still and malt whiskey, both distilled in copper pots, was known as the champagne of Irish whiskey. That is the style Walsh Whiskey set out to bring back with Writers Tears.

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Where Loch Indaal beats against the walls and part of the warehouse sits below the waterline, one of Islay's most recognisable drams matures. Bowmore 12 Year is where most people begin their journey into the island's peat smoke — and where many keep returning.

Expert's description

Bowmore 12 Year is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 40%. The flagship expression and first step in the core range from Bowmore, Islay's oldest distillery, founded in 1779. A classic permanent expression — not a limited edition, but a whisky that has stood the test of time and defined what an accessible Islay malt tastes like. Bowmore is one of the few distilleries still running its own traditional floor maltings, where barley is peated to around 25 ppm — notable but never as aggressive as Ardbeg or Lagavulin. This moderate smoke level is a major reason why Bowmore 12 Year is often called the ideal entry point to Islay. The whisky matures in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks in the legendary No. 1 Vaults, one of the world's oldest maturation warehouses.

Tasting notes

Nose

Light and inviting. Honey and citrus at the front, wrapped in Bowmore's characteristic mild peat smoke. A touch of vanilla and fresh flowers.

Taste

Well-balanced with warm honey, plum and a restrained peat smoke. The sherry cask contributes dark fruit and gentle spice; the bourbon cask provides sweetness and vanilla.

Finish

Medium length, clean and lightly smoky. Honey and sea salt linger — a satisfying, classic Islay finish.

Specifications

Name: Bowmore 12 Year Single Islay Malt Whisky
Distillery: Bowmore
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Single Islay Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon and sherry
EAN no.: 5010496080818

Flavour profile

Peated · Fruity · Honey · Maritime · Balanced

Did you know?

Bowmore still operates its own traditional floor maltings — one of fewer than ten distilleries in Scotland to do so — producing a portion of its own peated malt on site.

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Somewhere in the hills around Rylane in County Cork, a poor labourer wandered from farm to farm, taking whatever work the farmers had for him. For one of those jobs he never received any pay. Instead, he was given a song — and that song has outlived them all.

Expert Review

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There's a certain kind of whisky you want when it's dark by four o'clock and there's a bowl of clementines on the table. Stauning took their spicy rye from the west coast of Denmark and gave it a rest in casks that once held French orange liqueur. It ends up smelling a bit like December.

Expert's Description

Stauning R.Y.E. Grand Danois Winterdrop is a Danish Rye Whisky finished in casks from a French orange liqueur producer and bottled at 40.6%.

Winterdrop is Stauning's new winter release. The idea is to put out a new bottling every year for the cold months, and Grand Danois is the very first one. It's a Limited Release, so it won't be a permanent fixture on the shelf.

It starts from the distillery's signature R.Y.E., made from local Danish rye and barley that's floor-malted on site and run through small pot stills heated by direct fire. The standard R.Y.E. matures in new, heavily charred American oak and has that classic rye mix of pepper and rye bread. For Grand Danois, the whisky was finished in casks from a French orange liqueur producer, and you can tell. Orange peel and citrus sit on top of the rye spice, and at 40.6% it's a good deal softer than the regular 48% R.Y.E. It has enough character for someone who's tried a lot of whisky, and it's still easy going for someone who's only starting to work out what they like.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Orange peel and vanilla up front. Bright citrus follows, with some toasted oak further back.

Palate

Soft on the tongue. Ripe cherry and vanilla sit in the middle, while the rye pushes warm spice out around the edges.

Finish

Toasted oak and bittersweet orange peel linger, with a little warmth from the spice right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Stauning R.Y.E. Grand Danois Winterdrop
Distillery: Stauning
Region/Country: Denmark, Western Jutland
Type: Danish Rye Whisky
ABV: 40.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Finished in Orange Liqueur Casks from France
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Distillation Method: Pot Stills heated by direct fire
Edition: Winterdrop, Limited Release
EAN: 5744002861904

Flavour Profile

Citrus · Spiced · Sweet · Soft

Investment Potential

Medium. This is the very first Winterdrop and a Limited Edition. The first release in a new annual series is often the one collectors of Danish whisky want on the shelf once more editions come along.

