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

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Light · Grainy · Dry · Fruity · Classic

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

See our full range of Bladnoch
See our full range of Gordon & MacPhail

Named after Sir Walter Scott's 1816 novel, The Antiquary has stood for a soft, classic blended Scotch style since 1857 - this 15 year old expression draws extra depth from French red wine casks.

Expert description

The Antiquary 15 Year Old is a Blended Scotch Whisky at 43%, combining malt and grain whisky matured for 15 years, including in casks that previously held fine Bordeaux red wine.

The brand was founded in 1857 by the Hardie family and named after Sir Walter Scott's 1816 novel "The Antiquary". Since 1996, The Antiquary has been owned by Tomatin Distillery Co, which relaunched the brand in 2024 with a refreshed range, including this 15 year old expression.

The whisky is unpeated and shows an unusually soft, light flavour profile, where the wine casks lend a light fruity sweetness and complexity to the classic blend.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft grain and ripe red berries, with a touch of vanilla and a hint of dried flowers.

Palate

Silky and round, with notes of stewed red fruit, honey and a light nutty undertone.

Finish

Short to medium, mild and lightly sweet, closing on a trace of oak.

Specifications

Name: The Antiquary 15 Year Old
Distillery: The Antiquary (Blend), owned by Tomatin Distillery Co
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bordeaux red wine casks
EAN no.: 5018481101265

Flavour profile

soft · fruity · round

Did you know?

The Antiquary took its name from Sir Walter Scott's 1816 novel about an eccentric Scottish antiquities collector - a fitting literary reference that still graces the label more than 165 years after the brand's founding.

See our full range of The Antiquary

Some whiskies shout their pedigree from the label. This one from Lagavulin prefers to let the liquid do the talking. This particular release from Islay shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Lagavulin 16 Year White Horse Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl 43% is a Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky and bottled at 43%.

This bottling comes from White Horse Distillers.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bonfire smoke, dried fruit and a maritime edge.

Palate

Rich smoke, dark chocolate and spiced oak.

Finish

Dry and smoky with a final salty note.

Specifications

Name: Lagavulin 16 Year White Horse Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl 43%
Distillery: Lagavulin
Bottler: White Horse Distillers
Region/Country: Islay
Type: Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 100 CL

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Spiced

Investment Potential

High. As a discontinued vintage bottling from the 1980s under the former White Horse name, the bottle is no longer in production, making it a rare find for collectors of older Lagavulin.

Did you know?

Until Diageo took over branding in the late 1990s, many Lagavulin bottles were marketed under the name White Horse Distillers, named after the famous blend Lagavulin formed the heart of.

See our full range of Lagavulin

From Taiwan's mountains comes a single malt named after the island's highest peak.

Expert description

Omar Yushan Bourbon Cask is a Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks. Omar is produced by Nantou Distillery, founded in 1978 as part of Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation and home to whisky production since 2008. The name Omar combines 'Old Man' with the Taiwanese word for whisky, while the Yushan range is named after Taiwan's highest mountain. Nantou is located in central Taiwan, where the subtropical climate with high humidity and wide temperature swings drives significantly faster maturation than in traditional whisky regions.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers vanilla, tropical fruit and a hint of coconut.

Palate

The palate is sweet with caramel, banana and light honey.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, soft and fruity.

Specifications

Name: Omar Yushan Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Nantou
Region/Country: Nantou, Taiwan
Type: Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks

Flavour profile

Tropical · Sweet · Fruity · Soft

Did you know?

The Yushan range is named after Taiwan's highest mountain, Yu Shan, which rises nearly 4,000 metres above sea level — a nod to the distillery's pride in Taiwanese nature and identity.

See our full range of Nantou

Before Deanston raised the strength and dropped the filtration, the 12 year old stood at 40 percent. This is that bottle — the house style as it was before the change.

Expert description

Deanston 12 years Old Version is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 40%.

The release predates Deanston moving its core range to 46.3%, without chill filtration and without added colouring. The old version is lighter in body and more restrained than today's, but the underlying character is the same: honey, malt and apple from a distillery housed in a converted cotton mill by the River Teith. For anyone who knows the current 12 year old, it is a direct comparison of what the change meant.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft and light. Honey, apple and malt, with vanilla and a pale cereal note.

Palate

Round and restrained. Malt, honey and pale fruit, with a mild spiced warmth. The body is lighter than in the current release, but the balance is good.

Finish

Short to medium, dry and malty with a faint honeyed sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Deanston 12 years Old Version Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highlands Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks
Edition: Old Version
EAN no.: 5013261150471

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Malty · Light · Unpeated

Investment potential

Medium. The old 12 year old is discontinued and replaced by the current one at 46.3%. Bottlings from before the change keep getting harder to find.

