Description
Finn Thomson North British 26 Years Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky
The story behind selecting this North British single cask release perfectly showcases the vital role independent bottlers have in bringing the best casks of whisky to the public.
In November 2024 I got a message from the master blender of a highly respected whisky company who had discovered a selection of North British casks that were 'too good' to be lost in the blend he was creating. These were heavily sherried casks that would have altered the consistency of their house blend which required an ex-bourbon cask profile.
After coming to one of my tasting events where I was singing the praises of North British Distillery, he invited me in to taste 8 cask samples of these sherried beauties. After nosing and sipping each one carefully, I selected 4 for adding to our family cask portfolio and knew I immediately wanted to bottle the first of which as soon as possible.
This particular cask is bursting with chocolate, caramel and raisins and is already at the sweet spot for bottling. Once destined to be hidden in a blend, I'm delighted to be able to highlight this single cask in all its sherried wonder.
Story
Finn Thomson is a Scotch whisky independent bottler that is 300 years in the making. Since James Thomsons illicit potstill in the 1700s, the Thomson family has pursued a different element of whisky through the ages – distilling, blending, trading, selling – helping to shape the very story of Scotch itself.
With three centuries of family whisky history and personal tutelage from some of the most respected names in the Scottish whisky industry, Finn may stand on the shoulders of giants. But the weight of decision rests on his own.
Finn is responsible for calling the moment when a whisky’s flavours are at their finest; quirks and eccentricities at their most beguiling. Whether it’s a decades-old cask from the family collection or an entirely new creation, this is art as much as science. Wood, water and weather have had their say. The only guides that count now are taste, scent and intuition.
Origin : Scotch
Type: Whisky
Distillery : North British
Bottler : Finn Thomson
Vintage : 1998
Bottled : 2025
Age : 26 Years
Cask Type : Sherry Hogshead
Cask Number : 596152
Number of bottles : 90 bottles
Alcohol : 56.3%
Bottle Size : 700 ml