On 19 September 1995, new spirit was filled into a single Oloroso sherry cask at Craigellachie in Speyside. That was almost two decades before the distillery launched its single malt range in 2014. For thirty years the cask sat undisturbed in oak, monitored over time by Malt Master Stephanie Macleod, until she judged it ready. Built as the rock in the heart of Speyside in 1891, Craigellachie has always done things the old-fashioned way: worm tub condensers, oil-fired kilning, no chill filtration and no added colour. That uncompromising approach is the foundation of every bottle in the Exceptional Cask Series.
Cask #4573 was bottled straight from the cask at 56.9% ABV with no water added. It filled 426 bottles. There will never be more. Every one of them is at JPHA. For collectors and those who appreciate whisky of genuine provenance, this is as singular as it gets.
Tasting Note by Craigellachie:Rich orchard fruits, toasted cereal and creamy vanilla, with hints of aniseed, soft leather and a zesty orange peel finish.
Royal Brackla 19 Year Old is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky matured in oak before a finishing period in Oloroso sherry hogsheads. Oloroso is a dry, oxidatively aged sherry — it adds dark fruit and depth without sweetness. The whisky is bottled at 54.9% ABV, non-chill filtered, and naturally coloured. This release is part of the Exceptional Cask Series and is limited to 1,170 bottles. Royal Brackla was granted a Royal Warrant in 1833 by King William IV.
Tasting Note by Royal Brackla: Nose: Smooth vanilla sweetness with soft notes of creamy coconut and ripe honeydew melon, lifted by gentle hints of cinnamon and star anise. Palate: Full bodied and well rounded, with vanilla and coconut at the centre, layered with the lush fruitiness of honeydew melon and a warming weave of cinnamon spice and star anise.Finish: Long and vibrant, with lingering warmth, gentle spice and a clean sweetness that fades gradually.
Bunnahabhain distilled this whisky in 1999. Ten years later, it was moved into an Amontillado sherry cask, then Oloroso, then Manzanilla — three casks applied in sequence rather than simultaneously, each one following the last. Seven years of sequential finishing followed the initial ten years of maturation, for twenty-three years total.
Bunnahabhain is one of the few distilleries on Islay producing unpeated whisky. This bottle carries no peat. It is bottled at cask strength, 53.3%, non-chill filtered, with no added colour.
This release is one of 4,002 individually numbered bottles from the Feis Île 2024 release, Bunnahabhain's annual festival bottling. It is not part of the distillery's standard core range.
Tasting Note by Bunnahabhain:Nose: Freshly baked almond pastries are met with sweet berries, creamy fudge, rose petals and a hint of desiccated coconut.Palate: Fresh vanilla pods, butterscotch and creamy strawberries are balanced with honeyed cashews, wood spice and a gentle hint of tobacco.Finish: Dry finish with pine needles and blackcurrants
Some master what others can't see. Glenfiddich's Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, returns for a second release in the Aston Martin Formula One™ Team partnership — a whisky built the way a race-winning car is built: through relentless refinement, layer by layer.
This 16 Year Old expression is a marriage of whiskies matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and fine wine and fortified wine casks, then finished in sequence across four further cask types — Port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, wine casks, and a final, delicate rest in Fino Sherry butts. Where last year's Release No. 1 was shaped by American oak wine casks and second-fill bourbon, this new edition adds a fourth layer of cask influence — deeper, richer, and more complex still.
On the nose, rich stewed fruits unfold alongside marzipan and polished leather. On the palate, mellow toffee sweetness meets caramelised cane sugar, balanced by dry oak tannin. The finish is long, oaky, and quietly assured.
Bottled at 43% ABV, this is Glenfiddich at its most awarded — with more accolades since 2000 than any other single malt Scotch whisky across the IWSC and ISC, two of the industry's most prestigious competitions.
Tasting Note by Glenfiddich:Nose: Rich stewed fruits with a beautiful array of floral top notes. Hints of marzipan and polished leather. A drop of water accentuates the fresh, ripe fruits.Palate: Mellow and silky smooth with a creamy buttery toffee sweetness. Caramelized cane sugar with a lovely counterbalance of dry oak tannin.Finish: Long lasting oaky sweetness
Every grain of malt in this whisky was turned by hand on The Balvenie's own malting floor.
The distillery has worked that floor since 1931, but it normally supplies only part of the barley Balvenie uses. For this limited edition Twelve Year Old, it supplied all of it. Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie built the whisky around that malt, so the character of the barley sits at the centre of the flavour.
The spirit matured for many years in American oak, which brings vanilla and gentle spice. It was then finished in ex-sherry bodega European oak butts from Jerez for added depth. It is bottled at 47.5%, a stronger bottling that holds on to more of the spirit's character. Try it neat first, then add a drop of water.
It comes in packaging designed by contemporary artist Daniel Arsham, in textured copper and verdigris tones inspired by The Balvenie's aged stills.
Tasting Note by Balvenie:Nose: Warm biscuit, honeyed creamy toffee, delicate ginger and aromatic oak.Palate: Mellow barley sugar sweetness, warming into crystallised ginger, delicate raisin and spice.Finish: Rich, velvety and smooth, with a lingering spiced warmth.
Macallan Rare Cask 2024 Release is created from a selection of rare casks at The Macallan Estate, each chosen for their exceptionally rich and complex character. These hand selected casks reveal a deep ruby mahogany colour, an intense sweet raisin flavour and a smooth velvety mouthfeel. This release represents one of the most expressive examples of The Macallan’s cask led style, showcasing richness, depth and luxurious sweetness.
Tasting Note by Macallan:Nose: Soft notes of vanilla with rich raisin, followed by a sweet fusion of fresh apple, lemon and orange.Palate: An intense sweet raisin dominates before giving way to vanilla and dark chocolate, with layers of light citrus zest.Finish: Long, rich and velvety.
Bold and refreshing, this vintage showcases the skilful harvest of Provence terroir grapes. With its crystal-clear appearance and delicate nose, the Prestige maintains Minuty's signature rosé legacy with its pronounced minerality and lasting finish.
Tasting Note by Christophe Mongeot:Nose: Expect aromatic finesse with notes of yellow grapefruit, whitecurrant, blood orange and fresh berries such as raspberry.Palate: Crisp, strong, clean and lingering on the palate, there are dominant flavours of tangy red berries followed by notes of apricot.
