ralfy review 1066 – Mortlach 11yo @57.1% (Signatory 100 Proof)

Celebrate Defiance, Heritage, and Creativity with

HADRIAN’S WALL® Blended Scotch Whisky

HADRIAN’S WALL®, a premium Scottish whisky that embodies the bold spirit of defiance, heritage, and creativity. Inspired by the legendary Roman-era wall built to keep the Scots at bay, HADRIAN’S WALL® celebrates Scottish resilience, the rich heritage of whisky-making, and a touch of irreverent humour.

Expertly crafted from the finest grain and malt whiskies, this exquisite blend combines the smooth, robust flavours of prestigious Speyside and Highland malts with the elegance of Lowlands grain whisky. The result is a truly unforgettable experience that redefines whisky enjoyment.

The brand’s striking label design draws inspiration from urban street art and graffiti culture, featuring a gritty monochromatic aesthetic that captures the Scots’ irreverent spirit and their historical love of thumbing their noses at authority.  Hadrian’s Wall® Scotch whisky invites drinkers to embrace life with creativity, boldness, and a dash of rebellion.

“HADRIAN’S WALL® isn’t just about extraordinary whisky—it’s about celebrating the humour, defiance, and artistic flair that are ingrained in Scottish culture,” said André Levy, Chairman of Protege International. “From its tongue-in-cheek label to its unparalleled flavour, this whisky is a testament to the Scots’ enduring spirit of fun and resilience and their determination to celebrate the everyday victories of life.  Each bottle contains 70cl of liquid rebellion, proudly produced and bottled in Scotland.”

Key Features:

∙ Expert Craftsmanship: A harmonious blend of the finest Scottish whiskies.

∙ Unmatched Quality: Smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced for any occasion.

∙ Artistic Spirit: A label inspired by graffiti wall art, celebrating defiance and creativity.

∙ Cultural Heritage: A tribute to Scottish defiance and excellence in whisky-making.

 For more information, visit www.protege-international.com. Or email media@protege-international.com

HADRIAN’S WALL®

PRODUCED AND BOTTLED IN SCOTLAND

Alc: 40%

Size:70cl

SKU: HW1X700

BARCODE: 813548005150

Tasting Notes

A blend of the finest grain and malt whiskies from Scotland. The blend is created using a range of the highest quality Speyside and Highland malt whiskies blended expertly together with the grain whisky from the Lowlands of Scotland.

Origin: Scotland

Colour: Golden with brilliant clarity

Aroma: Clean with a hint of soft citrus and delicate vanilla.

Taste: Well balanced and mellow on taste with a delicate maltiness

Aftertaste: Long lasting sweetness

 Hadrian’s Wall – a seventy three mile long wall built in Roman times to keep the Scots from ruining the Roman Emperor’s day. 

To add insult to injury, the Scots would drink what would become whisky in daily celebration. 

Now, it’s available for everyone to drink in celebration of ruining any jumped up emperor’s day. 

After all, why should the Scots have all the fun? 

Indulge in our extraordinary Scottish whisky blend, expertly crafted from the finest grain and malt whiskies. This exquisite blend combines the highest quality Speyside and Highland malts with grain whisky from the renowned Lowlands region of Scotland, delivering a smooth and unforgettable experience that redefines whisky enjoyment. 

A Symbol of Scottish Defiance

About Protege International

Founded in 1999 by André and Mairade Levy (née Kelly), following the successful sale of their previous brands to a FTSE 10 company, Protege International is a dynamic and innovative company renowned for creating and managing some of the world’s most celebrated spirits brands.

As the owners of The Wild Geese® Irish Whiskey Collection, a multi-award-winning portfolio of premium whiskeys, Protege International has set new standards in excellence, authenticity, and craftsmanship. The company’s expertise extends beyond whiskey to a diverse range of spirits that have garnered global recognition and critical acclaim reflected in the over 72 major international awards its products have been awarded. 

Building on its legacy of excellence, Protege International has now added Hadrian’s Wall®, a Scotch Whisky, to its portfolio as well as an Irish spirit The Dullahan®, further showcasing its dedication to quality and innovation in the spirits industry. With a commitment to authenticity, creativity, strategic brand development and dedicated to excellence. Protege International continues to lead the way in shaping the future of premium spirits.

The Wild Geese, The Wild Geese Rare Irish Whiskey, The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes, the Descendants, the Shooting Party, The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes, Untamed, The Exiles, Unbroken Unbowed Untamed, The Rum Skull, Aileen’s Wave, Hadrian’s Wall, The Dullahan and After Hours are registered trademarks. The trade dress including The Wild Geese Flying Geese and 1691 are trademarks. The products comprised in The Wild Geese Collection of Premium Irish Spirits are sold under The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes in North America and Worldwide under The Wild Geese. Made under the authority of the trademark proprietor.

© 2002-2025 Avalon International Management Inc.

We have just launched our ’20th Anniversary Sessions’ at our Newcastle Whisky Festival. The first of these sees Eddie Ludlow team up with Dave Broom and a panel of industry guests to discuss and chat about the last 20 years of whisky and lounging! Of course, there will be some tasty drams in order to help lubricate lips…!

