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.
Glasgow Distillery Co.
The Glasgow Distillery has announced the latest addition to its core range of single malts – the Glasgow 1770 Bourbon Cask Matured. It is the second bottling in an extended cask strength age statement range. It follows the Glasgow 1770 Port Cask Finish that was released earlier this year. The new whisky comprises of 50% unpeated double distilled and 50% peated double distilled single malt.
This inaugural batch is a marriage of six first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, three unpeated and three peated, all aged for at least eight years. There are just 1,400 bottles. It is released at a batch strength of 54% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The bottles will be available in specialist retailers in the UK and other selected world markets, with each costing £57.
Glengoyne
The Highland distillery of Glengoyne has strengthened its link with the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) with the release of a special charity bottle. The Glengoyne Wetlands Single Cask Release will see proceeds from sales going to the WWT’s continuing conservation work. The single cask in question is a re-fill ex-sherry butt (Cask #190257), which was distilled and filled in June 2009.
The Glengoyne Wetlands Single Cask Release is limited to just 500 bottles. These are released at the natural cask strength of 61.1% ABV and will be exclusively on sale at the Glengoyne distillery visitor centre at Drumgoyne and selected WWT sites. It will also be available at glengoyne.com. The bespoke label features an illustration by artist Elin Manon, whose work is inspired by the natural world. A donation will be made to the charity for each sale. A bottle will cost £190.
The Glenlivet
The Glenlivet, one of the world’s most popular Scotch single malt whiskies, has announced a new set of travel retail exclusive. A trio form The Glenlivet Cask Master’s Collection. These are age statement whiskies designed to celebrate the mastery and vision of Kevin Balmforth, The Glenlivet’s Cask Master. These new single malts will be released at 14-, 16- and 19 Years Old. Travellers passing through Terminal 3 at Singapore’s Changi Airport between now and November 24 will be the first in the world to experience the range at an immersive pop-up.
The Glenlivet Cask Master’s Collection 14 Years Old features both American and European oak cask maturation and is released at 40% ABV. A bottle will cost US$85. The 16 Years Old is matured exclusively in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. It is bottled at 43% ABV and will cost US$120. The 19 Years Old has again been matured in both American and European oak casks but features a finishing period in Scottish oak barrels. It is released at 48% ABV and will cost US$140.
The Glenlivet Cask Master’s Collection is now available exclusively in Global Travel Retail locations worldwide. Please visit www.theglenlivet.com/en to discover more information and where to purchase.
Hatozaki
The Japanese whisky brand of Hatozaki has launched a new permanent expression into its core range. The Hatozaki Triple Cask Reserve is initially aged in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks then finished for a six month period in rare ex-Umeshu plum liqueur casks. Umeshu is a traditional Japanese liqueur made by steeping local green plums in alcohol, and is known as ume.
The whisky has been created by Kimio Yonezawa, the Master Distiller at Kaikyō Distillery in Akashi City where the Hatozaki spirit is distilled. Hatozaki Triple Cask Reserve joins the Finest and Small Batch in the range. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It will be available in selected world markets. A bottle will cost £58/ US$75.
The Macallan
The Speyside distillery of The Macallan has released a new limited edition that will be a European exclusive. The Macallan 12 Year Old 110 Proof will only be on sale through The Whisky Shop chain, which owns 24 stores across the UK and two boutiques in Paris and cannes, France. The whisky has been predominantly matured in European oak ex-sherry casks with a small percentage of American oak sherry seasoned casks also used.
The new whisky is designed to show The Macallan’s classic sherried style of their 12 Years Old but at an increased strength to exaggerate the flavour profile. It is bottled at 55% ABV (110 Proof) and will be available only via The Whisky Shop stores and boutiques, or from whiskyshop.com. The exact number of bottles has not been revealed but each will cost £125/ €145.
