Highland Single Malt Whisky 18 y.o. - Lightly Peated - Thompson Bros.

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 48.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Highland single malt matured for 18 years in refill casks. Thompson Bros bottled it in 2025 at 48.5%. Although lightly peated, the whisky delivers a powerful impression of peat in the glass. Salty, stony minerality combines with orchard fruit, heather honey and herbs.

The whisky has natural colour and is non-chill filtered. It may therefore become cloudy at low temperatures or when water is added. The 0.7-litre bottling bears a label featuring artwork by KMG.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, toasted hazelnuts mingle with dusty peated malt, burnt sage and rosemary. Tar, oily ropes, lobster pots, crushed seashells and heather smoke create a maritime impression, while quince and apple peel add fruity accents.
• Palate: Powerful peat leads on the palate. Tart citrus fruit, heather honey and stewed apples meet salt and the stony minerality of wet slate. Smoked ham, anchovies and capers in brine complement the oily, malty character.
• Finish: The finish brings together salty peanut brittle, powerful earthy peat and lingering cigar smoke in a robust aftertaste.

Distillery/Bottler:

Brothers Phil and Simon Thompson built their whisky business around the Dornoch Castle Hotel. For Thompson Bros, they select whiskies from single casks and small batches, oversee their maturation at the warehouse on Station Road and bottle them there. The distillery behind this Highland single malt remains undisclosed.

The group also includes Dornoch Distillery, founded in 2016 on the historic grounds of Dornoch Castle. It uses organically grown heritage barley varieties, seven-day fermentations and direct-fired copper stills.

Facts: