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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (September 29, 2023)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.

This week has again seen our inbox full of news about new releases. Therefore we have kept the slightly altered format to accommodate the many new bottlings that have been announced. Here we go ...

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The popular blended Scotch whisky brand of Cutty Sark is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and has released a commemorative whisky - the Cutty Sark Centenary Edition. The whisky is bottled at 23 years of age and features a pocket of stock matured in ex-Port casks. It is bottled at 52.2% ABV and there are just 1,435 bottles that will be available worldwide. The packaging is inspired by the brand's maritime past and its association with the famous tea clipper ship Cutty Sark. A bottle will cost £800.

The north Highland distillery of Old Pulteney has launched the second whisky in its Coastal Series range - the Old Pulteney Port. This features Old Pulteney malt matured initially in ex-bourbon barrels before a further maturation period in ex-Ruby Port barriques and pipes. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both of natural colour and non chill-filtered. A bottle will cost £75. There are two further releases in the series, which are scheduled for 2024 and 2025.

The Fife distillery of Eden Mill has announced the latest release in its annual Art of St. Andrews series. The Eden Mill Art of St. Andrews 2023 Edition is a lightly peated single malt created by head distiller Scott Ferguson. It also sees the brand collaborate with renowned Scottish illustrator Jill Calder who has created the striking packaging, which is inspired by local flora and fauna. The whisky has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, and finished in ex-Grande Champagne Cognac casks. It is bottled at 46.5% ABV and will cost £150 per bottle.

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has launched a new peated single malt brand named Meikle Tòir, which translates from Gaelic as 'big pursuit'. The range features whisky produced at Glenallachie since master Blender Billy Walker took over in 2017.

There are four editions in the 2023 batch, each aged five years - The Original: matured in ex-bourbon, ex-rye and American virgin oak casks, The Sherry One: aged in American oak, followed by ex-Pedro Ximenez and ex-Oloroso sherry puncheons, The Chinquapin One: initial maturation in American oak, before Chinquapin virgin oak barrels, and The Turbo 2023 Edition: small-batch annual release capturing ‘the heart of the heart’: the spirit cut with the highest phenol content. It was aged in American virgin oak and Sherry casks. Prices start from £50.

The north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie have launched the fourth bottling in their annual Tales series - the Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo. This has seen Dr. Bill Lumsden, the Director of Whisky Creation at Glenmorangie, using rare Japanese mizunara oak for the first time. The whisky from these casks has been married with traditional American oak ex-bourbon cask and ex-sherry cask stock. The packaging features a collaboration with Japanese artist Yamaguchi Akira. It is bottled at 46% ABV and will retail worldwide for £76 per bottle.

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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (August 11, 2023)

Here is the round-up of the news from this week.

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Glenallachie

The independently-owned Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the release of three bottlings that will form the first whiskies in their new Regional Exclusives series. The series will feature a selection of unusual cask finishes.

The trio all had initial maturation in American oak ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred to the unorthodox casks for finishing. Each whisky will be exclusive to a different world region - Asia, Europe and the UK - and created by Billy Walker, Master Blender for Glenallachie.

The Glenallachie 10 years old Ruby Port Wood Finish is exclusive to the Asian market and has undergone a 36-month finish in ex-Ruby Port barrels sourced from the Douro Valley in Portugal. It will cost £66. The Glenallachie 11 years old Marsala Cask Finish is exclusive to the UK and has experienced a 42-month finish in ex-Marsala casks sourced from Sicily. It will cost £66.

The Glenallachie 12 years old Moscatel Wood Finish is exclusive to Europe and has been finished in ex-Moscatel dessert wine casks from Portugal. It will cost £68. All are bottled at 48% ABV and are both non chill-filtered and of natural colour.

"Maturation is such an imperative part of the whisky-making journey. These three single malts underwent an interesting ageing process in the finest wood. In sourcing our casks, we seek out niche, boutique producers that align with our business model."
Billy Walker.

