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. It’s a busy one …
Caol Ila
The Islay distillery of Caol Ila has become the new sponsor of the annual Islay Jazz Festival. To mark the partnership, the distillery will launch a limited edition bottling for the festival. The Caol Ila Islay Jazz Festival 18 Years Old: The Guitarist has seen the majority of maturation in American oak ex-bourbon casks. Then a bespoke finishing period in casks featuring toasted Scottish oak barrel ends. All casks were selected by Martin Gaughan, the Distillery Manager at Caol Ila.
The distillery will host several events during the week-long festival, which is in its 27th year, during September. The Caol Ila Islay jazz Festival 18 Years old: The Guitarist is bottled at 52.8% ABV and there are just 948 bottles. These are available at the distillery visitor centre on Islay and the Johnnie Walker Princes Street shop in Edinburgh.
The Chuan
Global drinks giants Pernod Ricard have launched their first prestige Chinese single malt into the global travel retail market. The Chuan Pure malt Travel Exclusive Edition is the first product of its kind in the sector. It follows the launch of the brand in mainland China in 2023, with gradual releases across other Asian markets since. The Chuan has been the focus of high-profile activations in Shanghai Pudong Airport and Hong Kong International Airport and progressively extending to other Asian markets such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky is meticulously crafted at Pernod’s distillery in Emei Mountain by Chinese distillers. It features three types of oak from three continents: ex-bourbon casks from America, ex-sherry casks from Spain, and proprietary Chinese Single Oak from the renowned Changbai Mountain. The whisky is bottled at 48.6% ABV and is non-chill filtered. A bottle will cost US$90.
Glenallachie
The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the third bottling of its annual small-batch Meikle Tòir Turbo bottling. The Meikle Tòir Turbo 2025 Edition uses mainland peat from St. Fergus. It has seen a five-year maturation in both virgin American oak casks and ex-Oloroso sherry hogsheads. Peated spirit is made at Glenallachie for just six weeks every year under the guidance of Billy Walker, the Master Distiller.
The Turbo bottlings feature a higher PPM level in the malt of 75PPM. This compares to 35PPM in the regular Meikle Tòir range. The Meikle Tòir Turbo 2025 Edition is released at 50% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available now from the Glenallachie distillery shop in Speyside and specialist whisky retailers worldwide in the coming weeks. A bottle will cost £56.
Inchdairnie
The Fife distillery of Inchdairnie has announced the second release of its pioneering Scottish rye whisky. The Ryelaw Vintage 2018 has been matured in charred new American oak casks sourced from the Appalachian Forests of the eastern United States. It also features the distillery’s unusual mash bill that combines 53% malted rye with 47% malted barley. All spirit used in the bottling was distilled and filled to cask in 2018.
Ryelaw Vintage 2018 is bottled at 46.3% ABV and is both of natural colour and non-chill filtered. It is available to purchase via selected specialist retailers in the UK and beyond, and www.inchdairniedistillery.com. The whisky has already gained a Master medal at The Spirits Business Scotch Whisky Masters 2025. A bottle will cost £80.
Kilchoman
The Islay distillery of Kilchoman has released the 15th edition of its annual 100% Islay single malt. As with all previous editions, the whisky uses barley exclusively grown on Islay, including at Kilchoman Farm where the distillery is located. It is then malted, mashed, fermented, distilled, matured and bottling at Kilchoman. This year’s 9 Years Old release is a vatting of 54 ex-bourbon barrels, distilled from the 2014 and 2015 Concerto and Publican barley harvests.
The Kilchoman 100% Islay 2025 Edition is bottled at 50% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available now at the Kilchoman visitor centre shop on Islay and through selected specialist whisky retailers in the UK and other selected world markets. A bottle will cost £80.
Port Ellen
The reborn Islay distillery of Port Ellen has announced its latest special limited edition bottling – the Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition. This is the first limited release from Port Ellen since its reopening last year, and was originally distilled in 1983, shortly before the distillery fell silent. The whisky has been maturing for over four decades since in European oak casks. It is released as a 42 Years Old expression at the natural cask strength of 56.4% ABV and there are just 150 bottles. The release forms part of the distillery’s 200th anniversary celebrations, which was founded in 1825.
The Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition will be available to purchase from October 2025, from at the distillery on Islay (by appointment only), or by enquiring with the Diageo private client team in Scotland via www.diageorareandexceptional.com/ww/our-services/contact-us. Each bottle will cost £7,500.
