Three whisky-industry veterans have united to found Living Souls, a new Scottish independent bottler. Launched last week, the new brand has released four Scotch whiskies to its inaugural range, Batch #1.
The founding team behind Living Souls is John Torrance, spirits sourcing specialist who has held roles as head of operations at Douglas Laing and general manager at Tullibardine; Jamie Williamson, founder of Kilninian Drinks Co; and Calum Leslie, founder of PeatReekers and former head of innovation at Loch Lomond Group. Their plan for the brand is to create "memorable limited-edition whiskies" for occasions and celebrations.
Torrance commented: "With Living Souls we’re not just introducing new whiskies, we’re setting the scene for unforgettable experiences. Each expression in Batch #1 has been carefully selected to offer something special to connoisseurs and collectors alike, setting the tone for future releases."
The four whiskies which comprise Living Souls' Batch #1 are:
- 15 Years Old Blended Scotch (46% ABV, RRP £49.50) — Bottled from the brand's continually refreshed solera system, Living Souls says the 15 Years Old has notes of sherry and tapas-style meats.
- 18 Years Old Ledaig Single Malt (41% ABV, RRP £100) — This bottling was distilled at Tobermory Distillery and aged in refill casks. The brand says the whisky is "pastoral", with notes of apple and smoke.
- 19 Years Old Islay Blended Malt (42% ABV, RRP £135) — Aged in refill bourbon and sherry casks, Living Souls describes its blended malt whisky as having "classic Islay hallmarks" of peat smoke and sea air.
- 40 Years Old Blended Scotch (41.2% ABV, RRP £125) — A single-cask release, the whisky was laid down to marry in 1998 in a refill sherry butt. The brand says it has notes of ripe fruit and a "woodsy freshness".
Leslie said: "As an independent bottler, we have the freedom to explore and select the very best spirits. This flexibility allows us to focus entirely on creating unique flavour profiles that truly stand out. We are already hard at work on Batch #2, and we can’t wait for people to see what else we have in store."
Living Souls’ Batch #1 will be available from specialist retailers throughout the UK and Germany, with planned expansions into France and Italy. For more information visit whiskysouls.com.