Glenlivet

The popular distillery of Glenlivet has launched a pair of ready-to-serve whisky cocktails that use its Speyside single malt - The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails. They are designed to make it easier for consumers to make cocktails at home without any leftover ingredients, complex recipes or need for bar equipment. The collection debuts with two classic expressions - the New Manhattan (pictured, above left) and the Old Fashioned (pictured, above right).

The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails have been packaged in a 375ml bottle format and contain eight recommended serves. The bottle features first-to-market technology in the form of the Vessl cap closure - this keeps the cocktail fresh and mix components as the bottle is poured. The Twist & Mix Cocktails will initially be available exclusively in the USA, with other markets following in due course. Both will retail for $US22 (£17.50).

"For nearly 200 years, The Glenlivet has broken tradition, and together with Vessl we have developed a new way to enjoy ready-to-drink cocktails – unleashing a fresh, elevated at-home experience that meets global consumer demand. We think the world is ready for perfectly-made single malt whisky cocktails."
Jane Murphy / Global Marketing Director for Malts at Chivas Brothers.

Rosebank

The Lowland distillery of Rosebank, which restarted production after 30 years of closure last week, has revealed the first bottling in a new series named The Revival Collection. The Rosebank 30 years old - The Revival Chapter One has been created exclusively for the Asian market and is limited to just 800 bottles.

The whisky has been matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and bottled at the natural cask strength of 49% ABV. The bottling will be available in selected markets including China and Taiwan, and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. A bottle will cost $US2,700 (£2,150).

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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (July 14, 2023)

Here is the round-up of the news from this week.

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Bruichladdich

The Islay distillery of Bruichladdich, which was the first Scotch whisky distillery in Scotland to receive a B-Corp accreditation in 2020, has revealed a major overhaul of its packaging. This begins with a new bottle for its signature The Classic Ten single malt. The concept behind the new design is to significantly reduce the brand’s carbon footprint and be eco-friendlier and more sustainable.

The new bottle now contains at least 60% recycled glass and is 32% lighter than the previous incarnation. The bottle will no longer be presented in a secondary metal tin to further reduce environmental impact. In combination, these moves will reduce the packaging’s CO2 emissions by 65%. The packaging also features organic ink and a stopper made from polypropylene; a synthetic resin made from bio-based sources.

The Classic Ten new bottle is available now via www.bruichladdich.com and will be rolled out globally over the coming months. It will cost £45.

Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the third bottling of its limited edition 30 years old expression – the oldest Glenallachie release to date. The Glenallachie 30 years old Cask Strength Batch 3 has been created by owner and Master Distiller, Billy Walker. The new whisky features single malts dating back to the early 1990s and these have been matured in a marriage of ex-Pedro Ximénez and ex-Oloroso sherry hogsheads, plus several virgin American oak casks.

These have yielded just 2,400 bottles, which are released at the natural cask strength of 48.9% ABV. It is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The Glenallachie 30 years old Cask Strength Batch 3 will be available in specialist whisky retailers in selected world markets. A bottle will cost £670.

Glenturret

The Highland distillery of Glenturret, which is the oldest currently in operation in Scotland, has revealed the line-up of its core range for 2023. Several of the releases have appeared in previous years but each has a different recipe. The Glenturret 2023 Edition also features the Glenturret 35 years old for the first time. There are eight whiskies in the range.

The Glenturret Triple Wood has been created using American oak ex-bourbon barrels, plus American oak and European oak ex-sherry casks. It is bottled at 43% ABV. The Glenturret 7 years old Peat Smoked is a marriage of classic unpeated Glenturret spirit and their heavily peated spirit. It is bottled at 46% ABV. The Glenturret 10 years old Peat Smoked is bottled at the higher strength of 48.4% ABV.

The Glenturret 12 years old uses both American and European oak ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and is bottled at 46.4% ABV. The Glenturret 15 years old is made from several different cask types ranging from quarter cask size up to puncheon. This includes one ex-Amontillado sherry cask. It is bottled at 50.8% ABV.

Kicking off The Extremely Scarce Collection is the Glenturret 25 years old features just six casks – a mix of American and European oak – and is bottled at 42.6% ABV. There are just 210 bottles. The Glenturret 30 years is made from just five casks, and these include ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Port. There are just 500 bottles, which are released at 42.7% ABV.

The Glenturret 35 years old is created from just a single European oak ex-Oloroso butt, which has yielded just 185 bottles. It is released at 42.8% ABV. Each whisky has been created by Bob Dalgarno, the Master Blender for Glenturret. All are non-chill filtered, except the Triple Wood, and all are of natural colour. The prices were not revealed in the press release. All will be available in selected markets globally.

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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (March 24, 2023)

Here is the round-up of the news from this week.

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Ardbeg

The Islay distillery of Ardbeg have announced their latest limited edition - Ardbeg BizarreBQ. The barbeque-inspired whisky is a first for the distillery and has seen Dr. Bill Lumsden, the Director of Whisky Creation at Ardbeg, collaborate with expert griller DJ BBQ (AKA Christian Stevenson). The whisky has been created using ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, plus double charred American oak barrels and extra-charred 'barbeque' casks. The limited edition is bottled at 50.9% ABV and will initially be available from the visitor centre shop on Islay and in Germany from April 3. Other global markets, including the UK, will see stock from June onwards. A bottle will cost £75.

"Ardbeg BizarreBQ is certainly a hare-brained idea, but with DJ BBQ’s help I was able to cook up something truly incredible. Puffs of charcoal and soot mingle with smoky wood and the undeniable smell of bonfire and BBQ embers linger in the background."
Dr. Bill Lumsden.

Caskshare

The whisky company of Caskshare has released four special bottlings that has seen them collaborate with artists from around the world. The Caskshare Collective Series feature specially commissioned artworks from three artists on the labels.

Collective Series 310031 'Bothy' (pictured, above right) is a 14 years old single malt from the Dailuaine distillery in Speyside. It has been matured in a single ex-bourbon cask which has yielded just 215 bottles. The artwork has been created by Evie Grace, a Scottish freelance artist and designer whi drew inspiration from drinking whisky while staying in a Scottish bothy. A bottle costs £85.

Collective Series 4033 (pictured, above second right) and 4067 (pictured, above left) both feature artwork by Somerset-based artist and screen printer Pheobe Phillips. Both whiskies are from Agitator in Sweden - 4033 is a peated single malt matured in casks made from chestnut with 180 bottles, while 4067 is a four grain whisky matured in ex-white Port casks with 310 bottles. Both are £75.

Collective Series 72013 (pictured, above second left) is exclusive to Caskshare Collective members only. It is a nine years old blended malt and features artwork from Martha Duncan, a former student at the Glasgow School of Art. She often depicts Scottish motifs in her illustrations. All bottlings are available from www.caskshare.com.

Cotswolds

The English distillery of Cotswolds has announced the fourth edition in their limited edition Hearts & Crafts series - the Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Banyuls Cask. The new whisky has experienced a full maturation in a small batch of French oak casks that were previously filled with Banyuls, a sweet dessert wine from the south west of France. It is bottled at 55.1% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. There are just 1,510 bottles and these will be available exclusively from www.cotswoldsdistillery.com. A bottle will cost £95.

Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has added three new limited edition expressions to its Virgin Oak Series - the Glenallachie 7 years old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish, 8 years old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish and 10 years old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish. Each new whisky was initially matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels before undergoing an 18 month finishing period in the different oak varieties.

The Glenallachie 7 years old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish features casks constructed of Quercus Petraea sourced from the Zemplén forest in north eastern Hungary. Glenallachie are one of the first Scottish distilleries to use virgin Hungarian oak. The 8 years old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish has seen secondary maturation in rare Sessile Oak sourced from the west coast of Scotland.

The 10 years old Spanish Virgin Oak has been matured in casks made of Quercus Robur sourced from the Cantabrian mountains in northern Spain. All three single malts are bottled at 48% ABV and are non chill-filtered and of natural colour. They will be available in limited quantities through specialist retailers worldwide. The Glenallachie 7 years old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish will cost £63, the 8 years old Scottish Virgin Oak Finish £66 and the 10 years old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish £70.

"Virgin oak of varying provenance presents endless possibilities to me as a whisky maker. Exploring a variety of oak types, toasting and charring the casks to particular levels, and then closely observing the spirit development over time has been a truly joyful experience."
Billy Walker / Master Distiller at Glenallachie.

Rock Island

Douglas Laing & Co, the family-owned independent blender and bottler, have announced a new limited edition expression of their Rock Island blended malt - the Rock Island 14 years old Sherry Edition. As with all expressions of Rock Island, the whisky is created using single malts from Scottish islands. These include Arran, Islay, Jura and Orkney. All have been aged for a minimum of 14 years and predominantly in ex-sherry casks.

The Rock Island 14 years old Sherry Edition is bottled at 46.8% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is presented in a blue foiled tube and will be available via specialist retailers in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. A bottle will cost £65/ $US80.

White Peak

The English distillery of White Peak has announced its first permanent whisky following a successful year-long series of small batch and single cask bottlings. Wire Works Caduro, named after a brand of cable made at the Johnson & Nephew factory that is now home to the distillery, has been matured in American and French oak casks. These are first-fill ex-bourbon and ex-red wine STRs (shaved, toasted and recharred), which were filled with White Peak's lightly peated single malt.

Wire Works Caduro is bottled at 46.8% ABV and will initially be available selected specialist retailers in the UK. It will also be available from the distillery with the option to refill the bottle at a 15% discounted price. A new bottle will cost £60, while a refill will cost £51.

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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (January 27, 2023)

Here is the round-up of the news from this week.

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Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced its first new release of the year - the Glenallachie 2012 Vintage Cuvée Wine Cask Finish. The whisky has been created by Billy Walker, the Master Blender of Glenallachie. Cuvée is a French term used in the wine sector to reference a blend that comprises more than one variety of grape. In this case Walker has used ex-red wine barrels from four different wineries across three European regions - Valpolicella from Italy, plus Languedoc and two Premier Cru Classés from Bordeaux in France.

All the liquid was distilled in 2012 and was initially filled to American oak ex-bourbon casks. This was then transferred to the four ex-wine barrels for a 20-month finishing period, before being married together. The whisky has been bottled at 9 years of age and 48% ABV. It is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The Glenallachie 2012 Vintage Cuvée Wine Cask Finish will be available in selected global markets and will cost £54 per bottle.

Glen Scotia

The award-winning Campbeltown distillery of Glen Scotia has announced the latest addition to its core range - the Glen Scotia 21 years old. The new whisky bridges the gap in the range between the 18- and 25-year old expressions. The whisky has been created using both re-fill ex-bourbon and re-fill American oak casks, before these were transferred for a six month finishing period in first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The casks were hand selected by Iain McAlister, the Distillery Manager.

The Glen Scotia 21 years old will be produced in batches of 2,500 bottles annually. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. Bottles will be available to purchase through selected specialist whisky retailers globally and via www.glenscotia.com. Each will cost £265.

Macallan

The popular Speyside distillery of Macallan has released a new collection of single malts to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise. The Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Collection has been created in collaboration with EON Productions, the film makers behind the franchise.

The collection comprises six limited edition bottles inspired by the six decades of 007. Each bottle features an original illustrative design and colour to denote the decade it represents. The distinctive packaging brings to life the creative development process of the films, through a behind the scenes exploration of the James Bond archives.

The whisky is the same across the six bottlings and this has been created by Kirsteen Campbell, the Master Whisky Maker at Macallan. It is bottled at 43.7% ABV. Each bottling will cost £700 each and will go on sale in selected luxury and specialist whisky retailers in the UK from February 19. It will be available exclusively one day earlier on February 18 from Harrods, the famous London department store.

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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (November 11, 2022)

Here is the round-up of the news from this last week.

