THE VIDEO

Benromach 50YO

What were you doing in December, 1972?

Rested for just as long as needed, this stunning example of ancient Speyside whisky is to be truly marvelled at.

I got to try this for the first time at Benromach, as part of The Champions 2025 programme. Needless to say that the three of us were stunned when they rolled out that stunning looking decanter.

Matured for it’s entire life in a selection of sherry casks, this Speyside style delivers class, layers, subtlety and amazement upon every smell and taste.

There isn’t a lot of old Benromach kicking around, between the distillery and parent company, Gordon & MacPhail, old examples of this stuff are hard to find, even from source. That classic smokiness is still faintly there, but doesn’t show off as much as it does on more classic expressions.

What can I say, it’s a 50 Year Old single malt that I’ve been able to try twice, I am an incredibly lucky individual.

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Look Inside Loch Lomond Group’s Newly Opened Luss Distillery

 Luss Distillery is now open for whisky enthusiasts to discover

Luss Distillery, a new multi-million-pound distillery and visitor experience centre by Loch Lomond Group is officially open.

The 5,362 sq.m site on the banks of Loch Lomond in the heart of the village of Luss was repurposed from the historic Luss smokehouse and surrounding land on Church Road. It has been transformed into a vibrant destination for whisky  connoisseurs and curious spirits newcomers alike. The venue comprises of four distinctive buildings – a retail space and an immersive whisky discovery area.

The new state-of-the-art attraction will be a dedicated brand home for the independent distiller’s multi-award award-winning Loch Lomond Whiskies, known for its adventurous spirit. The retail space will also showcase the group’s extensive portfolio of other whiskies, champagne and spirits including Glen Scotia and Littlemill.

Set to draw thousands of budding explorers and tourists, the new destination will offer guided tours, a fully immersive discovery centre, whisky tastings, and a premium food and drink offering.

Colin Matthews, Founder and CEO of Loch Lomond Group and council member of the Scotch Whisky Association said:

“The opening of our new state-of-the-art Luss Distillery marks a major milestone for Loch Lomond Group. This investment reflects our commitment to innovation, quality, and growth in Scotland’s spirits industry, while also creating new jobs and supporting the local community.

“Luss Distillery is our new brand home and a destination where visitors can step behind the scenes, see how our whiskies are crafted with passion, and taste our expressions that have earned many international awards and acclaim.

“Every detail has been designed to celebrate the character of our spirits and the stunning landscape that inspires them, and we look forward to welcoming our first visitors this week.”

Luss Distillery was designed by Paul Hodgkiss Designs to invoke a calming connection to nature. The acclaimed designers used natural materials throughout, and framed designs to make the most of the striking scenic views that surround the destination.  A symbolic beacon shape has also been woven into the DNA of the design in a nod to nearby Ben Lomond, once known as the ‘Beacon Mountain’.

Paul Hodgkiss, Interior Designer behind the project, said:  “Designing Luss Distillery was a unique opportunity to celebrate the heritage and innovation of Loch Lomond Group’s celebrated brands.

“We wanted the design to feel rooted in its surroundings while welcoming visitors into a peaceful, contemporary space. A defining feature is the series of distinctive diamond windows, these not only create a strong visual identity but also flood the interiors with natural light, opening up dramatic views of the surrounding landscape.

“The result is a distillery that reflects the character of the spirits while connecting visitors to the beauty of Loch Lomond itself.”

Luss Distillery will be open daily from 10am-5pm.

Planning permission for Luss Distillery was secured in February from Argyle and Bute Council and Luss Estates.

For more information about The Loch Lomond Group, please visit www.lochlomondgroup.com.

About the Loch Lomond Group

• Loch Lomond Group is an independent distiller based in Alexandria and is home to several multi- award-winning brands that are sold in more than 125 countries worldwide.
• Loch Lomond distillery has been producing the finest single malt whiskies since 1814.

The full list of Loch Lomond Distillery’s 2024 accolades includes:

San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024

• Loch Lomond Whiskies (16 Awards)
  • 1 x Platinum Award
  • 7 x Double Gold
  • 4 x Gold
  • 4 x Silver
• Glen Scotia (7 Awards)
  • 2 x Platinum Award
  • 2 x Double Gold
  • 3 x Gold

IWSC 2024

• Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 12 Year Old – Best Single Malt 15 Years and Under
• Loch Lomond Perfectly Balanced 12 Year Old – Gold Outstanding (98/100)
• Loch Lomond 10 Year Old – Gold Outstanding (95/100)
• Loch Lomond Distillery 2024 Scotch Whisky Producer trophy

 Booker’s The Reserves 2025 (LTO)

