Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round-up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way into our WFE email. Inbox features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Here is this week’s whisky news.
Glendronach
The Highland distillery of Glendronach has announced the forthcoming relese of its oldest single malt to date. The Glendronach 56 Years Old: Sherry Crescendo has just 200 bottles to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary that is happening this year. The spirit was distilled and filled to Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry casks in 1968. Then in 2014 this was transferred to three Spanish oak ex-Pedro Ximénez hogsheads for a lengthy secondary maturation.
The 200 bottles are each presented in a hand-blown decanter designed by Glencairn Crystal. This is housed in a bespoke cabinet made of American black walnut by woodcraft specialist John Galvin. It is bottled at the natural cask strength of 44.9% ABV and will be available from September via selected specialist whisky and luxury retailers. Each decanter will cost £35,000.
Glenmorangie
The north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie have added a new high aged whisky to their core single malt range. Glenmorangie The Thirty is now the oldest whisky in the range. It features Glenmorangie’s classic ex-bourbon cask matured spirit but with a small pocket of stock that features a lengthy 15-year finishing period in ex-red wine barrels sourced from Burgundy, France. The Thirty has been created by Dr. Bill Lumsden MBE, the Director of Whisky Creation at Glenmorangie.
Glenmorangie The Thirty is released at 43% ABV and will be a constant product, but created in small batches. It will be launced at the end of March via glenmorangie.com, the distillery visitor centre in Tain and Glenmorangie’s London Heathrow Boutique. Other markets will follow later in 2026. Each bottle will cost £740/ €850.
It has taken three decades to nurture this whisky to its full potential – and we select only the casks which can stand the test of time, showcasing a whisky long finished in ex-Burgundy casks, The Thirty balances richer, fruity flavours with hints of our signature, elegant style. This single malt is our celebration of age and imagination, 30 years in the making.
Dr. Bill Lumsden MBE.
Kavalan
The multi-award winning Taiwanese single malt of Kavalan have launched their first ever age statement whisky. The Kavalan 15 Years Old is also the oldest release by the distillery to date and will form the foundation of a revised core range. It represents a milestone in Kavalan’s evolution, showcasing the depth, complexity and long-term vision of Taiwanese whisky-making.
The Kavalan 15 Years Old also features a unique cask combination for the distillery – ex-bourbon barrel, ex-Oloroso sherry casks, plus ex-Ruby Port casks and puncheons. It is bottled at 43% ABV and is available now via specialist whisky retailers in the UK and other European markets. A bottle will cost £149.
Kilchoman
The family-owned farm-to-bottle Islay distillery of Kilchoman has announced their first limited edition bottling of 2026. The Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured features a cask type that has never been used before by the brand. The whisky has been aged for the full term of its maturation in ex-Maury wine casks. This is a sweet, fortified wine from the Roussillon winemaking region in southern France, made primarily from the Grenache noir grape variety.
The Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured is released at 50% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and natural colour. It is available now in specialist whisky retailers in the UK and other select global markets. A bottle will retail for £75.
This Maury Cask Matured is a first ever release for us and something rarely seen on the market at all. These powerful fortified wine casks can be challenging to manage, especially with our peated style of spirit. But when you get them right, they can produce something really special like this.
Anthony Wills | Founder of Kilchoman.
