This heavily-peated whisky from Torabhaig distillery was bottled at cask-strength and offers further insight into its distillery style. Aromas of smoked heather, blossom honey, barley sugars and salty sea air fill the nose, complemented by notes of vanilla ice cream, bonfire smoke, hot tar, oily brine and sweet spices throughout the palate.
There are so many complex layers of flavour, and it will be different for everyone. But, our blender Shona Macleod gets a gentle peat smoke on the first sip which reminds her of island home fires burning when she was growing up. It comes along with a toasted maltiness. She can also taste homemade apple sauce and smell machair flowers, particularly white clover which springs up on our west coast every summer. Mixed spices appear, and an old-fashioned sweetness from things like candied ginger, vanilla, and honeycomb. Finally, there’s a long, clotted-cream note, mixed with a lasting sense of new leather.
It will be a lightly peated dram, at around 12-15ppm
Since 1795, Jim Beam has been crafted by the Beam family and distilled with a strong sense of family values. Seven generations later, it’s still made with those same values and aged twice as long as the law requires.
An outstanding bourbon from Kentucky Distillers. Handmade in very small batches and aged in charred oak barrels, this has a very smooth, rounded character with lovely spicy, fruity flavours.
Distilled & Matured at Lagg Distillery
Matured initially in Bourbon Barrels then finished for approx. 6 months
in Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads sourced from producer Miguel Martin.
55% Vol
Non chill filtered
Natural Colour
Continuing the Series 16 odyssey, this elegant single malt explores the influence of barley grown in Church Field on Octomore Farm, Islay. A symphony of honeyed malt, toasted grain and a distinctive earthiness meet delicate threads of smoke and salinity.
Tomatin's boundary pushing Cu Bocan Creation series takes another step into the unknown with Creation #8, intriguingly matured in a combination of Canadian Icewine and Spanish Verdejo white wine casks, which must be a world-first. The unusual cask combination marries beautifully with the lightly peated Cu Bocan spirit, producing flavours of fruit salad, lime zest, earthy smoke and soft oak spice.
This is Edradour at its best, bottled by the distillery's owners, Signatory Vintage, as part of their Unchillfiltered (UCF) collection.
We'll spare you the philosophical discussion about whether this counts as an official or independent bottling and get straight to the point. Distilled at Edradour distillery in 2015, this spirit was matured in a single first-fill sherry cask which acts as the ultimate balancing foil to the decidedly old-school, rustic and funky spirit character.
As the name suggests, this whisky was bottled without chill-filtration, nor additional colouring.
Cu Bocan is a lightly peated single malt from Tomatin distillery in Inverness – first introduced in 2013. This 12-year-old expression was finished in a mix of rum casks from Guyana and Barbados, contributing depth and notes of warm spices to the whisky. The result is a malt that offers fresh notes of brine, grilled pineapple, ginger and milk chocolate throughout the palate.
Distilled, matured, married and bottled on the Isle of Harris, The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured is bottled at 46% ABV, no colour added, and non-chill filtered with the spirit lightly peated at 12-15ppm matured in casks hand-picked for quality from the respected Bodega José y Miguel Martín in the beautiful Andalusia region in southern Spain.
Harrison Wood, blender at the Isle of Harris Distillery, describes his tasting notes of The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured as “Initial winter aromas of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves which remind me of Christmas at home. There are green notes of herbs and the nostalgic creaminess of white chocolate from childhood days. When sipped, I can taste walnuts and fireside wood smoke. The dram develops with a hint of thyme from my kitchen, closely followed by dried oranges. Spices then come through, like vanilla pods and a subtle sense of cloves, before a long leather and liquorice finish."
A mixture of peated and unpeated distillate, as well as both bourbon and sherry casks, this ten year old displays Ardnamurchan's signature West Highland style at its very best. Rugged yet approachable, with brine, earth and smoke giving way to oat biscuits, strawberry laces and mint.
Matured in six signature casks as part of a unique six-part maturation, creating real depth and complexity. Natural colour, non-chill filtered. 46.4% ABV.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of From the Barrel's debut, Nikka is releasing this limited edition featuring double the marriage time, up to 6 months of marrying in oak which results in whisky with richer flavor and a longer finish.
Reflecting the spirit of the Bluegrass State nuanced, mellow, and earthy. Barrels often aged in excess of eight years. Truly “small batch,” each batch of Bourbon is typically composed of no more than two dozen barrels.
Nose – Vibrant notes of juicy raisins and sweet malt. Aromas of shortbread and strawberry jam.
Palate – Espresso, chocolate cherries and oak infused honey. A subtle spin on our signature waxy character.
Finish – Candied fruit with a shake of cinnamon and chocolate creaminess.
Resolute flavours of fine Oloroso sherry and bitter chocolate sauce, which has been spread liberally over homemade plum pudding. This is all infused with fabulous spicy notes - cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Full bodied with smooth tannins.
Using the same batch of Scottish barley malted to the same 101.4ppm, the 16.2 has been housed in a fine selection of Oloroso and Bordeaux casks before being finished in Madeira and Portuguese Moscatel for a rich and complex flavour. Caramelised sugar, roasted nuts, and dried fruits abound, enveloped in sweet campfire smoke.