Did you know?

Deanston generates its own electricity from hydroelectric power on the River Teith and uses less than the plant produces. The surplus is sold to the grid — the distillery has been making money on electricity long before anyone called it sustainability.

See our full range of Deanston Whisky

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Floral · Fresh · Soft · Fruity · Light

Did you know?

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

See our full range of Bladnoch

A litre bottle. That alone tells you where this whisky comes from — the big 100 cl bottles were something you bought in duty free or on export markets, and they largely vanished from shelves in Europe. The label reads The Pool of the Salmon.

Please note: There is wear to the box.

The expert's description

Glen Keith 10 Year Old Old Version is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Keith in Speyside, bottled at 43% in a litre bottle.

This is an official distillery bottling from the years when Glen Keith still ran under Seagram. The subtitle The Pool of the Salmon appeared on the distillery’s older labels, and the bottling was withdrawn long before Glen Keith gained its current series of single malts. The Highland regional wording on the label was standard practice then, even for distilleries sitting in the middle of Speyside.

Glen Keith was built in 1957 and 1958 on the site of an old meal mill directly behind Strathisla. Seagram used the distillery as its experimental plant, trialling triple distillation, different yeast strains and gas firing. Production was mothballed in 1999, and fourteen years passed before Chivas Brothers started it up again.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt and dried apple, with heather honey and a dry, almost floury cereal note. Behind it sits a faint waxiness that points to the age of the bottle.

Palate

Slender but firm. Barley, pear and pale caramel, with a dryness mid-palate. There is more body than 43% suggests, and an old-fashioned malty style modern Speyside rarely shows.

Finish

Medium. Dried fruit, malt and a dry oak note closing quietly.

Specifications

Name: Glen Keith 10 Year Old Old Version Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl 43%
Distillery: Glen Keith
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 100 CL
Edition: Old Version - The Pool of the Salmon
EAN no.: 087000653177

Flavour profile

Malty · Dry · Honeyed · Waxy

Investment potential

Medium. Glen Keith stood still for fourteen years, and the official bottlings from before 1999 cannot be recreated. A litre bottle carrying the old label wording is therefore one collectors keep an eye on — particularly since the distillery's modern releases only returned to the market in 2017.

Did you know?

Glen Keith was the first Scottish distillery to fire its pot stills with gas rather than coal. Seagram used the site as its testing ground, and if something new was to be tried, it was usually tried in Keith first.

See our full range of Glen Keith

The first edition of anything is the one people remember. Malting Season started here, with barley from the distillery own floor maltings and a decision to make whisky the slow way again, long after the rest of the trade had stopped.

The expert's description

BenRiach Malting Season First Edition is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky without an age statement, bottled at 48.7 %.

The range is made purely from barley malted on the distillery own floor maltings in Elgin. The facility is one of very few left in Scotland and can only handle a limited quantity of barley at a time, which puts a hard ceiling on how much whisky the range can ever yield.

The first edition marks the start of the range and is also the one everything after it is measured against. The bottling strength of 48.7 % was chosen to keep the texture intact, and the cereal character of the floor malted barley reads clearly through the cask.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baked bread, honey and pale cereal with a note of dried apple.

Palate

Creamy and malty with vanilla, flower honey and a lightly nutty middle. The cereal takes up clear room without turning dry.

Finish

Long and warm with malt, oak and a last touch of honeyed sweetness.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach Malting Season First Edition
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
ABV: 48,7 %
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Malting Season First Edition
EAN no.: 5060716140068

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Creamy · Nutty · Dry

Investment potential

High. The first edition in a series traditionally holds the strongest position on the collector market, and Malting Season is at the same time limited by how much barley the distillery can malt on its own floors. The combination makes it hard to replace.

Did you know?

Only around a handful of Scottish distilleries still run a working floor maltings, and most of them cover only a small share of their own needs. The rest buy malt from large commercial maltings that supply the whole trade.

See our full range of BenRiach Whisky

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The cask was filled in February 1979 and stood untouched while walls came down, colour television arrived and the internet was invented. When it was finally drawn in the summer of 1999, 350 bottles were left. This is one of them.

Please note: This is an older bottling from 1999, and the bottle carries the Danish white excise seal.

The expert's description

Balvenie 15 Single Barrel Cask No. 2423 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in one single oak cask and bottled at 50.4 %.

The whisky went into cask on 23 February 1979 and was drawn on 14 July 1999 after fifteen years. The cask yielded 350 bottles, and the bottling is neither chill filtered nor colour adjusted. That combination was far from standard in the 1990s, when most distilleries still filtered and coloured as a matter of routine.