Included in the price of this session is;

– Early entry to the venue (11am or 4pm, ticket dependent)
– Entry to the 20th Anniversary session, plus drams
– FREE signed copy of, the soon to be published, ‘TWL 20th Anniversary Celebration Book’, with contributions from a whole host of TWL friends

Festival Highlights 2025:

• Over 150 Whiskies from around the world to sample
• All new retail and offers
• All new TWL merchandise 
• New ‘Round Table’ debates or masterclasses with the great and good of the whisky world! 
• The return of Whisky Heaven
• Jam and Dram – Live music at selected events, featuring our very own ‘Blind’ Eddie Ludlow!
• And much much more

Tickets for these sessions are now on general sale and, as a thank you to our loyal whisky-loungers, we are offering you 20% OFF these tickets. Don’t forget you need to have a festival ticket for the relevant session to be able to use these!
Just use code TWLWHISKY20 at the Eventbrite checkout to claim your discount.

In the meantime, you can still buy tickets for Newcastle 29th of March!

Scallywag

Signature Series: 13 Years Old

Macerated fruits, decadent dark chocolate and warm cinnamon spice.

ABV: 46% | Vol: 70cl

Experience the exceptional refinement of Scallywag 13 Years Old, the latest release in our Signature Series, available exclusively on douglaslaing.com. This extraordinary expression has been expertly crafted and matured for 13 years in the finest Spanish Sherry Oak Casks, delivering a rich and indulgent flavour profile that embodies the true spirit of Scallywag.

SHOP NOW

Inspired by a long line of Douglas Laing family Fox Terriers, Scallywag Malt Scotch Whisky is a marriage of aged Speyside Single Malts matured predominantly in Spanish Sherry casks. The resulting Whisky reveals an explosion of rich, dark fruits, chocolate and spice interwoven with late vanilla. Award-winning Scallywag is bottled and released in genuinely small, precious batches. Part of the Remarkable Regional Malts range, the ultimate distillation of Scotland’s Malt Whisky Regions.

Scottish Grain Whisky is characterised by its use of grains such as wheat or rye, as opposed to the traditional malted barley. Grain Whiskies are typically lighter in character than malts, and a well-aged Grain Whisky can be extraordinarily complex, whilst costing a fraction the price of similarly aged Single Malts.

Cameronbridge 2022 Special Release Single Grain Whisky 26 Year Old

70cl · 56.2% ABV

£273.95

Legends Untold Chapter 2 – Elusive Expressions

Living up to the lore, this Cameronbridge expression is a regal spirit of abundant richness. Matured exclusively in refill American Oak casks, this Single Grain is sweet and smooth on the surface, but with hot spices bubbling away beneath.

Nose: Subtly spiced cereal hints and sweetness entwine to suggest ripe tropical mango, papaya, and peapods. Rising through this, traces of hard toffee and light, sustained shavings of oak hint at the spicy intensity on the palate. A splash of water reveals notes of cinnamon bun and salted toffee. Later, these fade appealingly to scented beeswax.

Palate: Silky and smooth-flowing in texture with an intense butterscotch-sweet taste, which mellows into rich caramel toffee. A balancing spicy-dry, oaky intensity appears mid- palate. Adding water softens the honeyed sweetness to creamy-smooth Swiss milk chocolate, with just a little salt mid-palate. Gentle spice now holds the sweetness in check.

Finish: Short and quite intense, with considerable warming chili spice. With water sweeter, the spice reduced.

AMERICAN SINGLE MALT

American single malt whiskey is on the rise. The variety of styles within this category comes from the ability to experiment – distillers aren’t bound by a specific type of still, cask, or minimum age requirement – unlike in other whisky-producing countries.

Distilleries like Copperworks, named our New Wave Whisky of the Year for 2025, are leading the charge, bringing a brewer’s mindset to their whiskies with flavours ranging from peach iced tea, fresh raspberries and chocolate chip cookies.

READ MORE                               SHOP NOW

Heaven Hill Distillery Announces 2025 Heaven Hill Heritage Collection Release

This year’s release features the oldest Wheat Whiskey release from Heaven Hill to date

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (February, 2025) – Heaven Hill Distillery announced today the release of Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 19-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey. Each spring, this annual, highly limited release features some of the distillery’s oldest inventory of aging Whiskey, continuing the standard of excellence Heaven Hill has practiced since 1935.

Each release in the ultra-premium collection features one of the six traditional American Whiskey mashbills produced by Heaven Hill, one of the only heritage distilleries to produce this range. This 2025 edition features Heaven Hill’s Wheat Whiskey mashbill, comprised of 51% Wheat, 37% Corn, 12% Malted Barley and is bottled at 100 proof. With an age statement of 19 years, this release is made up of 277 barrels produced in August and September of 2005, that were aged on the 5^th and 6^th floors of rickhouse Y. To date, it is the oldest Wheat Whiskey released by Heaven Hill.

