Single Malts and More Exclusives from The Whisky Exchange, 2025 Releases
The pros at The Whisky Exchange recently began sending regular releases of some of their most recent stock, all exclusives that are available only in its stores and on the TWE website. We’ve got a huge collection of new releases that have dropped over the last few months, including lots of single malt Scotch, some unexpected Irish whiskey, and a pair or rum releases. All were tasted based on small samples (which TWE also sells). Pricing shown is as provided (and will vary based on your local currency).
All of the below Signatory Vintage releases are single cask offerings, while the other offerings (including TWE’s The Seasons: Spring) have broader availability. All are 700ml offerings.
Scotch
Signatory Vintage Clynelish 2008 Bourbon Cask 17 Years Old Review
A fully bourbon barrel-aged single cask whisky, this is a sunny expression of Clynelish, pairing ample lemon curd and spiced pears with its creamy vanilla and toasted marshmallow core. Waxy on the palate with a tropical character that develops with a little air time, the finish is effusive and toasty — and surprisingly gritty given its relatively low abv, with peppery barrel char notes lingering. I had a very small sample on this one to work with, but it was the whisky I wanted to revisit the most. 106.2 proof. A / £145
Signatory Vintage Whitlaw 2013 First Fill PX Sherry Hogshead 11 Years Old Review
Not familiar with “Whitlaw”? It’s an open-secret pseudonym for Highland Park used with some indie bottlings. Boldly sherried to within an inch of its life, this monster of a single malt pours on that Pedro Ximenez character from the start — intensely nutty, with heavy notes of torched orange peel, well-oxidized wine, and golden raisins. Chewy and wet with fruit, the experience is sharp and seductive, with that light touch of peat endemic to Highland Park ringing the edges. An Orkney party in your mouth that is far from your typical dram of HP. 116 proof. A- / $119
Signatory Vintage Blair Athol 2011 First Fill Ruby Port Finish 13 Years Old Review
This Speyside distillery is a considerable rarity (we’ve seen it precisely once), and with a ruby Port finish? This is fully unique. The Port pops from the start: Juicy red currants, raisins, and cherries are exuberant on the nose, and while the palate kicks off with all that wet fruit, things eventually retreat back to more familiar climes: toasted cereal, mushroom, and a finish that is closer to sherry than Port. Molasses particularly lingers on the lengthy fade-out. 115.6 proof. A- / $132
Signatory Vintage Mortlach 2003 Bourbon Cask 21 Years Old Review
Mortlach is rarely aged entirely in American oak, but this single barrel bottling makes a strong case for it. Christmassy from the get-go, it exudes the essence of Mortlach throughout. Well-toasted and well-sweetened cereal grains, butterscotch, and a slightly funky, coal-fired herbaceousness combine to give the nose a complexity that’s uncommon in unfinished malts like this. A perfumed quality emerges as it develops, pairing well with developing notes of sesame and coconut cream. Slightly short on the nutty, vaguely gummy finish, but otherwise a delicious, enveloping dram. 116.6 proof. A- / £245
Signatory Vintage Edradour 2011 First Fill Marsala Hogshead 13 Years Old Review
So much delightful fruit here — on both nose and palate — with notes of raisins and clove-studded oranges hitting before a pungent note of allspice and that unmistakable oxidized Marsala wine aroma arrives. Heady and unctuous, the viscous palate takes a turn toward nutty notes late in the game, melding with some turned earth and anise to complete a racy journey. Come ready for the wine, though. Bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange by Signatory Vintage, along with the following four malts. 117.8 proof. B+ / $132
Signatory Vintage Linkwood 2008 Bourbon Cask 16 Years Old Review
This bourbon barrel-aged Speyside offering doesn’t offer much in the way of surprises and is in most ways the most traditional and unchallenging malt in this lineup. Nothing wrong with it, but unlike, say, the Mortlach release, which is also fully aged in a bourbon barrel, exotic elements are elusive. Soft sesame cookie notes, nougat, and crumbly vanilla pound cake dominate, with some very gentle fruitiness on the back end — apple, then a hint of orange oil. A fairly short finish doesn’t overly surprise. Fine, considering the price. 117.4 proof. B / £90
