We explore the Jura 17-year-old, Glentauchers 27-year-old, and Ben Nevis 28-year-old from Elixir Distillers’ Macbeth series Act 2. These drams mark our return to whisky after the twenty-something cognac reviews from the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar and the recent Coleburn pair. Elixir Distillers, partnering with Livingstone Rare, crafted the Macbeth series from Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, assigning 42 unique Scotch whiskies to play characters across six thematic groups. Whisky writer Dave Broom composed vivid portraits that tie each spirit to its character’s personality, cask profile, and regional roots, while Sir Quentin Blake supplied striking and fun bespoke label illustrations. Elixir’s team – led by Sukhinder Singh and Oliver Chilton – sources casks from their vast network and Sukhinder’s own stock, prioritising pure distillate character over dominant wood influence.
Jura 17-year-old Macbeth Elixir-Distillers (2025) Review
We start with the youngest of today’s trio: an Isle of Jura 17-year-old. This single malt, named ‘Second Murderer’, is part of Act 2 of the Macbeth series, in the ‘The Murderers’ category. It matured in Oloroso Sherry hogsheads, before being bottled at 48.5% ABV, without chill filtration nor added colour. Expect to pay around £125 in the UK, and from €135 in Europe.
Colour:
Burnished.
Nose:
Neat: Peat smoke comes across as a damp and distant bonfire and cold hearth ash, wrapped around sandalwood, dried herbs and a slightly maritime, salty edge. Thick dark-berry syrup evokes blackcurrant, cherry and blackberry, with hints of vanilla, honey and a light floral lift softening the soot and earth.
Palate:
Neat: The texture feels round and oily, carrying assertive peat smoke, charred oak and wet wood. Caramel, toffee and toasted almonds provide sweetness and chew. Spiced plums and dried fruits sit alongside herbal bitterness, hazelnut and a slightly dirty, ashy character that fits the ‘murderous’ brief.
Finish:
The finish stretches long and warming, with lingering peat ash, cocoa nibs, warm oak and dark dried fruit, edged by herbal dryness and a touch of maritime salt.
Comments:
This probably marks my first time enjoying a Jura this ‘young’ – I usually steer clear of the distillery, especially official bottlings, and only warm to independent ones nearing 30 years of age. Yet Elixir Distillers’ 17-year-old from Macbeth Act Two stands out as superb, weaving peat and sherry together with rare grace and balance. At a nearly reasonable price for the series, it tempts hard.
Rating: 8/10
Glentauchers 27-year-old Macbeth Elixir Distillers (2025) Review
We continue with a 27-year-old Glentauchers, also from Act 2 of Elixir Distillers’ Macbeth series. It matured in refill American oak casks, probably just a couple of casks, since only 300 bottles were filled in 2025, at 48% ABV, and without chill filtration nor colouring. This Glentauchers is in the Thanes category and represents Lennox. Despite the somewhat low number of bottles produced, this is still available, from £375 in the UK and from €420 in Europe.
Colour:
Pale gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is fresh and aromatic, with pronounced floral tones. Delicate orchard fruits, like apples, pears and soft stone fruits, are covered in honey and vanilla cream. A hint of toasted American oak sits in the background, with subtle waxy and grassy touches that keep the nose lively rather than oaky.
Palate:
Neat: The palate is light, expressive, and silky in texture. It delivers sweet orchard fruit, baked apples, and gentle citrus zest over clean malt sweetness. Soft spice (warm baking spice and white pepper), vanilla fudge, and a faint nutty and waxy edge add some depth, while the refill-bourbon cask influence stays supportive, not dominant, even though it does bring some bitterness.
Finish:
Long and balanced, with lingering warm spice, baked fruit and vanilla-cream richness carried by a clean oak drive. A touch of toasted American oak and gentle dryness close things out, reinforcing the poised, floral and fruity character.
Comments:
Despite refill American oak casks, the wood stayed active after 27 years and stamped its presence on the dram. Vibrant orchard fruits, florals, and gentle vanilla ride a somewhat unrefined yet assertive oak structure that holds balance without tipping over.
Rating: 7/10
Ben Nevis 28-year-old Macbeth Elixir Distillers (2025) Review
The last dram of this session is a Ben Nevis 28-year-old, also in Macbeth Act 2’s The Thanes. After 28 years of maturation in refill hogsheads, Elixir Distillers bottled it in 2025, filling 850 bottles at 50.4% ABV, without chill filtration nor added colour. You’ll have to pay about £500 in the UK and more than €550 in Europe for a bottle.
Colour:
Yellow gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose is rich and assertive, with ripe apples, redcurrants, and mixed red berries over a savoury base of dried meat, ham stock, and Ben Nevis’s characteristic ‘dirty’ funk. Vanilla cream, cereal biscuits, toasted grains, and lime notes add sweetness and brightness, with faint coastal nuances, minerals, and shellfish hints in the background.
Palate:
Neat: The palate is full-bodied and creamy. It shows stewed orchard fruits, red berry compote, gooseberry and citrus peel wrapped in malty sweetness and roasted nuts. White pepper, baking spices, herbal and grassy notes, and a touch of leather or charcuterie ride.
Finish:
The finish is long, warming and dry. Lingering malt, nuts, baked fruits, and peppery oak gradually give way to herbal, mineral and lightly coastal tones. Jammy fruit, cereal sweetness, and a subtle meaty echo stay in the aftertaste.
Comments:
Everything draws you in about this Ben Nevis – the rich, captivating nose, the savory, complex palate that screams classic Ben Nevis’ character, and the long, spicy, fruity finish brimming with layers. However, the steep price holds it back from an instant buy.