In my humble opinion, I do believe it is a dream (or at least an esteemed goal) for whisky lovers worldwide to have a cask or two to call their own. For those looking, The Artisanal Spirits Company (the folks behind the famous Scotch Malt Whisky Society or SMWS, as well as Single Cask Nation and J G Thomson) has something that'll be right down your alley!

The good company has launched Artisan Casks, a brand-new private cask programme featuring a rather glorious selection of well-aged Scotch whisky.

For the uninitiated, The Artisanal Spirits Company plc is a UK-quoted company that has long been known for the creation and sale of limited-edition whisky and experiences worldwide.

The last four decades have seen them amass a rather outstanding range of casks from more than 100 single malt Scotch whisky distilleries that range from Macallan to Laphroaig.

At a state-of-the-art facility in Scotland, casks are meticulously matured and monitored. The company swears that every single cask is bottled individually at its peak, a result made possible through a tricky combination of technical artistry and attention to detail.

Now, what's with their new program?   

With Artisan Casks, discerning enthusiasts can go beyond simply savoring the craftsmanship of whisky, additionally witnessing firsthand the exceptional technical artistry that the company's whisky-makers pour into every cask.

While all casks are ready for immediate bottling, owners do have the choice to choose whether or not to mature their cask for a longer period. The decision of when to bottle is made collaboratively between the cask owner and the company's whisky-makers, so you'll be in safe hands!

To help you follow your whisky's journey, all cask owners will be able to enjoy up to two 70cl sample bottles each year from your cask before bottling, as well as an annual statement that includes key observations from the company's whisky-makers, guiding one towards their cask's optimal maturation period.

After the agreed maturation period, your cask is finally bottled at the aforementioned custom-fitted, state-of-the-art Scottish facility. The design of each bottle is also a rather meticulous affair, highlighting the cask's unique provenance, rarity, and inherent value.

The fill date, bottling date and unique bottle number are hand-written onto the label itself, as well as in-depth details of its distillery of origin, the liquid's age when bottled, and its specific cask number. Bottles are individually hand-inspected and pre-packed into gift- boxes that are thoroughly protected during shipping and transit.

Of course, owners may also choose to personalise bottlings from each cask with their name or a short message!

Be forewarned! Only a handful of Artisan Casks are released each year. This year’s showcase includes aged casks from Laphroaig, Macallan, Mortlach and Bowmore amongst others, with prices ranging between £50,000 and £600,000 (depending on age, distillery name and cask size, of course). 

The global release in Monaco was held aboard a 125-year-old classic sailing yacht, The Black Swan. Further launch events are planned in New York and Dubai, also led by James Mackay.

We were quite chuffed to be present at the unveiling of Artisan casks in Singapore as part of the Asia launch. The launch was hosted at the luxurious Presidential Villa at Raffles on Sentosa Island, and followed the global release in Monaco. 

James Mackay, Private Client Director at the Artisanal Spirits Company, helms this new offering. He brings extensive international experience and connections, having previously served as Global Private Client Director and Head of Rare & Exceptional Spirits for Diageo plc, where he managed relationships with high-net-worth individual collectors and family offices worldwide.

James led us through quite the excited journey of eight magnificent whiskies of equally magnificent pedigree. Most of these casks were re-racked after a main aging period of at least 20 years. The re-racking is by no means a finish, and the company considers it a double-maturation of at least two years for balance of flavor. 

It's a long, impressive list ahead, so let's get stuck in, shall we?

Whisky Review: Mortlach 33 Year Old, 44.6% ABV

Hailing from Cask Number #304589, the whisky within was originally filled into a Hogshead cask on 11th November 1991. It has undergone its maturation for 31 years in a refill Oloroso cask, proceeded by two more years in a first-fill Spanish Oak Pedro Ximénez cask.

Bottled as of 2nd May 2025, the whisky yielded approximately 239 70cl bottles.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Rich Amber

Aroma: Gentle but captivating, it reminds me a bit of that comforting smell of your dad's old dresser, with the addition of a gentle (almost perfumed) sweetness. Off the bat there's nice fresh straw, and layers of wood both new and old (oak). That mellow sweetness on the front evolves into a faint maple-syrup note interspaced with a baking-spice-infused toastiness, which really does remind me of a pie or pastry of some sort. There's a creamy, salted toffee layered on a thin note of light cream.