Balvenie Single Barrel bottlings from this period are among the releases collectors look for. The cask cannot be recreated, the spirit comes from a production era with different yeast strains and different barley varieties, and the bottle has now sat for more than two decades since it was filled.

Tasting notes

Nose

Old oak, wax and dried apricot. Behind it sit honey, pale tobacco and a faint mineral note.

Palate

Powerful and oily with honey, candied citrus peel and spiced oak. The high strength carries a dense texture without burning.

Finish

Very long, dry and oak driven with wax and a last, warm note of spice.

Specifications

Name: Balvenie 15 år Single Barrel Cask No. 2423
Distillery: Balvenie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 50,4 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak cask, Cask No. 2423
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 23 February 1979
Bottled: 14 July 1999
Number of bottles: 350
EAN no.: 5010327505510

Flavour profile

Full bodied · Honeyed · Waxy · Spiced · Dry

Investment potential

High. A single 1979 cask drawn in 1999 in just 350 bottles cannot be recreated, and supply falls with every bottle opened. Older Balvenie Single Barrel bottlings have been climbing in value at auction over a long run of years.

Did you know?

When this cask was filled in 1979, Balvenie ran just five stills. The distillery has expanded several times since, so whisky from that era comes from a plant that in practice no longer exists.

See our full range of Balvenie Whisky

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Boann Distillery blends campfire, herbs and malt in this smoky release from The Whistler brand, made for those who love smoke but won't compromise on balance.

Expert Review

The Whistler The Good, The Bad and The Smoky is a Blended Irish Malt Whiskey matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in smoky quarter casks, bottled at 48%.

The whiskey is a characterful release from the innovative Boann Distillery, where the base maturation in ex-bourbon casks is followed by a smoky finish in quarter casks that previously held heavily peated whiskey. The combination gives a pronounced yet balanced smoke profile that sets it apart from most other Irish whiskeys. The whiskey is non-chill filtered.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fine, rounded smoke with sweetness and a hint of salt.

Palate

Warm campfire embers, fresh herbs and malt sweetness, rounded off with a touch of caramel.

Finish

Long and persistent, with distinct smoke notes and spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: The Whistler The Good, The Bad and The Smoky
Distillery: The Whistler / Boann Distillery
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Blended Irish Malt Whiskey
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon & smoky quarter casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
EAN no.: 5391528252435

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Spiced · Herbal · Malt-sweet · Balanced

Did You Know?

Boann Distillery is located in the Meath area north of Dublin, named after the River Boyne, and is among the newer Irish distilleries experimenting with unconventional cask profiles such as smoke finishes.

Another batch of the same discontinued label, this time bottled at 40% – the strength many whiskies carried before 40% became a minimum requirement rather than a standard.

Expert's Description

Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old Old Version 1 is a Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky from the 1980s, bottled at 40%.

Like the rest of the Westering Home series, this bottle dates from before Bunnahabhain settled its range around the 46.3% known today. At 40%, this is the mildest of the discontinued old version bottlings in this delivery.

It's a bottle for the collector who wants to line up several batches of the same historic label and taste the difference between them.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Gentle sea air and a hint of peat, backed by oily malt.

Palate

Round and oily with nuts, light fruit and a classic malty sweetness.

Finish

Medium length and malty with a calm, dry finish.

Specifications

Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region/Country: Scotland (Islay)
Type: Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation Method: Double Distilled
Edition: Old Version 1 – Westering Home

Flavour Profile

Maritime · Oily · Soft · Classic

Investment Potential

High – another discontinued 1980s batch of the Westering Home label, no longer in production.

Did You Know?

This batch is bottled a couple of percentage points lower than its sister bottle from the same series, giving collectors a rare chance to compare two old version bottlings side by side.

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A bottle with no box, but decades behind it – this 12 Years Old dates back to when Bunnahabhain still wore the Westering Home label.

Expert's Description

Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old Old Version is a Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky from the 1980s, bottled at 43%.

The whisky belongs to the same discontinued Westering Home series as the distillery's other old version bottlings, from a time when the standard strength sat at 43% rather than today's 46.3%. The bottle arrives without a box, which is typical for cellar finds of this age.

It's a rare chance to taste how Bunnahabhain sounded long before the distillery became a familiar name among independent bottlers worldwide.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Gentle sea air and a hint of peat, backed by oily malt.

Palate

Round and oily with nuts, light fruit and a classic malty sweetness.

Finish

Medium length and malty with a calm, dry finish.

Specifications

Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region/Country: Scotland (Islay)
Type: Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation Method: Double Distilled
Edition: Old Version – Westering Home

Flavour Profile

Maritime · Oily · Soft · Classic

Investment Potential

High – a discontinued 1980s bottling with no box, no longer in production, appealing to collectors of older Bunnahabhain releases.

