April 2025 Auction

Bruichladdich Private Cask 20 Year Old #309 / Port Magnus

Like its island neighbour Bunnahabhain distillery, Bruichladdich has traditionally been an un-peated single malt, mostly owing to its requirements by the blenders who owned it. The last of these was Whyte & Mackay, who eventually shut it down in 1995, deeming it surplus to requirements. They sold the distillery to Murray McDavid in 2001, who launched the peated Port Charlotte and heavily-peated Octomore single malts in 2006 and 2008. A recommissioned Lomond still also now produces the popular Botanist gin there.

This private cask of Bruichladdich has been aged in port hogshead #309 and was bottled at 20 years old.

Balblair 1990 Single Cask #1463

Balblair distillery is situated in the northern Highland region, currently under the ownership of Inver House Distillers and previously part of the Hiram Walker empire before it became Allied Distillers. Allied sold it to Inver House in 1996, who introduced this much-loved vintage-dated core range in 2007. They were produced for over ten years before being replaced by an age-stated core range in 2018.

This whisky was distilled in 1990 and aged in single cask #1463. It was bottled in 2012.

Blair Athol 1995 Managers' Choice #5989

Blair Athol distillery is one of Scotland's oldest, dating back into the late 18th century. Its modern story begins when it was closed down by Peter Mackenzie in 1932, and was purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons the following year. Distilling recommenced in 1949, and with Blair Athol malt at its heart, Bell's became one of the world's best-selling whiskies. Despite its importance to the blend, Blair Athol was also bottled as a single malt under the Bell's banner in the 1970s and 1980s. New owners, Guinness, were less interested in this when they took over in 1985, but their subsequent iteration, United Distillers, brought a back distillery bottling with the Flora & Fauna release. Despite its popularity, Blair Athol has yet to be bottled under its own single malt brand. Other official bottlings from the Diageo era are very rare too.

This Blair Athol was distilled in 1995 and matured in single Bodega sherry cask #5989. It was bottled in 2009 as part of the Diageo Manager's Choice series.

Back in February 2009, a selection of Diageo distillery managers were tasked to choose a single cask of whisky from each of the 27 malt whisky distilleries in the company's portfolio at the time. The Managers' Choice releases were quite controversial when initially released, being fairly young whiskies with quite high price tags. Official single cask releases from these distilleries are still rare however (as are official release at all in some cases), so perhaps these would be considered quite reasonable now.

One of only 570 bottles.

Bruichladdich Octomore 10 Year Old

Peated to 80.5ppm the coming of age 10 year old Octomore was limited to only 6,000 bottles.

Octomore is the super-heavily peated single malt produced by Bruichladdich distillery, the most routinely heavily peated in the world. The whisky is named after the farm of the same name, located on a hillside north of the town of Port Charlotte. Having been traditionally an un-peated single malt due to the needs of its former owners for their blends, Murray McDavid were quick to diversify the Bruichladdich portfolio, also introducing the more lightly peated Port Charlotte and Lochindaal.

Bimber Single Bourbon Cask #322 / Euston

The founders of London's Bimber distillery, Dariusz and Ewelina, moved from Poland to the UK in 2003, opening their distillery in the Park Royal area of west London twelve years later. Plazewski inherited his passion for whisky from his grandfather, who also distilled his own spirits. The company’s first casks were laid down on the 26th May 2016, and three years later they released their first single malt in September 2019. This became the first whisky to be distilled and bottled in London for over a century. The distillery carries a “farm-to-bottle” approach by sourcing 100% of its barley from a single producer and using traditional floor maltings and slow fermentation techniques. Distillation takes place via a 1,000-litre wash still and a 600-litre spirit still that were both crafted by Hoga of Spain.

This single cask release is part of the Spirit of the Underground series which was launched in collaboration with Transport for London in May 2021. Each release will celebrate a different one of the underground network’s stations. 

First opened in 1863, the London Underground is regarded by many historians as one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time. Simply known to many as The Tube, the network is still being expanded today as the city of London grows. When the Spirit of the Underground series was first released, the number of stations was 270.

