This was supposed to be a hogshead — it wasn’t. It’s a barrique, that much is clear. A pleasant surprise, even for bottlers inherently wary of red wine casks. Orcadian magic with a French twist.

Independent bottling is a different path from distilling. While distillers pursue consistency—an incredible skill in its own right—bottlers search for curiosities, hidden gems among casks, and the truly standout drams. This cask turned out to be one of those: a little jewel, barrique-shaped.

The label features a random pattern, fitting for a cask that came out of nowhere.

The reason behind the pick? A fondness for dirty dunnage whisky—and this one delivers. Somewhere in a chain of emails, cc’d and forwarded, there’s mention that naming the distillery might just be allowed. So perhaps this won’t stay a secret Orkney for long.