SCOTLAND
1. Balvenie
A new era has begun at The Balvenie with celebrated malt master David Stewart passing the baton to his protégé Kelsey McKechnie. To mark this occasion, the brand launched A Revelation of Cask and Character, a 19-year-old expression created solely by McKechnie which is the latest release in its Stories Collection. At the ultra-luxury end of the market, The Balvenie has also launched a 60-year-old single malt – selected by McKechnie in honour of Stewart’s six-decade career at the distillery – which is limited to just 71 bottles globally.
2. Dornoch
With a focus on traditional methods employed by early 20th-century distillers, founders Simon and Phil Thompson established Dornoch in 2017 on the site of a 19th-century fire station located within the grounds of Dornoch Castle. Recently the brothers were granted permission to expand their operation and move to a location at Dornoch South. Concentrating on sustainable production, the new site will be carbon neutral and include a ground-based solar farm which it is hoped will power the entire distillery.
3. Dunphail
Harking back to production techniques of yesteryear, Dunphail in Speyside was the brainchild of London-based Bimber Distillery owner Dariusz Plazewski. The distillery began production in October 2023 with an emphasis on traditional methods; the site has its own
