OUR CHRISTMAS PICKS

We think whisky is for everyone and to be enjoyed at any time of year, but there’s no doubting that it feels particularly at home over the festive season. With that in mind, we’ve picked out some of our favourite drams for gifting or stocking up yourself. Check them out below.

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A GOOD OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS WHISKY 2024

Each year we craft a limited edition whisky that’s perfect for Christmas sipping, and our latest is a corker: a single malt from an undisclosed distillery in Speyside, with all the notes of fruit cake, warming spices, chocolate, citrus and dried fruits you’d hope for.

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2024 has been My Year of the Book, so a sincere and humble THANK YOU to all the whisky makers, promoters, whisky clubs and pubs, festivals, event sponsors and others who have helped make it a success. Canadian Whisky Third Edition is now in bookstores and at online booksellers, or order below for Christmas delivery.

Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert, Third Edition is now in stores and at all online booksellers.

But what makes it a new edition?

There are no real rules, but my publisher wanted at least 35% all-new material. When I told him there were way more changes and new information than that, he responded “Go wild,” and I did.

The publisher went wild too, illustrating this new edition with glorious full colour photos, many of them rarely seen historic images. And it’s a hard cover book too this time, so pleasing to hold and ideal for gift-giving.

Nearly two dozen significant historical distilleries are profiled for the first time ever. Some of these were huge enterprises, as large as Seagram’s or Gooderham and Worts, but until now, lost to time.

I updated or re-wrote every chapter, some of them extensively, and included several new ones including one about a little-known Canadian whisky family dynasty, now in its fifth generation.

All of Canada’s major distilleries have new, updated profiles, in some cases entirely changed to reflect new research, new sources, new practices, and new owners doing new things in new ways.

The smaller distilleries, Canada’s craft producers, get a lot more attention this time, reflecting the growth and maturity of a new distilling movement, driven by authenticity. It’s a movement that is giving consumers and major producers good reason to take notice.

Over 120 tasting notes, each illustrated with a colour photo of the bottle tell another story of Canadian whisky, this one through historical drams and the latest releases.

And the publisher created new maps locating legacy, historical and craft distilleries, to give readers an overview at a glance of the geography of distilling in Canada.

All in all, it’s a brand new book, and that’s not just me speaking, but the opinion of whisky geeks from coast to coast who have collected and read the earlier editions. It’s new, it’s now, and it would be most welcome under any whisky lover’s Christmas tree.

CHAPTERS INDIGO

AMAZON

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AWARD WINNERS

We’re delighted to announce the three winners of our Of The Year celebrations for 2025. This year we’ve brought back the Spirit Of The Year award and have even created a new category to capture the exciting changes in the whisky landscape. They were selected by our panel of industry experts and the attendees at our judging event in London. After much deliberation the votes were cast and the winners are as follows. 

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WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2025
New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon

A high-rye bourbon with a bold, spicy and savoury character, this is a new take on Kentucky’s established whiskey-making traditions. You will find rich notes of butterscotch, blackberries, fresh mint and rye bread.

NEW WAVE WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2025
Copperworks Release 046 American Single Malt Whiskey

American single malt is becoming more established with each passing year and this complex whiskey from Copperworks is a beautiful example of the style. Made using Genie barley from a single farm in Oregon, Copperworks showcases a floral, fruity and citrussy character.

 SEE THE WINNERS 

Last Order Dates

Our whisky gifting collection has everything from our core collection of blends to exclusive single casks, gift packs and stocking fillers.

There’s something for every palate at Wemyss Malts!

Not long to go! Our last date for UK Christmas delivery is Thursday 19th December at 12pm.

Shop Christmas UK

Our last order date for EU Christmas delivery is Thursday 19th December at 10am. 

Shop Christmas EU

A quick reminder that our dedicated US website is live and ready for you! 🎉

Our new site offers an improved shopping experience tailored for our US customers, including better shipping rates and seamless access to your favourite products.

Our last order date for US Christmas delivery is Tuesday 17th December at 12pm.

Shop Christmas US

PERSONALISED WHISKY

from the cask

We personalised every bottle by hand…

Our handwritten labels add a personal touch to your Christmas whisky gift. Every bottle is individually dipped in wax to seal it and then we add the label that is hand-written with all the whisky details, date bottled and your name or message.

Choose from a range of single cask whiskies; each one offering its own unique style and flavour. As each whisky come from just one cask, there are a limited number of bottles available. When one cask is finished, we then select another, so you always have different whiskies to choose from.

CHOOSE A WHISKY TO PERSONALISE

The winter winds are blowing cold and hard across Harris but we’re still feeling the warm glow from last week’s Scottish Whisky Distillery Of The Year award. Once again, we thank you for following our story and sharing in the success as you help our purpose-driven island enterprise succeed with every bottle you buy.

The fuzzy feelings continue as the festive season rolls on, especially with the Christmas lights in our village being lit and the distillery halls being brightly decked, both inside and out. Behind the scenes work continues and our Outer Hebridean island elves are busy bringing bottles of The Hearach whisky good (grown up) girls and boys across the world.

If you’re nearby, come in from the cold and enjoy a blazing fire, mulled gin and mince pies while you shop at the distillery. And, if you’re further afield let us deliver to your door with free shipping throughout December alongside complimentary gift messaging on selected gift sets. The last order date this year is the 17th!

Scroll on for more news, and have a great weekend from all of us here in Harris!

Le gach deagh dhùrachd,

Mike Donald, Chief Storyteller

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE

FIND OUR WHISKY NEAR YOU

We recently gave a warm Harris welcome to the team from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society as they travelled to our distillery to fill three special casks for future collaborations.

