This year has been a bumper year for whisky releases, from inaugural liquid from new distilleries to old and rare whiskies that show the passing of time and history for some of Scotland’s best loved brands.
I’ve had the enviable task of tasting many drams this year for The Scotman’s whisky review articles, many for our growing community of The Scotsman Whisky Club, and have picked some of my favourites - including our dram of the year - as we end 2025.
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This is the third bottling from a four-part limited-edition series which began in autumn 2023 with Edition 1, Remnant Renegade.
The Signature Series is a collection of Arran Single Malts which have been specially hand selected and blended by Lochranza distillery manager Stewart Bowman.
The whisky has been matured for six years in first and second fill bourbon barrels before being transferred to first fill Spanish red wine casks for a further six years.
On the nose it’s surprisingly bright and fruity and you can smell the bourbon influence with hints of caramel and vanilla.
On the palette, it’s oaky and fruity, quite dry with some nice spice while the finish is sweeter and quite long with a hint of some spice.
Best for: Those that love a wine-cask finish
Buy it now: Priced about £85. You can buy a bottle here.
The Jazz Festival returned to Islay this last month, and for the first time in its decades-long history joined forces with the ‘Sound of Islay’ - the Caol Ila Distillery.
To mark the occasion, Caol Ila released a unique festival edition bottling of its Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Caol Ila 18-Year-Old Jazz Festival Edition, The Guitarist. Created as part of a rare cask finish using toasted Scottish oak cask ends, the whisky was first matured for 18 years in an American oak cask.
On the nose there’s bonfire smoke and a hint of sweetness from that American oak whilst on the palate the smokiness becomes more apparent, with spiciness that’s balanced well with butterscotch and stewed orchard fruits notes. The finish is long, and slightly minerally with overall very smooth.
With only 948 bottles available if you’re a Caol Ila fan looking for something new, be quick to buy a bottle.
Best for: Islay peat fans
Buy it now: Priced at £250. You can buy a bottle from the distillery or the Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street in Edinburgh. International readers can try here.
Whisky and folklore go hand in hand, and Glen Scotia have been making the most of their local folk stories with their Icons of Campbeltown collection.
The Wulver bottling was the third release, which launched in October and took inspiration from another of the saints and beasts carved into Campbeltown’s medieval market cross.
The limited-edition, unpeated 12-year-old single malt whisky has been expertly crafted by master blender, Ashley Smith with a Tawny Port Cask Finish.
On the nose there’s vanilla, a hint of clove, raspberry jam, dark chocolate and orange peel. While tasting, you might get notes of rich demerara sugar, toffee, dark berries and toasted oak, paired with shortbread and baked fig. On the finish: a long, warming sherry note, gentle spice and lingering fruit.
It’s an ideal dram for this time of the year.
Best for: Those that love a rich dram, with Campbeltown’s maritime influence.
Buy it now: It’s available priced at £80 from Fortnum and Mason here.
It was a pleasure and a privilege to be one of the first outside the team to try this 70 year old whisky this summer, in the warehouse where it has been matured for all those years.
The whisky, a deep amber colour, smelled very fruity - like stewed apples - with spices and a hint of treacle. On the palette there’s a wonderful freshness and minty flavour mixed in with the rich Christmas cake elements from the sherry cask. It’s not dry or overly woody and it has a robust, oily mouthfeel.
This is a special whisky and it’s obviously not for everyone as only a few can afford the £20,000 price tag (plus there will only be 262 bottles available globally). If you can raid the piggy bank, you’ll find it in specialist whisky shops from June.
Best for: those that love a sherried whisky, and have the funds to purchase it
Buy it now: You can register your interest via The Whisky Exchange here.
Back in April the World Whiskies Awards named their top whiskies for 2025.
There were 23 Scotch whiskies in total, among other whiskies from around the world. But it was a Scotch whisky that took home the coveted title of “World’s Best Single Malt.”
There was worldwide competition from Brazil, Belgium, America, Ireland, Canada and Australia for the best single malt, but it was the GlenAllachie 12 year old whisky that took the top spot.
I tried the whisky during a warm and sunny spell of weather, and was keen to see if it was one to potentially add to a highball or cocktail and enjoy al fresco.
What I found was a nose of spice, red and tropical fruits, vanilla, oak and a hint of creaminess.
On tasting the whisky, I got notes of stewed apples, vanilla and citrus while the sweet finish lingered. With water, there was a touch of old school cola cube sweets.
What surprised me the most, was how smooth and easy to drink this whisky is. I’d highly recommend it to those curious about whisky but unsure about the strength and associated alcohol burn.
At £50 it’s also a bargain given the age and weight the GlenAllachie brand has. Pick up a bottle now and enjoy.
