To mark their 30-year friendship, Sukhinder Singh of Elixir Distillers and Thierry Bénitah of La Maison du Whisky have unveiled a new 30 Year Old Imperial single malt.

Bottled by Elixir Distillers, the expression was distilled on 22 August 1994 at the Imperial Distillery in Speyside, which closed in 1998.

The whisky spent 30 years in a refill Bourbon barrel and was bottled on 16 April 2025, at 41.1% ABV. The single malt is said to have notes of vanilla, menthol, elderflower, and white melon on the palate.

Based on their family's liquor store, which was founded in 1972, Singh and his brother Rajbir launched The Whisky Exchange in London in 1999. The company quickly became a leading online retailer.

Meanwhile, Bénitah helms the French distributor and bottler La Maison du Whisky, a business that has been dedicated to distributing and highlighting rare international whiskies since his father founded the company in 1956.

In the early days, Singh and Bénitah were firm peers, exchanging essential knowledge and resources to nurture their shared passion. Their continued friendship has resulted in this collaboration thirty years on.

The release is limited to 150 bottles and will be available exclusively in France from October with an MSRP of €990 (US$1,150).

The whisky will be available for sampling at Whisky Live Paris from September 27-29. Singh and Bénitah will also host a special tasting on Sunday during the event.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team