On the Macallan Estate the stills are small enough to make visitors smile, and the casks arrive from Jerez with the sherry still in the staves. That is the whole method, repeated since 1824: small stills, Spanish oak and a lot of patience.

Expert description

Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak 2026 is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry-seasoned European oak casks from Jerez and bottled at 43%.

Sherry Oak is not a one-off special. It is the core of Macallan's range, the style the distillery built its name on. The oak casks are seasoned with sherry in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, shipped to the estate in Speyside and filled with spirit from Macallan's unusually small stills. Then they wait, for at least 18 years. The 2026 release belongs to the Sherry Oak Collection, which also includes the 12, 25 and 30 year olds.

The colour is entirely natural and comes from the spirit's years in the casks. Nothing is added. The result is a deep, dark whisky where European oak does most of the talking: warm spice, dried fruit and dark chocolate.

Tasting notes

Nose

Treacle tart with stem ginger, soaked raisins and sultanas. Orange and ground cinnamon follow.

Palate

Ginger coated in dark chocolate, with dates and dried apricots. A little oak and a soft vanilla sweetness keep it balanced.

Finish

Long. Dried fruit, ginger and oak linger.

Specifications

Name: Macallan 18 year Sherry Oak 2026
Distillery: Macallan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry-seasoned European oak casks from Jerez, Spain
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2026
Edition: Sherry Oak Collection 2026 Release
EAN no.: 5010719187003

Flavour profile

Sherry-matured · Fruity · Spicy · Full-bodied

Investment potential

Medium. Macallan is the most traded whisky at auction, and the Sherry Oak range is the backbone of that reputation. This is a fixed yearly release rather than a numbered limited edition, but the distillery's name and the Spanish sherry casks keep demand steady year after year.

Did you know?

The Macallan Estate dates back to 1543, almost three centuries before the 1824 printed on the label.

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New Year's Eve in New Orleans. Somewhere in the French Quarter a brass band is playing a little longer than agreed, the trumpets have no plans to go home, and someone is passing glasses around. Macallan has bottled a whole night like that, and used it to close the series.

Expert's Description

Macallan A Night on Earth The Finale is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks, predominantly first fill, and bottled at 43%.

It is the fifth and final release in A Night on Earth, Macallan's annual New Year series, where each bottle salutes a different way of welcoming the year. This time the setting is New Orleans, a city where jazz, Creole and Cajun cooking and cocktail culture spill onto the streets around the turn of the year. It is a limited edition with no age statement.

The whisky is built from sherry-seasoned casks in two kinds of oak. American wood leans towards sweetness, European towards spice, and the balance between the two is what senior whisky maker Diane Stuart worked on. The colour is natural, a strong brass that Macallan itself compares to the city's trumpets and trombones.

Artist Hill Spriggins was born and raised in New Orleans. Her three paintings draw on her own memories of New Year's nights in the city and cover both the box and the label. Lights, music and street life in colours that are almost loud.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Bright, fresh orange peel comes first, followed by cinnamon, star anise, clove and a touch of pepper. Further down sit sticky treacle, dark chocolate and dried berries.

Palate

Ginger, star anise and nutmeg, then soft vanilla and almond praline. Dried fruit and cherry follow, with polished oak and spun sugar behind them.

Finish

The spices fade slowly and end in sweet, creamy oak.

Specifications

Name: Macallan A Night on Earth The Finale
Distillery: Macallan
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask Type: Sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks, predominantly first fill
Natural Colour: Yes
Bottled: 2026
Edition: A Night on Earth The Finale, fifth and final release
EAN No.: 5010314315047

Flavour Profile

Spicy · Sherry-matured · Sweet · Orange

Did You Know?

The cherry note on the palate is a nod to Peychaud's Bitters, the key ingredient in the Sazerac, New Orleans' own cocktail. Many consider the city the birthplace of the cocktail, and Hill Spriggins painted the Sazerac, shared between friends, into the artwork on the box.

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A jockey with no horse, an ostrich in harness and a whip cracking over the sand. That is the legend of Shanky, and it is exactly how he appears on the label, drawn like an old Irish matchbox. Inside the bottle sits something dark and sweet that looks like stout and tastes of caramel.

Expert description

Shanky's Whip The Original Black Liqueur and Whiskey Blend is an Irish Whiskey Liqueur based on Irish whiskey, natural vanilla and caramel, bottled at 33% ABV.

The brand belongs to Biggar & Leith, the company Elwyn Gladstone started in 2015. This is the one litre bottle, and the label calls it The Original. The liqueur is a blend of Irish pot still whiskey and Irish spirit, flavoured with natural vanilla and caramel, which also gives it that black colour. It is blended and bottled under bond in Bailieborough, County Cavan, by Shanky & Shireman.

There is no cream in the bottle, even though it drinks as if there were. The sweetness is high and the whiskey sits well in the background. Think of it as a spiced caramel liqueur with a splash of Irish whiskey, not as whiskey with sugar stirred in.

Taste

The nose opens with caramel and vanilla fudge, with white pepper and cinnamon behind. On the palate it is thick and sweet, like liquid toffee with baking spices and a touch of milk chocolate. The finish lingers on vanilla and toffee, and a little coffee and waffle shows up at the edges. The whiskey is there if you go looking for it.

Specifications

Name: Shanky's Whip The Original Black Liqueur and Whiskey Blend 100 cl
Producer/Distillery: Biggar & Leith
Bottler: Shanky & Shireman
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Main ingredients/Flavourings: Irish whiskey, natural vanilla and caramel
ABV: 33%
Size: 100 CL
Sugar content: 168 g/l
Production method: Blend of Irish pot still whiskey and Irish spirit with natural vanilla flavour and caramel
EAN no.: 0810035511651
Serving suggestion: On ice, in coffee, with cola or in an Espresso Martini

Flavour profile

Sweet · Creamy · Caramel-led · Vanilla-led · Spiced

Did you know?

The brand has so many fans among bartenders that some have had Shanky or his ostrich tattooed on their skin. In the end the brand leaned into it.

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Shanky was a jockey until the racing world showed him the door, so he hitched an ostrich to his cart instead. Or so the label claims. One shots of Irish Whiskey Liqueur .

Expert description

Shanky's Whip 2 cl is an Irish Whiskey Liqueur based on Irish whiskey, vanilla and caramel, bottled at 33%.

It is made by Shanky & Shireman, distilled in County Cavan, Ireland, then blended and bottled in Bailieborough. The base is a mix of older Irish whiskey and young Irish spirit, rounded off with vanilla and caramel. There is no cream in it, even though it drinks creamy, which is exactly what sets it apart from yet another Irish cream.

It is a sweet one. Thick and soft on the tongue, with the whiskey present but never taking over. The minibottle calls itself a mini, and that fits: 2 cl, one shot.

Taste

The nose is butter, toffee and vanilla with a hint of sweet spice. Caramel arrives first on the palate, then vanilla, with the whiskey humming along behind with some warmth and spice, quieter than you might expect. The texture is thick and soft like fudge, with a faint touch of waffle. The finish is long and sweet, with butterscotch and a note of coffee at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Shanky's Whip 2 cl
Producer/Distillery: Shanky & Shireman
Region/Country: County Cavan, Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Main ingredients/Flavourings: Irish whiskey, vanilla and caramel
ABV: 33%
Size: 2 CL
Sugar content: 179 g/l
Production method: Blend of Irish whiskey and Irish spirit flavoured with vanilla and caramel
Edition: Miniature
EAN no.: 0810035511781
Serving suggestion: On the rocks, in coffee, with cola or as a shot

Flavour profile

Sweet · Creamy · Caramel · Vanilla · Spicy

Did you know?

Shanky's Whip only reached the market in 2021, yet today it is sold in more than 80 countries.

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Shanky was a jockey until the racing world showed him the door, so he hitched an ostrich to his cart instead. Or so the label claims. Here he is on a small blue can, whip raised, with two shots of Irish Whiskey Liqueur ready to share.

