The Joys and Hassles of Bottle Splits
One of the great joys of being into whisky is discovering how much there is still left to taste.
There are always more bottles, more distilleries, more independent releases and more expressions that catch your eye. The problem is that buying every bottle you want to try is a quick way to run out of money—and, eventually, space. (We’ve all got a Tetris cupboard of whisky at home, don’t we?)
Fortunately, there is bottle splitting.
One of the whisky communities I’m proud to be a part of is the Friday Whisky Mafia, a group that has turned the art of dividing whisky (and hosting online tastings) into something approaching a professional operation. Bottles are sourced, money is collected and samples are distributed nationwide with a level of organisation that makes exploring a wide range of whisky remarkably easy.
But you don’t need a whisky mafia to get started. A two- or three-way split with friends is perfectly sufficient. Find a bottle you’re curious about, divide the cost, and suddenly you can all try something new without committing to the full bottle.
There is, admittedly, a little bit of admin involved: organising the split, working out everyone’s share, finding sample bottles, pouring, labelling and getting the whisky to its new owners. But even this exercise can be shared between friends, with a dram or two to grease the wheels.
Ultimately, the rewards far outweigh the admin. Bottle splits let you explore more whisky, share discoveries and occasionally discover that the bottle you thought you needed to own is perfectly enjoyable as a once-off sample.
And if it turns out not to be for you? Well, at least you only bought 50ml.
Sláinte,
Mark.
(Header image credit goes to Ryan E., who’s done great splits & tastings. This was an Edradour vertical.)
What’s In Mark’s Glass This Week
Lagg Kilmory (46% abv) – Dusty, minerality, yet maritime nose with earthy peat. Slight vegetal funkiness. Great mouthfeel – nice and oily. Lemon, tropical fruit, vanilla and ashy smoke with the vegetation note pulling through to the palate. It swims well with water, amplifying the citrus and herbacious notes. Shortish finish.
Lagg Corriecravie (55% abv) – On the nose, a big hit of raspberries (red fruits in general), chocolate (dark), chewy demarara sugar spiced biscuits and some earthy peat. Drier on the palate than the Kilmory. Lots of baking spices (cinnamon, cloves, etc) with a charred meat finish down the throat. Adding a touch of water rounds out the flavours, but I prefer it without.
The Fellowship Pour
Our first submissions are in, and they’re great. I wish I had been there to have a dram with them!
“I’ve had that bottle for a long time, and got it muled into the States. I must say after a long stretch of almost exclusively sampling all the incredible bourbons and rye whiskeys here in the States, that BenRiach was a breath of fresh air. Juuust the right amount of sherry, with a healthy kick. But I think it’s the long, fruity finish that really does it for me.” — Barry K.
“A memorable anniversary morning pairing in the Magaliesburg mountains: fresh coffee, a Springbank Palo Cortado and Sanj Patel’s Industry Killer Lancero.” — Shaan P.
Send in your pics and stories, this is part of what the Fellowship is all about – celebrating the stolen moments where it’s just you and your dram.
Whisky Tasting Fellowship x The Only Whisky Show Competition
Win a pair of Thursday-night tickets to the Johannesburg 13 Aug or Cape Town 20 Aug show.
To enter:
- Subscribe to the newsletter (if you haven’t already).
- Tell us: What whisky would you most like to try at the show—and why?
- Share the competition for a bonus entry.
Competition closes on 06 August, winners to be selected by random draw.
Industry News
Kilchoman launches first Family Collection, including its oldest general release
The Islay distillery has unveiled the first edition of its Kilchoman Family Collection, a four-bottle series selected individually by the five members of the founding Wills family from casks discovered during their annual warehouse review. The lineup includes 11-, 14-, 18- and 20-year-old expressions, with the latter marking Kilchoman’s oldest general release to date. The collection also highlights the distillery’s evolving maturation profile, from heavily peated Port Ellen malt to a 14-year-old Rockside Barley expression made with on-site-grown and malted barley. Available through UK and overseas retail partners in limited quantities, the collection will not be sold directly through Kilchoman’s website.
Springbank pulls back the curtain on its 2026 so far
Campbeltown’s most obsessed-over distillery has published a mid-year round-up of its 2026 releases and distillery activity. For a name where allocation and release timing drive genuine frenzy, any official colour on what has come out — and what is still to come — is required reading for the Springbank faithful.
