Master of Malt has released a five-expression limited edition whisky collection timed to coincide with a summer of international football, with labels inspired by iconic kits from the Italia ’90 and France ’98 tournaments. The range spans English, Scottish and Irish whisky and is available exclusively from the retailer’s website from April 14, 2026.
The collection includes an Adnams 9 Year Old English Rye Whisky ($39.95/£39.95, 340 bottles), an English Distillery 12 Year Old Single Malt ($59.95/£59.95, 240 bottles), a Highland Distillery 12 Year Old Single Malt ($44.95/£44.95, 350 bottles), a Ben Nevis 27 Year Old Highland Single Malt ($249.95/£249.95, 129 bottles), and an Irish Whiskey 8 Year Old Double Cask ($49.95/£49.95, 66 bottles).
Label artwork was created by in-house duo Ben McKeown and Chris Gunter.
The Ben Nevis 27 Year Old serves as the collection’s flagship bottling. It was distilled at Ben Nevis Distillery in Fort William in December 1998 and matured through refill and refill PX casks before being disgorged in March 2026. At just 129 bottles, it is one of the most limited releases in the range.
"There’s a moment in every football tournament where everything stops — the pub goes quiet, everyone’s leaning forward and the hairs stand up on the back of your neck," said Sam Simmons, head of whisky at Master of Malt. "That’s what we wanted to bottle. The whisky inside is exceptional — complex, characterful and worth every second of extra time. Exceptional independent bottlings that the gaffer would be proud of."
The Adnams expression was matured in a French oak wine cask at the Southwold, Suffolk distillery. Official tasting notes from the brand describe "orange cream, ginger, Victoria sponge and honey on the palate."
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The Irish Whiskey 8 Year Old blends liquid from a 13-year-old red wine barrique and an 8-year-old first fill bourbon barrel from an undisclosed Irish distillery. The brand noted it included an Irish whiskey despite Ireland’s absence from this year’s tournament qualifiers.
Master of Malt has grown its independent bottling program significantly in recent years, releasing single cask expressions across a broad range of distilleries. The retailer, which is part of Atom Group, operates one of the UK’s largest online spirits retail platforms.
Outturns across the five expressions range from 66 to 350 bottles. All are bottled at varying cask strengths, with ABVs spanning 43.4% to 54%.
