The Whisky Grotto

Coming Together in Celebration

Telling the story of Scotland’s world-famous Hogmanay festivities celebrated annually on 31st December, A Night on Earth in Scotland captures the universal joy of celebrating the change of year.

This seasonal release is a collaboration with acclaimed Japanese-French illustrator Erica Dorn, whose artwork has featured in director Wes Anderson’s films.

The single malt is presented in unique packaging to provide a special unboxing experience and Dorn’s playful abstract illustrations are inspired by the historic fire rituals dominant in New Year celebrations around the world.

Hogmanay Tradition
Hogmanay, pronounced "hog·muh·nei”, is Scotland’s renowned New Year’s Eve festivities. Erica Dorn’s bespoke designs reveal some of the distinctive customs of Scotland’s Hogmanay, including the act of ‘first footing’ when it is good luck for a dark-haired visitor to be the first person to cross the threshold of your home after the stroke of midnight.

According to tradition, the ‘first footer’ will carry three things: shortbread, whisky and coal for the fire. Each gift is designed to bring comfort and happiness to your home for the rest of the year. Shortbread is also a prominent flavour in the whisky.

Festive Flavours
A Night on Earth in Scotland is created from a selection of The Macallan’s exceptional American and European oak sherry seasoned casks, along with American ex-bourbon barrels to deliver its rich, sweet shortbread-like character. A whisky referencing the rich Scottish delicacy traditionally gifted and eaten at Hogmanay, punctuated by festive notes of dried orange and spice.

A Perfect Pairing: Sip neat with shortbread on the side.

Tasting Notes
Colour: Warm Ember.

Aroma: Vanilla, butter rich, baked apple, baking biscuits, plum and almond.

Palate: Soft velvety sweetness reminiscent of shortbread with a rich mouth coating, vanilla sweetness, with lightly toasted marshmallow, dried oranges, fig and cinnamon.

Finish: Medium finish with sweet butterscotch and freshly baked biscuits.

Each single malt within the range is an exploration of flavour and texture, from vibrant and fresh through to rich and intense, concluding with a whisky that signifies the essence of The Macallan. The Macallan Enigma represents the pinnacle of the Quest Collection journey in this rich and intense whisky.

A rich and intense single malt offers up mature oak with subtleties of cinnamon, vanilla and dried fruit.

Tasting Notes
Colour: Spanish sunset.
   
Nose: Mature oak opens to reveal dried fruits, vanilla, sweet pears and cinnamon.
   
Palate: Dried fruits and wood spices coat the palate. Ginger, cinnamon and oak give depth.
   
Finish: Full length. Long, lingering, memorable.

"The third rum in Diplomatico?s Distillery Collection, No. 3 is a full-bodied, complex spirit made using high quality sugar cane honey. Matured in ex-bourbon barrels, this limited-edition rum combines tropical fruit aromas with toffee and vanilla. The palate offers rich oak notes alongside dark chocolate and dried fruits, before a rich, lingering finish full of warm spices.

This rum was made solely in the Copper Pot Still that was brought to Diplomatico?s La Miel distillery in 1959. This discontinuous distillation system was originally used in Scotland to produce whisky. The Distillery Collection showcases the individual distillates behind some of Diplomatico?s world-renowned rums, highlighting the distinct personalities created by using different stills."

Alc 47%

This second release from Diplomatico's 'Distillery Collection' comes from the Diplomatico's Barbet column still, which is filled with sugar cane molasses and continuously distilled. Aged entirely in American white oak barrels, this is a golden rum with notes of tropical fruit, toasted oak and fresh citrus fruits. The finish is slightly drying and long lasting. A welcome new limited edition to the Diplomatico range, with just 5,000 released worldwide.

Ireland's oldest whisky, Bushmills Original Irish is a blend of triple distilled malt whiskey and a lighter grain whiskey. You'll notice it's rich, smooth warming taste almost instantly. It's an easy drinking, versatile whiskey that can be enjoyed neat, over ice or with your favourite mixer.

A classic Speyside Malt

Matured for ten years in American oak ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.  This award-winning Single Malt was born of Speyside's natural elements, embodying the rich, fresh sweetness of the region.

