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. It is a busy one, so pour yourself a dram and take a read.
Glen Scotia
The Campbeltown distillery of Glen Scotia has revealed details of its annual bottling for the forthcoming Campbeltown Malts Festival, which happens each May. The Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 Edition has been bottled at seven years of age and has seen initial maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. It was then transferred to ex-Ruby Port casks, sourced from Portugal’s Douro Valley, for a six month finishing period.
The Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 Edition is released at 53.9% ABV and is non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It has been made using the distillery’s medium peated spirit. The exact number of bottles in this limited release has not been declared. It will be available at the Campbeltown Malts Festival on May 19 and 20, and via selected online and specialist retailers in selected global markets. A bottle will cost £59.
Isle of Raasay
The Hebridean distillery of Isle of Raasay has announced the third permanent bottling in its core range of single malts. Isle of Raasay The Chinkapin is a pioneering release and believed to be the first Scotch whisky to be fully matured in Chinkapin oak (quercus muehlenbergii) casks. Both fresh and re-fill casks with high toast and high char levels have been used for the release. Other brands have used Chinkapin oak, but only for shorter finishing periods.
The whisky uses only 100% Scottish grown barley and marries the distillery’s peated and unpeated spirit together. The Chinkapin joins The Draam and Dùn Cana expressions in the core range. It is bottled at 50.2% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The new whisky is available now via selected specialist whisky retailers in the UK and at www.raasaydistillery.com. A bottle will cost £70.
Midleton
Irish Distillers have announced the release of the 43rd annual bottling of their premium Midleton Very Rare whiskey. It is the sixth release under the stewardship of Kevin O’Gorman, the Midleton Master Blender. The Midleton Very Rare 2026 Edition is a marriage of two single grain and three single pot still Irish whiskeys and these have all been matured in re-fill ex-bourbon barrels.
As the sixth Vintage Release under my guardianship, I wanted to explore the boundaries of what is possible from our exceptional range of liquids, while remaining true to the distinctive style for which Midleton Very Rare is renowned. The final whiskey offers remarkable depth and complexity, showcasing the elegant grain whiskeys alongside the spicier single pot still whiskeys.
Kevin O’Gorman.
The Midleton Very Rare 2026 Edition is bottled at 40% ABV. It is available now via selected specialist whisky retailers in selected world markets, global travel retail and Irish Distillers’ brand homes. The exact number of bottles in the limited edition has not been revealed. Each bottle will cost £220/ €250.
Rare Find
The independent bottler Rare Find has launched its latest collection of single cask Scotch single malt whiskies. These also introduce a refined new visual identity. The updated packaging has been designed to provide clearer navigation across the range. It features colour-coded regional roundels, plus expanded provenance and cask information on both the front and back labels.
The Rare Find Spring Releases features four rare single casks, one of which is exclusive to members of the Rare Find Vault. The bottlings and details are listed below. They will be available from selected specialist whisky retailers in the UK from March 12.
- Aultmore 15 Years Old (Rare Find Vault Exclusive Release)/ first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead finish/ 52.3% ABV/ 72 bottles/ £89
- Inchmurrin 11 Years Old/ second-fill ex-sherry hogshead, full maturation/ 57.7% ABV/ 163 bottles/ £75
- Longmorn 19 Years Old/ ex-Amarone wine barrique finish/ 60.4% ABV/ 155 bottles/ £145
- Sutherland 35 Years Old/ re-fill ex-bourbon hogshead, full maturation/ 49.2% ABV/ 99 bottles/ £325.
Three Ridings
The Yorkshire distillery of Ellers Farm, which is co-owned by comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, has launched its inaugural English single malt. The Three Ridings First Release has seen the distillery collaborate with other local businesses. The distillation, maturation and blending has taken place at Ellers Farm. The malting was done by Fawcett & Sons in Castleford, and the mashing and fermentation at T&R Theakston brewery in Masham.
Production of whisky began in 2022. This saw long fermentation times, distillation that ‘softened rough edges’ without removing character, and maturation in American oak ex-bourbon casks. In each case, the emphasis is on flavour. The brand name is derived from the East, North and West administrative areas of Yorkshire, known as The Ridings.
The Three Ridings First Release is scheduled for release in the coming month. It is bottled at 57.9% ABV and there will be just 1,000 bottles available. These will be exclusive to the Three Ridings website. No indication of price has been given to date. Ellers Farm also produces Dutch barn vodka, Y-Gin and a range of liqueurs.
