The second release in Laphroaig's Strong Characters series celebrates Dugald Johnston, one of the figures who helped shape the distillery's history.
Following the death of his father Donald Johnston in 1847, Dugald took responsibility for Laphroaig at an extraordinarily young age. Before he was 21, he had learned the complexities of Laphroaig whisky production and farm management, later helping to grow the distillery in both size and reputation.
Chapter 2 tells his story through a 35 Year Old Laphroaig, matured in the distillery's signature American oak casks, barrels and hogsheads. After three and a half decades of maturation, the whisky retains Laphroaig's unmistakable character, with peat smoke and spice developing into a creamy mouthfeel alongside fruit and oak.
The presentation is an important part of the release. Laphroaig commissioned award winning British illustrator Bill Bragg, who spent time sketching on Islay and immersing himself in island life before creating the artwork that brings Dugald Johnston's story to life.
Combining 35 year old Laphroaig, distillery heritage and commissioned artwork, Strong Characters Chapter 2 continues the collectible series that began with Donald Johnston in Chapter 1.
JPHA is an Exclusive Launch Partner for Laphroaig Strong Characters Chapter 2.Tasting Note by Laphroaig:Nose: Enticing sweetness, followed by notes of freshly baked pastry and then fruity scents of apple and cherry, comparable to Bakewell or crumble.Palate: Inviting smokiness to start and spice on the palate. A creamy mouthfeel opens up to light raisin and a warm note in the background.Finish: Lingering aniseed and a light tingling, peppery mouthfeel, which fades slowly back to the original peat smoke notes.
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.
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
Tobermory 27 Year Old is the fifth and final expression in the distillery’s Hebridean Series, bringing the collection to a close with its oldest and most powerful release.
Initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, the whisky spent a further 12 years in González Byass Oloroso sherry casks, developing a rich and concentrated character while retaining Tobermory’s distinctive fruit-led style. Bottled at 53.1% ABV, it is also the highest-strength expression of the later Hebridean releases.
The extended Oloroso maturation brings layers of dark fruit, warming spice and mature oak, complemented by brighter notes of apricot, orange and pineapple. At 27 years old, it represents the culmination of the series’ progression through increasingly long periods of sherry maturation.
Presented as Expression 5, Tobermory 27 Year Old is a fitting final chapter for collectors of the Hebridean Series and an impressive example of long-aged, heavily sherried Tobermory.
Tasting Notes by Tobermory:Nose: An aroma rich with the scent of cinnamon pastries and dark black fruits. Sweet apricot and dried figs are joined by the earthy notes of toasted oak, all rounded off with a bright twist of orange zest.Palate: A thick layer of marmalade spreads across the palate, complemented by warming cinnamon spice. The flavours unfold to reveal fig rolls, blackcurrant, and brambles, with a touch of honey-roasted nuts and a hint of treacle toffee.Finish: The finish is steady and lasting, featuring red berry compote, fresh mandarins, and a pinch of nutmeg for good measure.
The opening release in a new series honouring the people behind Laphroaig’s history. Chapter 1 pays tribute to Donald Johnston, the elder of two brothers who founded the distillery in 1815. His influence on the style and legacy of Laphroaig is reflected in this inaugural bottling, presented alongside striking illustrations by British artist Bill Bragg.
This whisky spent 33 years maturing in a mix of American oak ex-bourbon casks and European oak sherry-seasoned hogsheads. Bottled at fixed strength, it captures the depth of its long rest in the warehouse, offering a profile shaped by time and tradition.
Tasting Note by Laphroaig:Nose: Starting with stewed fruit and smooth vanilla créme brûlée.Palate: Our iconic smoky finish sets the scene for savoury aromas of cured meat.Finish: Sherry casks bring warm festive spice.
Established in 1923 in Shimamoto, Osaka Prefecture, Yamazaki is Japan's first and oldest malt whisky distillery and the foundation of Suntory's whisky heritage. The distillery's mastery of Mizunara oak, a rare and characterful Japanese timber notoriously difficult to season and cooperage, is among the most distinctive aspects of its craft, and one that sets Yamazaki apart from any other whisky producer in the world.
The 18 Year Old Mizunara 2024 Edition is the product of years of experimentation by Yamazaki's blending team, who discovered that the true potential of Mizunara casks is unlocked only through extended maturation. Eighteen years in this exceptional Japanese oak imparts an unmistakeable spiciness alongside notes of sandalwood and aloe, producing a whisky of rare complexity where fruit, spice and wood notes engage in a rich and elegant harmony. It is an expression for the serious collector and a gift of genuine distinction.
Tasting Note by Yamazaki:Nose: Rich and elegant with dark cherry, ripe peach and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.Palate: Subtly spiced organette with undernotes of Japanese incense.Finish: Long and lingering, accentuated with clove, sandalwood and hints of dried coconut.
The Ledaig Triple Wood is an inaugural release, curated in collaboration with Tobermory Distillery's Island Ambassador and the renowned wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan, marking a union of three iconic Ledaig single malts. This blend signifies the partnership among Tobermory Distillery, Gordon Buchanan, and the Mull and Iona Community Trust, a charitable associate in a strive to uphold, safeguard, and conserve the island of Mull in the Scottish Hebrides.
