Whisk[e]y

From the distillery: Coming in at 35 PPM, the whisky has a sweeter style of smoke character owing to the mainland peat from St. Fergus used to kiln the barley. After a lengthy 160-hour fermentation, the whisky has a complex character which stands up well to ageing in virgin oak casks.

Nose: Smoldering oak embers, burnt liquorice and honey, with ginger, butterscotch and orange peel.

Taste: Cocoa, crème brûlée and toasted almonds, with cinnamon, aniseed and campfire smoke.

From the distillery: Made using mainland peat from St. Fergus, the sweet phenolic content of the whisky amounts to 35 PPM. A lengthy fermentation period of 160 hours results in a fruit-forward spirit that lends itself perfectly to ageing in the finest Sherry oak.

Nose: Cedarwood, cigar box, butterscotch and mocha, with orange peel, honey and plum jam.

Taste: Dark chocolate, smoked honey and mocha, with figs, treacle, burnt sugar and puffs of peat smoke.

From the distillery: ‘The Original’ is our classic single malt that truly champions our peated pursuit. Made with mainland peat from St. Fergus, the flavour contribution is sweeter than that anticipated of coastal peat.

NOSE: Baking spices, burnt honey and espresso, with hazelnuts, smoked almonds and butterscotch.

TASTE: Sweet peat, rich chocolate and heather honey, with cinnamon, ginger and oak-smoked sugar.

Not a rye whisky! With a mashbill of 100% malted barley, Kaiyo The Rye 10 Year Japanese Whisky is a limited-edition item from the Kaiyo Whisky Wood Library Series. It's a maturation of extremely rare Japanese Mizunara oak and ex-Knob Creek rye whiskey barrels, aged for 10 years. The rye casks bring out the sharper notes of black pepper, herbs, and the vanilla of American oak, while the Mizunara lends cardamom, clove, and a delicate floral note.

Since 1984, each Master Distiller of Midleton Very Rare uses their eye for detail, their passion for quality whiskey and their exemplary skill to create the pinnacle of Irish whiskey—our special vintage release.

The latest chapter of this renowned collection is adorned with the signature of our Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman. After months of exploration, O’Gorman crafted a balanced blend of rare and hand-selected single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys from Midleton’s exclusive inventory to create this truly special release.

Matured in lightly charred ex-bourbon American oak barrels, the Midleton Very Rare 2023 Vintage Release delights with decadent flavours and a tantalising aroma. The aroma, taste and finish of this whiskey will enliven the palates of those new to this collection while taking the seasoned whiskey collector on a journey through an exciting exploration of taste.

This 'teaspooned' whisky is for all intents and purposes mostly the beloved 1989 Balvenie with that tiny amount of Glenlivet added in order to declassify the cask

From the bottler: 

Distillers can be very protective of their hard-won malts, especially those who carry the most prestigious of names. From time to time, they must relinquish the hold on their casks, when one is sold to an independent bottler, for instance. Before spirit changes hands, the distiller - green-eyed and flush with passion - will take a single teaspoon of another distillery’s single malt, and add it to the spirit in the cask. Just a dash it takes, but that whisky can no longer bear the name its distillery of birth.

The distillery of origin is a darling of Dufftown, where nine stout stills produce a spirit rich in fruit and notably honeyed. Her sister, nestled close by in the Moray countryside, is where the ‘teaspoon’ of malt originated. Though nameless, together they are a powerful and stunning pair.

Independent bottlings of spirit distilled at the Balvenie distillery are rarely found on the market, and though the distillery is notable for having experimented with different cask types, this ex-bourbon cask allows the distillery character to sing finely and clearly, while accentuating the sweet vanilla and stone fruit character.

Made by master blender Ken Usami. Shinobu's Daimyo-no was created as a symbol of the samurai spirit, which aims for perfection with patience. Daimyo refers to powerful samurai who ruled over Japan from the 12th to 19th century. Carefully selected grain and malt whiskies are aged in several types of oak barrels and blended, resulting in a perfectly balanced and harmonious flavor with a rich aroma.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Toasted grains, ripe orchard fruits, vanilla, and subtle nutty undertones.
Palate: Perfectly balanced sweetness, oakiness, hints of caramel, and a touch of spice.
Finish: Long-lasting, lingering warmth with a gentle hint of dried fruit.

Kujira Ryukyu Whisky 10 years was distilled from 100% premium Indica rice, and matured in White Oak Virgin casks for more than 10 years. Masahiro Distillery was founded in 1883, its history could trace back to Ryukyu Kingdom era. Masahiro Distillery is known for its production techniques, prominent qualities, and passion for innovation.

The story within this bottle begins 500 years ago, along the shores of Okinawa’s iconic Ryukyu islands, where indica rice was fermented into the beloved native indulgence of awamori. The Hayashi 8 Year grows these same roots in new, revitalized soil. A single grain whisky aged eight years in bourbon casks is enriched by island air to a masterful oak and caramel complexity, flourished with tropical flavors unique only to the Hayashi name.

Producer: Pokeno Discovery celebrates our unique place in the world. First we carefully select and blend parcels of stock which have been fully matured in first fill bourbon, Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Casks. We then lay these back down in cask to allow them to marry perfectly together. It is a rich and complex whisky, with beautiful notes of dark chocolate, black forest gateau, ripe cherries and sweet citrus, giving way to a rich, smooth and incredibly long finish.

Producer: Pokeno Origin celebrates our unique place in the world. Produced from the finest local barley, and unrushed through fermentation and distillation to enhance body and flavour, we mature it only in first fill bourbon casks. It is an incredibly sweet and round whisky, with beautiful citrus, honey, grapefruit and creamy toffee notes, giving way to a complex and lingering finish.

Slightly peated French triple malt whisky. Powerful and expressive, the nose reveals the slightly smoky malt blends as baked apples begin to dance across. The nose evolves with subtle spicy hints of cinnamon and nut-meg, mingling with the beguiling class coming from a long ageing, with touches of orange peel and roast pineapple. The taste evokes the texture and richness of walnut oil. It is full and robust thanks to its gently salty freshness. Primary aging includes three to five years in French oak casks, with a secondary post-blend ageing in old Calvados casks.