Bottles

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Over in Finland, based in an old dairy in Isokyrö, the distillers at Kyrö are known to some as the ‘Adventurous Rye Rye Gentlemen’ because they have such an affinity with the grain. This is Kyrö Malt Rye, a shiny new release distilled entirely from malted Finnish wholegrain rye! This is actually the first Finnish single batch rye whisky and it’s been aged exclusively in new American white oak casks, imparting some creamier vanilla notes to the otherwise spicy whisky.

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A shiny new Ledaig for us, the first release in the Sinclair Series! Ledaig is the name for the mega-peated whisky produced at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, which takes its name from one of the distillery’s previous monikers.

This is a whisky soaked in history, not only because the whole series is named after the distillery’s founder, John Sinclair. The smoky single malt was initially matured in ex-bourbon casks before an 18-month finish in Spanish Rioja casks.

If you thought Spain and the Scottish Islands didn’t have anything in common, think again – the reason for choosing these wine casks is a nod from the distillery to a bounty of Spanish treasure that was found off the coast of the Isle of Mull, which was lost there over 400 years ago! The holy trio of smoke, sweetness and spice awaits...

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The arrival of Diageo’s annual Special Releases is always a much-anticipated event, and this Talisker was part of the 2020 collection. The theme was Rare by Nature, inspired by the surroundings of each distillery, and all were bottled at cask strength. Excitingly, this maturation is the first of its kind from the Isle of Skye distillery, aged for eight years in casks which previously held pot-still Caribbean rum!
Two radically different seaside locations meet in one expertly-balanced whisky, with Talisker’s smoke, peppery spice and seaweed flavours bolstered by tropical fruit from the cask.

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The clever folks behind Darkness sure love a well-sherried whisky, which is exactly what this 8 Year Old is! After an initial maturation in ex-bourbon barrels, this single malt Scotch (from an unknown distillery) was transferred to custom-made Oloroso sherry octave casks for at least three months. Octave casks are much smaller than your usual sherry butt, and the increased surface-area-to-volume ratio makes for some super amped up cask influence – generous helpings of chocolate, dried fruit and toasty spices await!

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The Laphroaig Distillery is situated on the south coast of the Hebridean island of Islay – and it’s developed something of a cult following. In particularly high demand with peat lovers is the producer’s 10 year old cask strength bottlings. It does exactly what is says on the tin – ‘cask strength’ means it’s been bottled at the exact ABV the whisky came out the cask (in this instance, bourbon barrels). The 12th batch weighs in at 60.1%, so don’t be afraid to add a splash of water after an initial nose and taste!

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A whisky all the way from New Zealand’s Cardrona Distillery, which was built in 2015 in the Southern Alps of New Zealand’s South Island. This is (excitingly!) the very first single malt from the distillery, dubbed Just Hatched because it’s been bottled at three years old – exactly how old it needs to be to be legally called a whisky! It spent its short maturation in a majority of ex-bourbon barrels alongside a small proportion of ex-sherry butts.

It was bottled up at cask strength, a fairly generous 64.4% ABV. Any prior judgements you have about a whisky this youthful, be gone! While this is a fabulous release in its own right, it’s also an exciting glimpse into what we can expect from the distillery in the future.

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Dating back to 1967 and bought by whisky distillery entrepreneur Billy Walker in 2017, Speyside’s GlenAllachie was initially built to produce whisky for blends. Now, however, with its new ownership, it’s perhaps better known for its lively single cask expressions. This single malt could almost be seen as a statement of intent from Walker, a sign of things he hopes to mature now he’s at the GlenAllachie helm. The 12 year old has been matured in a mix of Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso and virgin oak casks, resulting in fruit-forward deliciousness.

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This Irish whiskey hails from the first distillery in Connacht for over 100 years! If that leads you to expect great things then you won’t be let down, because Drumshanbo Single Pot Still from The Shed Distillery is truly fabulous. It’s made with malted Irish barley, unmalted Irish barley, and Irish Barra oats – though using oats in pot still whiskey is a historical tradition, it’s much rarer these days. It’s fun to see them make a comeback!

Triple distillation and pot still whiskey are also commonly associated with Irish production, so this release holds a true sense of place. Matured in a combination of Kentucky bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, it’s cream, spices, and nuts galore in here!