The Reserves’ is an annual, limited-release series by Freddie, to commemorate his grandaddy, 6^th Generation Master Distiller Booker Noe, and his contributions to the bourbon world. The 2025 batch tells the story of some well-traveled barrels: first used to age the beloved Booker’s 30th Anniversary release, then shipped to Jalisco where the Camarena family filled them with El Tesoro’s 85th Anniversary tequila. Finally, those same agave-seasoned barrels returned to Clermont, Kentucky, where Freddie Noe finished a hand-selected batch of Booker’s inside them. This is the very first time across the entire Beam portfolio that a product is finished in tequila barrels.  60.5% – 65% ABV | SRP: $129.99 |

Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength 12 YR

the spring season of 2013. This prized liquid was aged for 12 long years in 4 distinct warehouses in Clermont, Kentucky to ensure incredible consistency and gently flavor mellowing over time. This unfiltered, cask-strength American rye delivers a distinct and rich liquid, full of balanced rye spice flavor complimented by notes of vanilla, caramel, and charred oak complexity. 53% – 65% ABV (varies per release) | SRP: $109.99 |

Baker’s High-Rye Bourbon

An expression that pays homage to Baker’s trucking business, where he delivered grains to the James B. Beam Distilling Co. During this time, he developed an appreciation for different grains and their influence on whiskey. This high-rye recipe has 2x the standard amount of rye in Baker’s Bourbon and is a continuation of our innovation journey, celebrating Baker Beam and all that he did for our distillery. This liquid is distilled to a 107 proof and barreled and aged for a minimum of 7 years, allowing the bourbon to pull more caramel, dried fruit, and vanilla flavor from the barrel wood. 53.5% ABV | SRP: $74.99

Baker’s 13-Year-Old

This limited edition bottling of special 13-year single barrel liquid explores how time and location in the warehouse drives distinction from barrel to barrel. Baker’s base bourbon is distilled to a lower proof and barreled and aged for a minimum of 13 years. This extra-aged expression allows the bourbon to pull more toasted nut, fruit, and vanilla flavor from the barrel wood. 53.5% ABV | SRP: $149.99 |

Photo Credit: Suntory Global Spirits

The Epicurean 12 Years Old

Côte Rôtie Cask Finish

Discover a new level of Lowland refinement with this distinguished addition to our Signature Series. Our Epicurean 12 Years Old has been finished in prestigious Côte Rôtie casks – the celebrated Northern Rhône red wine barrels – bringing a luxurious richness to this classic Lowland malt. The result is a Whisky of vibrant fruit, subtle spice, and elegant depth. With only 240 bottles available worldwide, and exclusively online, this is a release defined by rarity and sophistication.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Honeyed sweetness, raspberries, black cherry & spiced oak

Palate: Juicy dark fruits, toasted oak, vanilla & gentle tannins

Finish: Lingering cinnamon and thick molasses

EXPLORE

THE MACALLAN SHERRY OAK AND DOUBLE CASK COLLECTIONS

The Macallan Sherry Oak and Double Cask Collections celebrate the story of our sherry journey. The Macallan Sherry Oak Collection has a character led by sherry seasoned European oak casks and reveals a rich and complex flavour profile that can be explored across the 12, 18, 25 and 30 Years Old expressions. The Macallan Double Cask Collection is the perfect combination of sherry seasoned American and European oak casks. This balance delivers a smooth and creamy flavour profile, from Double Cask 12, 15, 18 and 30 Years Old expressions. ​Explore the ranges available to purchase on our Online Boutique.

DISCOVER THE COLLECTIONS

That’s right, our whisky club’s first exclusive casks from acclaimed independent bottler Signatory Vintage are almost here! Discover Adam’s rationale for choosing these casks, and hear his impressions as he pops the cork on the first two bottles ever opened of these special limited edition single malt and single grain whiskies. Pre order right now at www.strathliquor.com/whisky-folk and save 15% on your bottles.

New Wire Works Port Cask matures into the

Wire Works Provenance Core Range

 White Peak Distillery unveils the third core range product under the newly named

Provenance Core Range: celebrating place, craft and the legacy of making

Nearly eight years ago, White Peak Distillery laid down its first casks with a clear vision: to create an English single malt whisky defined by a sense of place and rooted in English provenance and heritage. This month, that journey takes another defining step with the launch of Wire Works Port Cask, the third whisky to join the newly-named Wire Works Provenance Core Range.

Wire Works Port Cask — A Culmination of Flavour and Patience

Since White Peak’s earliest days, Port casks have formed a select part of the Wire Works inventory. The Distillery previously released Double Oak Port, Full Port and a Distillery-exclusive hand-fill, all limited edition and matured in Tawny Port casks. Earlier this year, the Distillery explored a new path with Port Wine LBV, a release finished in Late Bottled Vintage Port barriques. Each of these casks brought something unique, but together they have built the foundation for the latest release: Wire Works Port Cask.

