Sometimes you just want to try before you commit to a full bottle – this miniature solves exactly that problem.

Expert's Description

Bunnahabhain Miniature 12 Years Old is a Single Islay Malt Whisky in 5cl, bottled at 46.3%.

The contents are identical to the distillery's well-known 12 Years Old core bottle, just in pocket size. That makes the miniature ideal as an introduction to Bunnahabhain's light, unpeated style, or as a small addition to a tasting alongside several Islay whiskies.

Tasting Notes

Nose

A remarkably fresh, aromatic hit of sea air with a faint hint of smoke.

Palate

Light and clean with fruit, olives and nuts, moving into heavier, malty-sweet tones.

Finish

Strikingly malty, fresh and a touch dry.

Specifications

Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Region/Country: Scotland (Islay)
Type: Single Islay Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 5 CL
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation Method: Double Distilled
Edition: Miniature

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Maritime · Fruity · Soft

Did You Know?

Miniatures like this one come from the same cask stock as the full 70cl bottles, just poured into a smaller measure – the taste is identical, only the quantity differs.

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Some bottles are built to impress. This one is built to be there. Finest is the workhorse of the Ballantine stable, the blend standing at the back of every bar from Glasgow to Barcelona, and it has never tried to be anything other than exactly what it is.

The expert's description

Ballantine's Finest is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

Finest is the house bestseller and has been for generations. The blend draws on more than 40 different single malts, with Miltonduff and Glenburgie as the load-bearing Speyside voices, and the grain whisky ties it together into something light, floral and very approachable. The Master Blender role has been handed down since 1827, and the recipe has stayed remarkably steady.

This is not a whisky that demands concentration. It is built to be drunk over ice, in a highball or in a simple cocktail, and it takes that treatment without falling apart. If you are teaching someone to drink Scotch, this is a sensible place to start.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale and light. Apple blossom, vanilla and a dry cereal note, with a hint of hay and pale oak behind it.

Palate

Light in the good sense, with honey, green apple and a little vanilla sweetness. The malt is there but it does not push forward.

Finish

Short, clean and slightly dry. No bitterness, no edges.

Specifications

Name: Ballantine's Finest
Distillery: Ballantine's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5010106113127

Flavour profile

Light · Floral · Honeyed · Soft · Fresh

Did you know?

Ballantine's once kept its own guards at the Dumbarton warehouses. Two Scottish eagles, Glen and Nevis, were used for years to keep gulls and pigeons off the buildings, and they appeared on the company's own letterhead.

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Ichiro Akuto once saved 400 casks from his family's closed distillery by selling them individually as playing cards - today those same cards have become one of Japan's most sought-after whisky universes.

Expert Description

Ichiro's Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky Limited Edition 2018 is a World Blended Whisky from Chichibu Distillery, bottled at 48%.

Behind the bottle is Ichiro Akuto, who founded Chichibu Distillery in 2004 after saving the last casks from his family's former Hanyu Distillery. The Malt & Grain series combines Japanese malt and grain whisky with selected whiskies from several countries, and each vintage is a unique, non-repeatable composition.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey and tropical fruit meet a light smoky core and a touch of spiced oak.

Palate

Full-bodied and complex with caramel, ripe apples and a fine, tangy edge.

Finish

Long and warm, with a last note of dried fruit and smoke.

Specifications

Name: Ichiro's Malt & Grain World Blended Whisky Limited Edition 2018
Distillery: Chichibu
Region/Country: Saitama, Japan
Type: World Blended Whisky
Edition: Limited Edition 2018
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Complex · Full-bodied · Smoky · Sweet

Investment Potential

Medium. Each vintage of Malt & Grain is a one-off composition never repeated, making earlier releases like this one increasingly hard to find.

Did You Know?

When Ichiro Akuto's family distillery Hanyu closed in 2000, he saved the last 400 casks and released them as a series of whiskies named after the 54 cards of a playing deck - a move now regarded as one of modern whisky history's most iconic rescue stories.

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The lighthouse on the label is Japan's oldest of its kind - a symbol of safety and guidance that Hatozaki has borrowed for its own name.

Expert Description

Hatozaki The Kaikyo Distillery is a Japanese Blended Whisky, bottled at 40%.

The whisky comes from Kaikyo Distillery in the town of Akashi, run by Akashi Sake Brewery, which has made spirits since 1856 and whisky since 2017. Hatozaki is named after Japan's oldest stone lighthouse, located near the distillery, honouring the Yonezawa family's long craft tradition.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Apple and pear with a light, floral aroma and a touch of honey.

Palate

Soft and round with caramel and a mild spice.

Finish

Short to medium, clean and gently sweet.

Specifications

Name: Hatozaki The Kaikyo Distillery
Distillery: Kaikyo
Region/Country: Akashi, Japan
Type: Japanese Blended Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4970860800002

Flavour Profile

Soft · Round · Sweet · Light

Did You Know?

Hatozaki is named after Japan's oldest stone lighthouse, a protected historic structure near Akashi Sake Brewery, which has made spirits since 1856.

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Old Reserve is the Finlaggan you reach for without making an occasion of it. Peated enough to be Islay, mild enough to drink on an ordinary Wednesday.

The expert description

Finlaggan Old Reserve is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon casks and bottled at 40%.