Isle of Raasay lands a new UK distribution deal with GHF
The Hebridean distillery is gearing up for a bigger UK presence. R&B Distillers has appointed GHF as distribution and brand-development partner for Isle of Raasay single malt (and for Feragaia 0.0%, the Scottish non-alcoholic spirit it acquired late last year), spanning independent retail, premium grocers and both on- and off-trade. For a young island distillery that has built a loyal following on its distinctive Raasay “R-01” style, a serious distribution push is the next step in turning cult status into shelf space.
Uncle Nearest Founder Fawn Weaver Fired By Receiver Amid Legal Battle
What happens when a whiskey brand’s own founders are ousted? Uncle Nearest’s court-appointed receiver just terminated Fawn and Keith Weaver—here’s why.
Glencadam names a new distillery manager after its £multi-million visitor centre
Angus Dundee’s quietly excellent Highland distillery is entering a new chapter. Fresh off opening a visitor centre for its 200th anniversary, Glencadam has appointed Will Stafford — previously the inaugural distillery manager at Hinch in Northern Ireland — as its new distillery manager, bringing 14-plus years of Irish and Scottish distilling experience. A promising hire for a distillery whose unpeated, creamy Highland style deserves wider attention.
Ian Macleod scales back Scotch production as demand softens
Ian Macleod Distillers has cut annual production at Glengoyne and Rosebank by 30% on a weaker demand outlook, after full-year turnover fell 9% to £118m and post-tax profit dropped 53%. Tamdhu output held steady and no jobs were cut, but warehouse-building plans at Bandeath were paused — a clear signal that even well-run independents are trimming their sails in the current market.
Whisky Wit
Every now and then, someone in the whisky community utters a quip that is worth repeating. If you hear/see a whisky-related quote that you believe deserves its 15 seconds of fame, send it through. Let’s kick off with a pearler:
“The gold standard naturally is the second fill ex bourbon cask. Where you can let decent spirit shine and not smother your evil ginger stepchild with an unsubtle finish to disguise the error of your ways.”
— The Stripey One
New Releases
The Distillates N.007 Dunsville: Irish whiskey with a Grand Môle sidecar
A particularly special release for the Fellowship, as this one comes from Shane Pearlman, a friend and fellow member of the Whisky Tasting Fellowship. N.007 Dunsville is a 21-year-old double-distilled Irish whiskey from 2003 and was finished for around two years in a 1985 Grand Môle cask (Shane’s own Armagnac cask).
The really geeky bit? Each bottle comes with a sample of the Grand Môle from the cask itself, giving you the chance to taste the whisky alongside the spirit that helped shape it. The 170 bottles are being released for Belfast Whisky Week 2026, but that’s not the end of the story: the same cask will be used for a second release in a year or two, allowing the whisky to age further before the next bottling. A fascinating project, and one I’m particularly pleased to see coming from one of our own. UK and Irish readers can buy directly through Echlinville (use coupon code: ARMAGNAC , get 25GBP off!), while the rest of the world can find it through Armagnac.de.
— Get a bottle: Echlinville (UK & Ireland) | Armagnac.de (worldwide)
Berry Bros. & Rudd unveils its 2026 Odyssey Collection — “The Auld and the Bold”
One for the single-cask hunters. The historic London merchant has launched its 2026 Odyssey Collection, a 20-strong line-up of single-cask whiskies (plus a rum and a Cognac) drawn from 20 distilleries and framed around the relationship between Scotland’s whisky traditions and a new generation of distillers worldwide. Scottish highlights include a Glenlossie 1975, a Viognier-finished Blair Athol, Longmorn, Glen Garioch and Tamdhu, alongside world entries from Australia’s Lark 2016, India’s Paul John 2015 and New Zealand’s Thomson 2017. Available from 16 July, exclusively at No. 1 St James’s Street.
Bunnahabhain 15 Year Old White Port Cask Finish
Islay’s gentle giant tries something new. Bunnahabhain has released a 15-year-old single malt finished in White Port casks sourced from Portugal’s Douro Valley — an unusual twist on the more common ruby/tawny Port finishes, promising a lighter, more delicate fruit character on the distillery’s typically unpeated, coastal spirit. Launched into the US market.
