Our Drams of the Year 2025:

Chosen by the Team

As 2025 has drawn to a close, we asked the Murray McDavid team a simple — but slightly dangerous — question:

What was your dram of the year?

The answers? As varied, characterful and flavour-packed as you’d expect.

From sherried Speysiders and peaty Islay favourites to bold wine finishes, single grain surprises and even a wintery cocktail twist, our Drams of the Year 2025 blog brings together the whiskies that truly defined the year for us — told in our own words.

You’ll discover:

• Why one dram became a customer favourite and a personal connection
• Which bottle kept being ‘finished’ because it was just too good
• Peat lovers’ picks, warming comfort drams, and slow-sipping showstoppers
• Plus, a perfectly enticing cocktail recipe to try at home

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your next bottle, revisiting releases you loved this year, or simply fancy a good whisky read with a dram in hand, this one’s for you.

👉 Pour yourself something tasty and read our Drams of the Year 2025 here:

READ MORE

Here’s to great whisky, good stories, and even better company.

Slàinte,

The Murray McDavid Team

OUR BALBLAIR 14 HAS WON BRONZE AT THE WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS 2026

**BRONZE WINNER AT THE 2026 WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS**

This exquisite single-cask Scotch whisky from Balblair distillery was distilled in 2009 and aged for 14 years in a first-fill sherry butt. Bottled at a robust cask strength of 57.4%, it boasts a rich, deep colour and intense, complex flavours. It’s a firm favourite here with the team at Bartels Whisky!

Nose:

Fresh and fruity layered with honey and vanilla.

Palate:

Light and creamy, featuring orchard fruits (apple, pear) with hints of orange zest, honeyed malt, and a touch of ginger spice.

Finish:

Smooth, with lingering fruit, gentle spices, and a soft malt sweetness.

Tasting notes by Bartels

£80.00

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2200 Fillmore St. | SF, CA 94115 | 415.346.1325 | www.dandm.com

A SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE

IN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH SINCE 1798!

With a distillation history that dates back to 1798, Highland Park is the northernmost distillery in Scotland situated in the Orkney istands in the North Sea at roughly the same latitude as the southern tip of Greenland. This geographic location is key to what distinguishes the company from other whisky-makers throughout their country and around the world.

Isolated from other producers, Highland Park remains independent from shifting industry trends and innovations embraced by other distilleries. For example, they continue to do their own floor maltings for a portion of their output and also remain committed to the use of their signature Orkney heathered peat which they cut from their own plots at nearby Hobbister Moor and which has been growing there for millenia. This peat burns low and slow and sweet for a subtly smoky grain character that is distinct from Scotch made in the Highlands or on Islay. In terms of barrels, since the late 1960s, they have seasoned their own finest quality casks with Oloroso sherry in Spain, which imparts rich coloring and distinct sherry notes to their whiskies.

We are pleased to present a broad collection of Highland Park single malts, ranging from an “Explorers” sampler set which would make a great stocking stuffer to several older age statement and limited release offerings for that special someone…perhaps yourself!

Cheers!

Highland Park Explorers Selection (12 YR, Cask Strength, 18 YR) 50ml

$19.99 Shop now

Highland Park 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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Highland Park Cask Strength

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Highland Park 16 Year Twisted Tattoo Single Malt $109.99

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Highland Park 15 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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Highland Park 18 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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Highland Park 18 Year 2004 Duncan Taylor Sherry Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky $239.99

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Highland Park 25 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky $949.99

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OUR CLUB PROGRAMS

Here at D&M we are passionate about American Whiskey & Single Malt Scotch To help make our passions a little easier on your (and our) pocketbook, we have come up with a number of different buying clubs. The purpose of these clubs is to explore these wonderful beverages, trying new things, and to save money. Click HERE to learn more about our club options.

The Malt Maniacs Monitor is back!

CHECK IT OUT

Our Xtra Old Particular range carries only aged and rare Single Cask Scotch Whiskies from some of Scotland’s most acclaimed and celebrated Distilleries, including those that are long-closed. Each one a marvel in its own right, XOP is bottled at Natural Cask Strength, exceptionally old and truly spectacular. Packed with extraordinary flavour, our Exceptional Single Cask Whiskies exemplify our ‘As Natural As It Gets’ Philosophy by serving a rich reward for those looking to savour a dram straight from the cask.