Did You Know?

Grand Danois simply means "the great Dane" in French. It's also the French name for the dog breed known in English as the Great Dane. That fits a Danish rye whisky that's spent time in French casks.

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Eighteen years is a long time to sit still in a warehouse on the edge of the Atlantic. The tide has rolled in and out along Islay's south coast more than 12,000 times while the casks lay in the dark and let the smoke settle. It never left. It just made some new friends.

Expert's Description

Laphroaig 18 Year Old is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured for 18 years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels and bottled at 48%.

This bottle has had a bumpy ride. It first appeared in 2009, replacing the old 15 Year Old that the then Prince Charles was famously fond of. Around 2015 Laphroaig simply ran short of old enough stock, and the 18 was quietly pulled from the range. Collectors cleared the shelves of whatever was left. Almost ten years later it came back, now in a white carton with Distillery Manager Barry MacAffer's signature on the back.

It all starts on Laphroaig's own malting floor, where part of the barley is still turned by hand and dried over fires of Islay peat. The spirit is double distilled and filled into barrels that once held American bourbon. Then it stays put. No sherry, no finish, no detours. The same kind of cask from the first day to the last.

The cask explains most of what's in the glass. American oak pulls out vanilla, honey and ripe fruit and takes the edge off the peat, so it no longer kicks the door in the way it does in the 10 Year Old. Laphroaig's own words on the box promise sweetness, gooseberry and apple, leather, seaweed and intense peat. It's unmistakably Laphroaig. Just a more patient one.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet peat smoke, like a campfire burning down to embers, with soft vanilla and toffee underneath. Gooseberry, freshly cut leather and seaweed left to dry in the sun on the beach.

Palate

Full and slightly oily. Cinnamon and warm apple tart arrive first, followed by orange, honey and ginger. Tobacco and smoke sit underneath as a foundation rather than a lid.

Finish

Long. The fruit lingers, then fresh mint and a woody, spicy peat smoke with a faintly salty edge that hangs around for quite a while.

Specifications

Name: Laphroaig 18 Year Old
Distillery: Laphroaig
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon American oak barrels
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN no.: 5010019001061

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Peaty · Vanilla · Fruity · Maritime · Herbal

Did You Know?

When Bessie Williamson arrived at Laphroaig in 1932, it was as temporary help in the office. She never left. She inherited the distillery from its owner Ian Hunter in 1954 and went on to run it herself, and she is widely regarded as the first woman in the 20th century to manage a Scotch whisky distillery.

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Fifteen years in a warehouse on the south coast of Islay, where the wind comes in off the sea carrying salt. That's long enough for the smoke in a Laphroaig to loosen its grip a little. Not by much. Just enough that you suddenly notice the grapefruit hiding behind it.

Expert's Description

Laphroaig 15 Year Old is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured for 15 years in American oak ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 46%.

It's had a bumpy ride. The 15 Year Old first hit the shelves in 1985 and quickly picked up a loyal following. In 2009 it was pulled from the range and replaced by an 18 year old. For the distillery's 200th anniversary in 2015 it resurfaced as a limited release at 43%, then vanished again. In June 2026 it came back for good, as a permanent part of the range alongside the 10 Year Old and the 18 Year Old. And with a bit more muscle this time, at 46%.

It starts with peated malt. Part of the barley is still turned by hand on the distillery's own malting floors and dried over Islay peat smoke, before being double distilled in Laphroaig's copper stills.

All of the maturation has happened in American oak that previously held bourbon. No sherry, no finish, no tricks. The bourbon casks bring vanilla and a soft, yellow fruit sweetness, and the long years do the rest. The medicinal edge gets rounder, and the smoke folds in with citrus, peach and spices like clove and coriander. Laphroaig's master blender, Dr Calum Fraser of Suntory Global Spirits, has said they waited patiently for the whisky to be ready before bringing it back.

The whisky is non-chill filtered with no added colour. On the box, Laphroaig sums up the flavour in three words: citrus, clove, smoke. Which is actually spot on.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh orange peel and grapefruit come first, a bit like peeling the fruit right over the glass. Underneath sits dry hay and a thin line of barbecue smoke. Give it a few minutes and vanilla appears, along with a single clove.

