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About Little Brown Dog Distillery
Most popular bottles from the bottler
A brief History
Little Brown Dog Spirits, Scotland. Founded in 2018
Small, Scrappy, and Seriously Good Whisky from Aberdeenshire
If you like your whisky with a little attitude and a lot of heart, then Little Brown Dog should be firmly on your radar. This isn’t some legacy brand with a tartan-clad story to tell. It’s a modern, independent whisky bottler and distiller, run by a couple of whisky-obsessed pals in the Aberdeenshire countryside — and yes, there really is a little brown dog involved.
What started as an experimental bottling project quickly turned into one of the most exciting names in the indie whisky scene. Little Brown Dog (or LBD for short) was born out of curiosity and a refusal to take whisky too seriously — but don’t let the playful branding fool you. The whisky is thoughtful, clever, and genuinely excellent. They bottle single casks, create wild cask finishes, and have recently started producing their own grain-to-glass spirit on-site.
Whether it’s a peated Islay cask or a zesty Speysider finished in an Oloroso Octave, LBD keeps things fresh, fun, and flavour-first.
Taste Profile
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 |
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| Spicy |
Fruity
|
Peaty / Smoky |
With LBD bottling whisky from all over Scotland (and even making their own), flavours can vary — but you can expect bold, honest expressions that aren’t afraid to do things differently. Many of their releases are cask strength, non-chill filtered, and completely unpolished — in the best way.
Little Brown Dog Whisky is known for its wild, characterful bottlings — often cask strength, always full of personality. Their flavour-first philosophy leads to drams that are textured, layered, and proudly different. Key characteristics include:
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Earthy peat with BBQ smoke and charcoal
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Spiced plum, dried fig and leathery depth
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Bright vanilla and zingy fruit in bourbon finishes
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Playful, evolving palate that keeps things interesting
Top 4 Flavour Profile Ingredients
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Dried Fruits (Raisins, Figs, Dates) |
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Cinnamon / Clove |
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Peat Smoke |
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Vanilla |
LBD releases come and go quickly, but here are a few that have left their mark on the scene:
| Whisky | ABV | Tasting Notes |
|---|---|---|
| LBD Cask #1 (Invergordon 1992 Single Grain) | 50.1% | Rich caramel, vanilla cream, buttery oak, orchard fruit |
| LBD Peated Highland Single Malt #LBDLaph2022 | 58.6% | Briny smoke, lemon zest, sea salt, burning embers |
| LBD Ardmore 2009 PX Octave Finish | 55.3% | Sultanas, spice cake, smoked raisins, black pepper |
| Little Brown Dog Distilled (Own Make) | Varies | Young but bold – cereal, herbal, citrus peel, white pepper |
Most of these are small-batch or single cask releases, meaning once they’re gone — they’re gone. And collectors have started to take notice, too.
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The Bottler
Little Brown Dog Spirits
Address: West Aquhorthies Farm, Fetternear, Inverurie, United Kingdom, AB51 5JY
 Open in maps |
 https://littlebrowndogspirits.com/ |
 Not Available |
Visitor Centre
Little Brown Dog does not operate a public visitor centre, but they’re a visible presence at whisky festivals across the UK and are known for their social media tastings and updates. Keep an eye out for pop-ups and collabs.
If you're lucky enough to catch them at an event, you'll quickly see why they’ve built such a loyal following — approachable, passionate, and properly geeky in the best way.
Ownership & Background
Founded by:
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Andrew Smith (vet) and Chris Clark (former drinks industry pro)
Year Established:
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2018 (official bottling operations)
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First grain-to-glass whisky released from their own still in 2022
Still small, still independent, and still answering only to their own palates — Little Brown Dog is a modern whisky maker that respects tradition but refuses to be boxed in by it.
Bottler Facts
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Founded: Established in 2018 by Dr. Andrew Smith and Chris Reid.
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Location: Based in Fetternear, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
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Name Origin: Named after Andrew’s dog, Banksy, who often accompanied him on distillery visits and became the brand’s namesake.
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Micro-Distillery: Operates a small-scale setup with a 10-litre copper pot still (“wee dug”) and a 100-litre still (“big dug”).
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Independent Bottler: Bottles unique single cask whiskies—typically at cask strength, with no chill filtration or added coloring.
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Product Range: Offers single malt, blended malt, single grain whisky, as well as gin, calvados, rum, and experimental spirits.
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Local Focus: Uses locally sourced and foraged botanicals, especially in gin production.
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Creative Releases: Known for playful branding, transparency, and bold flavor choices.
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Small Batches: Emphasizes handcrafted, small-batch production for quality and innovation.
