A Revolutionary Scotch Project: Unreal Upside from Thompson Bros – K&L California News
Your $89.99 Bottle Could Be a 29-Year Sc
Thompson Bros Mystery Malt: Single Bottles & Six-Bottle Cases
“Whether you draw an older Bruichladdich or a youthful barrel from Lochlea, the promise is the same: an outstanding whisky experience.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
Every bottle is $89.99, but what’s inside could range from a 4-year-old single cask to a 29-year-old Speyside. Each whisky was selected to deliver compelling value at the same price, while a significant portion of the possible selections would retail for many multiples of $89.99 in almost any other format.
See All 20 Possible Single Casks ↓
FROM THE BUYER
David Othenin-Girard
K&L Spirits Buyer · September 22, 2026
There have been few greater pleasures in my 20-plus years exploring whisky than the opportunity to taste blind. It happens so infrequently, and I have officially exhausted my credits asking my wife to organize tastings, that I simply never get to do it. So when our friends at Thompson Bros first mentioned this project a couple of years ago, I was absolutely floored. They proposed sourcing a huge variety of single casks and bottling them without revealing any specific details until the bottle was opened. (continued below)
What Could Be in Your Bottle?
DISTILLERY AGE BTLS CASK
Speyside 29 Year 89 Refill Sherry Butt
Inchmurrin 28 Year 24 Refill Sherry Butt
Inchgower 27 Year 29 Refill Bourbon Hogshead
Bruichladdich 21 Year 8 First Fill Bourbon ASB
Teaninich 17 Year 30 Oloroso Hhd
Tormore 17 Year 173 Sauternes Cask
Royal Bra 16 Year 19 Refill Hhd
Craigellachie 15 Year 64 Refill Hhd
Teaninich 12 Year 36 Stout Barrel
Bunnahabhain 11 Year 27 Refill Hhd
DISTILLERY AGE BTLS CASK
Wolfburn 11 Year 8 Sherry Hhd
Lochranza 10 Year 79 Refill Sherry Hhd
Kingsbarns 8 Year 133 First Fill Bourbon
Torabhaig 7 Year 149 First Fill Bourbon
Nc’Nean 5 Year 159 STR
Dornoch 5 Year 56 Rye & Bourbon
Lagg 5 Year 21 First Fill Bourbon
Glasgow 5 Year 10 American Oak Virgin ASB
Lochlea 4 Year 162 Refill Bourbon
Raasay 4 Year 120 Dutch Oak Virgin Hhd
All casks are bottled at 48% ABV without chill-filtration.
INDIVIDUAL BOTTLE
Mystery Malt By Thompson Bro “US Exclusive” Series No. 4 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)
$89.99
One mystery single cask
Shop Single Bottle
SEALED SIX-BOTTLE CASE
FULL SEALED CASE of Mystery Malt By Thompson Bro “US Exclusive” Series No. 4 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (6x700ml)
Six completely different mystery single casks
Shop Six-Bottle Case
$500.00
BUYER REVIEW, CONTINUED
David Othenin-Girard
K&L Spirits Buyer
I assumed the federal regulators might object, but it turns out the required information can be concealed beneath the capsule. The craziest part of the project is the extraordinary effort the brothers have made to balance the quality of every six-pack. Buy a sealed case and you are guaranteed six completely different single casks, carefully selected so that the overall quality remains remarkably consistent from case to case. It is a ready-made blind tasting requiring virtually no effort, and the list of possible casks is genuinely exciting and unusual.
The project has now attracted significant international attention, and distillers increasingly see it as a calling card for their stocks rather than some goofy side project. As a result, the brothers have been able to source particularly compelling barrels for the series. I opened six and could not have had more fun. With a little care, you can easily avoid identifying the distillery when opening each bottle. Simply leave the foil around the cap intact, note which side conceals the round sticker underneath, and keep it facing away. You will have an instant blind tasting of the highest order. For several of these casks, this is the first expression from this distillery ever sold in the US.
K&L Notes
Perhaps the most exciting new product coming from Scotland in many years is the fabulous Mystery Malt from our friends at Dornoch Distillery. This limited release has been gaining serious momentum among collectors and drinkers who appreciate the extraordinary range of casks the Thompson Brothers have assembled, all offered at a remarkably compelling price. Not a single bottle in the lineup fails to justify the asking price, and a significant portion of the selections would retail for many multiples of the bottle cost in almost any other format.
Even more exciting, the distillery partners supplying these casks, often sourced directly from the producers themselves, have embraced the project as an opportunity to showcase truly exceptional barrels. Each cask is carefully selected to ensure that only the finest examples are included. In many cases, these releases represent the very first opportunity for U.S. drinkers to experience a new distillery. This batch features the first U.S. single barrels from Dornoch, Lagg, Nc’nean, and Kingsbarns. Whether you draw an older Bruichladdich or a youthful barrel from Lochlea, the promise is the same: an outstanding whisky experience.
Visit https://www.mystery-malt.co.uk to unlock the details on this special, limited-release batch.
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