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.
Arbikie
The independent Highland farm distillery of Arbikie has released its inaugural single malt. This follows several rye whisky releases. Arbikie The Signature is their first ever single malt and features barley grown on the Arbikie Estate, before being distilled, matured and bottled entirely on the family-owned farm. It has been bottled at 10 Years Old and the initial batch features just six ex-bourbon casks. These have yielded just 1,000 bottles.
Arbikie The Signature is released at 48% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It marks the beginning of a structured single malt release programme from the distillery that will see them explore the whisky’s evolution through age, cask character and the distillery’s field-to-bottle approach. The Signature is available via Arbikie’s website and selected global retailers. Each bottle will cost £250.
Caol Ila
The Islay distillery of Caol Ila has released a limited edition bottling to celebrate its continued sponsorship of the Islay Jazz Festival. The festival, which is now in its 27th year, is on this weekend (September 11-13). Caol Ila The Drummer is released at 19 Years Old and follows on from last year’s festival release, The Guitarist. The whisky has undergone an unusual three-stage maturation in American oak, including the final stage in ex-bourbon casks from the Kentucky distillery of Bulleit.
Caol Ila The Drummer is released at 52% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The release is part of a series of events at the distillery during the Islay Jazz Festival, which the distillery will host, including warehouse tastings and chocolate pairings. The Drummer will be exclusive to the Caol Ila visitor centre on Islay with each bottle costing £275.
Johnnie Walker
The best-selling Scotch blend of Johnnie Walker Black Label has released a new limited edition bottle design in collaboration with pop star Sabrina Carpenter. The design has been inspired by her new album Man’s Best Friend with the bottle marking the latest chapter in Johnnie Walker and Carpenter’s multi-year partnership. Inside is the regular Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Years Old blend at 40% ABV.
The Johnnie Walker Black Label Sabrina Carpenter Edition limited edition bottle is available now in the UK with further markets commencing shortly. These include Asia, Europe, India and Mexico. Prices will be in line with those of regular Black Label and available in 70cl bottles (75cl in certain markets).
Kilchoman
The family-owned Islay farm distillery of Kilchoman has announced a new limited edition – the Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured. The whisky has seen its full maturation term in French oak ex-Cognac barriques sourced from the famous brandy producing area of France. This is created from 33 first-fill ex-Cognac barriques that were distilled and filled in 2019.
The Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured is released at 50% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available via selected specialist whisky retailers in selected global markets, and at the distillery shop on Islay. The exact number of bottles was not released in the press release. A bottle will cost £70/ US$95.
Full-term maturation in first-fill experimental casks is risky; we need to monitor the maturation very closely. The aim is to maximise flavour, both from the cask and from the spirit. The Cognac casks bring an abundance of flavour but left too long and they would overwhelm the Kilchoman spirit.
Anthony Wills | Founder of Kilchoman.
Royal Lochnagar
The distillery of Royal Lochnagar has released a rare aged limited edition to celebrate its history and Highland home. Royal Lochnagar The Pursuits Edition is bottled at 26 Years Old and is inspired by the adventures many people have enjoyed in the Deeside area since the distillery was founded in 1845. It features a finishing period in French oak ex-Cognac barrels and there are just 840 bottles available.
Each bottle comes with a handmade one-of-a-kind leather pursuits pouch. This can be strapped to saddles, belts or baskets and harks back to the Highland pursuits that inspired the design. These were created by Crawford Henderson, a third-generation leather smiths based in Ayrshire. Royal Lochnagar The Pursuits Edition 26 Years Old is released at %7.4% ABV. It is available exclusively from the Royal Lochnagar distillery and other Diageo visitor centre shops. Each bottle will cost £900.
The Dalmore
The Dalmore has revealed details of the fourth and final bottling in its esteemed Cask Curation Series. The Dalmore Cask Curation Series: The Madeira Cask Edition has seen the Highland distillery collaborate with esteemed cask partner, the seventh-generation Blandy’s winery from the Portuguese island of Madeira. It concludes the series that explores The Dalmore’s relationships with such wineries and bodegas around the world.
This edition explores The Dalmore’s character through maturation in three distinctly different styles of ex-Madeira cask. There are just 150 sets created. The trio are released at 30-, 34- and 45 Years Old with undergoing much of the maturation in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels. Each then has a finishing period in a different style of ex-Madeira cask. All are bottled at their natural cask strengths – these are 49.3%, 44.5% and 40.7% ABV. All are non-chill filtered and of natural colour.
The Dalmore Cask Curation Series: The Madeira Cask Edition follows the Sherry (González Byass – 2023), Port (Graham’s – 2024) and French Red Wine
(Château Mont-Redon – 2025) Cask Editions. The new trio set is available now via selected specialist and luxury retailers worldwide. Each will cost £37,350/ US$47,000.