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Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the third bottling of its award-winning 21 years old cask strength expression. It sits at the top of the current core range. The Glenallachie 21 years old Cask Strength Batch 3 has been created by Billy Walker, the Master Blender at Glenallachie. The release is limited to just 2,400 bottles and has been constructed from three single ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. It has been released at the natural cask strength of 51.5% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The Glenallachie 21 years old Cask Strength Batch 3 will be available shortly via specialist whisky retailers worldwide. A bottle will cost £275/ $325 US.

Lambay

The Irish whiskey company of Lambay have revealed details of their first age statement bottling - the Lambay 20 years old Castle Prestige Edition. The whiskey is a triple distilled Irish single malt that has been sourced from a leading Irish distillery. It has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 18 years and then finished for the final two years in ex-Cognac casks from the House of Camus. These were selected by Yonael Bernard, the Master Blender for Lambay. The release is limited to 8,000 bottles. They are available via the Lambay website and will cost €560 each.

TOAD

The Oxford Artisan Distillery (or TOAD for short) has announced the release of its ninth batch of Oxford Rye - The Tawny Pipe. The whisky represents the oldest release to date and the first single cask bottling. It features heritage grains harvested and distilled in late 2017. The mashbill consisted of 90% maslin (a mixed crop of rye and wheat) and 10% malted barley. It has been matured for one and a half years in virgin American oak before being transferred to a 30-year old ex-Tawny Port pipe for a two years and nine months. The Tawny Pipe is bottled at 56% ABV and restricted to just 587 bottles. These are available exclusively from Master of Malt. Each will cost £95.

"Through a long standing relationship with Portuguese coopers and winemakers, I was very lucky to be able to obtain a cask of this age and quality. Tawny pipes are the oldest casks being used in Port, so the wine has had decades to soak deep into the wood and leave its character."
Francisco Rosa / Master Distiller at TOAD.

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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (July 29, 2022)

Here is the round-up of the news from this last week.

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Fettercairn

The east Highland distillery of Fettercairn has unveiled the 2022 Edition of their small batch 16 years old expression. It is the third such annual release in the series, which is designed to show different maturation journeys of the distillery's distinctive spirit. This year has seen the whisky initially matured in first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry barrels before a further maturation period in first-fill ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. It was then finished in ex-bourbon barrels.

The Fettercairn 16 years old 2022 Edition is bottled at 46.4% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The number of bottles was not revealed in the press release. It will be available shortly in key European markets including Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and the UK. This will expand to Asia and travel retail later in the year. A bottle will cost £72/ €85.

Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie have launched the second bottling into their Billy Walker 50th Anniversary The Past, Present & Future Series - the Glenallachie 16 years old Mizunara Virgin Oak Finish. The series celebrates co-owner and Master Distiller Billy Walker's half century of service in the Scotch whisky industry. The whisky was initially matured in ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks before a final finishing period in virgin Japanese Mizunara oak barrels - this is the first time that Walker has worked with rare Mizunara oak.

The new whisky has been released at 48% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. There are just 2,900 bottles and these will be available worldwide via selected specialist retailers. Each will cost £280/ €335/ $340 US.

Glenmorangie

The north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie has announced a bold new revamp of its packaging for its core range. The new livery and design has been created to 'highlight Glenmorangie's deliciousness'. The bottle has seen an elegant evolution with wider shoulders, tapered body and larger stopper. The packaging carton sees a graphic new design to grab attention and bold colouration to stand out on the shelf. It also features curved linework to mirror the new bottle shape. The revamped packaging will be available worldwide from early August. The liquid for each bottling remains the same.

"Our whisky is truly delicious and our reimagined packaging brings its flavours to the fore. We see this as an opportunity to show a playful elegance which reflects our creativity in whisky making; and to ensure our single malt stands out by using bold colours and enhanced branding."
Louise Dennett / Global Head of Brand at Glenmorangie.

