Douglas Laing & Co. Launch Free Dram Sampling Portal for the Remarkable Regional Malts

Independent Scotch Whisky specialists Douglas Laing & Co. are offering Whisky fans across the UK the opportunity to enjoy a dram on them, with the launch of a new sampling ‘Try Before You Buy’ option.

For the first time, new customers and subscribers to Douglas Laing can register online to receive a complimentary 3cl sample pouch from the award-winning Remarkable Regional Malts collection – Big Peat, Scallywag, Rock Island or Timorous Beastie – each accompanied by a flavour guide.

The initiative is designed to introduce new Whisky drinkers to Douglas Laing’s family of Regional Malts, each crafted to represent a distinct Scotch Whisky-producing region:

• Big Peat – bold, earthy peat smoke from Islay
• Scallywag – rich chocolate, warming spice and dried fruits from Speyside
• Rock Island – coastal character, zesty citrus and gentle smoke from the Islands
• Timorous Beastie – sweet Malt, heather honey and gentle spice from the Highlands

With just 350 sample packs available, the campaign will be promoted through Douglas Laing’s social media channels. It offers consumers a unique opportunity to discover the character and quality of the Remarkable Regional Malts at home.

Cara Laing, Managing Director, Douglas Laing & Co., commented:

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to bring our Whisky closer to consumers. This campaign allows new Whisky drinkers to explore the distinct styles of our Regional Malts and, importantly, to discover which dram resonates with their palate. It’s an engaging and interactive way to experience Douglas Laing quality at home.”

The Digital ‘Try Before You Buy’ Redemption Portal is open to UK residents only, on a first-come, first-served basis.

HAVE A DRAM ON US

We’re toasting the spirit of the Gathering with this year’s UK bottling, Cask No. 8.51: Go east. This Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits whisky from Speyside spent its full 9-year maturation in a first-fill ex-PX butt. Expect spice and sweetness in this decidedly autumnal dram. Here’s to adventures together!

GO EAST

Cask No. 8.51

Age: 9 years

Cask: First Fill PX Butt

We discovered raisins floating in a pond of wasabi-infused soy sauce next to fruit dumplings with a dose of brandy as we opened and broke in a new pack of cards. This was very spicy and drying on the neat palate, with crispy, sesame garlic chilli oil noodles combining with cracked black pepper dark chocolate: a fearsome combination indeed.

Following reduction we found ourselves in calmer waters, enjoying peanut brittle, glazed doughnuts, cherry scones, dates and fudge as well as an earthy, sweet pipe tobacco scent. The spice was now wonderfully balanced by the creamy sweetness of a cappuccino with a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

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

Our third outrun of 2025 is here!

Believe it or not, Halloween is coming and so is our Q3 outrun! We have have upped our game from last year and want to introduce an entire outrun of Samhain Series bottles for your taste buds and viewing pleasure. The series celebrates Scotland’s rich folklore and eerie mythology, coinciding with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, the precursor to modern-day Halloween.

Each whisky in the Samhain Series tells a tale steeped in local legend, with evocative labels designed by Edinburgh-based artist and designer Steven Shand, who has over 14 years of experience in the Scottish whisky industry. Shand’s intricate artwork and storytelling complement the atmospheric whiskies, capturing a haunting essence of Scotland’s past.

Steven Shand, Artist, Comments,

“Collaborating with Hannah Whisky Merchants, is always an enriching experience. Pairing carefully selected, exceptional single cask whisky whilst delving into research from historians and folklorists, with a whisky in one hand, and a pencil in the other, is a fantastic creative process.“

The six releases include:

●     ‘The Wizard Of Gordonstoun Outruns The Devil’ – Miltonduff Distillery Speyside Single Malt Scotch 11 Year Old, Ex-Peated Islay Wine Barrique, limited to 239 bottles. 56.8%ABV. Cask #800504

●     ‘The Ghosts Of Dumbarton Castle’ – Strathclyde Distillery Single Grain Scotch Whisky   31 Year Old, Refill Oloroso Hogshead, limited to 145 bottles. 54.6%ABV. Cask #243367

