Named after the man who invented high-rye bourbon.

Expert description

Basil Hayden Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the entry release in Jim Beam's Small Batch collection, bottled at 40%. The whiskey is named after Meredith Basil Hayden Sr., a rye farmer and whiskey pioneer who in 1796 changed his recipe to include a higher proportion of rye than typical for the time, creating the 'high-rye bourbon' category. Hayden also helped found Bardstown, Kentucky, in 1785, and his grandson later named his own brand Old Grand-Dad in his honour.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is soft with pepper, grain and a hint of citrus.

Palate

The palate offers rye, spice and light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, dry and lightly peppery.

Specifications

Name: Basil Hayden Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Basil Hayden
Region/Country: Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Spiced · Peppery · Soft · Dry

Did you know?

Basil Hayden Sr. is honoured by two separate bourbon brands — both Basil Hayden's and Old Grand-Dad, the latter named by his grandson Raymond B. Hayden and featuring a portrait of the grandfather on the label.

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Okinawa's subtropical climate is far from whisky's classic homelands, but Helios Distillery proves that the island's warmth can give whisky an entirely unique character.

Expert Description

Kura The Whisky Helios Distillery is a Blended Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 40%.

Helios Distillery is located on Okinawa, Japan's southernmost island chain, and is better known for its production of awamori, a traditional Okinawan spirit. Kura The Whisky is the distillery's whisky release, where the warm, humid climate pushes maturation significantly faster than on the Japanese mainland.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tropical fruit, vanilla and a light sweet spice.

Palate

Soft and round with caramel and ripe bananas.

Finish

Short to medium and sweet.

Specifications

Name: Kura The Whisky Helios Distillery
Distillery: Helios
Region/Country: Okinawa, Japan
Type: Blended Malt Japanese Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4920321004012

Flavour Profile

Soft · Round · Tropical · Sweet

Did You Know?

Helios Distillery is best known for awamori, a traditional Okinawan rice spirit, and whisky production is a newer branch of the company that draws on the island's warm climate.

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The cask was filled by George Grant. It was emptied for his son John, who had spent fifty years in the trade by the time the bottle appeared. That is the kind of timeline only a family-owned distillery can deliver.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 50 Year Old 50th Anniversary is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 50% in 836 bottles.

The bottling marks chairman John Grant’s fifty years in the whisky industry. The whisky was laid down by his father, George Grant, and was allowed to sit for half a century before bottling. The 50% is high for a whisky of this age and says something about how slowly the casks work in the Glenfarclas warehouses.

Fifty years in sherry casks is rare, but it is not unusual at Glenfarclas. The family has held back from selling its oldest casks over generations, and precisely for that reason the distillery can make a bottling like this without having to buy casks in from outside.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep and concentrated. Dried fruit, dark syrup and old leather, with a dusty library note only decades in wood can create.

Palate

Full and dense. Raisin, walnut and dark chocolate over a base of aged oak, with a spiced depth that keeps unfolding. The 50% carries the whisky without being sharp.

Finish

Very long. Dried fruit, tobacco and oak drying slowly and lingering for many minutes.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 50 Year Old 50th Anniversary Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 50%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 50 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
Number of bottles: 836
Edition: 50th Anniversary - John Grant’s fifty years in the trade

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark fruit · Nutty · Leather · Complex

Investment potential

High. 836 bottles for the whole world, fifty years in cask and an anniversary that will not come round again. Old Glenfarclas casks still sit in the family warehouses, but a bottling tied to a particular person and a particular year cannot be repeated.

Did you know?

The whisky was laid down by George Grant and bottled for his son John, marking fifty years in the whisky industry. A cask filled by one generation and emptied by the next is only possible when the same family name has been on the deeds the whole way.

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Small batch means each release is composed of a limited number of selected casks, giving more consistency than a large blend, but more complexity than a single cask.

Expert Description

Hatozaki Small Batch 12 Year is a Blended Pure Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 46%.

The whisky comes from Kaikyo Distillery in Akashi, run by Akashi Sake Brewery. The Small Batch 12 Year edition is composed of a limited number of selected malt whisky casks, all at least 12 years old, giving a more mature and complex profile than the distillery's younger releases.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried fruit, honey and toasted oak.

Palate

Full-bodied with caramel, spice and a hint of smoke.

Finish

Long and warm.

Specifications

Name: Hatozaki Small Batch 12 Year
Distillery: Kaikyo
Region/Country: Akashi, Japan
Type: Blended Pure Malt Japanese Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4970860880189

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Mature · Spicy · Warm

Did You Know?

Small batch bottlings like this combine the best of both worlds: more complexity than a standard blend, but more batch-to-batch consistency than a single cask bottling.

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A bourbon brand that survived Prohibition with its name but not its distillery returns with a more accessible release.

