The London Whisky Shop (2024)

10/06/2022

Springbank 30 Year Old 🥃

I was privileged enough to try this exceptional dram a couple of weeks ago at the . It absolutely did not disappoint!

The whisky itself is remarkably balanced, delivering the rich flavour profiles that come with age whilst maintaining the presence of that traditional 'Campbeltown Funk'.

As you can imagine this bottle is being hunted across the world by whisky drinkers, collectors and resellers alike - so getting your hands on one will be quite tricky!

ran a ballot for their Society members, offering up a healthy 200 bottles (of the total 1400 worldwide allocation) for sale. What a fantastic idea this was - helping more bottles get into the hands of those who have supported the distillery over the years!

The ballot results came out earlier today, did you have any success? Let us know in the comments section!👇

31/05/2022

The Macallan Red Collection 40 Year Old

An exceptional whisky from which also happens to be the youngest bottle in the Red Collection series! A forty year old whisky from The Macallan Distillery is no regular bottle at all, and the majority of these bottles are only sold to customers "by invitation only".

We're excited to see the Red Collection 2021 arrive later this year, what are your thoughts on the rumoured new lineups of 40, 50, 60, 72, 75 & 77 Year Olds?

26/05/2022

Springbank Open Day 2022 Festival Bottles

- Springbank 22 Year Old, Bourbon & Rum Casks
- Longrow 15 Year Old, Fresh Sherry
- Hazelburn 15 Year Old, Refill Marsala & Bourbon

A beautiful trio of whiskies to celebrate the marvelous Springbank Open Day at

17/05/2022

Glen Grant 1957, 64 Years Old
"Mr George" Legacy Series, Second Edition

This wonderful piece of whisky history comes to us from the vast warehouses of , who have trawled through their archives to bring us this incredible bottle.

Distilled at and aged for 64 years in oak casks before being bottled at an astonishing 56.1% abv! Talk about some exceptional cask management!

This is a magnificent series from G&M celebrating the life and achievements of Mr George Urquhart, or the "father of single malt whisky" as he has been called!

12/05/2022

This incredible 10 Year Old from is a whisky 'unicorn' from a bygone era.

Hand filled in 2008 by the distillery in celebration of the tenth anniversary of , this magnificent bottle is a beautiful addition to any respectable Macallan collection. Only 300 bottles were produced from a single cask at a delicious 57.4% abv.

I'm such a big fan of these old Macallan labels and the whisky-making era they represent, as the quality of the liquid inside is undoubtedly spectacular! Truly liquid gold! 👑

11/05/2022

We continue our exploration today of with a very special bottle indeed.

The Macallan Boutique Collection 2017 was produced in celebration of the opening of the first ever Airport Boutique in Taiwan, and was sold exclusively in that boutique as a travel exclusive edition.

Over the years a number of these bottles have made their way across the shores and into the hands of committed collectors. In 2018 Macallan launched the Boutique Collection across all their boutiques worldwide and the series consisted of 3 annual editions ending in 2020.

Whispers across the whisky bars indicate that a new Boutique exclusive bottling will be landing shortly, any guesses on what it may look like?

10/05/2022

Today we continue our mini-series on unique whiskies from with this timeless 25 Year Old. Affectionately dubbed "red strap" in a nod the burgundy strip wrapped around it's label, until 2017 this was the standard version of The Macallan 25 Year Old Sherry Oak.

These bottles were much more affordable a few years back and as such were consumed much more frequently - the RRP on such a bottle in 2014 was a mere £800. In the current market climate it is common to see the more recent editions of the 25 Year Old for sale upwards of £2,500!

Older editions of The Macallan used to feature a "Whisky Tint" number ranging from 1-25, grading the whisky solely on its colour out of the cask. With this edition being graded 24 you can be certain it was popular with lovers of a sherry-bomb!

09/05/2022

is upon us again and this week we're going to do a mini-series focussing on and in particular some of their more elusive whiskies that you don't see nowadays!

Amid all the clambering over recent releases from The Macallan I thought it would be fun to dig out some bottles from my collection, which perhaps have not seen the light of day on shelves for quite some time.