Release number 7 in the series includes: Liverpool Street, Euston, Knightsbridge and Westminster. This whisky has been aged in single ex-bourbon cask #322 and was bottled in March 2025.

One of 257 bottles.

Burnside 1996 Whisky Taste

Burnside is the name given to a certain blend of single malts distilled in Speyside by William Grant & Sons when sold in bulk, appearing occasionally on independent bottlings like this. The trademark for bottled whisky named Burnside is still owned by J&A Mitchell & Co, who’s Eaglesome subsidiary released several Springbank expressions labelled as such in the 1980s and early 1990s.

This blend of two 'Dufftown' distilleries was distilled in October 1991 and matured in single American oak barrel #7389 for 28 years. It was bottled by the Whisky Center in October 2019, and labelled The Brexiteer.

One of 182 bottles.

Please note that the distillation and bottling data shows this to be a 27 year old, despite the age statement on the label.

Islay Single Malt 1991 Thompson Brothers 29 Year Old / The Auld Alliance

The Thompson Brothers began their whisky bottling in enterprise in 2013, establishing the Black Isle Whisky Company in their native Dornoch. The brothers, Simon and Philip, renamed the operation as the Dornoch Distilling Company in 2015, opening the Dornoch distillery the following year. In addition to distilling their own whisky, their independent bottlings continue to flourish, with many exceptional tasting and fantastically labelled single malts and rums released under the Thompson Bros banner.

This is a unnamed (although almost certainly Laphroaig) Islay single malt, distilled in 1991 and matured for a total of 29 years. It was bottled at cask strength in collaboration with The Auld Alliance bar of Singapore. 

One of 240 bottles.

Blanton's Single Barrel dumped 1998 70cl

Blanton's is a bourbon brand from the portfolio of Age International, the company formed by former Fleischmann's Distilling director's, Bob Baranaskas and Ferdie Falke. They had approached Schenley in the early 1980s with a view to purchasing its Old Charter brand, but were instead offered Ancient Age and the George T. Stagg distillery where it was produced. The deal was completed in 1983, two years before the retirement of George T. Stagg master distiller, Elmer T. Lee, who had served there for 36 years, working his way from the bottom up. One of his final pioneering triumphs before doing so was the introduction of mass produced single barrel bourbon, specifically through the creation of the Blanton's brand in 1984.

Normally a 6 to 8 year old bourbon, it is aged in Warehouse H at Buffalo Trace, which is the only metal-clad warehouse at the distillery, commissioned for construction by Albert B. Blanton, after whom the whiskey is named. The warehouse was built shortly after prohibition and being metal, transfers heat quicker than brick warehouses, allowing for more rapid ageing.

The popularity of these products was particularly high in Japan, coinciding with a market boom for American whiskey there in the 1980s. In 1991, with Age International in some financial trouble, a Japanese company called Takaro Shuzo stepped in and acquired a 22.5% stake in the company. In an unusual series of events, they then scuppered a deal the following year that was to see the remaining shares sold to Heublein (a subsidiary of Grand Metropolitan). Their deal the year before had included a 30 day right of refusal to purchase the shares for themselves should they be put up for sale. With the deal all but done, the Japanese company stepped in on the final day of the window to acquire full control of the company. As it turned out, their only interest was in the brands, and they had used the 30 days to negotiate a deal with the Sazerac Company of  New Orleans. This saw the American company take ownership of the distillery (which they renamed Buffalo Trace in 1999), as well as the exclusive production and US distribution rights for the Age International labels. This is an arrangement that is still in place today.

This is a 1998 bottling.

Since 1999, every bottle of Blanton's has one of 8 different stoppers, each depicting a horse and jockey at a different stage of finishing a race. The designs are all lettered so that a complete set laid out side by side will spell \"BLANTONS.\" 

Please note due to the fragility of Blanton’s bottle seal and packaging, Whisky Auctioneer cannot accept responsibility for any damage and/or leakage during transit.

Booker's 6 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon #2018-01 'Kathleen's Batch'

The Booker's brand is a subsidiary of Jim Beam and was named after former master distiller, Booker Noe. His son Fred is now the current master distiller and is on record as having said, \"if you’re drinking Booker’s, you better have your pajamas on!” Jim Beam have two distilleries in Kentucky where they produce their bourbon, but Booker's is the only brand produced exclusively at one of them; the Boston Road plant, now also known as the Booker Noe distillery.

Booker's was launched in 1992 and is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch collection, alongside Baker's, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden.

Batch #2018-01 was aged for 6 years, 3 months and 14 days. 

Bowmore 17 Year Old pre-2007

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

Regarded by some as the best of the core Bowmore range, the 17 year old had a huge following. It was removed from the core range to become a travel retail exclusive in 2007, before being discontinued completely in 2014. It is now increasingly sought after.

Benrinnes 2000 Carn Mor / Schlumberger

Until 2007, Benrinnes had a unique triple distillation process that resulted in a single malt highly prized by blenders for its distinct \"meaty\" quality. So much so in fact, that none was spared for an official distillery bottling until United Distillers introduced the 15 year old Flora & Fauna release. Thankfully, the distillery has always featured in the catalogues of independent bottlers, giving ample opportunity to experience this sought after single malt.

This whisky was distilled in 2000 and aged in a single ex-Sherry hogshead, before being bottled in 2022. Selected exclusively for Schlumberger of Germany.

This is a Celebration of the Cask bottling, the single cask sub-category of Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers’ Carn Mor label. Formerly Morrison & Mackay, they are a Perth-based company producing a number of whisky liqueurs as well as independent single malts and blends, including the popular recently revived Old Perth. In 2017 the firm completed the construction of the Aberargie distillery in the town of the same name.

One of 260 bottles.

Ben Nevis 1997 Hidden Spirits 24 Year Old / Sansibar 10th Anniversary

Ben Nevis distillery was built by \"Long\" John MacDonald in 1825, and was so popular by the end of the 19th century that at one point the estate employed over 200 people. After a series of closure and re-openings at the beginning of the 20th, it was eventually bought by former Canadian bootlegger, Joseph Hobbs. He installed a coffey still there in 1955, making Ben Nevis Scotland's first dual-operation distillery, and began to blend its malt and grain before filling it to cask. Sporadic closures again followed Hobb's death, with stability finally ensured in 1989 when it was bought by long-term customers, Nikka Whisky of Japan. Its turbulent history means there were few distillery bottlings until the launch of the 10 year old single malt in 1996, but casks had long been making their way to independent labels, and many of them are very highly praised.

This Ben Nevis was distilled in 1997 and matured in single cask #BN9721S for 24 years. It was selected by and bottled by Hidden Spirits for Sansibar's 10th Anniversary.

Following the lead of esteemed countrymen such as Samaroli and Moon Import in the 1980s, Hidden Spirits is part of a new generation of independent Italian bottlers. Founded by Andrea Ferrari, the company operates an online store for fine and rare collectible spirits, as well as bottling some very respected independent single malts and rum.

Bimber Single Madeira Cask #108/2 / Westminster

The founders of London's Bimber distillery, Dariusz and Ewelina, moved from Poland to the UK in 2003, opening their distillery in the Park Royal area of west London twelve years later. Plazewski inherited his passion for whisky from his grandfather, who also distilled his own spirits. The company’s first casks were laid down on the 26th May 2016, and three years later they released their first single malt in September 2019. This became the first whisky to be distilled and bottled in London for over a century. The distillery carries a “farm-to-bottle” approach by sourcing 100% of its barley from a single producer and using traditional floor maltings and slow fermentation techniques. Distillation takes place via a 1,000-litre wash still and a 600-litre spirit still that were both crafted by Hoga of Spain.

This single cask release is part of the Spirit of the Underground series which was launched in collaboration with Transport for London in May 2021. Each release will celebrate a different one of the underground network’s stations. 

First opened in 1863, the London Underground is regarded by many historians as one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time. Simply known to many as The Tube, the network is still being expanded today as the city of London grows. When the Spirit of the Underground series was first released, the number of stations was 270.

This was among the seventh release in the series, alongside Liverpool Street, Euston, and Knightsbridge. The whisky itself has been matured in single Madeira cask #108/2, and bottled in March 2025.

One of 242 bottles.

