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Those of you who received the January set had the opportunity to taste this new(er) Islay distillery’s first core release at the start of the year. Founded by top independent bottler Hunter Laing back in 2017, they worked with the legendary Jim McEwan (previously of Bowmore and Bruichladdich) to build the distillery and perfect their craft. Worm tub condensers are used (uniquely on Islay today) to ensure the desired texture and complexity. Stewart Laing and his sons Andrew & Scott are producing classic peated (40PPM), fruity Islay spirit, and patiently waited until 2024 before releasing their first whisky. It was worth the wait!

The second core release is Bholsa, named after the dramatic sea caves near the distillery. Here the sherry influence is dialed up, with this non-chill filtered, natural colour single malt matured predominantly in oloroso sherry casks.

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Distillerie Tessendier, founded in 1880, is a celebrated Cognac producer. Today it’s run by brothers Jérôme & Lilian Tessendier (master blender & cellar master respectively), who’ve also been distilling whisky since 2019 in tribute to their whisky-loving mother. Given Cognac has to be distilled between around Nov and the end of Mar, it’s a great use of the stills in between! Made with traceable two-row spring barley from northern France, mashing and fermentation take place in Jarnac, before distillation in the family’s traditional Charentais copper stills (worth googling if you can’t picture these - quite different to normal whisky stills), and maturation in classic Cognac cellars close to the banks of the Charente river.

‘Original’ is their flagship malt, aged for over 3 years in new American oak and bourbon barrels. They encourage you to try it with ice, ginger ale, or in cocktails.

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Living Souls is an independent bottler releasing “flavour led, small batch whisky to be opened and enjoyed”. Amen to that. We haven’t had a Balblair in Pour & Sip since 2021. Founded in 1790, it’s one of just 9 working Scotch whisky distilleries founded all the way back in the 18th century (if you don’t count Rosebank), although Balblair distillery was moved half a mile up the road in 1872 and was also closed between 1911 and 1949. Long fermentations and small stumpy stills produce a fruity, meaty spirit. The distillery also features in the Ken Loach movie ‘Angels’ Share’.

This 10 year old bottling from Living Souls is non-chill filtered, natural colour, and was finished in Limousin Oak XO octaves (i.e. small casks that previously held Cognac). They say –  in keeping with the tasting notes – that it’s “Ideal for enjoying a classic book while relaxing by a cozy open fire.”

Pour & Sip

Amazingly our first unpeated Benriach! We’ve previously mentioned Benriach alongside Glendronach (also owned by Brown-Forman), and former owner and master blender Billy Walker. It was the current master blender Dr. Rachel Barrie, however, who completely overhauled Benriach’s range back in 2020. Barrie’s CV from over 30 years in the industry is legendary, creating whiskies for the likes of Glenmorangie, Bowmore, and Laphroaig. She was one of the first women to hold the titles whisky blender and master blender, and the first woman to be inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame.

She was also named Master Blender of the Year at the International Spirits Challenge 2022 (an award which, incidentally, has been won by women twice since). This natural colour 10-year-old brings together 3 different cask types: bourbon, sherry & fresh American oak.

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Time to get geeky with this Speyside distillery’s latest experiment! High enzyme barley – or ‘High Diastatic Power (HDP) Malt’ – is usually reserved for grain whisky production, where the enzymes (amylases) from a small proportion of malted barley are still necessary to convert the starch in the corn or wheat into fermentable sugars. Similar high enzyme malts are used in large-scale brewing and the production of many American whiskies.

“But what would happen if you used 100% high enzyme malted barley to produce a single malt”, you say? Benromach is here to answer that question. Distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2024, this is a limited edition unpeated whisky from this usually lightly peated distillery. It was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and bottled at natural colour.

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Not simply one of the oldest wine merchants in the world, Berry Bros. & Rudd – founded in 1698(!) at 3 St James's Street, London – also bottles some incredible whiskies. (They were also the creators of Cutty Sark whisky, which was within the business until 2010.) BBR’s previous Classic Range of blended malts was replaced last year by new single malts including this age statement Speysider matured in oloroso sherry butts selected and married in small batches by Spirit Curator Felix Dear.

Generalisations about the character of whisky from each region are only of so much use (just look at the heavily peated Speyside malt Meikle Tòir in this month's set!), but Speyside has always brought to mind fruity drams, with lighter styles, as well as heavier spirits perfect for sherry maturation both traditional. Obviously this sits in the latter, while also being a perfect everyday sipper.

