Whisky Of The Year 2025

THE INCREDIBLE 11

This year was all about great value products. Seeing indie brands and indie bottlers offer great whiskies at affordable prices, in the midst of large brands clambering to shift stock and releasing super premium offering that just aren’t really worth your time or money.

There are 11 bottles in this years video, the most we’ve ever had when it comes to incredible bottles that you hopefully got hold of.

Whether it’s bottles you’ve been chasing for years, something that blew your mind at a tasting or a festival, or something that caught your eye on a shelf. This year has been quite the remarkable one when it comes to acquiring fantastic liquids.

So sit down, pour yourself your favourite of the year and join me for a run through of mine. I’d also love to know what your whiskies of the year were. Or even your whisky experience of the year – what made 2025 cement itself as a solid year for product in your eyes?

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Unrivaled and Maker’s Mark Announce Partnership Celebrating the Spirit that Changed the Game

Maker’s Mark is named first Official Spirits Partner of Unrivaled, the breakthrough league built with the biggest stars in women’s basketball

LORETTO, Ky., December, 2025 – Ahead of the league’s second season in January, Maker’s Mark®, the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon, today announced it will be the first Official Spirits Partner of Unrivaled presented by Samsung Galaxy — the athlete-founded and player-owned women’s basketball league ushering in a new era for the game. This is Maker’s Mark’s first-ever sports league sponsorship. As part of the multi-year partnership, Maker’s Mark will bring the spirit of sport to life throughout the season at games at Sephora Arena in Miami and Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

“What Maker’s Mark has done throughout its renowned history is exactly what Unrivaled aims to do, which is carving our own path to create something better, and leaning into unreasonable ideas instead of shying away from them,” said Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled Co-Founder. “That’s what makes Maker’s Mark a perfect fit as our first Official Spirits Partner. We’re grateful for their support in our continued pursuit of making the unreasonable a reality for women’s basketball.”

Rob Samuels, eighth generation whisky maker and managing director at Maker’s Mark added, “Maker’s Mark founders – my grandparents – broke with tradition to reimagine what bourbon could be—a perfectly unreasonable spirit that endures today. Beginning with co-founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled shares that same spirit, and we’re delighted to shine a light on their community of players who prioritize passion and purpose on and off court.”  

As part of the partnership, Unrivaled ticketholders will have the chance to engage with Maker’s Mark brand experiences in select hospitality spaces and enjoy specialty cocktails inspired by the league. At Sephora Arena in Miami, Maker’s Mark will take over their new VIP Loge Box, creating an immersive space for VIP guests. At select games, Maker’s Mark will also be part of Unrivaled’s pre-game Fan Fest experience outside the arena where fans can enjoy games, photo opportunities, exclusive merch and activations in Unrivaled style.

Maker’s Mark will also appear in-arena through displays with broadcast-visible signage. Thirty-second commercial spots will run on media partners including TNT and truTV throughout the regular season and playoffs, featuring the new Perfectly Unreasonable global campaign, which celebrates the idea that going to unreasonable lengths—in life and in bourbon—is what separates good from remarkable. In parallel, Maker’s Mark will run custom content on Bleacher Report.

“This partnership brings together two brands that have challenged convention with an independent and generous spirit to create something truly new and compelling for their category,” said Regan Clarke, U.S. vice president of American Whiskey Brands, Suntory Global Spirits. “We’re thrilled to bring the dynamic energy of Unrivaled to life for basketball and bourbon fans alike – whether they’re enjoying the game in the arena or tuning in to watch with friends over a Maker’s Mark cocktail.” 

This announcement comes ahead of Unrivaled’s highly anticipated 2026 season, tipping off January 5 in Miami. Building on a breakthrough inaugural year that engaged and excited millions of fans, the league returns bigger than ever, featuring two new clubs, a redesigned arena with expanded fan sections, and their first-ever tour stop in Philadelphia. With broader national broadcast coverage with a fourth night of games, new brand partners and a growing roster of the sport’s biggest players, Unrivaled continues to push women’s basketball forward and redefine what a player-led league can look like.

Unrivaled and Maker’s Mark will offer their communities of ambassadors and fans exclusive content and other benefits. To explore the partnership with Maker’s Mark and Unrivaled, including nearby bar activations, signature cocktail recipes and more, visit www.makersmark.com/unrivaled-announcement or @makersmark and @unrivaled on Instagram.

ABOUT UNRIVALED
Unrivaled is a professional women’s basketball league innovating the women’s professional sports landscape with a groundbreaking model centered on investing in its athletes. Co-Founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled is player-owned, providing participating players equity opportunities for a vested interest in the league’s success. Launched in January 2025, Unrivaled features the current top women’s basketball stars in the world across eight clubs for a 3-on-3, compressed full court style of play. To learn more, visit unrivaled.basketball or contact info@unrivaled.com.

ABOUT MAKER’S MARK  
Maker’s Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world. In 1953, founders Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr. broke from tradition—burning the family’s 170-year-old recipe to create a bold, balanced bourbon made with soft red winter wheat for signature sweetness and creaminess. From the start, the Samuels went to remarkable lengths to craft uncompromisingly delicious bourbon—a perfectly unreasonable spirit that endures today. Every bottle is still hand-dipped in red wax, every barrel rotated by hand and every decision guided by the brand’s higher purpose.