Balvenie 1991 Port Wood

Balvenie was built by William Grant in 1892 and remains part of his family's company to this day. In the early part of its history, its purpose was primarily for the provision of malt for Grant's blends, however following the global success of Glenfiddich, the Balvenie single malt brand was launched in 1973. It remained a rarity though, and it was not until the opening of Kininvie in 1990, and later Ailsa Bay in Girvan, that the distillery was given the freedom to focus on its single malt. Today it is one of the best recognised brands in the world. In 1993 they launched the 12 year old \"DoubleWood,\" an expression credited with pioneering the use of cask-finishing, and this has become a key motif for the distillery's output in recent times.

This Balvenie was distilled in 1991 and initially matured in bourbon casks, then finished in Port pipes. These Port Wood finished Balvenies were very popular, and have since been replaced by the 21 Year Old Port Wood.

Bruichladdich 1990 Micro Provenance Single Cask #622 20 Year Old 

Like its island neighbour Bunnahabhain distillery, Bruichladdich has traditionally been an un-peated single malt, mostly owing to its requirements by the blenders who owned it. The last of these was Whyte & Mackay, who eventually shut it down in 1995, deeming it surplus to requirements. They sold the distillery to Murray McDavid in 2001, who launched the peated Port Charlotte and heavily-peated Octomore single malts in 2006 and 2008. A recommissioned Lomond still also now produces the popular Botanist gin there.

Released as a single cask within the Micro Provenance series from Bruichladdich. A single bourbon cask was filled in February 1990,  transfered to Chateau D'Yquem cask #055 on the 5th October 2005, and finally bottled in 2011.

One of only 250 bottles.

Bowmore 25 Year Old 

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

This is the modern bottling of the revered 25 year old Bowmore, a staple of the core range since the 1990s.

Benriach 1994 Peated Single Oloroso Cask 28 Year Old #2061

Benriach is a distillery with long-standing transatlantic connections. It was procured by Seagram in 1978, the former Canadian drinks empire, and is now in the hands of the Brown-Forman corporation, via Billy Walker who rescued it from a brief mothballing in 2002. Walker bottled some of the peated whisky that Seagram had begun producing there for its blends in 1983, and the positive reaction to these means the distillery now produces both a peated and unpeated single malt. Benriach is one of only seven distilleries in Scotland to still operate its own in-house floor maltings.

This Benriach was distilled in July 1994 and matured in single Oloroso puncheon #2061 for 28 years. It was bottled in 2022 as part of the distillery's Cask Edition series.

One of 656 bottles.

Bowmore 17 Year Old pre-2007

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

Regarded by some as the best of the core Bowmore range, the 17 year old had a huge following. It was removed from the core range to become a travel retail exclusive in 2007, before being discontinued completely in 2014. It is now increasingly sought after.

Bimber Duality Blended Malt / Compass Box

The founders of London's Bimber distillery, Dariusz and Ewelina, moved from Poland to the UK in 2003, opening their distillery in the Park Royal area of west London twelve years later. Plazewski inherited his passion for whisky from his grandfather, who also distilled his own spirits. The company’s first casks were laid down on the 26th May 2016, and three years later they released their first single malt in September 2019. This became the first whisky to be distilled and bottled in London for over a century. The distillery carries a “farm-to-bottle” approach by sourcing 100% of its barley from a single producer and using traditional floor maltings and slow fermentation techniques. Distillation takes place via a 1,000-litre wash still and a 600-litre spirit still that were both crafted by Hoga of Spain.

This was a special collaboration between Compass Box and London distillery Bimber. The idea of the project was for both Compass Box and Bimber to each release a blended malt made-up of each other’s whiskies. Both releases came out at the same time and were titled, Duality.

The Bimber edition of the two Duality releases is a combination of the following:

• Bimber Peated Single Malt
• A 'well-aged' Glendullan first-fill sherry cask (provided by Compass Box)

One of 340 bottles.