To create the top expression White Heather 21 Years, Walker sourced single malt whisky from Speyside (23%, GlenAllachie I presume), the Highlands (20%) and Islay (4%). This was combined with 53% grain whisky.
The spirit spent 18 years in a combination of first-fill American barrels, sherry butts and second fill casks. The married composition was then given an additional three years in PX and Oloroso puncheons alongside Appalachian virgin oak casks.
A quality blend. It’s harmonious, reasonably complex and it manages to hide the grain component. The resulting whisky, which is presented at 48% ABV with no added colouring or chill-filtration, perfectly balances gentle peat from the Islay contribution, archetypal Speyside fruity notes, the heather honeyed sweetness of the Highlands, and a rich and rounded foundation from the grain components.
A grain whisky that’s only a pot still away from being a single malt
A grain whisky made only from malt? That’s also smoky?
The majority of Experimental Grain Whisky is comprised of grains from the Cameronbridge and North British distilleries. They bring notes of fudge, vanilla and set honey. On top of this the younger whisky from Loch Lomond layers impressions of pine forests and patchouli oil.
16.1 is crafted using 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto Barley, malted to 101.4 PPM and aged in cask for 5 years, with an ABV of 59.3%. This elegant liquid is matured in first-fill bourbon barrels, bringing forth intense peat smoke with surprising delicacy. Salted caramel, honeyed melon and apricot lead into chocolate and coconut, accompanied by a soft wave of earthy minerality and lingering smoke.
This 100% proof bourbon uses a mixture of 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley in the mash and is aged in a federal warehouse for 4 years to create this well crafted liquid.
This is a harmonious and utterly charming Cardhu, its aromas fruity and meadow- sweet, its taste sweet, luscious and well rounded, accented by a striking and unusual perfumed note.
Rich dark and seductive. Remarkable flavours of stewed fruits and all-spice marry together with classical aged Oloroso and toasted walnut bread and chocolate orange.
A small batch gem from the tiny, cult favourite Edradour distillery. Matured in Burgundy red wine casks for over twelve years, introducing notes of dried red cherry, rose and peony to this weighty, oily spirit. Not a beginner's whisky, but sure to delight any seasoned enthusiast.
A celebration of ten years of distilling at the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, this special release of only 2016 bottles contains whisky from the very first cask ever laid down at the distillery. A mixture of ex-Bourbon and ex-Madeira casks, which imbue the fruit forward distillate with notes of exotic spice, caramelised biscuit, honey and vanilla.
Proof: 94 proof - 47% Alc/Vol
Color: Roasted pecans
Nose: Lots of toasted oak with rich caramel
Taste: Big, rich and complex. Delightful spice and pepper
notes fade to milk chocolate with just a hint of smoke
Finish: Complexity continues. Nicely warming, with lingering
chocolate and baking spices
A viscous mouthfeel bursts forth to introduce a sparkling array of salty, sweet, and savoury flavours. Peat smoke, eucalyptus oil, minty chocolate and toffee mingle with smoked pecans, creosote, and tar. Subtle sweet pear crumble and fudge lurk in the background.
From the Ardbeg Distillery to Port Ellen and beyond, follow the rocky coast and you will discover the heavenly vista of Traigh Bhan (pronounced tri-van), the beautiful beach known locally as the Singing Sands…
For this captivating place has soft white sands that sing beneath your feet, a hum that ebbs and flows with the winds and the tides. But beguiling as this place is, do not drop your guard. Bathing is ill-advised in the seemingly tame crystal waters where jagged, volcanic rocks pierce the sands along the shore.
Exceptionally rare, this small batch 19 year old Ardbeg displays notes of HERBAL PINE, bracing MINT CHOCOLATE and CITRUSY LEMON on the nose. A rich smokiness gives way to PEANUT BRITTLE and SMOKED CURRANTS, with waves of ANISEED, HAZELNUT, and PEPPER. A satisfyingly long finish brings with it notes of VANILLA FUDGE and CLOVE.
"Batch 4 is another incredible dram. Bottled under a full moon, tides have certainly shifted for this Traigh Bhan. More herbal and uniquely mentholic, this is a new take on our exquisite 19 year old series!" - Dr Bill Lumsden, Master Distiller
The Bushmills 2000 Port Cask Finish sees Bushmills’ acclaimed single malt aged exclusively in first fill ruby port casks, for the full maturation period of over 21 years. The ruby port delivers a fresh fruit flavour profile which perfectly compliments the classic Bushmills style of fresh, fruity distillate. The result is highly unusual and complex single malt expression.
This lovely, mature old single vintage Lagavulin, our first 26 year-old Special Release, perfectly expresses the rich first-fill Pedro Ximenez/Oloroso cask style and is quite delicious, sure in the knowledge that its balance and smooth tastes have been shaped and respected by the decades. 7,542 numbered bottles.
Nose
Sweet ripe peaches, toffee and raisins
Palate
Soft welcoming mouth feel with an explosion of rich
tropical fruits and creamy butter notes
Finish
Long enduring finish of caramelised crème brulee
