The Exceptional Blend

Some people will call you “Scotch-greedy” … and you’ll be OK with it.

You have to be a bit cheeky to name your Whisky “The Exceptional.” Not just “Exceptional Whisky” or “Exceptionally Good Whisky”… but “THE Exceptional.” Well spirits industry veteran Don Sutcliffe founded Sutcliffe & Son to fulfill his thirty years of producing his own line of Scotch. He partnered with Willie Phillips — managing director of The Macallan for 23 years — to create The Exceptional brand. Based in America, they use their exceptional connections to acquire exceptional barrels of spirits and finish them in exceptional Sherry casks to make their -The Exceptional Whiskies. And they all are… exceptional, that is.

It can be a little bit confusing because — technically — all three products from The Exceptional are “blends.” But think of it this way… where The Malt is a blend of Single Malts and The Grain is a blend of Scottish grain Whiskies, The Exceptional Blend is a blend of both Single Malts AND Scottish grain Whisky. In fact, many of the super-premium spirits from the other two have found their way into The Blend — including that 30 YO Macallan. But there are more. In total, eleven Single Malt distilleries and three grain distilleries are represented. It’s like having your cake and eating it too … and then taking your neighbor’s cake.