Alongside previously released core products Caduro and Bourbon Barrel, this whisky sees a return to Tawny Port, developing layers of dried fruit, jammy red berries, marzipan and caramel sweetness – the perfect partner for the lightly-peated house style.

This new whisky is a vatting of fresh Tawny Port barriques from Dias Cooperage with first-fill American oak ex-bourbon barrels, creating a spirit that bridges the richness of Port with the vibrancy of White Peak’s spirit. The result is both familiar and new — Wire Works at its heart, but with a bold, fruit-driven profile that captures the evolution of the distillery’s Port story. 

A Core Range Defined By Place 

The Wire Works Provenance Core Range embodies White Peak’s philosophy – a flavour-before-cask approach to whisky-making, rooted in a deep respect for Derbyshire’s industrial heritage and legacy of innovation. Every drop is made with a commitment to full life-cycle provenance at the Wire Works (where the Distillery is based), with mashing, fermentation, distillation, maturation and bottling all carried out onsite.

“Almost a decade since we started, it feels like a coming of age to be able to add a 3^rd release to our Wire Works Provenance Core Range, which will form the foundation for the future of the Distillery alongside Caduro and Bourbon Barrel. Whisky requires long-term attention to detail, and an acceptance that nothing can be rushed, and our new Port Cask embodies this considered approach, together with our other two core products.” Max Vaughan Founder.

The Wire Works Provenance Core Range:

• Wire Works Caduro (launched in 2023); first fill bourbon barrels / ex-red wine STR barriques (IWSC Gold 23, Toyko Whisky & Spirits Competition – Gold 2025)
• Wire Works Bourbon Barrel (launched in 2024); first fill bourbon barrels (IWSC Gold 24)
• Wire Works Port Cask (2025) – first fill bourbon barrels & fresh Tawny Port barriques

Together, these whiskies form a collection of lightly-peated, flavour-driven English single malts that carry the spirit of White Peak’s UNESCO World Heritage home on the banks of the River Derwent in Derbyshire. Each expression is crafted with the same meticulous house style: a long, seven-day fermentation using a bespoke yeast blend – including spent brewers’ yeast from the award-winning local Thornbridge Brewery. This is followed by slow distillation in traditional, copper pot stills, designed in-house and hand-built in Scotland, to maximise depth and character. Maturation takes place in carefully selected premium oak casks sourced direct from family-owned distilleries and cooperages, with thoughtful cask fill strength and fill volume ensuring a final spirit of richness, balance and character. 

Wire Works Port Cask tasting notes:

• Nose: Bakewell pudding, milk chocolate, cinder toffee, candied ginger
• Palate: Strawberries and cream, marzipan, lemon curd, vanilla fudge
• Finish: Cherry pie filling, bonfire toffee, hibiscus and eucalyptus

Bottled at 50.2% ABV, non-chill filtered and 100% natural colour, Wire Works Port Cask is available nationwide from Friday 17^th October via White Peak’s Distillery shop and UK trade partners, plus international partners shortly after, RRP: £65 (per 70cl).

The other products in Wire Works Provenance Core Range, Caduro (RRP: £60) and Bourbon Barrel (RRP: £65) are also available via the Distillery Shop and UK trade partners across the UK and international partners.

White Peak Distillery: Wire Works Awards October 2025

INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRIT COMPETITION (IWSC)

2022 First Release: Silver

2022 Best Contemporary Design: Wire Works Whisky

2023 Caduro: Gold

2024 Caduro: Silver

2025 Bourbon Barrel: Gold

THE GLOBAL WORLD WHISKY MASTERS

2022 Necessary Evil Finish: Gold

2022 Small Batch: Gold

2023 Alter Ego: Masters

2023 Caduro: Gold

2023 Design & Packaging: Masters

2024 Caduro: Gold

2024 Bourbon Barrel: Silver

2025 Necessary Evil Finish: Masters

2025 Port Wine LBV: Silver

WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS

2024 Virgin Oak (English small batch single malt batch single malt no age statement) Gold & Category Winner

2024 Over Smoke (English small batch single malt no age statement) Gold & Category Winner

2025 Peated Quarter Cask: Gold & Category Winner, England Single Cask, Single Malt Winner

2025 Rum Cask Finish: Gold & Category Winner, England Single Malt Winner

2025 Madeira Finish: Gold & Category Winner

2025 Caduro Cask Finish: Silver

INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS CHALLENGE (ISC)

2023 Caduro & Virgin Oak: Silver

2024 Alter Ego & Full Port: Silver

TOKYO WHISKY & SPIRITS COMPETITION

2025 Caduro: Gold

2025 Alter Ego: Gold 

ENGLISH WHISKY AWARDS (PUBLIC VOTE)

2024 Best English Whisky: Bourbon Barrel

2024 Best English Whisky Distillery

ONLINE SCOTCH WHISKY AWARDS

2024 Bourbon Barrel: Peoples Choice Award World Whisky Category

GREAT TASTE AWARD

2024 Caduro: 2 stars

The warmest of welcomes everyone to our now live 173rd auction!  We have an absolutely stupendous array of drams on offer this month, and with the festive period right around the corner this is the perfect chance to start stocking up that drinks cabinet in preparation for the impending yuletide onslaught.

