The Whisky Grotto

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

The second release of the Fettercairn distillery is aged for 16 years in first-fill Oloroso casks, refill Oloroso casks, and rare first-fill Palo Cortado sherry butts.

46.4% ABV

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

Spicy, hint of toasted almond and fruit cake. Exceptional skill, decades of dedication and an inventive mind make a brilliant Malt Master. Earth and soaked wood aromas blend with deep vanilla. Flavours are sharp with spice and round with plum. A hint of toasted almonds gives way to a silky smooth finish. A complete original, from Malt Master, Brian Kinsman. 

COLOUR: Deep ruby red. 

NOSE: Damp earth and whisky-soaked wood intertwine with deep vanilla and smoky embers. 

TASTE: Rich with complex flavours layered by double-maturation. Sherbet and zinginess slowly turn to spice. Tempting plum and cherry follow, with hints of toasted almonds and fruit cake. 

FINISH: Silky and smooth. 

This light and fruity expression is finished for eight months in Port pipes from Porto Cruz, the N?1 Porto company in the world. The spirit picks up intense embellishments of summer fruit, dark chocolate and cinnamon and a distinct pink hue.

The Finlaggan range features single malt Scotch whisky from an undisclosed Islay distillery, bottled by the Vintage Malt Whisky Company. The range has seen a few expansions in recent years - this early 2016 release has enjoyed a finishing period in port casks, resulting in yummy, wine-like sweetness blending with the smoky, coastal peat.

he wonderful Tullamore D.E.W. has gone and finished its original blend of pot still, malt and grain Irish whiskeys in first fill Caribbean rum casks which previously held Demerara rum. As well as being a taste sensation, the expression pays tribute to the role that Irish immigrants played in the development of rum in the Caribbean back in the 17th century. Some history for you while you sip.

Nose: Cherry pie, lots of tropical mango and banana alongside buttery caramel, with sweet malt and rum spice.

Palate: Lemon curd, caramelised pineapple and brown sugar, with oak spice and lots of dried fruit.

Finish: Chewy orange sweeties, ripe banana drizzled with runny caramel, with a prickle of aromatic spice appearing on the finish.

The Tullamore Dew 12 years old is a triple distilled blend of three types of Irish whiskey - pot still, malt and 'golden grain', matured for 12 years in a combination of American and European oak casks. Soft and creamy with an added richness from the sherry casks, this is a deeper and more complex Tullamore than usual.

Tamnavulin Double Cask was the first release from the distillery since the 1990s! Over the past 20 or so years, the distillery changed hands from Invergordon Distillers to Whyte & MacKay, closed a few years later and reopened in 2007. Much of its single malt output is used in blends, but a few casks of single malt would sneak out as indie bottlings to allow us a rare taste of Tamnavulin - but now they've got their very own expression! They initially mature it in American oak barrels before treating them to a finishing period in Sherry casks.

Nose: Chocolate mousse, extra thick double cream with a dusting of brown sugar, stewed apples and blackberries.

Palate: Christmas pudding, chocolate brownies, yellow plum and toffee-coated barley.

Finish: Spiced rum sweetness lingers on the finish.

This small-batch release from Teeling has been finished in cognac casks. It?s a blend of whiskies from both pot and coffey stills, and has been aged for twelve years prior to bottling in 2019

46% ABV

This is a single cask bottling of single malt from Speyside's Glenlivet distillery, bottled in November 2016 with an outturn of 558 bottles (originally released for the German market). This was bestowed the name Cairn na Bruar, taken from a Scottish hill which served as a landmark on smuggling routes back in the day.

Nose: Honey'd sultanas and raisins, peanut brittle and vanilla sponge.

Palate: Nutty at first, with layers of hazelnut cream and diced almond. A hint of ground nutmeg.

Finish: Banana chips and more baking spices.

This rich bronze malt attains its spicy, treacly flavours from hogsheads made of Spanish Oak (Quercus Robur) sourced from Galicia and Asturias regions, more specifically, the Cantabrian Mountains which have a cooler climate and greater humidity. Before being filled, the wood is air-dried for around 18 months, opening up the oak for the GlenAllachie spirit to extract the cask character.

This is a 21 year old unpeated single malt from Tobermory, which has enjoyed 3 years finishing in oloroso sherry casks before being bottled. 

The nose offers clove-studded orange, dark chocolate, florals and vanilla leading to a palate of prunes walnuts and dark chocolate and a long spice and leather finish.

A single cask whisky from the White Oak distillery based in Hyogo Japan. Uncoloured and non-chill filtered, the warm colour belies real sherry sweetness with beautiful complexing earthy notes and hints of black tea. The finish is long with further spice, chocolate and a hint of marmalade.

Kaiyo is a negotiant bottler started by a drinks group led by former Asahi employee Mr. Watanabe who was able to purchase "teaspooned" malt whisky barrels from an unnamed Japanese whisky supplier via his connections in the industry ("teaspooning" is when a distiller adds a teaspoon of another whisky into the barrel before selling it, thus preventing the purchaser from claiming it as a single malt from that distillery). The whiskies are purchased as teaspooned new make (unaged distillates) and then put into Japanese Mizunara oak barrels from Ariake, considered one of the best manufacturers in the world.

A fruity, zesty and softly-smoky Japanese whisky, matured in mizunara oak casks. Aromas of orange peel, jasmine, soft cedar and coastal air fill the nose. The palate offers notes of earthy coffee, green apples, black tea and fresh herbs, with hints of cinnamon pastries and mango that linger in the finish.