Happy English Whisky Week! I’ve lost count of the number of times somebody has asked me, “Can you get whisky in England?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes and instead use it as the optimal time to list of some of the exceptional brands that are currently producing our favourite spirit as good as anybody else on the planet.

One of the first drams I ever tried when I joined the wonderful whisky world was one of the Whiskymaker’s Reserve expressions from the Lakes Distillery. I was blown away by its quality, and it’s the standard I’ve held English whisky to ever since.

Next time you’re looking for a new dram to try, give an English a look — you will be as amazed as I was. A select few are below — have a peruse and enjoy.

Bradley Weir, Whisky Magazine editor

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Knob Creek 10 Year Old “Cask Strength Single Barrel Select – K&L’S 5TH FLOOR X MAGIC B” 127.7 Proof K&L Exclusive Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $64.99 View

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

Old Forester “Barrel Strength” K&L Exclusive (Warehouse K, Floor 1) Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

(750ml)

$69.99

View

Another cracking barrel of Old Forester Cask Strength has arrived. For those who love the bold, spicy style these impressive barrels deliver, this special selection offers something truly distinctive. Unlike many bourbon producers where we chase high floors for their intense environmental swings, the Old Forester warehouses outside Louisville are built from thick brick and concrete. Each floor is fully enclosed, allowing heat to build within the structure during the summer while winter air keeps the masonry walls cold for months. To keep the whiskey moving through the wood, Old Forester pumps steam heat into the warehouses at the first sign of cold and maintains the heat cycling until spring arrives. The result is a barrel that, even in a relatively short period of time, experiences temperature fluctuations four to five times greater than a typical warehouse. This particular barrel was filled on July 6th, 2021 and matured on the first floor of the venerable Warehouse K, built in 1953 and home to some of the finest stocks in Old Forester’s inventory. Barrels from this building often show a beautiful balance between dense fruit and the distillery’s signature spicy rye character. Bottled exclusively for K&L Wine Merchants in early 2026 at a full cask strength of 129.7 proof, this barrel was offered without chill filtration or additives of any kind. A brilliant example of just how compelling Old Forester can be when the right barrel is chosen from their remarkable warehouses.

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

Complex, elegant, and full of character, our inaugural expression is a delicious dram which unfolds in your glass, revealing itself over time, just like the island itself.

Made to our carefully refined blender’s recipe, we combine spirits which have been matured by the coastal village of Ardhasaig in selected first fill Ex-Bourbon casks, first fill Ex-Oloroso and Fino sherry butts.

We then marry these spirits in batches for a minimum of 12 weeks to bring additional harmony to the final dram.

The result is an Outer Hebridean single malt of distinction we’re proud to bottle and bear our elemental island’s name.

Enjoy neat, with a small drop of water, or simply any way you like it…

GET HOLD OF THE HEARACH

The results of the World Whiskies Awards America are always one of my highlights of the awards season, not least of all because they put a spotlight on some of the most unique, innovative brands producing our favourite spirit today.

It’s also extremely exciting because of the announcement of the World’s Best Bourbon, a spectacular honour. Despite what have no doubt been turbulent conditions for many distilleries stateside, there’s been a real perseverance and industry-wide camaraderie that deserves celebrating. The result is incredible work that should be enough to get whisky enthusiasts worldwide excited.

These results take us one step closer to the much-anticipated announcement of the World’s Best whiskies next month. As chair of judges, I can’t wait to see where we’re headed as the awards cycle continues.

Bradley Weir,
Whisky Magazine editor

Bowmore 21 YEAR OLD

Sherry Oak Cask

70cl · 46.8% ABV

Awarded world’s best single malt, this confident and eclectic 21-year old offers a remarkable breadth to its character, gathering notes as diverse as tobacco, heather, and beeswax. Its epilogue in first fill Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks is testament to Bowmore’s Master Blender’s intuitive genius.

This rich, captivating single malt was matured in carefully selected ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, and finished in first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.

£268.95

VIEW MORE HERE

Gold Medal

World’s Best Single Malt 2026

World Whiskies Awards

Discover The Hearach Oloroso

Fire shapes the cask long before it shapes the whisky.

In the heat of Andalusia, oak is charred and brought to life by the coopers of José y Miguel Martín, flames licking at raw wood as the sherry butts are built.

These broad-chested Oloroso casks begin their life in the hot climate of Jerez before eventually making the long journey to Harris.