With that in mind we would like to encourage all our customers, but in particular in the US and Worldwide shipping zones, that if you wish to buy bottles for Christmas that you attempt to win them in this auction.

Unfortunately, we are unable to guarantee any bottles won in the December Auction (174th) will be delivered on time for Christmas.

Time to start building that watchlist.

Our first bottle to shine a light on is a particularly enticing one, this beauty is the Glenfiddich 1964 37 Year Old Single Cask #10791.  Distilled right in the middle of the swinging sixties this delicious looking dram has spent an incredible 37 years in a sherry hogshead, and boy can you tell!  Bottled by Ian MacLeod this is a truly special dram from one of Scotland’s premier distilleries.

Next we have another bottle which has been receiving covetous glances here at SWA towers, this is the Springbank 1970 36 Year Old Signatory.  There are few things better in this life than a well-aged Springbank, and this little cracker certainly fits the bill.  Distilled at the dawn of the seventies and aged for the best part of four decades in a single Sherry Butt, this will be a dram to savour, no doubt.

Following on our theme of ‘drams I would like to drink’, this belter is the Glenfarclas 1961 Premium Casks.  A marriage of three 1st Fill Oloroso casks, all distilled in 1961, this darkly inviting dram was bottled for the German market in 2008.  Despite being the product of three casks only 458 bottles were produced, lending this dram an air of exclusivity to go with its obvious deliciousness.

And finally, we have a rather distinguished older Speyside gentleman this is the Macallan 1945 Speymalt Gordon & MacPhail.  To put the age of this dram into context World War II had yet to finish when it was distilled.  It would have to spend an inordinately long amount of time ageing in 1st Fill Sherry Hogsheads before it was finally bottled in 2013.  A chance to taste the Macallan of old, now who wouldn’t want that?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.

Baker’s High-Rye Bourbon

An expression that pays homage to Baker’s trucking business, where he delivered grains to the James B. Beam Distilling Co. During this time, he developed an appreciation for different grains and their influence on whiskey. This high-rye recipe has 2x the standard amount of rye in Baker’s Bourbon and is a continuation of our innovation journey, celebrating Baker Beam and all that he did for our distillery. This liquid is distilled to a 107 proof and barreled and aged for a minimum of 7 years, allowing the bourbon to pull more caramel, dried fruit, and vanilla flavor from the barrel wood.

53.5% ABV | SRP: $74.99

Baker’s 13-Year-Old

This limited edition bottling of special 13-year single barrel liquid explores how time and location in the warehouse drives distinction from barrel to barrel. Baker’s base bourbon is distilled to a lower proof and barreled and aged for a minimum of 13 years. This extra-aged expression allows the bourbon to pull more toasted nut, fruit, and vanilla flavor from the barrel wood.

53.5% ABV | SRP: $149.99

(Photo Credit: Suntory Global Spirits)

2025 Octomore (Bruichladdich) Edition 16.1 “The Reference” 5 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $204.99 View  

16.1 is crafted using 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto Barley, malted to 101.4 PPM and aged in cask for 5 years, with an ABV of 59.3%. This elegant liquid is matured in first-fill bourbon barrels, bringing forth intense peat smoke with surprising delicacy. Salted caramel, honeyed melon and apricot lead into chocolate and coconut, accompanied by a soft wave of earthy minerality and lingering smoke.

2025 Octomore (Bruichladdich) Edition 16.2 “Cask Aced” 5 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $239.99 View

The .2 expression offers a direct comparison to the .1, using the same malted barley with a different maturation profile, predominantly European Wine and/or Cognac casks. Produced from 100% Concerto barley grown on the Scottish mainland. It was malted to 101.4 ppm. The whisky was matured for 5 years in first-fill bourbon casks before being bottled at 59.3% vol. without chill-filtering and in its natural colour.

2025 Octomore (Bruichladdich) Edition 16.3 “Octomore Farm Islay Barley” 5 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) $269.99 View

The .3 expression is an ultra-high provenance single malt, exploring the influence of barley grown exclusively in a single field on Octomore Farm, Islay. The whisky’s nickname gives it away: the 16.3 was produced entirely from Concerto barley grown on the Church Field of Octomore Farm on Islay. It was malted to 189.5 ppm and the whisky was matured for 5 years entirely in Bourbon, Sauternes and Pedro Ximénez casks. The Octomore 16.3 was bottled at an impressive 61.6% vol. without chill-filtering and without the addition of colouring.

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