Once a year, this finely balanced, sophisticated spirit is created in the heart of Ireland. It is a marriage between the craft of small-batch cider-making and our legendary whiskey, creating a layered complexity of nose and taste that is richly rewarding.

This is a rare and noble Irish whiskey that is the essence of Ireland, with notes of toasted oak tinged with cider sweetness to engage and delight the palate of true Irish whiskey lovers

40% ABV

The Tomatin 21 Years Bourbon Barrels is a single malt whiskey from the Highlands. It spent its 21 years of barrel aging entirely in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. The distillery bottled it exclusively for travel retail. The alcohol content is 46.0 percent by volume. The whisky also impresses with its natural color and does not require chill filtration.

Nosing: The nose of the whisky has notes of green apples and lemons. It also brings notes of vanilla and butterscotch.

Tasting: The Tomatin 21 Years feels soft and creamy on the tongue. It tastes of dark chocolate and vanilla. Green apples and pineapple come through. Candied ginger and chocolate introduce the finish. 

Finish: The finish is long-lasting. The whisky says goodbye with notes of cocoa. Tropical fruits are present. Spicy pepper lingers after drinking

The Sauvignon Blanc Cask Edition Whiskey is a work by the Speyside distillery Tamnavulin. Speyside is the perfect location for whiskey production: there is a unique microclimate and the fertile farmland is ideal for growing grain. The Scottish distillery's delicate whiskey first rested in former bourbon barrels and was then refined in wine barrels that were previously filled with the finest Sauvignon Blanc.

• Nose : fruit-laden, with notes of honeydew melon, toasted coconut, juicy apples and vanilla pudding
• Palate : versatile aromas of various citrus fruits, freshly baked apple pie, warming ginger and a pinch of cinnamon
• Finish : elegant and lingering finish

40% ABV

Distilled on the Isle of Skye at Talisker distillery, this release was launched as an exclusive for the travel retail market. This expression was put down to mature in ex-bourbon casks for an undisclosed length of time before being bottled at a strength of 45.8% abv.

45.8% ABV

Apple, Vanilla and Oak. Aged to Perfection in Specially Selected American Oak Casks. A perfect combination of spirit styles from Loch Lomond's unique stills, aged in American oak casks, to create the distinctive fruit, honey and soft smoke character only found in Loch Lomond single malt. Their 10 year old has mouth-watering notes of green apple & vanilla with a gentle hint of smoke on the finish in the typical style of Loch Lomond whiskies.

40% ABV

Matured for at least ten years, predominantly in American oak sherry seasoned casks, this expression is bottled at a strength of 40% abv as the signature expression of the distillery's make

43% ABV

A non vintage from the Glenrothes distillery, selected by the Glenrothes Malt Master, John Ramsay. Select Reserve is a great value for money single malt, it exhibits the wonderful spicy house style. Lots of zesty rich fruit on the nose. Thick Seville marmalade, bubbling on a hot stove with notes of toasted cereals. The palate is silken smooth and utterly supple. Gentle barley whispers sweet nothings to the/its honey. A little vanilla and malt with toasted cereal and sumptuous oak. The finish is long with mocchaccino and barley sweetness.

43% ABV

44.1% ABV

To craft The GlenAllachie Wine Cask Series, Master Blender Billy Walker first expertly matured our spirit in the finest American oak ex-Bourbon barrels, before transferring the whisky into hand-selected European wine barriques for secondary aging. Billy added a distinctive twist to this release by ultimately blending four exceptional wine cask finishes into one unique expression: The Cuv?e Wine Cask Finish.

A French term, ?Cuv?e? is used in the wine sector to reference a blend that typically comprises more than one variety of grape. Likewise, our 9-year-old Cuv?e is a marriage of spirit from several fine wine casks sourced from the world-renowned regions of Bordeaux, Languedoc and Valpolicella.

The character development of each individual barrique was carefully monitored, before the whiskies were expertly blended together by Billy. The resulting golden liquid offers up elegant stone fruits, hints of toasted almonds and zesty orange peel on the palate.

This limited expression is bottled unchilfiltered for flavour with no added colouring at 48% ABV.

48% ABV