Expert description

Shanky's Whip 5 cl is an Irish Whiskey Liqueur based on Irish whiskey, vanilla and caramel, bottled at 33%.

It is made by Shanky & Shireman, distilled in County Cavan, Ireland, then blended and bottled in Bailieborough. The base is a mix of older Irish whiskey and young Irish spirit, rounded off with vanilla and caramel. There is no cream in it, even though it drinks creamy, which is exactly what sets it apart from yet another Irish cream.

It is a sweet one. Thick and soft on the tongue, with the whiskey present but never taking over. The minibottle calls itself a double mini, and that fits: 5 cl, two shots, and someone to share them with.

Taste

The nose is butter, toffee and vanilla with a hint of sweet spice. Caramel arrives first on the palate, then vanilla, with the whiskey humming along behind with some warmth and spice, quieter than you might expect. The texture is thick and soft like fudge, with a faint touch of waffle. The finish is long and sweet, with butterscotch and a note of coffee at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Shanky's Whip 5 cl
Producer/Distillery: Shanky & Shireman
Region/Country: County Cavan, Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Main ingredients/Flavourings: Irish whiskey, vanilla and caramel
ABV: 33%
Size: 5 CL
Sugar content: 179 g/l
Production method: Blend of Irish whiskey and Irish spirit flavoured with vanilla and caramel
Edition: Miniature
EAN no.: 0810035511781
Serving suggestion: On the rocks, in coffee, with cola or as a shot

Flavour profile

Sweet · Creamy · Caramel · Vanilla · Spicy

Did you know?

Shanky's Whip only reached the market in 2021, yet today it is sold in more than 80 countries.

Listen to our podcast:

Shanky was a jockey until the racing world showed him the door, so he hitched an ostrich to his cart instead. Or so the label claims. Here he is on a small blue can, whip raised, with two shots of Irish Whiskey Liqueur ready to share.

Expert description

Shanky's Whip Can 10 cl is an Irish Whiskey Liqueur based on Irish whiskey, vanilla and caramel, bottled at 33%.

It is made by Shanky & Shireman, distilled in County Cavan, Ireland, then blended and bottled in Bailieborough. The base is a mix of older Irish whiskey and young Irish spirit, rounded off with vanilla and caramel. There is no cream in it, even though it drinks creamy, which is exactly what sets it apart from yet another Irish cream.

It is a sweet one. Thick and soft on the tongue, with the whiskey present but never taking over. The can calls itself a double mini, and that fits: 10 cl, two shots, and someone to share them with.

Taste

The nose is butter, toffee and vanilla with a hint of sweet spice. Caramel arrives first on the palate, then vanilla, with the whiskey humming along behind with some warmth and spice, quieter than you might expect. The texture is thick and soft like fudge, with a faint touch of waffle. The finish is long and sweet, with butterscotch and a note of coffee at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Shanky's Whip Can 10 cl
Producer/Distillery: Shanky & Shireman
Region/Country: County Cavan, Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Main ingredients/Flavourings: Irish whiskey, vanilla and caramel
ABV: 33%
Size: 10 CL
Sugar content: 179 g/l
Production method: Blend of Irish whiskey and Irish spirit flavoured with vanilla and caramel
Edition: Can
EAN no.: 0810035511781
Serving suggestion: On the rocks, in coffee, with cola or as a shot

Flavour profile

Sweet · Creamy · Caramel · Vanilla · Spicy

Did you know?

Shanky's Whip only reached the market in 2021, yet today it is sold in more than 80 countries.

Listen to our podcast:

Shanky was a jockey until racing banned him. So he hitched an ostrich to a little cart and carried on regardless. He never existed, which hasn't hurt the story one bit. Now he's added cream to his Whip.

Expert's Description

Shanky's Whip Cream Liqueur is an Irish Cream Liqueur made with cream and whiskey from Ireland, bottled at 18%.

Shanky's Whip began in 2021 as a black whiskey liqueur at 33% with no cream in it at all. Cream is the new sibling: the same vanilla character, now blended with Irish cream, grain spirit and Irish whiskey and finished with a natural vanilla infusion. It is produced and bottled by Shanky & Shireman in Bailieborough, County Cavan, and it's a 2026 release, so far from discontinued. The label shows Shanky in his ostrich cart, drawn in the style of old Irish matchbox art.

Taste

Cream and vanilla lead, with caramel following behind. The texture is soft and velvety, and the producer calls the finish whipped on the bottle: light and airy rather than heavy and sticky. Underneath sits the Irish whiskey, a quiet base that gives the liqueur a bit of backbone without taking over. Pour it into hot coffee and it melts straight into the warmth.

Specifications

Name: Shanky's Whip Cream Liqueur
Producer/Distillery: Shanky & Shireman
Region/Country: Bailieborough, Co. Cavan, Ireland
Type: Irish Cream Liqueur
Main ingredients/Flavouring: Irish cream, grain spirit, Irish whiskey, natural vanilla infusion
ABV: 18%
Size: 70 CL
Production method: Blend with natural vanilla infusion
EAN no.: 0810035512054
Shelf life after opening: 6 months
Allergens: Contains milk
Storage: Between 0 °C and 25 °C
Serving suggestion: Chilled, over ice or in a hot cup of coffee

Flavour Profile

Creamy · Vanilla-driven · Caramel · Soft

Did You Know?

The original Shanky's Whip is black, 33% and doesn't contain a drop of cream. Cream is the first time Shanky gets real cream in the glass.

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The smoke arrives first. Before you have time to think peat, seaweed or tar, it has already filled the glass. Smokehead has never tried to be polite, and Unfiltered is the one where the gloves come off.

Expert description

Smokehead Unfiltered is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 46%.

Smokehead is a peated Islay malt from Ian Macleod Distillers, and the company has never said which distillery supplies the whisky. Unfiltered is a stripped-back take on the familiar bottle. The strength is raised from 43 to 46%, and the whisky is not chill filtered, so the oils make it into the glass. There is no age statement. The casks are ex-bourbon and add a little vanilla and sweetness, but the smoke is the one calling the shots.

The box promises sea salt and spice, and it delivers. The smoke is thick and earthy, the salt comes straight off the sea, and underneath it all sits a sweetness that keeps it from turning into plain ash.

Tasting notes

Nose

Heavy smoke with earth and charred wood. Stout, ginger and vanilla step in behind it, and given a little time a touch of citrus appears.

Palate

The smoke settles over the tongue like a blanket. Oily walnuts, dark chocolate and black pepper follow, with a faint sweetness underneath.

Finish

Long and dry. The smoke lingers, a medicinal, herbal edge creeps in, and the walnuts and cocoa fade out last.

Specifications

Name: Smokehead Unfiltered Islay Single Malt Whisky 46%
Bottler: Ian Macleod Distillers
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: No age statement
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
EAN no.: 5010852049589

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peated · Salty · Spicy · Dark chocolate

Did you know?

Ian Macleod has never revealed which Islay distillery is behind Smokehead. People guess freely at the big peated names along the south coast, but the company says nothing.

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The farm is called Falkendal, the Valley of Falcons, and it sits in the middle of North Zealand. An old horse stable now holds the stills, the barley is Danish and organic, and the water comes from beneath the neighbouring Grib Forest. Four small bottles, four different casks, one place.

Expert's Description

Thornæs The Four Drams Experience Box is a gift set of four miniatures of Single Malt Danish Whisky from Thornæs, matured in bourbon, Oloroso sherry, chestnut and Bulgarian oak casks and bottled at between 46% and 50.2%.

The box holds When in Stout, Kagerup, Chestnut and Balkan Peat, 5 cl of each. They come from the same distillery, but the casks pull them in four different directions, and that is the whole idea. Lined up side by side, they show you what a cask really does. All four are also known as 70 cl bottles in the Crossroads series from Thornæs.

