New Lady of the Glen and Dalgety Releases

The Icons of Whisky Awards are presented by Whisky Magazine, "...to recognise the people, places and products that complete the whole dynamic of the whisky industry." For 2022 Lady of the Glen was awarded both Scotland’s Best as well as World’s Best Independent Bottler of the Year, testament to the tireless work put in by Gregor Hannah and team at Hannah Whisky Merchants who release single cask whiskies under the Lady of the Glen brand.

Says Gregor, "I believe the role of a good independent bottler is not just to release a cask unless it’s really, really high-quality. You want to take the casks and put your own character on it. You want to finish it or rerack it, to produce something that is truly unique because that’s the beauty of independent bottling... In each outrun I try to follow a guideline of one affordable release, one sherried release and one release over 15 years old. This is an attempt to try to appeal to different buyers but it’s not always possible meet this criteria. Once I have these three categories ticked off, I’ll release other stock alongside them." 

The current collection sees a range from the well-known to more seldom seen distilleries, including a Teaninich finished in an ex-aquavit barrel, a well aged grain from the closed Dumbarton distillery, and a great selection of interesting cask finishes from sherry and sauternes through to ruby port barriques. Included in this release are also two new small batches from Dalgety and a St Bridget's Kirk blend. Gregor Hannah is clearly a dab hand when it comes to selecting and finishing some stand-out casks.