Living Souls, the independent Scottish whisky bottler that launched its first batch November 2024, has returned with a second collection that comprises a diverse range of flavour profiles, from youthful peat to aged grain, and a luxuriously mellow 40-year-old blend.
This sophomore outing confirms what the first batch hinted at. There’s no filler, no obligatory core range. Just four very different, thoughtfully bottled whiskies that will speak to collectors and everyday drinkers alike.
“This batch is where we really start to show the range of what Living Souls can offer,” says co-founder Calum Leslie, whose previous worked with PeatReekers and Spearhead. “Each whisky is bottled with intention.”
Co-founder Jamie Williamson adds: “There’s personality in every drop, and I think that’s what makes these releases so compelling.”
Bottled at 46.3% ABV, Ninety-Nine & One takes its name from the near-total proportion of heavily peated island malt that forms the backbone of the blend, with just a whisper of grain whisky in the mix to round thing up. The result? A bright, spirited dram said to be more than the sum of its parts. Bottled without chill filtration, it’s a whisky born of a fortuitous vatting accident at the distillery that proved too interesting to discard.
Living Souls Balblair 10-Year-Old, £55
This Highland single malt, distilled at Balblair and bottled at 46.0% ABV, offers one of the more unusual cask finishes in the batch, Limousin oak XO cognac octaves, a choice likely to bring a delicate French opulence to a spirit already known for its orchard fruit charm. Official tasting notes speak of creamy vanilla and warm spice. This could be a steal.
Living Souls Dumbarton 25-Year-Old, £82
Whiskies from the closed Dumbarton distillery, once a workhorse grain producer for Ballantine’s, are increasingly hard to come by. Living Souls’ 25-year-old edition presents a rare opportunity to explore the lighter, nostalgic style of this lost Lowlander. Long-term maturation in American oak, likely refill barrels and hogsheads, would seem a fair assumption. Expect creamy, almost confectionery-like, vanilla and desiccated coconut. This single grain whisky is bottled at 50.5% ABV.
The collection’s showpiece. This 40-year-old blend marries malts from Glenfarclas, Glen Garioch, and Fettercairn, with grain whisky drawn primarily from the now-defunct Cambus distillery (in a 40/60 split). Matured in ex-Islay sherry butts, a combination that guarantees both soft fruit and a whisper of smoke, it’s a rare blend with provenance and depth. Bottled at 45.1% ABV.
The collection is available through select independent retailers in the UK, including Master of Malt.
Ad Gefrin, the Anglo-Saxon museum and distillery in Wooler, has released what it describes as the first legal Northumbrian single malt whisky of the modern era, ending a two-century absence of local single malt production. The debut bottling arrives as the Crǣft Series, a collection of three single cask whiskies that offer an early glimpse…
If you’re wondering what to give the dad on Father’s Day who claims he wants nothing, allow us to suggest something sincere, sophisticated, and soul-warming: whisky. Not socks, not a novelty mug, not a gadget that’ll sit untouched on a shelf, but a bottle of golden liquid crafted purely to delight the senses. In this…
Mystery Malt has returned for its sixth instalment, and according to its creators at Thompson Brothers, it is the biggest release yet. The concept remains delightfully simple: every whisky bottle looks identical, costs the same £65, and arrives concealed beneath a tamper-proof capsule. Buyers know the full list of whiskies that could be inside, but…
The Luxe Review 
Living Souls, the independent Scottish whisky bottler that launched its first batch November 2024, has returned with a second collection that comprises a diverse range of flavour profiles, from youthful peat to aged grain, and a luxuriously mellow 40-year-old blend.
This sophomore outing confirms what the first batch hinted at. There’s no filler, no obligatory core range. Just four very different, thoughtfully bottled whiskies that will speak to collectors and everyday drinkers alike.
“This batch is where we really start to show the range of what Living Souls can offer,” says co-founder Calum Leslie, whose previous worked with PeatReekers and Spearhead. “Each whisky is bottled with intention.”
Co-founder Jamie Williamson adds: “There’s personality in every drop, and I think that’s what makes these releases so compelling.”
Here’s a closer look at the collection…
Living Souls Ninety-Nine & One, £58.50
Bottled at 46.3% ABV, Ninety-Nine & One takes its name from the near-total proportion of heavily peated island malt that forms the backbone of the blend, with just a whisper of grain whisky in the mix to round thing up. The result? A bright, spirited dram said to be more than the sum of its parts. Bottled without chill filtration, it’s a whisky born of a fortuitous vatting accident at the distillery that proved too interesting to discard.
Living Souls Balblair 10-Year-Old, £55
This Highland single malt, distilled at Balblair and bottled at 46.0% ABV, offers one of the more unusual cask finishes in the batch, Limousin oak XO cognac octaves, a choice likely to bring a delicate French opulence to a spirit already known for its orchard fruit charm. Official tasting notes speak of creamy vanilla and warm spice. This could be a steal.
Living Souls Dumbarton 25-Year-Old, £82
Whiskies from the closed Dumbarton distillery, once a workhorse grain producer for Ballantine’s, are increasingly hard to come by. Living Souls’ 25-year-old edition presents a rare opportunity to explore the lighter, nostalgic style of this lost Lowlander. Long-term maturation in American oak, likely refill barrels and hogsheads, would seem a fair assumption. Expect creamy, almost confectionery-like, vanilla and desiccated coconut. This single grain whisky is bottled at 50.5% ABV.
Living Souls 40-Year-Old blended scotch, £125
The collection’s showpiece. This 40-year-old blend marries malts from Glenfarclas, Glen Garioch, and Fettercairn, with grain whisky drawn primarily from the now-defunct Cambus distillery (in a 40/60 split). Matured in ex-Islay sherry butts, a combination that guarantees both soft fruit and a whisper of smoke, it’s a rare blend with provenance and depth. Bottled at 45.1% ABV.
The collection is available through select independent retailers in the UK, including Master of Malt.
Ad Gefrin announces first Northumbrian single malt in 200 years, but there’s mystery in the launch
Ad Gefrin, the Anglo-Saxon museum and distillery in Wooler, has released what it describes as the first legal Northumbrian single malt whisky of the modern era, ending a two-century absence of local single malt production. The debut bottling arrives as the Crǣft Series, a collection of three single cask whiskies that offer an early glimpse…
The Best Father’s Day Whisky Guide 2026: 19 wonderful whiskies from budget to premium
If you’re wondering what to give the dad on Father’s Day who claims he wants nothing, allow us to suggest something sincere, sophisticated, and soul-warming: whisky. Not socks, not a novelty mug, not a gadget that’ll sit untouched on a shelf, but a bottle of golden liquid crafted purely to delight the senses. In this…
Fortune favours the thirsty as Mystery Malt Series 6 lands with 9,960 bottles and 38 hidden whiskies
Mystery Malt has returned for its sixth instalment, and according to its creators at Thompson Brothers, it is the biggest release yet. The concept remains delightfully simple: every whisky bottle looks identical, costs the same £65, and arrives concealed beneath a tamper-proof capsule. Buyers know the full list of whiskies that could be inside, but…
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