ABV: 48% | Vol: 70cl

To the Killowen Distillery Community
– A message of gratitude –

To the entire Killowen Distillery Community

I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the distillery, to say thank you to all our supporters, suppliers and trade partners for all you have done in 2025. More importantly, I would like to wish you and your loved ones a healthy and safe 2026. We appreciate that this has been a difficult time for so many of you and look forward to the new year being better than the last.

The team in Killowen are currently enjoying a few days rest, but they are hugely grateful to you as well and send their regards.

I opened up the distillery today to take a picture of the resting stills for you, but unfortunately, or rather fortunately, someone insisted on photobombing every picture. It seems Bríd is grateful too.

Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh
Tabhair aire.
Brendan Carty
Killowen Distillery

Ben Nevis 2014 100 Proof Edition #63, Signatory Vintage

£46.50

A small batch 10 year old release from Ben Nevis Distillery. This release comes in the 100 proof series from Signatory Vintage. Distilled: 2014 | Aged for 10 Years | Cask type: 1st Fill Pedro Ximenez Butts & 2nd Fill Oloroso Sherry Butts. | Un-chillfiltered and no added colour

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Glen Elgin 10 Year Old Adelphi’s Speyside

£47.00

This Glen Elgin has been aged for 10 years and is unchill filtered and natural colour. Selected and bottled in 2025 by Adelphi

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

Dailuaine 10 Year Old James Eadie’s Speyside Single Malt Whisky

£44.00

In 2016 they made an unexpected discovery: James Eadie’s whisky Ledgers.  These leather-bound volumes revealed the contents of Mr. Eadie’s Victorian warehouses. After discovering his fondness for maturing whisky in ex-fortified wine casks, they have been experimenting with them ever since.

During years of careful study, they often returned to the bold, fruity spirit of one particular Speyside single malt, enhanced by the rich, spicy notes imparted by Oloroso Sherry casks. From Dailuaine Distillery and finished for over 11 months in Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads.

Tasting notes:

Nose: Rich, fruity aromas of stewed plums and rhubarb combine with dark chocolate, raisins, cardamom and cinnamon, alongside a touch of old leather.

Taste: Soft and velvety mouthfeel, beginning with juicy plums, nectarines and melted almond butter, before umami notes of cinnamon, clove and brandy snaps emerge.

Finish: Rich dark chocolate pudding – with a touch of chili, cardamom and aniseed.

TyndrumWhisky.com
The Green Welly Stop
Tyndrumwhisky, Tyndrum
Crianlarich, Perthshire FK20 8RY
United Kingdom

2011 Bruichladdich 11 Year Old “Dramfool’s Jim McEwan Signature Collection 5.1″ First Fill Bourbon Cask #2477 Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Previously $325) $228.89 View

Colour – Primrose Yellow, Aromas – Opens beautifully on a combination of Primrose, Myrtle, Lily, Marigold and mint. It’s like walking through the peat fires next to the Atlantic Ocean! Then the sweetness of the toasted barley and mellow oak drift in bringing with them little hints of bourbon spiciness laid down by the first spirit matured in the cask. “Its gentle on my mind” Taste – The spirit is balanced & restrained on the palate. This is pure Islay; No smoke, just barley & oak and time by the Ocean. The opulent flavours seduce the taste buds with mellow oak and barley sugars. The Maritime Islay character is with you all the way, fresh and clean and packed with passion & traditional skills from a dedicated team of Distillers who bring the magic to the spirit. No computers, no colouring, no chill filtration, just a special spirit from a special place.

According to the bottler: “Distilled on 11th July 2011 this whisky spent its whole 11-year life maturing in cask #2477. This maturation took place in a 1st fill bourbon cask from an unknown American Distillery. Bottled in July 2022 as Release 5.1 of the Jim McEwan Signature Collection, like all bottlings within the collection, it was bottled un-chill filtered, with no added colour, and at natural cask strength of 59.0% (as we always say, Jim would have it no other way!), it yielded only 238 bottles.”

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