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A fascinating limited-edition expression from the Lake District’s very own The Lakes Distillery. Founded in 2011 by Paul Currie (he also set up the Isle of Arran Distillery), the producer has always been about the pursuit of flavour – a philosophy shared by master blender Dhavall Gandhi. To make orange wine, peel from Andalucían oranges is macerated in said wine. The Lakes team then used it to season first-fill American casks! After its full maturation, the whisky was transferred to these casks for a finishing period, which gives it its oily character and distinct flavour. Delicious and unusual stuff.

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Though New Riff has only been on the scene since 2014, it’s producing some top-notch spirits – just like this Kentucky Straight Bourbon!

It’s distilled from non-GMO grains, with a mash bill of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. Thanks to that generous helping of rye, there’s a good dose of spice alongside the sweeter buttery notes from the corn. It’s then bottled-in-bond after being aged in toasted and charred new oak barrels.

Bottled-in-bond bourbon must be produced by a single distiller at a single distillery in one season, aged for a minimum of four years in a bonded warehouse, and bottled at 50% ABV – this bourbon ticks all the boxes!

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A glorious blended grain whiskey from J.J. Corry in County Clare, Ireland! J.J. Corry isn’t a distillery but a whiskey bonder (the first new bonder in Ireland for over 50 years, no less), which means that it doesn’t produce the liquid, rather sources it from all over the country, then matures, blends and bottles it. The Hanson is a blend of three casks of grain whiskey from a selection of Irish distilleries, bringing us all those creamy vanilla notes that we know and love from grain, so it’s also a pretty approachable expression!

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WhistlePig is fast becoming a flagship American rye whisky brand, celebrated for its experimental approach and passion for flavour. Located at a farm in rural Vermont, the team is working towards a 100% grain-to-glass operation. In the meantime, it’s bottling blends of its own liquid, and rye bought in from Canada (this is a 100% rye that hails from over the border). It’s bold, unapologetic and mouth-filling – a delight from start to finish. We can’t wait to see what’s to come!

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The Old Pulteney distillery has come through some turbulent times since it was founded in 1826 – not least when its Highland home, the fishing town of Wick, became a ‘dry’ town in 1920.

The creation and consumption of alcohol was banned for the next 25 years! Luckily the restriction was lifted, because now we can enjoy this exclusively bourbon-matured single malt from the coastal distillery. This 12-year-old expression is a brilliant balance of creamy cask sweetness and the hallmark maritime salinity of the whisky itself.

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While this whisky was distilled at Cameronbridge, the largest grain distillery in Europe, it was independently bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company! Cameronbridge was built in the Scottish Lowlands in 1824 by John Haig, and was one of the first distilleries to produce grain whisky. That Boutique-y Whisky Company bottles limited-edition whiskies from a whole series of renowned distilleries – just like this! This is quite a treat, because lots of Cameronbridge whisky ends up in blends, but the Boutique-y folks bottled up this 27 year old single grain for us to taste in all its buttery, grain-forward glory!

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This is the second release from Glengoyne’s Legacy Series, a bottling range which focuses on different elements of the distillery’s history. The Highland distillery is known for its bold, fruity character (thanks to the slowest stills in Scotland!) and use of sherry casks, and this is no different. Chapter 2 honours Peter Russell, chairman and founder of Ian Macleod Distillers, which bought Glengoyne in 2003. A trio of casks formed this fruity single malt, and if we’re getting specific, 17% was filled into first-fill sherry casks, with 48% in first-fill bourbon barrels, and 35% in refill oak casks.

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It’s surrounded by some of Australia’s leading wine regions, which informs a lot of its whisky making – including Nova. This expression was matured in casks that previously held Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Cabernet. Casks are watertight but not airtight, meaning they can ‘breathe’, drawing liquid into the staves. When the whisky follows the wine, it picks up some of the character of the previous contents – expect big, bold fruit notes.

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Over in the Scottish Islands you’ll find Jura, a 30-mile-long island with one road, and a larger population of deer than people. This gorgeous release, Tide, hails from the island’s only distillery, and is a 21-year-old single malt that has been treated to a dual maturation. Initially it was rested in American white oak bourbon barrels, packing in heaps of vanilla and caramel flavours, before it was transferred to virgin American white oak casks, which gave the whisky a slightly spicier character.