Thornæs sits on the Falkendal farm near Kagerup, close to Helsinge in North Zealand. Founded in 2018 by Torben Thornæs Andersen, the distillery started production in 2019. It works with Danish organic grain, and the box mentions barley, rye and oats. A very long fermentation is said to bring more fruit and complexity, and the spirit is double distilled in traditional pot stills in small batches.

When in Stout is matured in a bourbon cask and finished in casks that have held stout ale. At 50.2% it is the strongest in the box. Kagerup is matured in Oloroso sherry casks and is the lowest in alcohol at 46%. Chestnut spent about two years in chestnut casks, a wood rarely seen in whisky, before being matured on in a bourbon cask. Balkan Peat is made from lightly peated barley, matured for about two years in small Bulgarian oak casks and then finished in a bourbon cask.

Tasting Notes

When in Stout

Sweet spice, chocolate and mocha, as the distillery puts it on the label. Of the four, this is the one that leans furthest towards cocoa and coffee.

Kagerup

Dark ripe fruit, sweet spices and sherry on the nose. On the palate come vanilla, prunes, rock sugar, roasted nuts and allspice, and the finish stays with sweet spices and winey sherry notes.

Chestnut

Dried fruit and caramel open the nose, followed by apricot, vanilla and sweet caramel with roasted nuts on the palate. The chestnut adds a lightly nutty side, and the finish is nutty too, with a touch of acidity and lingering caramel.

Balkan Peat

Tropical fruit, pineapple and honey on the nose with a small hint of smoke. Vanilla, peach, blossom honey and sweet spices on the palate. The finish is floral, with a soft, smouldering peat smoke left at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Thornæs The Four Drams Experience Box Single Malt Danish Whisky 4 x 5 cl
Distillery: Thornæs
Region/Country: North Zealand, Denmark
Type: Single Malt Danish Whisky
Contents: When in Stout 5 CL 50.2% · Kagerup 5 CL 46% · Chestnut 5 CL 49.4% · Balkan Peat 5 CL 48.8%
ABV: 46% to 50.2%
Size: 4 x 5 CL
Cask type: When in Stout: Bourbon cask finished in stout cask · Kagerup: Oloroso sherry cask · Chestnut: Chestnut cask and bourbon cask · Balkan Peat: Bulgarian oak cask and bourbon cask
Distillation method: Double distilled in traditional pot stills
EAN no.: 5745000688425

Flavour Profile

Spicy · Fruity · Sherry-matured · Lightly peated · Chocolate

Did You Know?

The leftover mash from the distillery doesn't go to waste at Thornæs. It is spread along the edge of the forest, where the animals can help themselves.

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Where the River Teith runs past Doune, a cotton mill once kept 1,500 people busy. The same water now powers a distillery, and the casks come from Kentucky. The label promises a chew of butter toffee and a slug of American cream soda. It delivers.

Expert description

Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured is a Highland Single Malt Whisky matured in 1st fill and 2nd fill bourbon casks from Kentucky and bottled at 40%.

This is the distillery's own bottling, with no age statement. The casks were hand-picked by master blender Julieann Fernandez, and the aim is an easygoing, sweet malt that works neat, over ice or in a drink.

The casks once held Kentucky bourbon. A first refill gives the most vanilla and caramel, while second fill casks are gentler. Together they add sweetness and soft spice without letting the oak take over.

The whisky is soft-filtered. The label itself warns that it may turn slightly cloudy over ice, and explains that the lighter filtration leaves in flavour a harsher process would strip out.

Deanston sits in the southern Highlands on the River Teith. The building is a cotton mill from 1785, turned into a distillery in the 1960s, and the distillery draws its own power from the river. The barley is malted without peat, so don't go looking for smoke.

Tasting notes

Nose

Honeyed barley and almonds, a little soft fruit and a hint of crème brûlée.

Palate

Butter toffee first, then something close to American cream soda. Sweet oak and a light touch of cinnamon underneath.

Finish

Toasted oak spice, ending on sweet barley.

Specifications

Name: Deanston Kentucky Cask Matured
Distillery: Deanston
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill and 2nd fill bourbon casks from Kentucky
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 5029704220137

Flavour profile

Honeyed · Caramel · Vanilla · Lightly spiced · Unpeated

Did you know?

The label carries signatures from the people who work at the distillery. Each one sits beside a job title, such as manager, mashman, stillman and chargehand, and every name was signed by hand.

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A jockey in a white jersey, an ostrich in the traces, a whip curling through the air, all set on a yellow label that looks like it came out of an old matchbox. Behind the joke sits a black, soft liqueur from County Cavan in Ireland, here in the big 1.75 litre bottle for a long evening.

Expert description

Shanky's Whip 175 cl is an Irish Whiskey Liqueur from Ireland, made from Irish whiskey and Irish spirit and bottled at 33%.

It is distilled in County Cavan, then blended and bottled by Shanky & Shireman in Bailieborough. The base is Irish whiskey and Irish spirit, with cream flavour, vanilla and caramel added. There is no cream in the bottle, yet the body and sweetness sit close to a cream liqueur. The colour is black and adjusted with caramel, as the back label states.

The bottle is dark and tall, with the word Ireland embossed in the glass. The liquid is the same as in the 70 cl bottle, just in a format that gets a party or a bar through the night without running dry.

Tasting notes

Nose

Toffee, butter and vanilla come first, with a faint trace of sweet spice behind. It smells more like dessert than like a cask.

Palate

Soft and thick on the tongue. Caramel, vanilla and cream carry most of it, while the spice from the whiskey slips in from the side. The sweetness is clear, but you don't get the sharpness of a straight whiskey.

Finish

Long and sweet, with some butterscotch and a small Irish whiskey note at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Shanky's Whip
Bottler: Shanky & Shireman
Region/Country: Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey Liqueur
ABV: 33%
Size: 175 CL
Natural colour: No
EAN no.: 0810035511668
Serving suggestion: Over ice, with cola or in coffee

Flavour profile

Sweet · Creamy · Caramel · Vanilla · Toffee

Did you know?

The ostrich on the label is no accident. According to the brand's own legend, Shanky was an Irish jockey and part-time distiller who got banned from the racetrack and took up racing ostriches instead. The brand itself says the legends are unverified.

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A gold trophy for an ostrich. That is the idea behind this bottle: Shanky's first prize from the ostrich races, cast in ceramic and filled with black liqueur. It looks good on a shelf, but sooner or later somebody is going to open it.

The Expert's Description

Shanky's Whip The Golden Ostrich is an Irish Whiskey Liqueur at 33%, filled into a gold ceramic bottle in a limited edition.

The bottle is shaped like a pot still and styled as Shanky's first ostrich racing trophy. The back label says it was made to mark very special achievements, and that the liqueur is best served on the rocks. Inside is the same black Shanky's Whip that normally comes in the glass bottle, so it is the packaging that is special, not the recipe.

The liqueur itself blends aged Irish pot still whiskey with Irish spirit and is flavoured with natural vanilla and caramel. The colour is adjusted with caramel, which is why it pours jet black. It is blended and bottled in Cavan, Ireland. There is no cream in it, even though the thick, soft texture might fool you.

The name comes from Shanky, a fantastical Irish jockey. According to the legend he was thrown from his horse mid-race and came back with an ostrich, a cart and a whip, and won. The label, styled after old matchbox art, shows exactly that scene.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toffee and butter arrive first, followed by creamy vanilla and a hint of sweet spice.

Palate

Thick and almost syrupy. Burnt sugar, caramel and milk chocolate take up most of the room, while the spiced Irish whiskey peeks through in the middle and stops it running off the track.

Finish

Long and sweet, with vanilla and caramel hanging on. Right at the end comes a faint note of toasted oak.

Specifications

Name: Shanky's Whip The Golden Ostrich
Bottler: Shanky's Whip
Region/Country: Cavan, Ireland
Type: Irish Whiskey Liqueur
ABV: 33%
Size: 70 CL
Natural colour: No
Edition: Limited Edition
EAN no.: 0810035511859
Serving suggestion: Neat on ice, or in an Espresso Martini

Flavour Profile

Sweet · Caramel · Vanilla · Toffee · Lightly spiced

Did You Know?