They also brought with them their iconic green bottles to hold the first of their trio of SMWS limited single cask releases made with our island spirit.

On December 2nd this Distillery 163 – “Smokin’!” bottling went on sale to members (and sold out) and their ever-interesting tasting notes were:

“Descriptors for the aroma came fast and furious – gravadlax sauce, beech-smoked trout, black peppercorn-infused rye whisky and homemade sweet ploughman’s pickle. The taste was like smoked brisket pastrami prepared in a brine of pink curing salt, sugar and spices, alongside mild goat’s cheese on Jamaican gingerbread – intrigued? You should be! And what a change after the addition of water. Initially we stayed in the Caribbean with a warm Jamaican-style coffee and walnut cake followed by the sweet scent of cherry wood-smoked marshmallows. On the palate, we now found a mixture between a smoked battenberg cake and tiramisu with smoked cocoa powder.”

We’ll share a short film in the coming weeks but meantime, please read about their visit, our proud partnership, and the successes of our distillery’s purpose-led enterprise via the link below…

READ “HERE’S TO HARRIS”

Don’t just take our word for it, whisky writers and reviewers love our dram as much as we do.

“Surprisingly smoky, deep, nicotine and marmalade evoking, complete work, subject to first-fill Bourbon, Oloroso and Fino. Spoiler alert: it’s tremendous.”  – Douglas Blyde, Evening Standard

“It’s an absolute cracker: coastal, saline, wonderfully smoky and sweet all at the same time.” – Neil Ridley, whisky writer

“Soft vanilla fudge, faintly floral and with a texture as soft as a Gaelic song – very moreish!” – Charlie MacLean, whisky legend.

Elegant, complex and full of character, it’s also safe to say our first historic single malt is designed for drinking. Share a bottle with friends and family this season…

ORDER THE HEARACH SINGLE MALT

The second expression of our whisky-making brings plenty of warmth to the proceedings this season, thanks to its connections to southern Spain. The Oloroso First Fill Cask Matured single malt draws wonderfully rich, bold, and aromatic flavours from sherry butts sourced from this special region of Andalusia.

The results bring a fine array of winter spices and woodsmoke to the dram, alongside festive notes like cloves, dried oranges and white chocolate. If you’re looking for something which captures a sense of an island Christmas, the one’s for you and yours…

ORDER THE HEARACH OLOROSO CASK

Dumbarton 26 Years Old Infrequent Flyers

This single grain whisky was distilled in 1997 at Dumbarton Distillery, which once was a powerhouse of Scottish single-grain distilling, but was shut down and mostly demolished in 2002. It was aged for 26 years in a single Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon and was bottled at natural cask strength, without chill filtration or artificial colouring by Alistair Walker for his Infrequent Flyers Collection.

£115.00

£136.99

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On November 28th, the Isle of Harris Distillery team celebrated some wonderful successes at the Scottish Whisky Awards 2024 in Glasgow.

We were delighted to receive awards for Newcomer of the Year and Product Launch of the Year for our inaugural single malt The Hearach, and take home the crowning achievement of the evening, the title Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year for 2024.

The distillery was commended for leading with vision, and a commitment to community and local partnerships with a culture of ‘people first’.

“Winning these prestigious awards is a truly special moment for us. The Hearach has been a long time in the making, and to see it so well received by industry experts is a testament to the dedication and craftsmanship of our incredible team. Each bottle reflects the unique character and spirit of Harris—our island, our people, and our heritage. These accolades inspire us to continue creating exceptional single malts that share the story of this remarkable place with whisky lovers around the world.”

Simon Erlanger, Managing Director.

The Isle of Harris Distillery extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Scottish Whisky Awards for this recognition and to loyal supporters like you who have embraced the work we do.

On behalf of the team, thank you for being part of our story and success, and have a great weekend from all of us here in Harris!

Le gach deagh dhùrachd,

Mike Donald, Chief Storyteller

VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE

One second whisky expression connects us to the hot and dusty hills of Huelva, where the men and women of sherry-makers José y Miguel Martín ‘cooper’ casks with age-old craft and care before they are filled by their wineries in Jerez.

Their Oloroso sherry is a dry, dark and nutty wine and its influence in turn imparts an unmistakably bold richness to our spirit when the casks begin maturing our island whisky far from their original home.
–

“Initially there are aromas of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves, and there are green notes of mixed herbs and the creaminess of white chocolate. When sipped, I can taste wood smoke and walnuts shells. The dram develops with a herbal hint of dried thyme closely followed by burnt oranges. Spices then come through, like vanilla pods and a subtle sense of cloves, before a long leather and liquorice finish.” 

Harrison Wood, Drinishader, Assistant Blender

WINTER SPICES – GREEN HERBS – WHITE CHOCOLATE – WALNUT – WOODSMOKE – DRIED ORANGES – LIQUORICE

£75.00
Includes Presentation Box & Free Delivery

ORDER A BOTTLE OF THE HEARACH OLOROSO

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 blenders’ 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.

“ I get a gentle peat smoke on the first sip which reminds me of island home fires burning when I was growing up. It comes along with a toasted maltiness. I can also taste homemade apple sauce and smell machair flowers, particularly white clover which springs up on our west coast every summer. Mixed spices appear, and an old-fashioned sweetness from things like candied ginger, vanilla, and honeycomb. Finally, there’s a long, clotted-cream note, mixed with a lasting sense of new leather. ” 

Shona Macleod, Carragreich, Isle of Harris.

PEAT SMOKE – APPLE SAUCE – TOASTED MALT – WILDFLOWERS – SPICE – CANDIED SWEETS – CLOTTED CREAM

£65.00
Includes Presentation Box & Free Delivery

ORDER A BOTTLE OF THE HEARACH