Living Souls: the Glasgow bottlers' collective with a colour for every taste
Living Souls is a young, independent bottler from Glasgow that seeks out whiskies that are often overlooked, giving them new life through careful cask selection and blending. Not collector's items behind glass, but small batches meant to be opened, shared, and remembered — packaged in labels featuring original, handmade collage illustrations and a unique color code per flavor profile.
In short
| Set up | 2024, in Glasgow |
| Location | 168 Bath Street, Glasgow, Scotland |
| Type of company | Independent bottler — no own distillery |
| Founded by | Calum Leslie, Jamie Williamson and John Torrance |
| Issuance rate | Four small batches per year, natural color, never cold filtration |
| Recognizable by | Original collage illustrations per label and a color code per flavor profile |
Three whisky makers with one conviction
Living Souls was founded in Glasgow in 2024 by three seasoned names from the Scottish whisky world. Calum Leslie, formerly Head of Innovation at the Loch Lomond Group, leads creative development and determines the direction of every new release. Jamie Williamson, founder of Kilninian Drinks Co., steers the commercial strategy and ensures the brand grows purposefully. John Torrance, with decades of experience at Diageo and Douglas Laing, sources the casks and oversees blending and maturation. Together, they combine imagination, experience, and instinct in a way rarely found at a single bottler.
A color for every taste
Living Souls believes that the story of a whisky should begin on the label. Every release features its own original collage illustration that captures the atmosphere and flavour profile of that specific whisky. Additionally, the brand uses a colour code to identify bottles by flavour: Citrine Yellow for fresh and fruity, Berry Rouge for rich and rancio, Atlantic Blue for coastal and briny, and Moss Green for robust and smoky. In this way, flavour is not only tasted, but also immediately visible.
Not for the collector, but for the glass
"Great whisky should be both exceptional and accessible" — that conviction forms the core of Living Souls. The brand bottles not with collectible value or status in mind, but with drinkability, character, and craftsmanship. Every whisky retains its natural color, is never chill-filtered, and is bottled at the strength that best suits the character of that specific whisky. With four small batches per year, each release remains deliberately limited.
From Islay to Speyside
Living Souls consciously seeks out special, often underappreciated batches of whisky — single malts, grains, blends, and occasionally an unexpected combination. At Mood4Whisky, you will find, among others, their Laphroaig 11 Year Old, with the smoky, medicinal character of Islay; the North British 17 Year Old, a blend of Speyside malt and Lowland grain whisky; the Speyburn 18 Year Old, a rare older bottling from this underrated Speyside distillery; and the Tullibardine 11 Year Old, an accessible, honey-sweet Highland single malt. Each bottle is chosen for its individuality and subsequently refined through thoughtful blending or cask finishing to bring that character further to the fore.
Why Living Souls is worth it
Living Souls proves that a young bottler, without its own distillery, can still establish a very distinctive signature — by carefully selecting which forgotten or underappreciated batches of whisky are worthwhile, and then bringing them to the bottle with visible care. From the color code on the label to the decision never to filter or color: everything is aimed at bringing whisky back to what it is all about — opening, sharing, and remembering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Living Souls have its own distillery?
No. Living Souls is an independent bottler that sources whisky from existing Scottish distilleries and then further blends, ages, and bottles it itself.
Who is in charge of Living Souls?
The brand was founded in Glasgow in 2024 by Calum Leslie (creative development), Jamie Williamson (commercial strategy), and John Torrance (cask sourcing, blending, and aging).
What does the color code on the labels mean?
Citrine Yellow stands for fresh and fruity, Berry Rouge for rich and rancio, Atlantic Blue for coastal and salty, and Moss Green for robust and smoky — the flavor profile can be recognized right on the label.
Are Living Souls whiskies colored or filtered?
No, all releases are bottled at natural color and never cold-filtered.
Which Living Souls whiskies are available at Mood4Whisky?
Including the Laphroaig 11 Year Old, the North British 17 Year Old, the Speyburn 18 Year Old and the Tullibardine 11 Year Old.