Staying true to its founders’ vision, Maker’s Mark has expanded its portfolio with award-winning, super-premium expressions, including Maker’s Mark 46, Cask Strength, and Cellar Aged, as well as Private Selection, the brand’s custom barrel program. In 2025, the distillery debuted Star Hill Farm Whisky, its first-ever wheat whisky. Award-winning and the first to earn Estate Whiskey certification, Star Hill Farm Whisky inspired the Maker’s Mark Regenerative Alliance, a bold commitment to advance regenerative farming beyond its business, inviting farms, bars and restaurants to join the movement.

Maker’s Mark is proud to be both B Corp and Regenified Certified – milestones driven by the sustainability leadership at Star Hill Farm, home of the Maker’s Mark Distillery, which strives to be the most endearing, culturally rich and environmentally responsible homeplace in the world.

Learn more at www.makersmark.com.

Our December auction is now LIVE!

Place your bids until 7pm (GMT) Sunday 4th January 2026.

www.whiskyhammer.com

Every month, we present an incredible selection of whiskies and other fine spirits to our members right across the globe. You will find everything here from limited edition releases and vintage bottles to whole casks of rare whisky. There is certainly something for everyone – whether you are looking to collect, invest or enjoy!

Macallan – Easter Elchies (2010)

Mortlach – 75 Year Old (1939) Gordon & MacPhail (Generations)

Tomintoul – 45 Year Old (1973 Vintage) 

Karuizawa – 1999-2000 (Unique Cuvee) Samaroli 

Strathisla – 1960 (Gordon & MacPhail)

Selling whisky? Why not arrange the pick-up of your bottles using our global courier service? If you’re based in Scotland, you might want to arrange the personal collection of your bottles. Wherever you’re based in the world, we will make getting your bottles into our monthly auction as simple as possible. Get in touch with the Whisky Hammer team now by dropping them a message at sales@whiskyhammer.com.

Victoria Whisky Festival Tickets

All remaining tickets are now available online.

Alongside the remaining packages which we’ve been offering for the last couple of weeks, there are now brand-new VIP packages available, plus a whole suite of individual masterclasses for those who want a top-up to their existing itinerary!

SECURE YOUR TICKETS NOW

Warm their winter with a Highland masterpiece

Crafted in the rugged beauty of Highland Perthshire, Strathearn Batch 02 is a whisky built for fireside stories and slow December nights. Enhanced by richer Bourbon-cask influence, this rounded, creamy, beautifully balanced release delivers festive flavours of honey, orange zest, dark fruits, and toasted nuts.

Made to be savoured long after Christmas.

LEARN MORE & SHOP

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 587: Yamazaki 12 Year Old

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a staple Japanese whisky. He says ‘I can hardly imagine it, but I’ve tasted this classic Japanese whisky about five times, yet I haven’t written decent tasting notes for the Yamazaki 12 years old. Imagine that! My American friend John K. noticed it too, and without hesitation, he brought a bottle from Japan and travelled to Gentbrugge. What a guy, right?’ https://youtu.be/7ymI8tIm56A

Rhubarb, custard and Highland smoke: Cù Bòcan’s new Creation #7 whisky marks 20 years of peat at Tomatin

Cù Bòcan, the experimental single malt crafted at Tomatin Distillery in the Scottish Highlands each winter, has launched its boldest release yet – Creation #7 – celebrating two decades of peated whisky production at the distillery.

Inspired by the lightly-peated spirit historically produced at Tomatin more than a century ago, Cù Bòcan uses unusual cask combinations to craft exceptional whiskies which push the boundaries of flavour and challenge the ordinary in whisky maturation.

Creation #7 – the anticipated seventh edition in the Creations series – has matured in rare Pineau des Charentes Rouge and American virgin oak casks, resulting in a distinctive flavour profile of rhubarb, custard, heather smoke and sweet oak spice.

Drawing on Tomatin’s experience in using fortified wine casks, including in the recent French Collection, blender and global brand ambassador Scott Adamson selected the Pineau des Charentes Rouge casks to add a new dimension to the Cù Bòcan range.

He said: “Creation #7 is Cù Bòcan’s most limited Creations release to date and is more than a whisky but an invitation to explore. The Pineau des Charentes Rouge casks are rarely used in Scotch whisky maturation and influence the lightly peated spirit to unlock nostalgic and unexpected flavours.”

Cù Bòcan Creation #7 marks 20 years of peated spirit production at Tomatin, a seasonal ritual that has closed the distillery’s calendar since 2005. Cù Bòcan’s distillation coincides with incredibly low water temperatures, allowing for faster distillate condensation and resulting in a slightly oilier mouthfeel in the new make spirit.

The new release is presented in Cù Bòcan’s bespoke bottle, housed in a vivid pink and yellow carton — a visual nod to the dram’s rhubarb and custard profile. Its engraved contours echo the wisp of Cù Bòcan’s signature smoke and the staves of the casks that shaped it.