Expert description

The Wiseman American Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an American bourbon from Kentucky Owl, bottled at 45.4%. The Kentucky Owl brand was founded by Charles Mortimer Dedman in 1879 and was among the many Bardstown distilleries shuttered for good by Prohibition. The brand lay dormant until a descendant revived it in 2014, in the middle of the modern bourbon boom, quickly gaining a reputation for one-off, exclusive releases. Kentucky Owl was acquired by Stoli in 2017 and is today one of Bardstown Bourbon Company's contract production customers. The Wiseman launched in 2021 as Kentucky Owl's first regularly available bourbon, created by John Rhea of Four Roses fame, blending Kentucky Owl's own 4-year-old wheated and high-rye bourbons with sourced bourbons aged 5.5 and 8.5 years.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers caramel, vanilla and a hint of spiced rye.

Palate

The palate is round with brown sugar, honey and spiced wood.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, warm and spicy.

Specifications

Name: The Wiseman American Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Bottler: Kentucky Owl
Region/Country: Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45.4%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Sweet · Spicy · Warm · Round

Did you know?

The Wiseman marked a strategic shift for Kentucky Owl — from ultra-limited one-off releases to a more accessible, regularly available product, without compromising the blend's complexity.

See our full range of Kentucky Owl

A detour through the Caribbean before the whisky lands back in the English countryside: cane sugar and ripe pears, wrapped in a robust 55.6%.

Expert's Description

Cotswolds 2022 Rum Cask Matured is a blended single malt English whisky matured in rum-seasoned casks and bottled at 55.6% ABV.

The whisky is the third release in Cotswolds Distillery's Hearts & Crafts series, which celebrates the craftsmanship tradition of the Arts & Crafts movement that flourished in the Cotswolds. The spirit is matured in rejuvenated French oak casks that previously held red wine and were subsequently seasoned with fine Caribbean rum, before being bottled in 2022 in a run of 3,000 bottles.

The tube is decorated with an exclusive William Morris-inspired design, a visual tribute to the series.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft cane sugar, ripe pears and a hint of tropical fruit, underpinned by warm oak.

Palate

A sweet rum character with brown sugar, banana and a touch of spice that gives the whisky body.

Finish

Long and warming, with a lingering sweetness from the rum casks and a gently spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Cotswolds 2022 Rum Cask Matured Blended Single Malt English Whisky
Distillery: Cotswolds Distillery
Region/Country: England
Type: Blended Single Malt English Whisky
ABV: 55.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Rejuvenated French ex-red wine casks seasoned with Caribbean rum
Non-chill filtered
Natural colour
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 3,000
Edition/Batch: Hearts & Crafts series
EAN no.: 5060404512078

Flavour Profile

Cane sugar · Tropical fruit · Spice · Warm oak

Investment Potential

Medium. As the third release in the sought-after Hearts & Crafts series, this bottle holds natural appeal for collectors following the series from start to finish.

Did You Know?

The Hearts & Crafts series is named after the Arts & Crafts movement, which originated in the Cotswolds in the late 1800s and celebrated traditional craftsmanship over industrial mass production.

Browse our full range of Cotswolds Distillery

Fifty-four months in port casks. That is four and a half years, and it is not a finish — it is a second maturation laid on top of the first. Wilson & Morgan chose 2nd fill port pipes precisely so as not to run over a Speyside spirit that is lighter than it looks.

The expert's description

Glen Moray 2007/2022 Wilson & Morgan 15 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in port casks and bottled at cask strength 57.9%.

The whisky was distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2022 from casks number 5878, 5879 and 5880. Its final fifty-four months were spent in 2nd fill port pipes, and the bottling gave 586 bottles, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. The choice of used port casks is clearly deliberate: there is colour and dark fruit, but the wine never takes charge.

Wilson & Morgan is Italian. Fabio Rossi started the firm in 1992 and runs it from Treviso north of Venice, and the house has built its reputation on single casks and small batches chosen with an Italian eye for texture and finish rather than sheer power. Glen Moray carries a mineral, almost waxy mouthfeel, which the port casks here make more muscular without blurring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark and red cherries, with liqueur-filled chocolates. Creamy and dark rather than fruit-sweet, and underneath sits a dry, mineral note from the spirit.

Palate

Maraschino cherries and Sachertorte, with dried plums and a spiced edge. The sweetness is there but not sugared, and the waxy mouthfeel of Glen Moray comes through clearly at 57.9%.

Finish

Warm and building. The spice grows in strength while the cherry retreats into a dry, almost cocoa-like close.

Specifications

Name: Glen Moray 2007/2022 Wilson & Morgan 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57.9%
Distillery: Glen Moray
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 57.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished for 54 months in 2nd fill port pipes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2007
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 586
Edition: Barrel Selection - Cask Strength
EAN no.: 8057760350007

Flavour profile

Dark fruit · Cherry · Spiced · Creamy · Cask Strength

Did you know?

Wilson & Morgan has been bottling Scotch whisky since 1992 without ever having distilled a drop itself. The firm belongs to an Italian tradition in which importers had access for decades to casks that never reached the British market, and several legendary bottlings from the 1970s and 80s came exactly that way.

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The whole Annandale universe in pocket format — six samples, one journey.