Bimber Single Bourbon Cask #322 / Euston

The founders of London's Bimber distillery, Dariusz and Ewelina, moved from Poland to the UK in 2003, opening their distillery in the Park Royal area of west London twelve years later. Plazewski inherited his passion for whisky from his grandfather, who also distilled his own spirits. The company’s first casks were laid down on the 26th May 2016, and three years later they released their first single malt in September 2019. This became the first whisky to be distilled and bottled in London for over a century. The distillery carries a “farm-to-bottle” approach by sourcing 100% of its barley from a single producer and using traditional floor maltings and slow fermentation techniques. Distillation takes place via a 1,000-litre wash still and a 600-litre spirit still that were both crafted by Hoga of Spain.

This single cask release is part of the Spirit of the Underground series which was launched in collaboration with Transport for London in May 2021. Each release will celebrate a different one of the underground network’s stations. 

First opened in 1863, the London Underground is regarded by many historians as one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time. Simply known to many as The Tube, the network is still being expanded today as the city of London grows. When the Spirit of the Underground series was first released, the number of stations was 270.

Release number 7 in the series includes: Liverpool Street, Euston, Knightsbridge and Westminster. This whisky has been aged in single ex-bourbon cask #322 and was bottled in March 2025.

One of 257 bottles.

Balvenie 12 Year Old Signature Batch #3

Balvenie was built by William Grant in 1892 and remains part of his family's company to this day. In the early part of its history, its purpose was primarily for the provision of malt for Grant's blends, however following the global success of Glenfiddich, the Balvenie single malt brand was launched in 1973. It remained a rarity though, and it was not until the opening of Kininvie in 1990, and later Ailsa Bay in Girvan, that the distillery was given the freedom to focus on its single malt. Today it is one of the best recognised brands in the world. In 1993 they launched the 12 year old \"DoubleWood,\" an expression credited with pioneering the use of cask-finishing, and this has become a key motif for the distillery's output in recent times.

This is the third batch of Signature, which David Stewart crafted to mark his 45th year in the whisky industry. Now discontinued, the whisky itself was matured in the three most traditional cask types, both first-fill and refill bourbon, and Oloroso sherry butts.

Bowmore 17 Year Old Screen Print 1990s

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

Regarded by some as the best of the core Bowmore range, the 17 year old had a huge following. It was removed from the core range to become a travel retail exclusive in 2007, before being discontinued completely in 2014. It is now increasingly sought after.

These famous screen print bottlings were introduced in 1988, following the rebranding of the Stanley P. Morrison company as Morrison Bowmore Distillers, and the revamping of their distillery core ranges as a result. The classic 12 year old was joined at the time by the first appearance of the Bowmore 10 year old, with the Mariner, Cask Strength and this 17 year old added in the 1990s.

Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project #77 37.5cl

A historic distillery, Buffalo Trace was built in 1812 Harrison Blanton. It was then purchased by the legendary Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr in 1870, who named it OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) and invested heavily in its modernisation. So much so in fact that he declared himself bankrupt after just seven years, and George T. Stagg stepped in to rescue it, becoming its owner in 1878. He ran the distillery until his retirement in the 1890s, and it was renamed in his honour in 1904. Having survived Prohibition, it was bought up by the Schenley company in 1933, who ran it as part of their extensive portfolio for the next fifty years,eventually selling it to Age International. The latter's new Japanese ownership in 1992 had no interest in it (only in its brands), and immediately sold it to the Sazerac company, who renamed it Buffalo Trace in 1999.

Sazerac caused quite a stir when revealing Buffalo Trace as the distillery's new title, borrowed from a DBA (\"doing business as\") name that they had used to bottle several Ancient Age brands in the early 1990s. This was unusual as it was more common for a distillery to take its name from a product it sold, or from its actual parent company. After much confusion, they enlisted the help of former master distiller, Elmer T. Lee, who found the barrels ageing in their warehouse that would become the first batch of Buffalo Trace straight bourbon. It proved so popular that he was subsequently invited to assist them with replicating the flavour for their core range product.

The Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project was an experiment to analyse the effects of various factors on their flagship whisky. It began with 96 specially selected American oak trees, each differing according to the number of growth rings per inch and the location in which they were planted. Each tree was then cut into a top and bottom section, and a barrel constructed from each. For each, the char level and stave seasoning was different, they were filled with whiskey of varying recipes and entry proofs, and aged in a variety of warehouse locations.

The 192 barrels included in the experiment were bottled and released between 2011 and 2015. Throughout the experiment customers were able to login and provide reviews for the whiskies, and after over 4,600 reviews were shared on the website, the overall winner was barrel #80.

Ben Nevis 1996 Single Malts of Scotland 22 Year Old #2019

Ben Nevis distillery was built by \"Long\" John MacDonald in 1825, and was so popular by the end of the 19th century that at one point the estate employed over 200 people. After a series of closure and re-openings at the beginning of the 20th, it was eventually bought by former Canadian bootlegger, Joseph Hobbs. He installed a coffey still there in 1955, making Ben Nevis Scotland's first dual-operation distillery, and began to blend its malt and grain before filling it to cask. Sporadic closures again followed Hobb's death, with stability finally ensured in 1989 when it was bought by long-term customers, Nikka Whisky of Japan. Its turbulent history means there were few distillery bottlings until the launch of the 10 year old single malt in 1996, but casks had long been making their way to independent labels, and many of them are very highly praised.

This Ben Nevis was distilled in November 1996 and matured for 22 years in single Sherry butt #2019. It was bottled by Elixir Distillers in July 2019 and part of the Single Malts of Scotland series.

Originally known as Speciality Drinks, Elixir Distillers was established in 1999 as the independent bottling arm of The Whisky Exchange, which launched its online retail site the same year. Their first bottlings were under this Single Malts of Scotland label in 2005, followed by the Elements of Islay range and Port Askaig single malt brand in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The company was renamed Elixir Distillers as of 2017

One of only 580 bottles.

Bimber Single Bourbon Cask #322 / Euston

The founders of London's Bimber distillery, Dariusz and Ewelina, moved from Poland to the UK in 2003, opening their distillery in the Park Royal area of west London twelve years later. Plazewski inherited his passion for whisky from his grandfather, who also distilled his own spirits. The company’s first casks were laid down on the 26th May 2016, and three years later they released their first single malt in September 2019. This became the first whisky to be distilled and bottled in London for over a century. The distillery carries a “farm-to-bottle” approach by sourcing 100% of its barley from a single producer and using traditional floor maltings and slow fermentation techniques. Distillation takes place via a 1,000-litre wash still and a 600-litre spirit still that were both crafted by Hoga of Spain.

This single cask release is part of the Spirit of the Underground series which was launched in collaboration with Transport for London in May 2021. Each release will celebrate a different one of the underground network’s stations. 

First opened in 1863, the London Underground is regarded by many historians as one of the greatest engineering achievements of all time. Simply known to many as The Tube, the network is still being expanded today as the city of London grows. When the Spirit of the Underground series was first released, the number of stations was 270.

This was among the seventh release in the series, alongside Liverpool Street, Knightsbridge, and Westminster. The whisky itself has been matured in single bourbon cask #322, and bottled in March 2025.

One of 257 bottles.

Islay Single Malt 25 Year Old C. Dully

This whisky was aged for 25 years in bourbon barrels before being bottled in 2024. 

One of 357 bottles.

Islay Single Malt 25 Year Old C. Dully

This whisky was aged for 25 years in bourbon barrels before being bottled in 2024. 

One of 357 bottles.

Ichiro's Malt Double Distilleries 2021 / Chichibu and Komagatake

The Ichiro's Malt brand is produced by Japanese firm, Venture Whisky, and is named after their founder, Ichiro Akuto. Venture Whisky was established in 2004 after Ichiro acquired the remaining unblended stocks of single malt from his grandfather's Hanyu distillery. Ichiro's Malt was born the following year, with the release of the original 'Card' series single casks of Hanyu. The company then opened its own distillery in 2008, the increasingly sought-after Chichibu. In addition to bottling these two single malts, the Ichiro's Malt brand has also produced a number of sought after blended whiskies like this over the years.

Double Distilleries is an Ichiro's Malt vatting of malt produced from Mars Whisky's Shinshu and Ichiro's own Chichibu distillery.

One of 10,200 bottles.

Bunnahabhain 2004 SMWS 18 Year Old 10.254

'A real boisterous dram'

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was founded in 1983 by a group of friends lead by tax accountant Phillip ‘Pip’ Hills as a private members club. The concept behind the society was to source casks from all over Scotland which would then be bottled and made available exclusively to its members. Perhaps the most famous feature of these bottles are the unique codes. Each distillery is represented by a different number and the following digits indicate that particular release. That same year, the SMWS set up its first location in Leith’s Vault buildings in Edinburgh where it still stands today.

This whisky was distilled on 25th November 2004 and aged for a total of 18 years in a combination of an ex-Oloroso and a first-fill ex-Oloroso butt. 

An austere piece of Victorian architecture on the north-east coast of Islay, Bunnahabhain is a relative outsider on the island, traditionally known for producing an un-peated single malt. The majority of this was used for blending, as was its initial intended purpose. The distillery was shut for 2 years in 1982 following the market downturn of the period, and despite being revived at low production, it was eventually officially bottled as a single malt later that decade, with the self-deprecating tag-line, \"the un-pronounceable malt.\"

One of 548 bottles.

Ben Nevis 1998 The Maltman 24 Year Old

Ben Nevis distillery was built by \"Long\" John MacDonald in 1825, and was so popular by the end of the 19th century that at one point the estate employed over 200 people. After a series of closure and re-openings at the beginning of the 20th, it was eventually bought by former Canadian bootlegger, Joseph Hobbs. He installed a coffey still there in 1955, making Ben Nevis Scotland's first dual-operation distillery, and began to blend its malt and grain before filling it to cask. Sporadic closures again followed Hobb's death, with stability finally ensured in 1989 when it was bought by long-term customers, Nikka Whisky of Japan. Its turbulent history means there were few distillery bottlings until the launch of the 10 year old single malt in 1996, but casks had long been making their way to independent labels, and many of them are very highly praised.

This Ben Nevis was distilled in October 1998 and matured in single refill hogshead #694 for 24 years. It was bottled by The Meadowside Blending Company in February 2023, under their The Maltman label.

The Meadowside Blending Company was established in 2011 by Donald Hart and his son Andrew. Donald was a veteran in the whisky business, having previously run the Hart Brothers company with his siblings, Iain and Alistair. The family sold the Hart Brothers company in 2007, but were not absent from the independent bottling scene for long. The Maltman is their flagship brand, and has produced a number of renowned single cask releases.

One of 235 bottles.

Bowmore 1992 Wine Cask Matured 16 Year Old

Islay’s oldest working distillery, Bowmore was established in 1779 and is now regarded as one of the most popular malts not only on Islay, but in the whole of Scotland. The distillery was acquired by Stanley P. Morrison in 1963, ushering in an era of iconic single malts, including the legendary Black Bowmore, credited by many as the genesis of whisky collecting, bottled in 1993. The distillery was bought under the control Suntory the year after (they had been stakeholders since 1989), and it remains one of the most collectible brands in Scotch whisky today. Bowmore is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries to use its own floor maltings, providing them with 40% of their requirements.

A vintage cask strength Bowmore, this was distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2008. Initial maturation was in bourbon casks before being finished in Bordeaux wine casks from Suntory's Chateau Lagrange winery.

Limited to 18,000 bottles.

Bivrost Fenrir Limited Edition Loke series / 01 

Several distilleries over the years have laid claim to the accolade of the world's most northerly whisky producer, the current flag-bearer, and likely the last is the Aurora Spirit distillery. It is located far within the Arctic Circle, not far from the town of Lyngseidet in Norway. Surrounded by the Lyngen Alps, nearby fjords and with views of the arctic wilderness and Northern Lights, the setting is truly stunning. As if the environs were not enough, the workings of the distillery are no less intriguing. It was built within a disused NATO Cold War base, and the maturation of its whisky takes place within its network of underground tunnels.

The distillery's spirits are bottled under the Bivrost brand, and this whisky is their eighth release of arctic single malt. The distillery plans to launch its first permanent Bivrost range in 2025, and until then will launch a series of limited editions, two per year as part of a collectible series based on the nine worlds of Norse mythology.