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

Expert's description

Jura 10 Year Single Island Malt Whisky 40% is a Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured on sherryfad and bottled at 40%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Stewed fruit, walnut and a gentle sherry spice.

Palate

Christmas cake, orange peel and a spiced oak backbone.

Finish

Dry and nutty with a final touch of pepper.

Specifications

Name: Jura 10 Year Single Island Malt Whisky 40%
Distillery: Jura
Region/Country: Island (Isle of Jura)
Type: Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherryfad
EAN no.: 5014366080946

Flavour Profile

Sherried · Spiced

Did you know?

Jura has only one route on and off the island, a small car ferry from Islay, which makes transporting both barley and whisky a logistical exercise unique among Scotland's distilleries.

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

Expert's description

Jura 18 Year Single Island Malt Whisky 44% is a Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured on finish in red wine casks and bottled at 44%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Blackcurrant, violet and a hint of oak spice.

Palate

Juicy dark fruit, chocolate and spiced oak.

Finish

Warm and fruity with a lingering oak spice.

Specifications

Name: Jura 18 Year Single Island Malt Whisky 44%
Distillery: Jura
Region/Country: Island (Isle of Jura)
Type: Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 44%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finish in red wine casks
EAN no.: 5013967012547

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

Jura 18 Year Old uses red wine casks in a way that is still relatively unusual among the island distilleries, giving the profile a more vinous character than most other Jura releases.

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133 ppm in a glass that's still only five years old. Octomore 9:3 is raw, young power, where the peat hasn't had time to hide anywhere.

Expert description

Octomore 9:3 is a super-peated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Bruichladdich, matured for 5 years and bottled at 62.9%.

This release is peated to 133 ppm and forms part of the ninth Octomore series, a limited release that builds on the house's philosophy of pushing how peated a single malt can become without losing its balance.

With just five years of maturation and a high natural cask strength, 9:3 comes across as raw and direct, a concentrated expression of Octomore's extreme style.

Tasting notes

Nose

Intense, earthy peat with a touch of citrus and a light honeyed sweetness beneath the smoke.

Palate

Powerful and direct with waves of peat, black pepper and a warm, alcohol-driven intensity.

Finish

Long, dry and smoky with a persistent ashy note.

Specifications

Name: Octomore 9:3 Dialogos
Distillery: Octomore (Bruichladdich)
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 62.9%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Double distilled
Edition: 9:3, Limited Edition

Flavour profile

Smoky · Spiced · Powerful · Maritime

Did you know?

Octomore's series are numbered by release year and order, so "9:3" means the third release in the ninth series, a way for the distillery to keep track of its many experiments.

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The Highland Park Appreciation Society is not a club you wander into by chance. Its members have followed the distillery for years, and in 2016 they were allowed to point at one single cask in the warehouses at Kirkwall. They chose a sherry butt filled in 2003. It gave 576 bottles, and then the cask was empty.

The expert's description

Highland Park HPAS 13 Year Old Single Orkney Malt Whisky 59.1% is a Single Orkney Malt Whisky drawn from one refill sherry butt, cask #2115, bottled undiluted at its cask strength of 59.1%.

HPAS stands for the Highland Park Appreciation Society, the society for the distillery's most committed followers. The bottling belongs to Highland Park's Single Cask Series, where one cask is emptied and sold as it stands, and this particular cask was picked for the society. The spirit went into wood in 2003 and into glass in 2016.

A butt is among the largest casks in Scottish maturation at around 500 litres, and a refill cask has held whisky before. It gives up colour and wood more slowly, so after thirteen years the distillery character still leads, with the dried fruit of sherry framing it rather than covering it. The cask yielded 576 bottles.

Cask strength makes this a dense dram. Everything the wood handed over sits in the glass without a drop of water, and the smoke from Highland Park's own peated malt has far more room than in the core range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Raisins, dark orange marmalade and toasted malt. Below sits a dry, sooty peat smoke and a note of leather. The alcohol prickles for the first few seconds and settles after a couple of minutes in the glass.

Palate

Thick and oily. Dates, dark chocolate and clove, then a clear edge of pepper and a smoke that tastes of hearth ash rather than tar.

Finish

Long and warm. The dried fruit of the sherry hangs on, the spice tightens, and a dry, salty note closes the whole thing.

Specifications

Name: Highland Park HPAS 13 Year Old Single Orkney Malt Whisky 59.1%
Distillery: Highland Park
Region/Country: Orkney, Scotland
Type: Single Orkney Malt Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 59.1%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Sherry Butt #2115
Distilled: 2003
Bottled: 2016
Number of bottles: 576
Edition: Highland Park Appreciation Society

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sherried · Spicy · Powerful

Investment potential

High. The whisky comes from one cask with an outturn of 576 bottles, it was bottled for a closed circle in 2016 and never reached open trade. Single casks from Highland Park at cask strength are among the releases collectors track most closely, and an empty cask cannot be refilled.

Did you know?

The rise the distillery stands on is called High Park, and it is linked to Magnus Eunson, a church officer who by local account distilled illicitly at night and hid his casks beneath the pulpit. A licence for the site came only much later.

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Macallan Quest was made for those who move. A Travel Retail exclusive designed for the airport shop, but with enough substance to stand up at home. Now discontinued — but still to be found.

Expert description

Macallan Quest is a discontinued Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky with no age statement (NAS), bottled at 40%. Quest was launched in 2018 as a replacement for the 1824 Collection in the Travel Retail segment and is matured in four cask types: ex-bourbon casks, sherry seasoned European oak casks, sherry seasoned American oak casks and hogsheads. The combination creates an expression with fruity freshness and lightly spiced sweetness — accessible and well balanced.

As a NAS whisky, Quest is designed for consistency rather than vintage depth. It is a whisky that works without demanding anything of the drinker.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft and welcoming with ripe mandarin and apricot. Vanilla sugar, toasted oak and a light spicy hint in the background.

Palate

Ripe mandarin and dried fruit with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Caramel sweetness runs through the middle.

Finish

Long and elegant with sweet vanilla, discreet oak and a soft touch of spice.

Specifications

Name: Macallan Quest
Distillery: Macallan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks, sherry seasoned European and American oak casks and hogsheads
Edition: Travel Retail exclusive (discontinued)
EAN no.: 5010314305093

Flavour profile

Fruity · Lightly spiced · Sweet · Accessible

Did you know?

The Quest Collection replaced the legendary 1824 Collection in airports in 2018, but the series has now been discontinued and replaced by new Travel Retail expressions from Macallan.

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Third year in the sequence, and now sherry casks only. Ardnamurchan put all of AD3 into hogsheads and butts from Spain, and the difference from the year before is obvious before you have tasted anything: the colour alone tells you what the wood has done.

The Expert's Description

Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit is a Highland Single Malt Spirit matured in sherry casks in the form of hogsheads and butts and bottled at 55.3% by Adelphi. Approximately 5,000 bottles were made. The designation Spirit is because it has not spent the three years in cask that Scottish law requires before the word whisky may be used.

The two cask sizes do different things. A hogshead holds around 250 litres and works relatively fast, while a butt of around 500 litres moves more slowly and gives a more measured sherry character. Using both gives you speed and depth in the same release.

Ardnamurchan makes both peated and unpeated malt, and both styles feature in the house’s releases. The spirit is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and dried fig first, clearly sherried for something this young. Beneath sit fresh malt and a light peat smoke, along with a nutty note the butts have laid in.

Palate

Sweeter and rounder than you would expect from anything under three years. Dark fruit and spice open, then the cereal character comes through along with a peated undercurrent. At 55.3% the concentration is good, and the sherry carries the youth well.

Finish

Medium length. Raisins, malt and a lightly smoky dryness that lets go cleanly.

Specifications

Name: Ardnamurchan 2018 AD3 Spirit Adelphi 55.3%
Distillery: Ardnamurchan
Bottler: Adelphi
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Spirit
ABV: 55.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks, hogsheads and butts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2018
Number of bottles: Approximately 5,000
Edition: AD3 Spirit
EAN no.: 5060383650426

Flavour Profile

Sherry Matured · Young · Dark Fruit · Nutty · Lightly Smoky · Cask Strength

Did You Know?

The Ardnamurchan peninsula is so remote that the road out there is single track along much of its length. The distillery sits at Glenbeg overlooking Glenmore Bay towards the island of Mull, and it is one of the remotest distilleries in Scotland. Seven years of work went from the idea to the finished distillery.

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Near Advie in the Cromdale Hills stands a distillery that looks more like a town hall from another era than a place that makes spirit. Granite walls, a copper roof and a clock tower playing Scottish tunes. Behind the facade runs a light, fruity Speyside spirit that spent decades vanishing into blends. Here, for once, it stands alone in the glass.

Expert's Description

Tormore 1990 The Whisky.dk Series is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured for 17 years in a Bourbon hogshead and bottled at 46%.

Whisky.dk has put its name on the label, and the series is approved by us. The spirit was distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2007. It is neither chill-filtered nor coloured, and only 32 bottles exist, each one hand-numbered.

Tormore was built in 1958-60 for the Long John blended brand, designed by Sir Albert Richardson, then President of the Royal Academy. It was the first new distillery in Speyside in the 20th century. Most of the output has ended up in blends such as Ballantine's, and independent bottlings have always been relatively rare. Since 2022 the distillery has belonged to Elixir Distillers, who have given it its first permanent range.

A hogshead is a little bigger than the classic Bourbon barrel, so the wood works more slowly relative to the amount of whisky. That suits a light spirit like Tormore's. The cask brings vanilla, honey and pale, dry oak, while apple, pear and citrus still get room to speak. Seventeen years has been enough to round everything off without putting out the freshness, and 46% without chill filtration adds a little extra body.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh and elegant. Vanilla, honey and ripe apples come first, and with a little time it opens up to pear, citrus peel, light florals and a dry thread of oak underneath.

Palate

Soft and rounded. Vanilla custard and malt meet honey and pale fruit, with the Bourbon cask adding sweetness and a touch of spice. Lemon and almond appear along the way while the oak stays calm in the background.

Finish

Medium to long and fairly dry. Vanilla and citrus fade slowly, and spiced oak is what remains at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Tormore 1990 The Whisky.dk Series Speyside Single Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Tormore
Bottler: The Whisky.dk Series
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon hogshead
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 1990
Bottled: 2007
Number of bottles: 32
Edition: The Whisky.dk Series

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Vanilla-sweet · Honeyed · Lightly floral · Dry oak

Did You Know?

Tormore's grounds include a curling pond, quite possibly the only one at a Scottish distillery. By all accounts it has never been used.

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Two rounds of oak give this Woodford edition an extra depth of sweetness and spice.

Expert description

Woodford Double Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the classic Distillers Select, given a second maturation in a separate, deeply toasted cask, bottled at 43.2%. Woodford Reserve is distilled at the historic distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, whose roots go back to 1812, when it was originally named the Oscar Pepper Distillery. The site is today designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark and is owned by Brown-Forman. The whiskey stands out for being triple-distilled in copper pot stills, unlike most bourbons, which are column-distilled.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is sweet with caramel, toasted wood and a hint of dark fruit.

Palate

The palate offers brown sugar, vanilla and a deeper woody sweetness.

Finish

The finish is long, warm and lightly spiced.

Specifications

Name: Woodford Double Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery
Region/Country: Versailles, Kentucky, USA
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 43.2%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Triple distilled

Flavour profile

Sweet · Deep · Spiced · Vanilla-forward

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Proper No. Twelve was created by MMA star Conor McGregor and has become one of the most talked-about Irish whiskeys on the market – a triple-distilled blend with a smooth, accessible style.

Expert Review

Proper No. Twelve is a Blended Irish Whiskey, bottled at 40%.

The whiskey is triple distilled and composed of an ultra-smooth blend of golden grain and single malt whiskey. The name pays tribute to McGregor's childhood neighborhood of Crumlin in Dublin, where the postal code is "Dublin 12". The taste is smooth with notes of vanilla, honey and toasted wood, delivering rich complexity in the finish.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla and honey.

Palate

Smooth and soft, with hints of honey and lightly toasted wood.

Finish

Rich and complex.

Specifications

Name: Proper No. Twelve
Distillery: Proper No. Twelve / Conor McGregor
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Other: Created by MMA fighter Conor McGregor

Flavour Profile

Smooth · Honeyed · Vanilla-forward · Toasted wood · Approachable

Did You Know?

The name Proper No. Twelve is a tribute to Dublin 12, the postal code of the neighborhood where Conor McGregor grew up.
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Seventeen years of maturation lift the Taketsuru series to its most mature expression - a deeply complex tribute to the man behind the entire Japanese whisky industry.

Expert Description

Nikka Taketsuru 17 Year is a Pure Malt Japanese Whisky, bottled at 43%.

The whisky is named after Masataka Taketsuru, the founder of Nikka and often called "the father of Japanese whisky." This 17-year-old edition combines mature malt whiskies from Nikka's distilleries, Yoichi and Miyagikyo, without added grain whisky, giving a deeper and more complex profile than the series' younger editions.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Apricot, mandarin and tobacco with a subtle peat note.

Palate

Full-bodied and complex with spice, honey and ripe fruit.

Finish

Long and warm with lingering oak.

Specifications

Name: Nikka Taketsuru 17 Year
Distillery: Nikka
Region/Country: Japan
Type: Pure Malt Japanese Whisky
Age: 17 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour Profile

Full-bodied · Complex · Spicy · Mature

Investment Potential

Investment perspective

Nikka Taketsuru 17 Year is among the rarer editions in the series, and as with many older Japanese whiskies, prices often rise as the distillery's stocks of sufficiently mature casks dwindle.

Did You Know?

The Taketsuru series was launched as a direct tribute to Nikka's founder and uses only malt whisky with no grain whisky blended in, unlike most other Nikka releases.

See our full range of {'da': 'Nikka whisky', 'en': 'Nikka whisky', 'sv': 'Nikka whisky'}

The label shows a map of Scotland with the distillery marked. It is a detail that now dates the bottle instantly — and makes it as recognisable to collectors as the whisky inside.

Expert description

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

The release carries the map label Gordon & MacPhail used on Connoisseurs Choice for a number of years and retired in the 2000s. The whisky was distilled in 1987 and bottled in 1999 after twelve years in cask.

Bladnoch was producing in that period under Bell's and United Distillers, and the spirit is made in the pale, classic Lowland style. After 1993 the distillery stood idle for long stretches, which has left the 1980s vintages thin on the ground.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and grainy with hay, apple blossom and a pale citrus note.