Expert description

Annandale Miniature Tasting Selection Single Malt Scotch Whisky gathers six 5 cl miniature bottles from the distillery's range, letting you taste through the house's different expressions. Annandale Distillery was founded in 1836 as one of Scotland's first legal distilleries, but closed in 1918 while owned by none other than Johnnie Walker. The distillery lay derelict for nearly a century, until Professor David Thomson and Teresa Church read about it in the book 'Scotch Missed: Lost Distilleries of Scotland', tracked down the ruined building, bought the site in 2007 and reopened the distillery in 2014 after extensive restoration. The distillery produces two main expressions: the unpeated Man O'Words and the peated Man O'Sword, continuing the distillery's historic tradition of smoky whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose varies from bottle to bottle, from unpeated fruitiness to peated smoke.

Palate

The palate spans a wide range across the kit, from soft and fruity to smoky and spiced.

Finish

The finish reflects each individual bottling, from short and clean to long and smoky.

Specifications

Name: Annandale Miniature Tasting Selection Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Annandale Distillery
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Whisky tasting kit
Size: 6x5 CL

Flavour profile

Varied · Diverse · Peated · Fruity

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High West's range in four small bottles — from straight rye to blended whiskey.

Expert description

High West Tasting Kit Whiskey gathers four 10 cl miniature bottles from the distillery's range, letting you taste through the house's different styles, from rye whiskey to blended expressions, each bottled at 46%. High West Distillery was founded in 2006 by former biochemist David Perkins and his wife Jane, who moved to Park City, Utah, in 2004 to start the distillery. When the distillery opened in 2007, it was the first legal distillery in the state since Prohibition ended in 1870 — Utah had gone over 130 years without a legal distillery. The distillery started in a historic livery stable with a small 250-gallon still and expanded in 2015 with a larger facility in Wanship outside Park City. High West is known for blending and finishing whiskey from multiple sources into unique, complex expressions.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose varies from bottle to bottle, from spiced rye to smoky complexity.

Palate

The palate spans a wide range across the kit, from lively spice to soft sweetness.

Finish

The finish reflects each individual bottling, from short and spiced to long and smoky.

Specifications

Name: High West Tasting Kit Whiskey
Distillery: High West Distillery
Region/Country: Park City, Utah, USA
Type: Whiskey tasting kit
ABV: 46%
Size: 4x10 CL

Flavour profile

Varied · Spiced · Complex · Diverse

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The same raw spirit, with a peaty twist — the smoke is already present before the cask.

Expert description

Annandale Rascally New Make Peaty Malt Spirit is the distillery's peated new make spirit, drawn straight after distillation without cask maturation, bottled at 63.5%. 'Rascally Liquor' is the name of Annandale's new make spirit, named after a quote by the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who described whisky as exactly that — 'rascally liquor'. It was first launched on Burns Night in 2015. Annandale Distillery was founded in 1836 as one of Scotland's first legal distilleries, but closed in 1918 while owned by none other than Johnnie Walker. The distillery lay derelict for nearly a century, until Professor David Thomson and Teresa Church read about it in the book 'Scotch Missed: Lost Distilleries of Scotland', tracked down the ruined building, bought the site in 2007 and reopened the distillery in 2014 after extensive restoration. The distillery produces two main expressions: the unpeated Man O'Words and the peated Man O'Sword, continuing the distillery's historic tradition of smoky whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is smoky and grainy with a hint of medicinal peat.

Palate

The palate is intense and smoky with peat and pronounced alcohol strength.

Finish

The finish is short, smoky and lightly salty.

Specifications

Name: Annandale Rascally New Make Peaty Malt Spirit
Distillery: Annandale Distillery
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: New Make Peaty Malt Spirit
ABV: 63.5%
Size: 20 CL

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Raw · Intense

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Before the barrel, before time — taste Annandale's spirit just as it looks straight after distillation.

Expert description

Annandale Rascally New Make Malt Spirit is the distillery's unaged new make spirit, drawn straight after distillation without cask maturation, bottled at 63.5%. 'Rascally Liquor' is the name of Annandale's new make spirit, named after a quote by the Scottish poet Robert Burns, who described whisky as exactly that — 'rascally liquor'. It was first launched on Burns Night in 2015. Annandale Distillery was founded in 1836 as one of Scotland's first legal distilleries, but closed in 1918 while owned by none other than Johnnie Walker. The distillery lay derelict for nearly a century, until Professor David Thomson and Teresa Church read about it in the book 'Scotch Missed: Lost Distilleries of Scotland', tracked down the ruined building, bought the site in 2007 and reopened the distillery in 2014 after extensive restoration. The distillery produces two main expressions: the unpeated Man O'Words and the peated Man O'Sword, continuing the distillery's historic tradition of smoky whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is raw and grainy with a hint of fresh fruit.

Palate

The palate is intense and grainy with sweetness and pronounced alcohol strength.

Finish

The finish is short, clean and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Annandale Rascally New Make Malt Spirit
Distillery: Annandale Distillery
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: New Make Malt Spirit
ABV: 63.5%
Size: 20 CL

Flavour profile

Grainy · Raw · Intense · Fresh

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Cask #2 is one of two bottlings from Reinheart's 2015 distillation — this barrel at 56.8%. A bourbon-inspired rye whiskey from a Danish-German collaboration, aged 7 years in a Toast M / Char 4 American oak cask.

