The esteemed London-based company Berry Brothers & Rudd, founded in 1698, are Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant. They are family-owned and run from offices based at No.3 St James’s Street. The historic location was built by the founding family; in the prestigious neighbourhood opposite St. James’s Palace. BBR, as they are affectionally known, independently bottle and release different series of own label selection wines and spirits. This includes whiskies that they sell alongside well known and prestige brands. They are also the oldest independent bottler of spirits in the UK.
The majority of whisky released by Berry, Bros & Rudd are single cask or small batch single malt bottlings. They also bottle whisky blends that they define as benchmarks for what a whisky style can be. This group of single malts were released in 2024 with the intent to showcase Scotch whisky regional styles and type of cask maturation.
Our Tasting Notes
Berry Bros. & Rudd 12 Years Old Speyside Sherry Cask
This 12 years old single malt whisky has been distilled in Speyside. It is a marriage of whisky that possesses a cereal, fruity style of character suited to maturation in ex-Oloroso sherry butts. BBR have created this single malt to deliver ‘a delicate balance of sweetness & spice’. Bottled at 45.3% ABV, it costs £45.50.
On the nose this bold whisky has notes of brandy soaked raisins, malty and chocolate, ripe brambles, sweetness akin to hard crumbly fudge and plenty of woodiness and spices. The sweetness is immediate on the palate with big bursts of toffee and honey plus maltiness like raisin flapjacks. Then come fruity flavours of raisins and hints of dried tropical fruits (mango and papaya) with bitter orange marmalade. Distinct malty notes and spiciness linger on the finish. They sit alongside a balance of the honeyed sweetness, walnut nuttiness, and hints of bitter orange.
Berry Bros. & Rudd 16 Years Old Speyside Traditional Cask
The 16 years old single malt whisky has also been distilled in Speyside by an un-named distillery. Spirit was selected for this marriage to show a nutty & fruity style more suited to a traditional cask. BBR do not make it clear what cask types they consider to be traditional. However, it seems fair to assume that this is likely to be first or second fill ex-bourbon barrels, if only judging by the light golden colour of the whisky. Bottled at 48.2% ABV, it sells for £101 for a 70cl bottle.
This whisky is decidedly honeyed and full of baked orchard fruit notes (apple, pear and peach). These sit alongside dried heather floral notes and sweet woodiness with baking spices, reminiscent of good cinnamon bark. That honeyed character continues on the palate with ample amounts of both cooked and dried fruit plus malty earthiness underneath. It reminds us of a freshly baked autumn tart fresh from the oven, with aromatic spiced apples and warm sweet pastry. The whisky becomes more drying and woody on the finish with a hint of peppery spice developing. That only serves to make it mouth watering and moreish.
Berry Bros. & Rudd Islay Traditional Cask
Berry Bros and Rudd’s Islay single malt does not come with an age statement. This allows them to bring forward their interpretation of whisky from Scotland’s small but famous island of smoky whisky. They have opted for a lightly smoky & fruity spirit which is suited for maturation in traditional whisky casks. Again we are making the assumption that the selection of type of traditional casks is similar to the 16 years old Speyside release as this is a lightly golden whisky. Bottled at 45.3% ABV, expect to pay £45.50.
A nose of this whisky is undeniably Islay; bold ashy barbecue smoke with fresh grass and moss, icing sugar or royal icing sweetness. Then comes candied lime and fresh almost bitter green apples. It feels light and honeyed on the palate with that fresh apple ato the fore. A delicate flinty mineral smoke, wet moss and earthiness. Peppery and zesty tingly is introduced on the tongue to finish which adds freshness and a palate-cleansing appeal to match the distinct smokiness.
What’s The Verdict?
This selection of whisky have been bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd to represent styles of whisky. These match both a region’s traditional spirit character and what maturation in carefully selected casks can deliver. And they certainly do that without apology. As we were tasting through these whiskies the passing comment between us of ‘it’s good, isn’t it?’ became increasingly frequent.
The Speyside 12 Years Old Sherry Cask does what it intends; to showcase both a fruity Speyside style of spirit and richer sweetness and spice from ex-sherry casks. The slightly raised ABV adds both a slight heat to the spirit as well as additional rich depth of texture and body. The Speyside 16 Years Old Traditional Cask has a lovely softly honeyed voice and nature that feels classic and almost timeless in style. The Islay Traditional Cask single malt is lighter in body than expected, especially at the slightly elevated ABV, but the style of smoke delivers a boldness balanced with the more delicate character that Islay whiskies are more than able to produce.
All around these whiskies deliver for us a belief that buying into the BBR label on a bottle of whisky will deliver a quality that we expect from the heritage brand at completely reasonable prices.
