Well November would not be November without Black Friday which runs for up to a fortnight from mid-November to the start of December. It can be the best time of year to order your year’s supply of whisky, with discounts of up to 40%, although more generally 10-20%. You will need to spend time searching for the best prices. Otherwise “offers” are rarely better than occur during other months.
The other marketing event is Christmas. November 1st is the day to start any Christmas campaign and whisky is no different. Have you seen a campaign which you recall? Let The Cask Connoisseur know.
Whisky Business
Dewar’s targets the “experiential-based consumer of today” with its new “Here’s to the Story” campaign. Apparently “social kudos is gained more by showing who someone is and what they’ve done” rather than “celebrating material possessions”. This would seem to be part of a move, by several companies, towards premiumisation where the overall experience is more important than just the quality of the whisky. What is more important to you – the whisky or the overall experience?
Annadale Distillery mark their tenth anniversary of distilling whisky. Their first spirit flowed from their stills on the 9th November 2014.
Aultmore Distillery (part of Bacardi) completes a £15 million expansion which doubles production. The investment also improves sustainability at the distillery. Bacardi’s portfolio of single malts includes Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, Royal Brackla and The Deveron(MacDuff), and Dewar’s blends.
Bevvy, the UK based whisky App raised $1.3 million in their latest investment round. The business is now valued at more than $17 million. The App allows whisky drinkers to get information about the bottle their drinking, simply by photo’ing the label. Over 200,000 bottles of whisky can now be identified via the App
Whiskystats reported that all whisky auction price indices suffered “severe setbacks” during the month of October. Macallan, Springbank and Ardbeg were among the biggest losers.
Despite closure of its Swansea distillery to whisky production, Penderyn announces unprecedented growth in the Asian market.
InchDarnie Distillery marks its 10th anniversary with plans to double production capacity, increasing capacity to 4 million litres of pure alcohol per year.
The Glenturret Distillery is to cease production of peated spirit in 2025 with their core range peated editions going in 2026. The reasoning is to, “celebrates the distillery’s distinctive light and fruitful new-make spirit, nurtured in predominantly American oak Sherry-seasoned casks”.
Thompson Bros (Dornoch Distillery) announce further progress towards completion of their Dornoch South Distillery project. In preparation for an upcoming fundraising, the holding company has been restructured and now formally includes the Dornoch Castle hotel.
Waterford Distillery goes into receivership after failing to secure further funding.
Whisky Releases
Stirling Distillery announces their limited edition Stirling 900 whisky. The first edition is a 9 year old lowland malt of just 90 bottles retailing at £90. They also released their first new make spirit (£17.50, 63.5% ABV). Said to have hints of Italian grappa, apple strudel, soft caramel and condensed milk, new make is often a good indication of the distillery style.
Elsham Wold Distillery releases the second edition in their “Flarepath Series”. Finished in English rum casks and limited to 200 bottles priced at £85. The whisky is said to provide flavours and aromas of, “buttery shortbread, tropical fruit undertones, natural sweetness of vanilla and toasted oak, with a finish of sweet cinnamon spice”.
Kilchoman releases a cask strength Sanaig (57.8% ABV, £75). The increased ABV compares to 46% for the regular Sanaig.
Macallan release the 4th annualbottle in their “Night on Earth” series, with the full title “A Night on Earth in Jerez de la Frontera” which wraps up their celebration of 200 years. It is said to be “a perfectly balanced combination of exceptional European and American oak sherry seasoned casks, inspired by the year end traditions in the home of sherry wine”.
See The Cask Connoisseurs impressions during a tasting of various Macallan “Sherry Oak”bottles.
Lancaster Spirits company launches their Founders Reserve Whisky Club and Cask Collective. One of the newest English distilleries, they only started distilling whisky in July. Having tried a couple of their new make and 20 day old STR cask, The Cask Connoisseur was certainly impressed and definitely think they are “one to watch”. See our impressions after visiting the distillery
Lindores releases their second aged released at six years old to their 1494 members.
Glen Scotia’s Victoriana was awarded “a rare Double Gold distinction for the third consecutive year at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, meaning that it has now received a prestigious Platinum medal.” Victoriana is described as a modern interpretation of a classic Victorian style of Campbeltown whisky. From The Cask Connoisseurs perspective this is a well-deserved accolade. We’ve been fans of this whisky since its first edition appeared in 2019.
Longmorn releases their oldest whisky to date, a 30 year old to join their 18 and 22 year old. Matured for a minimum of three decades in hogsheads and American oak barrels, the whisky will be bottled once a year. It will be priced at £1750.
November saw the release of numerous independent bottlings from Cadenheads (Authentic Collection), Infrequent Flyers, Woven, Whisky Row, Signatory, Gordon & MacPhail (Recollection Collection), Murray McDavid, Càrn Mòr Celebration of the Cask, Little Brown Dog, Limited Whisky, James Eadie, Lady of the Glen, Stravaig Spirits
Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais Edition 2 is released (£4388, 48%ABV). It sounds fantastic and should be at that price! A combination of blended and single pot still whisky spanning the decades between 1980 and 2000, matured in bourbon casks which was then carefully married and further matured for four years in casks made of five-year air-dried oak from the forest of Tronçais (known as T5 casks).