Shanky's Whip comes from Biggar & Leith, who also helped create Malfy Gin. One is black and sweet, the other lemon yellow and dry, so the family resemblance is hard to spot on the shelf.

See our full range of Shanky's Whip

Boulder sits right up against the Rocky Mountains, where the air is dry and the weather can turn three times before lunch. A copper still forged in Scotland stands here, and it's the one that put a new Bourbon on the shelf. The label carries a single number. Batch No. 1.

Expert's Description

Boulder Bourbon Batch 1 is a Colorado Bourbon Whiskey matured in new oak casks and bottled at 42%.

This is the very first batch of Boulder Bourbon from Vapor Distillery, which makes it a bottle for collectors and for anyone who likes owning the start of a story. The label calls the place a micro-distillery, says the bottle was filled by hand in Boulder, and carries a stamp on the side declaring it handcrafted.

Vapor Distillery's story runs through Alastair Brogan, a Scot who moved to Colorado in 2011 with a 1,000 gallon copper still from Forsyths. At the time it was the biggest pot still in the state. Plenty of American stills are built to pull out alcohol as fast as possible, and Brogan wanted to get away from exactly that.

According to the label, the Bourbon is made from corn and rye, distilled in a handmade copper pot still and matured in new oak casks. New oak is the rule for Bourbon and tends to hand over vanilla and caramel, and here it's joined by a dry mountain climate with big swings in the weather, something the distillery points to itself.

This is a collector's bottle, and the tasting notes below are based on Boulder Bourbon as it's known from the distillery's later releases. How this particular bottle tastes today may differ.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Caramel and vanilla open things up, with ripe fruit and a touch of apple butter behind.

Palate

Soft and round on the tongue. Caramel and honey arrive first, then lightly spiced oak, a little cinnamon and a hint of popcorn, as if the corn wanted to say hello.

Finish

Medium in length and warm, faintly sweet, with spiced wood right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Boulder Bourbon Batch 1 Colorado Bourbon Whiskey 75 cl 42%
Distillery: Vapor Distillery
Region/Country: Colorado, USA
Type: Colorado Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 42%
Size: 75 CL
Cask type: New oak casks
Distillation method: Handmade copper pot still
Edition: Batch 1
EAN No.: 0748252083562

Flavour Profile

Soft · Sweet · Fruity · Lightly spiced

Did You Know?

The name Boulder Bourbon is trademarked, so there is officially no other Bourbon in the world carrying it.

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He led an army for a prince, lost at Culloden and ended his days in exile in France. He never saw Scotland again. Nearly 280 years on, his name sits on a deep blue box, and inside you'll find green apple, fresh-cut hay and soft caramel.

Expert's Description

Lord Elcho Blended Scotch Whisky is a Blended Scotch Whisky made from malt and grain whisky and bottled at 40%.

It comes from Wemyss Malts in Edinburgh. The blend holds at least 40% malt whisky, with grain whisky making up the rest, and everything is distilled, aged, blended and bottled in Scotland. The Lord Elcho name began in 2012 as a 15 year old blend, and the version without an age statement followed in April 2014. 

The man behind the name is David, Lord Elcho, born 1721 and died 1787. He was the eldest son of the 5th Earl of Wemyss and commander of Bonnie Prince Charlie's army. After the Jacobites were beaten at Culloden in 1746, he was exiled to France.

The bottle has picked up a fair few medals along the way: gold at The Scotch Whisky Masters in both 2014 and 2016, and silver at the International Spirits Challenge in the same years.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh and lively, like a fruit salad of green apple, grape and pear. Freshly cut hay follows, then fragrant wood shavings with a touch of eucalyptus.

Palate

Full and soft, with waves of chewy caramel. A little ginger syrup brings warmth and spice. It's lovely neat, but a splash of water pushes the spice forward and brings out red fruit like pomegranate.

Finish

Dry and long, with crushed Brazil nuts.

Specifications

Name: Lord Elcho Blended Scotch Whisky
Bottler: Wemyss Malts
Region/Country: Scotland
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Natural colour: No
EAN no.: 0793573833518

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Fruity · Caramel · Soft · Lightly spiced

Did You Know?

Wemyss is pronounced Weems. The family has lived at Wemyss Castle in Fife for centuries, and it also owns Kingsbarns Distillery, just a few miles away.

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The Danish west coast has a smoke of its own. It doesn't smell of iodine or hospital corridors, but of heather fires, toasted grain and a little sweetness, and it comes from peat and heather cut close to the distillery in Stauning. In a 5 cl bottle, one dram is enough to make the room smell like a campfire.

Expert's Description

Stauning RØG Miniature is a Danish Smoked Double Malt Whisky matured in American oak casks and 1st fill Madeira casks and bottled at 43% in a 5 cl bottle.

RØG is Stauning's newer take on smoked whisky and replaces Smoke, which was a pure Single Malt Whisky at 47%. The name is simply the Danish word for smoke, and the idea was a smoke that supports the flavour instead of drowning it. At Stauning, a Double Malt means Single Malt and malted rye working together in the same whisky. Both the barley and the rye are grown in Denmark, floor-malted at the distillery and dried over Danish peat and heather. The spirit is distilled twice in Stauning's 24 small pot stills, fired directly by open flame, and then matures on site. The American oak adds caramelised sweetness, while the Madeira casks bring fruit and depth on top. The whisky is non-chill filtered and natural in colour, so a little sediment can settle in the bottle.

Stauning was started in 2005 by a group of friends on the west coast of Jutland. RØG was named Best Danish Blended at the World Whiskies Awards 2026. 5 cl is just enough for one proper dram, or for a RØG Highball if you'd like to take the long way round.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Soft campfire smoke and toasted grain, with a warm, inviting sweetness just behind.

Palate

Gentle stone fruit and caramelised oak, then fine, warming spice. The smoke is there throughout, but it sits behind the fruit rather than in front of it.

Finish

Soft and rounded, with a light smokiness that lingers for a good while.

Specifications

Name: Stauning RØG Miniature Danish Smoked Double Malt Whisky 5 cl
Distillery: Stauning
Region/Country: Denmark, Western Jutland
Type: Danish Smoked Double Malt Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 5 CL
Cask Type: American Oak Casks and 1st Fill Madeira Casks
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation Method: Double distilled in Pot Stills heated by direct fire
EAN: 5744002861614

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Stone Fruit · Caramel · Spiced

Did You Know?

The embossed S on the bottle is made of nine lines, one for each of Stauning's founders. You can both see it and feel it, even on the miniature.

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Out on the west coast, where the rye stands thick and the wind doesn't care who's in the way, grain goes straight to whisky with no detours. Here it comes in a small 5 cl bottle, ready to open, pour and let the smell of fresh rye bread fill the room.

Expert's Description

Stauning R.Y.E. Miniature is a Danish Rye Whisky matured in new American oak casks and bottled at 48% in a 5 cl bottle.

This is Stauning's R.Y.E. in miniature form, the rye whisky the West Jutland distillery has built its name on. Rye has been grown in Denmark for more than 2,000 years, and here it gets to be the star: Danish rye and barley, both floor-malted at the distillery itself. The spirit runs twice through Stauning's 24 small pot stills, which are heated by open fire. It's an old-fashioned and awkward way of doing things, but it gives the whisky a toasted, lightly caramelised side. It then spends three to four years in new American oak casks, and the oak adds vanilla and a peppery edge on top of the rye's spicy character. The whisky is non-chill filtered and natural in colour, so a little sediment can show up in the bottle.

Stauning was started in 2005 by nine founders, and the first bottles reached the market in 2011. R.Y.E. has won gold at IWSC 2024, among other medals. 5 cl is enough for one proper dram, or two small tastings if you're sharing.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh rye bread straight away, then wine gums and a touch of pepper.

Palate

Dried fruit and ripe cherries, held up by peppery oak. Vanilla and citrus peel soften things along the way.

