Knob Creek® Releases 12 Year Old Cask Strength, a Bold Expression of Time, Patience and Full Flavor

KNOB CREEK® RELEASES 12 YEAR OLD CASK STRENGTH, A BOLD EXPRESSION OF TIME, PATIENCE AND FULL FLAVOR

Patiently matured for 12 years and bottled at 121.2 proof, the limited-edition release delivers Knob Creek’s signature full-bodied flavor at cask strength

CLERMONT, Ky., The James B. Beam Distilling Co., home of The Small Batch Bourbon Collection™, announces the release of Knob Creek^® 12 Year Old Cask Strength, a limited-edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon that showcases the depth that twelve years of patient aging and full proof can deliver. Bottled at 121.2 proof, the release brings Knob Creek’s signature full-bodied character to the glass with greater intensity, offering rich layers of caramel, dried apple, butterscotch and seasoned oak, followed by a warm, subtly spiced finish.

“Knob Creek has always been about giving great bourbon the time it deserves. After twelve years in the rickhouse, this batch had the depth and full flavor we were looking for, and we knew we wanted to share it exactly as it was,” said Freddie Noe, eighth-generation master distiller at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. “Cask strength means the barrel gets the final say, and with this one, we were more than glad to listen.”

Patiently matured in charred American white oak barrels and hand-selected from just 10 distinct lots in Knob Creek’s Clermont, Kentucky rickhouses, Knob Creek^® 12 Year Old Cask Strength is carefully batched and bottled at cask strength, best enjoyed neat or on the rocks.

• Proof: 121.2 proof / 60.6% ABV
• Aroma: Caramel, char and dried apple
• Taste: Rich yet balanced flavors of butterscotch, dried apple and seasoned oak
• Finish: Warm with notes of caramel and subtle cinnamon
• Availability: Available nationwide for a limited time
• SRP: $89.99 / 750mL

Arriving in time for the holiday season, Knob Creek^® 12 Year Old Cask Strength is an ideal whiskey for holiday gatherings and gifting, whether enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in a classic Old Fashioned. For more information about Knob Creek^® 12 Year Old Cask Strength and Knob Creek^® award-winning bourbon and rye portfolios, visit knobcreek.com or follow along on Instagram and Facebook @KnobCreek.

About Knob Creek^® Bourbon
Knob Creek^®, alongside Basil Hayden^®, Booker’s^® and Baker’s, is a founding member of the Small Batch American Whiskey category. Founded in 1992 by legendary distiller Booker Noe, the category reflected his vision to introduce distinctive, premium styles of bourbon defined by intentional barrel selection, aging, proof and flavor. Knob Creek was created to bring that vision to life through a full-flavored, pre-Prohibition-style bourbon made without shortcuts.

Knob Creek’s flagship bourbon is patiently aged for nine years in new American oak barrels with a maximum Level 4 char and bottled at 100 proof, delivering the unrivaled depth of flavor that has defined the brand for more than three decades.

Today, Knob Creek offers a portfolio of full-flavored bourbons and ryes, including age-stated expressions including 7 Year Old Rye, 9 Year Old Bourbon, 10 Year Old Rye, 12 Year Old Bourbon, and 15 Year Old Bourbon, single barrel releases and limited-edition innovations including Bourbon x Rye, 12 Year Old Cask Strength, and more all crafted with an unwavering commitment to quality and flavor.

About Suntory Global Spirits
As a world leader in premium spirits, Suntory Global Spirits inspires the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Known for its craftsmanship of premium American whiskeys, including Jim Beam^® and Maker’s Mark^®; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki^® and Hibiki^®; and leading Scotch brands including Laphroaig^®, Suntory Global Spirits also produces leading brands such as El Tesoro^® and Hornitos^® tequilas and Roku^® gin, and is a world leader in Ready-To-Drink cocktails, with brands like -196™ (minus one-nine-six) and On The Rocks™ Bartender Created Cocktails.

