Ledaig Rioja Cask
Tobermory was founded in 1798 on the Isle of Mull. The distillery’s main output falls under the Tobermory brand and is used in some blends like Black Bottle, but they also produce a smaller mount of peated single malt sold under the name Ledaig, the original name of the distillery. The Ledaig Rioja Cask is the first in the Sinclair Series, launched in 2020. Regardless, this peated single malt is aged in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in ex-Rioja casks.
Deanston 18 Year Cognac Finish
Deanston began it’s life as the Adelphi Cotton Mill in 1785 but after the mill had run its course along the River Teith, the site became a distillery in 1966. Though founded by Brodie Hepburn in the village of Deanston, the current team is made up of master blender Julieann Fernandez, Distillery Manager Murray Kerr and Visitor Center Manager Belen Catalan. This team has crafted a set of offerings ranging from No Age Statements to distillery exclusives. This Deanston 18 Year Cognac Finish takes the concept of finishing too added lengths. After maturing for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels, this whisky sat another 6 years in ex-cognac casks. Cognac, as a reminder, is named after a commune in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France.
Kingsbarns Doocot
Kingsbarns was founded in 2014 by Douglas Clement and is currently owned by independent bottler Weymss Malts, which purchased it in 2022. The placement of the distillery in the Lowland region, where there have been remarkably few active distilleries in the 21st century, was purportedly done to help provide comfort to golfers at the nearby famous courses around St. Andrew’s. The first whisky launched in 2018 and after a number of limited in development expressions, a limited core range emerged. The Kingsbarns Doocot is their flagship release and is the Scottish word for the dovecot that sits at the center of the distillery. It is a blend of whiskies matured in (90%) ex-bourbon and (10%) ex-Portuguese red wine barriques that have been shaved, toasted and re-charred (STR), both first-fill.