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company buys the casks from an Islay distillery that does not want its name on the label and bottles them under the Finlaggan name. Old Reserve is the slightly more mature of the two entry releases, and the bourbon wood is chosen because it lays vanilla and pale sweetness beneath the smoke rather than fighting it.

At 40% this is the softest end of the range. That makes it a sensible way to meet Islay for the first time, and a bottle you can keep on the shelf without having to be in the mood for it.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft peat smoke and vanilla, with a lightly salted edge and a note of dried citrus peel behind.

Palate

Round and malty with the smoke as a frame. Caramel and pale fruit in the middle, and a light ashy dryness that keeps the sweetness in check.

Finish

Medium and clean with smoke, malt and a final touch of pepper.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Old Reserve
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask
Edition: Old Reserve
EAN no.: 5024720900001

Flavour profile

Smoky · Malty · Soft · Vanilla · Maritime

Did you know?

On the smallest of the islands in Loch Finlaggan, Eilean na Comhairle, stood the Council Isle. The fourteen councillors who governed the Lordship of the Isles met here, and decisions taken on that small islet applied from the Hebrides to Ulster.

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Sherry and peat smoke are the oldest pairing in Scotch whisky. The dark fruit settles like a blanket over the ash, and the result has been a favourite since somebody first happened to do it.

The expert description

Finlaggan Sherry Finish is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in sherry casks, bottled at 46%.

The base whisky is the same peated Islay malt from an undisclosed distillery that the rest of the range is built on. The Vintage Malt Whisky Company has given it a closing spell in sherry wood, and that pulls it in a darker and fuller direction than either Original or the other finishes.

Sherry casks are the most used partner for smoke for a reason: raisin, fig and dark chocolate carry enough weight to meet the peat without either side disappearing. The whisky is bottled at 46% without chill filtration and without colouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Peat smoke and dark dried fruit, with raisin, a touch of fig and a light nutty note from the wood.

Palate

Full and sweet with raisin and dark chocolate in front, while the smoke works its way up from below and lays salt and ash beneath the sweetness.

Finish

Long and warm with dried fruit, dry smoke and a final touch of spice.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Sherry Finish
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask finished in sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Sherry Finish
EAN no.: 5024720315003

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sherry matured · Sweet · Maritime · Spiced

Did you know?

Very few sherry casks in Scotch whisky have ever held sherry meant for drinking. They are sherry seasoned: new oak casks are sent to Spain, filled with sherry for a couple of years purely to give the wood character, and then shipped north. Genuine old bodega casks have become a rarity.

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Port and peat smoke ought not to work together. One is sweet and grapey, the other ashy and salty. The combination has nonetheless become one of the most used in modern Islay whisky, and here is why.

The expert description

Finlaggan Port Finish is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in port casks, bottled at 46%.

The malt comes from an undisclosed Islay distillery, and The Vintage Malt Whisky Company has given it a spell in port wood after the main maturation. The port leaves red berries and a grapey sweetness that settle on top of the smoke rather than mixing into it, and that layering is the entire point of a finish.

At 46% the whisky has enough body to carry both, and it is neither chill filtered nor coloured. The reddish tone in the glass comes from the wood alone.

Tasting notes

Nose

Smoky and medicinal peat first, with a clear touch of red berries and grapes behind.

Palate

Plenty of port sweetness with the smoke lying underneath. Raisin, pepper, leather and red berries unfold as it goes.

Finish

Long with grape skin, dry smoke and a warm spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Port Finish
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask finished in port casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Port Finish
EAN no.: 5024720313009

Flavour profile

Smoky · Fruity · Sweet · Spiced · Berry

Did you know?

A port cask, a pipe, holds around 550 to 650 litres, making it far larger than the bourbon casks the whisky sat in first. That means a port finish works more slowly than you might think, taking months where a small cask would have done the job in weeks.

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Eilean Mòr means the big island in Gaelic, and it is precisely that islet in Loch Finlaggan where the Lords of the Isles had their seat. The whisky is the more considered of the Finlaggan bottles, still peated but with the reins on.

The expert description

Finlaggan Eilean Mor is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 46% in small batch.

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company of Glasgow stands behind the whole Finlaggan range, and the malt comes from an Islay distillery that is not named. Eilean Mor sits a level above the basic releases: the strength is raised to 46% and bottling happens in smaller runs rather than continuously.

Those extra points do more than the number suggests. The smoke gains carrying power, the texture turns fuller, and the light oiliness that marks Islay malt comes through more clearly than in the standard releases at 40%. The whisky is bottled without chill filtration and without colouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet peat smoke with medicinal notes and a touch of sea salt.

Palate

Full bodied with spicy peat smoke, tar and iodine, a light oiliness and a sweet malt sitting underneath it all.

Finish

The smoke falls back to embers. Long and slightly drying.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Eilean Mor
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Eilean Mor Small Batch
EAN no.: 5024720311005

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peaty · Maritime · Sweet · Medicinal

Did you know?

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company owns several brands that all stand for unnamed distilleries, Finlaggan from Islay among them and Tantallan from the Highlands alongside it. The model gives them access to casks they could never otherwise buy, in exchange for keeping quiet about where they came from.

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1,873 bottles. No filtration. No dilution. Stauning Rye Cask Strength is the Rye series' most raw and concentrated expression.