Did You Know?

In the period this bottle comes from, Bunnahabhain was far better known as a supplier of malt for blends like Black Bottle than as a standalone single malt name.

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In the 1990s the labels looked different, and Tomintoul called itself something slightly different. This bottle is a small piece of that history.

Expert's description

Tomintoul 10 år Speyside Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 40% is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

This 10-year-old Old Version dates from the 1990s and carries an older label design that Tomintoul has since replaced with a more modern style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey, soft malt and light fruit sweetness.

Palate

Round and mild with a hint of nuts.

Finish

Short and friendly.

Specifications

Name: Tomintoul 10 år Speyside Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Tomintoul
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
Edition: Old Version from the 1990s
EAN no.: 5021349700012

Flavour Profile

Round · Spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

Tomintoul Distillery was founded in 1965 and is today run by Angus Dundee Distillers, with veteran distiller Robert Fleming responsible for production.

See our full range of Tomintoul

With a name that conjures images of apple orchards and late summer, Orchard House shows how Compass Box turns blended malt into an art form.

Expert Review

Orchard House Compass Box Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 46% is a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 46% ABV.

This blended malt from Orchard House has a lovely aroma of apple and pear, with hints of pineapple, lemon and lime zest. Compass Box is known for composing its whiskies from selected malt components sourced from several distilleries, rather than focusing on the character of a single one.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is fruity with apple, pear and a touch of citrus.

Palate

The palate is light and fresh, with pineapple, lemon and a mild sweetness.

Finish

The finish is short to medium, fresh and citrus-driven.

Specifications

Name: Orchard House Compass Box Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Compass Box
Region: Scotland
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
EAN No.: 5060632880574

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Fresh · Citrus

Did You Know?

Compass Box was founded in 2000 by American John Glaser and was among the first whisky houses to fully disclose the composition of its blends – a practice that was highly unusual in the industry at the time.

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A bourbon cask at full strength gives a spirit nowhere to hide. Batch 3 shows exactly why Bimber's London malt can handle that kind of exposure.

Expert's Description

Bimber Ex-Bourbon Oak Casks Batch 3 is a Single Malt London Whisky, vatted from selected ex-bourbon oak casks and bottled at cask strength at 51.6% ABV.

The batch was assembled and bottled in June 2021 and represents Bimber's house style stripped back to essentials: no sherry, no additional cask finish, just the spirit as it develops in American oak ex-bourbon casks. It offers an honest look at what makes Bimber's own distillate distinctive without letting the cask steal the show.

Because Batch 3 is one of the larger releases in the series, it also happens to be one of the most accessible ways to meet Bimber's pure ex-bourbon character.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Green apple peel and dried stone fruit sit alongside milk-soaked cereal, while vanilla sponge cake and desiccated coconut mix with toasted bread.

Palate

Crisp orchard fruit and baked apricot meet sprightly pepper and lightly charred oak, while chewy caramel and a touch of dark chocolate keep the palate broad and full.

Finish

Lasting sweetness is balanced by peppery spice, with hints of anise gradually unfolding into layers of vanilla.

Specifications

Name: Ex-Bourbon Oak Cask Batch 3
Distillery: Bimber Distillery
Country: England
Type: Single Malt London Whisky
ABV: 51.6%
Size: 70cl
Cask Type: Ex-bourbon oak casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: June 2021
Number of bottles: 5,000
Edition/Batch: Batch 3

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Vanilla · Spiced · Creamy

Did You Know?

Batch 3 is one of the largest releases in Bimber's Ex-Bourbon series, making it the most accessible entry point into the distillery's pure, unfinished house style.

See our full range of Bimber Distillery

There is an Inchmurrin for every taste – the 10-year-old is the one that stays closest to the distillery's raw, fruity base character, without the extra years that later soften the top notes.

Expert's Description

Inchmurrin 10 Year Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in American oak and bottled at 40%.

Inchmurrin is distilled on Loch Lomond's straight neck pot stills, which help create the distillate's pronounced fruitiness, reinforced by an unusually long fermentation. At 10 years, the whisky is fresher and more directly fruity than the older expressions of the same style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Pear and red apples with a light honeyed sweetness and a touch of freshly cut grass.

Palate

Juicy fruit of peach and apple meets creamy vanilla and a delicate peppery spice.

Finish

Medium finish with lingering fruit and a drying, lightly peppery close.

Specifications

Name: Inchmurrin 10 Year Old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak
Distillation method: Straight neck pot stills
Serving suggestion: In a tulip glass, ideally with a few drops of water

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Smooth · Fresh

Did You Know?

Inchmurrin is named after the largest island in Loch Lomond, where the ruins of an old monastery can still be visited today.

