Scotch

Thompson Bros 18 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Can an 18-year-old peated Highland malt deliver coastal punch and value? Thompson Bros answers with brine, peat and mineral bite.

OVERALL RATING

8
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Tasting Notes

About:

An 18-Year-Old single malt from an undisclosed Highland distillery, bottled by the Dornoch distillery based independent bottler Thompson Bros. Distilled using peated barley, this single malt was matured for 18-years in refill wood before being bottled in 2025. Natural colour and non-chill filtered, bottled at 48.5% ABV.
Appearance:
Pale Gold
Nose:
Opens with herbaceous aromas of sage and rosemary accompanied by floral heather peat smoke, giving way to tar, oily brine and crushed oyster shell minerality.
Palate:
A powerful wave of peat opens on the palate, leading into sharp slightly bitter orange citrus, sour apple and heather honey. There is an oily mouthfeel as briny rock pool minerality develops.
Finish:
Medium-length, with salty brine giving way to lingering earthy peat and cigar smoke.
Comments:
A well-aged Highland single malt from Thompson Bros, distilled using peated malt. The experience doesn’t feel overly complex, but for fans of peated whisky with a coastal character the emphasis is on salty brine, minerality and peat. Overall, from my experience I’m closer to a score of 7.5, but given the price point for an 18-Year-Old single malt I’ve got to award 8 out of 10.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Mark Bostock

Mark Bostock, an integral part of the Mark Littler LTD UK content writing team since 2019, brings a genuine passion for whisky, especially independent bottlings, to his work. His commitment to expanding his knowledge through attending tasting events and building his own collection enriches his contributions, blending expertise with enthusiasm.

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