With its subtle nose of seasoned oak and honey sweetness followed by elements of clove and nutmeg, this edition of the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection has all the hallmarks of a classic Wheat Whiskey enhanced by the extended time spent in the rickhouse. A testament to its age, the initial notes on the palate include aged oak and baking spices particularly cloves. These elements are followed by rich and sweet notes of cinnamon graham crackers. The finish is warm, but medium in length dominated by maple syrup and caramel sweetness along with tannic elements adding a peppery tingle.

“This 19-year-old Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey is especially unique, as a product with this mashbill at this age offers an exceptional depth and complexity that is rarely seen,” says Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. “It truly represents the high standard that Heaven Hill is known for and is a great example of how craftsmanship and patience can pay off when you’re willing to wait for the highest-quality product to come from the Whiskey-making process.”

Along with its innovation-focused counterpart the Parker’s Heritage Collection, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection is a testament to Heaven Hill’s standard for excellence and ultra-aging techniques.  Releases from both collections offer a glimpse into the long-term plan across Heaven Hill’s American Whiskey stock and commitment to quality, craft, and innovation.

As with previous releases, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 750ml bottle will be accompanied by a premium box in signature Heaven Hill blue. The Heaven Hill Distillery seal is prominently positioned on the box, strip stamp and label, and will mirror that of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond and the recently launched Heaven Hill Grain to Glass line. A signature of the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, specific attributes such as warehouse site location, production date, mashbill percentages, and other designations are noted prominently on the packaging.  Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 19-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey will launch nationally and internationally on a limited basis with a MSRP of $299.99 and will begin shipping in early March 2025.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 2 million barrels aging in nearly 70 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky, Parker’s Heritage Collection, and Old Fitzgerald along with its extensive Bottled-in-Bond label collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2024 and 2023 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year and 2023 World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon from the Icons of Whisky, as well as the 2022 Large Spirits Producer of the Year from the Ascot Awards. Heaven Hill Distillery held the title of 2020 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, the second Whisky of the Year for Heaven Hill Distillery in the past four years. In 2019 Heaven Hill Distillery was named San Francisco World Spirits Competition Distillery of the Year, Best in Show Whisky, and previously held the titles of 2018 San Francisco Spirits Word Spirits Competition Best Bourbon, 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year. For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Meikle Tòir Chinquapin 5 Years Old

Aged in superior Chinquapin virgin oak barrels sourced from the Northern Ozark region of Missouri, USA, this single malt delivers robust notes of sweet spices and toasted nuts, which join the peat smoke. Coming in at 35 PPM, the whisky has a sweeter style of smoke character, owing to the mainland peat from St. Fergus used to kiln the barley. After a lengthy 160-hour fermentation, the whisky has a complex character which stands up well to ageing in virgin oak casks.

£47.99

Shop now

Meikle Tòir Original 5 Years Old

The original is made with mainland peat from St. Fergus, the flavour contribution is sweeter than that anticipated of coastal peat. With an extended fermentation time of 160 hours, nearly triple the industry average, the whisky boasts a flavour-rich, complex character. Aged in a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels, American virgin oak casks and Rye barrels, the spirit clocks in at 35 PPM.

£48.99

Shop now

Meikle Tòir The Sherry One 5 Years Old

Expertly matured in quality Pedro Ximénez Oloroso Sherry puncheons, the casks have imparted rich, fruity notes that mingle harmoniously with warming wisps of peat smoke. Made using mainland peat from St. Fergus, the sweet, phenolic content of the whisky amounts to 35 PPM. A lengthy fermentation period of 160 hours results in a fruit-forward spirit that lends itself perfectly to ageing in the finest Sherry oak.

£47.99

Shop now

YOUR NEW FAVOURITE REGION

Highland whisky was forged by the many flickering flames that once lit up its remote glens. It was illicit distillation that took hold long before the rise of the iconic names that now define this region.

The vast and varied landscape gave rise to distilleries that make a range of styles. Today you can expect complex whiskies characterised by a luxuriously rich and sherried style, more delicate floral and honeyed single malts, and even whiskies that balance fruit with a distinctive waxy flavour.

EXPLORE                                                       SHOP NOW

Old Particular

Wine Cask Series: Blair Athol 13 Years Old

We are delighted to bring to you our exclusive Old Particular ‘Red Wine Cask’ Collection. This distinctive expression sees our Blair Athol 13 years old enjoy a lengthy finish in a Single Sangiovese Red Wine Cask sourced from Italy. The well-rounded and intricate characteristics of Sangiovese seamlessly intertwine with the rich depth of Blair Athol.

SHOP NOW

An exclusive offering within our Old Particular range, the Red Wine Cask Collection. Each pairing in this collection has been meticulously selected to enhance the inherent qualities of our Malt Scotch Whisky, elevating the complexity and depth to introduce entirely new taste experiences.

Distinguished by their deep red wax dip finish, premium labelling and sleek black wine-shaped bottle. These premium expressions reveal intriguing layers of flavour with every sip.