21 May 2022 – a day of worldwide whisky celebration.
Held on the 3rd Saturday in May each year, World Whisky Day is an annual, global celebration of the drink once called ‘the water of life’. From seasoned whisky aficionados to eager newcomers, World Whisky Day is an invitation to everyone to try a dram. Whiskies will be savoured, discussed, and enjoyed in bars, venues, retail outlets, and homes. With continued interest in Single Malt Scotch Whisky and growing whisky sales in general, World Whisky Day is also a sales opportunity. With a celebration of all things whisky in mind, we’ve distilled a list of recommendations, from accessible drops for those new to whisky to ‘the ultimate luxury in whisky’ for the sophisticated connoisseur. We’ve also outlined our Whisky 101 course, instilling whisky knowledge to help your staff and customers.
Let’s raise a glass to a fun and enjoyable World Whisky Day!
The sales leader in a new whisky segment
For the new or just-emerging whisky drinker, or younger consumers relatively new to whisky, Naked Malt is a great place to start. Naked Malt is an unconventional blended malt made with a unique combination of the world’s finest single malts. At Naked, they believe in the freedom to do things differently – not tied to conventional whisky-making rules. So, instead of maturing their blended malt in pre-used bourbon casks, they use ‘Naked’ first-fill sherry casks instead. The result is a versatile, accessible premium liquid attracting a new generation of whisky drinkers. Over the last five years, Naked Malt has become the fastest-growing contemporary whisky1 with consecutive years of double-digit growth.
Naked Malt – for lovers of the unconventional
It’s what’s inside that counts.
Nose
Buttery toffee, apples, sweet spice.
Taste
Vanilla custard, stewed fruit, raisins and sultanas.
Finish
Sweet, sherried spice.

Bruichladdich – for lovers of sustainable & artisanal single malt
From the fabled Isle of Islay on Scotland’s west coast come three distinctly different drams from a whisky-maker determined to do things differently.
Bruichladdich Distillery on the fabled Island of Islay off West Scotland has been independently verified by the B Corp as ‘using business as a force for good’.
Bruichladdich’s ambitions fall under four key sustainability pillars: Agriculture & Biodiversity, Packaging & Waste, Energy, and Islay & Community.
Over 50% of Bruichladdich’s grain requirements are grown locally on 21 different farms, preserving heritage barley varieties and protecting agricultural ecosystems. This has helped make them the inspiration of many craft distillers, focusing on the provenance and traceability of their barley varieties from different farms, fields or “terroirs”.
All packaging is 100% recyclable, and all electricity is 100% renewable. Out of commitment to the local Islay community, Bruichladdich refuses to outsource warehousing and bottling, which makes them the island’s largest private employer.
Not to mention home to the unique Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore single malt whiskies.
For customers who want something a little different, Bruichladdich‘s unpeated single malt fits the bill perfectly – soft, floral and elegantly complex, smooth as pebbles in a pool.
Crafted from individually selected casks, each Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie batch is unique and subtly different.
Colour
Sunlight on fields of early summer barley.
Nose
A brilliant bouquet opens with barley sugar and a hint of mint before leading into glorious notes of freshly cut wildflowers.

Palate
The palate entry is refined and refreshing, the sweet oak and the barley arriving together, sending the taste buds into raptures. The fruits from distillation drift in on an Atlantic breeze and pop on the tongue like champagne bubbles.
Finish
A combination of ripe green fruit, brown sugar, and sweet malt brings closure.
Port Charlotte 10-Year-Old – a stunning introduction to the power of peat
For those who like their single malt scotch less floral and peatier, Progressive Hebridean Distillers (P.H.D) also offers the heavily peated Port Charlotte 10-year-old single malt. Port Charlotte single malts are bottled at 50% alcohol in limited numbers and peated to a heavyweight 40PPM. This sweet and fruity spirit spends time in first-fill American whiskey casks and second-fill French wine casks. It is then matured in the finest French oak from Bordeaux for an extra year.
Nose
Waves of golden caramel, fudge, vanilla custard, hints of ginger, nutmeg and clove. Citrus fruit is coaxed from the glass with a drop of water, with gentle lemon meringue and clementine. Floral aromas of wild thyme, heather, and sea.
Palate
The balance of flavour is superb as the smoke wraps loosely around the sweetness drawn from deep within the oak. Coconut, vanilla custard, lemon, and honey combined with smoked oysters and sun-baked salty sand.
Finish
The soft sweetness of fudge and malted barley, orange, mango and Banoffee pie, ripe apple and apricot, beautifully intertwined with malt and oak sweetness and typical Port Charlotte style dry smoke.