See our full range of Loch Lomond

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Not every great dram carries a famous name on the label — Imperial is proof that quiet distilleries can still produce remarkable whisky. This particular release from Speyside shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Imperial 15 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46% is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky and bottled at 46%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Green apple, vanilla and a gentle grassy note.

Palate

Malt sweetness, citrus and a touch of oak spice.

Finish

Soft and rounded with a final malty note.

Specifications

Name: Imperial 15 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46%
Distillery: Imperial
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Spiced

Investment Potential

High. Imperial distillery is closed and demolished, which makes any distillery bottling increasingly hard to find, and prices for closed Speyside distilleries have generally shown a marked rise in value over time.

Did you know?

Imperial took its name from Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, as the distillery was built during the same period the British Empire celebrated her reign.

See our full range of Imperial

Before Inchmurrin, Inchmoan and Croftengea became household names, Loch Lomond's malt was simply called Old Rhosdhu. It was last produced around the year 2000, making every bottle today a small time capsule from the distillery's early years.

Expert's Description

Old Rhosdhu 5 Year Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks and bottled at 40%.

Old Rhosdhu was produced shortly after the distillery opened in 1966 and, until around the year 2000, was the name for Loch Lomond's then single malt style. The whisky reflects the distillery's set-up, designed for maximum reflux, giving it its characteristic fruity, floral style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Floral and fruity with ripe apple, pear and a touch of malt.

Palate

Soft and fruity with honey and light malt, underpinned by a delicate floral sweetness.

Finish

Short to medium finish with lingering fruit and malt.

Specifications

Name: Old Rhosdhu 5 Year Old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon casks
EAN: 5016840014218
Serving suggestion: Neat or with a few drops of water

Flavour Profile

Floral · Fruity · Smooth

Investment Potential

Medium – Old Rhosdhu was phased out as a standalone name around the year 2000, and bottles carrying this name are becoming increasingly hard to find, making them interesting to collectors of Loch Lomond's early history.

Did You Know?

Old Rhosdhu was Loch Lomond's original single malt name, before the distillery began naming its various styles after the islands in the loch itself, as with Inchmurrin and Inchmoan.

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Sixteen years in a single bourbon hogshead is a long, quiet exercise. Nothing dramatic happens along the way. The cask works slowly, and the result is a whisky where time has been spent rather than technique applied.

The Expert's Description

Auchroisk 16 Years Old Deerstalker Limited Release is a Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead and bottled at 48%. Cask 16377 gave 318 bottles in Deerstalker’s range of single cask releases.

A hogshead holds around 250 litres and therefore sits between a bourbon barrel and a sherry butt. The wood contact per litre is great enough to give clear cask character over sixteen years, but not so great that the whisky turns overly woody.

Auchroisk was built in 1974 to supply malt for the J&B blend, and official bottlings exist essentially only in Diageo’s Flora & Fauna range. Single casks like this one are therefore the main route to meeting the distillery at a higher strength.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Creamy and sweet, with vanilla and ripe pear first. Toasted nuts and a lightly spiced oak note sit behind, along with a fine honeyed sweetness that sixteen years have drawn out.

Palate

Creamy sweetness from the first sip, followed by a lightly oily, spiced flavour. There is vanilla, apple and a dry nutty note, and at 48% the body is good without the whisky turning heavy.

Finish

Long and spiced. Oak, honey and a dry close where the nuts linger longest.

Specifications

Name: Auchroisk 16 Years Old Deerstalker Limited Release Single Speyside Malt Whisky 48%
Distillery: Auchroisk
Bottler: Deerstalker
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon hogshead, cask no. 16377
Number of bottles: 318
Edition: Deerstalker Limited Release
EAN no.: 5030748100156

Flavour Profile

Creamy · Spiced · Vanilla · Nutty · Fruity · Honeyed

Did You Know?

A deerstalker is both a form of hunting in the Scottish Highlands and the name of the distinctive hat with peaks front and back that Sherlock Holmes made famous. The hat is never mentioned in Conan Doyle’s text; it came from the illustrator Sidney Paget, who drew Holmes in his own image of an English countryman.

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The Cromdale hills rise behind Balmenach like an old spine of heather and granite. Whisky has been made here since 1824, and the distillery has never been in any hurry to shout about it. Deerstalker takes casks from this quiet place and lets them speak at their own pace.

The expert description

Deerstalker 12 Years Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Balmenach, matured in oak casks and bottled at 43% without chill filtration.

Balmenach sits beside the village of Cromdale, right on the line where the Highlands slip into Speyside. James MacGregor founded the distillery in 1824, and it is owned today by Inver House. Almost all of the spirit disappears into blends, which is why so few bottles carry the Balmenach name on the front.

