Well, the first whisky Advent calendars are on sale. So, we are heading towards Christmas, and it is time to start thinking of those Christmas drams. An Advent calendar is a great way to try multiple distilleries, and pricing varies from roughly £100 to £10,000. The best balance of “quality” and price is around £250-300. It is also worth looking to see if earlier year releases are still available as sometimes, they offer a better bargain.
Whisky Business
Terroirs Distillers, the spirits arm of the family company that owns Tullibardine, Picard Vins & Spiritueux (PVS), have purchased Irish whiskey producer The Connacht Distillery for an undisclosed sum. Connacht Distillery was constructed in 2015 at a cost of €10 million and started laying down casks in 2016. Tullibardine recently introduced an 18 year old to itsSignature collection.
Chivas Regal has entered into a multi-year partnership with Arsenal football club, becoming its first official whisky partner.
Diageo workers have accepted a 10.3% pay rise. Diageo operates the 29 single malt distilleries, one grain distillery in Scotland and the Johnnie Walker visitor centre in Princes Street, Edinburgh.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) reports that whisky exports declined by 18% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. In bottle terms that still means 36 bottles of whisky were exported from Scotland every second compared to 40 in 2023.
Campari Group purchases a minority stake in Bunnahabhain, Deanston and TobermoryDistilleries.
William Grant & Sons acquire The Famous Grouse blended whisky from Edrington.
Johnnie Walker claims to have created the worlds lightest glass 700ml whisky bottle weighing in at 180 grams (6.35oz) after 5 years of research. Johnnie Walker Master Blender, DR Emma Walker created a new Johnnie Walker expression, Blue Label Ultra (£1000), consisting of 888 bottles and scheduled for release in 2025 which will use the bottle. They also have created a paper based bottle with a thin plastic liner for potential use for their Black Label. This is said to be 60% lighter than their traditional glass bottle.
Woven Whisky blenders based in Leith have opened the first “of its kind” blending studio in London.
Whisky Releases
Bladnoch releases 13 year-old (£85, 46.7% ABV) and 16 year-old (£110, 46.7%ABV), to replace their previous 11 year-old & 14 year old. The 13 year old is exclusively matured in ex-bourbon barrels, whilst the 16 year old is exclusively matured on oloroso sherry barrels.
They have also released an 8 year old aged exclusively in an American Oak Red Wine Cask.
Quarter three release from Lady of the Glen consists of seven single casks and one blended whisky. Prices range between £50 (for the blended) to £180 (for a 32 year old Cambus).
Ardbeg reintroduce Ardbeg 17 year old. First introduced in 1997 the original only lasted till 2004.
Macallan releases the worlds oldest whisky, an 84 year old called “Time: Space”. Only 200 bottles have been released (£150,000, 43.4% ABV). You could buy the much cheaper Time:Space Mastery for £1100 but as a NAS is it worth it? Maybe for the presentation, but it is Macallan ….
Benromach releases a 50 year old (£20,000 ABV 54.6% ABV) or you could own the Decanter No. 1 for £25,000 which includes an unique Benromach 50 print and a special “distiller for the day” experience.
Jura Distillery introduces Perspective No. 1. A 16 year old single malt that is the first of a new series created with “whisky explorers and connoisseurs in mind”. Finished in oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 46.5% ABV the whisky is said to be a nod to their discontinued expression the Diurach’s Own.
Henstone Distillery release a cask strength whisky at an ABV of 62.9%. Said to belie its strength and age (3yrs 8mths) it costs £75.
Cadenheads Original Collection ranging on price from £55 to £130 for a 33 year old Girvan. All are bottled at 46% ABV.
Bruichladdich releases this year’s Octomore (15) bottles. Consisting of Octomore 15.1, 15.2 and 15.3. The series has explored barley provenance, cask type and peat levels since 2008. This year’s series features the second most-heavily peated spirit in the series to date.
Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has released the oldest independent bottling of Highland Park, The Accolade 54-year-old (£22,000, 42.9% ABV), it is drawn from a single cask #3254 and consists of 158 bottles.