The Glasgow Distillery releases its second batch of annual cask strength whisky.
There was the usual queue outside Springbank distillery, and online “fastest on the button” scramble, along with the expected retailer ballots to obtain the latest releases. As has happened for several years now, The Cask Connoisseur was among the many disappointed.
Ad Gefrin distillery in Wooler, Northumberland releases Corengyst (£45, 43.9% ABV) a blend of malt and grain from Scotland, Ireland, England, and Scandinavia. Only available to its Corengyst members, membership costs £40 per year and provides free access to the Ad Gefrin museum and distillery tours.
Glenturret release the first of a three part limited edition – Distillers Dram Edition No 1 (£185, 46% ABV, 1 of 1000 bottles). This follows on from their successful Manager’s Dram series. Said to have “A warm partnership of dried and citrus fruits-sultanas and orange zest at the fore. Whispers of dark chocolate laced with sweet vanilla toffee. A soft finish with lingering notes of mature oak”.
Ludlow Distillery introduces their expanded core range whiskies. These are all at 42% ABV and are different cask finishes, ranging in price between £75 – £85 depending on whether you wish to include packaging.
Hunter Laing & Co release three 30+ year old whiskies in their platinum Old and Rare Series ranging in price from £350 – £450. The distilleries are Balblair, Glen Garioch and Alt a Bhainne.
White Peaks Distillery release their final limited edition of 2024, Wireworks English Oak. A limited edition of 120 bottles priced at £125 and an ABV of 54.3%. Initially aged in ex-bourbon barrels it is finished in virgin English Oak casks sourced from an estate in neighbouring Staffordshire.
Murray McDavid celebrates 30 years of “whisky excellence” with their Coastal Embrace Collection a series of 28 year old blended malts.
Bushmills adds a 26 year old to its Prestige Collection. The whisky is produced from crystal malt barley, where the sugars within the grain are crystalised. This is said to “impart intense caramel and creamy chocolate flavours into the new-make spirit”. Bottled at 46% ABV and costing £850.
Upcoming Whisky Events
Those without full dates, have occurred in 2024 without releasing 2025 dates at present.
- 6th – 7th December 2024 – Kendal Whisky Festival
- 10th – 11th January 2025 – Harrow Whisky Festival
- 18th – 19th January 2025 – Southport Whisky Festival (Winter)
- 25th January 2025 – Scottish National Whisky Festival, Glasgow
- 8th February 2025 – Exploring Whisky: Bristol
- 28th February – 2nd March 2025 – Fife Whisky Festival, various locations in Fife.
- 1st March 2025 – Whisky Birmingham, Birmingham
- 15th March 2025 – Croydon Whisky Festival
- 15th March 2025 – Independent Spirits Whisky Festival, Leith, Edinburgh
- 21st – 22nd 2025 – Whisky Live London
- 28th March 2025 – Whisky Fair – Cambridge
- 29th March 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Newcastle Whisky Festival
- 11th – 12th April 2025 – Welcome to Whisky Show, London
- 12th April 2025 – Clackmannanshire’s Whisky Festival, Alloa
- 26th April 2025 – Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast
- 30th April – 5th May 2025 – Spirit of Speyside
- 16th – 17th May 2025 – Whiskey Live Dublin
- 18th May 2025 – The Whisky Event, London
- 19th – 24th May 2025 – Campbeltown Whisky Festival
- 23rd – 31 May 2025 – Fèis Ìle, Islay
- 30th May – 3rd June – Spirit of Speyside
- 14th – 15th June 2025 – Bladnoch Wave Weekend
- 27th – 29th June 2025 – Arran Whisky Festival, Arran
- 28th June 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Bristol Whisky Festival
- 18th – 26th July 2025 – Belfast Whisky Week, Belfast
- 5th September 2025 – Cadenhead’s in the Courtyard, Campbeltown
- 13th – 14th September 2025 – Midland Whisky Festival, Birmingham
- 20th September 2025 – Lomond & Clyde Whisky Festival, Helensburgh
- 27th September 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Liverpool Whisky Festival
- 3-5th October 2025 – Whisky Show, London
- 11th October 2025 – Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival
- 24- 26th October 2025 – Dornoch Whisky Festival
- 31st October to 2nd November 2025 – Wales Whisky Fest, Llandudno
- 21st November 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Manchester Whisky Festival
- 22nd November 2025 – English Whisky Festival, Birmingham
May
- Summerton Whisky Festival, St Albans
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
- Spirit of Alba Festival, Kirkintilloch
September
- Hebridean Whisky Festival
- 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
- Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast
November
- Leeds Whisky Festival
- Stirling Whisky Festival
- Glasgow’s Whisky Festival
- The World Whisky Experience, Spitalfields, London
- The Whisky Lounge, York Whisky Festival
- Drambusters Whisky Festival, Dumfries
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.
