Aberdeenshire bottler’s milestone caps a year of awards shortlists and growth
Independent spirits producer Little Brown Dog has released its 100th bottling, Glen Ord 2013, marking what the company called a landmark year for the Aberdeenshire business. Founded in 2018 by Andrew Smith and Chris Reid, the company has grown from what it describes as a passion project started in a garage into an independent bottler and micro-distillery.
Glen Ord 2013 was chosen for the milestone release for its personal significance to Andrew Smith. Andrew Smith, Director and Co-Founder of Little Brown Dog, said: “Reaching our 100th release is something we’re incredibly proud of. We started Little Brown Dog in a garage, and while it’s taken us a little longer than some to reach this milestone, we’ve always been particular about the whiskies we put our name to.”
He added: “We wanted our 100th bottling to mean something beyond the number. Glen Ord has a real personal connection for me, bringing back memories of sharing whisky with my dad and, more recently, my father-in-law. It felt like the right whisky to mark the occasion.”
Distilled in 2013 and aged for 13 years, the single malt combines two hogsheads vatted and married for a year in an Oloroso sherry puncheon. It is bottled at cask strength of 54.1% ABV, with natural colour and no chill filtration, with 546 bottles produced. Tasting notes include lemon meringue pie, peach sweets and baked strawberry, followed by salted pecans, crème brûlée and white pepper.
The release comes near the end of a year in which Little Brown Dog introduced its first permanent core whisky and secured nominations at the Scottish Whisky Awards and the UK-wide Spirits Business Awards, where it is shortlisted for Spirits Bottler of the Year this November. In April, the company launched Aberdeenshire Single Malt, its first core expression whisky, distilled at Glen Garioch Distillery, described as ten minutes from Little Brown Dog’s headquarters. The 12-year-old Highland single malt was created to reflect the character of the region, and the company said it has become its best-selling product of 2026. The expression has been shortlisted for Best Single Malt 12 Year Old and Product Launch of the Year at the Scottish Whisky Awards.
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The year also saw Little Brown Dog welcome its first employee, Alex Brown, who had supported the business with label design for several years and now works across production, design and operations.
Chris Reid, Director and Co-Founder of Little Brown Dog, said: “It’s been a pretty incredible year for us. Launching our first core whisky was a huge moment, and seeing how well it’s been received, alongside the awards shortlists, has been genuinely rewarding. To finish the year with our 100th release feels like a fitting way to celebrate how far we’ve come, and we’re hugely grateful to everyone who’s supported us along the way.”
Glen Ord 2013 is part of Little Brown Dog’s final small-batch and single cask collection of 2026, with a recommended retail price of £75.