Expert description

Reinheart Rye Whiskey Cask #2 2022 is a Danish Rye Whiskey at 56.8%, distilled in Germany in 2015 and bottled in December 2022 as a Single Cask from Cask #2, in a limited run of 250 numbered bottles. The mashbill is 70% rye, 20% corn and 10% malted barley. Matured in an American virgin oak cask (Toast M / Char 4) at Vintre Møller in Central Zealand, Denmark. Bottled by Hammer & Son. The founders of the project came up with the idea after a pub crawl in 2012, aiming to make a classic rye whiskey in the bourbon tradition.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh rye, vanilla and oak. Light spice notes — cinnamon, black pepper — with a soft honey character from the oak maturation.

Palate

Balanced and spicy. Rye dominates with its characteristic dryness, but the oak's vanilla and caramel are present. Marginally softer than Cask #3 at 56.8%.

Finish

Long and dry. The spice holds and the oak closes with a rounded note.

Specifications

Name: Reinheart Rye Whiskey Cask #2 2022
Distillery: Distilled in Germany
Bottler: Hammer & Son
Region/Country: Denmark / Germany
Type: Danish Rye Whiskey
Age: 7 years
ABV: 56.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American virgin oak (Toast M / Char 4)
Number of bottles: 250
Distilled: 2015
Bottled: December 2022

Flavour profile

Rye · Spicy · Vanilla · Dry · Single Cask

Did you know?

Reinheart Cask #2 is one of only 250 numbered bottles. That is not a symbolic number — it is the actual yield of a single bourbon-format cask at this strength. When they are gone, they are gone.

See our full range of Reinheart Rye Whiskey

In 1837 the last whisky production in the Scottish Borders shut down. It took 181 years before anyone tried again. This bottle is among the first things the new distillery in Hawick sent out into the world.

Expert description

Borders Malt & Rye is a Blended Scotch Whisky bottled at 40%.

The release is the first in The Borders Distillery's Workshop Series and appeared in 2022. The name says what it is: a marriage of malt whisky and rye, an unusual combination in Scotch whisky, where rye has historically played a very small part.

The Borders Distillery opened in 2018 in Hawick and was the first Scottish whisky distillery in the Borders since 1837. The Workshop Series is the house playground, where grain types and cask types are tested while the proper single malt is still maturing.

Tasting notes

Nose

Spiced rye bread crumb with cinnamon, dill and a pale malty sweetness underneath.

Palate

Dry and peppery from the rye, met by caramel from the malt and a stroke of vanilla. There is a fresh, almost minty edge.

Finish

Medium and dry with spice, grain and a lightly sweet tail.

Specifications

Name: Borders Malt & Rye Blended Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: The Borders Distillery
Region/Country: Scottish Borders, Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Workshop Series WS:01
EAN no.: 5060947341203

Flavour profile

Spiced · Dry · Grainy · Fresh · Malty

Did you know?

The Borders Distillery occupies a former electricity works building from the early 1900s in Hawick. The town is best known for knitwear and cashmere, not whisky — until recently.

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Miltonduff's malt usually ends up in Ballantine's blends, but the occasional cask is allowed to travel its own path to the bottle.

Expert's Description

Miltonduff 2006/2022 Let's Stay Together 16 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Uncharted Whisky Co., matured in a first fill Pedro Ximénez sherry cask and bottled at 50%.

The "Let's Stay Together" release is part of Uncharted Whisky Co.'s Two Quarter Cask concept, where the whisky spends the final part of its maturation in a Pedro Ximénez sherry cask, adding notable sweetness and a deeper colour than Miltonduff's typical style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The glass first greets you with dried fig, quickly followed by raisin and a hint of dark chocolate.

Palate

The palate is full-bodied with sherry sweetness, dried fruit and brown sugar.

Finish

The finish is warm with a hint of oak.

Specifications

Distillery: Miltonduff
Bottler: Uncharted Whisky Co.
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 50 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First Fill Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2006
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Let's Stay Together

Flavour Profile

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

Did You Know?

Miltonduff sits on the Black Burn, the very same stream the monks of Pluscarden Priory reportedly used for brewing ale back in the 13th century.

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It is called Tapestry because three cask types are woven together rather than following one another. That is a different idea from the classic finish, where one cask gets the last word.

The expert description

Glen Elgin 2009/2022 Tapestry 13 Years Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oloroso sherry casks, Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and bourbon casks, bottled at 50%.

The whisky was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2022 after thirteen years. Tapestry is a range from the Uncharted Whisky Company, founded by the Scot Jack Breslin and the Dutch-German Dana de Vos, who both worked in the whisky trade for many years before setting up on their own.

The three cask types each pull in their own direction. The bourbon casks give vanilla and pale fruit, oloroso adds nut and dried fruit, and Pedro Ximenez brings the dark, almost syrupy sweetness. Put together they land on a profile none of them would have given alone. The whisky is bottled at 50% without chill filtration and without colouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dried apricot first, then vanilla and walnut, with a note of dark syrup in the background.

