Flora and Fauna Dailuaine 16 Year Old

For those in the know, Flora & Fauna needs little introduction. Created in 1991 by United Distillers to rescue rare single malts from a life spent anonymously in blended Scotch, the range was christened by the late whisky writer Michael Jackson — a nod to the distinctive illustrations of local flora and fauna on each label. Diageo never made the name official, which somehow only adds to the mystique. With just 11 bottlings left on the open market, this is a collection worth paying attention to.

Founded in 1853 by farmer William Mackenzie in the Spey Valley between Aberlour and Ballindalloch, Dailuaine (pronounced "dal-you-an" and meaning "the green vale" in Gaelic) holds a notable place in distilling history as the first distillery to feature the now-iconic pagoda-style kiln roof, designed by celebrated architect Charles Doig. After passing through several notable blending houses, it came under the ownership of Distillers Company Ltd. in 1925 and eventually Diageo in 1997. With the vast majority of its output reserved for blended Scotch — most notably the Johnnie Walker range — the 16 Year Old Flora & Fauna remains the only continuously available distillery bottling, and one of the most richly sherried expressions in the collection. A true sherry bomb, it delivers layers of dried fruits, earthy oak, dark chocolate and warm spices, with a long, tannic finish.