First up we have this marvelous Macallan 21 Year Old Fine Oak. The Fine Oak series was launched back in 2004 and featured whiskies which deviated from 's usual sherry seasoned casks, by including whiskies that had been aged in Bourbon casks.

In 2017, Macallan announced they were stopping the Fine Oak series as they were no longer using bourbon casks, and the 21 and 30 Year Old versions were immediately discontinued. Supply of these bottles has naturally dried up over the years and as such the demand has soared for them!

Tomorrow we'll be taking a look at a bottle from this distillery affectionately nicknamed "red strap" - any guesses?

25/04/2022

A very special bottle from in aid of Ukraine 🇺🇦

Only 500 bottles of this limited edition 10 Year Old whisky were produced, and sold a couple weeks back with much fanfare. People queued overnight outside some stores just to lay their hands on this beautiful bottle, undoubtedly a sign of their steadfast belief in this charitable endeavour.

This week Springbank Distillery are taking things up a notch with an incredible charity auction to benefit the same cause. Just 6 bottles from a single cask of 21 Year Old whisky have been produced and will be auctioned off by the distillery directly. Will you be bidding for one of them? Happy Bidding all! 🥃

13/04/2022

Introducing..... Macallan Distil Your World: New York

This is the second edition in the 'Distil Your World' series from in collaboration with which has proven incredibly popular thus far.

As you can imagine the demand for this bottle is exceptional, and with only one thousand bottles produced worldwide it has proven quite a challenge to locate!

The official launch of the product isn't until tomorrow (Thursday 14th April) however it appears these have hit the retailers a couple days early and they are selling fast! Early indications have seen sales of this bottle in excess of $10,000, although thankfully this bottle was secured a lot closer to the $4,999 RRP.

Will you be trying to lay your hands on a bottle? Best of luck if so! 🥃

10/04/2022

Cadenheads London reopened their store on Chiltern Street last weekend after a period of closure and a change in ownership structure. It's lovely to have a whisky store with such historical prominence back on the streets of London.

To celebrate the reopening of their London Shop, released this exclusive single cask 40 year old Caol Ila along with a smattering of other bottles from (more on that charity bottling later this week).

Did you queue at the reopening of the London Shop last weekend? Let us know what it was like! 😃👇

04/04/2022

Another is upon us and this week we have dug deep into the vault to unearth this glorious masterpiece!

Feast your eyes and behold this incredible Macallan Red Collection 50 Year Old!

An astonishing whisky from that has been bottled after half a century in sherry oak casks. At 50 years of age this historical whisky was bottled at an impressive 45.1% abv with an undisclosed amount of bottles produced (we know it's more than 344😉).

The Macallan Red Collection is an annual release from "the world's most popular distillery" featuring six special editions. The 40, 50 & 60 year olds will be produced annually with another three older "Guest Expressions" featuring every year. Last year's guest expressions were 71, 74 & 78 years of age and we've heard that the 2022(1) edition will feature some even older whiskies!

For now we'll tuck this one back away for future generations to enjoy, and in the meantime look forward to upcoming new releases to add to this collection!

25/03/2022

Chichibu 2009 Single Cask Rum Finish #5281 / Chichibu Edition 2019

This beautiful whisky was finished in a single rum cask before being bottled at 9 years of age and available only at the distillery as an exclusive bottling. Just 622 bottles were made available for sale.

Aside from producing magnificent whiskies even at what is still a relatively young age, take a lot of pride in their bottle artwork and have given us some wonderful looking labels. What do you think of this one?

21/03/2022

For this week's we're taking a look at this incredibly rare bottle of whisky for some

The Macallan Anecdotes Of Ages Collection is a one-of-a-kind collection of 13 bottles containing whisky aged in 1967 featuring artwork designed by .

The bottle we see here is the Down To Work Limited Edition containing the same whisky from 1967, replicating a label from one of the original 13 Anecdotes Of Ages Collection with only 322 bottles produced. The label pays tribute to George Harbinson and his family who oversaw The Macallan in the 1950s and 60s. It is this very same gentleman who made the decision to age their whisky solely in "sherry seasoned" casks and his decision lives on to this very day.

Macallan have once again delivered on a fantastic collaboration with Peter Blake producing a whisky of tremendous calibre and bottling it in a fantastic looking solid oak box.