Expert description

Stauning Rye Cask Strength February 2019 is a Danish Rye Whisky bottled at 58.7% cask strength and distilled in 2015 and 2016. Released February 2019. Only 1,873 bottles. Non-chill filtered, undiluted – exactly as it came from the cask. Made from 100% Danish rye malt, floor-malted in-house at Stauning.

The cask strength edition is the ultimate expression of Stauning's rye whisky. Nothing has been removed or diluted – all complexity, all spice and all concentration is intact. A few drops of water open the aromas, but try it neat first.

Tasting notes

Nose

Intense and complex. Rye bread, dark sugar, dried cherries and pepper. A little oak and vanilla in the background.

Palate

Powerful and spiced rye core. Dark fruits, pepper, ginger and chocolate. Enormous concentration and good balance for 58.7%.

Finish

Long and warm with dark fruit, oak tannins and spices that continue for ages.

Specifications

Name: Stauning Rye Cask Strength February 2019
Distillery: Stauning Whisky
Region/Country: Jutland, Denmark
Type: Danish Rye Whisky
ABV: 58.7%
Size: 50 CL
Cask strength: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2015-2016
Bottled: February 2019
Number of bottles: 1,873

Flavour profile

Cask strength · Intense · Rye · Dark fruit · Rare

Investment potential

Medium. Only 1,873 bottles and not re-released. Cask strength editions of Stauning Rye are rare and sought after by collectors focused on Danish whisky.

Did you know?

With 1,873 bottles Rye Cask Strength February 2019 is one of the most limited releases in all of Stauning's production – on a par with some of the rarest single cask bottlings.

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Somewhere between the wash still and the warehouse, Inchgower built a reputation few casual drinkers ever hear about. This particular release from Speyside shows a side of the distillery worth slowing down for.

Expert's description

Inchgower 21 Year Valinch & Mallet Single Speyside Malt Whisky 52,8% is a Speyside Single Malt Whisky matured on bourbon Hogshead nr. 18-2102 and bottled at 52,8%.

This bottling comes from Valinch & Mallet, released as part of the Hidden Casks Collection range.

The whisky was distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2018.

Only 143 bottles were produced from this cask, making it a limited release for collectors.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Custard, malt and a hint of citrus zest.

Palate

Creamy vanilla, oak spice and ripe orchard fruit.

Finish

Warm and rounded with a final vanilla note.

Specifications

Name: Inchgower 21 Year Valinch & Mallet Single Speyside Malt Whisky 52,8%
Distillery: Inchgower
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Speyside
Type: Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Age: 21 years
ABV: 52,8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon Hogshead nr. 18-2102
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2018
Number of bottles: 143
Edition: Hidden Casks Collection

Flavour Profile

Smooth · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium. 21 years of maturation is unusual for Inchgower, and the small run of 143 bottles from a single bourbon cask makes this edition difficult to find again once sold out.

Did you know?

Most of Inchgower's output still goes into blends such as Bell's, which makes any single cask bottling like this one a rare chance to meet the spirit on its own.

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One week a year Balvenie changes track. The peat comes in, the malting floors smell like nothing else all season, and the distillery makes a whisky it otherwise does not make. The rest of the year it waits in cask.

The expert's description

Balvenie 14 The Week of Peat is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in American oak casks and bottled at 48.3 %.

Each year the distillery sets aside roughly a week to run peated malt through production. The smoke comes from Scottish peat, and the malt sits at around 30 ppm phenols, which is striking for Speyside but mild next to the heaviest Islay bottlings. The whisky from that week is matured separately and released on its own.

Fourteen years in American oak lets the smoke settle down. It turns softer, more integrated, and lies as a layer beneath the familiar Balvenie honey sweetness rather than sitting on top of it. The release belongs to The Balvenie Stories series.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft peat smoke, flower honey and vanilla. Behind it sits buttery cake and a hint of sweet malt.

Palate

Round and balanced with light smoke, citrus, spice and sweet malt. The smoke lies underneath rather than leading the way.

Finish

Long and warm with a spiced close and a last, dry note of smoke.

Specifications

Name: Balvenie 14 år The Week of Peat
Distillery: Balvenie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 14 years
ABV: 48,3 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak casks
Edition: The Balvenie Stories
EAN no.: 5010327525198

Flavour profile

Smoky · Honeyed · Spiced · Soft · Malty

Did you know?

Balvenie sourced the peat for the first Week of Peat batches from St Fergus in Aberdeenshire. That is the same area supplying several Speyside distilleries, and it gives a drier, earthier smoke than the maritime peat on Islay.

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The cooper toasts the cask over an open fire and the wood turns from pale to honey gold. That smell is what this bottle is built around: warm timber, burnt sugar and a little smoke off the coals, long before anyone pours whisky in.

The expert's description

Balvenie 12 The Sweet Toast of American Oak is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky matured in American oak, finished in new toasted oak casks and bottled at 43 %.

The bottle belongs to The Balvenie Stories, a series where every release is tied to a specific story from the distillery. Here the story is the cooperage. The whisky takes its first maturation in traditional American casks and then moves into new, heavily toasted oak where the sugars in the wood have been caramelised by the heat.

The second cask type is what matters. New oak gives quickly and generously, and the toasting turns the natural sugars in the timber into vanilla and caramel notes. Bottling at 43 % keeps the texture in place without letting the wood take over the whole glass.