A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in nearly 30 countries, Suntory Global Spirits is driven by its core values of Growing for Good, Yatte Minahare and Giving Back to Society, and aims to have a positive impact on the planet, consumers and communities. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information, visit www.suntoryglobalspirits.com

*Further information on Knob Creek^® awards can be found at www.knobcreek.com
Knob Creek^® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 60.6% Alc./vol. ©2026 James B. Beam Distilling Company, Clermont KY.

THE OFFERING

In 2016, twelve special casks arrived in Harris from our friends at Dad’s Hat distillery in Bristol, Pennsylvania. Previously home to their straight rye whiskey, we filled them with our lightly peated spirit. For almost a decade, our whisky has matured entirely in these casks by the shores of Ardhasaig. Now in its final period of marrying, it brings together the warmth and spice of its Pennsylvania heritage with the character of our island whisky. The whisky will be bottled in December, with bottles available from then onwards. Bottles are limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.

SECURE YOUR BOTTLE TODAY

Created in collaboration with our friends Herman Mihalich and John Cooper of Dad’s Hat Rye, this rare single malt has spent almost ten years maturing entirely in American oak Straight Rye casks here in Harris.

Dad’s Hat was founded in 2010 to revive Pennsylvania’s once-famous rye whiskey tradition. For Herman, that story is personal: he grew up above his family’s tavern, where rye whiskey was part of everyday life, and the Dad’s Hat name comes from his father and the fedora he was rarely seen without.

There is a natural connection with our own story in Harris, two distilleries rooted in place, community and the revival of distinctive local traditions, as well as bonds of island emigration and trans-Atlantic journeys.

After almost a decade by the shores of Ardhasaig, the Dad’s Hat casks have connected our two homes once more, bringing warmth, spice and depth to our island spirit, with green apple, lemon peel, black pepper and savoury notes.

The result is a distinctive single malt shaped by two places, two traditions and a special friendship stretching across the Atlantic.

LEARN ABOUT DAD’S HAT DISTILLERY

We expect to bottle this unique dram at 48% ABV and will confirm the final strength once the marrying is complete and the whisky is ready.  As always, it will be non-chill filtered and naturally coloured.  “On the nose there are notes of crisp green apple and toasted oats, with aromas of lemon peel and jellied fruits. A soft peat smoke complements warming mixed spice and hints of black pepper. Old Bay seasoning on the finish gives this dram a delicious and distinctive spiced flavour profile” – SHONA MACLEOD, ISLE OF HARRIS DISTILLERY BLENDER

This new release is also proudly presented with bespoke labelling and a beautifully designed box which captures the story of this special celebration of connection and friendship between our two distilleries.*

*Label and packaging images shown for illustration only. Final designs may vary slightly.

2014 Braeval 11 Year Old “Redacted Bros.” (Thompson/Dornoch) Single Oloroso Hogshead Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

$64.99

Email: wine@klwines.com
Phone: (877) KL-WINES (Toll Free 877.559.4637)
K&L Wine Merchants 3005 El Camino Real Redwood City, CA 94061 USA
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

Our Yin & yang duo are two whiskies made for enjoying side by side. The startling contrast in colour between these two whiskies reminded us of the autumn equinox, a moment when light and dark stand in equal balance – a yin and yang. The Toasted Oak & Vanilla flavour profile of Cask No. 89.25: Library café in autumn embraces the warmth of golden hour sunsets while the Dried Fruits & Spices flavour profile of Cask No. 96.44: Panpepato party starter is a nod to winter feasting and moonlit merriment. Celebrate the whisky season ahead with this special pair.

THE YIN & YANG DUO

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 615: Dailuaine 21 Year Old Diageo Special Releases 2025

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a richly sherried Speysider. Dailuaine is located in the heart of Speyside. When it was founded in 1853, it was the first distillery to feature the characteristic pagoda roof above the kiln. Unfortunately, that historic feature was lost in a fire in 1917. Only 2% of the whisky produced is bottled as single malt, while the rest disappears into blends, with Johnnie Walker as the main customer. For the 2025 Special Releases, Diageo launched a 21-year-old Dailuaine that matured in former sherry casks.

https://youtu.be/MzUo9p6ejp0

FIFE BOTTLER LANDS SIX SCOTTISH WHISKY AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Saltire Rare Malt shortlisted for Independent Bottler of the Year as three of its single cask whiskies compete in the same category

Falkland, Fife;  September 2026 – Fife-based independent Scotch whisky bottler Saltire Rare Malt has landed six finalist spots across four categories at the 2026 Scottish Whisky Awards, including Independent Bottler of the Year and Excellence in Branding.

