Flora and Fauna Auchroisk 10 Year Old

It was the late whisky writer Michael Jackson who gave this collection its name, struck by the illustrations of local wildlife and plants adorning each label — a name Diageo never officially adopted, yet one that has defined the range ever since. Flora & Fauna was launched in 1991 by United Distillers to bring rare single malt expressions from distilleries whose output was otherwise reserved entirely for blended Scotch. Today only 11 bottlings remain on the market, and their growing scarcity has only deepened the collection's allure among enthusiasts and connoisseurs.

Founded in 1972 in central Speyside by International Distillers & Vintners, Auchroisk (pronounced "Othrusk") was built primarily to supply malt whisky for J&B Rare blended Scotch. Originally released as The Singleton of Auchroisk — a rebrand designed to sidestep the distillery's tricky name — it joined Diageo's Flora & Fauna range in 2001 following the merger that formed Diageo, dropping the Singleton prefix in the process. With virtually all output still destined for blending, the 10 Year Old Flora & Fauna remains the only widely available distillery bottling. It is a distinctively savoury, complex and full-bodied dram, with an oily texture and dry character marked by malted barley, salt caramel, bitter chocolate, wood char and a long, smoky finish.