Octomore 12 Series – Super-heavily peated Islay single malt whisky
Bruichladdich Distilleries Octomore single malts have defied received whisky wisdom since they were first distilled in 2002. Sometimes bottled bold and brazen at 5 years old, always super heavily peated and bottled at high strength, usually around 60% ABV. Every Octomore release challenges perceptions of what constitutes quality whisky – with stunning results.
Octomore 12.1 – delicate but powerful, this is unadulterated heavy smoke balanced with our vivacious and dynamic, fruity and floral distillate. Octomore 12.1 is peated to a super-heavy 130.8PPM and matured editions solely in ex-American whiskey casks for 5 vibrant years. Mainland grown Scottish barley trickle-distilled, resulting in cereal-rich, barley-forward malty with Vanilla, citrus and fudge.
Nose
Opens on zesty citrus freshness and earthy peat smoke. Vanilla sponge cake and barley sugars with rich malt sweetness. Coconut and chocolate, vanilla and caramel follow. As the aromas open further, cinder toffee and layers of Peat smoke and honey come to the fore.
Palate
Peppery and sweet on the palate, with a texture of warm golden syrup. Honey and peat smoke then fired oak chips and peaty apricot jam. Malted barley sugars and straw, heather flower and a nutty nougat sweetness. A mineral sandy note sits on the palate and brings through a dry earthy smoke and hints of orange zest and pear drops.
Finish
The finish brings salted caramel with floral and herbal notes. Honeysuckle, primrose and then gentle peat smoke, as ever, the note that drifts on the longest.
Octomore 12.2 – follows in the footsteps of a previous legendary Octomore release. The now infamous Octomore 4.2 (Comus) became one of the most acclaimed and sought-after whiskies in the Bruichladdich distillery portfolio, proving that heavy peat smoke combined with sweet dessert wine of Sauternes is an incredible pairing. Octomore 12.2 spends three and a half years in ex-American oak casks, before being recasked in Sauternes casks to add 18 months of supercharged fruit flavours. Melon, white peach, honeysuckle and coconut add a real twist and sweetness to compliment the peat smoke of this heavily phenolic malt.
Nose
Initial notes of melon, honey and smoked almonds initially. Toasted oak and earthy smoke are held back by layers of fruit and honey. There is orange peel, peaches, ripe sweet melon, a lemon and honey combination all wrapped in a malted grain sweetness. Dried apple and pear drops come next with a wave of peat smoke and toasted oak, releasing earthy and pine resin notes.
Palate
Lemon zest and vanilla pods, melon and orange blossom. Caramel, baking spices and a touch of dryness carrying the smoke and the malt sweetness. Ripe fruit drizzled in syrup speaks of the influence of the Sauternes casks.
Finish
A salty lemon tang arrives as the fruit and oak fade a little. That lovely earthy peat smoke moves in to dominate the finish in true Octomore style.
Octomore 12.3 – single vintage, single field, single malt, peated to 118.1 PPM. Raised in Church Field on Octomore Farm, this Islay-grown barley has been trickle distilled just two miles from where it grew. This terroir-driven spirit took two separate journeys before being combined. 75% was filled into ex-American whiskey casks, while the remaining 25% spent five years maturing in genuine Pedro Ximenez Solera casks. These casks contributed sweet, dried fruit notes, highlighting Octomore’s robust, rich, dry peat smoke.
Nose
Light sherry notes of fig, raisin and dates with charcoal, boot polish smoky notes, followed by light, fresh citrus honey, intense floral notes of honeysuckle and orange blossom, dark toffee, milk chocolate and vanilla. Smoked grain, seaweed, linseed oil, and tobacco notes as the whisky continues to open.
Palate
Peppery nasturtium flowers, dark chocolate, earthy peat smoke and sherry fruits, followed by barley sugar and charred oak, rich toffee, and tobacco notes. Sweet pastry and toasted grain, then more sooty, earthy peat smoke.
Finish
Charcoal, soot and dried figs. Salted lemons and bitter chocolate.

A Wild Harmony of Flavours
The single malt scotch whisky with Viking Honour at its heart, Highland Park reflects the unique culture of Orkney – part of Scotland but originally belonging to a vast Viking kingdom.
Every drop of Highland Park is still made the old-fashioned way – created with the famous heather peat unique to the Orkney Islands. This peat is dug out of a 4,000-year-old peat moor by hand, one shovel at a time. Orkney peat adds a sophisticated smoky character, part of the wild harmony of flavours that make Highland Park one of the most outstanding single malts in the world.
Highland Park 15 Year Old (Viking Heart)
In a special nod to its Viking Heritage, Highland Park 15 Year Old comes in a distinctive ceramic decanter with stand-out shelf appeal. Embossed with the famous Highland Park lion and serpent design, the decanter was inspired by heritage examples found at its Orkney distillery.

Nose
Rich and spicy aromas of Crème Brulee, heather honey and crumbled cinnamon.
Palate
Toasted cinnamon shards. Mellow peat smoke. Fresh pineapple with a scattering of sun-kissed lemon zest – and a hint of freshly-baked sponge cake. Heather-rich honey.
Finish
Citrus and vanilla notes linger in aromatic waves of peat smoke.
And when you thought things couldn’t get any better, there’s…

Highland Park 18-year-old (Viking Pride)
Named by the American whisky expert, F Paul Pacult, as ‘Best Spirit in the World’ (Spirit Journal), 18 Year Old Viking Pride is highly-awarded. It won both a Gold and an Ultimate Recommendation at the 2021 International Spirits Challenge.
Nose
Rich, mature oak, hints of chocolate and cherry. Top note of aromatic smoke.
Palate
Rich, full flavour, honey sweetness, chocolate and peat.
Finish
Soft, round and long with a whisper of peat on the finish.
The Ultimate Luxury in Single Malt Scotch
We refer, of course, to The Macallan – esteemed by many as the pinnacle of Luxury Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The Macallan is the World’s No. 1 single malt scotch whisky by value2 and the no.1 Single Malt whisky (over $100) in Australia3.
Sustainability has been a guiding principle for The Macallan since 1824. That year, The Macallan began crafting its single malt whisky in perfect harmony with the beautiful nature surrounding The Macallan Estate in Scotland’s Speyside. This 485-acre Estate is an area of exceptional natural beauty that supports a rich and varied ecosystem, which is carefully protected.
The Macallan Double Cask Range – crafted without compromise
As its name implies, The Macallan Double Cask Range is aged in two types of oak. American oak imparts delicate flavours of vanilla, citrus and butterscotch. European oak delivers the unmistakable subtle spice of The Macallan. After maturing for 12, 15 or 18 years, these two exceptional whiskies are united to create a distinctive single malt with a sweeter, warmer taste and character. Let’s look at The Macallan Double Cask 18 Year Old more closely.
The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old
The epitome of perfect balance. A sensual, rich and luxurious single malt with a sweeter, warmer taste and character.
Nose
Dried fruit, ginger, and toffee. Rich orange with hints of clove and nutmeg.
Palate
Rich raisin and sultana with caramel, vanilla and ginger notes, balanced by wood spice and zesty citrus.
Finish
Warm oak spice with ginger, turning to sweet orange.


Whisky 101 – equipping your staff with whisky knowledge
Whisky 101 is a fun, engaging training that introduces new bartenders to the world of whisky – starting with the basics. Staff learn the difference between Irish Whiskey, Bourbon, and Scotch Whisky, including blended Scotch whisky, blended malt, single malt, and single grain.
Staff who complete the basic module can go on to Grain to Glass, a primer on the mysterious alchemy of whisky-making. Keen staff can also attend The Whisky Project for professional bartenders who desire more profound knowledge.
Whisky 101 is provided by Spirits Academy, our bar and venue staff educational program. If you think your staff could benefit, see how to get in touch below.
A single malt sales opportunity on World Whisky Day
World Whisky Day is a prime opportunity for sales growth. At Spirits Platform, we offer a curated selection of the finest single malt whiskies that can help make World Whisky Day highly profitable for your business.
If you’d like to learn more about these exceptional single malt or blended malt whiskies mentioned above, please call your local brand Ambassador. And if you’d like to know about the Whisky 101 staff training series, contact National Ambassadorial Manager Mark Hickey on 0420941853.
If you would like to order any of our recommended whiskies, contact your State Manager below.
Lastly, to stay in touch with the latest trends, distillery news, and new releases and take advantage of exclusive offers for our subscribers, please subscribe here.