Stiùbhart Single Cask Selection

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 This beautifully balanced, heavily peated Islay malt combines the sweetness of a 1st fill bourbon barrel with the roasty, toasty character that has made Islay famous for its peated malt. Rich, with sweet wood smoke, toasted marshmallows and a hint of iodine with asweet barrel note that brings some poached pear and candied almonds into the mix.

 Fresh, sweet and elegant, this is a quintessential Lowland Malt. At 15 years old it is getting past the green grassy elements one often finds with young lowlanders and into more of an autumn hay bale with warming baking spice, stone fruit and a zesty red apple note that evokes a well-aged Calvados.  

Celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, Auchentoshan is one of the oldest operating distilleries in the country and has been a stalwart of Lowland whiskymaking for generations.

 The first sherry cask we have ever done and we’re making it count with this 22-year-old Glen Elgin. Without becoming over-bearing and without relying on the wood to mask the spirit, the refill sherry barrel gives enough richness to make its presence known without hiding the fresh apple and pear that makes Glen Elgin such a beautiful spirit. A savoury earthiness with hints of leather and woodsmoke make it a distinctive Speyside that is sure to stand out.

Arguably the most recognisable of all of Scotland's coastal villages, the vibrant seafront of Tobermory is home to one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland, with a history dating back to 1798. Our oldest bottling to date, this 27-year-old exudes soft charm and nuanced complexity, with fine orchard fruit, bright citrus and a touch of sea salt and stony mineral.

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.  

Aged in a bourbon barrel this Ardmore is warming, spicy and has a distinct sweetness on the nose, like fresh baked cinnamon buns. The palate is classic Ardmore. Heavily peated and smokey, more campfire and smouldering hardwood embers than the briny Islay peat, while the finish is long, elegant and extremely well balanced. In short it is a classic whisky for lovers of heavily peated malt but with a generosity and complexity that gives added layers of enjoyment beyond the initial explosion of smoke.

A cask which defied all expectations and proved the beauty of those natural processes which make Scotch whisky such a special product. When I first saw this for sale I wrote it off as too low in ABV as I could not expect it to age any longer. Weeks later I was tasted on it blind and was immediately blown away by the quality; refinement and balance, delicacy and yet subtle power. I could not fault it - a flawless cask showing everything one dreams of in a classic Speyside. Bottled at a gentle cask strength of just 44.9% it shows distinctive fresh orchard and citrus fruit as well as crushed stone and sea salt. As the curator rather than producer I can say without interference from my ego, this is an unmissable whisky.

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The Dumbarton distillery closed its doors for good in 2002 and this cask, filled in 2000 is one of an ever dwindling number on the market with very few being bottled these days. A superb Single Grain, a class that is chronically under appreciated and misunderstood, it has the lightness of body, the oily texture and vanilla ice cream sweetness that makes grain whisky an essential component of blends, but it also has an elegant balance and floral/woody complexity that makes it a compelling standalone and at 21 years of age is perfectly mature.

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A single cask Islay malt matured in undersized ex-Bourbon barrels previously used to mature Bourbon whiskey at the Koval Distillery, showcasing Caol Ila’s classic oily maritime qualities with aromas of sweet, earthy peat, sea breeze and iodine alongside pungent, warming spices evoking cinnamon, cumin, smoked pepper and cardamom. A finish laced with eucalyptus and dried mint makes for a restrained, finessed Islay with a long, dynamic finish. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.1% without colouring or filtration.

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This twelve-year-old Highland Single Malt was distilled in 2008 at the Blair Athol Distillery along the banks of the River Tummel. Drawn from a single, undersized 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, it is a youthful pale golden colour with bright aromatics of red apple and pear as well as fine vanilla and warm baking spices. A generous, well-balanced highlander from one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland dating back to 1798, this is a personal favourite and a fitting first bottling of the Stiùbhart Single Cask Selection. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 58.9% without chill filtration or added colouring.

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