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Scotch Single Malt Whisky

Single malt Scotch whisky is Scotland's original whisky. It was traditionally made in the Highlands in the 18th and 19th century only from malted barley. In contrast, Lowland whisky was often made from other grains including oats, wheat, and later maize (corn). Until the Excise Act of 1823, much single malt Scotch whisky would have been made and sold illegally. The passing of this act paved the way for the commercialisation of the industry when famed illicit distilleries like George Smith's Glenlivet went legal.

This led to a boom in distillery building that continued until the 1890s. A series of regions emerged which produced whiskies in a distinct style: Islay, Island, Speyside (previously known as Glenlivet), Campbeltown, Highland and Lowland. Much of this character came from the fuel used for malting the barley. In the case of Islay, it would have been the island's plentiful peat, resulting in a smoky, medicinal taste, whereas Speyside's good railway connections would see it adopting anthracite, a kind of smokeless coal.

By the 1870s, however, most Scotch whisky for export would have been a blend of characterful Highland single malts and Lowland grains. These were pioneered, aged and marketed by shopkeepers like John Walker of Kilmarnock, Chivas Bros of Aberdeen and Arthur Bell & Sons of Perth. These merchants also imported rum, Port, sherry, Madeira and other wines, and had discovered that single malt Scotch whisky did something extraordinary when aged in seasoned wood. In whisky's illicit years, it would have been drunk unaged or even flavoured with herbs and spices but eventually whisky came to be generally regarded as an aged product. Since a court ruling of 1909, Scotch whisky, both malt and grain, has to be aged for a minimum for three years.

Now to be labelled as a single malt Scotch whisky, the spirit has to be made only from malted barley, batch-distilled in copper pot stills (usually twice though there are some triple-distilled single malt Scotch whiskies), aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV. The industry is governed by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). Within these strict parameters, however, each distillery produces a unique style through differences in fermentation techniques, distillation, wood ageing etc. On the whole, the regional styles like Islay or Speyside owe more to tradition than anything intrinsic to where they are made.

While for much of the 20th century, Scotch whisky drinkers would have drunk blends, often mixed with soda water, single malts were highly prized by aficionados, though usually only seen as independent bottling from merchants like Gordon & MacPhail of Elgin. In the 1960s, however, Glenfiddich in Speyside began bottling and marketing its single malt Scotch whisky internationally. Its success led to others making this leap such as Glenfarclas, Macallan and Glenlivet. Single malt Scotch whisky as we know it had arrived.

Many of the distilleries built during the boom years of the 19th century have since closed down but in the 21st century Scotch whisky grew rapidly once more and there are now more than 130 malt distilleries in operation. These range from tiny farm operations to vast factories of whisky. Despite the global fame of single malt Scotch whisky, however, the majority of production is still used for blends which make up around 85% of global sales. The success of single malt Scotch whisky has inspired distillers all over the world with countries such as Taiwan, Japan, Australia and America all making single malts that, while distinctive, owe much to the original.

In the 19th century, characterful malt whiskies would have often been drunk mixed with hot water, honey and spices in the form of toddies. Nowadays, most are drunk neat or with a little water but we're starting to see a return to mixing with certain malt whisky cocktails like the Smokey Cokey, a blend of Lagavulin and Coca-Cola, gaining a cult following.

Ardbeg BizarreBQ

70cl, 50.9%
Ardbeg

What happens when you bring a pit master and master distiller together over a drop of whisky? You get BizarreBQ! It's a first from Islay-based Ardbeg distillery, with Dr Bill Lumsden and DJ BBQ (aka…  More info

Ardbeg BizarreBQ
1
£75

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire & Sherry Casks & Cask Strength 10 Year Old (Batch 03)

70cl, 56.4%
Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire

A superb single malt from the Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire range, but this time, there are a few more ampersands in the mix. Y'see, this edition features the same smoky 10 year old Islay whisky…  More info

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire & Sherry Casks & Cask Strength 10 Year Old (Batch 03)
4
£79.95

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire & Sherry Casks 10 Year Old

