Living Souls debuts with 40YO blend

A new spirits brand specialising in small batch and single cask releases, Living Souls, has launched with four blended whiskies.

The independent bottler’s inaugural collection, Batch No 1, showcases four whiskies and 'sets a high bar for the brand's quality and craftsmanship’. Jamie Williamson, whose whisky industry experience spans 15 years, said: “Our main goal with Batch No 1 was to create a range that appeals to various palates while maintaining the same uncompromising standards of quality. We believe and certainly hope that this first quartet has achieved that balance nicely.” Living Souls was founded by three industry contemporaries: John Torrance, a spirit sourcing specialist who formerly served as head of operations at Douglas Laing and general manager at Tullibardine; Williamson, founder of UK spirits distributor Kilninian Drinks Co; and Calum Leslie, creator of PeatReekers and former head of innovation at Loch Lomond Group. Torrance commented: “With Living Souls, we’re not just introducing new whiskies; we’re setting the scene for unforgettable experiences. “Each expression in Batch No 1 has been carefully selected to offer something special to connoisseurs and collectors alike, setting the tone for future releases.” The first of the four whiskies is a 15-year-old blend created with the brand’s Solera system. Offered at 46% ABV and retailing for £49.50 (US$64), the release 'evokes casual opulence of a twilight dinner by the coast with notes of Sherry and tapas-style meats’. Displaying fresh apple and smoke notes, the second bottling is an 18-year-old Ledaig and Tobermory blended malt. Both single malts are distilled at the same distillery on the Isle of Mull and aged in refill butts and hogsheads.  Offered at 41% ABV, the expression retails for £100 (US$130). A 19-year-old Kildalton Islay blended malt has been aged in refill Bourbon and Sherry casks, offering peat smoke and briny sea notes on the palate. The bottling is offered at 42% ABV and retails at £135 (US$175). The last expression is a 40-year-old blended Scotch, laid to marry in 1998 in a single refill Sherry butt. The whisky displays notes of ripe, juicy fruit and woody freshness and has a suggested retail price of £125 (US$162). Leslie added: “As an independent bottler, we have the freedom to explore and select the very best spirits. This flexibility allows us to focus entirely on creating unique flavour profiles that truly stand out. "We are already hard at work on Batch No 2, and we can’t wait for people to see what else we have in store.” Living Souls’ Batch No 1 will be available from specialist retailers throughout the UK. The whiskies will also be available for sale in Germany, with distribution to France and Italy likely in the near future.