Bottled exclusively for New Zealand by the talented team at Whisky Galore. Distilled from heavily peated barley, this peated spirit (known by its 'codename' as Staoisha) has matured in a cask that has been given a process of de-charring and re-charring to maximize the development and extraction of flavour from the wood.

On the nose, a rich and oily scent of toasted peanuts surrounded by thick peat smoke and a medicinal quality of old first-aid kits (bandages and antiseptic) and salted-caramel. To taste, there is sweet, malty chocolate biscuits joining a tang of salt & vinegar chips, before a surge of rich peat smoke carried on a highly viscous mouthfeel.?

14 years old, this Glentauchers-Glenlivet bottled by Cadenhead has been matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. With pear drops, peaches, treacle and a touch of nutmeg on the nose, we've landed in Scotland for pudding on a winter's night. Flavours of poached pears and vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate flakes come alive on the palate. The finish is a wee glass of mulled wine, rich and warming with orange slices, crushed cloves and dark chocolate.

Aged for 10 years in first-fill sherry casks, this Edradour offers the distinctive flavour of dense, moist Christmas cake laden with currants, raisins and glace fruits. The palate carries a thick, bitter-chocolate sauce tone, with tangy plum joining in, finishing earthy and heavily spiced.

Sourced from reputable independents, Signatory Vintage, cask #900658 was a first-fill Sherry butt and a fairly active cask at that, with more of an old-school attack then a clean, contemporary one. Pickled ginger, struck match, burnt orange, hazelnut and hints of hessian sack give the aroma a sulphury slant, though there's some redemption from the latent fruitiness. The flavours follow with roasted hazelnut, marzipan, ginger biscuit and orange infused dark chocolate - those 'rustic' notes adding a burnt fruit toast character to the finish

49.3% ABV

Glengoyne is a small farm-style distillery located under the slopes of Dumgoyne in at the southern border of the Scottish Highlands.

The second bottling from Douglas Laing's 2020 outturn this is also from a refill hogshead REF - DL14559. Distilled in August 2005

The notes say to expect the distillery's typical clean, crisp, fruity barley but in a mouthcoating, syrupy, even sugary style with a touch of citrus tang. Non chill filtered at 48.4%. 260 bottles from a refill hogshead.

Nose: Clean and crisp, sweet and spiced, gristy and honeyed.... so fresh and fruity.

Palate: Deliciously mouthcoating in syrupy, sugary style - warming spice and runs to barley.

Finish: Gently toasted developing to allspice, tangy citrus notes and Malted barley (FHL).

Aroma: Rich and sweet with fruitcake and vanilla aromas. Sherry influences intertwine with zesty citrus notes.

Taste: Spicy with cinnamon, stewed plum and orange marmalade combining with a smooth milk chocolate finish.

A gorgeous bourbon cask offering from Ben Nevis in the Highlands bottled by the oldest independent whisky bottler in the world. Lots of tropical hints intermingling with grass and apples. A classic lean and mineral bourbon cask beauty.

A great example of the Aultmore's depth and complexity - distilled back in 2010 and filled into a refill butt. After 11 years of maturation it was released in 2022.

Croftengea is the name for a peaty whisky made at the Loch Lomond distillery, which is famous for its different expressions named after the islands in the loch. This one has aged for 14 years in an ex-bourbon cask and only 257 bottles were produced.

Nose: Subtle peat smoke, wrapped up in sweet vanilla and a touch of butter.

Palate: Quite nutty ? almonds, pistachios, and chocolate peanuts. Still has some smoky elements running through it.

Finish: Lingering peppery spice.

SAMAROLI ISLAY
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
BOTTLED IN SCOTLAND IN 2023

Our eye - or better our nose - dwells on this youngster, allowing us to bottle yet another iteration of our philosophy of Islay, the queen of Scotland. We stand before a young, arrogant and daring Caol Ila. Despite its youth, the mastery conferred by wood presents us with a slightly peaty note. In addition, we sense shy hints of yeast, butter and smoked meats reminiscent of our hearth after last night?s fire is spent. And now almond, hazelnut and candied fruit. 

The saline plane surprises us in terms of equilibrium and harmony. Suggestions of herring and anchovy, a classic marina scent with flashes of the mineral. Those caper bushes descending towards the Sicilian sea are now evoked. To the right the Pillars of Heracles. To the left, the mysterious and intriguing East. There is a narrow border between the ocean and the sky which is lighter and therefore easy to identify. Some may say that Brittany is where we can best learn to distinguish this.

A.W.B. 

COMPOSITION: 3 casks of Caol Ila 2013 - Hogshead - Refill Bourbon
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 1104
ABV: 45%

Ledaig 23YO 1998 Black Series D.Laing is a vintage whiskey from Tobermory Distillery by Douglas Laing & Co. Whiskey distilled in 1998. It matured for 23 years. Whiskey bottled without cold filtration.

A second addition to the INK #3 series marketed by French Retailer, Le Comptoir Irlandais is this toddler Blair Athol. While the distillery's production is primarily intended for Bell's, indies are on the rise. This one from Signatory Vintage was distilled in 2013 and filled into a rechar hogshead (a reconstituted & re-burnt cask). Akin to a malt-heavy blend, it's softer than usual for Blair Athol, offering vanilla and fruit salad on the nose as well as hints of beeswax. Likewise, the mouthfeel surprises: supple and slightly oily with flavours of barley cake, grain store and pineapple pudding, before wood spices rise in the medium long finish

46% ABV

A glorious understated sherry cask number from Old Malt Cask - served at the perfect abv of 50% abv.

There's some lovely complexing sulphur notes on the nose that fuse pleasantly with Xmas cake, ginger and assorted pastry aromas, and which feed into the palate too.

Charged from a single sherry butt HL18986

This single malt Scotch was laid down in a single cask to mature in a bourbon barrel for 13 years. Bottled in January 2021, this expression was produced by renowned independent bottler Hunter Laing & Co. for the Old Malt Cask series.

The nose is sweet with vanilla, marzipan and buttered croissants, with rich notes of dark chocolate and bitter orange developing on a smooth palate. The finish is long and lingering, with a slightly dry and pleasant aftertaste.

Alc: 50%

A fruity, creamy Glen Elgin here from Douglas Laing, distilled in April 2011. Into a single refill hogshead it went, where it stayed for the next eight years. In January 2020, it was bottled for the Provenance series, with a release of just 359 bottles.

Distilled - April 2011

Bottled - January 2020

Refill Hogshead - REF - DL13789

Nose: Grassy & fresh .... green apples, barley sugar and caramelised nuts. 

Palate: An oak warmth initially then comes sherbet, meringue and clotted cream.

Finish: Long with runny honey and toffee balanced nicely by citrus peels (CSL).