Palate

Full and layered. Yellow fruit and honey from the bourbon wood, dates and nut from the sherry, and a dark sweetness tying it together.

Finish

Long and warm with dried fruit, a touch of cinnamon and a dry oak close.

Specifications

Name: Glen Elgin 2009/2022 Tapestry 13 Years Old
Distillery: Glen Elgin
Bottler: Uncharted Whisky Company
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso sherry casks Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: 2022
Edition: Tapestry

Flavour profile

Fruity · Sherry matured · Sweet · Nutty · Spiced

Did you know?

The Glen Elgin fruitiness is no accident. It comes from clear wort, long fermentation and slow distillation, which together clean the sulphur notes out of the spirit, and only afterwards does the whisky get its weight back from the distillery worm tubs.

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"Antipodes" means the exact opposite point on the globe - a name that underscores just how far this whisky's cask has travelled before ending up in the bottle.

Expert Description

Chichibu 2013 Collection Antipodes Cask No 9664 is a Single Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 61%.

The whisky was distilled in 2013 at Chichibu Distillery, founded by Ichiro Akuto in 2008, and comes from a single cask numbered 9664. The Antipodes name refers to the cask's journey and the extreme climate differences the whisky has experienced during maturation, giving it an unusually powerful character.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Intense tropical fruit, spice and a hint of oak.

Palate

Very powerful with pepper, caramel and dark berries.

Finish

Very long and warm with lingering spice.

Specifications

Name: Chichibu 2013 Collection Antipodes Cask No 9664
Distillery: Chichibu
Region/Country: Saitama, Japan
Type: Single Malt Japanese Whisky
Cask number: 9664
ABV: 61%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4580617290347

Flavour Profile

Very powerful · Spicy · Tropical · Intense

Investment Potential

Investment perspective

As a single cask bottling from Chichibu Distillery with a very limited bottle release, this Antipodes bottle ranks among the most exclusive and sought-after on the international collector market.

Did You Know?

Chichibu often names its single casks after geographical or astronomical concepts, giving each bottling a unique story beyond the liquid itself.

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Four more years of maturation separate this edition from the 8-year version, and the difference is clearly felt in the glass.

Expert Description

Maen 12 Year The True Circle is a Blended Pure Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 43%.

This 12-year-old pure malt is the most mature edition in The True Circle series, showing Maen Distillery's philosophy of the cycle between grain, water and time in its most developed form. The longer maturation gives a deeper, more complex flavour profile than its younger siblings.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried fruit, honey and a deep, toasted oak.

Palate

Full-bodied and complex with caramel, spice and dark chocolate.

Finish

Long and warm with lingering oak.

Specifications

Name: Maen 12 Year The True Circle
Distillery: Maen
Region/Country: Japan
Type: Blended Pure Malt Japanese Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 088320002225

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Complex · Warm · Mature

Did You Know?

Maen Distillery is one of the few Japanese distilleries that publicly documents the entire cycle from grain to bottle, as part of their sustainability philosophy.

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Eight years of maturation gives this edition of The True Circle more depth and complexity than its younger sibling - still true to the distillery's circular philosophy.

Expert Description

Maen 8 Year The True Circle is a Blended Pure Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 43%.

Like the younger standard edition, this 8-year-old pure malt is built on Maen Distillery's philosophy of a close cycle between grain, water and time. The extra maturation gives the whisky a more developed character with deeper fruit and oak notes.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Ripe apples, honey and toasted oak.

Palate

Round and full-bodied with caramel, vanilla and a hint of spice.

Finish

Medium length and warm.

Specifications

Name: Maen 8 Year The True Circle
Distillery: Maen
Region/Country: Japan
Type: Blended Pure Malt Japanese Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 088320002218

Flavour Profile

Round · Full-bodied · Warm · Developed

Did You Know?

Pure malt means the whisky is composed entirely of malt whisky from several casks, with no grain whisky blended in, unlike a standard blend.

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"The True Circle" refers to the cycle between grain, water and time - the three fundamental elements Maen Distillery builds its entire philosophy around.

Expert Description

Maen The True Circle is a Blended Japanese Whisky, bottled at 43%.

Maen Distillery is one of Japan's newer distilleries, emphasising sustainability and close collaboration with local farmers on grain and water. The True Circle series is the distillery's core blend, showing the house style in its purest form.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Apple, honey and a light, floral aroma.

Palate

Soft and round with vanilla and a hint of citrus.

Finish

Short to medium and clean.

Specifications

Name: Maen The True Circle
Distillery: Maen
Region/Country: Japan
Type: Blended Japanese Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 088320002201

Flavour Profile

Soft · Round · Floral · Clean

Did You Know?

Maen Distillery works closely with local farmers to grow grain for whisky production, a circular mindset that underlies the name "The True Circle".

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25 years is a long time to wait for a bottle, and Murray McDavid spent the last three of them on something unusual: a cask that previously held Guyanese rum. The result is a single grain that tastes more of the Caribbean than of the Highlands.

Expert's Description

Loch Lomond 1996/2022 Murray McDavid 25 Year Old is a Highland Single Grain Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon hogsheads with a rum finish and bottled at 55.9%.

The whisky was distilled in 1996 and spent 22 of its 25 years in bourbon hogsheads, before receiving a final finish in an SXG Diamond cask from the Guyanese Diamond rum distillery. Murray McDavid bottled the whisky in 2022 as part of its Mission Gold series, with only 391 bottles in total.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Exotic bouquet of pineapple, banana and mango, layered with vanilla, honey, sugarcane and a touch of oak and ginger.

Palate

Full-bodied and creamy, with waves of ripe tropical fruit, soft toffee, rum-soaked raisins and a hint of coconut.

Finish

Long, sweet finish with lingering tropical fruit and a warm rum tone.

Specifications

Name: Loch Lomond 1996/2022 Murray McDavid 25 Year Old Highland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 55.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon hogsheads, finished in a rum cask
Distilled: 1996
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 391
EAN: 5060353303505
Serving suggestion: Neat or with a few drops of water to tame the cask strength

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sweet · Full-bodied

Investment Potential

High – a 25-year-old single grain with a rare rum finish and only 391 bottles makes this one of the most unusual and sought-after Loch Lomond releases for collectors of independent bottlings.

Did You Know?

The Diamond distillery in Guyana, whose casks were used for the finish, is one of the most celebrated rum distilleries in the Caribbean and uses several different historic still types in its own production – not unlike how Loch Lomond does with whisky.

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North British is today jointly owned by Diageo and Edrington and supplies the backbone of flavour to some of Scotland's best-known blends.

Expert's Description

North British 2007/2022 Murray McDavid 14 Year Old is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky finished in a Koval oat cask, bottled at 46%.

The cask comes from the American Koval distillery, known for its oat-based whiskey – an unusual choice for a Scotch grain whisky, giving this release a softer, creamier character with a touch of oatmeal and honey.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The glass first greets you with light oak, quickly followed by coconut and a hint of creamy vanilla.

Palate

The palate is full-bodied with mild pepper, light sweetness and delicate oak.

Finish

The finish is lightly spiced.

Specifications

Distillery: North British
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Koval Oat Cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2007
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 849
Edition: Limited Release – Select Grain
EAN no.: 5060353303659

Flavour Profile

Soft · Creamy · Light · Elegant

Did You Know?

Grain whisky like North British is distilled in column stills and typically develops flavour more slowly than malt whisky, making older vintages especially sought after.

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Grain whisky is rarely treated as something that deserves a fine cask. Murray McDavid did the opposite and put an eleven year old Girvan into a Ximenez-Spinola PX cask, and suddenly the cereal is no longer the dull part of the equation.

The expert description

Girvan 2011/2022 Murray McDavid 11 Years Old is a Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky finished in a Ximenez-Spinola PX cask and bottled at 46%.

Girvan was built in 1963 by William Grant & Sons on the Ayrshire coast and is today one of the largest grain distilleries in Scotland. This release was distilled in 2011 and bottled in 2022 by Murray McDavid, who rank among the bottlers working most deliberately with wood.

The PX cask is the decisive part. Pedro Ximenez is the sweetest of the sherry styles, almost syrupy, and on a soft grain whisky it lays down a layer of dark fruit that a malt would have had to supply itself. The release yielded 1228 bottles, bottled without chill filtration and without colouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisin and dark syrup first, then vanilla and coconut from the grain character, and a note of fig behind.

Palate

Soft and oily with dates, muscovado and dark chocolate. The cereal sweetness sits underneath and keeps it from turning heavy.

Finish

Medium and sweet with dried fruit, a touch of oak and a light spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Girvan 2011/2022 Murray McDavid 11 Years Old
Distillery: Girvan
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Lowland Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ximenez-Spinola PX cask
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 1228
Edition: Limited Release Select Grain
EAN no.: 5060353303642

Flavour profile

Sweet · Sherry matured · Creamy · Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

Murray McDavid is based at the old Coleburn distillery near Elgin, which has been closed since 1985. The buildings are used today for warehousing and cask work, so a distillery that no longer distils has become the workplace of a bottler.

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Pauillac is Bordeaux at its finest – Lafite, Mouton, Latour. When casks from one of the world's most celebrated wine regions meet Caol Ila's Islay smoke, something unexpected happens: the powerful wine residue in the wood gives a peaty and fruity note rarely found at the distillery.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 2014/2022 Murray McDavid 8 Years Benchmark Series is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Pauillac wine casks, bottled at 50% without chill filtration and with natural colour. 1,399 bottles.

Pauillac casks come from the Pauillac wine district in Bordeaux – home to Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Latour. The casks are laden with red Bordeaux wine and add tannin-rich, fruity and slightly earthy notes to spirits that have rested in them.

Murray McDavid's Benchmark Series puts the distillate's character at the centre and finds casks that lift it without overpowering it. Eight years and 50% in Pauillac casks give a Caol Ila with an unexpected winey depth.

Tasting notes

Nose

Smoke and dark fruit – blueberry and cherry from the wine cask, with Caol Ila's salty maritime smoke in the background. A hint of earth and tannins.