The Deerstalker range comes from Aberko in Glasgow, a house that has held on to one principle throughout: the whisky is bottled without chill filtration. It is a small decision with a large consequence, because the oils that would otherwise be filtered out stay in the bottle and give the whisky a fuller texture.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and gently tart. Green apple and peach arrive first, then a dusting of vanilla underneath and a dry, almost powdery grain note reminiscent of the air inside an old warehouse.

Palate

It opens tight and sour, then unfolds into pale fruit, pear and lemon peel, while a soft sweetness of vanilla and demerara sugar settles beneath.

Finish

Fuller and longer than 43% would suggest. Spice, toasted bread and a final dry note of oak.

Specifications

Name: Deerstalker 12 Years Old
Distillery: Balmenach
Bottler: Deerstalker
Region/Country: Highland Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
EAN no.: 5030748100347

Flavour profile

Fresh · Fruity · Soft · Lightly spiced · Malty

Did you know?

Balmenach belongs to the small handful of Scottish distilleries still condensing their spirit in worm tubs, long coiled pipes submerged in cold water outside the stillhouse. The method is slow and takes up space, but it produces a heavier, meatier spirit than any modern condenser can deliver.

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BenRiach ran for two years after opening in 1898 and then stood silent for sixty-five more. The floor maltings sat untouched the whole way through, and when the distillery finally started again in 1965 the plant was much as it had been built.

The expert's description

BenRiach 12 years Heart Of Speyside is a Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

Heart Of Speyside was the entry range of the distillery during the years under Billy Walker, who took over BenRiach in 2004 with a consortium and made the house a name in its own right after decades as a supplier to blends. The range was phased out when Brown-Forman bought the distillery in 2016 and reshaped the portfolio.

BenRiach sits near Elgin in Speyside and is one of very few Scottish distilleries to have kept its floor maltings. The house works with three different spirits, unpeated, peated and triple distilled, which is unusual for a single site.

Tasting notes

Nose

Flower honey, ripe pear and a touch of vanilla. Behind it sit pale oak and cereal.

Palate

Soft and malty with honey, apple and a lightly spiced edge. Forty per cent keeps it approachable the whole way.

Finish

Medium, dry and malty with a last breath of oak.

Specifications

Name: BenRiach 12 år Heart Of Speyside
Distillery: BenRiach
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Edition: Heart Of Speyside
EAN no.: 5060088790076

Flavour profile

Soft · Honeyed · Fruity · Malty · Lightly spiced

Investment potential

Medium. Heart Of Speyside was phased out after the 2016 change of ownership and is no longer made. Bottlings from the Billy Walker period have drawn increasing collector attention, since that is when BenRiach became a brand in its own right.

Did you know?

BenRiach was closed from 1900 to 1965, but the floor maltings kept running for part of that time to supply malt to neighbouring Longmorn. That is why the plant still exists today.

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Just 6 years old and already named for exactly what it is, a whisky that makes no secret of its youth.

Expert Review

Ardbeg Very Young 1998/2004 is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 1998, bottled in 2004 after 6 years of maturation, non-chill filtered at 58.3%.

Very Young was part of the same vintage series as Still Young and Renaissance, where Ardbeg tracked its own whisky through the maturation process after the 1997 reopening, letting the name of each release reflect how far the whisky had come.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raw, direct peat with a sharp, youthful intensity and a hint of fresh citrus.

Palate

Powerful smoke and a marked phenolic edge, uncompromising and direct in style.

Finish

Long and dry, with a lasting smoky sharpness underlining the whisky's young origins.

Specifications

Name: Ardbeg Very Young
Distillery: Ardbeg
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 6 years
ABV: 58.3%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distilled: 1998
Bottled: 2004
Edition: Very Young
EAN no.: 5010494222265

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Young and raw · Cask strength-led · Citrus-fresh

Investment Potential

Medium. As the youngest release in Ardbeg's vintage series from the reopening years, at high cask strength and long sold out, Very Young appeals to collectors wanting the full line-up from Very Young through Still Young to Renaissance.

Did You Know?

Very Young, Still Young and Renaissance together form a unique series where Ardbeg let the names tell the story of how the whisky evolved from young and raw to fully mature, year by year.

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A white band around the neck. That is the kind of detail that places a bottle in time long before you read the label. This is Gordon & MacPhail’s Glenburgie from the years when the bottler was one of the few places you could find the distillery under its own name at all.

The expert's description

Glenburgie Old Version 8 Year Old is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled by Gordon & MacPhail at 40%.

Eight years is young, but it was normal for the older Gordon & MacPhail ranges, where the distillery character was meant to come through without many years of cask on top. The Glenburgie spirit is soft and fruity, and at 40% the whisky comes out light and round rather than powerful.

