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This twelve-year-old Highland Single Malt was distilled in 2008 at the Blair Athol Distillery along the banks of the River Tummel. Drawn from a single, undersized 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel previously used by the Koval Distillery, it is a youthful pale golden colour with bright aromatics of red apple and pear as well as fine vanilla and warm baking spices. A generous, well-balanced highlander from one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland dating back to 1798, this is a personal favourite and a fitting first bottling of the Stiùbhart Single Cask Selection. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.9% without chill filtration or added colouring.

Whisky Bible (97)

Well-aged Caol Ila is one of the greatest pleasures for a whisky drinker and collector, with very few bottles reaching and exceeding the 30-year marker. This offering from legendary bottlers Gordon & MacPhail is a bona fide treasure for lovers of this most thrilling Islay single malt. Distilled in 1988 and matured for 31 years in a refill sherry butt, this is showing a delicately balanced profile combining the classic peat and maritime-infused spirit with the fine fruit flavours and svelte texture courtesy of the cask type. Just 422 bottles were drawn at natural cask strength of 51.4%.

Colour: Burnished brass.

Aroma: Classically Caol Ila nose of wild flowers, sea breeze and burnt citrus peel with a slight dried fruit richness complimenting the peat.

Taste: Much sweeter on the palate with stewed fruit and prunes alongside smokey peat ad black olive. A bit Côte-Rôtie like?

Finish: There is a satisfying persimmon and black pepper drying complexity on the peat-infused finish. A true-blue Islay-lovers malt par excellence.

A single cask Islay malt matured in undersized ex-Bourbon barrels previously used to mature Bourbon whiskey at the Koval Distillery, showcasing Caol Ila’s classic oily maritime qualities with aromas of sweet, earthy peat, sea breeze and iodine alongside pungent, warming spices evoking cinnamon, cumin, smoked pepper and cardamom. A finish laced with eucalyptus and dried mint makes for a restrained, finessed Islay with a long, dynamic finish. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.1% without colouring or filtration.

The second bottling from the Stewart Whisky Company in their Stiùbhart Single Cask selection, released in March 2021 at 13 years of age in a limited run of just 132 bottles.

Initially this single cask Glen Garioch is restrained, revealing only the most delicate and refined aromatics. Glen Garioch is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, with its origins in 1797 in the Aberdeenshire village of Oldmeldrum. If the heavily sherried styles endemic to Speyside are Cru Classé Bordeaux, then this is 1er Cru Burgundy in its finesse and fine-boned structure. Just 328 bottles filled from Cask 1637 at 45% ABV.

Appearance: Deep mahogany courtesy of its lengthy time in first-fill sherry wood.

Nose: Intense aromas of polish and caramel followed by black cherry and treacle toffee notes.

Palate: Warm flavours of freshly baked walnut bread alongside orange peel, cinnamon and cloves.

The peat is fine-grained, much more clearly highland peat than Islay or Coastal as it foregoes the iodine and TCP or boat oil, more reminiscent of an autumn bonfire somewhere in the distance. The sherry brings in the classic Macallan profile to work in perfect balance with that unique peat-inflected edge. A true masterpiece of the bottler's art. Just 690 crystal decanters filled at 47%.

Whisky Base (92)

Whisky Bible (94.5)

Superstar whiskies that give us all a reason to live... Very enjoyable malt. But odd to see Port Ellen in sherry: so much of their output was in bourbon. Had to actually pick up and define the character of the distillery itself. That said, a punchy and enjoyable dram.

Nose: 23.5; Taste: 23.5; Finish: 23.5; Balance: 24