New Releases: Benromach, Mossburn, Tamnavulin, Orphan Barrel

This week in new scotch whisky releases, Benromach asks you if you prefer peated or unpeated spirits, and Mossburn finishes in Calvados casks.
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This week in new scotch whisky releases, Benromach asks you if you prefer peated or unpeated spirits, and Mossburn finishes in Calvados casks. Tamnavulin adds to its core range, and The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. releases an aged scotch. 

Let’s take a look at some of the new releases in the world of scotch whisky this week. 

Benromach Contrasts: Unpeated 

Credit: Benromach

Benromach Distillery has unveiled the latest installment in its Contrasts series, which challenges drinkers to compare both peated and unpeated single malts and figure out which they prefer. 

This Benromach Contrasts whisky is an unpeated expression matured for nine years in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks. The resulting single malt “provides sweet and floral aromas on the nose, followed by a fruity palate with underlying liquorice, oak and herbal influences. A medium finish offers fresh menthol and a touch of pepper.” 

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager at Benromach, said: “With our Contrasts range, we aim to develop whiskies that showcase the handmade skills of our distillers – and this is no exception. But this particular unpeated release provides the very definition of a contrast – so we’d love to hear what whisky drinkers think.”

Benromach Contrasts: Unpeated is bottled at 46% ABV and has an RRP of £60. You can purchase the expression via the Benromach Distillery website

Mossburn 12 Year Old Domaine Dupont Calvados Cask Finish 

Credit: Mossburn

Mossburn has collaborated with Domaine Dupont to produce a Speyside malt whisky finished in French oak barrels that once matured Calvados and Pommeau. Aged for 12 years, the whisky was bottled at 57.2% ABV. 

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Only 7,520 bottles will be made available globally, with 2,580 in the US and 1,400 in the UK. The rest of Europe will have 3,540 bottles available. The whisky has an RRP of $90 and can be purchased via Master of Malt and The Whisky Exchange

The Speyside Malt Whisky was matured in ex-bourbon and then finished in rare casks that once held French apple brandy. The expression celebrates an ongoing friendship between Mossburn and Domaine Dupont, a Calvados producer based in Normandy. 

Tasting notes for the new release feature “baked red apples […] vanilla cream, pink peppercorn, and oaky spice” on the nose. The palate is “apple sweetness […] heathery cereal notes [and] light ginger,” on the palate. 

Whiskymaker, Neil Macleod Mathieson, comments: “When looking at collaborative efforts, one likes to turn to one’s oldest friends. Having worked with the Dupont family for 30 years and admired the deft touch with which they introduce oak to their Calvados, I was sure this would allow us to use their locally coopered casks to great effect on a Speyside malt finish, emphasising its typical heathery and floral notes. Even before casking, we were imagining Autumn days and spiced baked apples – what a treat.”

Tamnavulin Port Cask Edition 

Credit: Tamnavulin

Tamnavulin Distillery has added a Port Cask Edition single malt scotch to its core range. Initially matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, the whisky is then finished in Tawny Port wine casks from the Douro Valley. 

The resulting whisky is imbued with “delicate flavours of sweet biscuit, creamy vanilla, and subtle hints of apple and pear,” from the bourbon casks. The finish in Port Casks then transforms the whisky. 

According to a brand press release, “The nose reveals ripe red berries, plums, and dark chocolate, delicately layered with notes of rose syrup, sweet biscuit, and spiced orange. On the palate, it unfolds into a rich medley of honeyed poached pears, berry compote, dried fruits, and creamy caramel, unveiling a nutty finish.”

Bottled at 40% ABV, Tamnavulin Port Cask Edition is now available in Tesco and Sainsbury’s for an RRP of £35. The whisky will launch in Asda on October 17th. 

Woven Honor Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years

Credit: The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co.

The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Co. has launched a new single malt scotch whisky distilled at the Linkwood Distillery. Woven Honor Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years was matured for almost two decades in American oak barrels. 

In true Orphan Barrel style, the whisky is presented in a decanter with a striking label that depicts a spider meticulously building a web. According to a brand press release, the label represents “how this whisky was crafted with the same precision, harmoniously blending nature’s finest elements with traditional techniques.” 

The smooth single malt has “a flavor and aroma light as silk.” Tasting notes include “a fruit medley of green apple and lemon zest alongside vanilla and honeycomb.” 

Woven Honor Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years is a US exclusive and is available via ReserveBar and TheBar.com. The suggested retail price is $185.

Beth Squires

Beth Squires joined Mark Littler Ltd full-time in October 2020 after completing her university degree in English Literature. Since then, she has acquired extensive knowledge about all aspects of whisk(e)y and now holds the position of Deputy Editor at The Whiskey Wash. Beth is passionate about history, industry innovation, marketing, and sustainability. With a special fondness for independently bottled rare scotch, Beth also serves as a whisky bottle investment specialist.

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