Claxtons release the Dalswinton Series Second Edition consisting of five whiskies all over 30 years old.
Cotswold Distillery releases the third whisky in its Harvest Series – Amber Meadows (£100, 53% ABV). Limited to 1500 bottles and only available at the distillery the series is an annual release and celebrates Cotswolds scenery.
Wire Works releases the final pair in the 2024 Wire Works Wine Series. Wire Works Moscatelfinish (£75, 53.6% ABV, 651 bottles) and Wire Works Madeira (£75, 53.6% ABV. 675 bottles).
A.D. Ratteray release their 74th Cask Collection. The six whiskies are said to “stand alone in terms of quality and intrigue” but each cask contributes to the release as a whole.
Glen Scotia release Icons of Campbelltown No 2. A medium peated 14 year old finished in an ex-Barolo red wine cask. £98, 56.8% ABV.
Fielden launches Hedgerow, the first whisky in a four part series called Fieldnotes. Each “chapter” showcases the four distinct flavour profiles in their Fielden Rye whisky. Hedgerow celebrates the fruity and creamy notes. It is a limited run of 1000 bottles priced at £100 and 46.1% ABV.
Glenlivet owned by Chivas Brothers, releases their oldest official bottling, a 55 year old single malt to celebrate their 200th anniversary. This is the first edition in an annual release The Glenlivet Eternal Collection. Priced at £50,000 and 42.2% ABV. The oldest ever independent Glenlivet was released by Gordon and MacPhail in 2021 at 80 years od age.
Bimber Distillery announces the second release of the Should of Giants series. The release includes 8 bottles with the following three available in the UK:
Darwin – The Naturalist, Cask #376, American oak ex-bourbon,58.3% ABV, 259 bottles.
Victoria – The Monarch, Cask #450, Pedro Ximénez sherry, 57.9% ABV, 298 bottles.
Winston – The Statesman, Cask #473, Spanish oloroso sherry, 58.5% ABV, 302 bottles.
All priced at £94.
Diageo releases their 2024 Special Releases with this year’s theme being, Spirited Xchange Second Edition. This year includes a second bottling from their Roseisle distillery along with Mortlach, Lagavulin, Talisker, Singleton of Glen Ord, Oban, Benrinnes and Caol Isla. Pricing ranges from £85 for the Talisker to £340 for the Benrinnes.
Bushmills releases the fifth edition of their Causeway Collection. The eight bottles range from 10 to 33 years old and were individually selected by Bushmills’ Master Blender Alex Thomas.
Upcoming Whisky Events
Those without full dates, have occurred in 2024 without releasing 2025 dates at present.
5th October 2024 – Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival
5th – 6th October 2024 – Midland Whisky Festival, Birmingham
12th October 2024 – Borderlands Whisky Festival, Lockerbie
18th – 19th October 2024 – Manchester Whisky Festival
19th October 2024 – Wee Whisky Festival 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
9th November 2024 – Glasgow’s Whisky Festival
23rd November 2024 – English Whisky Festival, Birmingham
30th November 2024 – Drambusters Whisky Festival, Dumfries
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
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
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
14th – 15th June 2025 – Bladnoch Wave Weekend
27th – 29th June 2025 – Arran Whisky Festival, Arran
18th – 26th July Belfast Whisky Week, Belfast
May
- Summerton Whisky Festival, St Albans
June
- The Whisky Lounge: Edinburgh Whisky Festival
- Stoke Whisky Festival – Stoke on Trent
- National Whisky Festival, Inverness
July
- The Whisky Lounge: Bristol Whisky Festival
- 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
- Cadenhead’s in the Courtyard, Campbeltown
- Whisky Show, London
- Hebridean Whisky Festival
- Whisky Indy Love Fest, Newcastle upon Tyne
- Scottish National Whisky Festival, Aberdeen
- The Whisky Lounge: Liverpool Whisky Festival
- Lomond & Clyde Whisky Festival, Helensburgh
- Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival
- Alhambra Whisky Festival, Stirling
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.