This luxurious whisky comprises three classic Ledaig single malts, each meticulously matured in distinct casks — Wine, Bourbon, and Port. These are expertly harmonized by Master Blender, Julieann Fernandez. The outcome is a distinctive, smoky whisky brimming with hints of apple, vanilla, smoky oak, toffee, and a lingering touch of maple syrup.
Tasting Note by Tobermory: Nose: Sweet nose with notes of poached pears dusted with cinnamon, creamy butterscotch and American cream soda.Palate: An initial burst of apple strudel an vanilla ice cream is balanced with cracked black pepper, wood smoke, toasted oak and treacle toffee.Finish: Lingering smoky finish with cloves and a touch of maple syrup.
Distilled on 12th July 2000 and matured for two decades in a refill puncheon, this double cask expression was finished in a Tokaji (white wine) cask from 12th August 2021, chosen and overseen personally by Royal Brackla's Malt Master, Stephanie Macleod.
Royal Brackla holds a unique place in whisky history as the first single malt ever granted a Royal Warrant, earning it the name "The King's Own Whisky." Founded in 1812 by Captain William Fraser, the distillery's Highland character has always leaned toward the elegant and the fruit-driven, qualities this cask brings fully into focus.
The Tokaji finish draws on Hungary's celebrated dessert wine tradition, known for its botrytis-affected grapes and concentrated, honeyed sweetness. That influence shows clearly here: ripe peaches and apricots up front, mellowed by frangipane and a soft, lingering note of coconut.
This is a double cask bottling from a single distillation date. 258 bottles exist worldwide, and there's no second batch behind this specific cask pairing.Tasting Note by Royal Brackla:Deliciously supple with ripe peaches and apricots, mellowed with fragipane and soft coconut.
Produced at Bruichladdich Distillery on the Isle of Islay, Octomore is the world's most heavily peated single malt whisky, with each edition rooting its character in barley provenance, peat level and cask influence. Edition 17.3 is the estate expression of the 17 Series, distilled from 100% Islay Concerto barley grown at Irene's Field on the Octomore Farm, grounding the spirit firmly in place and provenance.
Malted to an extraordinary 132.1 PPM and aged for 5 years in a cuvée of first-fill bourbon barrels and second-fill Ribera del Duero, Sauternes, Eiswein and Syrah casks, Edition 17.3 balances muscular peat with elegance and nuance. With time, the spirit, cask and grain knit tightly together into a powerful yet composed dram that is weather-beaten, coastal and deeply satisfying. Bottled at 60.9% ABV at natural cask strength.
Tasting Notes by Bruichladdich:Nose: Immediate coastal peat smoke — salty, tarry and medicinal — evocative of sea spray, coal smoke and weathered rope. As the phenols settle, the barley speaks clearly: warm malted grain, brown sugar and fresh barley flour. Lemon peel and crisp orchard fruit bring lift; green apple, pear and pear drops, alongside soft vanilla and marzipan sweetness. Herbal notes of marram grass and wildflowers add freshness, grounding the dram firmly in its Islay home.Palate: Full and commanding in texture — viscous, weighty and peppery. Sweet first-fill oak shows as salted caramel, smoked apple and toasted coconut, quickly joined by praline and vanilla cream. Then the peat rises: earthy and deeply charred, wrapping the palate in dry, ashy smoke. Citrus oils and mineral salinity rise sharply through the smoke, creating tension and precision. With time, the spirit, cask and grain knit tightly together — smoked malt, sweet barley and peat woven as one.Finish: Long, dry and resonant. Malty sweetness, soft florals and vanilla fade gradually into earthy smoke and maritime salt. The peat lingers for an age — savoury, warming and unmistakably Octomore.
Situated on a 485-acre estate on the banks of the River Spey in Craigellachie, The Macallan is one of Speyside's most distinguished distilleries, with a history stretching back to 1824. The distillery's famously small, curiously shaped stills produce a robust and fruity new make spirit that is ideally suited to long maturation in quality oak, and it is the cask, above all else, that defines The Macallan's house philosophy. Every bottle in the Sherry Oak Collection carries entirely natural colour, a commitment that speaks directly to the integrity of the maturation process and the quality of the casks selected.
The Sherry Oak 12 Year Old is matured for a minimum of twelve years on The Macallan Estate, predominantly in sherry seasoned European oak casks prepared in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. It is widely regarded as the definitive entry point into The Macallan's classic style, offering the full expression of what sherry seasoned European oak imparts to a long-matured Speyside spirit: deep natural colour, dried fruit richness, warming spice and genuine complexity. For those seeking a thoughtful and widely admired gift, or a foundational bottle for a developing collection, the Sherry Oak 12 Year Old consistently delivers.
Tasting Notes by The Macallan:Nose: Dried fruit, candied citrus peel and oak with notes of ginger and nutmeg.Palate: Raisins and sultanas with ginger syrup, a touch of sweet cinnamon spice and a hint of vanilla.Finish: Long with oak and warming ginger.
