Bushmills
The Northern Irish distillery of Bushmills has announced the release of its oldest ever whiskey – the Bushmills 44 years old. The single malt comes from just a single ex-Oloroso sherry cask that was distilled and filled in 1978.
The rare cask was hand-selected for the release by Alex Thomas, the Master Blender for Bushmills, and has yielded just 40 bottles. The bottles will be sold exclusively in Dubai Duty Free and will cost $US12,000 each. Bushmills 44 years old is bottled at 48% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour.
“To be the Master Blender to release such an exquisite and rare 44YO Single Malt for Bushmills is what dreams are made of. This single malt truly epitomises Bushmills passion for ‘restless progress’ and the brand’s unwavering commitment to release exceptional prestige single malts aged in the rarest hand-selected casks.”
Alex Thomas | Bushmills Master Blender.
Glen Moray
The Speyside distillery of Glen Moray has announced a new single malt to join their range – the Glen Moray Phoenix Rising.
It continues the distillery’s exploration of unorthodox cask types, which saw the launch of Twisted Vine earlier this year. Phoenix Rising has seen initial maturation in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred for a finishing period to heavily charred American oak casks. This is the first time such casks have been used at the distillery and the whisky has been inspired by the immortal phoenix that rises from the ahes upon its death.
Glen Moray Phoenix Rising is bottled at 40% ABV and will be available initially in selected world markets including France, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and the UK, plus at the distillery visitor centre in Elgin. A bottle will cost £30/ $US38.
White Peak
The English distillery of White Peak has added a limited edition whisky to its portfolio – the Wire Works Full Port. The new release has seen full maturation in ex-Tawny Port barrels sourced from the Dias Cooperage near Porto, Portugal.
The casks have yielded just 2,000 bottles and the whisky is presented at 52.4% ABV. The Wire Works Full Port is available through selected specialist retailers in the UK and from the distillery shop in Derbyshire. A bottle will cost £67.
White Peak has also partnered with Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains to release a trilogy of single malts. The collaboration saw Bains and members of his team from Restaurant Sat Bains (RSB) in Nottingham visit the distillery and taste samples.
The result is a three-whisky collection that explores the spirit and different finishes. The RSB Cuvee #1 is fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels, RSB Cuvee #2 and RSB Cuvee #3 use the same whisky but finished in ex-Oloroso sherry casks and virgin English oak casks respectively. All are bottled at 48% ABV. There are just 90 bottles of each available and they will be exclusive to the RSB website. They are priced as RSB Cuvee #1 – £175, Cuvee #2 – £225 and Cuvee #3 – £275.