Palate

Soft, dry and light. Malt, green fruit and a fine waxy texture typical of the period.

Finish

Medium and dry with grain and a faint suggestion of oak.

Specifications

Name: Bladnoch 1987/1999 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 12 Years Single Lowland Malt Whisky 70 cl 40%
Distillery: Bladnoch
Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Region/Country: Lowlands, Scotland
Type: Single Lowland Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distilled: 1987
Bottled: 1999
Edition: Connoisseurs Choice

Flavour profile

Light · Floral · Dry · Grainy · Classic

Investment potential

High. The combination of a 1980s vintage, the retired map label and original packaging is exactly what collectors of Connoisseurs Choice look for.

Did you know?

Gordon & MacPhail runs its own cask programme and has for decades supplied casks to the distilleries it buys from. That is one reason the house's older bottlings often carry pronounced cask influence.

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Most distilleries talk about smoke and leave sweetness as a feeling. Ailsa Bay measures both. Twenty-two ppm of phenol, nineteen ppm of sweetness, and they print the figures on the bottle as though it were a lab report. Nerdy? Yes. It also makes sense in the glass.

The Expert's Description

Ailsa Bay 1.2 Sweet Smoke is a Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured first in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks and then in American white oak, bottled at 48.9%. It is the distillery’s second release and sits at 22 ppm of phenol and 19 SPPM of sweetness, where the first release measured 21 ppm and 11 SPPM.

Micro-maturation is the heart of it. The spirit goes first into casks of between 25 and 100 litres, Hudson Baby bourbon casks from the United States, where the small volume gives an extreme amount of wood contact per litre. It is then moved into standard American oak casks for the longer maturation. No other Scottish malt distillery uses the method.

One detail is worth holding on to: the 22 ppm is measured in the distillate rather than in the malt, which is the usual practice. The figure therefore cannot be compared directly with the ppm numbers on an Islay bottle. Ailsa Bay was built in 2007 by William Grant & Sons on the site of the Girvan distillery in South Ayrshire.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet smoke first, closer to burnt sugar than a bonfire. Behind it come vanilla, fudge and a note of toasted malt. There is salt and a little tar in the background too, a reminder of the coast where the whisky is made.

Palate

The sweetness arrives before the smoke. Caramel, honey and custard open, and only then does the peat report in as a dry, almost mineral floor. The 48.9% gives good body, and the texture is thicker than you would expect from a whisky this young. That is the small casks showing themselves.

Finish

Medium length. Smoke and sweetness let go at roughly the same time, with a dry ash note and a last touch of salt.

Specifications

Name: Ailsa Bay 1.2 Sweet Smoke 22 ppm Single Malt Scotch Whisky 48.9%
Distillery: Ailsa Bay
Bottler: William Grant & Sons
Region/Country: Lowland, Scotland
Type: Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Micro-maturation in small Hudson Baby bourbon casks, then American white oak
Edition: Release 1.2 Sweet Smoke
EAN no.: 5010327655697

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Sweet · Vanilla · Maritime · Caramel · Spiced

Did You Know?

SPPM stands for sweetness parts per million, and Ailsa Bay invented the term. No other whisky producer measures sweetness that way. Whether it is science or marketing is open to argument, but it is at least the first time anyone has tried to put a number on that half of the balance.

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The youngest in the Port Askaig family is no lightweight – 8 years in cask still delivers all the raw, maritime peat the island is known for.

Expert Review

Port Askaig 8 år Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 45,8% is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 45.8% ABV.

Port Askaig 8 Years Old is a lovely whisky from the island of Islay. As always with this type of whisky, with no distillery name on the label, the source is kept secret, while the whisky itself tells the story of Islay's raw, peated style, even at the young age of 8 years.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is smoky and saline, with tar and a touch of citrus.

Palate

The palate is raw and smoky, with salt and a light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium-long, with lingering smoke and salt.

Specifications

Name: Port Askaig 8 år Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 45,8%
Distillery: Port Askaig
Region: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 8 Years
ABV: 45.8%
Size: 70 CL
EAN No.: 5060880924877

Flavour Profile

Peated · Maritime · Young

Did You Know?

At just 8 years old, this is the youngest age-stated release in the Port Askaig series, and one of the most accessible entry points to the island's raw, peated style.

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Scotland's national poet has lent his name to several whiskies over the years, but few carry as close a connection to whisky history as this Arran edition.

A tribute to Robert Burns in single malt form, from the distillery closest to his homeland.

Expert Description

Arran Robert Burns is a Single Islands Malt Whisky from the Lochranza distillery, bottled at 43%.

The bottle is named after Robert Burns, Scotland's most famous poet, and is meant as an accessible tribute to his legacy. The whisky shows Arran's bright, fruity house style without a specific age statement or cask number.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light fruitiness with a trace of vanilla.

