November Monthly Round up for the Whisky Drinker

Background – Here at The Cask Connoisseur, even though we’re not subscribed to every potential newsletter or source of information, we receive around four hundred emails over the course of a month with various promotions, new release information, distillery newsletter, updates etc. Add on social media posts and that amounts to somewhere well over 1000 pieces of information being reviewed per month. The aim of this monthly round up is to provide a summary of the most interesting bits along with upcoming events that can be gleaned from them. The downside to a monthly review is a lot of “special offers” will have come and gone.  

Summary of the Month

Christmas drinks and presents were undoubtedly the theme of this month along with numerous new releases. November might be one of the busiest months for buying whisky, not only because of the number of new releases, and Christmas purchases, but also because of the discounts available during Black Friday. If you’re looking for a bargain or a new edition November is probably the month to go whisky shopping. 

Highlights

Ardnamurchan release their 2023 cask strength edition. As a distillery their whisky is highly rated by many.

Talisker released their first ever 45 year old whisky, “aged for over four decades and then finished in ice-fractured casks”. This apparently means 12 heavily charred American oak casks were taken on a “glacial voyage” into Canada’s ice fields. Talisker 45 Year Old Xpedition Oak: Glacial Edge, 49.8% ABV around £4500 per bottle. 

William Grant & Sons appoint a new CEO Søren Hagh who will take up the position in January 2024. 

Dalmore release two more whiskies as part of their Vintage Collection. The 15yo (distilled 2008) and 18yo (distilled 2005) are the third release of this collection.

Bruichladdich release the 11^th Black Art Edition, 24yo, 44.9% ABV, £395. Unusually for Bruichladdich, Black Art editions are created in total secrecy with only the age and ABV revealed. Another interesting fact is Bruichladdich was closed when this was distilled. Staff from Jura spent one week distilling in 1998 and it is from this distillate that this bottle comes from.

Somewhat tongue in cheek, Isle of Raasay release a whisky “66 million years in the making”. Dùn Cana – Sherry Quarter Cask Release is a NAS annual release. This first edition is limited to 14000 bottles worldwide.

Whiskystats reports that the auction market is still in the doldrums with the value of Macallan decreasing by 6.6% in the previous month. Balvenie apparently was the best performing distillery.

The Advertising Standards Agency published an enforcement notice to clamp down on potentially misleading cask investment advertisements. The new rules will be enforced from the 2^nd January 2024.

Glenmorangie renames Nectar d’Or to The Nectar. Aged for 14 years in ex-bourbon casks, the whisky spends a final two years in various sweet wine cask. Bottled as a 16yo, 46% ABV, £79.

Thompson Bros. received planning permission for their new distillery. This will have a production capacity of 200,000 litres of pure alcohol per year, include two new bonded warehouses and a visitor centre. 

Lady of the Glen release their quarter four outrun. This includes five Lady of the Glen releases which are meant to demonstrate their dunnage and cask management, three for the Dalgety range demonstrating cask innovation and the first release of St Bridgit’s Kirk blended malt whisky made from their “three cask solera system”.

Kilchoman release their oldest bottling yet a 16yo. It is a combination of 21 casks predominantly ex-bourbon with some oloroso sherry casks. 

Jameson release a 21yo “Jameson Remixed Caribbean Beats” as part of the Jameson Anthology series. Having spent all the time in rum casks, 18 years in rum casks sourced from Barbados, Jamesons decided to give it a second rum finish in Havanah Club casks. 

Luxury retreat? Chivas Brothers open Linn House to the public. A minimum 2 night stay which includes breakfast and dinner can be booked along with 12 friends in six rooms at £9600 per night. Alternatively, you can book the whole house for 24 guests at £19200. Optional tours can also be booked. 

Speyside Distillers Company producers of Spey and Beinn Dubh single malt whisky get planning permission for a new distillery at Lagan. 

Aberfeldy released a limited edition 25 year old to celebrate 125 years since the opening of Aberfeldy distillery in 1898.

Ardgowan started the first phase of building its £20 million distillery near Inverkip. It is expected to produce one million litres of whisky per annum with production starting in 2024.

61% of 280 members of the UK Spirits Alliance expect to cut production at their distilleries next year due to increases in alcohol duty.  

Graham Logan, Distiller Manager at Jura retired after more than three decades. Celebrating his commitment to Jura, he launched his own release the Logan Cask. 

Isle of Harris Distillery reported that over 25,000 people online and one thousand people queued at the distillery to purchase their first release with all eight batches selling out within five hours.

A bottle of The Macallan 1926 was sold at Sotheby’s London, on the 18^th November for £2,187,500.

Laphroaig reveals the first bottle in it’s The Archive Collection. A 36 year old distilled in 1985 was matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in second fill oloroso hogsheads. Bottled at 40.2% ABV only four hundred bottles are available at £3750. 

