Whisky Bottler Launches Oldest Release In Rare Mizunara Cask

Scotland’s fastest-growing independent bottler Saltire Rare Malt has just dropped something quite special – their oldest release to date and first venture into single grain territory. We’re talking about a 20-year-old single grain from the lost Port Dundas distillery, and here’s where it gets really interesting: they’ve finished it in virgin Japanese Mizunara oak.

Now, for those who know their wood, Mizunara is the holy grail – one of the rarest and most expensive oak types you can get your hands on. This isn’t just any cask finish; we’re talking about something that collectors go absolutely mad for. The result is a limited run of just 558 bottles, bottled at natural cask strength of 59.7% ABV, with no chill filtration or artificial colouring – exactly as it should be.

What makes this release even more compelling is that it’s part of Saltire’s ‘Lost Distillery Series’, paying homage to Scotland’s vanished whisky landmarks. Port Dundas, closed and gone, but these precious casks remain as liquid archaeology.

The curation comes courtesy of Hans and Becky Offringa – ‘The Whisky Couple’ – who’ve become the gatekeepers for Saltire’s releases. Their rule is simple: if they don’t approve the sample, the cask doesn’t get bottled. For this particular dram, they’re describing “red fruit, cedar wood, waffles and maple syrup, warm leather” – painting a picture of complexity that sounds absolutely divine.

Keith Rennie, Saltire’s founder, is clearly proud of this milestone release, calling it both a celebration of whisky artistry and a tribute to Scotland’s lost distillery heritage. The company itself emerged from a three-decade friendship between Rennie and co-founder Nigel Heywood, launching in 2024 – rather poetically, 530 years after Scotch whisky’s birth in Falkland.

Available exclusively online from September 12th, this is one for the serious collectors and anyone fascinated by the intersection of Japanese oak influence and Scottish grain whisky craftsmanship.