Palate

Soft and approachable with Arran's signature citrus tone.

Finish

Short to medium with a mild sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Arran Robert Burns
Distillery: Arran
Region/Country: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Type: Single Islands Malt Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5060044482397
Serving suggestion: In a Glencairn glass at room temperature

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Soft · Citrus-forward · Light

Did You Know?

Robert Burns was born in Ayrshire, just a short sail from Arran — making the distillery's tribute to the poet more than just a name on the label.

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Three grains and American oak give this edition a fuller character.

Expert description

Adnams American Oak English Triple Malt Whisky is made from a mash bill with three different malted grains and matured in American oak, bottled at 47%. Adnams has had brewing operations in Southwold on the English east coast since 1872, but it was only in 2010 that the brewery established Copper House Distillery for the production of gin, vodka and English whisky. This made Adnams the first brewery in England to be legally permitted to produce spirits on the same site as its beer production, and the distillery uses local grains grown in the surrounding region.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is full with caramel, vanilla and a hint of grain.

Palate

The palate offers honey, toasted wood and light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium to long, warm and round.

Specifications

Name: Adnams American Oak English Triple Malt Whisky
Distillery: Adnams Copper House Distillery
Region/Country: Southwold, England
Type: Triple Malt Whisky
ABV: 47%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Full-bodied · Vanilla-forward · Warm · Sweet

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French oak meets English malt whisky on the Suffolk coast.

Expert description

Adnams French Oak English Single Malt Whisky is matured in French oak casks, bottled at 40%. Adnams has had brewing operations in Southwold on the English east coast since 1872, but it was only in 2010 that the brewery established Copper House Distillery for the production of gin, vodka and English whisky. This made Adnams the first brewery in England to be legally permitted to produce spirits on the same site as its beer production, and the distillery uses local grains grown in the surrounding region.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is soft with honey, vanilla and a hint of fruit.

Palate

The palate offers caramel, malt and light sweetness.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, soft and round.

Specifications

Name: Adnams French Oak English Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Adnams Copper House Distillery
Region/Country: Southwold, England
Type: Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Malty · Sweet · Round

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Grain whisky is almost always tucked away inside blends where nobody notices it. Hedonism is the bottle where John Glaser put it up front and asked people to taste it properly.

Expert description

Compass Box Hedonism The Muse is a Blended Grain Scotch Whisky bottled at 53.3% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

Hedonism was the first commercial blended grain whisky when Compass Box launched it in 2000, and The Muse is the house bottling at cask strength. Grain whisky is distilled in a column still rather than a pot still and is usually used as a soft backbone in blends. Given long maturation in good American oak it instead develops a creamy, coconut-like sweetness no malt whisky can produce. At 53.3% it stands far more powerfully than the standard Hedonism.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla pod, coconut and crème brûlée. Behind them sit sugared popcorn, pale caramel and a trace of wood shavings.

Palate

Velvety and sweet. Vanilla, coconut milk, white chocolate and pale syrup, with a warm spiced note that comes from the strength rather than the oak. The texture is thick without turning cloying.

Finish

Long and creamy, with vanilla, coconut and a dry oak note slowly drying out the sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Compass Box Hedonism The Muse Blended Grain Scotch Whisky 53,3%
Bottler: Compass Box
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
ABV: 53.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Hedonism The Muse

Flavour profile

Creamy · Vanilla · Coconut · Sweet · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. The Hedonism range appears in changing editions, and cask strength bottlings are both scarcer and more sought after than the standard version.

Did you know?

When Hedonism arrived in 2000, blended grain barely existed as something you sold on its own. Compass Box essentially built the category from scratch, and today several large houses have followed with grain bottlings of their own.

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A bar in New York, a glass created for the occasion, and a story that grew too good to tell only once. The Story of The Spaniard is Compass Box's tribute to Spanish cask tradition, told by John Glaser himself.

Expert description

The Story of The Spaniard is a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 43% ABV by independent whisky merchant Compass Box, founded by American John Glaser.

The whisky originates from a bespoke bottling Compass Box once created for a cocktail bar named The Spaniard in New York. John Glaser and his team later decided to explore the sherry-influenced style further and make it a permanent part of the range under the name The Story of The Spaniard, first released in 2018.

The whisky is a blend of Highland and Speyside malt whisky, of which a significant portion, around 48%, is matured in used sherry casks, while a further 25% has aged in casks that previously held Spanish red wine. The rest of the blend contributes lighter, fruitier notes that balance the heavier, dark cask influence.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baked pear in red wine meets dark berries and a hint of spiced citrus peel.

Palate

Full, soft and tangy with juicy poached pears, citrus peel and warm spice.

Finish

Long and elegant, with vanilla panna cotta, berries and cherries fading slowly.

Specifications

Name: The Story of The Spaniard
Bottler: Compass Box
Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NA
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
EAN: 5065000482558

Flavour profile

Winey · Fruity · Spiced

Did you know?