Finish

Peppery at first, then long, fruity and gently sweet.

Specifications

Name: Stauning R.Y.E. Miniature Danish Rye Whisky 5 cl
Distillery: Stauning
Region/Country: Denmark, Western Jutland
Type: Danish Rye Whisky
ABV: 48%
Size: 5 CL
Cask Type: New American Oak Casks
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation Method: Double distilled in Pot Stills heated by direct fire
EAN: 5744002861355

Flavour Profile

Spiced · Fruity · Vanilla · Peppery

Did You Know?

The fire under Stauning's stills can reach around 650 degrees. That fierce heat is what gives the rye whisky its toasted, almost caramelised notes, and it's a technique most distilleries dropped long ago.

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Late summer on Jutland's west coast. Barley and rye stand golden by the fjord, and the wind off the North Sea is in no hurry at all. Stauning bottled that mood as HØST, and this version fits in a coat pocket.

Expert's Description

Stauning HØST 5 cl is a Danish Double Malt Whisky matured in 1st fill Bourbon casks, heavily charred new American white oak casks and 1st fill Port barriques, bottled at 40.5%.

It's the same whisky as in the full-size bottle, just 5 cl of it. Enough for one proper dram, a way to get to know Stauning's style before committing to 70 cl, or a small gift. HØST is Danish for harvest, and it's the distillery's front door to its range.

Double Malt here means two whiskies married together: Stauning single malt and malted rye whisky. All the grain is Danish rye and barley from two local farms, floor-malted and dried at the distillery, and both grain and water are sourced within cycling distance. The spirit is double distilled in 24 small, direct-fired copper Pot Stills.

Maturation happens on site. The whisky rests in 1st fill Bourbon casks and heavily charred new American white oak, and a small share has spent time in 1st fill Port barriques. Bourbon and charred oak bring vanilla, toffee and warm spice, while the Port pulls in red berries and cherry. HØST is non-chill filtered, so a little sediment in the bottle is perfectly normal.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Vanilla, beeswax and citrus lead. Cookie dough, sour cherry and marzipan follow, with cinnamon, candied orange and light floral notes far in the back.

Palate

Soft and round at first, with a slight tingle on the tongue. Meadow honey, toffee, apple and red berries, and warm, spicy rye underneath.

Finish

Syrupy, with cinnamon, toasted oak and a touch of vanilla. The spice is what lingers longest.

Specifications

Name: Stauning HØST Double Malt Whisky 5 CL
Distillery: Stauning
Region/Country: Denmark, Western Jutland
Type: Danish Double Malt Whisky
ABV: 40.5%
Size: 5 CL
Cask type: 1st fill Bourbon casks, heavily charred new American white oak casks and 1st fill Port barriques
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled in 24 small direct-fired copper Pot Stills
EAN no.: 5744002861362

Flavour Profile

Fruity · Floral · Soft · Lightly spiced · Vanilla

Did You Know?

HØST was made as Stauning's front door. Co-founder Alex Munch has described it as the distillery's new first introduction to the house style, with the rye up front.

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In Alexandria, right at the southern end of Loch Lomond, the copper stills come in two shapes. Some have the classic swan neck, others rise straight up without the bend you expect. Both end up in the same bottle, and after 18 years in American oak the result is baked apple and a soft drift of wood smoke.

Expert description

Loch Lomond 18 years is a Highland Single Malt Whisky matured in three types of American oak casks and bottled at 46%.

Master blender Michael Henry puts it together. The style rests on blending whisky from straight neck pot stills with whisky from more traditional swan neck stills, aiming for fruit, honey and soft smoke, a character Loch Lomond says you will only find in its own single malt.

All 18 years were spent in American oak of three kinds: bourbon, refill and re-charred. American oak usually brings sweetness and soft vanilla, and you can taste it: toffee and baked apple lead the way.

The bottle has collected medals along the way: gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021 and at the International Spirits Challenge and The Scotch Whisky Masters in 2020, and The Whisky Exchange named it Whisky of the Year 2024.

Tasting notes

Nose

Green apple and grapefruit first, then honeysuckle and ripe oak.

Palate

Toasted oak and cigar box. Green fruit follows, apple and gooseberry, over a base of toffee.

Finish

Long and dry. Dried tea and tobacco leaf, a light medicinal peat smoke, and mild wood smoke at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Loch Lomond 18 years
Distillery: Loch Lomond
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: American oak in three types: bourbon, refill and re-charred
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distillation method: Pot stills with straight necks and traditional swan neck stills
EAN no.: 5016840239215

Flavour profile

Fruity · Lightly smoky · Honeyed · Oaky · Tobacco

Did you know?

Loch Lomond has a malt distillery, a grain distillery and a cooperage on the same site, so the casks come from the distillery's own workshop. Few Scottish distilleries can say the same.

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Somewhere under Bouze-lès-Beaune, tunnels run into the Burgundian rock, cold and damp and threaded with springs. Old sherry casks have sat down there for more than eight years, slowly working on French malt. The box says the village lies halfway between the Andalusian vineyards and the Scottish Highlands. Fair enough.

The Expert's Description

Michel Couvreur Hexanobile is a French Blended Malt Whisky matured in old sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

This is a blend of malt from three different French distilleries, which sets it apart from the rest of the Couvreur range. Most of his whiskies begin life as Scottish spirit shipped to Burgundy for maturation. Hexanobile was distilled in France too, and it is the house's first fully French cuvée. The malts spent more than eight years in old sherry casks in the cellar at Bouze-lès-Beaune, and the casks have held four styles of sherry: fino, Pedro Ximénez, amontillado and oloroso.

It is bottled by gravity alone and without filtration. No pumps, no filters, just what comes out of the casks.

The house is named after Michel Couvreur, a Belgian wine merchant who settled in Burgundy in the 1950s. He held that oak and wine do the real work of turning grain spirit into whisky, and that sherry and barley get along beautifully. Hexanobile is that idea in a bottle, only with French spirit instead of Scottish.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dried figs, candied grapes, honey and sherry. Give it time in the glass and walnut, almond and beeswax appear, along with gentle spice and a hint of blond tobacco.

Palate

Soft and silky, sweet with caramel and candied fruit. Cocoa and mild spice follow, then an old, slightly oxidised sherry note. A lively acidity keeps it from getting heavy.

Finish

Long and warm, with coffee, cocoa, walnut and dried fruit, and a faint oxidative edge that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Hexanobile
Distillery: Three French distilleries
Bottler: Michel Couvreur
Region/Country: Burgundy, France
Type: French Blended Malt Whisky
Age: Over 8 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Old sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
EAN no.: 3760150951375

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Dried fruit · Walnut · Caramel · Spicy

Did you know?

The box describes Bouze-lès-Beaune as "appropriately named". Say it out loud in English and you will see why.

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Berries arrive first, warm and dense like jam straight from the pot. Then the smoke drifts in, slowly, the way embers flare when a grill gets some air. Octomore 17.2 is malted to 81 ppm and should smell like a fire station, yet the Port casks have slipped a velvet glove over the whole thing.

Expert description

Octomore 17.2 is a 5 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky, matured in French oak casks, finished in Port barriques and bottled at 59.5%. It comes from Bruichladdich and is the second release in Octomore Edition 17, this year's instalment of the distillery's super heavily peated series, which went on sale on 1 September 2026.

17.2 and 17.1 begin in the same place: one batch of 100% Scottish mainland Concerto barley, malted to 81.0 ppm. After that the two part ways. 17.1 spent its entire life in 1st fill bourbon casks. 17.2 took a more winding road through the wood.

For the first four years the spirit sat in 2nd fill French oak casks that had held Californian red wine and then bourbon. The final year was spent in 1st fill Port barriques. According to Bruichladdich, Octomore has never been matured in that exact combination before.

The casks put the fruit at the front of the queue. Red wine oak and Port bring strawberry, blackberry and blackcurrant, while the smoke turns drier and more like embers than medicine. The distillery itself describes less smoke on the nose but smoke running through the whole structure. The whisky is non-chill filtered, free of added colour, matured entirely on Islay and reduced with Islay spring water.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe red berries and a soft, jammy sweetness. Raspberry and blackcurrant preserve, floral hints of Turkish delight, toasted oak, clove and aniseed. The smoke is dry and recalls the embers of a wood fire more than phenols. Behind it sit barley flour, fresh linen, leather and a touch of coastal iodine, and with time coconut and ginger appear in the glass.

Palate

Supple and viscous. It coats the tongue at once with wine-poached berries and spiced fruit: strawberry, blackberry, cassis, then barley sugar and dark syrup. The peat builds slowly, peppery and earthy, while lemon zest and lime oil brighten everything. Oak tannin and a steady warmth keep it balanced.

Finish

Long and round. Raisins, toasted oak and sweet malt slide into dry, salty, maritime notes and a little char. When the fruit has faded, peat smoke and gentle spice remain.

Specifications

Name: Octomore 17.2 Islay Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 59.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 2nd fill French oak casks, previously red wine and bourbon, finished in 1st fill Port barriques
Peat level: 81.0 ppm
Barley: 100% Scottish mainland barley, Concerto
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2026
Edition: Octomore Edition 17.2

Flavour profile

Heavily peated · Berry fruit · Port-influenced · Spicy · Maritime

Did you know?

Ppm is measured on the malted barley before distillation, not on the whisky in the bottle. Still, it is a useful yardstick: according to Whisky Advocate, 17.2 carries about twice the peat of a Port Charlotte 10 and roughly four times that of a Highland Park 12.

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The smoke arrives first, and it's easy to be fooled into thinking that's all there is. Then comes vanilla, then pear drops, and last the salt of Loch Indaal, cutting straight through it. Octomore 17.1 is the reference bottle of the year, and it carries its 81 PPM with surprising calm.

Expert description

Octomore 17.1 is a 5 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky, matured for its entire life in first fill bourbon casks and bottled at 59.7%.

Bruichladdich on Islay is behind Octomore, and 17.1 is the bottle the distillery itself uses as the yardstick for Series 17. The .1 release is matured in bourbon casks every year, which lets you taste what barley and peat do when no other cask gets in the way. It came out on 1 September 2026.

The barley is Concerto, grown on the Scottish mainland and peated to 81.0 PPM. That is roughly twice as much as Bruichladdich's own Port Charlotte 10 and about four times as much as a Highland Park 12.

The casks have held bourbon once before, and they give vanilla, sweetness and a hint of coconut, which helps keep the smoke in check. Before bottling, the whisky is reduced with spring water from Islay.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla milkshake and crumbly fudge, then green apple and a breath of sea spray. Dry peat smoke and toasted oak sit underneath. Give it a few minutes in the glass and yellow cherry, iodine, lemon balm and bay leaf appear.

Palate

Warm custard and pear drops open things up. Then the smoke builds in waves, dry and earthy, with the glow of smouldering oak and ash. Roasted hazelnuts, campfire marshmallows and a cool touch of menthol turn up along the way.

Finish

Salt cuts through the sweetness and sharpens the edges. In the end, a bit of sweet peat and campfire smoke lingers.

Specifications

Name: Octomore 17.1 5 year Islay Single Malt Whisky 59.7%
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 5 years
ABV: 59.7%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon casks
Peated malt: 81.0 PPM
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: 17.1 in Octomore Series 17

Flavour profile

Heavily peated · Smoky · Vanilla sweet · Maritime · Citrus fresh

Investment potential

Medium. Octomore is released as an annual series in limited quantities, and the .1 bottle is the reference that collectors like to have in the row.

Did you know?

In Series 17, only 17.3 uses barley from Islay itself. It was grown in a single field, Irene's Field on Octomore Farm, two miles from the distillery, and peated to 132.1 PPM. 17.1 uses barley from the Scottish mainland instead.

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In Formula One the fastest part of the car is often the part nobody sees. A shaped floor, a millimetre of curve on a wing. Glenfiddich took that idea into the warehouses in Dufftown, split sixteen-year-old whisky across five kinds of cask and brought it all back together.

Expert description

Glenfiddich 16 year Aston Martin F1 Release No. 2 is a Speyside Single Malt Whisky matured in 1st fill bourbon barrels, port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, wine casks and Fino sherry butts, bottled at 43%.

This is the second bottling from the partnership between Glenfiddich and the Aston Martin Formula One Team. Malt Master Brian Kinsman built it with Adrian Newey, the team's Managing Technical Partner and the designer behind some of the most successful cars the sport has seen. Kinsman's take is that real performance usually comes from what you can't see at first glance, and he set out to make a whisky that works the same way.

The backbone is whisky from 1st fill bourbon barrels, where Glenfiddich's familiar orchard fruit and soft vanilla come through, rounded off by a final spell in bourbon casks for extra sweetness. That base was then married with selected parcels that had each been fully matured or finished in one of four other cask types. Port pipes bring dark fruit and weight. Oloroso adds stewed fruit and a nutty edge. Wine casks layer in more fruit, and a small measure of Fino sherry pulls the whole thing drier so the sweetness never takes over.

Release No. 1 from 2025 used American oak only and leaned bright and dessert-like. Release No. 2 is darker and has more going on. The collaboration is planned as an annual series, and no bottle count has been published.

Glenfiddich sits in Dufftown in the middle of Speyside and is still owned by the family behind William Grant & Sons, who founded the distillery in 1887.

Tasting notes

Nose

Stewed fruit, almost compote, lifted by floral top notes. A little marzipan, then polished leather, like the seats of an old car.

Palate

Soft and silky. Buttery toffee, caramelised cane sugar and fresh apple and pear, before dry oak tannins step in and keep the sweetness honest.

Finish

Long, with oak and a sweetness that lingers.

Specifications

Name: Glenfiddich 16 year Aston Martin F1 Limited Edition Release No. 2
Distillery: Glenfiddich
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Age: 16 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill bourbon barrels, port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, wine casks and Fino sherry butts
Distillation method: Double distilled in copper pot stills
Bottled: 2026
Edition: Aston Martin Formula One Team Limited Edition Release No. 2
EAN no.: 5010327345079

Flavour profile

Fruity · Toffee · Marzipan · Sherry influence · Oak

Did you know?

The very first spirit ran from Glenfiddich's stills on Christmas Day 1887. William Grant had built the distillery with his children in little more than a year.

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Most Bruichladdich bottles tell you everything: which field the barley grew in, which casks the whisky slept in. This one keeps quiet. Behind the matte black glass sits whisky from casks filled before the distillery reopened in 2001, and only one man knows what went into the blend.

Expert description

Bruichladdich Black Art 11.1 24 year is an unpeated Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in casks that Bruichladdich keeps secret, bottled at 44.2% ABV.

This is the 11th edition of Black Art, released on 1 November 2023. The whisky was made from pre-2001 casks that have spent 24 years maturing on Islay. Barley and cask types are undisclosed, and the recipe is known only to Adam Hannett at Bruichladdich. That is close to provocative from a distillery that otherwise spells out every detail about barley, farms and casks. Hannett has a free hand, and the result cannot be repeated.

It is bottled without chill filtration and without added colouring, and it sits deep amber in the glass. The casks are not revealed, but the flavour speaks for itself: dried fruit, oak and spice dominate, and the sweetness is closer to fruit cake than anything pale and light. It is sold out at Bruichladdich itself, and the series is released just once a year.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried fruit and leather open, with a touch of citrus and then a fresh sea breeze. Next comes the sweet, floral side: poached pear, rosehip syrup, black cherry and ripe mango. With time in the glass, oak, honey and warm spice appear.

Palate

Dates, raisins and leather meet oak from the first sip. Then butterscotch, praline and a hint of coconut and fresh citrus. Halfway through it turns towards sweet apple and pear, toasted oak, dark plums and marzipan, and the spice spreads with every sip.

