North Star Whisky & Spirits

A twelve-year-old blend from North Star Spirits of Glasgow, bottled from refill Oloroso butts and composing of both grain and malt whiskies. This whisky has aromas of jaffa cakes, sweet, toasted oak and vanilla pods. There are distinct meaty notes on the palate, alongside fresh stone fruit (peaches and plums) and a hint of dried herbs.

Distilled at an unknown Highland distillery, this single cask expression has been aged for eleven years in Port and Oloroso Octaves and a refill Hogshead before being bottled at the natural strength of 56.5% 

On the nose there are hints of tart apple cider and summer berry pie 

The palate consists of vanilla ice cream sundaes and slices of freshly baked sponge cake with chocolate cream.

The finish is wonderfully thick rich and oily, covering the last buds and lingering with polished leather, sweet stewed berries and sweet oak.

The first independently bottled expression of Annandale we have seen since its rebirth in 2014, This seven year old example was bottled by Glasgow based bottlers North Star Spirits.  Distilled in 2015, before being laid down to mature in a single Oloroso Sherry Butt. The result is a soft mellow and rather sweet dram with elements of spun sugar, boozy fruit cake and gentle spice on the nose, followed along by notes of sticky date pudding, spicy gingerbread and wafts of freshly cracked black pepper on the palate.  The spices linger on the finish with wafts of sweet Christmas spices accompanied by sweet chewy caramel.

This Linkwood, bottled from a single Oloroso butt is a perfect winter warmer dram. There are notes of warm apple cider and zesty citrus on the nose, before notes of sweet toasted oak, and sweet honey join on the palate, the sweetness continues on towards the end of the palate, with a rather malty finish.

This Royal Brackla has been bottled from a single ex Pedro Ximenez barrel and is one for the chocoholics, there is an abundance of chocolate notes on the nose, with aromas of chocolate liqueur and Dutch cocoa. The chocolate notes continue on through the palate with intense dark chocolate tones continuing long into the finish.

Bottled from a single first fill Oloroso butt, this Ardnamurchan is like a trip to an old-fashioned sweet shop. The aroma starts off with notes of freshly varnished oak, before leading to sugar coated cola bottles, the confectionary notes continue through the palate, think of menthol, aniseed wheels and lots of liquorice bullets. The liquorice lingers on through the palate, joined with notes of caramelised banana sweets and banoffee pie

This Linkwood has been bottled from a single Oloroso Hogshead and is a classic dessert whisky. The nose begins with notes of dark chocolate sauce and sweet strawberry sorbet. The palate continues with the dessert theme, with elements of warm rhubarb crumble served with rich vanilla pudding and freshly baked bread rolls, moving towards sponge cakes and fondant towards the end, balanced by a slight hint of leather.

Bottled from a refill hogshead, with an Oloroso finish, the aroma of this Glen Garioch is like breakfast on a cold Scottish morning, with warm porridge, sweet berries and brown sugar. The palate takes a sweet dessert like turn, with notes of custard and tart cherries served alongside baked apples. Grilled citrus notes linger on towards the end of the palate.

This expression from Tullibardine distillery has been bottled after ten years of maturation in an ex Oloroso Barrique and a single Bourbon Barrel. yielding an outturn of 378 bottles. The nose is soft, rich and sweet, with aromas of freshly baked vanilla danish pastries, juicy syrup drenched peaches and hints of soft oak. Gingersnap cookies and sweet dry spices lead the way on the palate, married with touches of tinned fruit salad, with a gentle and sweet lingering finish.

This single cask bottling from an unknown distillery hailing from the Orkney Isles has been matured for seventeen years, with a three year secondary maturation in a first fill Oloroso Hogshead. Aromas of buttered popcorn and toffee caramels greet the nose, with notes of fluffy pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and piled high with berries coating the palate, with the faintest touch of signature heathery peat rounding out the finish.

Bottled from four refill octaves, this Glenlossie has the aroma of a stroll through the garden on a damp day, with notes of rain-soaked gorse flower and rhododendrons. The palate takes on a much sunny turn, with notes of pitted olives, sweet dried figs and crisp green apples, drying towards the end.