Single cask whisky offers a rare and unique experience, allowing drinkers to taste whisky that few others will. Unlike blended expressions, single cask bottlings showcase the distinct influence of an individual cask, providing an unfiltered view into the whisky’s maturation process. In addition to their appeal to drinkers, single cask expressions have also become highly sought after amongst whisky collectors. This is largely due to the inherent rarity of each single cask expression, as well as their individuality and potential for appreciation in price.
So, whether you are an adventurous drinker with deep pockets or an avid scotch whisky collector, here are five single cask expressions that will make fine additions to your whisky cabinet.
SMWS 2.46 Glenlivet 1989 13 Year Old
BUY NOW: $502
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), founded by Pip Hills in 1983, is famed for its incredible single cask scotch whisky expressions. Initially founded as a club for whisky aficionados to enjoy whisky bottled straight from the cask, SMWS has evolved into a global whisky club, now with over 40,000 members worldwide.
SMWS is also known for its unique numbering system to identify its bottlings. So, we are talking about SMWS 2.46. The first digit, number ‘2’ in this case, refers to the distillery that produced the whisky. This is used because labeling laws do not allow for independent bottlers to use the name of the distillery (The Glenlivet, here) on the label. Rather, they can refer to the geographical location where the whisky was distilled. For example, ‘Distilled at The Glenlivet Distillery’. Or, an independent bottler can do what SMWS did, and devise its own identification system.
The second number, ‘46’ in this case, refers to the cask that is being bottled. So, this is the 42nd cask of whisky from The Glenlivet that was bottled by SMWS.
The whisky was distilled in 1989 and bottled at 13 years old and an impressive cask strength of 60.2% ABV.
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The Balvenie Single Barrel 1980 15 Year Old
BUY NOW: $559
The recent return of The Balvenie Single Barrel 12 Year Old has sparked a new interest in single cask expressions from The Balvenie.
The Speyside distillery has long produced single cask expressions, particularly in the 1990s. This whisky was distilled at The Balvenie Distillery in 1980 and bottled in 1995 at 50.4% ABV from cask number 9944. This is quite a low ABV for a 15 year old cask, generally speaking, so there is a chance that the whisky has been proofed down top 50.4%, although this is not mentioned on the packaging.
These Balvenies also have an additional rarity factor in that the bottles are individually numbered. This is bottle number 154. On the back label, the text states: “This bottle is one of no more than 300 individually hand numbered bottles from a single cask; each bottle is unique and unrepeatable.”
Speyburn 1979 21 Year Old Single Cask
BUY NOW: $586
Speyburn’s recent brand refresh, and the release of two new whiskies, the brand is clearly pushing toward premiumization. Whilst the name ‘Speyburn’ has, generally, flown under the radar for collectors, this 1979 21 Year Old Single Cask demonstrates that Speyburn was pushing toward a more premium outlook as far back as the 1990s.
Single cask, official bottles of Speyburn have been few and relatively far between. Vintages include 1977, 1978, 1980, 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
This Speyburn whisky was distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2002 from cask number 1132 at a cask strength of 60.2% ABV. You may notice here that the maths does not exactly add up. How can a whisky be distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2002 as a 21 Year Old from a single cask? My best guess is that this is, in fact, a rebottling of Speyburn whisky originally drawn from the cask in the year 2000.
Do you have the inside scoop on when this Speyburn whisky was originally bottled? Let us know in the comments.
Tomatin 1982 28 Year Old Limited Release
BUY NOW: $1,128
Next up we have this incredible 28 year old single malt scotch from Speyside distillery, Tomatin. Tomatin is renowned for its sherry cask maturation programs, as was discussed in a recent article by Tomatin Blender and Global Brand Ambassador, Scott Adamson. Reflecting on Tomatin’s practices over its lifetime, he said: “A few years back I found an old warehouse book that recorded every cask filled between 1909 and 1923 and included details such as previous contents. Whilst there was more experimentation than I anticipated, there isn’t a page that doesn’t have some form of “Fresh Sherry”, “Own Butt”, “II Sherry” or similar beautifully handwritten in the ‘notes’ column.”
This single cask bottling demonstrates the intensity of the sherry influence in Tomatin whisky, with the influence plain to the eye due to the rich and dark color of the whisky. It was distilled in 1982 and bottled in August 2010 from a refill sherry puncheon, number 92.
A puncheon is a much larger cask size than the standard barrels (200L) and hogsheads (250L) – they hold approximately 500 liters of liquid. Puncheons are well-suited to long-term maturation because their large size results in slower interaction between the whisky and the wood. This means that the whisky can mature more gradually, resulting in a well-balanced profile in a high-age-statement whisky.
This is one bottle of just 560 produced from puncheon number 92.
The Macallan 1997 14 Year Old Easter Elchies 50ml Miniature
BUY NOW: $1,159
Single cask, cask strength scotch whisky from The Macallan is extremely rare. This has to do, largely, with The Macallan’s standing in the industry.
Widely considered the pinnacle of luxury scotch whisky, the distillery is able to command premium prices even for no-age-statement (NAS) releases. High demand enables The Macallan to blend younger whiskies for limited edition NAS bottlings, generating profit without the need for older or more exclusive casks. As such, the distillery can then reserve its rare and older casks for prestigious releases, like The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old.
From a financial perspective, larger batch releases make more sense for The Macallan. Single cask bottlings yield limited quantities—often just a few hundred bottles—especially with older casks. Given Macallan’s vast audience, these small releases are less profitable compared to higher-volume NAS bottlings.
For those seeking single cask, cask strength Macallan, your best option is to look for existing bottles on the secondary market. Whilst such bottlings are scarce, they do exist. One example is The Macallan Easter Elchies Series.
Named for Easter Elchies House, an icon of the Macallan Estate landscape, the Easter Elchies series (specifically the ones with the colored ribbons) began in 2008. The 70cl version of the 1997 14 Year Old Easter Elchies was launched in 2011.
Bottled from sherry butt #16946 at 59.47, the whisky represents one of just 550 bottles.
Of course, you will notice that this is, in fact, a 50ml miniature. Of the six full-sized bottles in the range, only two were made as miniatures: the 1997 14 Year Old and the 1997 13 Year Old. The miniatures were initially presented with the release of a full-sized bottle. There is no record, however, stating that there are 550 miniatures just as there were 550 70cl bottles, meaning that this miniature could be rarer than its full-sized counterpart.