Palate

Smoke and wine sweetness in good balance. Dark berry fruit, salt and a touch of Bordeaux tannins. Good body at 50%.

Finish

Peat and fruit alternate in a medium-length finish with a light, dried fruit note at the end.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 2014/2022 Murray McDavid 8 Years Benchmark – Pauillac Wine Casks
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Pauillac wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 1,399
Series: Benchmark Series
EAN no.: 5060353303567

Flavour profile

Peated · Winey · Dark Fruit · Fresh · Tannic

Did you know?

Pauillac is home to three of the world's five classified Premier Cru chateaux in Bordeaux. Casks that have held wines from these estates are rare and highly sought after in the whisky world.

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Murray McDavid calls their mysterious Speyside series 'Mystery Malt' — Juniper Hill is an Italian wine twist on a young but characterful dram.

Expert's Description

Strathdearn Juniper Hill 2015/2022 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Murray McDavid, distilled in 2015 and bottled in 2022 after 6 years of maturation at 46%.

The whisky is matured in a Barolo wine cask, giving an unusual wine-like character to the young Speyside malt. The source distillery is not officially disclosed under the 'Mystery Malt' name. A relatively large run of 1,673 bottles was produced.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark berries and a light wine-like acidity meet malt and a hint of vanilla.

Palate

Fruity and lightly tannic with cherry, spice and a fresh acidity from the Barolo cask.

Finish

Medium length with lingering berries and a dry, wine-like close.

Specifications

Name: Juniper Hill
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Barolo Wine Cask
Distilled: 2015
Bottled: 2022
Number of Bottles: 1,673 bottles
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
EAN No.: 5060353303635

Flavour Profile

Wine-matured · Fruity · Young · Spiced

Did You Know?

Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' from Piedmont in Italy, and a Barolo cask is rare in Scotch whisky production compared to the more common port and sherry casks.

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Lennox is the old name for the land around Loch Lomond, and Murray McDavid has used it as the title for this young, heavily peated take on Croftengea – a whisky with no time for caution.

Expert's Description

Croftengea Lennox Peat 2018/2022 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 46%.

The whisky was distilled in 2018 under Loch Lomond's heavily peated Croftengea profile and, after four years of maturation, was bottled by independent bottler Murray McDavid in 2022 under the name "Lennox Peat" – named after the historic term for the land surrounding the loch. Murray McDavid always bottles at a minimum of 46% with no added colouring or chill filtration.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Coastal smoke meets sweet lemon sponge and a hint of freshly baked bread.

Palate

Medicinal, fresh peat with orange blossom and a creamy sweetness that keeps the smoke in check.

Finish

Gentle malt, sea spray and a hint of smoky peach in the finish.

Specifications

Name: Croftengea Lennox Peat 2018/2022 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 4 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2018
Bottled: 2022
EAN: 5060353303628
Serving suggestion: Neat or with a few drops of water

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Peated · Fresh

Did You Know?

"Lennox" is the historic name for the landscape surrounding Loch Lomond – a name that goes back several centuries and is still used in the area's history and heraldry.

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Hungarian dessert wine and Scottish malt whisky are not an obvious match. Yet a Tokaji barrique sat waiting in a Glasgow warehouse, and for the final months before bottling the whisky was allowed to stretch out in it. You can smell that somebody took a chance.

The Expert's Description

1770 Glasgow 2018/2022 Mac Y Selection Tokaji Finish is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in 1st fill ex-bourbon casks and finished in a Tokaji barrique, bottled at 52%. Cask 18/968 was distilled on 3 February 2018 and bottled on 25 October 2022, giving 303 bottles for the Danish importer Mac Y.

Tokaji is a Hungarian sweet wine made from botrytised grapes, and its casks are used only very rarely for Scotch. Where a sherry cask brings dark fruit and nuts, Tokaji pulls towards apricot, honey and a tart marmalade note that leaves the whisky brighter and fresher than a typical finish. The bourbon wood underneath keeps the vanilla and cereal sweetness in place.

The whisky was distilled at Glasgow Distillery, where the mash ferments for over 72 hours before slow distillation in copper pot stills. Neither chill filtration nor colouring came anywhere near the bottle.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried apricot and orange marmalade first, with honey and a little yellow plum behind. Then the bourbon cask brings vanilla and a light pastry note, close to a Danish. A fine acidity runs through it all and stops the sweetness turning sticky.

Palate

Sweet and juicy to begin: apricot, honeydew melon and candied lemon. Mid-palate the oak and white pepper tighten up and a faintly waxy texture appears. The 52% gives body without heat. After a few minutes in the glass a dried mango note steps forward.

Finish

Medium length. Honey and citrus peel first, then drier oak and a touch of ginger. The sweetness fades calmly.

Specifications

Name: 1770 Glasgow 2018/2022 Mac Y Selection Tokaji Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky 52%
Distillery: Glasgow Distillery
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 4 years
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill ex-bourbon and finished in a Tokaji barrique, cask no. 18/968
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 3 February 2018
Bottled: 25 October 2022
Number of bottles: 303
Edition: Mac Y Selection
EAN no.: 5714772001978

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Honeyed · Fresh · Spiced · Cask Strength · Vinous

Did You Know?