Tasting notes

Nose

Warm vanilla, burnt sugar and pale caramel. Underneath sits a hint of coconut and freshly planed timber.

Palate

Sweet and wood driven with toffee, vanilla and a light peppery edge. The malt holds back the sweetness and gives it a little resistance.

Finish

Medium with toasted oak, caramel and a dry, warm close.

Specifications

Name: Balvenie 12 år The Sweet Toast of American Oak
Distillery: Balvenie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 43 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak, finished in new toasted oak casks
Edition: The Balvenie Stories

Flavour profile

Vanilla · Caramel · Oak driven · Soft · Lightly spiced

Did you know?

Balvenie is one of the last distilleries with full-time coopers on its own site. They repair and rebuild casks there, and it is exactly that kind of cask this release is built around.

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Friends of Stauning are not just anyone. They commissioned this cask in 2015 – three years later, a peated single malt at cask strength 58.1% emerged from it.

Expert description

Stauning Private Cask Friends of Stauning 2015/2018 is a Danish Peated Single Malt Whisky bottled at cask strength 58.1%. Friends of Stauning is a group closely connected to the distillery who acquired this Private Cask. The whisky was distilled in 2015 and bottled three years later in 2018 – a relatively young age, but Stauning's intensive production method and small pot stills build character and complexity quickly. The peated style draws on West Jutland peat and is bottled undiluted at 58.1%, preserving every nuance from the cask.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh smoke with a herbal edge. Light sweetness of vanilla and green fruit beneath the smoke. Lively and inviting.

Palate

Smoke and spices dominate. Behind them, gentle sweetness, a hint of citrus and a touch of black pepper. Intense and direct.

Finish

Medium length with sustained smoke and dry spices. A warm, lightly peppery close.

Specifications

Name: Stauning Private Cask Friends of Stauning 2015/2018
Distillery: Stauning
Region/Country: Jutland, Denmark
Type: Danish Peated Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 58.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask strength: Yes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2015
Bottled: 2018
Edition: Friends of Stauning Private Cask

Flavour profile

Peated · Spicy · Fresh · Intense · Cask strength

Investment potential

Medium. A Single Cask owned by a group closely connected to Stauning – never re-released and existing only in one cask's worth of bottles.

Did you know?

Stauning opened their modern distillery in 2018 – the same year this Private Cask was bottled. It marked a transformation from a small craft setup to a fully professional distillery.

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Ten years after Chichibu Distillery opened its doors, Ichiro Akuto marked the anniversary with a peated expression, revealing a different side of the small, hands-on distillery.

Expert Description

Chichibu The Peated 10th Anniversary 2018 is a Single Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 55.5%.

Chichibu Distillery was founded by Ichiro Akuto in 2008 in Saitama prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, as one of Japan's smallest and most hands-on distilleries. This 10th Anniversary release is peated, a rare style for Chichibu, marking an anniversary year with limited availability.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Peated smoke, citrus and a light honey sweetness.

Palate

Intense with smoke, pepper and ripe apples.

Finish

Long, peaty and spicy.

Specifications

Name: Chichibu The Peated 10th Anniversary 2018
Distillery: Chichibu
Region/Country: Saitama, Japan
Type: Single Malt Japanese Whisky
ABV: 55.5%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3700597306918

Flavour Profile

Intense · Smoky · Spicy · Citrus

Investment Potential

Investment perspective

Bottles from Ichiro Akuto's Chichibu Distillery are among the most sought-after in the Japanese whisky market, and limited anniversary releases like this one typically rise quickly in value after release.

Did You Know?

Chichibu Distillery's casks are so sought-after that the distillery itself releases only a fraction of its production each year - the rest remains in storage for future releases.

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Nikka Days is made for the days when whisky should be light, fresh and ready to drink - no ceremony, just good flavour.

Expert Description

Nikka Days is a Blended Japanese Whisky bottled at 40%.

The blend combines malt and grain whisky from Nikka's Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries with imported Scotch malt whisky, and is specifically built to be light and refreshing - perfect for a highball or a summer day. The light blue label signals exactly that relaxed, everyday style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh citrus and pear with a light, floral sweetness.

Palate

Light and creamy with honey, white fruit and a touch of vanilla.

Finish

Short and refreshing, with a last note of citrus.

Specifications

Name: Nikka Days
Distillery: Nikka
Region/Country: Japan
Type: Blended Japanese Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 4904230054160

Flavour Profile

Light · Fresh · Fruity · Smooth

Did You Know?

Nikka Days launched in 2019 as a deliberate counterpart to the heavier, smokier whiskies in the range - built as a whisky you can drink every day, hence the name.

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Tweeddale takes its name from a valley in the Scottish Borders and lives on as a brand built on old blending traditions. The Evolution brings together whiskies where even the youngest is 28 years old.

The expert's description

Tweeddale The Evolution 28 år Limited Edition Blended Scotch Whisky 52% is a Blended Scotch Whisky and bottled at 52%.

Tweeddale 28 Year Old The Evolution is blended from the finest Speyside and Lowlands whiskies, where even the youngest component is 28 years old. Only 600 bottles were released worldwide, unchill-filtered and with natural colour from the casks.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Honey, ripe fruit and a hint of oak.

Palate

Soft and full-bodied with caramel and spiced malt.

Finish

Long and elegant with lingering wood and fruit notes.