●     ‘The Three Witches Of Seuno’s Stone’ – Glenlossie Distillery Speyside Single Malt Scotch 21 Year Old, Refill Hogshead, limited to 208 bottles. 56.7%ABV. Cask #4004

●     ‘The Quiraing, Playground Of The Giants’ – Torabhaig Distillery Highland Single Malt Scotch 7 Year Old, 1st fill Bourbon Barrel, limited to 215 bottles. 60.4%ABV. Cask #1137

●     ‘The Tarbh-Uisge Vs The Each-Uisge’ – Bruichladdich Distillery Islay Single Malt Scotch 15 Year Old, 1st fill Bourbon Barrel. limited to 245 bottles. 52%ABV. Cask #3861

●     ‘The UFO’s Of The Falkirk Triangle’ – Deanston Distillery Highland Single Malt Scotch        11 Year Old, First Fill PX Quartercask, limited to 158 bottles. 49.7% ABV. Cask #300223

Gregor Hannah, founder of Hannah Whisky Merchant, comments:

“We are incredibly proud to unveil this release, created in collaboration with Steven and his remarkable artwork. Building on the success of last year, we chose to dedicate the entire outrun to Samhain. While last year’s focus was on Octaves, this year we’ve returned to casks more in line with those used in our core outruns. The scale has also grown – from around 360 bottles last year to approximately 1,210 in this limited-edition outrun.

Together, we’ve selected six casks that are each unique yet united by their exceptional quality. As always with Lady of the Glen, every release is Single Cask, Cask Strength, and Non-Chill Filtered – a commitment to authenticity that defines our work. Each whisky is paired with a story inspired by Scottish folklore, both ancient and more recent, carefully matched to the character of its distillery. This release is not only a celebration of whisky but also of Scotland’s rich cultural heritage.” 

Please note that in order to better support our retail partners this outrun and future outruns are not being sold through our website. Links to stockists can be found via the tab on our homepage. All releases were bottled at our site in Dalgety Bay by hand.

EXCLUSIVE KANOSUKE SINGLE MALT

We are delighted to unveil an exclusive single cask bottling from Kanosuke, available only at The Whisky Exchange. Drawn from a bourbon barrel and bottled at cask strength, it offers a brighter side of one of Japan’s newest and most exciting distilleries. The single malt shows notes of fresh apricots, orchard fruits and toasted barley, layered with maple syrup.

Single cask releases such as this offer a rare chance to experience a rising distillery that is already shaping into a future classic.

 SHOP NOW 

Isle of Tiree Single Grain Scotch Whisky – Rye

Isle of Tiree – Rye is the first of our Single Grain Scotch Whisky series with a mash bill of 75% Rye and 25% Malted Barley. Crafted by mashing in a small oak mash tun and distilled twice in flame-fired traditional copper pot stills, this spirit has been matured over four years in Virgin Oak and ex-Bourbon barrels at the Isle of Tiree Distillery on Tiree’s South-Western shore. Limited to 250 bottles. This release was available exclusively at our Hebridean Whisky Festival Open Day at the Distillery on 9th September and the remaining bottles sold out within 15 minutes when made available to our mailing list the following day. For more information on this release, visit the page below:

More Information

From Jerez to the Thames:

The London Distillery Company launches Embarque

The London Distillery Company (TLDC) is proud to unveil its second single malt whisky: Embarque – a sherry-forward single malt tribute to London’s historic docks and the centuries-old trade that carried casks from Spain’s bodegas to the city’s maritime heart.

The London Dock in Wapping opened in 1805 and immediately became synonymous with luxury imports. Its vast warehouse complexes, underground wine vaults, and specialist facilities could handle thousands of casks at once. Here, sherry casks from Spain were unloaded, inspected, stored, blended, and bottled. The scale was immense: by the 1850s, exports of sherry from Jerez had grown to more than 30,000 casks a year, demanding ever larger bodegas in Spain and ever more extensive warehousing in London. Whilst these casks were initially used to transport the sherry, whisky merchants soon discovered the transformative effects of the time the sherry had spent in contact with the wood – and once emptied, many of these well-travelled vessels then went on to find a second life in whisky maturation.