Compass Box is known for its openness about cask compositions in an industry where such details are traditionally kept secret, making the company a pioneer of whisky transparency ever since John Glaser began publishing his recipes.

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Longships once sailed along the Caithness coast where Wolfburn now stands. Langskip is the distillery's tribute to those Viking ships, young, unfiltered and with a solid kick.

The expert's description

Wolfburn Langskip Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 58% is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, matured in 1st fill bourbon casks and bottled at 58%.

The whisky is a young, unfiltered single malt, matured in 1st fill bourbon casks. It is named after the longships that once sailed along the coast of Caithness, where Wolfburn distillery is located, and bottled at a high strength of 58%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla, caramel, honey and fruit notes.

Palate

Sweet and fruity with citrus, apricot and almonds.

Finish

Long-lasting and pleasant with vanilla, caramel and dried fruit.

Specifications

Name: Wolfburn Langskip Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 58%
Distillery: Wolfburn
Region/Country: Thurso, Caithness, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
EAN no.: 0634158496400

Flavour Profile

Cask strength · Fruity · Sweet

Did you know?

Langskip is named after the fast, narrow Viking ships that for centuries raided and traded along the Caithness coast, a region with strong Norse roots stretching well into the medieval period.

See our full range of Wolfburn

Irish whiskey named after the man who electrified an entire town.

Expert description

Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey is the brand's classic core expression, here in a large 450 cl bottle, bottled at 40%. The Tullamore distillery was founded in 1829 by Michael Molloy. After his death, his nephew Bernard Daly took over management and hired a 15-year-old stable boy named Daniel Edmund Williams as general manager. Williams eventually came to own the distillery and helped modernise the entire town of Tullamore — introducing electricity in 1893, the town's first telephone line, and its first motorised vehicle. After his death, his initials, D.E.W., became a permanent part of the brand name.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is light with grain, vanilla and a hint of fruit.

Palate

The palate is soft and sweet with grain, honey and light spice.

Finish

The finish is short to medium, soft and sweet.

Specifications

Name: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
Bottler: Tullamore D.E.W.
Region/Country: Tullamore, Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Size: 450 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Sweet · Light · Grain

See our full range of Tullamore Dew

Ex-Tennessee casks are a rare sight in a Scottish warehouse. Evolution is built on them alone, which makes it one of the more unusual bottlings from the north coast.

The expert's description

Glenglassaugh Evolution is a Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky matured in first fill ex-Tennessee casks and bottled at 50%.

The whisky carries no age statement. It is non-chill filtered and of natural colour, and the 50% is chosen to hold the cask spice and the sweetness of the malt up at the same time.

The casks are hand-picked, and because they are first fill a lot of wood comes through. The result is a drier and more peppery whisky than the sherried part of the range.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sweet barley, pineapple and soft buttery vanilla. Deeper oak spice and caramelised pear develop after a while.

Palate

Robust, with white pepper and oak running through crisp green apple and freshly cracked barley. A gentle salted caramel emerges alongside ripe banana.

Finish

Vibrant, with classic oak spices and soft fruits wrapped in vanilla.

Specifications

Name: Glenglassaugh Evolution Single Highland Malt Whisky 50%
Distillery: Glenglassaugh
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: No age statement
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill ex-Tennessee casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Colour: Natural
EAN no.: 5060193841625

Flavour profile

Vanilla · Green apple · Pepper · Oak · Robust

Did you know?

Tennessee whiskey is filtered through charcoal before it goes into cask. The casks therefore carry a slightly different imprint than ordinary bourbon barrels, and that is one reason Evolution tastes different from the rest of the range.

See our full range of Glenglassaugh

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

Expert's description

Jura One for you 18 Year Single Jura Malt Scotch Whisky 52,5% is a Single Jura Malt Scotch Whisky matured on american White Oak ex-bourbon casks finished in American White Oak virgin oak and bottled at 52,5%.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla, honey and fresh green apple.

Palate

Honey, malt and a touch of ginger.

Finish

Crisp and drying with a light peppery edge.

Specifications

Name: Jura One for you 18 Year Single Jura Malt Scotch Whisky 52,5%
Distillery: Jura
Region/Country: Isle of Jura
Type: Single Jura Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 52,5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American White Oak ex-bourbon casks finished in American White Oak virgin oak
Edition: One for you
EAN no.: 5013967014008

Flavour Profile

Smooth · Spiced

Investment Potential

Medium. As a personally selected Limited Edition from a former distillery manager, imported in limited numbers to Denmark, the bottle becomes harder to find over time.

Did you know?

Jura distillery sits on the island of Jura, where the red deer population far outnumbers the human residents, and the name Jura comes from the Old Norse word for deer island.

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A whiskey style dating back to 1700s Pennsylvania, retold in Kentucky.