The Seasons: Spring Glentauchers 2013 10 Years Old Review
Pretty, bright Speyside malt that is fully bourbon-barrel aged, but which evokes the sweetness and citrus fruit of a sherry-casked whisky. A hint of charry smoke on the nose offers a savory element, alongside bold aromas of dried flowers, tea leaves, and incense. Sharp on the tongue at full proof, a splash of water improves things immensely, tempering a surprising heat to make room for rounder fruit notes of baked apples, pastry dough, and lemon curd, leading to an immersive finish — though it’s more fall-focused than spring. 117.2 proof. B+ / £74
The Seasons: Spring Linkwood 2013 10 Years Old Review
A younger Linkwood release also casked in American bourbon oak. The profile has plenty in common with the 16 year old reviewed above, kicking off with a surprisingly racy attack evoking shortbread and baking spice, then layers of gently savory elements, including hemp rope, leather, and a touch of barrel char. A splash of water evokes fruit more clearly, just as it does in the 16 year old above, apples and pears leading to a finish of milk chocolate. Nice value and fine for “enjoying as a cheeky pre dinner drink or maybe even in a highball”, per TWE, but perhaps too restrained for a special release like this. 115.4 proof. B / £69
The Seasons: Spring Caol Ila 2014 9 Years Old Review
Caol Ila — yeah, you know me… This is a heavily smoked rendition of the Islay classic, well-torched with classic notes of applewood bonfire, grilled citrus, and plenty of wet, boggy peat. Lightly vegetal on the back end, with a rather youthful conclusion that leans fully into the smoky punch that composes the backbone of the whisky. It’s a little one-note but existing fans of Caol Ila will gravitate to its familiar, if simplistic, profile. 119.8 proof. B / £76
Irish Whiskey
Green Spot 2013 Bourbon Cask 10 Years Old Review
Green Spot is traditionally 7 to 10 years old, aged in both sherry and bourbon casks. With this expression a 10 year old exclusively aged in bourbon — is it still really Green Spot or is it something else entirely? You’ll have time to ponder that as you sip the cask strength expression, which is a beautiful exploration of everything that makes Irish whiskey great — honey, almond nougat, and heathery pastoral notes, touched with just a bit of citrus. Some toasty wood evokes the age of the whiskey and its bourbon barrel origins, but the Three Musketeers sweetness on the finish keeps it all grounded in Eire. Try a splash of water to coax out a bit of salinity. 113.2 proof. A- / $238
Jameson 23 Years Old Small Batch Review
This is a real surprise — the oldest age-statemented Jameson ever bottled by the distiller. Old Jameson can be truly amazing, and my high hopes for this whiskey were not in vain: It’s a transformative Irish, a blend of pot still and grain whiskey, four casks only, with some sherry on it. Tart apples and cherry marmalade kick things off, leading to notes of orange peel and then, in short order, an enveloping rush of caramel, toffee, and coconut. Raisins — almost prune-like — give the finish a perfectly fruity conclusion. Definitely something for which 30ml doesn’t do justice. 110.2 proof. A / £325
Rum
Worthy Park 2017 6 Years Old Bourbon Cask Review
The first of two releases from famed Jamaican rum distillery Worthy Park presents itself as an iconic example of high-ester pot still rum, overloading the senses with notes of bubblegum, stewed fruit, and vanilla candies. It’s a brash and rather straightforward experience that absolutely pours on those candied fruit notes, really to the exclusion of everything else. Warming and oh-so-sweet, with unceasing bubblegum notes clinging to the finish. This feels like it would be a good part of a blend, but is aggressive on its own. 108 proof. B / $119
Worthy Park 2015 8 Years Old Calvados Finish Review
A one-off Worth Park aged five years in bourbon barrels, three in a Calvados barrel. What a wildly different experience than the 6 year old above — all those candied notes well tempered by milk chocolate, baked apples, and a more soothing, rounded vanilla character. To be sure, it is no apple bomb, but rather a fruit salad that uses its apple-driven character as a balance against the other complexities in the mix. A heavy layer of caramel sauce and fudgy chocolate adds a necessary soothing quality, with tobacco-heavy herbal hints on the fade-out. Fun stuff. 128 proof. A- / $132
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