Embarque continues this story. Rich with the influence of sherry wood, yet bold with the spirit of London craftsmanship, the expression stands as a testament not only to the transformative power of sherry cask maturation but also to the trans-Iberian shipping routes that once brought thousands of these casks into London’s historic docks, and in doing so, reshaped both the future of whisky and the capital itself.  

Embarque will be released on Friday 3rd October at an RRP of £89.95 and will be available directly from The London Distillery Company’s website. Visitors to The Whisky Show (3rd–5th October) will be the first to taste the new whisky and will also have the opportunity to purchase it directly from the onsite show shop. 

The new London single malt, showcasing a striking stylised depiction of the London Docks, has been crafted from hand-selected TLDC single malts, first matured in refill barrels before being finished in exceptional first-fill oloroso sherry casks from Bodegas Barbadillo. These seasoned casks have lent TLDC’s heritage grain-led spirit remarkable depth and oxidative complexity – the dialogue between Spain and London revealing layers of concentrated dried fruit, nuts, and spice, while preserving the whisky’s core character.

Speaking of the release, TLDC Managing Director & Whisky Maker Matt McKay said: “Embarque represents a deliberate step in how we’re building The London Distillery Company’s whisky profile. By selecting refill casks for the primary maturation, we preserved the clarity of our heritage grain spirit, and the finishing period in first-fill oloroso sherry casks from Barbadillo has added structure, weight, and oxidative richness without masking the underlying DNA of the whisky. This release demonstrates our commitment to combining precision cask management with respect for the traditions that underpinned the creation of the original TLDC spirit, Spanish coopering, and the pivotal role the London docks once played in bringing these worlds together.”

Earlier this year, The London Distillery Company signalled its rebirth with the launch of Renascence – “The Revival Release.” Crafted from Plumage Archer heritage barley and matured in a marriage of refill barrels and first-fill sherry casks, the release of 410 bottles sold out in under 24 hours.

Embarque

London Single Malt Whisky

Finished in 1st fill oloroso sherry casks from Bodegas Barbadillo

57.7%

£89.95

Available from www.londondistillery.co.uk and at The Whisky Show (3rd-5th October)

Nose: Plump red berries and burnt orange segments give way to cinder toffee, and decadent chocolate, whilst spiced molasses join rose hips and a dusting of cinnamon powder.

Palate: A rich and textural mouthfeel with viscous hedgerow berries sitting alongside orange cordial, cocoa nibs and toasted oak. The development offers indulgent fruitcake tempered by the addition of baking spices.

Finish: A persistent finish of warming cinnamon and fading red and black berries.

About The London Distillery Company

The London Distillery Company was established in 2011 as London’s first new whisky distillery for over a century. Trailblazing the revival of the capital’s distilling heritage, the company crafts exceptional spirits that reflect both tradition and modernity.

Committed to using only the finest ingredients and time-honoured methods, every bottle produced by The London Distillery Company expresses a dedication to craftmanship, blending expertise and a relentless pursuit of character and flavour.

www.londondistillery.co.uk/

TAPPING INTO EXCELLENCE: ONE CASK AT A TIME

Independent Bottler Unveils Collection of Single Cask Bottlings with Contactless Technology

One Cask at a Time launches debut collection of single cask malt whiskies

Three ranges – Chronograph, Pendulum and Grandfather – celebrate time and its role in transforming whisky

Each bottle features contactless technology to verify ownership and open up an interactive digital experience

Grandfather Highland Park 27YO and Aultmore 33YO IWSC Silver Medallists

Independent bottler One Cask at a Time makes its debut with an eponymous collection of six exceptional single cask malt whiskies, each selected and released at cask strength to capture the perfect moment of discovery, their stories unlocked by tapping the bottle neck with a smartphone.

Honouring the enduring traditions and values of whisky-making, in particular the transformative role of time on the liquid, while using the latest contactless technology to both verify each individually numbered bottle and enhance the experience, One Cask at a Time celebrates the past, present and future of whisky craftsmanship in all its forms.

“Only casks of exceptional quality have been chosen for bottling under the One Cask at a Time label,” explains Russell Bradley, Head of Brand Development. “A testament to the art of whisky making and a tribute to the role time has to play in transforming a whisky, each cask has been hand selected for their unique qualities – bottling a moment in time to share with the world”.

The collection consists of three series carefully curated to appeal to different audiences and tastes: Chronograph, Pendulum and Grandfather. Whilst each bottle is the embodiment of aged perfection – a celebration of time and the magic it can imbue on a dram, together they take the collector on a journey of discovery from the more accessible whiskies through the innovative and one-of-a-kind drams to the rare and refined collector’s items.

A fully interactive experience unfolds using One Cask at a Time’s pioneering digital ‘Bottle Passport’ feature, which chronicles the origins of the liquid from the day the cask was filled to the day it was bottled. Every story is delivered through expert tasting notes (Grandfather collection also features video tasting notes), cask history and bottling details, all of which are revealed by tapping the icon on the bottle neck with a smartphone. It also acts as a verification tool enabling owners to authenticate their purchases and allows them to build their own personal collections, with their own tasting notes.

“We’re here to add something new to the world of whisky for the next generation,” adds Russell. “The contactless icon on the bottle neck allows owners to instantly verify the authenticity of their purchase, it also takes them to the app where they can learn about every aspect of the bottle and the liquid it contains. But whilst we very much look to the future it’s important to know that without the hands of time, good whisky can never become exceptional.”

The Collection Series

• Chronograph: Designed for whisky lovers who seek out characterful flavour discoveries, featuring bold designs and accessible price points.

Ben Nevis 2012 (56.1% ABV, RRP £89, 307 bottles) Pale straw with green highlights, this 11-year-old malt offers a clean nose of pear, caramel and subtle wood, echoed on the palate with sweet fruit, gentle oak and a smooth, earthy finish.

Glentauchers 2009 (56.9% ABV, RRP £115, 271 bottles) Pale straw with green highlights, this 15-year-old whisky opens with a mild, estery nose of bubble-gum, pear drops and white grapes, leading to a sweet, fruity palate with citric acidity and a warming, fruit pastille finish.

• Pendulum: Elevating the experience with remarkable age statements and contemporary packaging.

 Auchentoshan 1998 (59.5% ABV, RRP £375, 142 bottles) Deep gold with slow, steady legs, this 26-year-old whisky presents a fresh, fruity nose of lemon zest, unripe melon and pineapple, followed by a light, sweet palate with gentle acidity and a peppery, oak-tinged finish.

• Grandfather: A luxurious collection for seasoned connoisseurs, presented in hand-crafted oak cases with exclusive video insights.

 Ledaig 1993 (42.3% ABV, RRP £599, 74 bottles) Pale straw in colour with slow-forming legs, this 30-year-old single malt is light and fresh on the nose with hints of strawberry, cut grass and sea breeze, leading to a delicate palate of gentle sweetness, soft wood and a smooth, grassy finish.

 Aultmore 1990 (43.8% ABV, RRP £675, 146 bottles) IWSC Silver Medal, Gold – Scotch Whisky Masters Deep gold, clear and bright with good legs, this 33-year-old single malt offers a mild, sweet nose of apple, balsawood and cappuccino, unfolding into a creamy palate of pineapple, banana, caramel and vanilla, with a soft milk chocolate finish.

 Highland Park 1996 (43.4% ABV, RRP £699, 187 bottles) IWSC Silver Medal, Master – Scotch Whisky Masters Rich liquid gold in appearance with good legs, this 27-year-old single malt opens with a mild, maritime nose of seaweed, salt and linseed oil, leading to a slightly oily palate with a salty-sweet balance, notes of white pepper, toasted oak and a gentle wisp of peat smoke in the warming finish.

