Rich honey and caramel, with sweet malt, honeycomb and a hint of apple blossom
Palate
Sweet, ripe red fruit, followed by oak and gentle spice
Finish
Long, with oak, soft tannins and delicate floral notes
About this whisky
Johnny Cree Single Malt is an easy-going Lowland Scotch whisky from John Crabbie & Co., the historic Edinburgh whisky house that now makes its own spirit at the Bonnington Distillery in Leith. It’s unpeated, smooth and gently sweet, with honey, caramel and ripe red fruit, followed by a warming touch of oak and spice.
Bottled at 40% ABV, it’s a great-value everyday single malt. It’s soft enough for someone new to Scotch, but with enough oak and fruit to keep a regular whisky drinker interested.
Johnny Cree Tasting Notes
Nose: Rich honey and caramel, with sweet malt, honeycomb and a hint of apple blossom.
Palate: Sweet, ripe red fruit, followed by oak and gentle spice.
Finish: Long, with oak, soft tannins and delicate floral notes such as honeysuckle.
There’s no smoke at all here. It’s a classic Lowland style: light, smooth and sweet, with a little more oak than you might expect.
The Casks
Johnny Cree is matured in a combination of casks, each adding its own layer:
Ex-bourbon casks bring vanilla, honey and a smooth, creamy texture.
Red wine casks add the ripe red fruit on the palate and a little drying tannin on the finish.
Virgin oak casks, brand new barrels, add caramel sweetness and warm spice.
Who Was Johnny Cree?
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Johnny Cree was a grandson of John Crabbie, the Edinburgh merchant and blender who became one of the great figures of 19th-century Scotch whisky, and a third-generation member of the Crabbie whisky family. The Cree name also recalls William Cree, who was John Crabbie’s business partner when he started his own drinks firm in the 1830s.
The Crabbie family’s business began in Edinburgh around 1801. John Crabbie went on to buy and blend whisky from more than 70 distilleries, ran a busy blending and bottling operation on Great Junction Street in Leith, co-founded the North British grain distillery and gave the world Crabbie’s Green Ginger Wine. Johnny Cree Single Malt celebrates the next generation of that whisky-making family.
Bonnington Distillery: Leith’s Whisky Revival
For much of the 20th century the Crabbie name had nothing to do with making whisky. That changed when Halewood Artisanal Spirits, which bought the brand in 2007, decided to bring it home to Leith. In 2015 it bought a site close to Crabbie’s original premises and announced a £7 million malt distillery.
Building work began in 2018 and uncovered the ruins of Bonnington House, a lost mansion that once served as a military headquarters during the siege of Edinburgh Castle. The new distillery took its name from it. Bonnington started distilling in 2020 and now makes around half a million litres of spirit a year in copper pot stills designed from John Crabbie’s own archive records.
Long fermentations, of up to 115 hours, help build the fruity, honeyed character you’ll find in Johnny Cree.
Award-Winning
Johnny Cree Single Malt won a Bronze medal at the World Whiskies Awards 2025, a good result for a young distillery’s everyday single malt.
How to Enjoy Johnny Cree
Neat: pour a measure and let it breathe for a minute to bring out the honey and fruit.
Over ice: a large cube makes it even softer and more refreshing.
In a highball: top up with soda water or ginger ale and add a slice of apple or lemon.
In a Whisky Mac: stir it with a little Crabbie’s Green Ginger Wine for a warming drink with real family history.
With food: it goes well with apple crumble, a cheese board or roast pork.
Who Is It For?
Johnny Cree is ideal for anyone who wants a smooth, sweet and affordable single malt. It’s a great first step for people moving on from blended Scotch, a reliable house whisky to keep on the shelf, and a nice, budget-friendly gift for anyone who loves Edinburgh or Leith.
Similar Whiskies You Might Enjoy
If you like Johnny Cree’s smooth, oak-touched style, try these:
John Crabbie Single Malt: its sister whisky from the Bonnington Distillery, aged in virgin American oak for a richer, spicier style.
Loch Lomond The Original: a smooth, great-value Highland malt from American oak casks, with honey, orchard fruit and a soft hint of smoke.
Aberfeldy 12 Year Old: a honeyed Highland 12 year old with vanilla, fudge and gentle spice.
It comes from John Crabbie & Co. at the Bonnington Distillery in Leith, Edinburgh, which makes it a Lowland single malt.
Is Johnny Cree peated?
No. Johnny Cree is an unpeated single malt, with no smoke. It’s sweet, malty and fruity.
What does Johnny Cree taste like?
Honey and caramel on the nose, sweet ripe red fruit with oak and spice on the palate, and a long finish with oak, soft tannins and floral notes.
Who was Johnny Cree?
A grandson of Edinburgh whisky maker and merchant John Crabbie, and a third-generation member of the Crabbie whisky family.
What’s the difference between Johnny Cree and John Crabbie Single Malt?
Both are Lowland single malts from Bonnington. Johnny Cree is the lighter, sweeter, more honeyed of the two, while John Crabbie Single Malt is aged in virgin American oak for a richer, spicier, more oak-led style.
Is this the Johnny Cree Sherry Cask?
No. This is the standard Johnny Cree Single Malt. The Sherry Cask edition is a separate bottling finished in Oloroso sherry casks.
How old is Johnny Cree?
It has no age statement. The whisky is chosen for flavour rather than a set number of years.
What is the ABV and bottle size?
Johnny Cree Single Malt is bottled at 40% ABV in a 70cl bottle.
