Meet the stockist series #6 – Josh from Whisky Brother

Josh, thank your for participating in our blog series! Whisky Brother is located in Dufftown, a town steeped in whisky heritage.

How long have you been with Whisky Brother, and what is the best perk of the job?

For the many years Whisky Brother has operated, I am possibly the newest member and have now worked here for 6 months. I would say my favourite perk is seeing the underbelly of this industry and its sheer scale! As my responsibilities increase It becomes more evident how shiny bottles on shelves is simply the end product. Engaging with customers, brands, ambassadors and every other arm of the industry is a retailer’s job, but it gives us great insight into the industries anatomy and how the tides ebb and flow. Having so much insight really feels like a cheat code, almost foresight which keeps us on the pulse.

Dufftown is a fantastic location for any whisky enthusiast, with numerous distilleries in the area. Have you had any memorable tours or experiences you can share with us?

I used to be a tour guide at a distillery in Speyside. This gave me an opportunity to really understand the importance of tour guiding and the brand experience. Some which really stand out for me are Ballindalloch, Glenallachie, Speyburn and Dunphail. Each of these distilleries offer something unique, giving punters a varied whisky experience.

Your team was quite active during the Spirit of Speyside Festival in 2025. Did you have a standout event during that time?

Funnily enough it was at the 2025 Spirit of Speyside where I attended many of the Whisky Brother events. It was there that I met Marc Pendlebury (Founder) and a few months later, I’m working here! But a standout for me was the Little Brown Dog tasting, it featured a wide variety of cask types, age statements, very reasonable pricing, and consistent high-quality liquid.

Are there plans for you to participate in the Spirit of Speyside again in 2026 if so can you share any events that are in the pipeline?

We have a busy lineup scheduled once again. We are well known for our stock of indie bottlings and our love for them. Folks can expect plenty of small batch, single cask bottlings and a variety of cask types to tantalise the taste buds. Basically, bring your palate, and an open mind – you won’t be disappointed!

Whisky Brother boasts an impressive range of whiskies, from NAS to 30-year-old bottlings. Can you share your favourite NAS (other than GlenWyvis ) and a favourite age statement?

As you know, picking a favourite whisky often causes any enthusiast to reel back in shock because, how could I possibly pick one! One NAS I continue to pick up is the Ardnamurchan Midgie bottling. It’s a good price, great quality and a bit of fun. As for age statement it’s a struggle for me, because some spirit really benefits from time in the cask and others sing when they are youthful. I’m going to say the humble 10-year-old can reveal a lot about the trajectory of a distillery, their production methods and their wood policy. Plus, we don’t have to wait as long for them!

With over 500 whiskies in your selection, do you find it easy to determine which new brands to incorporate?

Quality, affordability and brand relationship are what we focus on. If we believe the brand and their product is of a high quality, so long as they are willing to work with a small retailer, we will support them. It is my job to introduce and open people’s eyes to products we believe in and share the reasons they should support them too. I would say 70% are bottlings for the curious whisky hunter and 30% are established brands that are recognisable across the board but keeping affordability and quality as a priority.

Whisky Brother can ship to both the UK and South Africa. Have you noticed any differences in whisky preferences between the two?

Our online offering is still a work in progress and we are currently working on rolling out additional countries for shipping in the near future. Adding South Africa first was very much due to our origin story, as that’s where our whisky journey started. In terms of differences, we clearly see more interest in limited releases, indie bottlers and new-wave producers, compared to a more general interest from our UK customers.

Are there any upcoming barrel-top tastings or events you would like to highlight for our readers?

2026 will bring with it many a barrel-top tasting in store and ticketed events in our hotel the Whisky Capital Inn. Now we have a specific space for these guided, in-depth tastings, we can start to give locals and guests something to look forward to each month. Again, we will feature interesting brands who have a good variety of bottlings, are eager to work with a small retailer and bring the patter! We are still waiting on a few confirmations but one brand I can confirm is GlenWyvis.

What GlenWyvis expressions do you currently have in stock, and do you have a personal favourite among them?

We currently have the 2019 batch one bottling, along with your Highland Legacy series, Drover bottling. For me, the Drover is a sensory project, it has so many layers and keeps the conversation moving. It smells like a big yeasty, bready monster! Imagine lifting the lid on a washback after 3 days. Then as you get to know it, all those rich cask characters show up – velvety, over ripened fruit from the sauternes barriques, combined with that shadowy madeira which adds an autumnal vibe to the whole thing – think rainy window with buttered malt loaf. Then it shows its true DNA with those bourbon barrels walking hand in hand with GlenWyvis spirit. Basically, it’s explorative, it keeps your senses guessing each time you approach it and for anyone who loves an all-rounder, the design and ethos behind the series is what whisky and heritage is about – talk about a conversation starter!

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