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
April started with a couple of “April Fools” from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt. Pretty easy to spot if you remembered the date. We did like Master of Malt’s idea of building a distillery from buckets of sand. It resonated on several levels. Whilst Campbeltown Soop from Tyndrum Whisky, felt an April fool but apparently was real according to their website.
The month produced a mixed bag of indicators for whisky. On the one hand “high end” bottles seemed to continue to increase in price whilst some distilleries and independent bottlers introduced “extra value” expressions at the opposite end of the market. It also seems that whisky is even less likely to be sold simply on the whisky, with many releases being linked to sustainability, charity, artwork, celebrity, or exclusivity. This could be seen positively as innovation, or negatively as the market is saturated and to compete you need something to differentiate you from the crowd. Maybe good for consumers in terms of choice but harder to decide on what would be a “good purchase” or the real price/value. One wonders whether both consumers and producers might wish to go back to a simpler time.
April also seems a bumper month for new releases with new collections from Cadenheads (Authentic), Gordon & MacPhail (Cask Connoisseur), Feis Ile, Campbeltown Malts Festivalsand Spirit of Speyside coming up, various independent bottlers (e.g. Stirk, Goldfinch and Infrequent Flyers) along with numerous distillery releases.
Highlights
Highland Park releases 1990 Vintage, £2800, 44.9% ABV. 33 years in the making from 34 bourbon casks laid down in 1990 and then finished from 2021 in a selection of the “finest first fill and refill casks”. Said to be, “an exploration of flavour. Opening with notes of pink grapefruit and mandarin orange, balanced by creamy vanilla, coconut, warm nutmeg, and subtle heather peat smoke.”
GlenAllachie releases the first three editions of its Wood Collection limited release expressions. The three are a 9 year old Fino Cask Finish, a 9-year-old Amontillado Cask Finish and a 9-year-old Oloroso Cask Finish, all priced at £60. The aim of the collection is to explore the contribution from each style of sherry.
Henstone Distillery has started moving into their new premises close to Welshpool.
The English wine maker Nyetimber looks set to take over The Lakes Distillery. The offer values the whisky maker at £71 million.
Spirit of Speyside turns 25 and claims to be the biggest whisky festival in Scotland. Certainly,there are numerous events during the week of 1st – 6th May. Go to their website for the full programme and purchase tickets.
William Grant & Sons release their new blended whisky series Wildmoor ranging in age from a 23 year old to a 40 year old all at 42% ABV.
Whiskystats reported that the March round of auctions sold 28,000 bottles of 13,500 expressions. However, it was another month where prices moved sideways.
Finn Thompson announces the first release of their nine year campaign called Generations. The first edition is just nine bottles of a 40 year old 52.7% ABV Port Ellen of which only eight bottles are available to the public.
Lochlea the Ayrshire distillery is to end its seasonal releases with the third seasonal release.
The Oxford Artisan Distillery changes its name to Fielden. The name change reflects their messaging about provenance and environmental care, “We’re regenerating England’s fields with heritage grains. We don’t use chemicals, our crops grow in clover, a natural fertiliser that helps the soil stay healthy. It means our fields are wild and glorious – and our whisky is full of flavour.”
Little Brown Dog releases three new single cask whiskies from Glenwyvis, Glenburgie and Caol Ila, along with Batch 3 of Wee Mongrel.
An addition to the Glenmorangie core range is their Triple Cask Reserve (40% ABV, £33) having been matured in bourbon, new charred oak and rye whiskey casks.
Berry Bros & Rudd open their dedicated spirit store in London. Housing around 1000 bottles it looks well worth a visit.
According to White Peak Distillery who produce Wire Works, there are over 15 distilleries selling English whisky with a further 50 plus at various stages of development. The 2024 English whisky distillery map produced by Cooper King Distillery lists 55 current whisky distilleries in England.
Bimber releases the first six of their Shoulder of Giants series. It is said to showcase the growing maturity and complexity of their single malt whiskies. Each bottle is distinctive and named after various “great people”.
Whiskystats Insights Report 2023 highlight the gap between retail pricing and buying the same on auction with the title “Has Whisky Become a Buyer’s Market?”. It is not happy reading with the headline comment, “Put simply, in 2023, it was far cheaper to buy whisky at auction than at retail”. A quick perusal of April’s whisky auctions would seem to confirm that but maybe only for everyday drinkers or bottles up to £200 at retail.
Compass Box release Celestial, the fourth and final release in their Extinct Blends Quartet. Celestial is said to be “inspired by a whisky from the 1960s with both an extravagant flavour profile and an equine theme”.
Ballindalloch Distillery announce their first “UK exclusive” releases. Two 2015, 8 year old at 46% ABV and one from 2016.
Douglas Lang released their inaugural release from Strathearn Distillery. Having acquired the distillery in 2019 they have “worked with the small distillery team” to relaunch the brand and create their first single malt. Bottled at 50% ABV and costing £85, the whisky has been produced from “32 specially selected casks; a seamless combination of ex-Bourbon, Virgin and ex-Sherry oak”.
Barry McAffer, Distillery Manager at Laphroaig is set to step down. Having spent 13 years at the distillery with the last two being distillery Manager.
The Forrest Distillery which claims to be the UK’s highest altitude distillery is set to increase production and build a visitor centre. It is based in the 210-year-old Cat & Fiddle pub above Macclesfield Forest, in the Peak District National Park.
McConnell’s Irish whiskey brand opens its £12 million distillery and visitor centre in Belfast. The site will produce 500,000 litres of pure alcohol per year and hopes to attract 10,000 visitors per year. It is the second distillery to open in Belfast in the past 12 months and brings the total number of distilleries within the Irish Whiskey Association to 50. In 2010 there were only four working distilleries in Ireland. An up to date map of Irish distilleries can be found at www.whiskeys.ie/map-of-irish-whiskey-distilleries.php.
In The Welsh Wind distillery releases its first Welsh whisky. There are 674 bottles available at £95 and 48% ABV.
Master of Malt and Drinks by the Dram launch the first annual World Dram Day (the last Thursday of April).
R&B Distillers (owners of Isle of Raasay) gain planning permission for Machrihanish Distilleryand gain a majority stake in Caskshare.com.
Glen Scotia releases a 48 year old priced at £11,000 and ABV of 40.8%.
Cotswold Distillery releases the fifth edition in their Hearts and Crafts series. A single malt aged in Pineau de Charentes casks. 1500 bottles are available at 55% ABV and £100. Available through the distillery’s website. It is said to be “rich and sweet” with “summer berries, almond and woody spice”.
Upcoming Whisky Events
Those without full dates, have occurred in 2024 without releasing 2025 dates at present.
1st-6th May 2024 – Spirit of Speyside
18th May 2024 – Summerton Whisky Festival, St Albans
20st-25th May 2024 – Campbeltown Whisky Festival
17th – 18th May 2024 – Whiskey Live Dublin
18th May 2024 – Bladnoch Waterfall release day. This is the last release of the series.
24th May – 1st June 2024 – Fèis Ìle, Islay
2nd June 2024 – The Whisky Event, London
15th June 2024 – The Whisky Lounge: Edinburgh Whisky Festival
22nd June 2024 – Stoke Whisky Festival – Stoke on Trent (cancelled)
28th – 30th June 2024 – Arran Whisky Festival, Arran
29th June – National Whisky Festival, Inverness
6th July 2024 – The Whisky Lounge: Bristol Whisky Festival
19th – 20th July 2024 – Southport Summer Whisky Festival, Churchtown & Southport
19th – 27th July 2024 – Belfast Whisky Week, Belfast
9th – 11th August 2024 – Whisky Fringe, Edinburgh
10th August 2024 – Falkirk Whisky Social, Larbert
31st August 2024 – Spirit of Alba Festival, Kirkintilloch
6th September 2024 – Cadenhead’s in the Courtyard, Campbeltown
6th – 8th September 2024 – Whisky Show, London
6th– 7th September 2024 – Spirit of Speyside: Distilled, Elgin
9th – 14th September 2024 – Hebridean Whisky Festival
13th – 14th September 2024 – Whisky Indy Love Fest, Newcastle upon Tyne
14th September 2024 – Scottish National Whisky Festival, Aberdeen
21st September 2024 – The Whisky Lounge: Liverpool Whisky Festival
26th September 2024 – Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival
5th October 2024 – Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival
5th – 6th October 2024 – Midland Whisky Festival, Birmingham
18th – 19th October 2024 – Manchester Whisky Festival
19th October 2024 – Wee Dram Fest, Bakewell
25th – 27th October 2024 – Dornoch Whisky Festival
26th October 2024 – Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast
1st – 3rd November 2024 – Wales Whisky Fest, Llandudno
2nd November 2024 – Leeds Whisky Festival
2nd November 2024 – Stirling Whisky Festival
23rd November 2024 – English Whisky Festival, Birmingham
7th – 8th December 2024 – Kendal Whisky Festival
10th – 11th January 2025 – Harrow Whisky Festival
25th January 2025 – Scottish National Whisky Festival, Glasgow
8th February 2025 – Exploring Whisky: Bristol
11th – 12th April 2025 – Welcome to Whisky Show, London
January
- Southport Whisky Festival (Winter)
February
- The Whisky Lounge: Newcastle Whisky Festival
March
- Fife Whisky Festival, various locations in Fife.
- Whisky Birmingham – Birmingham
- Croydon Whisky Festival
- Whisky Fair – Cambridge
- Whisky Live London
April
- Clackmannanshire’s Whisky Festival, Alloa