Palate

A broad wave of sea salt and smoke, oily and rich like smoked mackerel. Then cracked black pepper, cinnamon, clove and ground coriander. Towards the end it lifts, and juicy peach and ripe grapefruit take over.

Finish

Long and smoky. Your mouth waters, and the salty and the sweet keep pulling in opposite directions, in the best possible way.

Specifications

Name: Laphroaig 15 Year Old
Distillery: Laphroaig
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak ex-bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN no.: 5010019001719

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Citrus · Maritime · Spicy · Vanilla

Did you know?

The name Laphroaig comes from Gaelic and means something along the lines of the beautiful hollow by the broad bay. The pronunciation, La-Froyg, is printed right there on the label, so nobody has to guess.

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Macallan sits half-buried in a hillside above the River Spey, its turf roof rolling like the Easter Elchies countryside around it. For two centuries the people inside have agreed on one thing: the sherry cask calls the shots. With 110 Proof, they have finally turned the volume up.

Expert description

Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak 110 Proof is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured for 12 years in sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez and bottled at 55%.

Picture the classic Sherry Oak 12 Year with most of the water left out. The standard bottling is brought down to 40%, while this one stops at 55%. The name comes from the American proof system, where the number is simply double the alcohol percentage. Less water means more of what the casks put in: a denser, almost oily texture and a sherry character that coats the whole mouth.

The casks are predominantly European oak, with a small share of American oak. They are seasoned with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera, shipped to Scotland and filled with new make spirit from Macallan's famously small copper stills. European oak brings more tannin and darker fruit than American oak, and you can taste it here: dates, cherries and cocoa rather than vanilla and honey. All of the colour comes from the wood, with no caramel added.

110 Proof first appeared in 2025, when the only way to buy it in Europe was through the British chain The Whisky Shop or directly from Macallan. In autumn 2026 it reached more markets, and it now sits in the Sherry Oak Collection alongside the 18, 25 and 30 year old.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sticky dates and cherry compote lead the way. Cinnamon and crushed cacao nibs follow, with dried orange slices adding a tart edge to all that sweetness.

Palate

Full and warming. Rich oak and sultanas, then stem ginger, star anise and mandarin. Further in, espresso beans dipped in dark chocolate.

Finish

Long, with dark treacle toffee and mocha, and a sweet cinnamon that refuses to leave.

Specifications

Name: Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak 110 Proof
Distillery: Macallan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 55%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez, predominantly European oak with some American oak
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: Sherry Oak Collection
EAN no.: 5010314314934

Flavour profile

Sherry matured · Fruity · Spicy · Powerful · Chocolatey

Did you know?

110 Proof is an American measurement. Under the old British system, where spirit was supposedly tested by checking whether gunpowder soaked in it would still ignite, 100 proof equalled roughly 57.1%. In British terms, this whisky would only be about 96 proof.

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Most whiskies are shaped by the cask. This one was shaped by the soil. A windswept field on Orkney, a farm in Wiltshire where the sowing follows the moon, and organic fields on the Scottish mainland. Three barleys, fifteen years, one first fill bourbon barrel at a time.

Expert description

Bruichladdich Greener Still 15 year is an unpeated Islay Single Malt Whisky, matured for its entire life in 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 51.6%.

It's part of Bruichladdich's 25th Anniversary Limited Release and the third anniversary bottling of 2026, following Old Skool and Yellow Submarine III. It was launched in August 2026. It's also the fourth chapter of the Still series, which the distillery hadn't touched in almost 20 years. Back then, Blacker Still, Redder Still and Golder Still were all about the casks. This time the barley takes the lead.

The recipe is 45% biodynamic barley, 30% organic barley and 25% Bere. The biodynamic share comes from Yatesbury House Farm in Wiltshire, a carbon-positive farm. In 2021 Bruichladdich used that barley to make the world's first biodynamic Scotch Whisky, and it's one of the few exceptions to the distillery's Scottish-barley-only rule. The organic barley is grown on the Scottish mainland without artificial fertilisers or sprays, something Bruichladdich has done since 2003. The last quarter is Bere, an ancient barley variety the distillery has worked with since 2005. This Bere was grown on Orkney together with the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Everything was distilled, matured and bottled on Islay, and Islay spring water was used to bring the whisky down to bottling strength. The 1st fill bourbon casks bring vanilla and a soft sweetness without taking over, so the barley stays in front: florals, ripe fruit and a rich, malty body. Master Blender Adam Hannett puts it simply: each of the three parcels brings something different, whether that's texture, spice or fruit.