Specifications

Name: Tweeddale The Evolution 28 år Limited Edition Blended Scotch Whisky 52%
Distillery: Tweeddale
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 28 years
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: 600
Edition: Limited Edition

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Elegant · Fruity

Investment Potential

Medium. With only 600 bottles released worldwide and an age statement of 28 years for even the youngest component, this is a whisky that has historically grown in reputation as the outturn dwindles.

Did you know?

The Tweeddale name comes from a historic Scottish blending family and was revived in 2010 to celebrate the classic style of Scotch blends as they looked before single malts took over the spotlight.

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Gordon & MacPhail created the Discovery Range as a gateway to three styles: Sherry, Bourbon and Smoky. Caol Ila is – as one would expect – the Smoky expression. Thirteen years and 43% mean the smoke is accessible and rounded rather than edgy.

Expert's description

Caol Ila 13 Years Gordon & MacPhail The Discovery Range is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 43% – the third line in the Discovery Range series under the Smoky theme.

Gordon & MacPhail from Elgin is one of the world's oldest and most respected independent bottlers, founded in 1895. The Discovery Range is the company's most approachable series – created to give new and existing whisky drinkers access to classic regional characters without compromise.

Thirteen years in oak casks have given this Caol Ila a rounded, accessible smoke profile. It retains the distillery's maritime signature, but the lower strength of 43% makes it easy to enjoy without adding water.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh maritime notes lead – sea salt and seaweed. Then light peat smoke with citrus and a hint of vanilla.

Palate

Round and accessible. Smoke and freshness dominate with a light fruit sweetness and good balance. Lightly spiced with pepper in the tail.

Finish

Moderate and clean. The smoke recedes gently with a maritime trace and a lightness that invites another sip.

Specifications

Name: Caol Ila 13 Years Gordon & MacPhail The Discovery Range
Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Series: The Discovery Range – Smoky
EAN no.: 5020613067660

Flavour profile

Peated · Maritime · Fresh · Approachable · Lightly Spiced

Did you know?

Since 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has stored casks from distilleries that have long since closed. The company holds some of the world's oldest active whisky stocks and has bottled whiskies over 80 years old.

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Gordon & MacPhail have bottled Scotch whisky since 1895. Their take on Tomatin shows a different, more straightforward side of the distillery.

Expert's description

Tomatin 2007 Gordon MacPhail The Discovery Range Highland Malt Whisky 43% is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon cask and bottled at 43%.

This bourbon-cask release from The Discovery Range was distilled in 2007 and shows Tomatin's pure malt character without sherry's influence.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh malt, pear and light vanilla.

Palate

Soft malt with honey and a light citrus tone.

Finish

Short and clean.

Specifications

Name: Tomatin 2007 Gordon MacPhail The Discovery Range Highland Malt Whisky 43%
Distillery: Tomatin
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Region/Country: Highland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: bourbon cask
Non-chill filtered: No
Natural colour: No
Distilled: 2007
Bottled: 2018
Edition: The Discovery Range
EAN no.: 5020613067462

Flavour Profile

Round · Spiced · Fresh

Did you know?

The Discovery Range from Gordon & MacPhail consists of three parallel releases from the same distillery – a sherry, a bourbon and a peated expression – letting you taste the cask difference directly.

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The first. That's what counts when Mosgaard calls it Edition No 1. An organic Danish single malt on Pedro Ximenez sherry casks – and a bottling that sets the standard for the series.

Expert description

Mosgaard Edition No 1 Pedro Ximenez is an organic Danish Single Malt Whisky bottled at 46.3% from Mosgaard Distillery in Odense. The whisky is the first release in Mosgaard's Edition series – a series dedicated to special bottlings with emphasis on exclusive casks and limited numbers of bottles. Pedro Ximenez is the sweetest sherry cask type and gives an enormously rich, raisiny and dark fruity character. Edition No 1 represents Mosgaard's ambition to create special, memorable whisky experiences beyond the regular range. Bottled in 50 cl format.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dense PX sherry with dried raisins, dark chocolate and coffee. A nose that fills the room – rich and meditative at 46.3%.

Palate

Full-bodied PX sweetness with figs, dark plums and a warm spiciness from the organic distillate. The lower alcohol makes it more approachable than a cask strength version.

Finish

Long and persistent with dried fruits and a dark, chocolatey close.

Specifications

Name: Mosgaard Edition No 1 Pedro Ximenez
Distillery: Mosgaard Distillery
Region/Country: Odense, Denmark
Type: Organic Danish Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Pedro Ximenez sherry cask
Edition: Edition No 1

Flavour profile

Sweet · Raisin · Dark chocolate · Exclusive

Investment potential

High. Edition No 1 is the first release in a series – and first editions of exclusive distillery series have a documented tendency to increase in value as the series gains recognition. Limited numbers, exclusive cask type and first-edition status make this bottle interesting for collectors.

Did you know?

Edition No 1 is Mosgaard's answer to what collectors and enthusiasts otherwise travel to Scotland, Ireland or Japan for: an exclusive, limited bottling from a distillery that knows what it's doing. Mosgaard won Distillery of the Year 2025 – and the Edition series is one of the reasons why.

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Cask strength from Montana's only distillery, unfiltered and undiluted.

