North Star Spirits, the Glasgow-based independent bottler, has launched Big Dipper, a 10-year-old Speyside single malt Scotch whisky matured entirely in Oloroso sherry hogsheads. The whisky is available now priced at £59.99, with an initial batch of 1,500 bottles and further batches to follow.
The release is a vatting of sherry hogsheads sourced from a single Speyside distillery. Bottled at 50% ABV, the expression is natural in color and non-chill filtered.
Unlike the bottler’s single cask offerings, Big Dipper is produced in larger batches, a decision North Star Spirits said was made to widen its availability.
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READ THE STORYThe company was founded in 2016 and is known for single cask bottlings alongside brands including Vega, Spica, Sirius and Chaos.
North Star Spirits noted that its higher-volume releases have historically attracted the strongest followings, a trend it said has continued with its more recent Obscurities and Curiosities series.
“When we came across this parcel of casks, we knew it deserved a wider audience than our single cask releases usually reach,” said Iain Croucher, founder and managing director of North Star Spirits. “Big Dipper is a big whisky: properly sherried, properly made, and priced to be opened rather than saved.”
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Croucher continued: “It’s a whisky to pour and share with friends. Look for the Big Dipper, you’ll find the North Star.”
Big Dipper is available to purchase through the North Star Spirits website and from the bottler’s usual stockists.
According to the official notes from the brand, the nose offers sun-ripened sultanas and honeyed toffee alongside warm cinnamon, soft vanilla, roasted nuts and polished oak, with deep Oloroso sherry running underneath.
The palate is described as full-bodied and silky, with rich dark fruits and creamy caramel lifted by bright orange zest and a refined, lingering spice. The finish is long and generous, carrying dried fruit, sherry-soaked oak, toffee and gentle warmth.
The launch adds to a growing field of sherry cask-matured Scotch whisky, a style that has drawn increasing consumer interest in recent years. Oloroso casks, prized for imparting dried fruit and nutty characteristics, remain among the most sought-after seasoning options for premium single malt producers.
