Unlike port, whisky, and other alcoholic spirits like cognac, sherry is rarely labelled with an age statement. Given the use of solera systems where the wine is transferred through a series of barrels, you can’t easily calculate the age of the resulting product. On the palate, the aroma is complemented by the taste of sweet and tangy apricots, with a hint of nutmeg that adds depth and complexity. It’s been released annually since then, with each year’s Cairdeas expression unique from the next. In a way, it’s tantamount to Ardbeg’s annual Committee Release bottling – it’s much more experimental and keeps fans salivating, wondering what’s to come next year. Whisky is as synonymous with Scotland as tartan and golf, and a club as prestigious as Dundonald Links deserves a whisky tasting room to match this traditional pastime.

However, its acidity somewhat offset and masked by its sweetness. Likewise, the alcoholic strength and its full-bodied qualities of the wine are also well-concealed by the residual sugars. Nevertheless, it isn’t too cloying and quite easy to drink. With core releases going through to more limited and older whiskies, as well as plenty of top-tier drams to toast a celebration or a hole-in-one, such as Macallan M Decanter, Glenfarclas 30yo and Highland Park 40yo. We also wanted to use this opportunity to showcase some of the incredible new distilleries in Scotland, such as Nc’Nean, Lindores Abbey and Kingsbarns.It was during the 18 th and 19 th century when Scottish and Irish immigrants made the journey west to the United States and took their beloved drink with them. The Prohibition era in the States and a 150-year-long Scottish ban on alcohol ensured that whisky distilleries and drinking was driven underground until the mid-20 th century. The iconic Lagavulin would be releasing for the first time an Armagnac cask-finished bottling. The 14-year-old single malt has been matured in a combination of American and European oak, before being finished in said Armagnac casks.

Ashy coal dust, peppermint and cardamom, then dark chocolate and eucalyptus rolling in to disguise Ardbeg's iconic balance. For serious whisky aficionados, we’ve also included a few local independent bottlers, like North Star Spirits as well as some exciting new blended malts from Old Perth and MacNair’s and some niche bottlings, like the discontinued Mortlach 16yo. Bottled at 46.7% ABV and matured in refill Bourbon casks, tasting notes include aromas of toasted barley with floral cut grass, while the palate is said to offer apples and shortbread. The finish is described as both refreshing and sweet. Canasta is part of Williams & Humbert’s base range (positioned below the Don Zoilo / Collection range). It is a Cream sherry, a wine made by blending dry Oloroso with Pedro Ximénez to get a rich and sweet version which contains around 130 grams of sugar per litre. Canasta Cream is the best-selling sweetened Oloroso in Spain.Brendan McCarron, master distiller at Bunnahabhain, said: "We’re so excited to welcome whisky fans from across the globe to celebrate the world of Bunnahabhain at Fèis Ìle once again. We look forward to the festival every year as it is a great way to spend time with whisky lovers, bring them into our world and share some fantastic drams in such a beautiful setting. Created by distilling fermented grains, the Scottish have been distilling whisky since the 12 th century and this rich liquor soon became a firm favourite amongst royalty. In the 18 th century a tax was imposed on alcohol production in Scotland, leading to many distilleries looking for creative ways to avoid detection. This led to much of the production taking place at night and led to the term ‘moonshine.’ Scott added that the changes at Bunnahabhain will also improve the infrastructure and smooth operation of the distillery, negatively affecting production capacity only slightly. Scotch whiskies are made from malted barley and are aged for no less than three years. To be a true Scotch malt, they must be distilled in Scotland, like our very own Dundonald Links whisky. American whisky can be described as a bourbon, Tennessee, rye, wheat and American single malt. Japanese whisky

The Bodegas Williams & Humbert wineries are located in the triangle formed by Jérez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. This triangle is characterised by a peculiar microclimate, made up of the rivers Guadalquivir and Guadalete, called ‘the Mesopotamian valley’ of western Andalusia. Canasta’s nose is quite intense, especially if you leave it to sit in the glass for a while. You’re looking at some primary notes of figs and raisins. Meanwhile, it reveals secondary and tertiary notes of walnuts and cinnamon. However, these are quite faint and you’ll mostly detect the dried fruits. These limited edition expressions are so highly sought after that hours-long queues have formed outside the Bowmore and Bunnahabhain Distilleries for instance, with many people camped out overnight to be the first in line to buy the Fèis Ìle edition bottles in the morning.

Sweet Sherry Types

Alongside its investment announcement, Bunnahabhain has revealed three new limited-edition single malts to be released in August/September. The Canasta Cask Matured and 1998 Manzanilla Cask Finish will be available globally, while the 17-year-old Triple Cask Moine, an experimental peated expression, will be sold exclusively at the distillery and at bunnahabhain.com . This Bunnahabhain has been fully matured in rare William and Humbert Canasta sherry casks, which once held a blend of Oloroso (75%) and Pedro Ximenez (25%). To the palate, this dram gifted smoked prune juice and cherry fondant served on driftwood. We also found crushed figs, apricot and brambles singed by a travelling firestarter intent on promoting the skills of cold smoking with peat. Introducing water elevated a smoked apple pie encased in a soft leather satchel, along with potted crab and rye bread. The palate offered a buffet of liquorice, smoked ginger and biltong, served on a bed of ash-dusted pebbles." Now that you have read about the different types of sherry, learn more about it with our resources: