If you’re buying for a whisky lover this Christmas, it can be hard to know where to start. There’s an array of whiskies available at the supermarket, online and at independent shops with prices ranging from £20 upwards.
But if you’re looking for something special, a limited edition whisky will be much appreciated by a whisky fan as they’re often created from interesting casks - sometimes single casks - and all in small numbers.
Here’s our pick of the best limited edition whiskies that will be great gifts this Christmas.
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Best for: a simple dram
Score: 5/5
Available from Kinloch Anderson, priced at £75 for a 70cl bottle or £15 for 10cl. Buy a bottle here.
Created to celebrate the vibrant history of the Port of Leith and its links to the whisky industry, Kinloch Anderson have collaborated with whisky consultant Blair Bowman, master blenders Woven and the Leith Export Co to curate this first limited release blend - Pleated to Sett. The first in The Kiltmaker Series - a collection of limited release collaborative blends all with a nod to the heritage of Kinloch Anderson and its 150 year history with Leith and Edinburgh.
The Pleated to Sett is a fresh and complex blend of flavours that have been blended, before being further married in hogshead casks, to bring additional harmony to the whisky’s flavour profile.
This is a gentle, light whisky that would work well in a summery highball. In the colder months, where we are now, it’s perfect on its own though I can see it working well in a simple old fashioned (don’t be too heavy handed with the sugar syrup). There’s a brightness on the nose and palette that turns into crisp apple, lemon zest and almonds. There’s vanilla here too and a lingering finish.
Best for: a wintery old fashioned
Score: 5/5
Available from Master of Malt priced at £57.50. You can buy a bottle here.
As we approach the festive season, Glenfiddich has collaborated with internationally acclaimed artist Raku Inoue to present “A Gift for Blossoming Futures”, a collection of limited-edition designs.
Raku was inspired by the great outdoors when designing the sets. Available for the 12, 18 and 15 year old solera, it’s the latter that we love and think would make an ideal gift.
Never emptied and continuously kept half full of Whiskies since 1998, Glenfiddich’s Solera vat marked its 25th anniversary this year.
Inspired by the Sherry bodegas in Spain in the late 90’s, Former Malt Master for Glenfiddich
David C. Stewart MBE took the idea across the pond to Dufftown, designing a custom-built
Solera vat to add extra layers of smoothness, sweetness and complexity to the existing 15 Year Old expression.
This is a whisky lover's dram, and takes the sweet orchard fruit notes of Glenfiddich to a complex next level. Tasting notes include vanilla, toffee and honey on the nose with ginger, cinnamon and dark fruits on the palate followed by a sweet finish.
Best for: fans of single cask whisky
Score: 5/5
Available from The Whisky Exchange priced at £265. Buy a bottle here.
Last month Bunnahabhain revealed the first of a brand new, annual limited edition 21 Year Old Cask Strength series, with the release of a 21 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish bottling.
21 carefully chosen casks were selected for this exclusive 21 year old release, inspired by the unfiltered, straight-from-the-cask tastings enjoyed by visitors in the distillery’s coastal Warehouse 9.
Only 2,682 bottles of 21 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish are available globally at a cask strength ABV of 53.6%.
This single malt highlights the care and expertise of master blender Julieann Fernandez, who meticulously balanced the influence of the casks with the integrity of the original spirit.
This 21 year-old spirit spent most of its life maturing in Ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts, before a 21 month finish in the finest Pedro Ximénez casks.
Distilled on the shorelines of Northern Islay, the Pedro Ximénez casks lend this latest release rich, sweet notes without overshadowing the whisky's character.
The result is a bold, mature Bunnahabhain expression that delivers creamy berries, roasted nuts, and a touch of sea spray, all layered with a sweet, syrupy complexity that lingers on the palate with notes of figs and molasses.
Best for: whisky fans that love craft beer
Score: 5/5
Available from specialist retailers from 3 December priced at £59.99. Buy a bottle here.
This UK-exclusive limited edition release is a culmination of various cask experiments with Glasgow-based craft brewery Overtone, renowned for its range of seasonal beers inspired by the culture of music and different musical genres.
Lochlea Stout Cask Finish started life the same as Lochlea’s signature whisky - Our Barley - matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, STR and oloroso sherry casks.
The spirit was then placed into casks that had previously been loaned to Overtone Brewery to age their stout for a few months.
The casks – originally from Lochlea before going to Overtone – were delivered back to the distillery, deliciously seasoned with the brewery’s distinctive rich stout beer – perfect for finishing Lochlea’s floral, fruity Lowland spirit.
The final dram reveals the influence from the stout through a rich nose with hints of all butter shortbread, tropical fruit and macadamia nuts, evolving into sweet toffee notes and a delicious toasted barley flavour on the palate. The spirit finishes with a long moreish fruit and cereal flavour.
The team at Overtone said: “It’s been a pleasure to have this ongoing yearly side project with a local distillery that’s consistently pushing boundaries and doing incredible things. Our collaboration begins with brewing a rich, robust stout, full of roasty goodness, which is then aged in their freshly emptied casks."
