The archive

Samhain Pronounced "SOW - IN" The origins of Samhain are rooted in ancient. Each whisky in the Samhain Series tells a tale steeped in local legend, with evocative labels designed by Edinburgh-based artist and designer Steven Shand, who has over 13 years of experience in the Scottish whisky industry. Shand's intricate artwork and storytelling complement the atmospheric whiskies, capturing a haunting essence of Scotland's past.

●      ‘Hunting For The Gorbals Vampire’

In September 1954 several children in the Gorbal's neighbourhood claimed to have seen a seven foot tall, child killing, iron-teethed vampire lurking in the Southern Necropolis cemetery situated beside the Dixon Blazes Ironworks. This led to a frenzy among the local youth, with many of them arming themselves with improvised weapons and descending upon the cemetery in search of the supposed vampire.

The incident garnered significant media attention at the time, with newspapers reporting on the mass hysteria and the fear gripping the community. 

Samhain Pronounced "SOW - IN" The origins of Samhain are rooted in ancient. Each whisky in the Samhain Series tells a tale steeped in local legend, with evocative labels designed by Edinburgh-based artist and designer Steven Shand, who has over 13 years of experience in the Scottish whisky industry. Shand's intricate artwork and storytelling complement the atmospheric whiskies, capturing a haunting essence of Scotland's past.

●      ‘Grizel & The West Bow Saint’

Major Thomas Weir was known for his piety and religious fervour, preaching to the masses of the West Bow of Edinburgh.

One Sunday morning in 1670, instead of Weir's usual sermon, he instead confessed to many evil deeds; witchcraft, necromancy, and terrible intimate acts with his own sister Grizel. After claiming that he had made a pact with the devil the Weir siblings were arrested, accused of witchcraft and incest.

Grizel recounted stories of devilry and magic including one occasion, when a blazing carriage led by charcoal horses arrived at their home on the West Bow to take them to their master, Auld Nick himself.

Samhain Pronounced "SOW - IN" The origins of Samhain are rooted in ancient. Each whisky in the Samhain Series tells a tale steeped in local legend, with evocative labels designed by Edinburgh-based artist and designer Steven Shand, who has over 13 years of experience in the Scottish whisky industry. Shand's intricate artwork and storytelling complement the atmospheric whiskies, capturing a haunting essence of Scotland's past.

●      ‘The Ritual of Oak & Mistletoe’

Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote in the 1st Century AD:

"Druids - that is what they call their magicians - hold nothing more sacred than the mistletoe and a tree on which it is growing, provided it is a hard-timbered oak. Mistletoe is rare and when found it is gathered with great ceremony, and particularly on the sixth day of the moon. They prepare a ritual sacrifice and banquet beneath a tree and bring up two white bulls, whose horns are bound. A priest arrayed in white vestments climbs the tree and, with a golden sickle, cuts down the mistletoe, which is caught in a white cloak. Then finally they kill the victims, praying to a god to render his gift propitious to those on whom he has bestowed it. They believe that mistletoe given in drink is an antidote to all poisons."

DISTILLED on 2nd March 1998 and BOTTLED on 8th October 2024.

Fully matured in its original Oloroso cask for all of its 26 years, this old single grain whisky has been rescued from blended whisky obscurity and bottled by us right at its peak. This is our charity bottling this year where all profit from the bottles will go to our charity partner Big Hearts Community Trust who are based out of Tynecastle Park, conveniently next door to the North British distillery.

Tasting revealed - sticky raisins, new leather and sour cherry.

DISTILLED on 6th May 2013 and BOTTLED on 10th October 2024.

Our latest ‘Myosotis’ bottling - the Latin name for the ’Forget-Me-Not’ flower. This is the perfect name for this bottling as it is a result of the remnants of a cask previously bottled to meet an exact yield. On this occasion, we have a whisky that has spent 4 years in an ex-peated whisky cask that has added layers of smoke and peat to the fruity spirit.

Tasting revealed - smoked honey, white chocolate and charred lime.

DISTILLED on 20th May 2009 and BOTTLED on 16th October 2024.

Founded in Banff on the mouth of the river Deveron. A medium bodied sweet distillate with nutty and spice notes. Matured in a hogshead and finished for 20 months in a 1st fill ex-Pedro Ximenez cask.

Another rarely seen make in the independent bottler scene in recent years. This typically dry and nutty distillate has been matured in a PX cask that offered the spirit a lovely sweetness but without the strong tannins normally associated with type of cask.

Tasting revealed - Dried fruit, dark chocolate and muscovado sugar.

DISTILLED on 24th April 2014 and BOTTLED on 11th October 2024.

Founded in 1971 during the 'Whisky Boom'. The spirit is light with a distinctly fruity, floral and malty character. Fully matured in a hogshead recoopered with 1st fill bourbon barrel ends.

Located on the same site as Glenlossie, this not well known unassuming Speysider produces a rich fruit character that pairs perfectly with a cask with a strong ex-bourbon influence. that's exactly what we have here with a full maturation in a regular hogshead which had been coopered with very active fresh bourbon barrel cask ends.

Tasting revealed - marmalade, Bakewell tart and golden syrup.

DISTILLED on 22nd September 2011 and BOTTLED on 9th October 2024.

A light bodied distillate produced at high strength in Loch Lomond's straight neck pot stills. Aged in a hogshead and finished in a first fill ex-Madeira cask for layers of caramel, walnut and citrus.

This distillery is famous for its ability to consistently produce many different styles of spirit including grain spirit too. Inchmurrin is one of their lighter styles distilled in straight neck still with a higher cut point producing a light fruity style. This combined with well over a year finish in a Madeira cask has produced a lovely toffee and caramel character.

Tasting revealed - banoffee, tinned peaches and cake mix.

DISTILLED on 30th May 2013 and BOTTLED on 15th October 2024.

A light bodied distillate with floral and fruity notes. Matured in a Hogshead before being finished for over 3 years in a 1st fill Hidalgo cooperage ex-Oloroso cask.

A fairly modern style of Speyside whisky where the vast majority of output is destined for blends, we rescued this cask from mediocrity. More than 3 year finish in our famous oloroso cask sourced from Hidalgo cooperage in Spain has offered the spirit a softer side of ex-sherry with more of a toffee and caramel character rather than the expected Christmas cake and dried fruit notes..

Tasting revealed - pastel de nata, black tea and orange zest.