A little-known distillery situated in an area known as the Foggie Moss, between Keith and Buckie, the name derives from Allt Mhor, the Gaelic for ‘Big River.’ The district is sparsely populated with a lot of rolling farmland, and the hamlet of Aultmore only came about when the distillery was built.The Aultmore 12yo showcases the fresh, grassy signature style of this distillery.

Pale gold with lime lights; vin gris. Fresh and ‘green’; malty and yeasty, with notes of wheat beer, giving way to mossy herbal scents and to fresh apples and pear-drops with water. A light texture and a clean, sweet, slightly acidic taste at full strength, becoming softer and rounded with water. Fresh and vivacious.

The single malt from Aultmore Distillery has rarely been seen and appears to be the oldest Aultmore ever bottled. Revered by blenders, its single malt is a rarity. This is the 17th batch of Aultmore from That Boutique-y Whisky Company and is bottled at 54.3% abv. This was distilled in May 1982 and matured in a single hogshead. The single malt from Aultmore Distillery has rarely been seen, the whisky being made there a favourite of blenders. It possesses strong Speyside characteristics such as fragrance on the nose, with a substantial palate.

This tastes like the encore from your favourite artist, big, bold, and beautiful. Expect aromas of malty, sweet barley, orchard fruits, forest floor and toasted oak. The palate gives shiny notes of blood oranges, woody spices, and an array of festive spices. The finish is huge, with shimmering fruitiness and spice arriving in a grand finale. A truly substantial dram.

This Speyside single malt was distilled in 2010 at Ardmore distillery. After a decade in a single bourbon barrel, this expression was bottled in 2020 by family-run independent bottler Hunter Laing & Co. as part of the First Editions series. Only 354 bottles have been filled at a preferred strength of 46% abv, free from chill filtration and artificial colouring.

The nose has aromas of lemons, milk chocolate and plums. The palate has notes of zesty oranges, strawberries and green ferns. The finish is long with lingering spice. 

Another excellent find from Duncan Taylor’s Octave range. Distilled in 2008, this single malt was aged in oak casks for 12 years before being finished for 3 months in an octave cask. This allows a much faster rate of maturation, being a very small cask. Another side effect of this is that this is a very small yield of only 85 bottles. This Speyside whisky is bottled at cask strength, 52.5% abv, and has a natural colour that has been free from chill filtration.

Expect earthy notes on the nose, with tobacco, cigar box and sherried oak. On the palate is cinnamon, ginger, toffee popcorn, and maple syrup. Clove, freshly cut grass and malty cereal all combine wonderfully on the finish, which gives more and more as it develops.