Strathearn Batch 03 is the newest small batch Highland single malt from Strathearn, one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries, now under the wing of independent bottler Douglas Laing. It is a vatting of 31 casks spanning ex-bourbon, virgin oak and ex-sherry, with the sherry influence pushed further than on Batch 02. Expect dark honey, warming spice, chocolate and cocoa. It is bottled at 50% ABV with natural colour and no chill filtration, sells for around £64 (roughly €75), and is available now from UK specialists including Master of Malt and Hard To Find Whisky, both of which ship internationally.
Strathearn makes whisky in quantities most distilleries would round down to zero. Batch 03, the latest small batch release from the Perthshire distillery, is a vatting of just 31 casks. This time the sherry does more of the talking.
The core numbers first. Batch 03 is a Highland single malt bottled at 50% ABV, with natural colour and no chill filtration. It draws on three cask types, ex-bourbon, virgin oak and ex-sherry oak, and leans harder on the sherry than its predecessor. According to the distillery, that shift builds a richer pour around dark honey, warming spice, chocolate and cocoa. It is a 2026 bottling and sells for around £64.
Where Batch 03 sits in the series
Strathearn has run this small batch series as a slow reveal. Batch 001 arrived in 2016 as a three-year-old release of only 100 bottles, a genuine collector’s curio that now trades well into three figures. Each release since has added a little more stock and a little more confidence.
Batch 03 continues that arc. The clearer sherry emphasis gives it a different character from Batch 02’s more bourbon-led profile, and it reads as a distillery settling into a house style rather than simply bottling what it has.
Who makes Strathearn, and why the Douglas Laing link matters
Strathearn began distilling in 2013 near Methven, in Highland Perthshire, and quickly earned a name as one of the smallest working distilleries in Scotland. Its early output was tiny by design.
In 2019 the distillery was bought by Douglas Laing, the family-owned independent bottler, which gave it both a wider audience and deeper maturing stock to draw on. Batch 03 reflects that dual heritage, combining spirit inherited from the original operation with casks matured under Douglas Laing’s stewardship.
What makes this release worth a look
The appeal of Batch 03 is the combination of scale and strength. A 31-cask vatting is small enough that each cask genuinely shapes the whole, and 50% ABV with no chill filtration keeps texture and flavour intact.
For a distillery this size, releasing at natural colour and full presentation is the whole idea, not a line on the back label.
Price and availability
Batch 03 is available now. Master of Malt lists it at £64.95 and Hard To Find Whisky at £63.95, both for the standard 70cl bottle. That works out to around €75 for European buyers.
Both retailers ship internationally across the EU, so readers outside the UK can order directly.
Is it worth it?
We have not tasted Batch 03 yet, so treat this as a release note rather than a scored review. On paper it is easy to recommend to a specific drinker: anyone who likes sherry-influenced Highland malt at real bottling strength, and anyone who enjoys following a young distillery as its house style comes into focus.
At around £64 for a non-chill-filtered, natural-colour single malt from a distillery you rarely see on shelves, it is fairly priced. If you already own Batch 01 or 02, this is the one that shows you where Strathearn is heading. We will update this piece with full tasting notes once we have a glass in hand.
Structured tasting notes
Tasting notes below are the distillery’s, via Master of Malt, and have not yet been verified by The Daily Whisky.
Strathearn Batch 03 tasting note
Colour: Rich amber with copper-gold glints and a honeyed depth.
Nose: Toasted malt, barley sugar and dark honey cinnamon, nutmeg and dried fruit. Palate: Buttery biscuit and rich malt, with chocolate, chewy toffee, raisins and warming oak spice.
Finish: Long and gently drying cocoa, seasoned oak, soft leather and lingering dark honey.
ABV:50% | Casks: ex-bourbon, virgin oak & ex-sherry oak (31-cask vatting) | Price: £64 (70cl) | Non-chill-filtered, natural colour
Frequently asked questions
What is Strathearn Batch 03? Strathearn Batch 03 is a 2026 Highland single malt Scotch, the third small batch release in Strathearn’s core series. It is a vatting of 31 ex-bourbon, virgin oak and ex-sherry casks, bottled at 50% ABV with natural colour and no chill filtration by owner Douglas Laing.
What does Strathearn Batch 03 taste like? The distillery describes a nose of toasted malt, barley sugar, dark honey and warming spice, a palate of buttery biscuit, chocolate, toffee and raisins, and a long, gently drying finish of cocoa, seasoned oak and soft leather. The added sherry influence makes it richer than Batch 02.
How much does Strathearn Batch 03 cost? Batch 03 retails for around £64 for a 70cl bottle. Master of Malt lists it at £64.95 and Hard To Find Whisky at £63.95. That is roughly €75, or about 560 kr, for buyers in Denmark and the wider EU, before any local duties or shipping.
Where can I buy Strathearn Batch 03? It is available now from UK whisky specialists, including Master of Malt and Hard To Find Whisky. Both ship internationally, including to Denmark and across the EU, so you can order directly. No total outturn has been published, so availability may be limited given the 31-cask size.
How is Batch 03 different from Batch 02? Batch 03 uses the same trio of cask types as Batch 02, ex-bourbon, virgin oak and ex-sherry, but places a greater emphasis on the sherry casks. The result is a darker, richer profile leaning on dark honey, chocolate and cocoa, where earlier batches sat closer to a bourbon-led style.
Is Strathearn Batch 03 cask strength? Batch 03 is bottled at 50% ABV, a batch strength rather than a single-cask full strength. It is presented without chill filtration and with natural colour, which preserves texture and flavour. At 50% it is firmer than a standard 40 to 46% release without tipping into full cask-strength territory.
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