Expert description

Roughstock Montana Black Label Whiskey USA is a more powerful, unfiltered version of the distillery's barley-based single malt whiskey, bottled at 61.5%. RoughStock Distillery opened in Bozeman, Montana, in 2009 and was both the first legal distillery in the state since Prohibition and the first to open in Montana in over 100 years, made possible by a 2005 change in state law. The distillery was founded by fourth-generation Montanans Bryan and Kari Schultz, who mortgaged everything they owned to realise the idea that 'Montana' and 'whiskey' belonged together. Unlike most American whiskeys, RoughStock uses local Montana barley instead of corn and rye.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is intense with grain, caramel and spiced oak.

Palate

The palate is powerful and concentrated with caramel, honey and pronounced oak spice.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and spicy.

Specifications

Name: Roughstock Montana Black Label Whiskey USA
Distillery: RoughStock Distillery
Region/Country: Bozeman, Montana, USA
Type: American Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 61.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Strength, unfiltered

Flavour profile

Powerful · Spiced · Concentrated · Oak

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Out on the wheat flats of southern Montana, with the Bridger Mountains standing guard behind the fields, grows a grain few distillers would think to reach for. Roughstock turned it into whiskey anyway – and the result is as unpretentious as the prairie it comes from.

The Expert's Description

Roughstock Montana Spring Wheat Whiskey is an American Wheat Whiskey made from 100% wheat, finished in heavily toasted French oak casks and bottled at 45%.

Roughstock was Montana's first legal distillery in over a hundred years, opening after the state overhauled its old Prohibition-era liquor laws in 2005 to allow small craft distilleries. For this whiskey they use hard white spring wheat from Wheat Montana Farms, a variety known as "Prairie Gold" that's normally grown for bread rather than distilling – it carries a higher protein content than the wheat varieties distilleries usually choose. The mash ferments in open-top vats made of old-growth Oregon fir, then goes through double distillation in traditional copper pot stills.

Only the clean heart of the distillate makes it into used Pure Malt casks for maturation, letting the wheat's character come through without being buried in oak. The whiskey then spends a few months finishing in heavily toasted French oak, which layers in extra body and spice on top of the wheat's gentle sweetness.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft vanilla, honeycomb and a touch of butter, with fresh grain notes reminiscent of warm bread.

Palate

A light wheat sweetness meets butterscotch and honey, while the toasted French oak brings a spiced undercurrent.

Finish

Medium in length and soft, closing on a last hint of sweet spice from the oak.

Specifications

Name: Roughstock Montana Spring Wheat Whiskey
Distillery: Roughstock Distillery
Region/Country: Montana, USA
Type: American Wheat Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Used Pure Malt casks, finished in heavily toasted French oak
Distillation method: Double distilled in traditional copper pot stills
EAN no.: 609728201432

Flavour Profile

Wheat-sweet · Vanilla-forward · Soft · Grainy

Did You Know?

The wheat behind this whiskey, "Prairie Gold", is actually a bread wheat with a high protein content – not the type of grain distilleries usually go for, but at Roughstock it's become the bottle's whole calling card.

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Mountain air and local barley transformed into rye whiskey under Big Sky Country.

Expert description

Roughstock Montana Straight Rye Whiskey is the distillery's rye-based expression, bottled at 45%. RoughStock Distillery opened in Bozeman, Montana, in 2009 and was both the first legal distillery in the state since Prohibition and the first to open in Montana in over 100 years, made possible by a 2005 change in state law. The distillery was founded by fourth-generation Montanans Bryan and Kari Schultz, who mortgaged everything they owned to realise the idea that 'Montana' and 'whiskey' belonged together. Unlike most American whiskeys, RoughStock uses local Montana barley instead of corn and rye.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose offers spiced rye, grain and a hint of fresh fruit.

Palate

The palate is spicy with rye, caramel and a hint of citrus.

Finish

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

Specifications

Name: Roughstock Montana Straight Rye Whiskey
Distillery: RoughStock Distillery
Region/Country: Bozeman, Montana, USA
Type: Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Spicy · Rye · Fresh · Pepper

See our full range of RoughStock

At the foot of the Bridger Mountains in southwestern Montana, there used to be a distillery that insisted on doing things the hard way – no sourced spirit, no shortcuts, just local grain and cold mountain water. The place is gone now, but the bottles remain.

The Expert's Description

RoughStock Montana Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an American Straight Bourbon Whiskey blended from four different bourbon recipes and bottled at 45%.

RoughStock Distillery opened in 2008 in Bozeman as Montana's first legal distillery since the end of Prohibition – and the first ever to make Straight Bourbon Whiskey in the state. Behind it stood husband-and-wife team Bryan and Kari Schultz, who built their bourbon from four separate recipes with varying amounts of corn, wheat, rye and malted barley. Each recipe is distilled twice in copper pot stills and matured for at least two years in heavily charred virgin oak before distiller Bryan Schultz marries the four whiskeys into the final bourbon. The distillery closed in 2016, so every bottle still circulating today is a piece of finished Montana history.

The water comes from the many mountain streams formed as snow melts in the Bridger range, and that same raw, unpolished approach runs through the whole process – nothing bought in, everything mashed, distilled and matured on site.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Barley and dried hay meet toasted grain notes, vanilla and nuts, with a hint of orange peel and fresh bread in the background.

Palate

Tobacco and leather are balanced by dark chocolate, ripe plums and caramel, while a warm honeyed sweetness ties it together.

Finish

Long and warming, with ginger and clove that linger well after the last sip.

Specifications

Name: RoughStock Montana Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: RoughStock Distillery
Region/Country: Bozeman, Montana, USA
Type: American Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Virgin Oak, heavily charred
Distillation Method: Double distilled in copper pot stills
EAN no.: 850564005078

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Rich · Caramel · Fruity · Nutty

Did You Know?

The name RoughStock comes from the world of rodeo, where it describes disciplines like bareback and bull riding – no saddle, just legs and nerve. That's also why the distillery's unofficial mascot has always been a cowboy.

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The opening chapter in a series that honours figures who left their mark. Grundtvig is number one in a Founders Series of Highland Park single casks, named after one of Denmark's most influential figures — a priest, hymn writer and educator.

Expert Description

Highland Park Single Cask Grundtvig is a Single Orkney Malt Whisky, 13 years old, from a single cask and bottled at cask strength 61.3%.

The whisky is the first in a Founders Series of single cask bottlings, named after N.F.S. Grundtvig — priest, poet and one of the most influential figures in Danish cultural history. As a single cask release, the entire batch comes from one and the same cask, giving a concentrated and unaltered version of Highland Park's style.

The high cask strength means the whisky benefits from a little water, which opens up the layers of spice and fruit.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted malt and caramel, with a warm spice trail and a hint of dried fruit.

Palate

Intense and full-bodied, with honey, ginger and a distinct, warming peat.

Finish

Long and powerful, with lingering spice and a final smoky note.

Specifications

Name: Highland Park Single Cask Grundtvig
Distillery: Highland Park
Region/Country: Orkney Islands, Scotland
Type: Single Orkney Malt Whisky
Age: 13 Years
ABV: 61.3%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Founders Series No. 1, Grundtvig
EAN: 5010314305321

Flavour Profile

Peated · Spicy · Full-bodied · Intense

Did You Know?

Grundtvig is number one in Highland Park's Founders Series, which honours influential figures through single cask bottlings.

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Peated Dutch single malt finished in Spanish sherry casks.

Expert description

Millstone 2013/2016 Peated PX Cask Zuidam Distillers Dutch Single Malt Whisky is distilled from peated malt and finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2016 after 3 years of maturation, bottled at 56.6%. Millstone is the Dutch whisky series from Zuidam Distillers, founded in 1975 by Fred van Zuidam in the border town of Baarle-Nassau. After decades producing genever and liqueurs, the distillery made its first experimental whisky barrels in 1996, and in 2007 Millstone launched as the Netherlands' first single malt whisky. The distillery follows a 'farm to glass' principle, growing most of its own grain, and the name Millstone honours the Dutch tradition of grinding grain in windmills.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is smoky with dried fruit, sherry and a hint of spice.

Palate

The palate offers smoke, raisin and a full sweetness.

Finish

The finish is long, smoky and fruit-driven.

Specifications

Name: Millstone 2013/2016 Peated PX Cask Zuidam Distillers Dutch Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Millstone (Zuidam)
Region/Country: Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands
Type: Dutch Single Malt Whisky
Cask type: Pedro Ximénez sherry cask
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2016
ABV: 56.6%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sherry-driven · Full-bodied · Fruit-driven

See our full range of Millstone (Zuidam)

Caledonian sat in the middle of Edinburgh and was in its day the largest grain distillery in Europe. Today there are flats on the site, and the only thing left stands in bottles.

Expert description

Caledonian 1987/2018 Signatory Vintage 31 Years is a Single Grain Scotch Whisky bottled at 50.2% without chill filtration and without added colour.

The whisky was distilled in 1987 and bottled in 2018 in a run of 249 bottles. Caledonian was founded in 1855 in Edinburgh's Dalry district and closed in 1988, which places this spirit among the final production years.

Grain whisky is rarely matured for three decades, because it is traditionally used young in blends. That is precisely why old grain bottlings have become a category of their own: the light, creamy character develops over time into vanilla, fudge and coconut with a velvet texture.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and cream caramel with coconut, ripe pear and a stroke of freshly cut oak.

Palate

Silky and creamy with toffee, honey and citrus oil. There is a fine grainy elegance that only long maturation delivers.

Finish

Long and warm with fudge, light spice and a pleasant dryness.

Specifications

Name: Caledonian 1987/2018 31 Years Signatory Vintage Single Grain Scotch Whisky 50.2%
Distillery: Caledonian
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Age: 31 years
ABV: 50,2%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1987
Bottled: 2018
Number of bottles: 249
EAN no.: 5021944097937

Flavour profile

Creamy · Vanilla · Sweet · Elegant · Mature

Investment potential

High. The distillery is closed and demolished, the vintage comes from its final operating years, and the run is 249 bottles. Whisky from closed grain distilleries is a steadily shrinking group.

Did you know?

Caledonian was known as the Caley by Edinburgh residents, and its old chimneys were a landmark in the west of the city for decades. Only a single distillery building remains standing today.

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See our full range of Signatory Vintage

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There is whisky you read about and whisky you drink. This belongs to the second kind. It has no ambition of ending up in a collection, and that is exactly why it has stayed on the shelf for close to two hundred years.

The expert's description

Bell's Original is a Blended Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 40 %.

