Eight years building a reputation on single casks and limited runs. Then you do something permanent. That’s the bet Little Brown Dog just made with Aberdeenshire Single Malt — their first-ever core expression, and by far their most consequential release to date.
Who is Little Brown Dog?
Founded in 2018 by Andrew Smith and Chris Reid, Little Brown Dog operates from a farm in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland within sight of the Bennachie hills, which you’ll recognise immediately on the label. They’ve made a name for themselves with characterful single cask releases, small-batch bottlings, and a hands-on approach that covers cask selection, blending, bottling and labelling all under one roof.
They’re not just bottlers. They’re a micro distillery too, which gives them a level of cask control most independent producers can only dream about.
Up until now, their releases have been one-offs. Sought after, quickly gone, and very much aimed at people already in the know. Aberdeenshire Single Malt changes that.
What is Little Brown Dog Aberdeenshire Single Malt?
Aberdeenshire Single Malt at a glance
Distillery: Glen Garioch (ten minutes from LBD HQ)
Age: 12 years old
Style: Unpeated Highland single malt
Cask recipe: 60% first-fill bourbon barrels, 40% Oloroso and PX sherry casks
ABV: 46%
Colour: Natural
Filtration: Non-chill filtered
Batch size: ~2,000 bottles (hand-numbered)
RRP: £50.00
Availability: Selected specialist retailers, UK and international
Why Glen Garioch, and why now?
This is where it gets interesting. Little Brown Dog didn’t go hunting for a fashionable distillery with a name that sells itself. They went local Glen Garioch sits about ten minutes from their HQ, making it quite literally their nearest neighbour.
Glen Garioch is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, producing a distinctly Highland style: rich, fruity, with a warmth that suits sherried maturation particularly well. It’s not the most talked-about distillery in whisky circles, but it’s a solid one, and LBD clearly know their way around its spirit.
The cask recipe 60% first-fill bourbon to 40% Oloroso and PX sherry is calibrated to let both influences speak without either one dominating. The bourbon casks bring vanilla and stone fruit; the sherry casks, particularly the PX, layer in dried fruit and a little richness. At 46% ABV and non-chill filtered, there’s enough structure to carry it.
This wasn’t a quick decision. LBD spent years developing the recipe, running it by UK retailers, distributors across nine international markets, and over 200 consumers. For a small Aberdeenshire producer, that’s a serious amount of groundwork before putting a single bottle on a shelf.
Tasting notes
Nose: Tinned peaches, apricot Danish pastry, bramble jelly
Palate: Toffee apple, custard with pears, fresh fig
Finish: Marmalade, pain d’épice, fresh roast coffee
The profile sits in well-trodden territory for this style fruity, approachable, with enough complexity to hold your interest past the first dram. The finish is the most interesting part: the coffee note coming in after the sweeter marmalade is a nice bit of contrast, and it lingers.
A permanent range entry, not a collector’s piece
This is the part worth paying attention to. Aberdeenshire Single Malt isn’t a limited edition with a pretty number on the label designed to sit in a cabinet. LBD have positioned it explicitly as a core expression something they’ll keep making, batch after batch, as long as there’s demand for it.
Batch Two is already prepared. Batch Three is underway. The pre-production preview sold out its first 500 bottles almost immediately, which suggests demand isn’t going to be a problem.
The label design is rooted in Aberdeenshire itself the silhouette of Bennachie, the surrounding farmland, even a small outline of Peedie (the little brown dog of the name) in the barley field. There’s also a QR code linking to a full breakdown of the whisky-making process and cask composition for anyone who wants to go deeper. That level of transparency isn’t standard across the industry, and it fits LBD’s wider approach.
Who is this for?
At £50, Aberdeenshire Single Malt sits in a competitive part of the market but it offers something most bottles at that price don’t: a genuine story, a real place, and a producer who cares demonstrably about what’s inside the glass.
If you’re already a Little Brown Dog collector, this gives you a reliable bottle to come back to between the limited casks. If you’ve never tried their whisky before, this is a considerably easier entry point than hunting down a sold-out single cask.
It’s an honest, well-made Highland malt at a fair price. The fruity, approachable profile means it’ll work as a sharing bottle as much as a solo dram.
Pris og tilgængelighed / Price and availability
- RRP: £50.00 (70cl)
- Launch date: 28 April 2026
- Availability: Selected specialist whisky retailers, UK and international markets
- Website: littlebrowndogspirits.com
Frequently asked questions
What is Little Brown Dog Aberdeenshire Single Malt? It’s the first permanent core expression from Aberdeenshire independent producer Little Brown Dog. A 12-year-old unpeated Highland single malt distilled at Glen Garioch, matured in 60% first-fill bourbon barrels and 40% Oloroso and PX sherry casks, bottled at 46% ABV. RRP £50.
Which distillery makes the spirit? Glen Garioch Distillery, located about ten minutes from Little Brown Dog’s headquarters in Aberdeenshire. It’s one of Scotland’s oldest Highland distilleries, known for rich, fruity spirit that suits sherried maturation well.
Is Aberdeenshire Single Malt chill filtered? No. It’s bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural colour. This preserves the texture and character of the spirit more faithfully than cold filtration would.
How many bottles are in each batch? Around 2,000 hand-numbered bottles per batch. Large by Little Brown Dog’s standards, but small enough to allow for subtle batch variation between releases. Batch Two is already prepared and Batch Three is underway.
Where can I buy Little Brown Dog Aberdeenshire Single Malt? From selected specialist whisky retailers in the UK and across international markets. Check littlebrowndogspirits.com for stockist details.
Is this a limited edition or a permanent release? Permanent. LBD have designed this as a core expression they’ll continue to produce in successive batches unlike their previous releases, which were all one-off limited editions.
Leave a Reply