Can’t be with your loved ones this Christmas but want to send them something truly unique and special that will warm the cockles of their hearts? The Whisky Exchange has introduced a limited edition Special Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch to its exceptional range of personalisable single malt and single grain whiskies, just in time for Christmas. We take a look at this new expression and the brilliant customisable label service on offer. Also, read on for a cheeky £10 gift card freebie…
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Last year, The Whisky Exchange launched its personalised labelling service where customers could choose between nine striking label designs before adding quotes, dedications, personal messages and a commemorative date, to an exclusive range of single cask whiskies, and London Dry Gin. It was one of our readers’ favourite items on our Sated Christmas Gift Guide 2019 so is back for 2020 by popular demand!
However, this year, The Whisky Exchange is offering even more treats with the just bottled Special Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch (one of only 900 bottles, priced at £49.95), and a brand new special offer where customers who purchase any of the personalised whiskies or gins will receive a free £10 eGift card to redeem against anything on The Whisky Exchange website (offer valid until 13th December 2020, 23.59 GMT)!
Why Buy The Whisky Exchange’s Personalised Whiskies?
Yes, personalised labels aren’t exactly a new or unique service. So, why not go for one via notonthehighstreet or Funky Pigeon? Well (other than that joyous incentive of a free £10 eGift card) quite simply put, because The Whisky Exchange is one of the most well-trusted and respected drinks specialists out there, with access to truly rare and special bottlings that blow the novelty personalised present market out of the water.
Are we biased? Yes. Is that bias based in fact and experience? Also yes.
The Whisky Exchange has hand-picked six single malt whiskies for their individual characters and how they reflect the style of their region and age. They are each limited to a certain number of bottles, making them a snapshot in time and an excitingly unique gift, in terms of both the liquid inside the bottle and the lovely personalised message you’ll be able to emblazon it with. What’s more, they’re incredibly good value for what they are. Each bottle also comes in a handsome gift tube, adding an extra bit of occasion and flair to the unveiling.
Special Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
48% ABV | Limited edition, 900 bottles
The latest release of the range, Special Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch is a specially selected sherry-matured whisky from Ben Nevis distillery that has been bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. Rich and fruity, it balances sherry-cask fruit against orchard and zesty citrus fruit.
Nose
Buttery and dense with cloudy honey, chestnuts, nutmeg and cloves.
Taste
A rich and warming initial sip filled with baked apples, juicy sultanas and caramel. As you continue, grapefruit and lime zest develop, mixing with the rich flavours of Belgian milk chocolate. Touches of chilli spice and white pepper lead to more lime juice and dusty, bittersweet dark chocolate.
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £49.95 + a FREE £10 eGift Card (on all personalised purchases made before midnight on 13th December 2020). Buy it here.
10-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
54% ABV | Limited edition, 250 bottles
A sherry-finished Speyside Scotch whisky from Linkwood distillery that balances fresh fruit against rich and dark, nutty and chocolatey notes.
Nose
Creamy malt, lemon posset, candied-peel-studded vanilla sponge, following by sugared almonds and barley sugar. Nutty florentines, pre-chocolate dipping, are sprinkled with chopped glacé cherries. Gentle musky hints of chamois leather and incense hide underneath.
Taste
Rich and malty, with toffee and caramel notes spiced up with hot cinnamon and a touch of white chocolate. The toffee continues, with sweet sultana and stewed apples joined by brown sugar and candied lemon peel. Fragrant herbal notes slowly develop, with gentle mint and tarragon. The leafy herbs fade on the finish, as do the notes of candied nut brittle, leaving a scattering of sweet baking spices and polished oak.
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £69.95 + a FREE £10 eGift Card (on all personalised purchases made before midnight on 13th December 2020). Buy it here.
10-Year-Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
53.6% ABV | Limited edition, 342 bottles
One for the lovers of smoky, peaty whisky. This is the second batch of The Whisky Exchange’s Caol Ile 10-year-old single malt (last year’s having been consumed – partially by us). This limited expression has a fresh and smoky character, with sharp citrus notes.
