January 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

What does the start of a new year bring? As with everything these days, the January sales. Retailers wishing to get rid of excess stock and this month saw some whiskies reduced by as much as 50% apparently. It would seem that November is the month to stock up with whisky for the holidays and January the time to replace those empty bottles. Indeed these two months would seem the best time of year to pick a whisky bargain.

By mid-January the focus moves to whiskies for Burns night. 

Highlights

What seems like a perennial problem that keeps getting discussed, is there enough new white oak to supply the bourbon industry? If not the obvious solution is to change the regulations and let bourbon producers to reuse barrels. The knock on effect of this would be for whisky producers to look at their own regulations. 

Dry January always produces numerous articles on alcohol free or low alcohol drinks. If you drink whisky cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, then you can get alcohol free versions but so far no one seems to have come up with an alcohol free single malt. How long will this remain so?

Green hydrogen from distillery wastewater could be the next thing in distilleries going carbon neutral? Scientists at Herriot Watt University have produced a nanoparticle material that can use distillery wastewater to produce hydrogen and that hydrogen could be used to heat the stills. 

Whiskystats reported that 2023 was the first time that traded bottles and traded value at auctions did not increase compared to 2022. The year saw an overall fall in value of whisky prices at auction fall by 18.3%

Claxton’s introduce the Unicorn Series. Bottled from casks that are low volume (fewer bottles) but “can be incredible whiskies and stand-out drams.”, all at reasonable prices. The first in the series is a 35 year old Linkwood, 43.2% ABV, of which there are only 36 bottles, for £195. 

Scotch Whisky Auctions increase their sellers fee from £6 to £8 per bottle. 

Bonnington Distillery inaugural release arrived, 502 bottles from a Ruby Port cask at 52.3% ABV, £85.

The Lost Distillery Company launches a Lossit 27 Year Old, and Towiemore 25 Year Old. The Lossit 27 year old is limited to 210 bottles, has an ABV of 47.3% and costs £520. Towiemore 25 year old is limited to 330 bottles, has an ABV of 52.1% and retails at £410. Lossit was based on Islay from 1817 to 1867 and Towiemore was in Speyside from 1898 to 1931.

Holyrood Distillery launch the first single cask release #147. Made from three speciality malts and “unconventional double pitched fermentation with specialty wine yeast.”, the whisky is said to taste of white grape and pears along with juicy fruit wrapped in milky coffee. 

Lochlea releases their first age statement whisky. A limited edition 5 year old. 

Glenlivet release a limited edition 12 year old to celebrate its 200^th anniversary. 

Old Pulteney introduce a new whisky to their core range, Harbour. 

The Scotch Whisky Association revealed that the UK government lost £98 million in tax revenue since  raising alcohol duty last year.

Upcoming Whisky Events

Those without full dates, have occurred in 2024 without releasing 2025 dates at present. 

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)

28^th – 30^th June 2024 – Arran Whisky Festival, Arran

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

26^th September 2024 – Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival

5^th October 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 – 27^th October 2024 – Dornoch Whisky Festival 

26^th October 2024 – Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast

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

January 

• Harrow Whisky Festival
• Southport Whisky Festival (Winter)
• Scottish National Whisky Festival, Glasgow