Gordon & MacPhail has been bottling Scotch from Elgin since 1895 and was for decades the most important source of single malt from distilleries that released nothing themselves. Glenburgie is one of those — almost the entire output goes into blends, and without bottlers like G&M most people would never have tasted the distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

Malt and baked apple, with pale honey and a trace of vanilla. Calm and understated, as older 40% bottlings often are.

Palate

Soft and light. Pear, honey and cereal malt, with a dry turn mid-palate. The body is slender, but there is more texture than the number on the label suggests.

Finish

Short to medium. Malt and a dry touch of oak closing quietly.

Specifications

Name: Glenburgie Old Version 8 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Glenburgie
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Old Version - white neck band

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Fruity · Soft · Dry

Investment potential

Medium. Old Gordon & MacPhail bottlings with the white neck band belong to a period that is over, and Glenburgie at that young age is no longer made. It is not a bottle that gets speculated on, but the supply can only fall.

Did you know?

Gordon & MacPhail has been in Elgin since 1895 and for many years filled its own casks at the distilleries. That means the firm has in practice held its own stock of whisky from houses that have never released an official bottle themselves.

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Port Pipes are a rare guest in Scotch whisky maturation, but when Springbank uses them, something deep and berry-laden comes out of it - a whisky carrying a clear imprint of Portugal's sun-ripened grapes.

Expert Description

Springbank 13 Year Old Port Wood is a Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled in 1989, matured in Port Pipes and bottled at 54.2%.

The whisky was distilled in 1989 and bottled in February 2003 after 13 years of maturation, during which the Port Pipes added a deep berry sweetness and a reddish hue to Springbank's already oily, complex style. A total of 3,120 bottles were released of this edition.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark forest berries and a hint of port sweetness meet Springbank's signature oily, salty backbone.

Palate

Rich and berry-laden with cherry and blackcurrant playing against a lightly spiced, salty edge.

Finish

Long and full, with the berry sweetness lingering alongside a dry, mineral close.

Specifications

Name: Springbank 13 Year Old Port Wood
Distillery: Springbank
Region/Country: Campbeltown, Scotland
Type: Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 54.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Port Pipes
Distilled: 1989
Bottled: February 2003
Number of bottles: 3,120
EAN no.: 610854337001

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Sherried · Maritime · Spicy

Investment Potential

Medium - as a discontinued Springbank bottling on the rare Port Pipes cask type, this bottle is sought after by collectors chasing the distillery's older and more unusual cask experiments.

Did You Know?

Port Pipes are a historic cask type originally used to transport port wine from Portugal to Britain - today they are rare in Scotch whisky production, making this release something special.

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Two extra years in cask may sound like a detail, but at Tormore it brings a clear shift toward more body. This 12 year old "Old Version" is a bottle for those who enjoy the story behind it as much as the dram itself.

The expert's description

Tormore 12 år Old Version Single Pure Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 43% is a Single Pure Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky and bottled at 43%.

The whisky is an earlier bottling of Tormore's 12 year old, filled in the older 75 cl bottle size the distillery used before moving to the 70 cl standard. The style is classic Speyside without a stated cask type, but with a clear extra body from the additional years in cask.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey, toasted almond and ripe apples.

Palate

Full-bodied with caramel and a hint of spiced wood.

Finish

Medium length with warm spice and a lightly bitter finish.

Specifications

Name: Tormore 12 år Old Version Single Pure Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky 43%
Distillery: Tormore
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Pure Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 75 CL
Edition: Discontinued edition

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Spiced · Fruity

Did you know?

The older 75 cl bottle size used for this release was common across the Scotch whisky industry until the mid-1990s, when the EU standard of 70 cl gradually took over.

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Before the colours on the harbour front became a postcard motif, Tobermory was simply the name of the whisky made a little too far from the mainland to become famous.

Expert's description

Tobermory The Isle of Mull The Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40% is a Isle of Mull Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

Isle of Mull has only one whisky distillery, making Tobermory the island's sole representative in the world of Scotch – a position it has held since 1798.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Green apples and a soft maritime breeze.

Palate

Round malt with citrus and light honey sweetness.

Finish

Mild and rounded, without smoke.

Specifications

Name: Tobermory The Isle of Mull The Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Tobermory
Region/Country: Isle of Mull
Type: Isle of Mull Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
Edition: The Isle of Mull – The Malt

Flavour Profile

Maritime · Spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

The Malt is an older designation Tobermory previously used for parts of its range, before the distillery adopted its current, more streamlined presentation.

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On the banks of the river Tay, where salmon fishers stand in the water from first light, sits an old country house hotel with its own whisky on the shelf behind the bar. Ballathie House Hotel is not a distillery. It is a place that had a bottling made for itself, and that sort of bottle tends to be forgotten by everyone except the people who have been there.