On the end of each sniff, I get a stronger emergence of baking spice, with notable cinnamon, anise and the gentlest of white pepper. Curiously, I also get a slightly bitter, woody nut note on the end that almost crosses into the realm of coffee beans.

Palate: That gentle complexity seems to be the name of the game here, and it carries through to the palate as well. There's a green freshness with hints of wheat that are followed by notes of vibrant dark red fruit. Even in terms of texture, it's nice and airy! Just a middling level of oiliness that is more refreshing than cloying.

Curiously on the mid-palate, there's a distinct menthol lift, leading into bright citrus that leans toward grapefruit. The straw note from the nose reappears, alongside a sudden burst of malt. Oak lingers on the edges too. As the palate subsides, I get dried dates, brown sugar and a more notable presence of that baking spice noted on the nose. There's a slight burnt nut note just on the end too, before the finish kicks in.

Finish: A gentle, medium-length finish, that new wood note comes in strength again, sitting atop that layer of baking spice. There's a twinge of that dark red fruit like dates and stewed plums again, as well as powdered sugar and mildly salted caramel. Oddly enough, letting it sit with just a drop of water one also gets a semblance of toasted coconut, which is a delightful surprise.

My Thoughts

Wild pleasant, and more than enough to tell it's a Mortlach - that distinctiveness is what it's all about. That refreshing, gentle presence that also consists of layers upon layers. Everything's unhurried and confident, and takes its time without rush or fuss.

As a big and longtime fan of the Mortlach 12, this feels surreal - like watching it grow up! Sweet, rich and earthy in all the right places. However, there's just enough to make it interesting, especially with such notes like menthol and even coffee making one perk up mid-sip.

A complex yet remarkably approachable dram, It takes you on a well-traveled yet layered journey that remains a delight to go on each time. From an enticingly sweet nose with earthy aspects to a rich, spicy, and fruity palate, this is truly distinctive and highly enjoyable whisky.

Whisky Review: Macallan 32 Year Old, 53.8% ABV

This particular Macallan (Cask Number #305118) was initially filled into a Hogshead cask on 31st March 1993. It was then matured for 30 years in a refill Bourbon cask, proceeded by 2 years in a first-fill Spanish Oak Pedro Ximénez cask and bottled as of 22nd April 2025. The cask yielded approximately 246 70cl bottles.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Clear Deep Amber

Aroma: Oh my! An inviting sweetness off the bat and a flurry of several flavors that really do take some time to distinguish themselves. I get a mix of dark and milk chocolate, light maple, a pleasant oakiness as well as a faintest leather mustiness. The sweetness develops into honey interspaced with fresh wet apple skins, which proceed to quickly give way to dried red fruit and that classic Macallan sherry pop.

A stronger gentle honeyed sweetness emerges in the middle, alongside a whisper of straw. This quickly turns into a deeper earthiness of tobacco, wet soil and a sprinkle of wood spices. There's a chalkiness to it too. Toward the end, there's a curious white floral note that quickly gives way to that woody-leather mustiness again.

Palate: I'm immediately introduced to notes of wheat and rich chocolate, soon joined by luscious red fruit. I'm getting a much more nuanced read on it too, with dates, raisins, some spiced plums and a bit of candied apple. Of course, that sherry richness/sweetness is still there as a base.

There's a refreshing burst of menthol on the mid-palate that cuts through, followed by a woody depth that goes from wood spice, middle-aged cask to musty wood drawer. The journey continues into a stronger profile of dried dark fruits: prunes and figs laced with bits of salted toffee. There's just a spritz of saline on the end with a nice floral brightness that reminds one of hibiscus. 

Finish: Long and comforting. It's edged with dark fruit and sherry all the way through, of which that wood and wheat earthiness lies just underneath. Tobacco comes back along the way but just to introduce bright orchard fruit again. There's just the faintest nip of bitterness that ends on a nice long fade of fruit and leather which gives way to spices - think cardamom and peppercorns.