Expert description

Michter's US 1 Small Batch Original Sour Mash Whiskey is the distillery's sour mash expression, a style dating back to the company's earliest history, bottled at 43%. Michter's history dates back to 1753 and Shenk's Whiskey, considered America's first whiskey company, founded in Pennsylvania. Around 1860 the distillery changed its name to Bomberger's, and in the 1950s the name Michter's was created — named after the sons Michael and Peter, whose names were combined into 'Mich-ter's'. After a bankruptcy in 1989, the trademark was revived in the 1990s by Joseph J. Magliocco and his mentor Dick Newman, who moved production to Kentucky. Today Michter's operates from three locations around Louisville: the large Shively Distillery, where production takes place, the historic Fort Nelson building, and a farm in Springfield.

Tasting notes

Nose

The nose is soft with caramel, vanilla and lightly toasted grain.

Palate

The palate is round and full with caramel, honey and a hint of spice.

Finish

The finish is medium-length, soft and sweet.

Specifications

Name: Michter's US 1 Small Batch Original Sour Mash Whiskey
Distillery: Michter's Distillery
Region/Country: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Type: Sour Mash Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL

Flavour profile

Soft · Sweet · Full-bodied · Caramel

See our full range of Michter's

It started with seven amateurs in a slaughterhouse building. On 30 June 2012 Stauning released its first whisky – and this bottle is one of the 728 examples.

Expert description

Stauning 1st Edition Traditional 2009/2012 is a Danish Single Malt Whisky bottled at 63.3% and matured for 3 years. Distilled in 2009 and released on 30 June 2012. Only 728 bottles. It is the very first Stauning whisky ever released to the market – a historic bottle in Danish whisky history.

Stauning Whisky opened in 2005 in an old slaughterhouse building in Skjern, and the early years were marked by passion, experimentation and almost no resources. 1st Edition is an expression of all that: raw, powerful and with a historical significance that transcends any tasting note.

Tasting notes

Nose

Powerful and complex. Malt, dried fruit, honey and a touch of oak. The 63.3% is present but approachable with a little water.

Palate

Intense malt and fruit notes with oak spice and a warm, full-bodied core. Strong but well-balanced for its ABV.

Finish

Long and warm with malt sweetness and warmth that lingers. A historic finish.

Specifications

Name: Stauning 1st Edition Traditional 2009/2012
Distillery: Stauning Whisky
Region/Country: Jutland, Denmark
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
Age: 3 years
ABV: 63.3%
Size: 50 CL
Distilled: 2009
Bottled: June 2012
Number of bottles: 728

Flavour profile

Powerful · Malt · Historic · Rare · Collector

Investment potential

High. The very first release from Stauning with only 728 bottles is a unique historical artefact in Danish whisky history. It will never be re-released.

Did you know?

Stauning 1st Edition was distilled on equipment that was far from professional – seven whisky enthusiasts used an old slaughterhouse building and homemade stills. This gives the bottle an authenticity that cannot be bought today.

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Hazelburn is Springbank's quiet third voice - no smoke, triple distilled, and a softness that surprises those who only know the distillery's other two styles. This release was bottled in a small number, exclusively for the Danish market.

Expert Description

Hazelburn 10 Year Old Marsala Cask Denmark is a Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky distilled at Springbank, finished in Marsala casks and bottled at 58.8%.

Hazelburn is one of the three styles produced at Springbank Distillery, standing apart by being triple distilled and entirely unpeated - an unusual combination in Campbeltown that gives a lighter, more refined whisky than its smoky siblings. This 10 year old was distilled in June 2007 and bottled in May 2018, after which a Marsala cask finish added sweetness and body that pairs well with Hazelburn's fresh core character. Only 258 bottles were released for the Danish market via Juuls Vinhandel.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Light caramel and strawberry jam meet almost overripe citrus, patisserie pastry and a touch of vanilla.

Palate

Vanilla and cask notes blend with red berries in a creamy, almost viscous style that pairs beautifully with the high strength.

Finish

Soft and round, with a lingering sweetness of berries and pastry that slowly gives way to a dry, lightly spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Hazelburn 10 Year Old Marsala Cask Denmark
Distillery: Springbank
Region/Country: Campbeltown, Scotland
Type: Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 58.8%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Marsala cask finish
Distillation method: Triple distilled
Distilled: June 2007
Bottled: May 2018
Number of bottles: 258 (Danish market exclusive)
Edition: Denmark Exclusive

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Creamy · Spicy · Sherried

Investment Potential

Medium - with only 258 bottles released specifically for the Danish market, this Marsala edition of Hazelburn is a rare regional exclusive, hard to find an equivalent of again.

Did You Know?

Hazelburn takes its name from a distillery that closed in Campbeltown in the early 1900s - like Longrow, the name was revived by Springbank for an entirely new style, this time without any smoke at all.

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No time in cask. No colour. No apologies. Enghaven's New Spirit Rye is the distillate in its purest form — and a full litre of it.

