Review: St. James's Blend: A remarkably delicious whisky accident

Last Saturday, Whisky Monkey Hessel was at Art of Drinks. On the hunt for great stories, he came across a truly unusual blend. The St. James's blend was the result of an unfortunate mishap at Berry Bros and Rudd—but for Dutch whisky lovers, it’s a delicious surprise with a wonderful story behind it.

More than ten years ago, Berry Bros and Rudd introduced a new bottling line. On what began as an otherwise ordinary day, the independent bottler was set to bottle a Speyside whisky aged a little over 20 years. The name of the Speyside distillery remains a secret. Even at the stand at The Art of Drinks, Joe Whittaker, global brand ambassador at Berry Bros and Rudd, is not allowed to reveal it.

When it came time to bottle the 1988 or 1989 Speyside whisky, things went wrong. An employee on the bottling line, still unfamiliar with the new equipment, pressed the wrong button. As a result, some 12-year-old blended Scotch—very well known to the general public—that was still in the pipes mixed with the Speyside whisky due to be bottled. A human error, but an expensive one.

The damage was done, but there was no solution in sight. The bottles intended for travel retail would normally have fetched between £400 and £500, but were now unusable. The decision was made to return the whisky to Oloroso sherry casks and a few former Islay whisky casks. The casks were put into the warehouse while the team decided what to do with the mistake.

As often happens with things you put off, the casks were forgotten—until they turned up in the warehouse during a routine inspection sometime between the second and third quarters of 2026. The whisky tasted good, so the decision was made to bottle this “failure” after ten years. The contents are considerably older, but the regulations mean the label on this St. James's Blended Scotch has to say 10 Years Old.

After that remarkable story, let’s take a look at the label on this St. James's Blended Scotch whisky. It features a cadastral map of London, with Pall Mall, James’ Street and James Square clearly marked. The age statement, 10 Years Old, immediately catches your eye on this old-school label. It’s simple, but stylish.

Time to pour a dram. As the light amber whisky glides into our Glencairn glass, its aromas rise straight away. The rich, comforting scent of warm vanilla sauce, with a little lemon zest, fills the nose. Our first impression is an immediately pleasant one.

On the second sniff, we pick up sweet red apples with cinnamon and a hint of woodsmoke. This isn’t a whisky you simply take a sip of without first conducting a thorough nosing session from the comfort of your sofa. And to think this little treat costs just €45 a bottle. A bargain, if you ask us.

Does the taste impress us as much as the aroma? We take our first sip, and a smile quickly spreads across our faces. Apple and lemon come through again at first, but the whisky soon reveals a much richer side. Let’s take our time and see what happens on the second and third sips.

After the fresh opening, we taste dark chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla shortbread. The whisky has a creamy mouthfeel, with sweetness balanced by a little spice. It’s all wrapped in the same faint puff of woodsmoke we picked up on the nose. This is a distinctive yet balanced flavour profile, hinting that the whisky in the bottle is considerably older than the ten years stated on the label.

The finish on this St. James's blend is long and warming. Its buttery creaminess lingers on the tongue, along with lasting notes of vanilla, caramel and apple. The warming spice of old, slightly dusty cinnamon sticks and a touch of smoky oak cling to the inside of the cheeks and the palate. It’s exactly what you want when you take the time to savour a glass of whisky.

It’s almost hard to believe you can buy this whisky for €45 a bottle. It may have been an expensive mishap for Berry Bros and Rudd, but we reckon they’ll recover from the blow. For us consumers, it’s a lucky break. This St. James's blend is an exceptionally flavourful and well-balanced whisky.

Everything about its aroma and taste tells you this is a whisky that has come together beautifully. Its Speyside character shines through in the orchard fruit, while the former Oloroso cask brings warmth and spice. The Islay influence is very subtle, but adds a little extra intrigue.

The label proudly states 10 Years Old, but judging by the whisky’s aroma and flavour, we don’t think Whittaker is spinning us a yarn. Throughout this review, we’ve been convinced that this Speyside whisky really is at least 20 years old. People make mistakes—that’s part of working with people. As far as we’re concerned, we wouldn’t mind seeing more happy accidents like this from time to time.

+ Rich aroma and flavour

+ Attractive price

+ Long, warming finish

- No cons. Sometimes it’s simply good, no buts about it.