I’m sure you remember the prestigious Macbeth project, a Shakespeare play translated into whisky by Livingstone Rare and Elixir Distillers. For more background information, check our article on Macbeth: Act One.
There are 42 whiskies in six acts, and some time ago Act Two was released, containing eight new bottles. Six of them will be reviewed today.
Ben Nevis 28 yo 1993 (50,4%, Livingstone / Elixir Distillers 2023, Macbeth – The Thanes, refill hogsheads, 850 btl.)
Nose: the typical waxiness / paraffin is there, along with sweet pineapple and lots of apples, but it’s marked mostly by aromas of verbena, spearmint and fresh herbal tea. Very refreshing. Then some cashew nuts, a light mineral edge, as well as some buttery hints. Hints of dried wildflowers as its sits in the glass.
Mouth: a spicy onset (ginger, white pepper) but the fruits come out quickly. Whitecurrants, tangerines and flashes of maracuya. Earl Grey tea. Then almonds, citrus peels, a subtle grassy touch and more mint leaves. Chalk underneath. Slightly more woody than some of the 1995-1996s but the lovely fruitiness is really similar.
Finish: long, sweet and sour, with a bigger greener fruity side, along with a saline note.
The 1993 vintage is hardly seen, but it’s really close to the beloved vintages further on. Brewer’s yeast was used here, with long fermentation to get this marvellous fruitiness. Like some of the others, this was already bottled along with Act One, hence the age. Still available from The Whisky Exchange for instance.
Highland Park 18 yo 2005 (50,8%, Livingstone / Elixir Distillers 2024, Macbeth – The Thanes, refill hogsheads, 650 btl.)
Nose: HP without the sherry, with plenty of candy-like elements. Crisp cereals, some chalky notes and lemon zest. Then Haribo bears and apple sweets, along with honeysuckle and heather honey. Light minty smoke in the distance. Lemon juice rises further.
Mouth: citrusy and peppery. Naturally sugary, but also showing linseed oil, canvas and mentholated notes. Ginger and lots of sweet herbs, as well as a mint / lemon combo. Lanolin, some honey, maybe a touch of mustard. Coastal salinity and cold smoke too.
Finish: long and peppery, with aniseed, menthol tobacco and lemons.
A crystal-clean look at the Highland Park spirit. Great intensity and freshness – the mix of fatty sweetness and fresh herbs is even better than expected. I love this style. Also available from The Whisky Exchange. Score: 90/100
Benrinnes 12 yo 2012 (53,5%, Livingstone / Elixir Distillers 2025, Macbeth – The Household, refill sherry butts, 2400 btl.)
Nose: this has an inviting side, with honey, grapes, some vanilla and peaches, but also a more weighty side. Slightly roasted herbs underneath, butter, newspaper ink and walnuts.
Mouth: herbal notes again, more walnuts, now backed by marmalade and hay. The whole is a tad meaty, not unlike some Mortlachs. Some grape pips and bread. A hint of dark chocolate and leather in the end.
Finish: long but slightly undefined. Herbs, roasted nuts, with a marked savoury footprint.
Quite an uncommon mix – this is not an easy-going people pleaser. Interesting but it suffers from the previous two bottlings. It’s the most affordable bottle in the series, so fair enough. Available from The Whisky Exchange. Score: 84/100
Clynelish 14 yo 2010 (55,1%, Livingstone / Elixir Distillers 2023, Macbeth – The Household, first fill bourbon barrels, 1600 btl.)
Nose: a lot of wet wool, chalk and medium waxiness, let’s say, with limestone and white bread. Lemon peels, green apples and a kind of mild earthiness. Hints of turnips and fresh barley. Then hints of metal polish, dusty herbs and greener fruits. Ultra classic.
Mouth: full of lemon eau-de-vie, brine, more metal polish, chalk and lime. Great combination, and great oily texture. Cooling mint, lemon candy, a touch of green pepper, ginger and more chalky Sancerre. Then it becomes a bit grassy, with more paraffin towards the end.
Finish: medium length, half fruity. The rest is dough, herbs, pepper and lemon peels.
This is a vatting of eight casks, very well put together. Youngish and tight at times but also nicely oily and vibrant. Already sold out? Score: 88/100
Isle of Jura 17 yo 2007 (48,5%, Livingstone / Elixir Distillers 2025, Macbeth – The Murderers, Oloroso sherry hogsheads, 1200 btl.)
Nose: complex and certainly not middle-of-the-road. Ashes and soot, some vase water and meaty aromas, mixed with some violet candy and tomato vines. Engine oil. Much better than it sounds. Then dusty cupboards, hints of old leather, subtle menthol and sea spray. Also a cherry-like candied note in the background. Intruiging.
Mouth: still a little dirty, with sweet and sour berries, roasted almonds, caramelized sugar and herbal honey. Then plenty of ashy peat smoke, something lemony and vaguely rummy (sour wood à la New Yarmouth?). Iodine and salty notes too, along with wet newspaper.
Finish: long, still a bit sourish, with aromatic wood smoke, traces of bright fruit and iodine.
There, a proper bottling for a murderer! Intruiging, colouring outside the lines a little, but also having some fruity notes and sooty smoke. Probably not for everyone, but I like it! Link: The Whisky Exchange. Score: 89/100
An Islay Distillery 26 yo 1998 (49,5%, Livingstone / Elixir Distillers 2025, Macbeth – The Murderers, Oloroso sherry butt + first-fill bourbon, 750 btl.)
Nose: rather gentle mentholated smoke, one or two black olives, and red fruits. Plums, raisins, dried cranberries. Hints of tar and bonfire embers, black pepper, drops of armagnac and some green walnuts. Drier hints of sandalwood, leather and herbs gain strength over time, but it stays really refreshing.
Mouth: dry peat smoke comes first. Some camphor and roasted thyme, as well as herbal honey. Then mid-palate some tropical fruits come out (almost Bowmore-style), with blood orange, raisins, some floral aniseed and black pepper. Leathery notes, bramble and a firm but integrated woodiness.
Finish: very long, herbal with hints of tea, underlying smoke, liquorice and earthy notes.
Laphroaig, according to TWE and a really good one. Mild, oily peat with nice sherry notes and some underlying tropical fruits. Lovely stuff, no further words required. Score: 91/100