Scotch Whisky for Cocktails

The Timorous Beastie comes from the independent bottlers Douglas Laing & Co., founded in 1948 in Glasgow, Scotland by Frederick Douglas Laing. The company has remained in the hands of the family, with the sons Fred and Stewart managing (however Stewart has since moved to found his own business in 2013), and has brought such joys as the Big Peat and Provenance. The Timorous Beastie is non-chill filtered and is a blended malt comprised of whiskies from distilleries from the Highlands including Dalmore, Glengoyne and Glen Garioch. The name is a tribute to Robert Burns' famous poem ‘To a Mouse’.

Sheep Dip gets its name from a time amateur whisky distillers in Scotland's farm lands used to hide their hooch from tax collectors, and the joke is the barrels were labeled "Sheep Dip" to throw them off. Considering the name, this blend was actually crafter by revered Master Blender Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay for the Spencerfield Whisky Company. 16 different Highland whiskies, aged between 8 - 21 years, were given a year to get to know each other in first-fill casks in order for them to mellow before bottling.

Originally known as Haig & Haig, and alternately now as Dimple or Pinch, depending on your country, this blend is named for the unique shape of the bottle. It was also the preferred whisky of Felix Leiter, James Bond's best friend in the Ian Fleming books.

Dewar's was started by John Dewar Sr, a wine & spirits merchant, but the company really got going by his sons, John Alexander and Tommy. Dewar's White Label is comprised of over 40 different malt and grain whiskies and was created by their first Master Blender, A. J. Cameron in 1899.

Casks from Speyside's well known distilleries such as Mortlach, Macallan, and Glenrothes are married together to produce this small batch whisky from Douglas Laing & Co. Matured in sherry butts and bourbon hogsheads, Scallywag whisky is non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46% abv. The name and bottle packaging was inspired by and features Master Blender Fred Laing's beloved Fox Terrier.

The Famous Grouse got its start just as most blended Scotch whiskies got started--by wine & spirits merchants. They would create their own blend to sell to their customers and the most popular ones have withstood the test of time. Famous Grouse was created by Matthew Gloag in 1896 and the bottle still bears his signature. The Edrington Group owns this brand now, along with Highland Park and The Macallan.

The Feathery, from the bottlers of Pig's Nose and Sheep Dip blends, is named for the 17th century precursor to the golf ball, which was crafted from feathers, tar and bird skin to make it more effective. However, it was also more expensive to make, and two "spotters" were required when a game of golf was played to ensure the balls weren't lost. This malt is blended from 3 malts - Tamdu, Glengoyne and Glendronach - all aged exclusively in ex-sherry casks for 8-10 years.

The name Monkey Shoulder originates from an injury that the maltmen (those that hand turn the grain in a malthouse) would get as it would leave one arm hanging. This blended malt whisky is comprised of three single malt distilleries: Kininvie, Glenfiddich, and The Balvenie. The trio gets acquainted in a tun for three to six months before being bottled on site.

The Great King Street is a line of blended whiskies from Compass Box. The Artist's Blend is the first in the series and is comprised of over 50% malt whisky from both the Highlands and Speyside. First fill ex-bourbon, first fill European oak Sherry butts, and new heavily toasted French oak are all employed in the aging of this blend.

Johnnie Walker Green Label is the only blended malt whisky in the Johnnie Walker core portfolio unlike the others which are blended whiskies incorporating grain whiskies in those blends. Included in the Green Label blend are single malts from Skye (Talisker), Islay (Caol Ila), and Speyside (Cragganmore and Linkwood). Each of these single malt whiskies were aged a minimum of 15 years. While the Green Label was discontinued for a short time in 2012, it did return permanently to the portfolio in 2016 due to popular demand. (SRP $64.99 for 750ml)