The Flora & Fauna Collection

Nicknamed by the late whisky writer Michael Jackson, Flora & Fauna started out as a themed series of distillery-only single malt whiskies. Each distillery was given a creature as its symbol, one that calls the area surrounding the distillery home, and is displayed on each bottle’s label. Many of the distilleries in the range are more commonly used for making blended whiskies, which makes the Flora and Fauna series a rare treat.

Auchroisk 10 Year Old

A pleasant, light whisky with a sweet and fresh character, Auchroisk is a staple in the Flora & Fauna Collection. Its unusual name means ‘ford of the red stream’ in Gaelic and refers to the Mulben Burn that provides the distillery’s cooling water.

The nose is filled with aromas of dark chocolate, dry marzipan, toasted nuts, cooked pears and cereal, followed by a doughy, buttery palate that offers lemon and pineapple, aniseed, charred oak and ground almonds. The finish is surprisingly dry and smoky.

Mannochmore 12 Year Old

A fruity, mellow single malt, adorned with the Great Spotted Woodpecker that lives in the woods near Mannochmore distillery. Just a few miles south of Elgin, its water is drawn from the Bardon Burn, which has its source hidden in the Mannoch Hills.

At first, the nose brings green twig and brimstone aromas that build to green apples, toasted oak, lemon zest and sweet malt. Fresh and bright, the palate brings notes of dry oak spice, green grass, apples and oranges that fade to a lingering, dry finish.

Benrinnes 15 Year Old

A rich and sweet whisky from Benrinnes distillery, on the northern shoulder of Ben Rinnes, 700 feet above sea level. Its location brings a host of natural advantages, from the fresh air, peat and barley, to the clear water that rises through granite to springs on the summit of the mountain.

Chocolate liqueurs, well-worn leather, soft smoke and dense floral aromas open on the nose, with pine needles, polished wood and dried fruit underneath. The palate is sweet and rich, offering rum-like fruitiness, sultanas, sticky dates and charred, smoky oak that linger in the finish.

Linkwood 12 Year Old

A fruity and floral whisky from the banks of the River Lossie, close to Elgin, this is a classic example of Linkwood single malt. The distillery has maintained the elegant character and traditional atmosphere its had since its establishment in 1821 – full-bodied with hints of sweetness.

Aromas of vanilla and fresh fruit mingle with cigar boxes, carnations, lavender, dried orange peel and green sticks on the nose. The palate is sweet and viscous, with nutty cereal notes, soft orchard fruit, citrus and cedar wood that linger in the finish.

Blair Athol 12 Year Old

Spicy, rich and full, this whisky comes from Blair Athol distillery, on the peaty moorlands in the foothills of the Grampian mountains. Near the distillery runs Allt Dour Burn, ‘The Burn of the Otter’, providing the water used to produce its characteristically fruity, mellow single malts.

Dry sherry aromas fill the nose, backed up by Muscat grapes, brimstone, dried apricots and treacle toffee. The palate bursts with dried fruit, minty herbs, Madeira wine and vanilla that fade to oak spice, dry pepper and apple crumble that linger in the finish.

Dailuaine 16 Year Old

This full and sweet whisky comes from Dailuaine distillery, which lies in a hollow by the Carron Burn in Banffshire. The name Dailuaine is the Gaelic for ‘the green vale’, after its verdant surroundings and remote location, which for more than a century received all of its supplies by rail.

Deep and complex, the nose provides aromas of walnuts and butterscotch, dried orange peel, candied lemon peel and green herbs. The palate is sweet and warming, offering Highland toffee, sugar-coated almonds, bright citrus, dried fruit and baking spice notes, with a lingering, nutty finish.