70cl, 40%
Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire

Peat and sherry is a great combo, though sometimes it can be a bit like a shouting match between a foghorn and a washing machine full of pots and pans. Thankfully, this one shows off a welcome…  More info

Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire & Sherry Casks 10 Year Old
3
£46.95

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Gift Set

80cl, 46.7%
Glenfarclas

The Glenfarclas Distillery in Speyside has put together a cracking gift set right here! It contains a 70cl bottle of a brilliant Glenfarclas 15 Year Old, alongside a 50ml miniature of the Glenfarclas…  More info

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Gift Set
5
£74.95

Highland Park Cask Strength - Release No.3

70cl, 64.1%
Highland Park

The third installment of Highland Park's Cask Strength series is here! Master whisky maker Gordon Motion opted for a higher proportion of Orkney peated malt than previous releases, resulting in a…  More info

Highland Park Cask Strength - Release No.3
5
£59.90
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The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Licensed Dram - The Original Stories

70cl, 48%
The Glenlivet

The second addition to The Original Stories series from The Glenlivet! This expression follows The Glenlivet 12 Year Old - Illicit Still, and celebrates the next chapter in the history of the…  More info

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Licensed Dram - The Original Stories
2
£49.95

Ardlair 13 Year Old 2009 Single Cask (Master of Malt)

70cl, 58.9%
Ardmore

Ardlair? What's that? It's an unpeated single malt from the Ardmore distillery, which more commonly works with heavily peated barley. This single malt spent 13 years maturing between 2009 and 2022,…  More info

Ardlair 13 Year Old 2009 Single Cask (Master of Malt)
2
£44.95

Inchmurrin 22 Year Old 1996 (Master of Malt)

70cl, 47.5%
Loch Lomond

A grand lightly peated single malt from Loch Lomond, distilled in 1996 and matured in a bourbon barrel, this 22-year-old Inchmurrin showcases the fruit-forward profile of the distillery's signature…  More info

Inchmurrin 22 Year Old 1996 (Master of Malt)
1
£99.95

Braeval 8 Year Old 2014 Single Cask (Master of Malt)

70cl, 64.6%
Braeval (AKA Braes of Glenlivet)

Hailing from the Braeval distillery, also known as Braes of Glenlivet, a splendid eight-year-old single malt joins the Master of Malt family. Distilled in 2014, the whisky spent its years in a single…  More info

Braeval 8 Year Old 2014 Single Cask (Master of Malt)
1
£49.95
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Ardbeg Ardcore

70cl, 46%
Ardbeg

Ardbeg goes Ardcore! This limited edition expression from the distillery on Islay was made with roasted black malt, giving it an intense flavour profile, which is described as being "like biting a…  More info

Ardbeg Ardcore
1
£150
£105

Edradour 10 Year Old 2013 (cask 181) - Un-Chilfiltered Collection (Signatory)

70cl, 46%
Edradour

Single malt Scotch whisky from Edradour here, bottled by Signatory for its Un-Chillfiltered Collection. It's bottled at 46% ABV without any additional colouring.  More info

Edradour 10 Year Old 2013 (cask 181) - Un-Chilfiltered Collection (Signatory)
1
£58.95

Ardbeg 25 Year Old

70cl, 46%
Ardbeg

The legendary Ardbeg Distillery on Islay has only gone and released a 25 year old expression! This smoky single malt was allowed to age for a quarter of a century, and in that time it developed a…  More info

Ardbeg 25 Year Old
1
£825

Benrinnes 12 Year Old 2010 Single Cask (Master of Malt)

70cl, 51.1%
Benrinnes

Bag a brilliant Benrinnes single malt with this addition to our own line of independent bottlings. Distilled in 2010, the whisky matured for a dozen years, including a finish in an oloroso hogshead.…  More info

Benrinnes 12 Year Old 2010 Single Cask (Master of Malt)
2
£54.95

Wormtub 12 Year Old Single Cask

70cl, 58.3%
Wormtub

Something special for fans of Wormtub here. A single cask expression of the full flavoured whisky, matured for 12 years and finished in a first-fill oloroso sherry hogshead. Old-school condensers…  More info

Wormtub 12 Year Old Single Cask
2
£74.95

Craigellachie 13 Year Old Bas-Armagnac Cask Finish

70cl, 46%
Craigellachie

Ooh, Craigellachie has gone and made a rather intriguing expression here – a single malt Scotch whisky finished in Bas-Armagnac casks! You don't see that very often at all! Inspired by the…  More info

Craigellachie 13 Year Old Bas-Armagnac Cask Finish
2
£54.44

Siren Bay 18 Year Old

70cl, 45.7%
Siren Bay

A heavily peated single malt from the Highlands of Scotland, Siren Bay is brimming with notes of coastal smoke and elegant fruit. Matured for a generous 18 years, a portion of the whisky aged in…  More info

Siren Bay 18 Year Old
1
£74.95

Fresh Copper

70cl, 55.5%
Fresh Copper

Colour can say a lot about a whisky, and a gloriously rich hue is often enough to get the juices flowing before you've even cracked open the bottle (once you've checked the label to confirm that…  More info

Fresh Copper
2
£59.95
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Caperdonich 18 Year Old Peated - Secret Speyside Collection

70cl, 48%
Caperdonich

Peated single malt from the closed Caperdonich Distillery, released as part of the Secret Speyside Collection. This particular expression was matured for 18 years in American oak barrels before being…  More info

Caperdonich 18 Year Old Peated - Secret Speyside Collection
5
£139.99
£119.99

Inchgower 14 Year Old - Flora and Fauna

70cl, 43%
Inchgower

The Flora and Fauna series is a sadly discontinued range of whiskies, each with an illustration of an animal on the bottle. This Inchgower is very rare.  More info

Inchgower 14 Year Old - Flora and Fauna
12
£56.99

Royal Brackla 12 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish

70cl, 46%
Brackla

A fabulous 12 year old single malt from Royal Brackla! Bottled at 46% ABV, this whisky was finished in Oloroso sherry casks imparting a fantastically fruity, spiced depth of flavour. Royal Brackla…  More info

Royal Brackla 12 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish
6
£59.90

Benrinnes 17 Year Old 2000 (Master of Malt)

70cl, 47.5%
Benrinnes

A perfect addition to our own exclusive Master of Malt collection, ready to become a perfect addition to your whisky cabinet – it's a 17-year-old single malt from Benrinnes! Distilled in 2000, the…  More info

Benrinnes 17 Year Old 2000 (Master of Malt)
1
£79.95

Balvenie The Creation Of A Classic

70cl, 43%
Balvenie

From the Balvenie Stories range, this was put together by David Stewart MBE, who has just stepped down as malt master (not to be confused with Master of Malt, that's us) at the Speyside distillery.…  More info

Balvenie The Creation Of A Classic
1
£89.95

Glenfiddich 30 Year Old Suspended Time - Time Reimagined

70cl, 43%
Glenfiddich

This stunning 30 year old single malt joins the Re-Imagination of Time series from legendary Speyside distillery Glenfiddich. Suspended Time focuses on the moment that the master distiller makes the…  More info

Glenfiddich 30 Year Old Suspended Time - Time Reimagined
1
£929.99
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Weeknight Whisky Islay 8 Year Old

70cl, 40%
Weeknight Whisky

If you look at your drinks collection, there might be a bottle of something really special in there that you've never opened because you're saving it in case the king of Jupiter comes to visit. While…  More info

Weeknight Whisky Islay 8 Year Old
2
£31.95

Secret Islay Distillery 31 Year Old 1990 Single Cask (Master of Malt) (52.6%)

70cl, 52.6%
Master of Malt

This is a true secret. Which distillery is this from? We don't know. This isn't one of those 'we can't disclose for commercial reasons' deals. This 31-year-old single cask from Islay gives away some…  More info

Secret Islay Distillery 31 Year Old 1990 Single Cask (Master of Malt) (52.6%)
1
£299.95

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