Gordon & Macphail

The family owned independent bottler of Gordon & Macphail have released their last ever cask distilled at the Milton distillery in Speyside. In 1951 its name was changed to Strathisla. Bottlings under the Milton name are extremely rare. The whisky was distilled and filled to a single first-fill ex-sherry puncheon (cask #383) in 1949 and has been maturing in Gordon & Macphail's warehouses ever since. This cask has yielded just 180 bottles of the precious whisky, which is released at 72 years of age and the natural cask strength of 48.6% ABV. It will be available in specialist and luxury retailers worldwide. A bottle will cost £50,000/ $65,000 US.

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Review / Glenallachie 8 years old

This new whisky is the latest expression to enter the core range of the Speyside single malt distillery of Glenallachie (pronounced glen-alla-key). The Glenallachie 8 years old sees whisky from four different cask types married together. These are virg…

This new whisky is the latest expression to enter the core range of the Speyside single malt distillery of Glenallachie (pronounced glen-alla-key). The Glenallachie 8 years old sees whisky from four different cask types married together. These are virgin oak casks, ex-red wine barriques, plus ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheons. The casks were hand selected by Billy Walker, the Master Blender for Glenallachie, for this first batch. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The Glenallachie 8 years old will be available via specialist whisky retailers worldwide and is expected to retail for £42.50/ $55.50 US.

The Glenallachie distillery is located just outside the town of Aberlour in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson & Co. in 1967 and was designed by renowned distillery architect William Delmé-Evans. The current owners are The Glenallachie Distillers Co. who took over in mid-2017.

Under their ownership, and the vision of Master Distiller Billy Walker in particular, the brand has quickly established itself as a single malt brand and has a cult following. Previously, bottlings were rare with most spirit going into popular blends such as Ballantine's and Chivas Regal. The annual production capacity is four million litres, although Walker has reduced this to around 750,000 litres per year.

Our tasting notes

The colour is deep gold with a tint of amber is sweet and vibrant. Aromas of sultana and fresh green apple mingle with toffee, fudge and raisin. Underneath are further aromas of warming wood spices (especially cinnamon), brown sugar, milk chocolate and and a hint of something uplifting and floral.

On the palate this whisky is immediately sweet and sugary. Crumbly muscovado sugar and plump juicy raisins and sultanas lead the way. These notes are followed by caramel, fudge and toffee with a suggestion of milk chocolate and cocoa powder. Other sweet notes begin to develop with time - think of molasses, stewed apples and vanilla ice cream covered in butterscotch.

Warming spices come through. These follow two tracks - woody oak, which gives a drying and slightly bitter edge, and baking spices. These give warmth, depth and add to the complexity. Think of cinnamon, all-spice and a pinch of mace. A slightly strange burnt characteristic appears towards the end. This is a little bitter and tannic with hints of toasted nuts and burnt caramel.

The finish is of decent length. The sweet and fruity notes hold well but slowly begin to fade. This allows the woody and spicy elements to come to the fore. It gives a gripping and drying warmth. Unfortunately that burnt characteristic from the late palate also reappears.

What's the verdict?

This whisky is now the new entry point into the Glenallachie core range. We can see why they have done this and it is good to see someone putting out an age statement of under 10 years. It presents a whisky at around the £40 price point, which was missing before.

Glenallachie have become known for their sherry cask expressions and experimentation since Billy Walker took over. To this end the new 8 years old feels a little like Glenallachie Lite. There are obvious sherry cask elements there but it lacks the characteristics that can only come with age. Also, that bitter burnt note is a little off-putting and disappointing towards the end.

Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (April 29, 2022)

Here is the round-up of the news from this last week.

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Cotswolds

The English distillery of Cotswolds has announced the latest addition to its Hearts & Crafts Collection. The series of limited edition whiskies is inspired by the work of designer and craftsman William Morris, who lived in the Cotswolds at Kelmscott Manor. The new release has seen the spirit made from 100% Cotswolds barley and then matured in rejuvenated French oak ex-red wine casks that were seasoned with Caribbean rum. All bottles are presented in a William Morris design tube. The exact number of bottles was not revealed in the press release.

The Cotswolds Hearts & Crafts Rum Cask Matured single malt is bottled at 55.6% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. It is exclusive to the Cotswold distillery's shops, visitor centre and website. A bottle will cost £74.95.