Tullibardine announces the second release of their Single Cask Edition, a 17 year old, 57.3% ABV, £125 Tawny Port Cask distilled in 2006. 

Bruichladdich release Octomore 14.4 which for the first time has been matured in Columbian virgin oak casks. These are said to be similar to French oak and impart a sweet vanilla and caramel flavour. 

The Noble & Co Whisky Intelligence Report comprised of more than 3.2 million datapoints from 160,200 transactions over the past 12 months that the value of bottles sold for more than £1000 decreased by 7% although the volume increased to more than 8500 sales.

Glasgow based blender Turntable has collaborated with Australian whisky producer Starward to produce Collaboration Drop 01. Consisting of 39% Starward ex-Australian Red Wine Cask, 10% Caol Ila 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 29% Inchgower Virgin Oak Barrel and 22% North British Virgin Oak Barrel.

Compass Box announces the end of Hedonism, the whisky blend which started the company. From 2024 it will only be available as an annual limited release due to the scarcity of the old and rare stocks of the grain whisky used in the blend. 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) launches a monthly subscription service “Drop & Dram. Each box costs £45 and consists of three 50ml bottles of malt along with tasting notes. Subscribers will also become members of SMWS.

Upcoming Whisky Events

Those without full dates, have occurred in 2023 without releasing 2024 dates at present. 

1^st December – Kendal Whisky Festival, Kendal

3^rd December – Inverkip Hotel Christmas Market, Inverkip

9^th December – National Whisky Festival, Edinburgh

2024 Dates

12^th -13^th January 2024 Harrow Whisky Festival

19^th – 20^th January 2024 – Southport Whisky Festival (Winter)

27^th January 2024 – Scottish National Whisky Festival, Glasgow

24^th February 2024 – The Whisky Lounge: Newcastle Whisky Festival

1^st-3^rd March 2024 – Fife Whisky Festival, various locations in Fife.

2^nd March 2024 – Whisky Birmingham – Birmingham

16^th March 2024 – Croydon Whisky Festival 

22^nd March 2024 – Whisky Fair – Cambridge

22^nd-23^rd March 2024 – Whisky Live London

6^th April 2024 – Clackmannanshire’s Whisky Festival, Alloa 

1^st-6^th May 2024 – Spirit of Speyside

18^th May 2024 – Summerton Whisky Festival, St Albans

20^st-25^th May 2024 – Campbeltown Whisky Festival

17^th – 18^th May 2024 – Whiskey Live Dublin

18^th May 2024 – Bladnoch Waterfall release day. This is the last release of the series.

24^th May – 1^st June 2024 – Fèis Ìle, Islay

2^nd June 2024 – The Whisky Event, London

15^th June 2024 – The Whisky Lounge: Edinburgh Whisky Festival

22^nd June 2024 – Stoke Whisky Festival – Stoke on Trent (cancelled)

29^th June – National Whisky Festival, Inverness

6^th July 2024 – The Whisky Lounge: Bristol Whisky Festival

19^th – 20^th July 2024 – Southport Summer Whisky Festival, Churchtown & Southport

19^th – 27^th July 2024 – Belfast Whisky Week, Belfast

9^th – 11^th August 2024 – Whisky Fringe, Edinburgh

10^th August 2024 – Falkirk Whisky Social, Larbert

31^st August 2024 – Spirit of Alba Festival, Kirkintilloch

6^th September 2024 – Cadenhead’s in the Courtyard, Campbeltown

6^th – 8^th September 2024 – Whisky Show, London

6^th– 7^th September 2024 – Spirit of Speyside: Distilled, Elgin

9^th – 14^th September 2024 – Hebridean Whisky Festival

13^th – 14^th September 2024 – Whisky Indy Love Fest, Newcastle upon Tyne

14^th September 2024 – Scottish National Whisky Festival, Aberdeen

21^st September 2024 – The Whisky Lounge: Liverpool Whisky Festival

5^th September 2024 – Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival

5^th – 6^th October 2024 – Midland Whisky Festival, Birmingham

18^th – 19^th October 2024 – Manchester Whisky Festival

19^th October 2024 – Wee Dram Fest, Bakewell

25^th – 7^th October 2024 – Dornoch Whisky Festival 

1^st – 3^rd November 2024 – Wales Whisky Fest, Llandudno

2^nd November 2024 – Leeds Whisky Festival

2^nd November 2024 – Stirling Whisky Festival

23^rd November 2024 – English Whisky Festival, Birmingham

7^th – 8^th December 2024 – Kendal Whisky Festival

June

• Arran Whisky Festival, Arran

August

• The Dram Good Whisky Festival, Edinburgh 

September

• Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival

October

• The Whisky Lounge: York Whisky Festival, York
• Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast