Bottling the world’s finest spirits is a mission which takes us to its every corner, seeking out the old, the rare and the exceptionally delicious to find wonderful treasures to offer you.
In 2008, three pioneers of the spirits industry set out to create one last, unique brand. Their goal was simple: to find and bottle the world’s finest and rarest spirits. By seeking out forgotten or hidden casks, they discovered truly exceptional spirits and became The Last Drop Distillers.
While The Last Drop offerings are precious, they are also delicious. They deliver the kind of sensory experience to the eye, the nose, and the palate that comes only rarely. Each release is finite. It may be only a handful of bottles, or in some cases just over a thousand, but it will never be found again. Savor The Last Drop ... before there is no more.
Release No. 16
The oldest whisky we have bottled to date, this deluxe, blended Scotch whisky comprises over 60 percent single malts. The process of nearly 20 years in sherry butts with a long, slow finish in ex-bourbon casks has produced a magnificent whisky. It is a perfect example of the magic that can happen between distillate and wood. There are notes of sweet heather and honey and Islay smoke with a sweetness from Speyside, and a roundness and depth redolent of the Highlands.
Only 732 bottles worldwide.
Islay smoke, sweetness from Speyside, and a roundness and depth that is redolent of the Highlands. The color comes from many years in sherry, but 30 years in bourbon wood have brought additional layers of vanilla and molasses.
Release No. 15
This is our second Glenrothes Single Malt Scotch Whisky release, forming part of a unique trilogy of remarkable Glenrothes whiskies. These two single casks were filled 27th October 1969. The relationship between the individual cask, the distillate and the surrounding air brings about a marvellous kind of alchemy with each cask yielding a whisky that is slightly different from its sibling. Remarkably, each of these casks has produced superb, ultra-aged Scotch whisky which will provide many moments of pure pleasure.
Only 309 bottles worldwide
Cask No.16203: “Fruit toffee ensures there is a surprising creamy softness (...) The hallmarks of antiquity are here, they just happen to be without aggression or tiredness. Layers of vanilla and the lightest liquorice without taking away from the short burst of juicy barley which arrives about a third of the way in. Brilliant.” 95.5 points
Cask No. 16207: “It begins with a hint of sharp kiwi fruit. Ulmo honey and fudge prop up the sugars and embolden the chalkier vanillas present in this malt. Heather honey intertwines with the sturdier tannins and spices form (...); so much toasted fudge now. Sugars appear at just the right time and in just-so amounts to help create something rather special.” 96 points. Single Malt of the Year 2019 (Single Cask)
Release No. 14
On an old family estate in the Grande Champagne region we discovered a remarkable cask at the back of a barn. In 1940, this cognac had been hidden behind a hastily built wall to protect it from advancing German forces. Forgotten by the family for nearly 80 years, it was unearthed by The Last Drop team. It had been distilled in a traditional wood-fired still, so this is a cognac we’re unlikely to see or taste ever again. Rarely does a single, unblended eau-de-vie reach such all-round perfection.
Only 182 bottles worldwide
The fruit (very ripe exotic fruits, such as mango, jackfruit, mangosteen and papaya) overlays mellow but powerful oak flavours which stop short of astringency. The almost explosive ‘rancio’ provides great length to the palate but is beautifully offset by the elegant acidity that brings a touch of lightness. In the finish, we detect an unusual hint of café-au-lait with a touch of English toffee, alongside oaky, orange peel, prune and nutty flavours.
Release No. 11
Tasting this pair of exceptional ports will undoubtedly be a peak moment and memorable experience. A first for The Last Drop Distillers, our director, Ben Howkins sought the help of a scion of the port industry, Cristiano van Zeller, and together they discovered not one, but two aged tawny ports from the same vineyard made 100 years apart, in 1870 and 1970. These ports are a chance to taste history and to take enormous pleasure in doing so. They are incomparably delicious.
Only 770 sets worldwide
The 1870 Tawny Port “has an arresting bouquet with scents of black plum, rosehip syrup, Manuka honey, fig and grilled walnut .… Beautifully balanced, fresh and slightly viscous in texture, this is a complex Tawny Port whose age has not diminished just how delicious it tastes. It just goes out to offer gorgeous mulberry, clove, eau de vie and Chinese five-spice notes throughout its harmonious and poised finish.”
The 1970 Tawny Port has “clove, toffee, wild fennel and smoke aromas. The palate is sweet and crisp on the entry with a tang of Seville orange marmalade and quince. There is great tension here thanks to the fine seam of acidity with a fresh, almost ‘zippy’ finish that belies its age.”
Release No. 10
First blended as a Premium 12 Year Old, the balance after bottling was refilled into ex-Oloroso Sherry Butts. After a further nine years, a small volume was bottled as a 21 Year Old Blend. What remained was refilled into nine ex-American Oak Barrels. These nine casks were returned to a traditional maturation warehouse where they lay for a further 24 years until we bottled the whisky, in its prime, at the grand age of 45 years.
Only 1,352 bottles worldwide
On the nose, sweet honey and vanilla give way to tangy orange and lemon followed by warmer notes of stewed apple and toasted almonds. On the palate, there is a very pleasant fruity sweetness, again followed by a crisp orange and lemon tang and just a hint of freshly cut oak. A taste of chocolate orange and baked fruits with a lingering suggestion of orris root and smoke.
These three pioneers, James Espey, Tom Jago and Peter Fleck pooled their professional resources with a new goal in mind: to find The Last Drop of the best spirits in the world. Now, two of their daughters, Rebecca Jago and Beanie Espey continue their fathers’ vision as joint managing directors leading a stellar team. The mission is to find the most rare and most delicious spirits wherever they may be hiding.
All of the Last Drop expressions are a part of the rare and exclusive Legacy de Forge collection.
1971 Blended Scotch Whisky
Awarded 97 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2017
Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year
Hors D'Age 1947 Cognac 1961
Awarded 96.5 points, Nick Faith 2017
1972 Lochside Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Awarded 94 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2017
1961 Dumbarton Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Awarded 96 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2016
50 Year Old Double-Matured Blended Scotch Whisky
Awarded 9.5 points, Charles Maclean for Whiskeria Magazine
Awarded 97 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2016
Scotch Blend of the Year
Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year (25 - 50 years)
1967 Glen Garioch Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Awarded 96 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2015
Single Malt of the Year (single cask)
Single Malt Scotch of the Year (41 years & over, single cask)
48 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Awarded 96.5 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2015
Scotch Whisky of the Year
Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year
50 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky
The Whisky Advocate's Blended Whisky of the Year 2014
Awarded 96.5 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2014
Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year (25-50 years)
1950 Finest Aged Cognac
Exceptionally awarded 95 points by Jim Murray
1960 Blended Scotch Whisky
Awarded 96.5 points, Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2009
Scotch Blended Whisky of the Year
Best New Scotch Blended Whisky of the Year
Best Premium Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year
"If you can find a blend where the smoke has this perfect an effect, please point me to it; (...) even though I now know many of the people at The Last Drop, I am still not entirely sure how they keep doing it. Just how do they continue to unearth whiskies which are truly staggering; absolute marvels of their type? This one is astonishing because the grain used is just about faultless. And the peating levels can be found around about the perfect mark on the dial. Just mesmerically beautiful."
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible
Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year Awarded 97 points
“A discernible 70s blending style makes it a true relic of times past.”
Charlie MacLean
“This is just a sublime Tawny of class and pedigree and it comes highly recommended. 97 Points. Drink.”
Neal Martin
Wine critic for Vinous, previously of The Wine Advocate. Author of Pomerol
“A fine Colheita Tawny. 93 Points. Drink.”
Neal Martin
Wine critic for Vinous, previously of The Wine Advocate. Author of Pomerol
“The fact that the eau de vie was laid down in the same year the Great Gatsby was published, or work on Mount Rushmore began and indeed the first edition of The New Yorker was released, helps its history come alive. But as evocative and vital as these dates are, the most stunning aspect of this spirit is its taste.”
Tom Sandham, Daily Telegraph
“For its age, it is out of this world. Not a hint of tiredness, nor an aged blemish. Brilliant.”
Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible
“Just one of those whiskies there is not enough time in the day for. One to share with your partner … when the lights are low and you are on your own.”
Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible
96.5 points Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year (26-50+ Years Old)
“A superstar whisky that gives us all reason to live.”
Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible
