DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 27 July 2026

US Restores Zero Tariffs on Scotch and UK Whiskies

The United States has restored zero-tariff treatment for Scotch and other UK whiskies, carving the category out of a wider Section 301 action imposing new duties on goods from 60 trading partners. The USTR announced the action on July 23, with tariffs taking effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on July 24. Most UK goods face an additional 10% tariff, but the Federal Register notice exempts HTSUS codes 2208.30.30 and 2208.30.60 — covering Irish and Scotch whiskies and other UK-made whiskies. The exemption covers Scotch plus whiskies from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK government confirmed the first tariff-free Scotch shipment would leave for the US within 48 hours, implementing an April commitment under the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal. DISCUS president Chris Swonger called it "much-needed relief." Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander called the US the largest value market for Scotch. The wider Section 301 action drew criticism from China, Australia, Brazil, and Norway, with the EU's Kaja Kallas calling the forced-labour justification "not really grounded."

Murray's take: Scotch has been tariff-whipped for years — the Airbus dispute, steel and aluminium retaliation, and now a Section 301 sweep hitting 60 countries. The exemption is not generosity. It's sustained lobbying by Toasts Not Tariffs, DISCUS, and the SWA, plus a trade deal that recognised whisky as worth protecting. The 10% tariff on other UK goods tells you where whisky sits: above politics, or at least above this round. The real test is whether zero-for-zero holds when the next dispute arrives. For now, distillers shipping to the US can breathe.

---

Ian Macleod Launches Private Client Business for Rare Whisky Casks

Ian Macleod Distillers has launched a dedicated Private Client Business, giving collectors direct access to rare casks and limited bottlings from its portfolio. The Broxburn-based company — one of only two drinks businesses offering single casks from its own distilleries across all four Scottish whisky regions — offers casks from Rosebank, Tamdhu, Glengoyne, and Laggan Bay. Holdings include Tamdhu sherry casks dating to the 1960s, some of the final Rosebank casks distilled before the distillery's 1993 closure, and Glengoyne bourbon and sherry stocks from the 1970s onwards. William Ovens has been appointed Head of Private Clients, working alongside Stuart Hendry, Private Client Director, both with over 25 years in premium spirits. Rosebank was voted "The World's Best Whisky" at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2025.

Murray's take: Ian Macleod owns some of the most bankable names in Scotch — Rosebank alone carries a valuation premium most distilleries can only dream of. The final pre-1993 Rosebank casks are finite, and every bottle drawn from them increases the rarity of what remains. This is not new — Diageo, Edrington, and William Grant all run private cask programmes — but IMD's portfolio depth across four regions gives it a structural advantage. The 1960s Tamdhu sherry casks are the headline. Sherry casks from that era, with decades of wood engagement, are genuinely rare. Appointing Ovens, who built the travel retail business, signals private clients is a serious revenue stream, not a side project.

---

Port Charlotte 10: The Original Still Edges Out the Successor

The Whiskey Wash's Robert De Santis tasted the older and newer versions of Port Charlotte 10 side by side. Both are 50% ABV, non-chill filtered, no added colour — but the similarities end there. The older 2016 bottling is lighter in colour, with less sherry and tempranillo wine cask influence. The newer 2018 version sits darker, pointing to more first-fill bourbon casks. On the nose, the original carries classic Port Charlotte peat with an old-school Islay character reminiscent of Ardbeg — apricot, peach, and grape, remarkable for a fresh bottle. The newer 10 is more ashy, trading fruit for smoke. On the palate, the older bottling is rich, viscous, and fruit-forward with wine cask influence still humming. The newer version is genuinely good but carries a slightly metallic note on the finish. De Santis scored the older at 88, the newer at 86, suggesting the newer could climb to 87 on its own merits. The darker-tinted bottle on the newer version raised questions about whether the packaging was designed to mask the colour shift.