One Cask at a Time’s Chronograph, Pendulum and Grandfather series are on sale in the UK at https://onecaskatatime.com/shop/

Notes 

One Cask at a Time is an independent British whisky bottler whose collections are a curation of some of the finest and most interesting single cask whiskies from across Scotland – a true celebration of time and craftsmanship.

GAIL PORTER JOINS LAUNCH OF SINGLE CASK MALT WHISKY COLLECTION FROM ONE CASK AT A TIME

East Lothian, 8 September 2025:  Gail Porter and chef Tony Singh were among whisky-loving guests celebrating the private launch of independent whisky bottler, One Cask at a Time, at Gosford House on Thursday 4 September 2025.

The event, held in the House’s iconic Marble Hall, showcased One Cask at a Time’s already multi-award-winning debut collection, with guests getting the first taste of six exceptional cask strength whiskies including a Highland Park 27YO, Aultmore 33YO and Ledaig 30YO.  The tastings, hosted by whisky specialist Alwynne Gwilt (@themisswhisky) also featured bottles from One Cask at a Time’s more accessible Chronograph and Pendulum series with collectors and guests discovering the characterful flavours of its Ben Nevis 11YO, Glentauchers 15YO and Auchentoshan 26YO single malts.  As part of the experience, guests were given the privilege of sampling and selecting the next Pendulum release in a blind taste test, with guests opting for a 2010 Jura in oloroso cask.

The launch brought together whisky enthusiasts from across the UK with a specially choreographed performance from Olivier-award-winning dancer Theophilus O. Bailey and live music from acclaimed jazz singer Niki King.  One Cask at a Time partnered with luxury brands Bonhams’ and Walker Slater affording guests an exclusive pre-auction preview of Bonhams’ prestige watches, and access to tailoring excellence through Walker Slater’s curated collection of tweed and woollen suits, coats, and accessories.

One Cask at a Time is a timeless collection of single cask malt whisky bottlings, comprising three series – Chronograph, Pendulum and Grandfather, each carefully curated to appeal to different audiences and tastes. Released at cask strength for the perfect moment of discovery, each bottle is the embodiment of aged perfection. A celebration of the past, present and future of whisky craftsmanship in all its forms, One Cask at a Time honours the enduring traditions and values of whisky-making, in particular the transformative role of time on the liquid, while embracing technological innovation to enhance the full whisky experience through its Bottle Passport app (an interactive digital user experience).

Notes 

One Cask at a Time is an independent British whisky bottler whose collections are a curation of some of the finest and most interesting single cask whiskies from across Scotland – a true celebration of time and craftsmanship.  www.onecaskatatime.com

Aultmore 1990 (43.8% ABV, RRP £675, 146 bottles)

IWSC Silver Medal, Gold – Scotch Whisky Masters

Deep gold, clear and bright with good legs, this 33-year-old single malt offers a mild, sweet nose of apple, balsawood and cappuccino, unfolding into a creamy palate of pineapple, banana, caramel and vanilla, with a soft milk chocolate finish. 

Highland Park 1996 (43.4% ABV, RRP £699, 187 bottles)

IWSC Silver Medal, Master – Scotch Whisky Masters

Rich liquid gold in appearance with good legs, this 27-year-old single malt opens with a mild, maritime nose of seaweed, salt and linseed oil, leading to a slightly oily palate with a salty-sweet balance, notes of white pepper, toasted oak and a gentle wisp of peat smoke in the warming finish.

