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.
Benromach
The boutique Speyside distillery of Benromach has launched a new flagship whisky for its domestic core range – the Benromach 12 Years Old. This replaces the 10 Years Old and joins the 15- and 21 -Year Olds in the range. The new addition has been exclusively matured in first-fill ex-sherry casks and is designed to showcase Benromach’s signature subtle peat smoke alongside rich sherry cask influence.
Benromach 12 Years Old has been created by Murdo Mackenzie, the Distillery Manager at Benromach. It is released at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The new whisky is available via selected specialist retailers in selected world markets, at the distillery visitor centre in Forres and from benromach.com. A bottle will cost £45/ US$60/ €52.
Loch Lomond
The Loch Lomond distillery has announced the latest addition to its coveted Waypoint Series – the Loch Lomond Waypoint 31 Years Old. The series is inspired by the distillery’s stunning location close to the shores of Loch Lomond. This bottling is the third and oldest bottling to date in the series. It also represents the oldest peated whisky to be released by Loch Lomond to date.
The whisky was crafted in Loch Lomond’s straight necked stills and then matured in three types of American oak ex-bourbon casks. After 30 years these were married and then finished in ex-Tawny Port barrels for a further 12 months. It has been created by Michael Henry, the Master Blender for Loch Lomond. The Loch Lomond Waypoint 31 Years Old is released at 44.1% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. There are just 2,600 bottles that will be available globally. Each will cost £750/ US$1,000.
Murray McDavid
The independent bottler Murray McDavid is celebrating its 32nd anniversary with the launch of a new series – the Murray McDavid Islay Exclusive Release. The special series comprises six single cask bottlings across Murray McDavid’s acclaimed Mission Gold and Benchmark ranges. They feature rare expressions from some of the famous whisky island’s most celebrated distilleries. Details of the whiskies are below:
- Mission Gold Leapfrog 1992/ 33 Years Old/ American oak ex-bourbon barrel
- Mission Gold Ardbeg 2008/ 17 Years Old/ ex-Oloroso sherry butt
- Mission Gold Bunnahabhain Mòine 2007/ 18 Years Old/ ex-bourbon hogshead finished in an ex-Amontillado sherry octave
- Benchmark Leapfrog 2011/ 14 Years Old/ American oak ex-bourbon barrel
- Benchmark Caol Ila 2014/ 11 Years Old/ ex-bourbon hogshead finished in an ex-Madeira wine barrique
- Bunnahabhain Mòine 2020/ 5 Years Old/ ex-sherry butt with a finish in an ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead
The bottlings see a welcome return for the company’s Leapfrog name. This is from an ‘unnamed’ Islay distillery. Any guesses as to which one it may be? The Murray McDavid Islay Exclusive Releases are available in selected specialist retailers in selected global markets. All are non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The exact number of bottles, ABV strengths and prices were not revealed in the press release.
The Dalmore
The Dalmore, the iconic Highland single malt distillery and brand, has unveiled the latest release in their Distillery Select Series, The series was first launched in 2024 and is designed to showcase hidden gems maturing in The Dalmore’s dunnage warehouses on the edge of the Cromarty Firth. The Dalmore Distillery Select 2026 Edition has seen initial maturation in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels before a finish of one year and nine months in ex-Semisecco Marsala wine casks.
The new whisky is released at 14 Years Old and at 53.7% ABV. It is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. There are just 1,100 bottles. These are available in specialist whisky and luxury retailers globally, to members of The Dalmore Guild and from the distillery visitor centre in Alness. Each bottle will cost £350/ US$475/ €410.