The expert's description

Ballathie House Hotel 8 years is a Single Speyside Highland Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

The bottling was made by Inverarity, a Scottish whisky house that has been behind a number of hotel and house bottlings over the years. Ballathie House Hotel sits in Perthshire on the Tay, known for its salmon fishing, and the bottle was made as the house own, not as a commercial release for the wider market.

It belongs to that category of Scotch whisky which exists in limited quantity and rarely resurfaces once it is gone. Eight years in cask gives a young, clean malt profile where the character of the spirit itself still reads clearly through the oak.

Tasting notes

Nose

Young and clean. Barley, pale bread and peeled pear, with a single note of vanilla from the cask.

Palate

Light and malty with honey and a hint of lemon peel. The oak stays discreet and lets the barley do the talking the whole way.

Finish

Short and dry with a last malty warmth.

Specifications

Name: Ballathie House Hotel 8 år
Distillery: Ballathie
Bottler: Inverarity
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 years
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks

Flavour profile

Light · Malty · Fresh · Soft · Dry

Investment potential

Medium. Hotel bottlings like this one are made in small quantities for a single venue and are rarely repeated. That makes them hard to track down again, and they hold a solid position with collectors of Scottish house bottlings.

Did you know?

Ballathie House was built in the 1850s as a country mansion and has been a hotel since 1971. Salmon fishing on the Tay remains the main draw, and the hotel holds its own beat on the river.

See our full range of Ballathie Whisky

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

Expert description

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

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

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

Tasting notes

Nose

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

Palate

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

Finish

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

Specifications

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

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Soft · Maritime · Honeyed

Investment potential

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

Did you know?

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

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The green capsule and the name Glen Guin give away that this bottle has a few years behind it. It is a discontinued version of the ten year old Glengoyne from when the label looked different.

The expert's description

Glengoyne 10 Year Green Cap is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 40%.

The whisky is the distillery classic ten year old in older packaging. Glengoyne uses no peat, and the malt is dried with warm air alone, so there is no smoke in the glass — only malt, sherry and fruit.

Bottles like this one are no longer in production. The packaging has changed several times over the years, and it is the ones with the green capsule and the old name that collectors look for.

Tasting notes

Nose

Green apples, nuts and caramel with a light malty note.

Palate

Soft and mild at 40%. Apple, liquorice and nuts with a dry malted middle and a touch of oak.

Finish

Medium length and dry with nuts, malt and fresh-cut grass.

Specifications

Name: Glengoyne 10 Year Green Cap Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 40%
Distillery: Glengoyne
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
Other: Older release with green capsule, The Old Glen Guin
EAN no.: 5010493002806

Flavour profile

Unpeated · Apple · Nutty · Malty · Mild

Investment potential

Medium. Discontinued packaging from well-known distilleries is steadily picked up by collectors, and this one carries both an old name and a capsule colour no longer in use. The outturn is unknown, but the bottles will not be made again.

Did you know?

Lang Brothers meant to call the distillery Glengoyne, but a clerk wrote Glen Guin in the paperwork, and that name stood in the books for decades. Only later was it corrected to the name we know.

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A litre rather than the usual 70 centilitres. That format was sold in airports, and this bottle has been standing since June 1990.

Please note: Part of the tax strip is missing, and the bottle has a small scratch or knock mark in the glass. The bottle came from Copenhagen Airport, June 1990.

The expert's description

Glenkinchie 10 Year Old Version is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 43% in a one litre bottle of 100 CL.

The ten year old was the distillery standard expression until it was replaced by the twelve year old. The change came because the two extra years in oak gave more vanilla, and the twelve has been the one on the shelves ever since.

Litre bottles like this were made for duty-free sales. Label, capsule and format all belong to that period, which makes the bottle as much a piece of airport history as a whisky.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bright and floral with lemon, grass and a note of honey.

Palate

Soft and light at 43% with citrus, malt and a mild spiced sweetness. The Lowland style is clear: clean and without weight.

Finish

Short to medium, dry and lightly grassy.

Specifications

Name: Glenkinchie 10 Year Old Version Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 100 cl 43%
Distillery: Glenkinchie
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 100 CL
Other: Older bottling, duty-free, Copenhagen Airport June 1990

Flavour profile

Light · Floral · Citrus · Malty · Dry

Investment potential

Medium. The litre format was phased out along with duty-free sales within the EU, and the ten year old no longer exists. Bottles with documented origin and date are easier to place with collectors than those without.

Did you know?

Glenkinchie stopped malting its own grain in 1969, and the malting floors were turned into a whisky museum. The museum has been open to visitors ever since and is one of the oldest attractions of its kind in Scotch whisky.

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