Finish

Long and rounded. Oak and dried fruit lead, followed by Christmas cake notes: sultanas, figs, marzipan and lingering honey.

Specifications

Name: Bruichladdich Black Art 11.1 24 year Islay
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 24 years
ABV: 44.2%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Bottled: 2023
Edition: Black Art 11.1
EAN no.: 5055807417778

Flavour profile

Unpeated · Dried fruit · Fruity · Spicy · Oak · Marzipan

Did you know?

Black Art was created by Jim McEwan, who retired in 2015. When Adam Hannett took over the series he was handed the recipe and, by his own account, put it aside. It had to be his own Black Art.

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Eighteen years is a long time to leave a cask to its own devices. Outside the warehouse walls Islay has changed, while the casks listened to the Atlantic and kept their own counsel. Not one of them has ever left the island.

Expert's Description

Port Charlotte 18 year 2026 Edition is a heavily peated Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in bourbon, sherry, Virgin Oak and red wine casks and bottled at 52.3%.

It's made from 100% Scottish mainland barley, peated to 40 PPM, and comes as a limited release of 8,000 bottles. Everything happened on Islay: distilled, matured and bottled at Bruichladdich. This is the third year running with an 18 year old Port Charlotte, and each edition has had its own cask recipe.

The starting point was three types of cask: 40% first fill bourbon, 15% second fill sherry and 15% Virgin Oak. Part of the sherry-matured spirit was then moved into first fill red wine casks from the Rhône for five years, followed by two years in second fill bourbon, and that makes up 20% of the blend. The last 10% spent its time in refill sherry and wine casks. Everything was then married together for bottling.

Adam Hannett at Bruichladdich wanted casks that could carry full, dark flavours without flattening the distillery's elegant style. The red wine casks add dark fruit and spice around the smoke, while the bourbon keeps things bright.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Tropical fruit arrives straight away, followed by gentle wood smoke and warm spices. Underneath sit honey and soft apricot.

Palate

The sweetness is thick and toffee-like, with tropical fruit running through it. Then it turns earthier: old leather, charred oak and roasted almonds, before the peat smoke steps forward.

Finish

The peat smoke lingers, with a hint of minerality from the maturation on Islay.

Specifications

Name: Port Charlotte 18 year 2026 Edition
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 year
ABV: 52.3%
Size: 70 cl
Cask type: 40% 1st fill bourbon, 15% 2nd fill sherry, 15% Virgin Oak, 20% finished in 1st fill red wine casks from the Rhône (5 years) and then 2nd fill bourbon (2 years), 10% 2nd fill sherry and wine casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: 8,000
Edition: 2026 Edition

Flavour Profile

Heavily peated · Smoky · Tropical fruit · Toffee · Spicy

Did you know?

The red wine casks come from the Rhône. Adam Hannett picked them because wines from there have deep colour, firm tannins and the ability to age for decades.

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Red Syrah from an organic vineyard in the Northern Rhône, and peat smoke from Islay. On paper it sounds like a clash. Port Charlotte spent ten years teaching the two to get along, and they do it at 54.4% without anyone raising their voice.

Expert description

Port Charlotte SYC:01 10 year 2013 is a heavily peated Islay Single Malt Whisky matured in bourbon and Syrah casks and bottled at 54.4%.

It is the seventh release in Port Charlotte's Cask Exploration Series and the first where Syrah takes the lead. The spirit was distilled at Bruichladdich in 2013 from 100% Scottish barley, malted to 40 ppm. It started out in bourbon casks, 75% first fill and 25% second fill, which gave it vanilla and soft oak to build on.

Then it moved into first fill Syrah casks from an organic and biodynamic winery in the Northern Rhône. Four years there left red berries and spice sitting right on top of the peat. A final year in bourbon casks followed before bottling in 2024.

Non-chill filtered, with no added colour, and reduced with Islay spring water. Everything from barley to bottle happened on the island.

Tasting notes

Nose

Caramel and strawberry first, then red apples and apricot jam. The peat smoke sits just underneath, in no hurry at all.

Palate

Toasted oak and barbecue smoke. Fresh mango and brown sugar follow, with a bit of ginger to keep things awake.

Finish

Long and smoky. Brazil nuts, coconut and cocoa, and right at the end a hint of seaweed.

Specifications

Name: Port Charlotte SYC:01 10 year 2013 Islay Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Region/Country: Islay, Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Whisky
Age: 10 year
ABV: 54.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill and 2nd fill bourbon casks, then 1st fill Syrah casks, finally bourbon casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: 2024
Edition: Cask Exploration Series SYC:01
EAN no.: 5055807418775

Flavour profile

Peated · Smoky · Berry fruit · Spicy · Wine cask

Did you know?

The name Port Charlotte comes from a distillery in the village of the same name, built in 1829 and closed in 1929. Bruichladdich revived the name for their heavily peated whisky, but the spirit is distilled at Bruichladdich, a few kilometres away.

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Somewhere between the vineyards of Andalusia and the Scottish Highlands, a Burgundy village sits on top of a maze of cold, damp tunnels cut into the rock. Sherry casks line the walls, and Scottish malt has been left down there to take its time.

Expert description

Michel Couvreur Overaged N.S. is a Blended Malt Whisky from Burgundy, matured in sherry casks and bottled at 52%.

The spirit was distilled in Scotland. Which distilleries supplied the malt is not stated anywhere, and that suits the house just fine. The label says only that it is a vatting of several very old whiskies, matured with sherry casks in the house's own cellars in Bouze-lès-Beaune. There is no age statement on the bottle, though retailers put the malt at somewhere between 12 and 27 years.

Michel Couvreur was a Belgian who came to Burgundy in the 1950s to work with wine. In 1978 he set up his whisky business in old cellars in Bouze-lès-Beaune. He died in 2013, and his apprentice Jean-Arnaud has carried the work on.

Couvreur's view was that oak, more than the spirit or the distiller, is what turns grain spirit into whisky. The house says as much on the box: whisky happens when a grain distillate slowly takes on the character of oak that has held great wines. Here, the wine is sherry.

N.S. on the box marks the stronger bottling at 52%, where the standard bottle in the range sits at 43%. The colour is natural.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried flowers and light tobacco come first, then prunes and dried cherries. Behind them sit Jerez-style sherry, rich almond and a hint of honey.

Palate

Fruity and powerful. Dark chocolate, Christmas cake and cinnamon, with orange blossom and a peppery edge at the end. If there is smoke, it is a whisper.

Finish

Long and warm. The sherry lingers, and the pepper stays on the tongue.

Specifications

Name: Michel Couvreur Overaged N.S. Blended Malt Whisky Burgundy
Bottler: Michel Couvreur
Region/Country: Burgundy, France
Type: Blended Malt Whisky
ABV: 52%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
Natural colour: Yes
EAN no.: 3760150950170

Flavour profile

Sherry-matured · Dried fruit · Spicy · Nutty · Powerful

Did you know?

The village is called Bouze-lès-Beaune, and on the box the house itself calls the name aptly chosen. Say Bouze out loud and booze is not far away.

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Walk up the track towards Ben Rinnes and you will find a distillery at the foot of the hill that has never minded borrowing timber from across the Atlantic. Billy Walker has made the cask the star of the show here, and this bottle shows it with just one barrel, picked for Denmark.

Expert's Description

GlenAllachie 12 year 2014 Single Cask Chinquapin Virgin Oak is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a Chinquapin Virgin Oak cask and bottled at cask strength, 63.6%.

This is a Single Cask bottling from cask no. 802189, and the box states in bold type that it was specially selected for Denmark. The whisky was distilled on 14 July 2014 and bottled in August 2026 after 12 years. The cask yielded just 280 bottles, so supply is limited. In the glass the colour is a deep, rich mahogany.