"I have always loved a good sipping rum, but often feel let down by 'rum-finished' single malts. This wonderful new Hearts & Crafts bottling really delivers. Our focus on full-term maturation, rather than finishing, making this whisky both finely balanced and immensely satisfying."
Daniel Szor / Founder of Cotswolds.

Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the release of four single cask bottlings. Three will be exclusive to UK specialist whisky retailers with the fourth exclsuively for sale at this weekend's Spirit of Speyside festival. All are released at their natural cask strength and are of both natural colour and non chill-filtered. Each single cask was selected by Billy Walker, the Master Blender for Glenallachie.

The UK exclusive trio form Batch 6 of Glenallachie's single cask series. These feature Cask #1036 - an ex-Bordeaux red wine Premier Cru Classé Barrique that was filled in 2011 and aged for 11 years. It is bottled at 59.9% ABV and will cost £100. Cask #5386 is an ex-Tawny Port Hogshead and is bottled at 10 years old and 56.5% ABV. A bottle will cost £95. Cask #806890 is a true rarity. It is an ex-bourbon barrel that was filled with peated spirit in 2012. This was not distilled very often at Glenallachie. It is released at 9 years old and 60.1% ABV. A bottle will cost £90.

The Spirit of Speyside exclusive will only be available at the distillery, which is located near Aberlour. Cask #3292 was distilled in 2006 and is bottled at 15 years old. It started life in an ex-bourbon barrel before being transferred to a first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry puncheon and finally an antique ex-Oloroso sherry butt. A bottle will cost £175.

Glen Scotia

The Campbeltown distillery of Glen Scotia has announced details of its special limited edition bottling for the forthcoming Campbeltown Malts Festival. The Glen Scotia Festival Release 2022 is an 8 year old single malt that has been maturing in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred for a 12-month finishing period in ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry hogsheads. The spirit is heavily peated, unlike most from Glen Scotia. It is bottled at the natural cask strength of 56.5% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour.

The Glen Scotia Festival Release 2022 will be available at the distillery and on Glen Scotia's online store during the festival and via selected specialist whisky retailers worldwide. A bottle will cost £55/ $70 US.

TOAD

The Oxford Artisan Distillery has announced the release of Batch #6 of their rye whisky - Crafty Little Rye. The whisky continues the brand's exploration of heritage cereal varieties and is made from a mix of 90% maslin (70% rye and 20% wheat grown in the same field) and 10% malted barley. The resulting spirit was matured in a virgin American oak cask for two years and one month, before being transferred to an ex-Vintage Port cask for a finishing period of one year and two months. It has been bottled at 45.2% ABV and in 20cl glass flasks - a decision taken to try an improve accessibility for consumers.

Bottles of Crafty Little Rye will only be available via a ballot through the TOAD website today (April 29) or from the distillery shop in Oxford. Each 20cl flask will cost £25.

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GlenAllachie Serves Up Pair Of Whiskies

Speyside distillery GlenAllachie has released a pair of whiskies – an eight-year-old single malt and a 15-year-old blend. GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky was aged in both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry puncheons, along with virgin oak casks and red wine barriques, bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is […]

Speyside distillery GlenAllachie has released a pair of whiskies – an eight-year-old single malt and a 15-year-old blend.

GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky was aged in both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry puncheons, along with virgin oak casks and red wine barriques, bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to contain notes of stem ginger, heather honey character, mint chocolate and raisins.

GlenAllachie White Heather 15 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky contains both peated and unpeated malts blended together, along with grain whiskies, was matured in sherry butts and American oak barrels, re-racked into Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry puncheons, as well as American virgin oak casks for an additional three years, was also bottled at 46% alcohol by volume [92 proof] and is said to contain notes of almonds, butterscotch, ginger, grapefruit, mocha, orange peel and pineapple.

The GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is being made available for $55 per bottle, while the GlenAllachie White Heather 15 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky is being made available for $80 per bottle.