January Monthly Round up for the Whisky Drinker

January brought plenty of discussion in the whisky world, from Dry January trends to heavy discounting on big-name bottles. While low and no-alcohol alternatives are growing—especially in the UK—their global market share remains small. Meanwhile, deep price cuts on whisky raise questions about the industry’s financial health.

Beyond retail, business news saw mixed fortunes. Irish whiskey exports soared, but some Scottish distilleries faced declining sales, layoffs, and production suspensions. Exciting releases continued, from rare cask-strength expressions to Glenlivet’s new 40-year-old. Looking ahead, whisky lovers have a packed calendar of festivals and tastings throughout 2025.

Whisky Highlights of the month

Dry January – the first email received this month was “discover low and no-alcohol alternatives”. Did you follow Dry January? Looking through the various sales figures (see below in business) one wonders just how “big a thing” this is? Like all things, it can be hard to get current figures, although global sales of low and no-alcohol products (based on a figure of $11 billion in 2022) for 2024 would be at most $14 billion, less than one percent of global sales of alcohol drinks. Whilst not an insignificant sum, hardly indicative of a significant trend, at least globally. Within the UK no and low alcohol sales grew by 47% between 2022 and 2023, which sounds much more impressive. Between 2023 and 2027 alcohol free spirits are expected to grow by 4% per year. With all these statistics one is reminded of  Disraeli’s quote of “Lies, damned lies and statistics” comes to mind. What do you think?

Marketing started January sales at the beginning of the month, followed by Burns Night (25^thJanuary) and ending with Valentines Day. One thing that seems consistent is discounting. One well known whisky was being sold at retail with nearly two-thirds off its release price in 2023. Good for those who have the time to look for the best price. But potentially indicating things might be much worse than they seem in the whisky world. That level of discounting is no good in the long term, regardless of why it was so cheap. What do you think?

The US Surgeon General called for additional health warnings on labels to include cancer risks. According to the report there are 100,000 cancer cases linked to alcohol, with 20,000 deaths annually in the USA. Alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable cancer after smoking and obesity, which is concerning because these are preventable deaths. To add some context, the population of the USA was about 335 million in 2023 and the number of road traffic fatalities in 2022 was around 43,000  according to Google.  

Will this influence the amount and frequency you drink alcohol?

Whisky Business

No alcohol sales are expected to increase by $4 billion globally by 2028 (an increase of 7%). This compares to the global alcoholic drinks industry of $1,639.9 billion in 2023 which is expected to reach $2036.6 billion by 2031. 

It was reported that, The Hearach malt whisky produced by Isle of Harris Distillery found its way into the Golden Globes’ £1m goody bag presented to 100 of Hollywood’s elite. 

Issues facing spirits business range from decreased consumption, global trade tariffs, taxation, distillery pricing of releases. The last one might be considered a bit of an own goal as distilleries reacted to the burgeoning secondary market (auctions), by increasing the cost of their premium products, just as the secondary market collapsed. This has led to a lot of resentment amongst previously loyal consumers. Do you agree?

Irish whiskey exports rose by 13% in 2024 with growth in all markets except the UK. 

Welsh distillery, In The Welsh Wind, is expected to release their first Welsh Origin Whiskyduring 2025. The distillery already releases various “experimental cask” editions. To keep the production process within Wales they malt their own barley and to avoid kilning the malt, use green malt in their mash. Not only does this save the energy of drying the malt but it is claimed “that it preserves the flavours of our Welsh-grown barley”.

Ardbeg House Hotel, Islay, owned by The Glenmorangie Company has opened bookings, with the hotel set to open in the autumn. The vision is the hotel will be a world-class whisky and hospitality experience where you can “eat, sleep, and drink all things Ardbeg”.

Angus Dundee Distillers owners of Tomintoul and Glencadam saw sales drop by 24% in the year to June 2024. They appear to not be alone in seeing sales drop significantly. Other distilleries have reported similar or worse. Other spirits such as rum also seem affected. 

Orkney Distillery launches it’s Latitude 59 club which includes shares in the distillery, 100 litre whisky cask and access to exclusive bottles amongst other benefits including a two night stay on Orkney and distillery dinner. Membership costs £20,000.

Glenglassaugh owners Brown Forman announce it is suspending production at the distillery for an unknown period and with redundancies. The announcement continues that Brown Forman are implementing a “shared production” model with BenRiach. This is after Brown Forman announced sales decrease of 22%.

Whisky Releases

Latest Cadenheads Authentic Collection release. Consisting of eight cask strength whiskies ranging in price from £55 to £150. 

Isle of Tiree distillery releases its inaugural whisky (£199.99, NAS, 47% ABV, 1 of 800 bottles). One of the smallest Scottish distilleries, producing just 2000 litres of pure alcohol per year, the distillery was founded in 2012. At the time of writing, the release is sold out, but 10 bottles are available for auction via Whisky Auctioneer with the current bid for bottle No1 being £2398.80 including VAT. 

Stirling Distillery releases Stirling 900 Black Edition (£130, 50% ABV, 1 of 130 bottles). A 17 year old Highland malt matured in a second fill bourbon cask. 

Nc’nean Distillery releases their first ever white port cask finish. Aon- 20-189 (£89.95, 54.2% ABV, 1 of 258 bottles) is said to be, “sweet, savoury, full of chocolate and nuts, and a very soft herbal finish for complexity. Think spiced orange, chocolate hazelnut and cedarwood”.