Murray's take: Bruichladdich has always been transparent about cask recipes — the shift from wine cask to first-fill bourbon is a deliberate philosophy change, not cost-cutting. The question is whether it's the right direction. De Santis's verdict — original 88, newer 86 — suggests the old recipe had more depth. Wine casks add fruit and viscosity that bourbon alone can't replicate. The tinted bottle on the newer version is the detail that lingers. If the recipe changed, own the colour change. Hiding it behind darker glass suggests someone in marketing knew the visual shift might unsettle buyers. Port Charlotte 10 remains excellent in either form. The original is better.

---

Ben Buckler Whisky Valued at $10m with Shark Tank Backing for US Expansion

Australian TV personality Larry Emdur's whisky label, The Ben Buckler, is expanding into the US after securing investment from Shark Tank panellist Robert Herjavec, valuing the company at around $10 million. Emdur started the brand two years ago, originally making 60 bottles with Corowa Distilling Company for his 60th birthday. The single malt combines ex-tawny port and bourbon barrels, retailing at $95 AUD — below Archie Rose ($120) and Lark ($200). The whisky is stocked in Heinemann Duty Free and has won medals in international spirits competitions. Kristy Bloomfield, appointed global CEO in June, previously served as CMO at Lyre's Spirit Co and Sullivans Cove Distillery in Tasmania. Herjavec, who made his fortune selling BRAK Systems to AT&T Canada and a majority stake in Herjavec Group to Apax Partners, said: "I am not a passive investor — I put my energy and time where I put my money." The investment will increase production at Corowa and expand the product range. The Australian Distillers Association reports craft distillers have grown from fewer than 30 in 2014 to around 700, with exports projected to reach $1 billion by 2035.

Murray's take: A 60th birthday project that becomes a $10 million company is either a great whisky or a great story — probably both. The $95 price point is the sharpest part of the strategy. Australian single malt has a reputation for premium pricing, and Ben Buckler is deliberately undercutting the category while competing on medals. Herjavec's involvement is celebrity capital with teeth — he's funding production expansion and committing to US distribution. The Corowa distillery in New South Wales is the production anchor. The question is whether an Australian single malt at $95 can differentiate in the US, where bourbon dominates the sub-$100 tier and Scotch owns prestige. Duty-free placement catches travellers before they hit US shelves. Whether they come back for a second bottle is the test.

---

Kingsbarns Opens Scotland's First Distillery Putting Green

Kingsbarns Distillery, just outside St Andrews in the East Neuk of Fife, has unveiled what is believed to be the first putting green at a Scottish distillery. Created by Wemyss Family Spirits, the six-hole green overlooks the St Andrews coastline, uniting whisky and golf in a single visitor destination. The distillery was founded by local golf caddie Douglas Clement in 2009, and golf has been part of its identity since inception. The green adds to an established golf-inspired whisky collection including the sold-out Caddie's Dream release and the recent 19th Hole expression, created with The Dunvegan Hotel. Visitors can combine a distillery tour and tasting with time on the green. William Wemyss, founder and chairman, said: "Golf and whisky have always felt naturally connected, and particularly so in a place like St Andrews where both are woven into the very identity of the area."

Murray's take: St Andrews without whisky would be like St Andrews without golf — technically possible, culturally wrong. Kingsbarns was founded by a caddie, sits in the shadow of the Home of Golf, and has just built a putting green at a working distillery. This is a destination play. Distillery tourism in Scotland is crowded — Islay has peat, Speyside has scale, the Highlands have scenery. Fife has golf, and Kingsbarns is the only distillery leaning into that. The Caddie's Dream sell-out tells you the golf-whisky crossover has a buying audience. The 19th Hole collaboration with The Dunvegan — the hotel opposite the Old Course where every caddie has a tab — is the right partnership. You putt, you taste, you buy. That's the funnel.

---

Got a tip or story we should cover? Find us at drammaster.academy or email [email protected].