Nose
Beach barbecues, salt-stained rock pools and a puff of peat smoke from a cottage chimney – this is about as close to Islay as you can get without going there. Sweeter notes build: wine gums, candied lemon peel and flamed orange zest.
Taste
Briny, stony and sweet, with lemons and limes, barley sugar and a handful of damp beach pebbles. Cast-iron-stove smokiness builds, along with fruit loaf, tar and a touch of blackcurrant jam. Gravel and smoke fade to reveal candied lime peel, aniseed and a hint of mint. Packed with fruit, tar and smoke, this is as ‘Islay’ a whisky as you could want – fresh, full-on and run through with sea breezes and Island character. Damn delicious!
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £69.95 + a FREE £10 eGift Card (on all personalised purchases made before midnight on 13th December 2020). Buy it here.
12-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
52.1% ABV | Limited edition, 290 bottles
A malty, fruity 12-year-old Glen Elgin single malt that has been matured in a refill hogshead for more than a decade, creating notes of apples and warm spices.
Nose
Malty undertones peek out through layers of cloudy apple juice and orange blossom. Sweet vanilla opens into bitter grapefruit, before a burst of blossom honey.
Taste
Sweet honey and bitter orange to start. Hints of salted caramel and crystalised ginger appear, followed by vanilla and oak. Slowly apples, pears and elderflower sneak into the mix. Dry oak and bitter grapefruit take the lead in the finish, with sharp lemon and smooth honey lingering behind. A well-balanced medley of apples, oranges, honey and oak. It’s pleasingly bitter with a sweet, fruity edge.
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £69.95 + a FREE £10 eGift Card (on all personalised purchases made before midnight on 13th December 2020). Buy it here.
21-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
49.4% ABV | Limited edition, 246 bottles
A fruity dram from Glenburgie, increasingly one of The Whisky Exchange’s favourite distillers in Speyside. Two decades of ageing have added layers of spice to the distillery’s fruit-forward spirit, producing a well-balanced and complex whisky.
Nose
Fresh and fruity, with baked apples, pears, mango and banana spread on buttered white toast and garnished with meadow flowers. Notes of raisin-studded sponge cake, stewed oranges and lemons, apricots and incense develop.
Taste
The fruit explodes across the palate, with mangos and pears leading the charge. Soft spice and vanilla-shortbread notes build, along with sharp apples, sweet mixed peel, a touch of damp oak and hints of riverbank earthiness. Sharp fruit notes and fruit peel lead to shortbread, oaky spice and lingering sweet-and-sour apple sauce. An elegant, well-aged dram that balances rich fruit with cask character, oaky spice and a pinch of warehouse funkiness. Yum!
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £135 + a FREE £10 eGift Card (on all personalised purchases made before midnight on 13th December 2020). Buy it here.
25-Year-Old Lowland Single Grain Scotch Whisky
48.4% ABV | Limited edition, 450 bottles
A sweet, fruity 25-year-old single grain whisky from Cameronbridge distillery, matured in a single cask for a quarter of a century before being bottled in 2019 by The Whisky Exchange.
Nose
Elegant polished oak, with beeswax and hints of honey. Fruity edges of waxed apples and bananas develop. Toffee and caramel build through the centre, bringing with them a gentle spice.
Taste
Sweet and caramel-led, things kick off with fruity toffee sauce and treacle toffee. The darker notes build to reveal hints of liquorice and blackcurrant. Brulée topping and old oak hide at the back. Egg custard and blackcurrant jam fade to leave toffee and polished oak. This is a wonderfully elegant old grain whisky.
Price
SPECIAL OFFER: £150 + a FREE £10 eGift Card (on all personalised purchases made before midnight on 13th December 2020). Buy it here.
The range will be available all year round for any celebratory occasion. Speedy delivery options also make this the ideal last minute gift.