Expert description

Enghaven Danish New Spirit Rye is an unaged new make spirit distilled from rye mash and bottled at 65%. New Spirit is not whisky — it is the distillate before it enters a cask and begins its transformation. This lets you taste rye's raw, spicy nature without oak and time in the way. Typically used by home cask ageing enthusiasts or spirits-curious people who want to understand what happens in a distillery. 100 cl, 1 litre.

Tasting notes

Nose

Sharp and grain-forward with rye, light yeast and green notes. Very direct and clean.

Palate

Strong at 65% — usually diluted. Rye grain, herbs and a sharp bite. Clear rye identity.

Finish

Short and dry with grain and herbs. Clean and direct.

Specifications

Name: Enghaven Danish New Spirit Rye 100 cl
Distillery: Enghaven
Region/Country: Denmark
Type: Danish New Spirit
ABV: 65%
Size: 100 CL

Flavour profile

Grain-forward · Sharp · Rye · Clean · Direct

Did you know?

New Spirit, new make and raw spirit are all names for the same thing: the unaged distillate that leaves the still. In Scotland they call it "new make spirit" — Enghaven simply calls it new make spirit.

June 2018. Stauning opens another chapter in the KAOS series – this time slightly warmer with a fruity core that is clear from the first drop.

Expert description

Stauning KAOS June 2018 is a Danish Single Malt Whisky bottled at 46.8% from malted grain in the KAOS tradition. Distilled 2014-2015 and released in June 2018 after 3-4 years in cask. Fruity, creamy and balanced – this is KAOS at its most approachable. Non-chill filtered with natural colour.

KAOS is Stauning's answer to whisky complexity. Each batch is a new blend, and no two releases taste the same. The June 2018 edition is one of the fruitier ones, with a core of peach and apricot carrying the whisky all the way through.

Tasting notes

Nose

Brighter fruit notes – peach, mandarin and light blossom. Vanilla sweetness and a gentle oak note.

Palate

Creamy malt core with peach and honey. Light spice and vanilla. Round and welcoming.

Finish

Shorter and soft with fruit sweetness and light oak.

Specifications

Name: Stauning KAOS June 2018
Distillery: Stauning Whisky
Region/Country: Jutland, Denmark
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
Age: 3-4 years
ABV: 46.8%
Size: 50 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2014-2015
Bottled: June 2018

Flavour profile

Fruity · Creamy · Peach · Vanilla · Approachable

Did you know?

Stauning releases KAOS several times a year with different compositions – it is one of the few whisky series in the world that actively encourages enthusiasts to compare editions side by side.

See our full range of Stauning Whisky

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Tullamore Dew Trilogy 15 Year Old is triple-matured across three different cask types, including rum casks, giving it a sophisticated, full-bodied tasting experience.

Expert Review

Tullamore Dew Trilogy 15 Year Old Triple Distilled Irish Single Blend Whiskey is an Irish Single Blend Whiskey, bottled at 40%.

The whiskey is an exclusive Irish whiskey matured across three cask types: ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry and rum. This triple maturation gives a complex flavour profile with rich notes of dark chocolate, dried fruits and spice. The whiskey is perfectly balanced and soft, making it an ideal choice for whiskey enthusiasts seeking a sophisticated, full-bodied tasting experience.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark chocolate and dried fruits.

Palate

Spice with a light sweetness from the rum casks.

Finish

Soft and balanced.

Specifications

Name: Tullamore Dew Trilogy 15 Year Old
Distillery: Tullamore Dew
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Irish Single Blend Whiskey
Age: 15 years
Cask: Ex-Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and Rum
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5391516891998

Flavour Profile

Complex · Chocolate-forward · Spiced · Sweetish · Sophisticated

Did You Know?

The name "Trilogy" refers to the three cask types the whiskey is matured in: bourbon, sherry and rum.
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Tullamore Dew 14 Year Old is matured across four different cask types, the same combination as the distillery's prestigious 18 Year Old, but in a younger, fresher expression.

Expert Review

Tullamore Dew 14 Year Old Triple Distilled Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a Single Malt Irish Whiskey, bottled at 41.3%.

The whiskey is triple distilled and matured for 14 years across four different cask types: ex-bourbon casks, Oloroso sherry casks, port wine casks and madeira casks. This combination of casks gives the whiskey a broad range of flavour nuances, from dried fruit to spice and a light sweetness from the port and madeira, in a fresher, more approachable style than the older 18 Year Old.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried fruit and spice.

Palate

Complex, with sherry, port and madeira.

Finish

Rich and rounded.

Specifications

Name: Tullamore Dew 14 Year Old
Distillery: Tullamore Dew
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Age: 14 years
Cask: Ex-Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry, Port Wine & Madeira
ABV: 41.3%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 5391516892070

Flavour Profile

Complex · Dried fruit · Spiced · Sherried · Rounded

Did You Know?

Tullamore Dew 14 Year Old is matured in the same four cask types as the distillery's 18 Year Old, offering a glimpse of how the whiskey develops with extra maturation time.
See our full range of Irish whiskey