Grandfather Series (comprising Aultmore 33 YO, Ledaig 30YO, Highland Park 27YO)

IWSC Winner: Luxury Packaging – Design Awards 2025

The Crowning Achievement of K&L’s Scotch Program
1989 The K&L Liquors’ 35 Year Old “Sideburns” (Balvenie) K&L Exclusive Single Vintage Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($250.00)
“I am confident in saying this is easily the greatest Scotch deal K&L has offered in its 40-plus year history.”— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

After 18 years of buying spirits for K&L, this special parcel may be my crowning achievement. Just a few years ago, it would have been almost unimaginable that we could gain access to stocks of this quality at such low prices. Of course, we’ve bottled similar whiskies before—years back we secured a 1991 version from Hunter Laing, and only last year we offered a Faultline barrel from 1998 that sold out almost immediately. Now we bring you another “Single Vintage Blended Malt,” a full decade older than that barrel, offered at exactly the same price.

It is an absolute coup and, if I’m honest, may get me into a little trouble—but that has never stopped me before. My style has always been to ask forgiveness rather than permission. The true challenge with stocks like this is deciding how to label them. We cannot, under any circumstances, place the distillery name on the bottle, even though it is beyond doubt where the whisky comes from. The once-accepted trade name “Burnside” belongs to our dear friends at Cadenhead, and out of respect (and good sense, given their famously litigious nature) we would never infringe on it. So the question became: what do we call this whisky?

Our friends at Duncan Taylor once sold us a wonderful barrel for our Faultline label that they dubbed “The Huntley,” after their hometown. That option was off the table for us. After some consideration, we settled on a playful nod to our friends in Campbeltown: “The Sideburns.” We are not the first to use the name, but ours is plural—because who on earth needs just one sideburn?

Needless to say, this is one of the most outrageous deals I’ve ever had the honor of brokering for our shop. It represents the pinnacle of my ongoing effort to push back against one of the most damaging trends in our industry: the erosion of value for the end consumer. If you destroy the primary market for great whisky by pushing prices beyond reason, you eventually destroy the market itself. Too many producers have forgotten the first rule of selling anything: give customers what they want at a price they can afford. Start with the customer’s experience and build the system backward from there, rather than forcing corporate projections and marketing jargon down their throats.

And what do customers want? Great old malt whisky. But in today’s marketplace, finding a bottle over 25 years old that delivers real value in the glass is nearly impossible. Yes, brands can create other kinds of value—through lifestyle, image, luxury packaging, or grand storytelling—but if the true measure is taste (and for me it always is), you would struggle to find another whisky that offers what this one does at anywhere near this price.

This parcel is, without exaggeration, one of the finest opportunities ever presented to lovers of Scotch worldwide. I hope this is only the beginning. If we can continue to secure parcels like this through new channels, perhaps we can begin to chip away at the barriers keeping customers from enjoying extraordinary old whisky rather than simply admiring it on a shelf. For now, I am confident in saying this is easily the greatest Scotch deal K&L has offered in its 40-plus year history.

–David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

1989 The K&L Liquors’ 35 Year Old “Sideburns” (Balvenie) K&L Exclusive Single Vintage Speyside Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($250.00)

This product is estimated to be available by 04/30/2026.

K&L Notes: This exciting parcel of Scotch is evocative of everything K&L stands for. Since 1976, K&L Wine Merchants (originally K&L Liquors) has been committed to providing our customers with the absolute finest products available in the world at the very best possible prices. Our team of buyers travels the globe to secure these coveted stocks, and it is through these decades-long relationships that we are able to offer such extraordinary parcels.

This unprecedented release marks a completely new phase in K&L’s Scotch program. We have bottled countless stocks under our own “Faultline” label, but this is the first parcel that K&L has been able to access directly from the source. The result is truly unparalleled in our history.

Our 35 Year Old Sideburns have no equal in today’s marketplace. Blue-chip malt of this caliber, whether teaspooned or not, simply does not trade anywhere near the prices we are offering. These stocks represent the absolute pinnacle of aged Scotch malt available today, and we are presenting them at nearly one-tenth the price of the distiller’s own 30-year-old expression. Bottled at full cask strength and drawn from ex-sherry hogsheads, there is no better way to buy old malt whisky today.

It is almost unimaginable that these stocks are available to us at such an incredible price, and we believe every Scotch lover should take note of this extraordinary opportunity—because one thing is certain: K&L’s customers will not let this last.

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