Natural in colour and non-chill filtered, Cù Bòcan Creation #7 is bottled at 46% ABV and is available from today (24 November 2025) on Tomatin Distillery’s online shop and in specialist whisky retailers throughout the UK and worldwide, priced at £45 RRP. Only 3,000 bottles are available worldwide, 1,400 of which are in the UK. For more information, visit https://tomatin.com/cu-bocan.

Cù Bòcan Creation #7 tasting notes

Nose: Rhubarb crumble with custard, ginger and cinnamon. Almond croissants with apple and toffee. Heather smoke and musk.

Palate: Whisp of smoke followed by toasted brioche, butter shortbread, strawberry and raspberry.

Finish: Long with a mineral edge.

About Cù Bòcan

Cù Bòcan is a Highland single malt distilled, matured, and produced at the Tomatin Distillery near Inverness, renowned for its portfolio of brands including Tomatin Highland single malt, The Antiquary, Talisman and Big T.

Peat has been part of Tomatin’s story since its founding in 1897, when the distillery drew on local supplies to fire its stills. Though production shifted to an unpeated style mid-century, Tomatin revived peated runs in 2005 — sparking the birth of Cù Bòcan.

In 2005, the decision was made to produce a peated single malt and for the last week of production that year a batch of optic barley peated to 15ppm was used to produce about 60,000 litres of lightly peated spirit which was filled into a variety of different cask types.

Then, on September 3rd 2013, this lightly peated whisky produced at Tomatin was released as Cù Bòcan – a single malt at 15ppm matured in a combination of bourbon, sherry, and virgin oak casks. Since then, the Cù Bòcan brand has grown with a number of vintage releases as part of the brand’s limited-edition collection.

Cù Bòcan – ‘ghost dog’ in Gaelic – is named after a spirit thought to haunt the distillery’s hometown of Tomatin.

Cù Bòcan rebranded in August 2019. It is an experimental Highland single malt that explores innovative maturation to create whiskies full of intrigue and surprise. It is made with lightly peated Scottish barley, distilled every winter in limited batches and matured in a variety of interesting casks to unlock unusual flavours.

A silky-smooth melody including an overture of croissants meets antique polished oak, roses, walnuts, confit melon and marzipan in Fruit Utopia. But there’s another waltz to be had, in the amaretto-infused mince pie notes of Skooshy Stroopwafel, a dreamy sipper with apricots, oranges and pears next to toasted almonds on brioche.

FRUIT UTOPIA

Age: 25 years

Cask: Bourbon & French Oak Hogsheads, Barrels & Barriques

For this unique small batch single malt release, our spirits team took inspiration from maturation techniques they encountered on their travels in the Cognac region. A more hands on approach, shaping the flavours through cask management and constant monitoring of the maturation. At twenty years of age, we combined selected bourbon hogsheads of Speyside single malt and filled the whisky back into custom toasted French oak barriques from Seguin Moreau cooperage. Following three months of intense maturation in these highly active casks, we combined the spirit again and filled into 2nd fill bourbon barrels, just freshly emptied of Speyside malts. The whisky was closely monitored every six months for a further five years to develop a silk-like texture and wonderful layers of fruity complexity.

On the nose, a prelude of bananas ripening in a room filled with Cognacs and Armagnacs on French-polished oak furniture. Hints of camphor, tobacco, dried apricots, peaches and pears lend a je-ne-sais-quoi of gravitas to the otherwise silky-smooth mood. The flavour was a smooth overture of croissants, red berries then a cornucopia of exotic fruits, dried apricots, an antique white wine and tobacco with a mentholic timeless classiness. Water flowed in like a melody bringing more delicious elderberry jam on freshly baked shortbread, antique polished oak, roses, waltnuts, confit melon and marzipan with a drizzle of blueberry sauce and melted butter. A grand finale on the palate offered a highly elegant assortment of lemon sponge cake covered in crème patissière, honey, lychee, clementine slices, desiccated coconuts and the soothing whispers of oak and age.

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SKOOSHY STROOPWAFEL

Age: 11 years

Cask: Bourbon
& European Oak PX

For this special small-batch single malt, we sourced some top-notch European oak sherry butts from our friends at Tonelería Juan Pino in the south of Spain. The butts were seasoned in the sherry triangle for 13 months with syrupy sweet PX wine, before coming to Scotland to be filled with a wonderfully fruity Speyside single malt, which we are now proud to present to you.

We were reminded of popping the cork of an orange muscat wine bottle, with those typical aromas of apricots, oranges and pears next to toasted almonds on brioche and fragrant exotic wood. At first on the palate we found tingling spicy fruit flavours before we had a sip of very pleasing hot mulled white wine made with fresh orange juice, star anise, honey and cinnamon. Following reduction, we opened a tin of amaretto-infused mince pies – sweet, spicy and tart yet perfectly balanced, with mellow almond notes emanating from the liqueur. To taste, this was like a pumpkin-spiced iced coffee and “skooshy” (a very ‘technical’ Scottish term for cream in a can) cream on a stroopwafel.

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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