15/03/2022

The Lakes Whiskymaker's Reserve No.1

This whisky was the very first general release from English whisky makers back in September 2019. Since then we have seen an array of whiskies bottled under The Whiskymaker's "Reserve" and "Edition" ranges which have been snapped up by drinkers and investors alike at a surprising pace!

This particular whisky is undoubtedly young having been aged in PX sherry and red wine casks before being bottled at a cask strength 60.6% abv yielding 5922 individually numbered bottles. As with all whisky from The Lakes, the focus is on sherry cask maturation and it tastes much more mature than it actually is!

The Lakes Distillery is only 7 years old and the team have spent that time wisely building an increasingly popular brand around their whisky which will undoubtedly grow with time. They have recently completed an oversubscribed Crowdfunding campaign raising £1.6m from whisky lovers worldwide to help them increase their production over the coming years.

07/03/2022

Ichiro's Malt & Grain Single Cask 🦄

A unique whisky from founder Ichiro Akuto, bottled to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Bar Ace in Japan.

This blend of malt and grain whisky was aged in a single virgin American Oak hogshead yielding a tiny outturn of just 285 bottles at 58%.

Bottles like these are considered to be "unicorns" seeing that just a mere few make it across to the western hemisphere. Have you got a favourite "Unicorn Whisky"? Let us know below👇🥃

03/03/2022

Springbank Local Barley 2022 Release

One of the most hotly anticipated whisky launches of the year took place this week with a new lineup from , featuring the 25 Year Old, Local Barley 10 Year Old as well as a pair of Sherry and Port cask 8 Year Olds from and the magnificent Longrow Red 15 Year Old.

Today we are focusing on the Local Barley 10 Year Old. A different version of this whisky is released annually, using different barley strains sourced from local fields in the surrounding areas of Campbeltown.

This year's release was matured in 100% bourbon barrels and bottled at 51.6% abv. Springbank have significantly increased their output from last years 9,000 bottles to 15,000 this year so that it is more accessible and hopefully we all get a chance at buying this bottle!

24/02/2022

Rosebank Roses VI "Unity"

This is the penultimate release of the Rosebank Roses series by . Like previous bottles this whisky was aged in a combination of Bourbon and Madeira casks for a period of 21 years and bottled at 52.7% yielding 840 bottles.

Each edition in the series has been released annually on Valentine's Day, and due to high demand (as with most whiskies these days) this year it was sold via ballot.
Were you successful in winning the ballot this year? Hopefully so! :)
Let us know below! 👇

23/02/2022

Chichibu Yokohama Takashimaya 2013 🥃🇯🇵

A special bottle of whisky from produced for Japanese department store .

This 7 year old single cask whisky was aged in a "Wheat Wine" (ex-beer) cask before being bottled at a monster 61% abv yielding just 273 bottles.

15/02/2022

When a whisky is said to originate from "a Speyside distillery" people are very keen to jump the gun and guess that it is from . On this particular occasion they would be correct, as this exceptional 12 year old single cask whisky does indeed come from that world-renowned distillery.

This single cask whisky is true to the tasting notes on its label and is a very enjoyable drink. Aged for 12 years in a first-fill Hogshead before being bottled at 55.2% yielding 244 bottles.

Legend has it that these bottles sat on the shelves at for a couple of weeks before some eagle-eyed shoppers noticed the bottle was sold online under the "Macallan" products, prompting a run on the online and physical stores.

Did you manage to pick up a bottle or two? 🥃

10/02/2022

The Macallan Red Collection 78 Year Old

With announcing the upcoming release of their 81 Year Old whisky, the crown of the "oldest whisky in the world" has moved on (with a brief stop-over at G&M with their Glenlivet Generations 80 YO).

This magnificent 78 Year Old was drawn from a selection of the finest casks laid down in the 1940's and bottled at 42.2% abv. It is presented in a handmade oak housing that compliments a bottle of such historical prestige.

We're expecting more Red Collection releases from Macallan this year, and if the rumours are to be believed we are all in for a treat!

06/02/2022

These beverages are the outcome of a fascinating "London" collaboration between local whisky makers and popular brewery

The BBNo Imperial Stout was aged in Bimber whisky casks for a short while giving it a real funky profile. Meanwhile the bourbon cask whisky was matured for 10 months in a BBNo Imperial Stout Barrel, imparting its own unique flavours into the liquid.