The story starts in Perth in 1825, where Thomas Sandeman opened a spirits business. Arthur Bell joined in 1851 and made blending the heart of the trade, and his name is still on the bottle. Through the 1970s and 1980s Bell's was the best selling blend in Britain.

The backbone of the blend is Blair Athol in Pitlochry, which the house took over in 1933. Malt from a number of other distilleries joins it along with grain whisky, and the result is deliberately kept light and approachable rather than complex.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and light with green apple, cereal and a suggestion of vanilla. A dry malt note sits behind.

Palate

Mild and smooth with honey and pale cereal. The malt peeks through halfway without taking up room.

Finish

Short and clean with a last touch of malt.

Specifications

Name: Bell's Original
Distillery: Bell's
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5000387905474

Flavour profile

Light · Fresh · Soft · Malty · Cereal

Did you know?

Arthur Bell refused for years to put his own name on the bottles, believing the whisky should speak for itself. It was his sons who put the name on the label after his death in 1900.

See our full range of Bell's Whisky
See our full range of Blended Scotch Whisky

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From one of Ireland's newest and most beautiful distilleries comes this accessible release, where Oloroso sherry casks add a delicious sweetness to the base Irish whiskey style.

Expert Review

The Whistler Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish is an Irish Whiskey finished in Oloroso sherry casks, bottled at 43%.

The whiskey from Boann Distillery is finished in Oloroso sherry casks, giving it a fantastic, delicious sweetness with flavour notes of nuts, raisins and a touch of dryness. Boann Distillery is completely newly built and is considered among the most beautiful distilleries in all of Ireland, and this release is an accessible introduction to the brand's sherry-matured style.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sherry sweetness and raisins, with a touch of nut.

Palate

Round and lightly sweet, with a hint of dryness towards the end.

Finish

Medium, with lingering nutty tones.

Specifications

Name: The Whistler Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish
Distillery: The Whistler (Boann Distillery)
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oloroso Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5391528252121

Flavour Profile

Sherry-driven · Nutty · Sweet · Round · Lightly dry

Did You Know?

Boann Distillery is one of Ireland's completely new distilleries and is known for its modern architecture, considered among the finest in the country.

Tullamore Dew is the distillery's iconic original blend – an approachable, well-known Irish whiskey that is perfect for Irish Coffee or St. Patrick's Day.

Expert Review

Tullamore Dew Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey is an Irish Whiskey, bottled at 40%.

The whiskey is triple distilled and is the distillery's classic blend, composed of malt, pot still and grain whiskey. It is approachable and well-balanced, and one of Ireland's most famous whiskey brands. It is perfect enjoyed neat, on the rocks, in an Irish Coffee, or to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Lightly spiced with a hint of vanilla.

Palate

Soft and rounded.

Finish

Short and lightly sweet.

Specifications

Name: Tullamore Dew
Distillery: Tullamore Dew
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Other: Perfect for Irish Coffee or St. Patrick's Day
EAN no.: 5011026108033

Flavour Profile

Lightly spiced · Vanilla-forward · Soft · Rounded · Approachable

Did You Know?

Tullamore Dew is named after the town of Tullamore and the Tullamore Dew river in central Ireland.
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Under a railway arch in Bermondsey, rye whiskey was distilled in London for the first time in over a hundred years. LV-1767 is the result: a small, hand-counted run of bottles named after a distilling dream from 1767 that never quite happened - until now.

Expert's Description

The London Distillery English Rye Whiskey LV-1767 Edition is an English rye whiskey matured in English oak casks and bottled at 54.3% ABV.

The name LV-1767 refers to the Lea Valley Distillery, founded in 1767 and closed in 1903 - until then the last place in London where whisky was distilled. When The London Distillery Company bottled its first rye whiskey in 2018, it marked the first time in more than a hundred years that London could again claim a finished whiskey of its own. The rye was double distilled and filled into new English oak casks for four years, from 2014 to 2018.

Only 251 bottles of this first release exist, each one individually numbered. The distillery, based in a railway arch on Druid Street in Bermondsey, went into administration in 2020 but was revived under new ownership in 2025 - making early releases like this one a small, closed chapter in English whiskey history.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark chocolate and roasted coffee meet a spiced sweetness of cinnamon, stewed peaches and a touch of beeswax.

Palate

Full-bodied and spicy, with rye's characteristic peppery bite carried by the same cinnamon and stone-fruit sweetness found on the nose.

Finish

Long and dry, with white pepper, dark cherry and a late hint of macadamia nut.

Specifications

Name: The London Distillery English Rye Whiskey LV-1767 Edition
Distillery: The London Distillery
Region/Country: England
Type: English Rye Whiskey
Age: 4 years
ABV: 54.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New English oak casks
Non-chill filtered
Natural colour
Distilled: 2014
Bottled: 2018
Number of bottles: 251
Edition: LV-1767, The London Distillery Company's first release

Flavour Profile

Spicy · Roasted · Stone fruit · Peppery

Investment Potential

Medium. Only 251 numbered bottles from the distillery's very first release, and the distillery itself stood idle for years after going into administration before finding new owners. That combination of low bottle count and an interrupted production history makes this an interesting bottle for collectors of English whisky.

Did You Know?

The rye for LV-1767 was double distilled rather than single distilled, unlike most American rye whiskeys - a method borrowed from Scotch and Irish tradition that yields a cleaner, more fruit-driven spirit.

See our full range of The London Distillery