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With over 20 years in the industry in his own right, Alistair Walker is also the son of Billy Walker (master distiller and owner of GlenAllachie, formerly of Benriach, Glendronach and more). Having previously worked at Burn Stewart and BenRiach Distillery Co., Infrequent Flyers is very much Alistair’s own baby. An independent bottler releasing quality single cask whiskies, often (as the name suggests) from lesser known distilleries. As ‘chief cook and bottle washer’, Alistair selects all the casks and can be particular about what (and when) he buys and bottles. He also recasks some whiskies, leaning on his previous experience.

For example, this whisky was finished in an oloroso sherry puncheon, yielding 653 bottles. Braeval certainly fits the bill for ‘lesser known’. Built in 1973 and mothballed for six years in the early 2000s, it’s rarely seen as a single malt even from indie bottlers.

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“The epitome of Bruichladdich's signature unpeated house style”, is how they describe this 18-year-old single malt. Like the Classic Laddie, the 18 Year Old is bottled at a hearty 50% ABV (again a chunk higher than equivalent releases from almost any other distillery), and is made with 100% Scottish barley, including some Islay and also some organic barley. Head Distiller Adam Hannett brings together a cask recipe of predominantly bourbon casks, combined with deftly employed wine casks, as is his highly-successful modus operandi at the heart of modern Bruichladdich’s DNA.

Although founded in 1881, the distillery was mothballed in the late 1990s, and resurrected in 2001. Since then, the self-styled ‘Progressive Hebridean Distillers’ have forged their own agriculture focused, fully traceable (use recipe code 24/225 on the Bruichladdich site), B Corp certified path.

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While Ardgowan distillery was being built, the team created the Clydebuilt series of limited edition blended malts inspired by the rich maritime history of the Clyde shipyards. This award-winning series has now ended however, because – after 8 years of development – Ardgowan distillery is now up and running! They filled their first cask on 20 June 2025. The distillery resembles a Scandinavian longhouse with a sloping 97% recycled (copper coloured) aluminium roof, and has an eco-friendly focus with ambitions to become carbon neutral.

Anchorsmith one of the final two Clydebuilt bottlings, created by master whisky maker Max McFarlane (previously lead whisky maker at Edrington, working on whiskies like Highland Park). It’s a blend of six single malt whiskies from the Highlands, Lowlands, and Speyside, all fully matured in first-fill oloroso sherry casks.

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It’s the year 2000. Enter John Glaser (once labelled the ‘enfant terrible of the Scotch whisky world’ by legendary beer and whisky writer Michael Jackson) and his blending house Compass Box, with the modest ambition of challenging conventions and redefining whisky enjoyment. Their first release was a grain whisky, Hedonism. A curveball that got people talking (and drinking) in new ways. They’ve been vital and inspirational ever since, championing transparency in whiskymaking (and occasionally getting into trouble for it!).

That’s why we can tell you Nectarosity is made up of 34.4% Linkwood (22.6% first-fill Palo Cortado sherry cask + 11.8% refill sherry puncheon), 22.8% Clynelish (10.7% second-fill fresh oak + 12.1% first-fill bourbon), and 7.1% Balmenach (first-fill bourbon) malts, plus 15.9% Girvan, and 19.8% Cameronbridge grains.

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Founded in 2011, Dad’s Hat creates an ‘old-school’ pre-prohibition Pennsylvania style Rye - 80% grain, 20% malt (15% barley, 5% rye malt), no corn, and a sweet mash. They use local farms for their grains, temperature controlled fermenters, and perform five to seven day low-and-slow ferments to develop a complex flavour. Their mission is to bring the style back to prominence, or at least to some discerning glasses.

This natural cask strength limited (289 bottles) indie release comes via That Boutique-y Whisky Company, whose illustrated labels have been adding some colour to the whisky world since 2012. It’s part of their baseball card themed USA Series, with the full bottle’s label featuring Dad’s Hat founder and distiller Herman Mihalich as the ‘Pitcher’, wearing – of course – his dad’s hat (a Stetson fedora, itself handcrafted in Pennsylvania).

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One of two ‘field to bottle’ single estate whiskies this month, Filey Bay single malt is made at the Spirit of Yorkshire distillery in God’s own county. The distillery is split in two, with mashing and fermentation taking place on co-founder Tom Mellor’s regenerative family farm, where 100% of the barley is grown (also the location of Wold Top brewery). The stills are found a couple of miles down the road in Hunmanby, where you can take a tour or pop into their Pot Still Coffee Shop.

