This is a pre arrival offering with a firm cutoff date. Timing is an estimate and can shift due to carrier schedules, port congestion, customs, or warehouse receiving.
WOLFBURN "THE HOLLY & THE IVY" CHRISTMAS RELEASE 2026, 10 YEAR OLD
The Occasion
Wolfburn's Christmas Bottling, Before the UK Sees It
Every year the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland puts out one seasonal release. This is the 2026 edition, and it is on our November import before it has been announced anywhere, Scotland included. Wolfburn is veteran owned. So are we. That is how a distillery at the top of Scotland ends up sending its Christmas whisky to Virginia first.
The Holly & The Ivy is a full decade in second fill Oloroso sherry butts, bottled at 46% in the Wolfburn gift box. If you are buying one bottle for the table this December, this is the one built for it.
In Wolfburn's own words: the 10 year old single malt marked a significant milestone in the history of the distillery. It was their first ever age-statement release. Crafted from spirit fully matured in hand-selected second fill Oloroso sherry butts, a full decade in Spanish sherry oak has resulted in a delightfully sweet and sumptuous whisky, a fitting testament to the skill, dedication and patience of Wolfburn's master distillers.
Distillery profile, Wolfburn
- One of the most northerly distilleries on the Scottish mainland, in Thurso, Caithness, a short walk from the site of the original Wolfburn of 1821.
- Revived in 2013. Everything is made the traditional way: without haste, by hand, long fermentation, slow and gentle distillation.
- Maturation in purpose-built warehouses a short distance from the sea.
- Veteran owned, which is how this partnership started. Their motto: Fortune favours the brave.
Cask profile, 2nd fill Oloroso butts
Second fill is the choice that keeps this drinkable. First fill Oloroso for ten years would have swamped Wolfburn's clean coastal spirit. Second fill lets the sherry work as seasoning: figs, raisins, dark chocolate and nutmeg over the distillery character, not instead of it.
Bottled at 46%, natural colour, non-chill filtered. A sherried Highland malt that stays light on its feet.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Wolfburn Distillery |
| Release name | "The Holly & The Ivy, and the Running of the Deer", Christmas Release 2026 |
| Whisky style | Single malt Scotch whisky, small batch |
| Region | Highland (Thurso, Caithness) |
| Age | 10 years |
| ABV | 46% |
| Volume | 700 ml, gift boxed |
| Cask | Hand-selected 2nd fill Oloroso sherry butts, full maturation |
| Bottled | 2026, distilled, matured and bottled in Thurso |
| Natural colour | Yes |
| Non-chill filtered | Yes |
The Whiskey Lab's Quality Commitments
- Small Batch: A limited seasonal outturn, never repeated.
- Natural Colour & Non-Chill Filtered: Preserving the authentic character and purity of the whisky.
- Honest Storytelling: Every cask profile, every tasting note, written by people who actually tasted the whisky.