Chinquapin is a North American oak that grows in the Ozarks of Missouri. Billy Walker first took an interest in the wood through conversations with Andrew Russel, who runs Speyside Cooperage, and GlenAllachie has since used it in several releases. A virgin oak cask has never held another spirit or wine, so it gives far more to the spirit than a refill cask does. Here that shows up as baking spices, mocha and a dry, herbal edge of fennel, while heather honey and vanilla keep the sweeter side in balance. At GlenAllachie, picking the cask is never an afterthought. It is the whole point of the place.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Toasted aniseed, mocha and honeyed sweetness open things up, followed by orange zest, caramelised brown sugar and dried orchard fruits.

Palate

Baking spices, heather honey and mocha lead the way. Fennel, hazelnut and vanilla buttercream come through behind them.

Specifications

Name: GlenAllachie 12 year 2014 Single Cask Chinquapin Virgin Oak
Distillery: GlenAllachie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 63.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Chinquapin Virgin Oak cask, Single Cask no. 802189
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 14 July 2014
Bottled: August 2026
Number of bottles: 280
Edition: Single Cask selected for Denmark
EAN no.: 5060997780731

Flavour Profile

Spicy · Mocha · Honeyed · Nutty · Cask Strength

Investment Potential

Medium. A single cask of just 280 bottles, bottled specifically for the Danish market by a distillery now known for its cask experiments, makes for a bottle that will be hard to find again.

Did You Know?

GlenAllachie runs four stills and two separate spirit safes, one for each set. That is quite unusual, and it suits a distillery that has spent recent years doing things a little differently from its neighbours around Aberlour.

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The smoke in this bottle doesn't come from Islay. It comes from peat cut at St Fergus on Scotland's north-east coast, softer and sweeter than the kind most people expect from a peated malt. Here Billy Walker's team has set it against brand new oak instead of Sherry, and that changes the conversation between smoke and cask completely.

Expert's Description

Meikle Tòir 7 year 2019 Single Cask Virgin Oak is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a virgin oak cask and bottled at cask strength, 61.9%.

It was distilled at GlenAllachie near Aberlour on 17 May 2019 and bottled in August 2026 after seven years in cask. Cask number 2716 yielded 288 bottles, and the label states that this release was selected specially for Denmark. Meikle Tòir is pronounced mee-kuhl tor and means big pursuit. It's the name for the peated side of GlenAllachie, a project Billy Walker started in 2018. The spirit is made from peated malt dried over mainland peat from St Fergus, and this one sits at 47 PPM. That's clear smoke, but nowhere near extreme.

The first single casks in the range were Sherry casks. This one starts from a different place: fresh oak that has held nothing before. Virgin oak gives up more wood and spice than a used cask, and you can read it in the label's notes of cinnamon, baking spices and sandalwood. The whisky is non-chill filtered with no added colour, so it keeps the golden mahogany shade the cask gave it.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Cinnamon, grilled honeycomb and poached orchard fruits lead the way. Baked orange, salted caramel and baking spices follow, with sandalwood and toasted hazelnuts underneath.

Palate

Roasted almonds, mocha and cinnamon buttercream open the palate. Then come toffee, poached orchard fruits and grilled honeycomb.

Specifications

Name: Meikle Tòir 7 year 2019 Single Cask Virgin Oak Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Distillery: GlenAllachie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 7 years
ABV: 61.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Single Cask, virgin oak
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 17.05.2019
Bottled: August 2026
Number of bottles: 288
Edition: Specially selected for Denmark. Cask no. 2716
EAN no.: 5060997780793

Flavour Profile

Smoky · Spiced · Sweet · Nutty · Fruity

Did You Know?

GlenAllachie's peated production runs for only about six weeks a year and yields roughly 100,000 litres of alcohol. The rest of the year the distillery makes unpeated whisky.

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Apple orchards in Normandy, a river in Ireland, and a cask that has travelled between the two. In this bottle the Boyne Valley meets Pays d'Auge, and Irish whiskey picks up a soft, fruity polish from French apple brandy.

Expert description

The Whistler Calvados Cask Finish is an Irish Blended Whiskey finished in Calvados casks and bottled at 43%.

It comes from Boann Distillery in Drogheda, Co. Meath, a family-owned distillery in the Boyne Valley. The base is a blend of 35% Single Malt Whisky and 65% Grain Whisky, both matured for at least four years in ex-bourbon casks. The blend was then moved into ten-year-old French oak casks from Château du Breuil in Pays d'Auge, Normandy, where it rested for at least 15 months. The whiskey is triple distilled, non-chill filtered and carries no added colouring.

The cask does most of the talking. Apple and pear from the Calvados sit on top of the creamy vanilla left by the bourbon casks, and the malt keeps the whole thing from turning too sweet. The bottle belongs to The Whistler's Cask Finish Series, an annual limited release. It won Gold at the World Whiskies Awards 2020.

Tasting notes

Nose

Apple drops and fresh citrus zest up front, then creamy toffee. Further down come banana, apricot, melon and red raspberries.

Palate

Ripe peach leads, followed by pear and a bright citrus zest. The malt arrives from behind, with creamy vanilla underneath.

Finish

Long and creamy. Pear and citrus zest linger for a good while.

Specifications

Name: The Whistler Calvados Cask Finish
Distillery: Boann Distillery
Region/Country: Co. Meath, Ireland
Type: Irish Blended Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks, finished in Calvados casks from Château du Breuil
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Triple distilled
Edition: Cask Finish Series
EAN no.: 5391528252145

Flavour profile

Fruity · Creamy · Calvados-finished · Soft · Fresh

Did you know?

The brand is named after Pat Cooney, who whistles his way through the day at the distillery. That is why the box says "Sit and whistle a while" above the name, and why the back carries little musical notes.

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Barley and rye both grow beneath the Lomond Hills in Fife. A young distillery between Kinglassie and Glenrothes uses the two together, and what ends up in the glass tastes of pepper, toasted wood and toffee rather than anything you'd expect from Scotland.

Expert's Description

Inchdairnie RyeLaw Vintage 2018 Appalachian Wood is a Fife Single Grain Scotch Whisky made from malted rye and malted barley, matured in new charred oak casks and bottled at 46.3%.

RyeLaw is Inchdairnie's flagship. Vintage 2018 is the second release, following Vintage 2017, which made its debut in 2023. Each vintage gets its own oak origin. This one comes from the Appalachian forests of the eastern United States, which is what the Appalachian Wood variant on the label refers to. According to the distillery, the change made for a spicier and more complex whisky, with longer maturation than the first release.

The mash bill is 53% malted rye and 47% malted barley, both grown in Scotland. The label says the rye comes from a single farm and the barley is spring barley. The grain is hammer milled, mashed and fermented outdoors. Distillation is double, in pot stills, with the second run in a Lomond Hill still the distillery designed itself. Scotland has no rye whisky category, so RyeLaw is officially a Single Grain Scotch Whisky, even though rye is the main grain.

Maturation is a single stage: new charred oak casks in Fife, from 2018 until bottling in 2025. New charred oak brings vanilla, caramel and baking spice, plus a dry, tannic finish. That suits the pepper of the rye, and it's where this differs from a whisky matured in used casks. The bottling has no added colour and no chill filtration.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Wood and rye spice lead, with clear oak underneath. Vanilla custard and caramel sit on top, and with a little time orange peel and marzipan come through.

Palate

Peppery rye from the first sip, then drying oak. Behind the pepper there's ginger, clove and a layer of dark treacle.

Finish

Long and dry, with pepper and oak spice. Soft toffee notes settle in at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Inchdairnie RyeLaw Vintage 2018 Appalachian Wood Fife Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Inchdairnie
Region/Country: Fife, Scotland
Type: Fife Single Grain Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.3%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New charred oak casks from the Appalachian Mountains
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled in pot stills, second distillation in a Lomond Hill still
Distilled: 2018
Bottled: 2025
Edition: Vintage 2018 Appalachian Wood
EAN No.: 5060916320222

Flavour Profile

Peppery · Spiced · Oak · Toffee · Vanilla

Did You Know?

RyeLaw means hill of rye. The name comes from the Ryelaw farm close to the distillery.

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