From sun-scorched Spain to the cool Atlantic climate and warehouses of Ardhasaig just a few short miles from the distillery door…

Years later, that same craft reveals itself again in the deep, rich notes of The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured single malt, available online and from spirits stockists far and wide.

DISCOVER THE HEARACH OLOROSO

Signatory Vintage Scotch is one of the most discerning independent bottlers of Scotch in the world. They bottle one cask at a time, capitalizing on the unique colour and flavour characteristics of each individual cask. By sourcing all-natural malts from the best distilleries in Scotland, selecting the best single batches and bottling only the finest casks within those batches. The resulting “single, single, single malt” this is about as exclusive it gets.

SHOP SIGNATORY VINTAGE

A New Era of Japanese Whisky

Japan has been a hotbed of whisky production for more than a century, but has only more recently broken out into the rest of the world. Now the home of some of the most sought-after names in whisky, it has a long and complex history and a rapidly expanding modern distilling industry.

Learn More     Shop Now

WELCOME TO ‘THE STILLROOM SESSIONS’

Whisky is made of three ingredients: water, malted barley, and yeast. But at Kingsbarns, we know there’s a fourth – the people who make it happen.

Behind every golden drop in your glass is a person with a passion, a story, and a dedication to creating our light, fruity and floral Lowland Single Malt Whisky. To celebrate this, we’re introducing a new series called The Stillroom Sessions, where we introduce you to the people turning our dream into your dram.

And who better to kick things off than Distillery Manager, Peter Holroyd. We sat down with Peter to talk about life at the distillery, his favourite whisky and his ideal way to enjoy a dram…

Peter Holroyd – Distillery Manager

Q: Tell us a little more about yourself and what you do?

Peter: Hello! My name is Peter Holroyd, and I’m the Distillery Manager at Kingsbarns. My role here is overseeing every part of the production process from malt intake to filling casks and every step in between.  However, I’m very lucky to have such a knowledgeable and hard-working team at. They’re passionate about making a spirit that people enjoy –  so my job is to nurture and encourage that passion in everything we do.

Q: If you weren’t making whisky, what would you be doing?

Peter: When I was young, I always wanted to be a chef. I’ve always loved working with my hands and producing something for other people to enjoy – and I love cooking – so it always seemed like a natural path.

So, if I wasn’t making whisky, I imagine I’d be involved in preparing food probably in one of the amazing restaurants in and around this beautiful part of the world.

Q: What’s your favourite Kingsbarns and ‘Perfect Pour’ moment?

Peter: In my opinion, whisky is absolutely made to be shared. So, my perfect pour moment would be drinking a 10 year old Kingsbarns with some good friends after a hill walk or a fishing session. Preferably beside a fireplace or a wee bonfire if out camping…That’s the stuff of dreams.

Q: What is it about Kingsbarns that makes it special in your eyes?

Peter: Every whisky is the sum of its parts and ours is no different. The barley we use is locally sourced from the farms surrounding our distillery. We also have a deliberately long fermentation period and a very slow distillation process.

These all contribute something to the product – and that’s before we even get to the cask selection. We take great care in selecting the best wood we can from highly reputable suppliers.

Q: Describe Kingsbarns to someone who has never been

Peter: The setting at the distillery is stunning. The building is an old sandstone farm steading, that has been lovingly refurbished. We’re a stone’s throw from the golden sands of Kingsbarns beach and the North Sea beyond.

The region is famous for growing Barley, due to the fertile soil and in late summer its incredible seeing the fields ripen. The area is also renowned for golf with several world-famous courses nearby and the home of golf – St Andrews – is only 10 minutes away.

Three Questions – only one-word answers allowed!

Q: Do you prefer your whisky neat, with ice or with water?

Peter: Neat

Q: Favourite distillery snack?

Peter: Soup!

Q: Kingsbarns in one word?

Peter: Delicious (one word was hard!)

Kingsbarns 10 Year Old

Distilled from local barley, our light, fruity spirit has been matured in 90% ex-Bourbon barrels and 10% STR red wine barriques. Over a decade, the casks have added richness and complexity. The ex-Bourbon barrels have imparted soft vanilla and tropical sweetness, while the STR barriques contribute depth and subtle spice. The result is an elegant single malt with aromas of summer blossom, ripe stone fruit and toasted oak.

Get Your 10 YO Now