Seeing as this project was the brainchild of Bimber Distillery Ambassador it is only right that he has his moment in the spotlight on another magnificent label from the team at

We love seeing collaborations such as these in the industry and look forward to seeing what comes next!

03/01/2022

Happy New Year! 🥃

It's our first post of 2022 and there is arguably no better bottle to start with than the ultimate dream of whisky collectors worldwide, The Macallan Folio 1.

Released in 2015 as a distillery exclusive, the Folio 1 was available for a mere £195. Six years on and you'll be hard pressed to find a bottle on sale for less than £10,000!

There are a total of 24 editions planned in the series, with 6 having been released so far. What do we think the price of this bottle will be when the series is completed?!

29/12/2021

The Macallan Harmony Collection: Rich Cacao x Compartés Chocolate Pairing Edition

An incredibly unique whisky & gourmet chocolate pairing kit by and to celebrate the release of this exceptional whisky! This beautiful creation is limited to just 300 individually numbered tasting sets worldwide, with 100% of the sale proceeds going to the Food Rescue US charity to help assist in reducing hunger and food waste in America.

Included in the set is a bottle of The Macallan Harmony Collection: Rich Cacao, a 10-piece box of custom-made Compartés Chocolate inspired by the tasting notes of the whisky, and a pairing guide to take you through the tasting journey, as well as two of The Macallan Glencairn glasses.

#2022

05/12/2021

Waterford Micro Cuvee: Blood Brothers

This whisky is an exclusive release for the "Friends of Waterford Distillery" Facebook group as a thank you from the distillery to their fans.

Limited to just 900 bottles, this 3 year old whisky was matured in first fill American Oak "Blood Tubs" giving the liquid a delightful amber hue.

Have you tried a whisky from before? Let us know your thoughts on their spirits below! 👇

29/11/2021

Happy !🥃

This extraordinary bottling of 20 year old whisky from was distilled way back in 1974 and exclusively sold in Convives, France (cc ).

More recently the society has been releasing some astonishingly good younger liquid from The Macallan, all originating from a parcel of 12 year old Oloroso casks. Have you managed to try any of them? As always let us know your thoughts below!

11/11/2021

🌹Rosebank 1990🌹

This extraordinary whisky comes from the closed (yet soon to be re-awakened) distillery of

Bottled at 29 years of age in 2019 as a travel exclusive with a limited run of just 200 bottles worldwide, this truly is a unicorn spotted in the wild!

10/10/2021

The Macallan 30 Years Old Double Cask - 2021 Release

A first in a new series of whisky from as a welcome addition to their Macallan Double Cask Gold, 12, 15 & 18 Year Old whiskies.

This 30 Year Old Double Cask has been aged for three decades in both sherry-seasoned American and European oak before being bottled at 43%.

We're curious to see how this will compare in taste against the Macallan 30 Sherry Oak. Have you managed to try either whiskies?
Let us know your thoughts on them below!👇

23/09/2021

This is the Brora Triptych!

A special one-off release of three exceptionally rare single malt whiskies to celebrate the restoration of Brora Distillery. This once-in-a-generation collection features three stunning whiskies from defining eras of which ceased production in 1983.

"Elusive Legacy" - a 48 year old whisky from 1972 that is the oldest ever public release.

"Age of Peat" - a 43 year old heavily peated whisky from casks laid down in 1977 at a time when peated production increased massively to satiate demands from blenders at that time.

"Timeless Original" - a 38 year old whisky from 1982 showcasing the distinct Brora waxiness that made it famous.

Only 300 sets were produced worldwide and despite the sizeable £30,000 pricetag they were all snapped up instantly!

12/09/2021

Rosebank 30 Year Old: Release One

The first in a new series from as they gear up to reopen their distillery which has been closed since 1993, heralding in a new era of whisky-making.

Matured for 30 years in refill sherry and bourbon butts before being bottled at 48.6% abv, a total of 4,350 bottles were available worldwide. This whisky has now sold out at retail with the "Release Two" coming in Spring 2022.

📸 by the very talented .cynth

The London Whisky Shop