The bottle is opaque green, and it doesn't come in a tin. That's a deliberate choice to cut down on packaging.

Tasting notes

Nose

Lavender and honeysuckle up front, followed by pear, baked apple with cinnamon and a hint of lightly toasted oak. Leave it in the glass for a while and you'll get apricot and a touch of dry grass.

Palate

Soft, almost creamy. Ripe pear, malt and honey with a sharp flash of citrus. Caramel with a hint of chocolate in the middle, then a pinch of pepper that reminds you it's 51.6%.

Finish

Velvety and fairly long. Vanilla, dry oak spice and a fresh, salty coastal note at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Bruichladdich Greener Still 15 year
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 51.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: 25th Anniversary Limited Release, fourth release in the Still series

Flavour profile

Floral · Fruity · Honeyed · Vanilla · Unpeated

Investment potential

Medium. It's a limited 15 year old anniversary release that brings back a series collectors already know, and it sold out on the distillery's own web shop shortly after launch. The number of bottles hasn't been published, so it's hard to say how scarce it will become.

Did you know?

In 2020 Bruichladdich became the first Scotch Whisky distillery to be certified as a B Corp. It's an independent standard that measures how a company treats its staff, its community and the environment. In a way, Greener Still is that certificate in a bottle.

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When you're accused of hiding weapons of mass destruction, you can either issue a denial or bottle a whisky. Bruichladdich bottled a whisky. A few years later a stray yellow submarine turned up off the coast of Islay, and it got a whisky too. Two decades on, the sub has surfaced once more.

Expert description

Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III Reclassified 14 year is an unpeated Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon barrels and 1st and 2nd fill French red wine casks from Bordeaux, bottled at 54.2%.

It's the second limited release marking 25 years since Bruichladdich was brought back to life in 2001, and the third chapter of the Whisky of Mass Distinction series that started in 2005 and returned in 2018. The backstory is hard to beat. In the early 2000s, US military intelligence had the distillery flagged as a possible weapons site. Bruichladdich played along, and when a Ministry of Defence submarine went astray and was found off the island in 2005, the name of the next bottling wrote itself.

The maturation profile is inspired by the recipe behind the very first Yellow Submarine. 75% of the whisky spent its time in 1st fill bourbon barrels, 25% in red wine casks. Back in 2005 those were Spanish Rioja. This time they're 1st and 2nd fill Bordeaux casks. The spirit is made from 100% Scottish Appaloosa barley, grown on the mainland and malted without peat. Bourbon brings honey, vanilla and a soft creamy base, while the Bordeaux casks add ripe fruit, toasted nuts and warm spice. Non-chill filtered, no added colour, reduced with Islay spring water. Master Blender Adam Hannett calls it one of those whiskies that makes you smile as soon as you nose it.

Yellow Submarine III was released on 1 June 2026 in limited quantities.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honey-sweet oats and buttery shortbread up front. Hazelnut and praline follow, with nutmeg and a gentle nip of ginger underneath.

Palate

Smooth and full despite the strength. Fresh orange zest and honeysuckle open, then crisp apple and pear. It rounds out into crème brûlée, finished with a pinch of sea salt.

Finish

Long and lingering. Honeyed sweetness, warming spice and toasted hazelnut that stay with you.

Specifications

Name: Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III Reclassified 14 year
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 54.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 75% 1st fill bourbon barrels and 25% 1st and 2nd fill Bordeaux red wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: Whisky of Mass Distinction part III, 25th anniversary
EAN no.: 5055807422185

Flavour profile

Unpeated · Fruity · Nutty · Honeyed · Spicy

Investment potential

Medium. A limited anniversary release in a series collectors already follow, and it sold out quickly at several major retailers.

Did you know?

The real submarine was collected by the Ministry of Defence, but an exact replica still stands in the distillery grounds on Islay today.

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