My Thoughts

A truly lovely pour! Rich and complex in all the right ways, with an equally impressive display of layers. I do appreciate that the classic sherry profiles found in the classic Macallan signature takes a backseat to the rest of the palette, which are in and of themselves a remarkable balance of sweetness, fruit, and profound depth.

It's nice and hearty, a four-course meal all wrapped up on each sip. Meaty, oily and well-layered, it somehow remains just before reaching the line of cloying. I really do find this quite a moreish dram. The nose here is so outstandingly impressive that it's definitively set an unrealistically high bar for anything else I could nose to surpass. This is a whisky that one needs to spend time with, to return to. 

It's a whisky that invites exploration and rewards every moment ... if you're patient enough, that is.

Whisky Review: Laphroaig 27 Year Old, 54.2% ABV

From Cask Number #151785, the whisky within was originally filled into a Hogshead on 29th April 1998. It underwent a distinctive maturation profile, spending 21 years in a re-fill bourbon hogshead, followed by an additional 5.5 years in a first-fill Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead. Bottled 16th April 2025, the cask presented 132 70cl bottles.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Dark Maple

Aroma: Compelling, complex and evolving. It opens with a slight, sweet peat smoke that all Laphroaig lovers (here's me hard raising my hand) have come to know and adore. This is intertwined with comforting notes of gentle toffee sweetness and the most ethereal hint of milk chocolate. The smoke and peat comes back again, this time with a salinity and fruity herbaceousness. There's something like dark stout intermixed with bursts of wheat, which quickly give way to deeper earthy tones of lingonberries, soil, gentle tobacco and a nip of barbecue.

As it develops, it goes deeper with with notes of licorice, cedar, shellfish and some tar. On the back end there are friendlier notes of wet straw, dried red fruit, saline (again) and something like honeyed water. With some water, I get burnt marmalade, a more noticeable baking spice note of cinnamon and cloves, as well as pine resin.

Palate: And there's your classic Laphroaig! Medicinal, herby, peat smoke and that sweet salinity ... truly a classic yet phenomenal Laphroaig. Rich and mellow wood smoke is also interspaced in between, with a briny kick. There's a stronger note of barbecue sauce, lingonberry jam and licorice that wraps up into a savory package. 

Letting it sit for a while brings out more sweetness that mixes well with the herbaceousness to form a sort of dark/red fruit mush, reminding me of dried goji berries and plum (among other flavors). Oak comes out more with water, which also brings out a more woody presence with some barley. Also within is some jerky rancio, quince, and something like a burnt basque cheesecake and stewed pears. There's a pleasant bitterness toward the end of the sip that gradually accentuates an already-lingering heat that starts on the mid-palate. 

Finish: Long and utterly pleasant. It seems to get more and more savory, with a faint sherry-like sweetness lingering on the back that really ties it all up and makes it equal parts moreish and earthy. A flash of saline and honey comes up on the mid-finish, as well as a tar bitterness with some rumlike medicinal presence. Toward the end, the peat smoke returns with a vengeance, layered atop saline, rancio and brine. It ends off with a long good bye that I've come to anticipate from Laphroaig.

My Thoughts

A dram that truly embodies the distillery's iconic character to the ultimate apex. It just might be because I'm a longtime Laphroaig fan, but I do believe this cask was rather exceptional - heck, I'll call it a Laphroaig fan's dream. It's somehow mellowed out that classic Laphroaig punchiness whilst enhancing its complexities and flavors. 

It's certainly a Laphroaig that's gained some figurative maturity and mellowed with age. Familiar notes are pleasantly interrupted with hints of something other than what you'd expect, keeping things interesting while approachable, delicious while not too confusing. It zigs when you thought it might've zagged - and that's just engagingly lively.

The nuances here wrap around the iconic Laphroaig profile, and yet peels away to reveal more with time. This is a Laphroaig that not only bests expectations but consistently exceeds them, offering a journey through its multifaceted character that really does have more than meets the eye.

Whisky Review: Caol Ila 33 Year Old, 54.4% ABV

Cask Number #180965, this was filled into a Hogshead on 12th February 1992. It is matured entirely in a re-fill Bourbon cask, which yielded 182 70cl bottles.

