“Whisky is for sharing”, said the French farmer.

Or at least that’s what I think he said, considering he didn’t speak a word of English and we were eight whiskies deep. 

On a tiny farmstay in rural Brittany, I’d been invited as the guest of honour for a whisky ‘dégustation’. There were three of us in total: two farmer brothers-in-law and me.

There was palpable excitement the previous evening after the revelation that I write about whisky. Not because they’d ever heard of me, nor because they’re particularly impressed by whisky writing, but rather that finally they had someone in this remote agricultural corner of northern France who actually likes whisky. At last, someone for Pierre, one of the farmers, to share his collection of more than 100 bottles with.

We made our way through several of them. All French, all Breton in fact; Pierre had designed a special tasting to highlight whisky made in the region. And they were all impressive: surprisingly complex and (for the most part) reasonably priced. 

For that evening, which inevitably continued long into the night, whisky became a common language. A sense of kinship over a shared passion, despite linguistic barriers. 

Just as Pierre was excited to share his niche recommendations, I’m delighted to share About Time’s Whisky Guide for 2025 – featuring unusual, exceptional and limited edition bottlings.

1. Nikka From The Barrel: Extra Marriage, £50, The Whisky Exchange 

For many, Nikka From The Barrel was the first Japanese whisky they tried, even though it isn’t technically Japanese whisky (the blend contains non-Japanese components). Whatever the official rules dictate, the original version remains enduringly popular. And for good reason. Approachable, yet complex with the signature balance and smoothness that ‘Japanese Whisky’ is renowned for. This limited edition version, celebrating From the Barrels’ 40th anniversary, doubles the length of time that the various whiskies in the blend spend together ‘marrying’ in the cask. With notes of fruit, honey, a pinch of spice and a hint of smoke, it adds further depth to an already reliable whisky. And it’s very fairly priced too.

2. The GlenAllachie: Sinteis Series Part II, £75, The GlenAllachie

Interesting things have been afoot at the GlenAllachie distillery since bona fide whisky legend Billy Walker took the helm. This is one of the most extraordinary releases yet. Part of the whisky has been aged in Oloroso sherry (not very unusual) and part in virgin Scottish oak barrels (very unusual). It has created a dark, brooding whisky reflected in the almost inky colour of the liquid. Coffee and dark chocolate notes swirl with flavours of ginger and rich honey. A standout whisky this year.

3. Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection: Madeira Cask Finish, £128, The Whisky Exchange

Woodford Reserve’s whiskies are always approachable – the entry level is a bar staple bourbon in venues across the UK. This is a slightly different blend aged in Madeira wine casks. Madeira cask finishes are rare in the world of whisky, even more so in the land of bourbon. It’s created a distinct, moreish cherry note. Smooth, sweet and rich, this is a perfect dessert drink. 

4. Circumstance: Organic Single Grain Rye Whiskey (2:11:1:28:36), £55, Independent Spirit

England makes excellent rye, which is something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Once the lesser-loved whiskey in the USA (behind bourbon), rye has seen a resurgence here and in Europe. Aside from the perfect climate for growing powerfully flavourful rye crops, English distilleries have taken a markedly experimental approach. Bristol’s Circumstance distillery has used mead and saison beer yeast for the fermentation process and aged the spirit in port casks. As you’d expect, the final product is completely idiosyncratic. During blind tasting, we thought it could have been a high-quality rum, rather than a whiskey, thanks to its funky fruity notes. Really impressive stuff.

5. Nc’nean: Quiet Rebels Simon, £81, Nc’Nean

Every year, organic Scottish distillery Nc’nean gets different members of their staff to come up with an idea for a limited edition new whisky alongside their master blender. This year it’s the turn of Simon, one of the distillers. His brainwave was to finish the whisky, which had already been aged in red wine casks, in stout beer casks. There’s always a risk that unusual casks can lead to unbalanced flavours in the final product, but in this case the stout finish is remarkably subtle and well integrated. There is a hint of stout-y chocolate but the cereal notes of the whisky are dominant, alongside restrained fruit and spice. 

6. The Lakes Distillery: Signature Single Malt Whisky, £85, The Lakes Distillery

The Lakes Distillery in England has made a name for itself with its much loved limited release whiskies. This, however, is its first permanent bottling. It’s no surprise they’ve decided to make it a regular because this is superb. An absolute classic sherry-cask whisky with a depth of flavour and balanced sweetness to rival some of Scotland’s best-loved names. Fans of sherry casks can’t go wrong with this.

7. Green Spot: 10 year-old, £69, Spot Whiskey

Aged Irish whiskey is still quite a rarity. This limited edition bottle has been released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Midleton Distillery (home of Green Spot, Jameson and others). It’s a significant step up from the standard Green Spot offering. Alongside the characteristic smoothness and notes of orchard fruits and caramel, the extra ageing adds a rounder and deeper level of flavour.

8. Wolfcraig: 14 year-old Triple Sherry Cask Second Edition, £95, Wolfcraig

This luxurious blend positions itself as a premium whisky blend. For the average person, ‘premium’ can be interpreted as expensive, but not as expensive as ‘ultra-premium’. I’m none-the-wiser as to which whiskies from which distilleries have actually made the final blend, but the focus here really is on the cask finishing. The blend has spent time in three different types of sherry cask: Amontillado, Pedro Ximénez and Muscatel. There’s not enough space in this article to go into depth, but a lot of ‘sherry casks’ haven’t actually held real sherry in them – they’ve been crafted to hold a cheap concoction for a short amount of time with the sole purpose of the casks being used to age whisky afterwards. Here though, all of the casks have held actual sherry in them for 15 whole years! They’ve contributed to a decadent, multi-layered final whisky full of dried fruit, nut and spiced notes. 

9. Maker’s Mark: Cellar Aged 2025, £145, Master of Malt

Another familiar American bourbon ramped up several notches. This is the oldest whiskey Maker’s Mark has ever released, and the difference is profound. There’s nothing clever or surprising going on, no fancy cask finishes or strange flavours, just excellent quality whiskey which has been given the time to shine. Deeper, sweeter, and more complex, this is bourbon done brilliantly.

10. Royal Brackla: 21 year-old, £256, Dewar’s

Royal Brackla is best known for being one of only three distilleries to reveive a royal warrant. It was the first, in fact, in 1833. Does it really say anything about the quality of the whisky nowadays? Probably not. But it could be a good selling point. The problem is that until recently, there wasn’t much of it for a consumer to buy. Even amongst ardent whisky fans, Royal Brackla is scarcely found as a single malt. Usually it ends up in blends sold by various different brands. In recent years the distillery has begun releasing more of its own whisky under its own name, to growing fanfare. And this is the king amongst princes. The oldest whisky sold by Royal Brackla, this lavish 21 year-old contains a multitude of different flavours, all held in excellent balance. Ageing in various types of sherry cask has ramped up the whisky’s fruitiness to another level. Opulent. 

FRENCH WHISKY: So what about those bottles from Pierre’s tasting? Unfortunately, since Brexit, it has become almost impossible to order limited edition French bottles for delivery in the UK. If you happen to be across the channel, then by far the best we tried was the Galaad Limited Edition 2025 (approx £100). For a more affordable option, the Armorik Festival Du Chant De Marin 2023 (approx £46) was an excellent sherried whisky and is a good starting point for trying what France has to offer.Â