Of all the distilleries in Diageo's portfolio, Glen Spey is the third smallest and remains one of the most obscure. Virtually all of its output goes into blends, in particular, J&B (which at the time of writing is the sixth biggest whisky brand in the world). Douglas Laing have bottled this rarity from a single refill hogshead REF - DL13903. Aromas of nutmeg and cinnamon arrive with a citrus zest while the palate promises strawberry candy, spiced oak, coconut shavings and milk chocolate.

One of 347 bottles

Douglas Laing's Old Particular range consists of hand selected malt and grain whiskies from all over Scotland and are neither chill-filtered nor coloured.

The Old Particular Deanston 25 Years Old matures for 25 years in the Refill Hogshead DL14182.

Distilled: June 1994
Bottled: May 2020

Limited to 224 bottles.

Nose: Green apples, dried figs, lime juice, coconuts.

Taste: lemons, toasted oak, orange marmalade, marshmallows.

Finish: Long lasting, cake, cereal, ginger. 

Located on the Isle of Mull, the Tobermory distillery was founded in 1798. Renamed Ledaig in 1972 when it reopened after 42 years of closure, it was closed again in 1975 before reopening under the name Tobermory in 1989.

It produces two single malts, one unpeated, Tobermory, the other peaty (between 30 and 40 ppm of phenols), Ledaig. To develop the latter, the distillery obtains its barley from the Port Ellen malt house.

This version matured in Bordeaux wine barrels shows us a very gourmet side of this distillery, marked by notes of black fruits, ash and sweet spices.

Part of SV?s explorative trilogy of wine barrel-aged expressions. 

46% ABV

Martine and Jean Donnay established the "Celtic Whisky Compagnie" in 1997 and began distilling in 1999 with Glann ar Mor's first bottling of unpeated single malt hitting the market in late 2008.
By November 2009, a peated malt was released (30-35 ppm) under the Kornog label, meaning "West Wind" in Breton. The distillery is located on a seafront, hence the name, which translates "At the edge of the sea".
The packaging further emphasises the locale, featuring a graphic of the H?aux de Br?hat lighthouse. This is a traditional operation that employs small stills, 100% live flame for both the spirit still and the wash still / slow distillation, wooden washbacks and seaside maturation.

Currently the whiskies are just over 3 years old, but already show surprising complexity and balance. 

Matured in a bourbon cask for 3 years. Bright pale straw gold. Opens with intense aromas of lanolin / wet wool. Air contact drops the peat a notch bringing forward dried apple, cinnamon and light cocoa. Follows through with an oily, cereal, crisp malt delivery with the finish upping the richness adding cocoa-laced peat, walnut slice and lanolin carrying through to the aftertaste. Exhibits a freshness, balance and staying power that belies its youth. A whisky that's both delicious and distinctive.

This release from Kavalan's Solist series has been aged in casks which held the sweetest type of sherry: Pedro Ximenez. This is a warming and fruity whisky with notes of juicy raisins and honey syrup.

57% ABV

Manzanilla is much like Fino sherry, which is produced by the sea where the conditions are even more suitable for the growing of flor. Though the maturation is the same as for the Kavalan Fino, the texture is lighter and more delicate with a touch of saltiness together with mineral flavours, which are all the consequences of a stable and thick layer of flor, sea breezes and brine.

Part of a series of single cask whiskies released to celebrate the spectacular landscape around Glenlivet, Ladderfoot is a sherry-matured 16-year-old single malt with rich notes of ginger, raisins, cinnamon, victoria plum and dark chocolate layered on top of Glenlivet?s classic orchard fruit and toffee character.

Ladderfoot takes its name from the eponymous farm situated at the bottom of the Ladder Hills. Many smugglers would have passed Ladderfoot on the ?whisky road? from the Braes o?Glenlivet to Fettercairn and the markets beyond, a long but quiet path that allowed them to deliver their illicit whisky to thirsty customers untroubled by the law.

