Cask types: 70 % Bourbon Barrels / 5 % Oloroso Sherry / 25 % Fino Sherry

Date Bottled: 21.9.2022

Strength: 49,2 % abv

Number of bottles: 1.260

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.

Single cask Islay whisky bottled to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Belgian independent bottler the Nectar. After initial maturation in American oak, this distinctive single malt was filled into dessert wine casks from Monbazillac. A great combination of sweet wine cask influence and coastal peatiness.

52.7% ABV

The newest, oldest whisky to join the core range. This supreme expression proves unequivocally that age cannot tame Ardbeg's smoky power. But it can yield some of the most complex and majestic flavours ever to burst forth from Ardbeg Distillery.

Bottled from incredibly rare casks filled during some of the Distillery's darkest days, this is Ardbeg at its most intricate, balanced and beguiling.

Majestic aromas of smoked cream and earthy bonfires are masterfully interwoven with layers of pine and fragrant candle wax. Hot pepper rises on the palate, twisting around lemon sherbet sweetness, while hints of carbolic soap and tar flow into a long aftertaste characterised by delicate aniseed entwined with lingering cream and fudge.

Non chill-filtered with a strength of 46%

The flavour of Islay untamed

No more than 60 casks will make up each batch. Each cask is selected for the notes it will bring to the whisky. Each batch will have a unique code and shows the cask breakdown which enables the recipient, each year, to contrast, compare and explore the different notes that the wood and blending brings to this Islay Scotch Whisky. #01-2023 uses the cask selection to create layers of sweetness, zest intertwined with the classic smoke of Islay.

TASTING NOTES

Bursts of zesty citrus and black pepper, evolving to toasted bread, marmalade, and smoke. On the palate, it’s fresh with salt, lime, and spices, while the finish lingers with spice, smoke, and toffee-like richness.

NON CHILL–FILTERED | NO ADDED COLOURING

The third edition, The Beithir’s Tale 15 Years Old is the last of the Anthology has been aged for 15 years in a special designer charred bourbon casks, air-seasoned, heavily toasted and then lightly charged

AGE – 15 Years Old

COLOUR – Pale Straw

NOSE – Pungent, oily and spicy, rich notes of treacle wrap around creosote and smoked herbs. Toasted apples and raisins reveal a sweeter
underbelly. With water, eucalyptus and menthol burst forth as fennel and pine trail behind.

TASTE – Astoundingly balanced, a sizzling mouthfeel leads into peat smoke, coffee grits and currents. Sweet lemon balsam entwines with smoked mandarins, followed by a sharp, smoky tang.

FINISH – Finally, a long, meandering finish brings with it subtle hints of vanilla and smoked butter.

Released in 2016, this is a small batch release of Finlaggan which is finished in sherry casks and bottled at 46% vol, for a ripe smoky flavour.

Tasting Notes: 

Nose: rich peat smoke, and big ripe fruits. Old leather and a hint of tobacco.

Palate: Thick chewy peat and rich fruity notes. make and sea salt. Oranges and dried fruits.

Finish: Long and warming. More smoke and fruit.

THIS ITEM WILL SHIP FROM OUR HAMILTON WAREHOUSE.

In just a fraction of a second, this bottling takes us to Laphroaig to breathe in the particularly invigorating salty sea air. Next, acting as a link between the peat and the other ingredients of the aroma and flavour palette, incredibly smooth dark chocolate brings us irresistibly towards the malting floors filled with the utterly divine fragrances of germinating barley.

Nose: clean, complex. On the first nose, traces of rubber, intense smoke and gentian root dig furrows into an anthracite-coloured peat. Allowed to breathe, this peat becomes more oily and medicinal (band-aid, merbromin), salty and even hot (cayenne). Gradually, the gamy character takes over (smoked fish and bacon). At the same time, the aromatic palette is undeniably jaunty, spring-like and bright.

Palate: powerful, lively. On the attack, blocks of chocolatey peat roll across the palate. Immediately after, iodine tincture and mustard seed bring lots of vitality. The mid-palate is a subtle mixture of herbaceous (hay, malted barley), fruity (pear, Golden Delicious) and vanilla sequences. At the end of the palate, a subtle liqueur of acacia honey and roasted pineapple unctuously floods the entire palette of flavours.

Finish: long, generous. In archetypal Laphroaig style, the start of the finish is peaty/chocolatey, fruity, iodine and phenolic (hydrocarbon, sleet). Rooted in its terroir (gentian, ginger), in a mineral-rich soil. A handful of dried fruits (almond, walnut) and citrus fruits (lemon, grapefruit) dominate the very dynamic end of the palate. On the retro-nasal olfaction, coconut milk, ash and aromatic plants (sage, verbena) stand out for their intensity. The empty glass is vegetal (Havana cigar) and chocolatey.

Ardbeg Grooves was released in celebration of Ardbeg Day 2018, and as ever, the Islay-based distillers have created a most intriguing expression. Part of the whisky that makes up Grooves was matured in red wine casks that were very well-charred, resulting in heavy grooves in the surface of the wood. A mellow though flavoursome dram.

Nose: A thick, spiced aroma of iodine, seaweed and golden syrup leads among a herbal note of lavender. An earthy funk from damp bonfire wood, old oak and dried grass is complemented by lighter touches of butterscotch, stone fruits and a little marzipan icing.

Palate: Vanilla fudge, toffee popcorn and tarred orchard fruits rise through a big, salty opening. Savoury BBQ notes of cured Italian meats are percolated by paprika, green chilli and scorched herbs. Antique leather and damp oak form an interesting backdrop.

Finish: Seaside bonfire and smoked salts percolate through a mellow sweetness.

Caol Ila is one of Islay's best loved distilleries and this 12 year old is their entry level bottling.

This expression is light and fresh with that distinctive Caol Ila smoke and notes of zesty limoncello. A perfect introduction to the joys of Islay malt and the mercurial qualities of peat smoked whisky.

Distillery - Bunnahabhain
Bottler - Blackadder (BA)
Bottling series - Raw Cask
Vintage - 24.10.2013
Bottled - 06.2025
Stated Age - 11 years
Cask Type -Bourbon Barrel
Casknumber - 814
Number of bottles - 168
Strength - 57.4 %

*Delivery may take up to 5 working days

A Westport 'blended malt', distilled in 2003, aged for 21 years and bottled at natural cask strength.

Nose: Ripe dark berries, stewed plums, and rich fruitcake, with hints of polished oak, cinnamon, and toasted almonds.

Palate: Silky and mouth-coating, with waves of dark chocolate, spiced orange, sticky toffee pudding, and black cherries, balanced by a touch of espresso and walnut.

Finish: Long, warming, and deeply satisfying, with lingering notes of dried figs, molasses, and a whisper of oak spice.

*Delivery may take up to 5 working days

Refill wood, west coast air, 17 years of silence. This 2008 Tobermory has done everything the slow way, bottled at 54.9%, with salted lemon, sea herbs, wax polish and just enough funk to keep things interesting. Understated until it isn’t.