Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. Inbox features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.
We were away last week for a much needed holiday and we returned to find our inbox full of news about new releases. There are many so we have slightly altered the format to accommodate the many new bottlings that have been announced. Here we go …
Douglas Laing & Co.
The independent bottling company of Douglas Laing & Co. have been busy announcing two different sets of new releases. First is the XOP Single Cask Diamond Anniversary set, a selection of six single casks chosen to commemorate the company’s 75th anniversary. The bottlings include Blair Athol 30 years old, Macallan 35 years old, Port Ellen 40 years old, Cameronbridge 45 years old, Port Dundas 45 years old and Speyside’s Finest 55 years old. A price for the set was not given in the press release.
Douglas Laing have also released two seasonal limited editions – the Big Peat Christmas 2023 Edition and Scallywag Winter Edition Batch #4. The Scallywag is made from only Speyside single malts that have been matured in 100% ex-sherry casks, both Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez. It is bottled at 52.5% ABV and will cost £65. The Big Peat is bottled at the natural cask strength of 54.8% ABV and features only Islay single malts. It will cost £60. Both are of natural colour and non chill-filtered.
Torabhaig
The Torabhaig distillery on the isle of Skye has launched a limited edition – the Torabhaig Allt Gleann Batch Strength. The whisky is a cask strength version of their popular Allt Gleann bottling and was distilled in 2017 and 2018. It forms part of The Legacy Series, is bottled at 61.1% ABV and has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels. A bottle will cost £75/ €85/ $US89.
Eden Mill
Elsewhere, Fife distillery Eden Mill have released a blended malt named The Guard Bridge. This features single malts from the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland, including some from Eden Mill, that have been matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It is bottled at 46% ABV and will cost £45.
Bowmore
The Islay distillery of Bowmore have added two further expressions to its rare Timeless Series – the Bowmore 29 years old and 33 years old.
The 29 years old features whiskies distilled and filled to cask in 1991 and 1992. These casks were a combination of European oak ex-sherry and American oak ex-bourbon. It is bottled at 53.7% ABV and will cost £1,500/ $US1,800 in domestic markets. The 33 years old has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and undergone a finish is a selection of ex-sherry casks. It is bottled at 45.5% ABV and will be available in global travel retail, costing £2,300/ $US2,800. Both have just 3,000 bottles available.
Gordon & Macphail
The independent bottler of Gordon & Macphail have released the latest bottling in their Private Collection range – the Gordon & Macphail 1949 from Glenlivet Distillery. The whisky is 74 years old and was filled to a single re-fill ex-sherry butt on New Year’s Day 1949 and bottled in March of this year. It is released at 49.3% ABV and there are just 192 bottles. These will sell for £35,000 each.
Littlemill
The closed Lowland distillery of Littlemill has also released a very old whisky – the Littlemill 45 years old – Chapter 1.
The bottling is the first of four planned for the new Vanguard Collection. The collection will celebrate the pioneers of of Scotland’s oldest licensed distillery. The first expression is dedicated to Robert Muir who was granted the first license to ‘retail beer, ale, and excisable liquors’ from King George III in 1773 meaning it was potentially the first time whisky distilling was officiated.
The whisky was distilled and filled to a re-fill American oak cask in October 1977, before undergoing a five-year finishing period in a first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead. It is released at 50.5% ABV and there are just 250 bottles. Each will cost £12,500.
Johnnie Walker
The leading Scotch blended brand of Johnnie Walker has revealed a limited edition of its popular Blue Label – the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami. The whisky has been created by Master Blender Emma Walker in collaboration with renowned Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi and is designed to show the enigmatic flavour of umami. It is bottled at 43% ABV and will cost £285/ $US350.
Glendronach
Elsewhere, the Highland distillery of Glendronach has released the latest bottling in its premium Grandeur series. The Glendronach Grandeur Batch 12 is over 29 years old and features rare Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry casks married together by Master Blender, Dr. Rachel Barrie. It is bottled at 49.2% ABV and will cost £870.
Redbreast
The Irish single pot still brand of Redbreast has launched the third bottling in its Iberian series of whiskeys. The Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition has been finished in ex-Tawny Port casks sourced from the Douro Valley in Portugal, and created by Master Blender Billy Leighton. The initial ageing was in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It is bottled at 46% ABV and will cost £79/ €100/ $US100.
Kilchoman
The Islay distillery of Kilchoman has released the 13th edition of their 100% Islay bottling. The Kilchoman 100% Islay Batch 13 features only barley grown on the distillery farm that were harvested in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and then matured for a minimum of eight years. There are 13,000 bottles and it is released at 50% ABV. A bottle will cost £85.
Fettercairn
The east Highland distillery of Fettercairn has announced the fourth annual bottling of its 16 years old expression. The Fettercairn 16 years old 2023 Edition features whisky matured in first-fill ex-Port pipes and ex-bourbon casks. It has been created by blender Gregg Glass and is released at 46.4% ABV. It is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. A bottle will cost £82. A one-litre bottle will also be available in global travel retail.
Elements of Islay
Independent bottler Elements of Islay has released a former Feis Ile limited bottling to the global market. The Elements of Islay Beach Bonfire has been created by blender Oliver Chilton and features several different Islay single malts. It is bottled at the natural strength of 54.5% ABV and will be available in selected world markets including Asia, Europe and the USA. A bottle will cost £80/ $US115.00/ €85.