Curiously, this expression was deemed perfect as is by the company straight out its first cask, and they felt no need for it to be re-racked!

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Gold

Aroma: A mellow entrance. Some notable heat on the nose, and I get honey, mild vanilla and oak. Alongside this is a rather obvious, immediate peat smoke. It's a relatively clean nose, in a refreshing sort of way. Soon after a fair amount of woody aromas appear. There's a quick entrance of new wood, followed by a hazelnut bitterness and slightly damp soil. There's a bit of petrol industrial qualities, as well as a mildly sharp citrus-quince note that evolves into damp wood and older casks. There's also some old, old leather in the back with a blend of fresh straw and wheat. There is also a slightly medicinal, menthol character that tinges around the edges.

Palate: A rather fascinating evolution. It begins with a delightful sweetness that reminds me of custard or perhaps nougat, which then swiftly transforms into licorice and mild wood spice and new wood. There's a burst of dryness with hay and wheat, but it then reveals hints of greenery - reminiscent of garden herbs, and just a faint amount of menthol. As it develops, smoke and peat emerge from the background, combining with a bright orchard fruit note. Think pear and apple skins.

There's a subtle undertone of straw and mild oak that returns on the end, along with a light honey note. On the end the smoke comes back in an almost perfumed manner, with just the faintest hints of dried white florals and new wood.

Finish: Medium in length. A nice dissipation of heat that takes with it the straw, honey and wheat-y notes. The wood flavors become significantly drier and peak just at the roof of the mouth before giving way to that honeyed sweetness again. It then turns notably mineral with an oily edge, accompanied by some oyster shells and the faintest of saline. The menthol note fights a bit with that leather for center stage, but gentle peat smoke triumphs for a slow goodbye.

My Thoughts

It struck me as possessing a sort of raw purity - you get why the folks decided to keep it as is in all its untamed power. It has all the right flavors as expected from a Caol Ila, yet here given much more character and depth, tempering any sense of harshness or heat, whilst tossing in a couple of easter eggs.

It's sweet in all the right places and earthy in the rest, while the peat smoke and seaside influences do very very little to steal the show. They linger respectfully from the sidelines, making just enough noise to make you know they are there, but otherwise allowing the other flavors to do their work. Thoroughly impressed!

Whisky Review: Glen Grant 31 Year Old, 46.8% ABV

This particular Glen Grant expression comes from Cask Number #305100. It was filled into a Hogshead on April 6, 1994 and matured in a first-fill American Oak Oloroso cask. Bottled as of April 24, 2025, yielded approximately 182 70cl bottles.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Amber

Aroma: A industrial sweetness that I'm immediately drawn to. I get marker ink, melty caramel and red fruit on top of mild oak. There's sherry on the back end with a brighter notice of wet orchard fruit (like apples), and just a twinge of citrus bitterness like grapefruit rinds. From the middle of each sniff, it's on to raw barley and straw, with just a garnish of fresh spring flowers. There's a notable sweetness the more you go at it, too, with icing sugar, banana pound cake and the faintest whiff of maple. If you search for it, you get leather, soil and tobacco that pop in and out again.

Palate: Polished wood with a good amount of baking spice of cinnamon and anise, that familiar orchard fruit sweetness that's a mix of wet apple skins and apricots, all sitting atop a musty wooden dresser. It's a curiously drier mouthfeel that leaves your lips smacking. That earlier maple syrup note on the nose comes in guns blazing on the mid palate, accompanied by spun sugar and a more noticeable flash of sherry and dark red fruit note like plums and sultanas. The citrus becomes brighter and with the floral influence, reminds me quite a bit of orange blossoms. On the back end, there's a greater presence of tobacco, leather and a dollop of earthy honey.

Finish: A long finish, with a rather moreish dryness. Unexpectedly, it turns sweet-savoury on the finish. The baking spice and wood notes come together to turn into ginger accompanied by olive oil on dark rye bread. There's also a rancio that you get left with all the way until the finish is good and done. It reminds me of a well-matured jamon ham, but interspaced with some cracked pepper and leather earthiness.

My Thoughts

Perfectly interesting and polished! The nose, palate and finish are all distinct yet do not clash with each other. It's certainly an interesting dram to unpick and I'd wager the more investigative among you whisky drinkers would quite like this dram on account of how much it surprises and hides. Lovely finish that keeps each sip completely refreshing, while the palate really does make a good parallel to the mouthfeel to turn everything really quite moreish. 

P.S I am rather enamored with the earthy, savory-sweet finish. As a lover of the unexpected and nonconforming, this dram really is right down my alley. You think you know Glen Grant, this'll prove otherwise.

Whisky Review: Bowmore 31 Year Old, 56.0% ABV

Cask Number #161217 was filled into a Hogshead cask on February 16, 2004. It matured in a second-fill Spanish Oak Pedro Ximénez cask and was bottled February 3, 2025, yielding 244 70cl bottles. The sherry cask utilised for the additional maturation of this whisky was expressly sourced from José y Miguel Martín, a family-owned bodega in the heart of the Sherry Triangle region of Southern Spain.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Gold

Aroma: Oh my, isn't this a sweet and decadent dram. The sweetness is rather mouth watering, I must say, and might be my favourite of the night!

Off the bat, I get icing sugar, fruit cake, as well as dark fruit like plums, raisins and a skosh of strawberry jam. That confectionary likeness translates to vanilla, madeleines or even Bordeaux canelés with a healthy amount of butter. There's beeswax, ginger and more honey cake in the mid sniff too. There's also a bit of middle-aged cask wood and smokiness on the end, laced with a trace of molasses and ash.

Palate: Delicious! That confectionary, pastry sweetness really hits the tongue with as much force as it can bear, and that earthier presence of dark red fruit really does round it all up nicely to prevent it from becoming too cloying. It's mouth-coating but dry, too, which makes it ever more moreish. I get dried hay, summer wildflowers, stone fruits like apricots and nectarine, as well as waves upon waves of oak and vanilla. Again, that most pleasant but confounding ash-like smoke and leather twinges on the back. 

Finish: Long and I'd have no qualms for it to be longer. Some have described the finish as that of a mellow, finely-aged wine, and while those are not the words I would choose, I have to agree. It is gently warming and unforgettable, with the sweetness ebbing away slowly and almost torturously. There's some charred oak on the back before it's gone, with just a burst of nectarine, honey and just a little smoke. I'd say it remains quite true to the character of the 1960s and 70s releases.

My Thoughts

Ooh boy this is really quite good for those with a sweet tooth who would enjoy a nice dram. It's almost (sacrilegiously) some sort of bourbon-scotch lovechild with all the right kinds of sweetness.

It's like walking into a confectionary shop and a flower shop at the same time. This dram does an astounding job at retaining both balance and complexity. I am also quite a fan of the additional toasty, wood and notes of ash, leather and smoke that come in towards the end, as if it's tempting me to have another dram just to be able to have another glimpse of those cameo flavors.

And for a 30 year old Bowmore, it miraculously remains stunningly bright!

Whisky Review: Highland Park 20 Year Old, 56.9% ABV

Hailing from Cask Number #160821, this expression was distilled early in 2005 and filled on the 18th of January the same year. 

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Rich Amber

Aroma: There's a distinct dark sherry sweetness off the bat, with an equal amount of heat. Dark red fruits and baking spices galore, plums, cinnamons and cloves, with a good side of fairly aged wood. There's also some chocolate and sweet blackberry in the middle. On the edges lingers a citrus presence that's a mix of grapefruit rinds and oranges. There's a bit of sharpness that the heat tapers off toward, leaning toward a slightly menthol grassiness interspaced by heather honey, richer dark chocolate and tones of leather. 

Palate: The sherry note really spreads out with individuality and definition on the first sip, almost fanning out with precision. It's a rather dense and oily dram, too. I get plums, raisins, stewed cherries as well as some amount of black fruit of blackberries. There's wood, caramel and baking spice with some vanilla, too. Then a familiar earthiness of honey with straw, which then becomes brighter red fruit like raspberries and strawberry jam. On the mid-palate I find more bean paste, with an unexpected accompaniment of some wet soil, wood spice and a leather-smoke combination. Around the edges, I get toasted coconut with the faintest of candied chewy gummies.