Their Flagship release is matured in bourbon casks, but this new permanent addition to the core range is fully aged in STR (shaved, toasted and re-charred) red wine casks. Those of you who’ve been with us for a while will know that these are a speciality pioneered by the late, great consultant Jim Swan, who offered vital guidance to Spirit of Yorkshire on the road from concept to reality.

£29.95 per box

It’s never been easier to give the gift of whisky, because you can now delight your fellow whisky enthusiast with our wonderful gift cards! 

It’s simple: once you’ve chosen which subscription you’d like to give, you send it to the lucky recipient and they can redeem it. We know that gifts are all about making someone feel special, so you can personalise your message inside for that extra touch.

If the special occasion isn’t for a while, no worries – you can choose the exact date that the gift will fly into their inbox, so you’ll never be too early (or late!). If you’re more of a paper person, you have the option to print it off, too. 

Along with the gift card, we’ll send over all the details on how to redeem it (which they can do right here), so all you have to do is sit back and watch the joy unfold*!

PLEASE NOTE: Gift subscriptions must be redeemed within 3 calendar months of the date of purchase.

Pour & Sip

In July we had a Master of Malt bottling of 37yo blended grain – the oldest whisky in Pour & Sip’s five year history. Well how about a 40 year old single grain?! This whisky celebrates 40 years of Master of Malt. The award-winning online retailer behind Pour & Sip began life as a mail order independent bottler way back in 1985!

Girvan, meanwhile, was founded in 1963 in the town of the same name. Hendrick's Gin is also made there. It’s owned by William Grant & Sons (the family owned company off of Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Ailsa Bay single malt distilleries, the latter on the same site as Girvan). This whisky would have been distilled shortly after Girvan switched to wheat, using the original ‘No.1 Apps’ (apparatus), a nonetheless vast two-column copper still decommissioned in 2016. A batch of just 473 bottles, matured in refill sherry butts.

Pour & Sip

Glen Moray, founded in 1897, is a classic fruity, ‘toffeed’ Speyside single malt from Elgin. Well respected and appreciated for their always affordable and more than solid core ranges, they also release special and sometimes experimental treats in their Warehouse 1 collection. This features their cask explorations (certainly in this case!) and limited releases, all presented at natural cask strength and natural colour, without chill-filtration.

The distillery was a trailblazer of cask finishes back in the ’90s (especially with their use of white wine casks). Distilled in 2014, this whisky spent 8 years in bourbon barrels before being moved into Tequila casks. Although you’ll see a small handful of Tequila cask matured whiskies these days (we had one last Dec), it was only in 2019 that these casks were actually permitted by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA)!

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“Specially bottled to celebrate 40 years of Master of Malt” reads the full bottle’s label. And what a whisky to celebrate with! One of the oldest single malts to ever feature in Pour & Sip, this exclusive single cask release (just 353 bottles) spent two decades maturing in a Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead before being bottled in September 2025. GlenAllachie itself was founded in 1967, but was scarcely ever seen as a single malt before ‘The GlenAllachie Distillers Company’ led by master distiller Billy Walker bought the distillery from Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard) in 2017.

Walker’s illustrious whisky career spans over 50 years, making his name with Benriach and Glendronach especially. The year after the purchase a brand new core range was launched, and by 2021 a batch of their cask strength 10-year-old was even named World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards!

Pour & Sip

A crystal glass that's simply perfect for getting the most out of all the amazing whiskies Pour & Sip members get to explore and enjoy! Its tapered tulip shape captures and helps direct all the subtle and complex aromas, while its base is both sturdy and easy to hold. The Glencairn tasting glass is the classic choice of whisky lovers for good reason.

Pour & Sip

Legends collide. Highland Park was founded in 1798 (although officially licensed 1826) and is celebrated for its unique lightly peated heather smoke character. We’ve rightly featured them several times over the years, including at cask strength, but never this old, and never as an independent bottling. G&M aren’t just any indie bottlers either.

Established as a grocers in 1895, apprentice John Urquhart then took the reins as they increasingly specialised in whisky, filling different distilleries’ new make into their own casks, and aging them in their own warehouse. Incredibly, four generations of Urquharts later, that’s how all their bottlings are still created. They recently released the oldest single malt ever, an 85-year-old Glenlivet.

This Highland Park was aged for a still impressive 17 years in a first fill sherry butt, and celebrates 130 years of G&M.