The Whisky Exchange has dropped three new exclusive bottlings to mark the start of 2026, spanning Scotch whisky, American bourbon and Jamaican rum.
The limited collection comprises an experimental single-cask Torabhaig from the Isle of Skye, a punchy single-barrel bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company, and a sherry-cask-aged Hampden Estate rum that leans fully into the distillery’s famously characterful style.
Each is bottled at high strength, ideal for slow, winter-warming sips…
While Hampden is best known for its exuberant, high-ester Jamaican rums, sherry cask maturation is a relatively recent avenue of exploration for the distillery.
This single pot-still rum, bottled at 64.6% ABV, was aged in a sherry cask from Bodegas Fundador, secured specifically for the retailer. The influence of the cask is an intriguing counterpoint to Hampden’s unmistakable house style, layering dried fruit richness over a base of tropical fruit, sugarcane grassiness and that unmistakable Jamaican funk.
The most overtly experimental of this trio is the Torabhaig 2018 Scottish Oak Single Cask, limited to just 251 bottles, at 58.7% ABV. Distilled at Torabhaig, Skye’s second licensed distillery, the whisky was finished for 16 months in a rare Scottish oak cask.
Scottish oak is rarely used in whisky making, largely because it’s difficult to work with. Unlike the tall, straight American oak favoured for bourbon, Scottish oak tends to be shorter, knotty and irregular. That challenge is part of the appeal here, adding a further layer of local identity to a distillery already rooted firmly in its island home.
The result is a peated whisky with well-integrated smoke, complemented by baked apples and the suggestion of well-worn leather.
From Scotland to Kentucky, the Bardstown Bourbon Co 8 Year Old Single Barrel is bottled at a formidable 64.6% ABV, with just 144 available.
On the palate, winter flavours take centre stage – brown sugar, stewed fruit and a thread of spicy, herbal rye. Underpinning that flavour is a mashbill of 78 per cent corn, 10 per cent rye and 12 per cent malted barley, sour mashed and fermented for three days in open-top fermenters. Distillation took place in a 36-inch column still with a doubler, before the spirit was filled into a single 53-gallon new American white oak cask with a #3 char.
“It’s perhaps the best whiskey we’ve tasted from Bardstown to-date,” enthuses The Whisky Exchange.
Heaven Hill, one of America’s most historically important distilleries, has launched Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in the UK, through an exclusive partnership with Majestic. The release marks the UK debut of the signature expression. Heaven Hill traces its roots back to the late 1800s and became widely known during the…
The Macallan has announced the Romantica Collection, a prestige single cask release to mark the centenary of The Macallan 1926, the legendary whisky that has repeatedly broken auction records. Distilled in 1926 and bottled 60 years later, it remains the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold. The last known sale of The…
One of Italy’s most legendary wine dynasties is taking over a Belgravia pub for one night only – and the menu sounds outrageously good. On Thursday 4 June, Prince Arthur will partner with iconic Italian wine producer Marchesi Antinori for an intimate tasting dinner pairing some of Tuscany’s most celebrated wines with a decadent Basque-inspired…
The Luxe Review 
The Whisky Exchange has dropped three new exclusive bottlings to mark the start of 2026, spanning Scotch whisky, American bourbon and Jamaican rum.
The limited collection comprises an experimental single-cask Torabhaig from the Isle of Skye, a punchy single-barrel bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company, and a sherry-cask-aged Hampden Estate rum that leans fully into the distillery’s famously characterful style.
Each is bottled at high strength, ideal for slow, winter-warming sips…
Hampden Estate HLCF 2023 Sherry Cask, £150
While Hampden is best known for its exuberant, high-ester Jamaican rums, sherry cask maturation is a relatively recent avenue of exploration for the distillery.
This single pot-still rum, bottled at 64.6% ABV, was aged in a sherry cask from Bodegas Fundador, secured specifically for the retailer. The influence of the cask is an intriguing counterpoint to Hampden’s unmistakable house style, layering dried fruit richness over a base of tropical fruit, sugarcane grassiness and that unmistakable Jamaican funk.
Torabhaig 2018 Scottish Oak Single Cask, £99.95
The most overtly experimental of this trio is the Torabhaig 2018 Scottish Oak Single Cask, limited to just 251 bottles, at 58.7% ABV. Distilled at Torabhaig, Skye’s second licensed distillery, the whisky was finished for 16 months in a rare Scottish oak cask.
Scottish oak is rarely used in whisky making, largely because it’s difficult to work with. Unlike the tall, straight American oak favoured for bourbon, Scottish oak tends to be shorter, knotty and irregular. That challenge is part of the appeal here, adding a further layer of local identity to a distillery already rooted firmly in its island home.
The result is a peated whisky with well-integrated smoke, complemented by baked apples and the suggestion of well-worn leather.
Bardstown Bourbon Co 8 Year Old Single Barrel, £125
From Scotland to Kentucky, the Bardstown Bourbon Co 8 Year Old Single Barrel is bottled at a formidable 64.6% ABV, with just 144 available.
On the palate, winter flavours take centre stage – brown sugar, stewed fruit and a thread of spicy, herbal rye. Underpinning that flavour is a mashbill of 78 per cent corn, 10 per cent rye and 12 per cent malted barley, sour mashed and fermented for three days in open-top fermenters. Distillation took place in a 36-inch column still with a doubler, before the spirit was filled into a single 53-gallon new American white oak cask with a #3 char.
“It’s perhaps the best whiskey we’ve tasted from Bardstown to-date,” enthuses The Whisky Exchange.
All three bottlings are available exclusively from The Whisky Exchange, both online and in-store, while stocks last. Follow The Luxe Review on Google News.
First pour: Heaven Hill Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old wheated bourbon is a real sweet charmer
Heaven Hill, one of America’s most historically important distilleries, has launched Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey in the UK, through an exclusive partnership with Majestic. The release marks the UK debut of the signature expression. Heaven Hill traces its roots back to the late 1800s and became widely known during the…
The Macallan Romantica Collection is an ultra-rare 40 Year Old Single Cask tribute to the world’s most valuable whisky
The Macallan has announced the Romantica Collection, a prestige single cask release to mark the centenary of The Macallan 1926, the legendary whisky that has repeatedly broken auction records. Distilled in 1926 and bottled 60 years later, it remains the most valuable bottle of wine or spirit ever sold. The last known sale of The…
This Belgravia pub is serving a £200 Antinori wine feast – and it sounds worth every sip
One of Italy’s most legendary wine dynasties is taking over a Belgravia pub for one night only – and the menu sounds outrageously good. On Thursday 4 June, Prince Arthur will partner with iconic Italian wine producer Marchesi Antinori for an intimate tasting dinner pairing some of Tuscany’s most celebrated wines with a decadent Basque-inspired…
Share this: