From a deeply underrated distillery, this Allt-a-Bhainne bottled by the Stewart Whisky Company under their Stiùbhart Single Cask label is a glorious example of what happens when a cask is simply allowed to mature as it should. A natural cask strength of just 44.9% after 24 years makes it clear that this was maturing at an accelerated rate, losing a lot of alcohol and water but the phenolic oils that remain have led to an extremely concentrated whisky; a masterclass in bourbon-wood maturation.

Appearance: Showing a brilliant old-brass colour courtesy of the bourbon wood and that unique concentration through the ageing process.

Nose: this whisky jumps out of the glass with notes almost reminiscent of a great White Burgundy. Crushed river stones and struck flint alongside golden delicious apple and herbes de provence come across on the nose.

Palate: The palate is gentle as one would expect from the lower ABV but it is oily and viscous with a sensation of scented candle followed by sea salt, delicate earthy peat and a return of that golden delicious apple note.

Finish: Extremely long and gentle with the initial notes of crushed stones mingling with sea salt and stewed orchard fruit.

The profile of Craigellachie's spirit - on full display here - is meaty and muscular, hardly the delicate Speyside one might expect from their neighbours and the un-intrusive nature of the refill hogshead it has aged in means that it has excellent untamed power to it. Surprisingly that power does not translate to alcoholic heat, just a punchy flavour profile that combined vanilla and orchard fruit sweetness, pine resin and earthy smoke on the palate. A funky whisky and one for the more adventurous among you.

Whisky Base (93)

n/a

Colour: Autumnal, red gold.

Nose: Fresh sweetness with fruity Turkish delight with a power akin to the first whiff from a freshly opened bag of Java coffee beans.

Palate: An undeniably decadent sweetness on the palate with salted caramel, dark cocoa and Oloroso-soaked raisins. Sherry comes through with excellent power, bringing with it Sherry and spicy demerara notes.

Finish: Lingering and persistent with alternating layers of sweetness and dry roastiness and peppery spice. Extremely complex and enthralling.

A special, limited edition release from one of Scotland's most iconic distilleries, this fabulous bottling celebrates the long history of Glenfarclas and its independent ownership under the Grant family, the distillery's custodians since 1836. A classically sherried, balanced and refined Speyside, everything we have come to expect and love about Glenfarclas, this is a must have for the collector and a treat for the drinker. A vatting of casks from the past 50 years this combines the best of the mature stock lying in Glenfarclas' historic warehouses with the vibrance and verve that makes the younger bottlings so thrilling and complex. A beautiful rewarding whisky by any measure and a must-have collector's item to boot!

Colour: Amber with dark-gold highlights.

Nose: Complex yet refined with tempting aromas of marmalade, nuts, freshly ground coffee and chocolate.

Flavour: Full-bodied and robust with some oaky tannins courtesy of its exceptional age in sherry barrels.

Finish: Powerful but never overbearing with exceptional balance. Intense and long in the mouth with beautiful finesse and freshness.

One of the hottest commodities on the cask market over the past year is assuredly The Glenrothes. Stablemate to Macallan and Highland Park and under the masterful guidance of Gordon Motion who took the reins in 2009, there are few Speysiders which have the reputation for longevity and excellence as The Glenrothes. After a rapturous reception to our recent offering of the 2011s and a follow up of 2012, we are pleased that we can offer a last butt of 2013 to our customers as well.

Glenrothes is best known as a sherry-aged Speysider and this cask shows why that reputation is so justified; taking the best elements of the wood and developing into a thoroughly impressive malt. Having spent the last decade in first fill butts and taking on some remarkable characteristics as well as impressive depth of colour, they are nothing short of blue chip casks in the early days of their trajectory.

Stored at Glenrothes distillery since distillation, this has not been regauged hence the cask being listed with OLA details but a sample drawn has indicated excellent colour extraction and a recent regauge of the 2011 casks we purchased registered RLA 262.5 which is par for the course on a 1st fill Sherry butt and we would expect this to be regauged in the coming weeks between 262 and 285 RLA or thereabouts with an ABV in the low to mid 60s, indicating excellent longevity.

Tasting Note
Glenrothes’ spirit generally sports a clear barley-driven aromatic profile the key to this cask’s appeal is the classically oily, muscular structure that has become a hallmark of Glenrothes’ extremely age-worthy spirit over the years. The sherry wood is working wonders inregards to the develoment of a complex, decadent flavour profile as well as colour; a not insignificant element of the overall experience, so be sure.

We are pleased to have secured a number of 2021s in a year when many distillers are severely cutting their allocations of casks to the market and it is a particular coup's barrels specially selected for us; bourbon-sized barrels previously used for top-grade Oloroso sherry giving a smaller surface area than ex-sherry hogsheads, butts or puncheons. Therefore the whisky will develop relatively quickly, rewarding the years more profoundly than lower-quality, lower-cost refill barrels.

Linkwood's 200th year distilling since it's foundation in 1821 sees it making the best whiskies in its history, thanks in part to a reinvigorated interest in the distillery's spirit as a single malt, though this Speyside gem wouldn't have made it to 200 years old if not for the essential role it played in the Johnny Walker blended whiskies.

An undeniably finessed whisky that responds equally well to sherry as it does to bourbon wood, giving those who invest in casks of its spirit a multitude of options further down the road when it comes to finishing and bottling. That being said, there is a decided benefit to having aged since distillation in a single cask, in particular if that cask is 1st fill Oloroso sherry.

We are pleased to have secured a number of 2021s in a year when many distillers are severely cutting their allocations of casks to the market and it is a particular coup barrels specially selected for us; bourbon-sized barrels previously used for top-grade Oloroso sherry giving a smaller surface area than ex sherry hogsheads, butts or puncheons. Therefore the whisky will develop relatively quickly, rewarding the years more profoundly than lower-quality, lower cost refill barrels.

Distilled at Longmorn in 1999, this single cask maturation was allowed to mature for 22 years. Bottled as part of the Gleann Mor Rare Find Collection in 2022. Coconut, tropical fruits and hints of golden honey on the nose, with blackcurrant, pears and peaches laced with vanilla custard on the palate, it is a very complex and engaging whisky. A long, sweet finish bursting with fruit makes this a showstopper and one of the most impressive bottlings on the market of this elusive single malt.

A unique pre-bottling limited time offering of one of the most legendary distilleries on earth, bottled by world-class independent bottlers, Samaroli. This Macallan has been (and currently still is) slumbering patiently in a single sherry cask since 1989 and will be bottled in an extremely limited run this February.

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%.

COLOUR: Rich Autumn Gold.
NOSE: Warm and inviting scents of butterscotch meet aromatic heather, encapsulated by orange zesty charcoal Smoke.
PALATE: Satisfyingly, creamy and peppery with aromas of roasted nuts, nutmeg and clove, with hints of Madagascan vanilla, dark chocolate, honey, candied fruits and floral smoke.
FINISH: Long-lingering sweet, oaky spice.

The "Beast of Dufftown," Mortlach has emerged in recent years as the jewel in Diageo's crown; zealously sought after by collectors with releases eagerly awaited and snapped up with alacrity. The latest special release of this beautifully mature Speysider has matured for a full 26 years in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks and shows its pedigree with rare elan. Well balanced wood influence, sweet Christmas cake spices and fine dried fruits come alongside that classic Mortlach oily texture and charred citrus peel on the finish. A sublime Mortlach by any measure. 3,888 bottles filled in 2019 at natural cask strength of 53.3%.

Based in the small village of Ballindaloch on the banks of the River Spey, situated a stones throw from Glenfarclas, Tomintoul is a modern classic. Known popularly as "the gentle dram with a peaty tang" it breaks with fellow Speysiders by introducing a hint of peat smoke to their distillery's flavour profile.

Less heavily peated than the likes of Craigellachie or Ardmore, Tomintoul has begun to gradually build up its reputation around the world and though it can still be considered an insider's secret, a number of independent bottlings from Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory and Douglas Laing have raised the distillery's profile among the cognoscenti and an increased and much improved distillery-bottled range have paved the way for a very bright future for the brand indeed.

Tasting Note
Approaching a decade old, this is showing a lot of the classic elements that make Tomintoul such a rising star on the Single Malt scene. It's refined, taking well to the restrained bourbon wood, with the delicate orchard fruit and subtle earthy peat making for a complex and promising spirit. Still close to 60% this has many years left ahead of it.