WHISKY BOTTLER UNVEILS THEIR FIRST-EVER LIMITED-EDITION CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Falkland, Fife: Scotland’s fastest-growing independent bottler Saltire Rare Malt is embracing the magic of the season with the launch of a Tamnavulin 17-Year-Old – a festive single malt made for winter’s most cherished moments. Their first-ever Christmas Special Single Malt is drawn from a 2nd Fill European Oak Hogshead seasoned with Oloroso sherry.

A festive single cask from Saltire Rare Malt captures the warmth, tradition and nostalgia of Christmas in a glass, marrying the rich character of sherry-matured whisky with the timeless comfort of the season – evoking crackling fires, winter gatherings and shared moments that define the spirit of Christmas.

This limited-edition bottling, the 19th release from Saltire Rare Malt, is presented at 48.8% ABV, non-chill filtered and limited to just 247 bottles. It is available now through the Saltire Rare Malt website and select distribution across Europe and Asia, offering collectors and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to enjoy a distinctly festive dram.

Curated with Festive Finesse

Distilled on 8th February 2008 and bottled on 10th February 2025, this Tamnavulin 17-Year-Old single malt has been carefully chosen for its rich winter character and depth of flavour.

On the nose and palate: dried fruits, raisins, soft oak spice and a delicate tannic structure. A splash of water reveals cigar boxes, chestnut paste and cherry pipe tobacco. The finish is long, warming and gently spiced – the kind of whisky that invites slow sipping beside a fire on a winter night.

As with every Saltire Rare Malt bottling, the 19th release has been selected with the guidance of internationally respected whisky curators Hans Offringa and Becky Offringa – The Whisky Couple. Their expertise ensures only the most exceptional casks make it into the collection.

Commenting on their first-ever festive release, Saltire Rare Malt Founder & Director Keith Rennie said: “This release is our love letter to winter. It’s elegant, nostalgic and made for those quiet golden moments when the world slows down.

“If Christmas had a flavour, this would be it – rich fruit, warm spice and old-world charm in a glass. We’re very proud of this whisky and confident Saltire fans will enjoy every drop of this special release.”

A Measure of Time & Taste

Founded in Falkland by lifelong friends Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie, Saltire Rare Malt is an independent bottler dedicated to exceptional single casks – from iconic distilleries to hidden gems and lost whisky landmarks. After three decades of working together, their shared passion for fine and rare Scotch inspired them to create a global platform to share their remarkable private collection.

Launched in 2024, 530 years after the birth of Scotch Whisky, the brand is proudly rooted in the historic town of Falkland. Each release is meticulously curated, featuring well-known labels, rare gems and casks from lost distilleries. Every whisky is nurtured over time and bottled only when it reaches its moment of perfection.

The Tamnavulin 17-Year-Old Christmas Special Single Malt, the 19th release from Saltire Rare Malt, is available now through the Saltire Rare Malt website and select distribution across Europe and Asia, offering collectors and enthusiasts a rare opportunity to enjoy a distinctly festive dram.

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’.

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About The Whisky Couple, Hans & Becky Offringa:

Hans Offringa is an international author and whisky expert who has worked in the industry for over 30 years. An inductee of the Whisky Hall of Fame, a Kentucky Colonel and a Keeper of the Quaich, Hans is a judge at the Scottish Whiskies Awards and the World Whisky Awards and serves as Director on the Advisory Board of The Council of Whiskey Masters.

Becky Lovett Offringa is a Keeper of the Quaich and co-author of numerous whisky books. Becky is a well-respected judge at the Scottish Whisky Awards and the World Whiskies Awards. She also is a Member on the Advisory Board of the Council of Whiskey Masters. Becky and Hans, internationally known as ‘The Whisky Couple’, are trusted partners of the Saltire family.

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.