Westport 2008 18 Year Old | Teaspooned Blended Malt | 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry HHD | 55% ABV

There's a whisky tradition that doesn't get talked about enough — the "teaspooned" malt. When a distillery wants to protect its name from appearing outside of official releases, a teaspoon's worth of another malt is added, technically making it a blended malt. The spirit inside remains overwhelmingly single distillery; only the label changes. Westport is one such whisky — an 18 year old drawn predominantly from a Highland distillery renowned for its particularly tall stills, a feature that produces a notably light, elegant, and fruit-forward spirit.

Finished for 14 months in a first-fill oloroso sherry hogshead sourced from Bodegas Barbadillo — a sherry bodega the Rare Find team work closely with — this is a release where provenance runs deep at every level. Just 204 bottles were filled.

• Bottling Name: Westport
• Style: Teaspooned Blended Malt (predominantly single Highland distillery)
• Age: 18 Years Old (Distilled 2008)
• Region: Highland, Scotland
• Cask: 1st Fill Oloroso Sherry Hogshead (HHD) | 14-month finish | Bodegas Barbadillo
• ABV: 55% — natural cask strength
• Outturn: 204 bottles only
• Style: Single Cask, Non-Chill Filtered, Natural Colour

Tasting Notes

Nose: Crisp apple, poached pear, tinned fruit cocktail, and peaches in syrup. Fresh, bright, and immediately inviting.

Palate: Continued liveliness with perfectly ripe fruit, runny golden syrup, and fresh apricots. The sherry cask adds weight and sweetness without masking the distillery character.

Finish: Lingering tinned fruit with dusty oak and a touch of white pepper. Elegant and unhurried.

What Is a Teaspooned Malt?

Many distilleries — particularly those whose new make is sought after by independent bottlers — have contractual restrictions preventing their name from being used outside of official releases. The workaround is simple: add a teaspoon's worth of another malt whisky to the cask, and it legally becomes a blended malt. The character of the whisky is unchanged; only the classification shifts. Teaspooned malts have become something of a collector's subcategory in their own right — a knowing nod between bottler and enthusiast. If you're familiar with Highland distilleries known for tall stills and fruit-driven spirit, you may already have a good idea of what's in this bottle.

About Bodegas Barbadillo

Founded in Sanlúcar de Barrameda in 1821, Bodegas Barbadillo is one of Andalusia's most respected sherry producers. The Rare Find team's close working relationship with Barbadillo ensures consistent access to exceptional first-fill oloroso wood — casks that have held fine sherry and bring genuine depth, dried fruit, and spice to every whisky they touch.

Delivery & Authenticity

Every bottle is sourced, inspected, and dispatched directly from Whiskys.co.uk in Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire. Secure specialist packaging, UK and international shipping, and verified Trustpilot reviews as standard. Questions? We're always happy to talk whisky.