Four Saltire whiskies have also made the taste finals, with an impressive three of the eight places in Single Cask Scotch 13 and Over going to its Aultmore 15 Year Old, Caol Ila 17 Year Old and Tamnavulin 17 Year Old. Saltire’s Port Dundas has also been shortlisted in Single Grain & Blended Grain Scotch.

The nominations mark another major milestone for Saltire Rare Malt, which was crowned Newcomer of the Year at the 2025 Scottish Whisky Awards, as the independent bottler continues its rapid growth at home and internationally.

Launched in 2024 by friends and founders Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie, Saltire Rare Malt works alongside internationally acclaimed whisky experts Hans and Becky Offringa – The Whisky Couple – to curate its collection of rare single cask and limited-edition Scotch whiskies.

From its home in Falkland, the business has grown rapidly in just over two years, with its bottlings now reaching collectors and trade partners across Europe, North America, Asia and South Africa.

Keith Rennie, Co-Founder of Saltire Rare Malt, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see Saltire recognised across so many different areas at this year’s Scottish Whisky Awards. To have four of our whiskies in the taste finals – including three in the same single cask category – is particularly special, alongside recognition for our branding and a nomination for Independent Bottler of the Year.

“We launched Saltire just over two years ago with a shared passion for exceptional Scotch whisky and big ambitions for the business. To see the whisky, the brand and the team recognised together means a huge amount to us.”

The nominations come during Saltire Rare Malt’s biggest period of international growth to date, following the recent appointment of five whisky professionals across North America and Asia Pacific as the business continues to expand in key global markets.

The winners of the 2026 Scottish Whisky Awards will be announced later this year. The Saltire Rare Malt Collection is available to buy online on their website at: https://www.saltireraremalt.com/

About Saltire Rare Malt Whisky

Saltire Rare Malt are bottlers of a unique range of limited-run single malt whiskies. The independent bottling company was born from a longstanding partnership between friends & Founders Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie. The pair have worked together for three decades, before moving into the whisky world to collect fine and rare single malts. A shared passion for the ‘water of life’ led to the creation of Saltire Rare Malt – a global vehicle to share their outstanding collection of Single Malt Whiskies.

The founders felt that 2024 would be a good year to launch the very first bottlings of Saltire Rare Malt, 530 years after the birth of Scotch Whisky – in the beautiful, historic town of Falkland. Among Saltire Rare Malt’s meticulously curated collection are ‘well-known labels’, ‘rare gems’ and casks from ‘lost distilleries’ with Single Malt Scotch Whisky releases that are ‘never rushed or hurried — they’re bottled when the right time arrives’.

W: https://www.saltireraremalt.com/
I: https://www.instagram.com/saltireraremaltwhisky
F: https://www.facebook.com/people/Saltire-Rare-Malt-Whisky/61554723364117/

About Falkland, Fife; The Birthplace of Scotch Whisky

Falkland is a beautiful Scottish market town in the Kingdom of Fife, built around the 12th century Falkland Palace. 1494 saw the first record of Scotch Whisky. King James IV, staying at the Palace, issuing the famous order: “8 bolls of malt to Friar John Cor, werewith to make the ‘water of life”. This can be considered the birth certificate of Scotch Whisky. Saltire Rare Malt is now situated in the market square opposite Falkland Palace. Over 530 years after the birth of Scotch whisky, its story has now come full circle.
– –

In the immortal words of King Henry V (well, Shakespeare but you get the picture) once more unto the breach dear friends!  Welcome one and all to our now live 184^th auction.  We have a fabulous range of whiskies available this month running the whole gamut of distilled goodies, so whatever it is that wets your whistle we’ll have something to float your boat.