Finish: A medium finish that really does go toe-to-toe with the heat all the way to the end. It's really a good rich Highland Park in all the right ways. Rich, sweet and not afraid to show its sherry roots. It turns more austere into the finish, with more grounded notes of black pepper, leather, wet earth and musty wood being slightly more prominent. It ends on a sherry note once more, lifted by that candied quality and another puff of smoke that's not quite peat.

My Thoughts

This right here is what they call "Dark Sherry" - the sort that's revered as legendaries from the 80's - yet here with a punchiness and profound concentration that tells of its modernity. A fruity punch gradually rolls itself out, offering tones upon tones of gradations of that deep earthy sweetness. Yet unmistakably Highland Park - that earthiness is integrated wholly across, with an obvious sense of age. What's particularly impressive is the candied quality that appears both on the nose and at the finish. Nevertheless, what will certainly be remembered here is how that intense concentration has met its match in the equally deep punchiness that barrels its way through from start to finish - oof! This is stupendous.

Whisky Review Bunnahabhain 20 Year Old, 60.0% ABV

This dram came from Cask Number #903350, this expression was distilled in 2004 and filled on the 15th of November 2006.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Amber

Aroma: Sweet and unexpectedly inviting. There's not much heat or acetone kick as could be expected from a dram with such a high ABV. I get candied maltose crystals, icing sugar and milk chocolate. What quickly follows is red fruit like plums, dates, figs and just some blackberries. There's some toffee, orchard fruits like nectarine and wet apple skins, all edged by a rather zesty citrus that starts off as grapefruit then leans toward lemons. There's also that deep tone of toffee.

Palate: Certainly a meaty, almost oily dram. It's bread-y in a mildly sweet sort of way that reminds me of brioche and raisins. I get straw with fairly new oak, continued red fruit on the middle that leads to baking spices with a focus on ginger and cinnamon. There's some chocolate on the back end, with oak, vanilla, gentle salinity and a faint amount of peat smoke and herbaceous wet soil.

Finish: The heat comes up toward the end again. You get musty wood on the finish with an accent of citrus and a gentle menthol-eucalyptus mix. That sherry note rears its head toward the end again, leaning heavily toward sultanas and raisins. Like the palate, that salinity, gentle peat cameo and wood spice bounces back in briefly. One thing that captures my attention is that it's certainly very lip smacking and dry toward the end!

My Thoughts

A delightful surprise, showcasing remarkable balance despite its strength. This is a pure demonstration of class - where strength means subtlety. That's what they call finesse!

It's a dram that evolves beautifully from nose to finish, offering a journey of nuanced layers rather than an assault on the senses. The integration of its various elements is particularly impressive, and does a wonderful job of bringing you varying amounts of all flavors, from shy hints to full-blown flood lights. Again, it's the kind of pour that encourages contemplation, revealing new facets with each sip, and leaves a lingering impression that calls for another.

The Footnote

Having had the privilege of tasting through a selection of the cask samples that are available to the incredibly small handful of clients who will eventually partake in the Artisan Cask Program, I can say for certain that the proof is in the pudding - these are exceptional casks. 

The fact is, with cask programs increasingly sought after and offered to, with the sort of buy-in and time commitment to waiting it out, you want to be assured that you're going to get the outcome you've envisaged. And as far as the whisky world is concerned, it's thoroughly clear that the only way to do that is to trust folks who've been around and have shown their commitment to helping to promote and develop the whisky scene - the Artisanal Spirits Company, with the likes of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), Single Cask Nation and J G Thomson, are as sterling as it gets. These are folks who've breathed single cask for decades - and their whiskies are just as stellar. 

I'll admit - I came in with pretty high expectations, and I have to report that I left thoroughly impressed. Yet, what I do want to point out is that these whiskies aren't as amazing as they are because they're old or rare, or any of that, but rather what captivated me was how they immediately demonstrated each distillery's signature profile to a tee, and then concentrated it, gave it depth and nuance, elevating it with purity and power. These are the perennial favourites perfected. 

Lok Bing Hong A budding journalist that loves experiencing new things and telling people's stories. I have 30 seconds of irresponsibly sanctimonious brilliance a day. I do not decide when they come. They are not consecutive.