Lochlea releases their second age statement whisky (£90, 6 year old,  50% ABV, 1 of 2500 bottles). Six casks have been chosen for the expression, a mixture of ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry all from the distillery’s inaugural year 2018. 

Glenlivet owned by Pernod Ricard releases a 40 year old as part of their core range. Said to represent four decades of dedication and craftmanship. The bottle retails at £4600 with a cask strength 46.9% ABV. 

Highland Park release their oldest bottling a 56 year old originally laid down in 1968. Said to be, “Intensely perfumed, beautifully complex flavour infused with the unmistakable essence of Orkney heathered peat”. Price at £40,000 per bottle 47.1% ABV the bottle also comes with  personal bespoke tasting experience. 

Five English distilleries will “come of age” this year with their whiskies reaching the three year old stage:

1. Retribution Distillery – launched its first founders (£95) and publicly (£110) available bottles in January.
2. Spirit of Birmingham  – due in June with the interesting marriage between “1st fill ex Buffalo Trace and Virgin Staffordshire Oak”.
3. West Midlands Distillery – due in July there will be three single casks and The Matriarch which will be a blend of the three casks. 
4. Spirit of Manchester Distillery –  has casks 3 years old in August this year but release will not be till 2027.
5. Ad Gefrin Distillery – the first casks will become 3 years old on Christmas Eve but no release is due until mid-2026.

Dràm Mòr Glenrothes 18 year old (£172.95, 55.2% ABV, 1 of 330 bottles). The palate is said to be, “The most luxurious and sumptuous of Sherry bombs. This is so moreish you will need to hide the bottle”. 

White Peak Distillery releases Wire Works Peated Quarter Cask Distillery Exclusive although available online (£90, 54.3% ABV, 1 of 204 bottles). A dual maturation of their lightly- peated spirit, distilled with alternative cut points.  Initially matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels from Heaven Hills and finished in a range of Islay quarter casks. It is said to be, “juicy tropical fruits, minty  and soft complex peat”.

Edinburgh based independent bottler Tailored Spirits Co releases their first whisky collection. It consists of three bottles “The experimental series”.  

Upcoming Whisky Events

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

8^th February 2025 – Exploring Whisky: Bristol

28^th February – 2^nd March 2025 – Fife Whisky Festival, various locations in Fife.

1^st March 2025 – Whisky Birmingham, Birmingham

15^th March 2025 – Croydon Whisky Festival 

15^th March 2025 – Independent Spirits Whisky Festival, Leith, Edinburgh

21^st – 22^nd 2025 – Whisky Live London

28^th March 2025 – Whisky Fair – Cambridge  

29^th March 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Newcastle Whisky Festival

11^th – 12^th April 2025 – Welcome to Whisky Show, London

12^th April 2025 – Clackmannanshire’s Whisky Festival, Alloa

26^th April 2025 – Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast

30^th April – 5^th May 2025 – Spirit of Speyside

10^th May 2025 – Stirling Whisky Festival

17^th May 2025 – Summerton Whisky Festival St Albans

16^th – 17^th May 2025 – Whiskey Live Dublin

18^th May 2025 – The Whisky Event, London

19^th – 24^th May 2025 – Campbeltown Whisky Festival

23^rd – 31 May 2025 – Fèis Ìle, Islay

30^th May – 3^rd June – Spirit of Speyside

14th – 15th June 2025 – Bladnoch Wave Weekend

27^th – 29^th June 2025 – Arran Whisky Festival, Arran

28^th June 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Bristol Whisky Festival

18^th – 26^th July 2025 – Belfast Whisky Week, Belfast

6^th August 2025 – Spirit of Alba Festival, Kirkintilloch

5^th September 2025 – Cadenhead’s in the Courtyard, Campbeltown

8^th – 14^th September 2025 – Hebridean Whisky Festival

13^th – 14^th September 2025 – Midland Whisky Festival, Birmingham

20^th September 2025 – Lomond & Clyde Whisky Festival, Helensburgh

27^th September 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Liverpool Whisky Festival

3-5^th October 2025 – Whisky Show, London

11^th October 2025 – Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival

24- 26^th October 2025 – Dornoch Whisky Festival

25^th October 2025 – The Whisky Lounge, York Whisky Festival

31^st October to 2^nd November 2025 – Wales Whisky Fest, Llandudno

8^th November 2025 – Glasgow’s Whisky Festival

21^st November 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Manchester Whisky Festival

22^nd November 2025 – English Whisky Festival, Birmingham

29^th November 2025 – T B Watson (Drambusters) Whisky Festival, Dumfries

June

• The Whisky Lounge: Edinburgh Whisky Festival
• Stoke Whisky Festival – Stoke on Trent 
• National Whisky Festival, Inverness

July

• Southport Summer Whisky Festival, Churchtown & Southport

August

• The Dram Good Whisky Festival, Edinburgh
• Whisky Fringe, Edinburgh
• Falkirk Whisky Social, Larbert

September

• Whisky Indy Love Fest, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Scottish National Whisky Festival, Aberdeen
• Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival
• Alhambra Whisky Festival, Stirling

October

• Borderlands Whisky Festival, Lockerbie
• Wee Dram Whisky Festival Dram Fest, Bakewell

November

• Leeds Whisky Festival
• The World Whisky Experience, Spitalfields, London
• Drambusters Whisky Festival, Dumfries

December 

• Kendal Whisky Festival

January

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

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.