Our first whisky highlight comes from a distillery with a long and storied past and which has only relatively recently started production again, this is the Brora 1978 40 Year Old 200^th Anniversary.  Released in 2019 to mark two centuries since the distillery was founded in 1819 this exclusive whisky was distilled only five years before the distillery was mothballed during the now infamous cull of the 1980’s.  Aged for four decades this is a dram of superlative quality and historical significance.

Our next highlight comes from a distillery with an impressive reputation for quality releases (not to mention an equally impressive new premises), this is the Macallan 1946 52 Year Old Select Reserve with Certificate & Keys. This tremendous dram has been waiting patiently in a sherry cask for 52 years prior to being bottled. No fancy packaging or bling, this is one classy act. We would say that it’s a must have for Macallan collectors but that’s too obvious, this is a bottle for connoisseurs of whisky.

Well, if you thought 1946 was an auld vintage our next highlight has it beat; this is the Mortlach 1936 Gordon & MacPhail 75cl.  Founded in 1895, Gordon and MacPhail has been bottling single malt whiskies for 120 years and by the 1950s it held the largest range of bottled malt whiskies in the world.  This particular gem from the ‘beast of Dufftown’ is staggeringly old and offers one lucky punter the chance to sample some pre-war whisky just like your Grandad used to drink.

Our final highlight began its life on the sleepy shores of Islay before being whisked off to the Far East where it was bottled, marketed and released, this is the Bunnahabhain 1980 45 Year Old Little Sleeping Bear Boy.  If whimsical labels are your thing this dram has you covered with an evocative little artwork by acclaimed Japanese oil painter Mayuka Yamamoto gracing the label.  If it’s the whisky you are after, then you are also in luck for behind the sleeping bear boy lies a fantastically well-aged Islay single malt from one of the island’s most celebrated distilleries.

As always, we have an enormous selection of drams to suit every budget on offer this month, so now is the time to delve into this month’s offerings and start building that watchlist.

Best of luck to everyone in the auction, and as always………..don’t lose your bottle.

Thinking of selling your bottles? 

We still offer 0% commission to all sellers making Scotch Whisky Auctions the best place to sell bottles.

For all relevant information just click here.

Message us on WhatsApp for a FREE valuation

Having trouble with the button? Tap here to open WhatsApp.

Killowen Distillery Celebrates
Five Years of Rum & Raisin Single Malt
with Exclusive Gift Set

Killowen Distillery is celebrating five years of its much-loved Rum & Raisin Single Malt with the launch of an exclusive new gift set. Matured in Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Killowen’s own rum casks, this multi award winning Cask Strength Rum & Raisin Single Malt brings together rich, sweet and fruity notes, with the casks contributing flavours reminiscent of rum-soaked raisins, dried fruits and warming sweetness.The special anniversary gift set features two crystal glasses housed in a handcrafted wooden presentation box, making it a fitting tribute to five years of this distinctive expression.

Killowen Distillery would like to thank everyone who has supported the Rum & Raisin over the years.

Limited to just 100 gift sets, this release offers a special opportunity for whiskey lovers to celebrate five years of a Killowen favourite.

Available now on our website.

Purchase Here

ARDNAMURCHAN

AD/ HERITAGE BARLEY

Batch Two of the AD/ Heritage Barley Release is here, and this year Ardnamurchan have split it in two. Same Golden Promise barley, two different routes to the bottle, built to be tasted side by side.

The Ex-Bourbon

Entirely bourbon-matured, drawn from weighty, oily Golden Promise distillate laid down in 2018. A full 8-year-old age statement at a natural cask strength of 58.6% ABV, with extra time in the distillery’s dunnage warehouses lending real roundness and depth over last year’s release.

The Sherried

Ten sherry butts of 2019 Golden Promise, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez, vatted into one decadent bottling at a natural cask strength of 58.4% ABV. Big and robust, with that unctuous Golden Promise texture running through it. Two whiskies, one barley, meant for a side-by-side pour. Both are strictly limited, and both are in stock now.

Available now while stocks last…

SHOP NOW