Croithlí Oloroso Single Cask — a rare Donegal Irish single malt
Something genuinely off the beaten track. Croithlí, a small Gaeltacht producer in Donegal, has bottled a direct-fire-distilled Irish single malt matured in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, limited to 1,500 bottles. A rare chance to try whiskey from one of Ireland’s newest and most remote distilleries.
Reviews Roundup
Benromach Contrasts: Côte Rôtie Cask (2026) (Words of Whisky, 20 July)
Thijs Klaverstijn reviews Benromach’s latest Contrasts, a Speyside malt finished 26 months in Côte Rôtie wine casks. He finds real character but concludes that Benromach’s gentle peat, its house style and the wine cask “aren’t always the best scene partners” — a useful, clear-eyed take on an experimental bottling (8.3).
Jura 12 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish (The Whiskey Wash, 19 July)
Greg Dillon rates it 7/10 and calls the oloroso finish one of the most complete whiskies in Jura’s core range — a notable endorsement for a distillery that divides opinion. If you’ve written Jura off, this sherry-finished 12 might be the one worth revisiting.
Two indie Glen Elgins — 15yo Fadandel & 22yo Thompson Bros (Whiskyfun, 13 July)
Serge Valentin makes the case for one of Speyside’s most quietly excellent, chronically overlooked distilleries. Tasting a 15-year-old from Fadandel alongside a 22-year-old from Thompson Bros, he scores both highly (89 and 90 points) and argues Glen Elgin deserves far more attention than its workhorse-blender reputation suggests. Prime hunting ground for value in independent bottlings.
Kwun Cheung — a trio of Chinese single malts (WhiskyNotes, 13 July)
A properly out-there world-whisky review. Ruben works through three Chinese single malts matured in unusual casks — lychee-wine-seasoned, peated Mongolian oak and Liaotung oak — offering a rare, level-headed look at a category most Western drinkers never encounter. Worth reading purely to widen your sense of what single malt can be.
Amrut “The Dutch Kumbha” (2026) (Words of Whisky, 17 July)
World whisky worth your attention: a well-scored (8/10) Amrut single malt that shows why the Bangalore distillery remains India’s benchmark. A reminder that some of the most interesting cask work in whisky is happening a long way from Scotland.
Bourbon Corner
Yellowstone Limited Edition 2026 — a double Port-cask finish
Limestone Branch’s 11th annual Yellowstone Limited Edition blends 7- and 14-year-old bourbons, finished separately in Ruby and Tawny Port casks before marrying — a fruit-forward, dessert-leaning riff on a well-loved annual release. Bottled at 101 proof, SRP around $99. One of the more anticipated summer bourbon drops for finish fans.
Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon (2026)
Heaven Hill’s terroir-focused Grain to Glass line returns with its 2026 wheated release (52% corn / 35% wheat / 13% malted barley, bottled at barrel proof). Breaking Bourbon found this year’s edition earthier and less overtly fruit-forward than past batches — a solid, transparent farm-to-bottle pour, if a half-step behind last year’s showing.
Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon (2026)
Wild Turkey’s cult 13-year expression returns at a hefty 60.6% ABV, tied this year to Eddie Russell’s 45th anniversary at the distillery. Breaking Bourbon put the new batch through its paces — essential reading if you chase this one down each release.
Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve Oloroso
Texas heat meets Spanish sherry. Garrison Brothers has finished its Ranch Reserve bourbon in Oloroso casks (released alongside a PX counterpart), leaning into rich, dried-fruit sweetness on top of the distillery’s famously bold hot-climate spirit.
SMWS New Releases & Reviews
SMWS goes “Full Time on A Belter for America”
The Society leaned into the World Cup mood with a limited-time promotion on its half-size “belter” bottlings for US members — a playful, time-boxed campaign that ran only until the Sunday. It’s a reminder that SMWS continues to push single-cask, cask-strength Scotch to new audiences even in a cautious market.
On the local front, a new SMWS South Africa Outturn goes live on 27 July (preview online from Wed 22 July) — eight new whiskies including a “Heresy” release (see Upcoming Events).
