New independent whisky bottler Halcyon Spirits unveils its inaugural release

A new family-owned independent whisky bottler, Halcyon Spirits, has launched its first-ever release – a single cask Macallan 30 Year Old which was distilled in 1993.

Halcyon Spirits has been developed by brothers Daniel and Craig Milne.

The independent bottling brand, based in Ellon, was developed by brothers Daniel and Craig Milne, who also co-founded global auction platform Whisky Hammer and whisky e-retailer Still Spirit.

The Macallan 30 Year Old has been matured in a first fill sherry cask and bottled by Halcyon Spirits at 49.8% ABV cask strength. Priced at £2,950 per bottle, only 238 bottles are available for purchase via the Halcyon Spirits website.

The whisky has been described by David Robertson, an independent whisky expert and former Macallan Master Distiller, as “a superb example of a well matured Spanish oak sherry vintage whisky, displaying many of the classic characteristics of a 25–35-year-old Macallan.”

To support global action on climate change, Halcyon Spirits will fund the planting of ten trees for every bottle sold, meaning this inaugural release alone will result in 2,380 trees being planted.

Daniel and Craig Milne launched Halcyon Spirits following the recent completion of a state-of-the-art cask warehouse housing over 2,000 casks – a decision that allows the brothers to securely store, mature, and bottle whisky from Scotland’s most sought-after distilleries.

The casks selected by the Halcyon team are bottled on site in Aberdeenshire. As single cask releases, only a few hundred bottles will be available from each cask, with this inaugural release marking the first of just a few must-have releases from Halcyon Spirits planned for this year.

Daniel Milne, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Halcyon Spirits, said: “Launching Halcyon Spirits has been a true passion project for my brother Craig and I. As whisky fanatics ourselves, our goal is to be able to find and share incredible whiskies with others.

“The name ‘Halcyon’ encapsulates our dedication to bottle exceptional whiskies which, when enjoyed, can allow our customers to relive memories of joy and nostalgia. The name also has deep significance to our family as it pays homage to our grandfather’s fishing boat, Halcyon BF187.

“We are in a fortunate position to have direct access to a fantastic selection of quality maturing whisky casks, which makes the journey of selection and bottling incredibly exciting.”