Convalmore is a familiar face in the Diageo Special Releases line-ups, with the 2017 outturn marking the closed distillery's fourth appearance in the series. And this superb 32 year old shows exactly why the malt has earned its place. Vibrant and complex with an impeccable balance between distillery character and oak, the liquid is from refill American oak hogsheads and is bottled at a natural cask strength of 48.2%. Only 3,972 bottles of this delight have been released.

Nose: Initial Dolly Mix with floral notes at full strength, taking it into Jelly Tot territory too. Barley sugar develops with a touch of tangerine, apple and cedar. Impressive.

Palate: Soft oak and spice with some orange and tomato stem. Adding just a little water transforms the texture of this malt, however, as well as releasing more intense herbal notes. 

Finish: More gentle oak, birch sap and oatcakes. Some biscuits too, including Hobnobs.

Nose: Sweet and fruity. Strawberries with a medicinal touch. With time nuts and more fruit - apple, mango and apricot. 

Taste: Medium body and medium sweetness. Sweet and fruity cold-pressed coffee with a few cocoa nibs thrown in just for fun. 

Finish: Medium to long finish. More coffee, more cocoa nibs, and above this fluffy clouds of fruit. Vanilla, caramel and honey. Honey glazed apples in the end. Towards the very end delightful cold-pressed coffee and milk chocolate.

Another release of fantastic Irish single malt whiskey here from the Athr? range, this time titled Knocknarea, after the large hill on the west coast of Ireland in County Sligo. This particular expression was initially aged in American oak casks, before enjoying a finishing period in Oloroso sherry casks. Wonderfully well-presented, and the flavour lives up to that presentation!

Nose: Warming cedar and macadamia nut notes, with a touch of fresh linen along the way.

Palate: Classic sherried sweetness unfolds on the palate with zesty orange and dense raisin, plus softly toasty barley hints. 

Finish: Almond, chocolate pears, lingering tobacco and peppercorn spiciness.

This distinctive whiskey is the third expression of Athr? 14 year old single malt. It was matured for 10 years in ex bourbon American oak and then finished for 4 years in rare Tokaji sweet wine casks. These casks were sourced from a Hungarian vineyard originally planted in the 1720s for Catherine the Great. This was the same time Hazelwood House was built at Lough Gill, Co. Sligo.

Notes: green apples and pear. Long, subtle finish of butterscotch and tobacco.

Keshcoran takes its name from the mystical fairy mountain near Sligo, the reputed birth place of King Cormac, the first great High King of Ireland.

Blended by one of Scotland's most famous Master Blender's, Billy Walker, this new lineup of Irish whiskey is part of a limited edition series of whiskies selected for the Lough Gill distillery in Sligo. Annacoona has been aged for 14 years, the first 11 were in American oak casks, prior to a final 3 years in rich pedro ximenez and oloroso sherry casks. Billy describes the whisky as elegant and aromatic, with dried fruit, oranges and rich melted chocolate, remaining fresh and lively as well. The palate is unusually rich for an Irish malt, with salted caramel, dark forest fruits and spices that linger, becoming honeyed and again a combination of chocolate & citrus.

To produce this release of Akashi Single Malt Whisky, the White Oak distillery aged this whisky in Cognac barrels for 3 and a half years before refining it for 10 months in barrels of white wine from the Akashi vineyard in Yamanashi County. The result is a Single Malt without cold staining or filtration, which has a nice balance and focused on woody and fruity notes.

Located in the city of Akashi in the Hyogo Prefecture, by the seaside of the Seto Island Sea is the White Oak Distillery. This distillery was founded in 1888 by Eigashima Shuzo and has been producing Sake and Shochu every since. In 1919, Eigashima Shuzo obtained a license to manufacture whisky and when the company moved to their current facilities in 1984, the White Oak Distillery was born.

Distillery - Aberfeldy
Bottler - Distillery Bottling
Bottling series - Exceptional Cask Series
Bottled - 2019
Stated Age - 20 years old
Casknumbers - 6,7,8,9,10,18,120
Number of bottles - 3600
Strength - 43.0 % Vol.