Independent Spirits: Little Brown Dog
Little Brown Dog Spirits are based in rural Aberdeenshire and have built a loyal following by doing things their own way: small batches, single casks, honest cask stories and a healthy sense of humour. Founded in 2018, they work as both an independent bottler and micro-distillery, selecting and maturing spirits with a focus on character rather than convention, they are small-scale, cask-led and often bottled at natural colour, non-chill filtered and high strength. (Little Brown Dog Spirits)
This flight explores three different sides of Little Brown Dog: bright Highland fruit, full-throttle Island sherry, and coastal Islay smoke. Expect flavour, individuality and a little bit of mischief.
Take your time with each dram. Nose first, sip slowly, then add a few drops of water if you would like to soften the strength and open up more fruit, spice or smoke.
Dram One: Little Brown Dog Balblair 2014 – Calvados Cask Finish
Balblair is one of the oldest working distilleries in the Highlands, known for a naturally fruity, elegant style of spirit. In Little Brown Dog’s hands, this 2014 Balblair has taken a more unusual route. It was finished in a Calvados cask, technically after time in ex-white port, and bottled at 12 years old, 56.1% ABV, with only 290 bottles released. (Little Brown Dog Spirits)
The Calvados cask brings a lovely apple-driven lift to the whisky. Little Brown Dog describe the finish as adding bright green apple and a Champagne-like character, with their official tasting notes mentioning fresh lemon, ice cream wafer, green apple, gooseberry, apple butter, plum crumble, apple skins, dry Champagne and green chilli. (Inverurie Whisky Shop)
Nose: Fresh lemon, green apple and crisp orchard fruit, with soft vanilla, ice cream wafer and a light pastry sweetness.
Palate: Gooseberry, apple butter and stewed plum, moving into crumble topping, gentle spice and a little waxy Highland texture.
Finish: Apple skins, dry Champagne, green chilli and a clean, mouth-watering brightness.
Self-guided thought: This is a great starting point because it shows what independent bottling can do. The Balblair fruit is still there, but the Calvados finish turns the dial towards apples, acidity and sparkle.
Dram Two: Little Brown Dog Jura 2008 – Double Sherry Matured
Jura has a distinctive Island character: often gently oily, lightly herbal and quietly coastal. Little Brown Dog’s Jura 2008 takes that spirit and dresses it in serious sherry. Their listing describes it as a 17 year old double sherry matured single malt, bottled at 50.3% ABV. (Little Brown Dog Spirits)
Retail tasting information describes the cask make-up as starting in a French oak oloroso hogshead before being transferred to PX sherry for nine months. Little Brown Dog call it a “full on sherry monster”, but also note that the slightly herbal Jura character still survives underneath the richness. The listed notes include bramble jelly, cut meadows, sherry, blaeberries, pecan pie, dried thyme, fruit molasses, tobacco and lime zest. (Inverurie Whisky Shop)
Nose: Bramble jelly, dark berries and rich sherry, with cut grass, dried herbs and polished oak underneath.
Palate: Blaeberries, pecan pie and fruit molasses, with PX sweetness, soft spice and a little savoury herbal Jura character pushing through.
Finish: Tobacco leaf, dried thyme, lime zest and lingering dark fruit.
Self-guided thought: This is the big, indulgent middle dram. Look for the balance between sweet sherry weight and Jura’s slightly herbal, Island personality.
Dram Three: Little Brown Dog Bowmore 2015 – Refill Bourbon Barrel
Bowmore is one of Islay’s classic names, known for combining coastal peat smoke with fruit, citrus and a gentle floral edge. Little Brown Dog’s Bowmore 2015 was matured in a refill bourbon barrel and bottled as an 11 year old at 58.3% ABV. It was distilled on 23 February 2015, bottled on 5 May 2026, and limited to 272 bottles. (Inverurie Whisky Shop)
This is a playful bottling even by Little Brown Dog standards. The cask apparently had such a distinctive savoury character that it was marked in the warehouse with a rough sketch of a roast chicken, inspiring the crisp-packet label. The official notes give nectarine, smouldering birch and buttered toast on the nose; tinned peaches, miso and honeycomb on the palate; and roast chicken crisps on the finish. (Inverurie Whisky Shop)
Nose: Nectarine, lemon oil and smouldering birch, with buttered toast, sea air and gentle Islay smoke.
Palate: Tinned peaches, honeycomb and vanilla from the bourbon wood, joined by miso, toasted malt and savoury smoke.
Finish: Long, smoky and salty, with a wonderfully odd savoury note that really does suggest roast chicken crisps.
Self-guided thought: This is the curveball of the flight. It is recognisably Bowmore, but the refill bourbon cask lets the spirit speak clearly: fruit, smoke, salt, sweetness and savoury weirdness all in one glass.
Flight Reflection
This flight is a celebration of independent bottling at its best. Little Brown Dog have taken three familiar distillery names and shown them from unusual angles.
The Balblair is bright, appley and elegant, showing how a finishing cask can lift a whisky without overwhelming it. The Jura is rich, sweet and sherried, but still carries a trace of Island herbs and structure. The Bowmore is smoky, fruity and coastal, with a savoury twist that could only really come from a bottler willing to follow flavour wherever it goes.
As a final comparison, return to the Balblair after tasting the Bowmore. You may find the apple notes feel sharper, the Jura feels darker and richer, and the Bowmore leaves the whole flight with a smoky, salty grin.