FOOD & WINE
The Most Collectible Whiskies to Add to Your Shelf This Month
by Charmian Leong
06 Aug 2025
06 Aug 2025
From experimental finishes to once-in-a-lifetime bottlings, here are the whiskies to savour, stash, and show off.
- SG60 SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS
- THE MACALLAN 33YO 1991 ORIGINS
- ARTISAN CASKS
Nothing like a nation’s diamond jubilee to spark a spirit of community and camaraderie – so much so that eight of Singapore’s whisky bars have banded together to release six unique single cask bottlings from distilleries in Scotland and Ireland to mark Singapore’s 60th birthday.
“This was something we’ve always wanted to do,” shares Chua Khoon Hui, founder of The Whisky Store, which owns Quaich Bar and Signature Reserve. “To build a whisky community and grow a bigger pie for the scene in Singapore.”
Thanks to the collective efforts of Quaich Bar, Signature Reserve, The Auld Alliance, Luss Restaurant & Bar, The Writing Club, D.Bespoke, The ExciseMan Wine & Whisky Bar, and The Single Cask Singapore, local collectors now have the chance to get their hands on a Bunnahabhain 15YO Ruby Port Cask Finish, a Tomatin 13YO matured in a cabernet sauvignon barrique, a Tomintoul 14YO Cask #3482 aged in a bourbon barrel, a Springbank 20YO matured in a refill port hogshead, a Bladnoch 7YO First Fill Oloroso Hogshead, and a Tipperary 8YO Mezcal Cask.
(Related: Rare whisky shines as alternative investment)
Each cask-strength expression features a little red “SG60” logo on the label, but what truly makes this series special is that they’re all official distillery bottlings (rather than releases from independent bottlers). That’s no small feat when you consider that distilleries like Bunnahabhain and Springbank rarely offer single cask expressions to the public.
The whiskies are available individually, with the exception of Springbank, which comes only as part of the full set of six. Hardly surprising, since the cult favourite has become more myth than merchandise, with bottles vanishing faster than you can say “closed distillery”. Wrangling one into a community release is a minor miracle in itself. But pre-orders for the full set made before the end of September will enjoy a launch price of S$1,965 (U.P. S$2,390).
Pre-orders can be made at the partnering bars or online at whiskystore.com.sg. Bottles will be delivered in October.
- SG60 SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS
- THE MACALLAN 33YO 1991 ORIGINS
- ARTISAN CASKS
THE MACALLAN 33YO 1991 ORIGINS
Ever wondered what a Macallan would taste like if it had been matured in — gasp — mizunara oak? Well, award-winning singapore-based independent bottler East Asia Whisky Company was wondering the same, and has released a one-time production that answers that very question.
The Macallan 33YO 1991 Origins is a set of two bottlings, both distilled in 1991 and initially matured in a first-fill Oloroso sherry cask. From there, half was re-racked into mizunara oak for over 10 months to create its “Japanese twin”. The Macallan is famous for its rich, full-bodied house style, bursting with dried fruits, nuts, spice, and toasted oak, all thanks to sherry-seasoned European oak casks. But this experimental detour into mizunara territory introduces a Japanese elegance to the equation, layering sandalwood and a long, incense and cinnamon finish over sherry’s signature sweetness.
The “original” version offers an equally complex counterpoint, with a woody, leathery nose and notes of banana, black pepper, and incense. The palate whispers of peat and oaky spice before giving way to dark fudge and raisins, with a finish of spiced fruit and earth. It’s not every day you get to taste two radically different incarnations of the same spirit side by side — a fascinating exercise in oak and time.
Its rarity is matched by its stunning presentation: a leather-wrapped wooden casket designed by Bill Amberg Studio, with each bottle decanted into hand-engraved Glencairn crystal.
- SG60 SINGLE CASK BOTTLINGS
- THE MACALLAN 33YO 1991 ORIGINS
- ARTISAN CASKS
ARTISAN CASKS
If even independent bottlings feel a little too off-the-rack, perhaps it’s time to go fully bespoke with your own private cask. As a cask owner, you get to journey with the spirit from barrel to bottle, deciding exactly when your liquid asset is ready for release.
Naturally, getting your hands on casks from coveted distilleries isn’t exactly something the average enthusiast can swing — which is where trusted intermediaries come in. Enter The Artisanal Spirits Company, owner of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), which has just launched Artisan Casks, a new private cask programme for collectors who want more control and, let’s face it, even more cachet.
The programme will offer a tightly curated selection of Scotch whiskies each year, and the 2025 lineup already includes titans like The Macallan, Laphroaig, Mortlach, Bowmore, and Caol Ila. All of Artisan Casks’ offerings are aged at least 20 years and ready to bottle immediately, but owners can choose to mature them further under the guidance of the distillery’s whisky makers and ASC experts.
Cask owners will also receive annual updates, including tasting reports and up to two 70cl bottles per year drawn straight from the cask. A perfect opportunity to drink what no one else can.
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