Tokaji was for centuries the most sought-after wine in Europe. Louis XIV is said to have called it Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum, the wine of kings and the king of wines. Casks like these almost never turn up in Scottish warehouses, and when they do it is usually because a small distillery fancied trying something the big ones cannot be bothered with.

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This release from Boann Distillery is made exclusively for the Danish market and is built on a single, hand-selected Oloroso sherry cask from Jerez.

Expert Review

The Whistler 6 Year Old Single Cask Oloroso Sherry is a Single Cask Irish Whiskey matured in a first fill Oloroso Sherry Butt, bottled at natural cask strength 59.55%.

The whiskey has matured its entire maturation period in a single first fill Oloroso Sherry Butt from Jerez, which has contributed plenty of colour and nuance to the flavour. It is bottled without chill filtration or added colouring, giving the raw drops at their completely natural alcohol strength. On the nose, powerful notes of sherry and dried fruit come through clearly, with the classic dusty tone from Oloroso maturation. This release is made exclusively for the Danish market.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Powerful sherry and dried fruit, with a dusty Oloroso tone.

Palate

Deep and complex, with oak, walnuts, chocolate and dried fruit.

Finish

Lingering, warm and long, with chocolate, wood and raisins.

Specifications

Name: The Whistler 6 Year Old Single Cask Oloroso Sherry
Distillery: The Whistler (Boann Distillery)
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Single Cask Irish Whiskey
Age: 6 years
ABV: 59.55% (natural cask strength)
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: First fill Oloroso Sherry Butt from Jerez
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Other: Single Cask, exclusive to Denmark
EAN no.: 5391528252527

Flavour Profile

Powerful · Sherry-driven · Chocolatey · Nutty · Warm

Investment Potential

As a single cask release exclusive to the Danish market, this bottle may hold collector interest. Whisky.dk always recommends valuing a bottle for its own enjoyment rather than as an investment object.

Did You Know?

A "single cask" means the entire release comes from one single cask, unlike most whiskies, which are a blend of several casks, making every single cask release unique.

Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily most people know from a veal sauce rather than from whisky. BenRiach put it in as the third cask type anyway, and it is decisions like that which make the range worth following.

The expert's description

BenRiach The Smoky Twelve 12 years is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in bourbon casks, sherry casks and Marsala casks and bottled at 46 %.

The whisky is built on the peated spirit of the distillery and matured, somewhat unconventionally, in three cask types. Bourbon gives vanilla, sherry gives dark fruit, and the Marsala wood adds a nutty sweetness different from both sherry and port.

The combination has given the whisky an almost creamy, soft structure with layers of ripe fruit, aromatic smoky sweetness and warming oak spice. The two extra years over the Smoky Ten read as more depth rather than as more smoke.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful smoky notes with vanilla, toasted orange peel and roasted almond.

Palate

Dark chocolate, fruit, brown sugar, smoke and cocoa. The structure stays creamy and soft despite the smoke.

Finish

Persistent with a full smoky flavour and warming oak spice.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach The Smoky Twelve 12 år
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks, sherry casks and Marsala casks
Edition: The Smoky Twelve 12 år
EAN no.: 5060716140259

Flavour profile

Smoky · Creamy · Dark fruit · Nutty · Spiced

Did you know?

Marsala comes from the town of the same name on the west coast of Sicily and was developed by English merchants in the 1700s as an alternative to port and sherry. The casks remain rare in Scotch whisky.

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Norfolk barley is brewed, distilled and matured all the way through at East London Liquor Company, who insist on controlling the entire process themselves from grain to bottle.

Expert Description

East London Single Malt 2022 is an English Single Malt Whisky made from 100% malted barley from Norfolk, bottled at 47%.

The whisky is brewed, distilled and matured at East London Liquor Company, using 100% malted barley grown in Norfolk. The whisky is double pot distilled and has matured for a minimum of 3 years in a combination of bourbon and rye casks from Sonoma as well as bourbon casks from Kentucky. East London Liquor Company opened in 2014 as the first distillery in the East End for over a century and prides itself on controlling the entire process from grain to bottle.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Stewed apples, chocolate and oatmeal biscuits.

Palate

Ripe pineapple with a touch of Szechuan pepper, giving a light spicy edge to the fruity sweetness.

Finish

Lingering spice with a gentle touch of chocolate and ripe apples.

Specifications

Name: East London Single Malt 2022
Distillery: East London Liquor Company
Region/Country: England
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: Minimum 3 Years
ABV: 47%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon and rye casks from Sonoma and bourbon casks from Kentucky
Distillation method: Double pot still
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat, on the rocks or in cocktails

Distillery: East London Liquor Company

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Spicy · Gentle · Rounded · Creamy

Did You Know?

East London Liquor Company insists on brewing, distilling and maturing their whisky from scratch using Norfolk barley, unlike many new English distilleries that often buy ready-malted grain or even import whisky for bottling.

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