Auction & Market Watch
July has been a quieter month on the secondary market as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams took their seasonal break. In Whisky Advocate’s latest auction column, Jonny McCormick reports a Macallan in Lalique 65yo topping results — but at a soft price, roughly half its October value — while Yamazaki overtook Macallan as the month’s highest single-bottle sale. The read-through is familiar: the top of the market has cooled from its peak, buyers are more selective, and Japanese whisky continues to command serious money. If you’re buying or selling, it remains a market that rewards patience and provenance over hype.
Available Now — Local Online Retailers
WhiskyBrother do have some new Benromach releases in: 15 YEAR OLD, 21 YEAR OLD and heavily peated (57ppm) PEAT SMOKE which sit alongside their 2014 SINGLE CASK EXCLUSIVE release. And a GTR release has found its way onto their shelves too, the ARDBEG SMOKETRAILS NAPA VALLEY EDITION.
For the Glen Scotia lovers, Wild About Whisky have the GLEN SCOTIA LIMITED EDITION 2026 FESTIVAL RELEASE 7YO in stock at a great price.
Upcoming Events
Bottega Parkhurst’s The Balvenie Whisky Tasting Dinner
Tuesday, 28 Jul | 6:30pm for 7pm | R1,195pp (includes a 3-course meal & gratuity)
Enjoy a guided tasting of four premium Balvenie single malts, hosted by Private Client Manager Muzi Mathe, paired with a three-course dinner in an intimate evening celebrating exceptional Scotch whisky.
RSVP via email to parkhurst@bottegacafe.co.za
WhiskyShop’s American Evening Whisky Experience
Thursday, 06 Aug | 6pm | R650pp (includes a bottle of Woodford Reserve)
Enjoy a guided tasting of four premium American whiskeys, a welcome Old Fashioned, a Woodford Reserve Malt Martini, and an unforgettable evening of whiskey discovery. Book tickets
The Only Whisky Show 2026
JHB: 13 & 14 August | The Galleria | R690pp
Book JHB
Cape Town: 20 & 21 August | CTICC | R690pp
Book CT
WhiskyBrother’s Helden Distillery Day Trip (Note: The date has changed)
Saturday, 17 October 2026 | Parys Free State | R1,490pp
A full-day experience at South Africa’s Helden Distillery with an in-depth tour led by founder and owner Dr Pieter van Helden — ideal for anyone who hasn’t visited a working distillery before. Book tickets
Worth Reading
“How does whisky mature on different continents?” — a scientific study (The Whiskey Wash)
Researchers analysed eight single malts matured in wildly different climates — including one aged in Antarctica at ?35°C — to unpick how temperature, humidity and cask interaction shape the whisky in your glass. If you’ve ever argued about “tropical maturation” versus a cool Scottish warehouse, this is the evidence-led deep-dive to bookmark.
“Why whisky’s digital revolution starts in the warehouse” — The Spirits Business
An interview-led feature with Proof 8 COO Stuart Maxwell on how technology is quietly reshaping the least glamorous corner of the industry: cask management and warehousing. A thoughtful look at the operational side of whisky — inventory, transparency and traceability — that rarely gets the spotlight but increasingly decides who thrives.
“Our perfect English whisky XI ahead of the semi-final”
England’s “We’re bringing it home!” hopes were sadly dashed, and the 2026 World Cup is fading from memory, but Whisky Magazine’s editor picked a football-formation “team” of eleven English whiskies, from Wire Works to The Lakes Signature that’s well worth a browse to familiarize yourself with the growing category of English Whisky.
“Every major American whiskey brand, ranked by someone who’s sold thousands” — The Whiskey Wash
A retail-insider long-read: a former shop manager who has poured and sold well over a thousand whiskeys ranks the major American brands, warts and all. Opinionated, occasionally contrarian and a fun counterweight to marketing-driven “best of” lists — the kind of shelf-level honesty that’s hard to find elsewhere.
And That’s a Wrap!
Thanks for all the support, comments, suggestions and inspiration that helped produce this issue of the digest. What other community-related content would you like to see here?
And if you enjoyed it, please forward it on to your friends and family who would be interested. Let’s grow the fellowship. I’ve even added a newsletter signup page to the site now to make things easier ;-D
Until next week, DRAM on!