Best for: whisky novices and cultured drinkers
But it now: for £48.50 from the Whisky Exchange here
September is always a busy month for new whisky launches. One of which was Fettercairn’s Vanguard series. I was lucky to try the two new whiskies - a non age statement and a rare 29 year old whisky - while exploring how sense changes our perception of taste.
Inspired by master whisky maker Gregg Glass’ unique synaesthesia, tasting notes and how he “tastes in colour”, The Vanguard Series will explore how we experience flavour through the senses.
While the non age statement was lovely, it was the 29 year old that was the favourite. It is an extremely rare release of just 99 bottles worldwide. The whisky began its journey on December 11, 1995, spending 25 years in a refill bourbon hogshead before being transferred to an exceptionally rare French ‘pink oak’ cask from Bordeaux cooperage Demptos.
The ‘pink oak’ is distinguished by its high levels of carotenoids, which impart elegant fruit and floral notes, particularly distinctive strawberry characteristics that perfectly complement Fettercairn's tropical house style.
Best for: Those that love a fruit-forward whisky.
Buy it now: Priced at £2,450, you can buy a bottle via The Whisky Exchange here.
This year saw the next addition to The Glenmorangie ‘Tale of’ series, with Tale of Spice.
Inspired by the sensory delights of bustling marketplaces in India and the Middle East, this whisky is made from a marriage of Glenmorangie finished in four different cask types for the first time, including an experimental Glenmorangie aged in Moroccan red wine casks.
Fragrant with notes of ginger, saffron, nutmeg and sugared almonds, A Tale of Spices brings distinctive layers of complexity to Glenmorangie’s light and fruity house style. It’s a perfumed, fruity and more deeply complex whisky than their accessible 12 year old.
Best for: Those looking for a more complex dram
Buy it now: Priced at £72, you can buy a bottle from The Whisky Exchange here.
Tamdhu, part of Ian Macleod Distillers, the family-owned whisky and gin company, has been creating fine whiskies on the banks of the River Spey since 1897.
It’s one of my favourite spots to visit when at Spirit of Speyside and the team throws open the doors to the Dalbeallie railway station near the distillery. This year they launched the Tamdhu 21 year old, the oldest expression from the distillery and it’s a cracking dram.
Fully matured in Oloroso sherry casks, it’s rich in colour and flavour but before getting to that, you can’t not admire the wonderfully intricate (and sweet smelling) packaging.
The age and sherry maturation would make this an ideal autumn or festive dram but it was still lovely on a warm summer’s afternoon when I sampled it.
There’s notes of chocolate, spices, fruitcake but a freshness from apple-y notes and a lingering dry finish likely due to its age. It’d make an ideal old fashioned or boulevardier but it’s an elegant sipping dram no matter the time of year.
Best for: sherry fans
Buy it now: It’s priced at £299 and you can buy a bottle here.
Back in May InchDairnie distillery released two signature whiskies, including the first peated whisky from the Kingdom of Fife in modern times.
KinGlassie Double Matured and KinGlassie Raw each provide a distinct take on the new KinGlassie range and they’re two very different drams.
Both very good, my preference was the KinGlassgie Raw, which has a more fiery smoke but is balanced with sweet, malty flavours thanks to having been aged for eight years in American oak ex-bourbon casks.
Best for: Peated fans that prefer a hit of sweetness.
Buy it now: Priced at £78.95, you can buy a bottle at Master of Malt here.
This year saw two additions to the Nc’nean Quiet Rebels series from husband and wife team Simon and Sarah Hewitt, who work at the distillery.
Sarah’s is a whisky liqueur that has changed my mind about cream liqueurs, but as it was Simon’s non-age beer-inspired whisky that I found myself returning to more (which was a surprise as I am not a fan of beer cask matured whiskies I have tried before).
Distiller Simon is a self-proclaimed beer fanatic, therefore this Quiet Rebels release has been matured in stout casks from Scottish Brewery Innis & Gunn. The result is a buttery, chocolatey whisky with notes of baking spices and rich flavours of chocolate brioche, coffee fudge cake, and cherry jam. Ideal for Christmas sipping and cocktails.
The whisky began its life in shaved, toasted, and re‑charred (STR) red wine casks before maturing further in stout casks sourced from Scottish brewing legends Innis & Gunn. In a full‑circle twist, those stout casks had also previously held Nc’nean whisky.
Best for: Beer fans that enjoy a dram
Buy it now: Priced at £79.95 you can pick up a bottle from Royal Mile Whiskies here.
It was a really difficult choice this year, but I enjoyed this whisky so much that it has to be The Scotsman’s dram of the year. Cheers!
