Scotch whisky’s new releases this week include a 26 Year Old from Tobermory, a 30 Year Old from Mortlach, and a limited edition 7 Year Old from Ballantine’s and RZA. Chivas Brothers and The Whisky Exchange pay homage to Speyside in the millennium, and Douglas Laing adds to the Scallywag series.
Tobermory 26 Year Old
Isle of Mull-based distillery Tobermory has launched a 26-year-old whisky, the latest in its Hebridean Series. The spirit is matured in oloroso Sherry casks for 26 years, featuring notes of “salted toffee and floral honey, finishing with caramelized walnuts, and a subtle salty undercurrent”.
The release, limited to 4,560 units, is presented in a box decorated with a photo of a white-tailed eagle, a species abundant on the Scottish island. Wildlife cameraman Gordan Buchanan captured the image. The whisky can be purchased for £297 (US$382) from Berry Bros & Rudd.
The 26 Year Old is the fourth release in The Hebridean Series, with a 23, 34, and 25 year old having previously been released. The series is expected to conclude next year with, perhaps, an even older whisky.
In collaboration with the Mull and Iona Community Trust and Buchanan, Tobermory also released a new whisky named the Ledaig Triple Wood. The Trust supports the Ardura Forest’s conservation and restoration, and a portion of the whisky’s sales will go towards this cause.
The Ledaig Triple Wood is a blend of whiskies matured in three types of casks: wine, bourbon, and port. Its flavor profile includes “apple, vanilla, smoky oak and toffee”, and a hint of maple syrup. It’s available for £95 (US$121) from Tobermory’s website.
Douglas Laing Scallywag Chocolate Edition
As part of their annual bottlings, Douglas Laing has unveiled the new Scallywag The Chocolate Edition. This whisky is the seventh in the Scallywag series from the famed independent bottler.
Bottled at 48% ABV with no colouring nor chill-filtering, The Chocolate Edition was matured in sherry casks before being finished in port casks. The result is a rounded and rich whisky with “layers upon layers of brown sugar, juicy forest fruits, decadent dark chocolate and a comforting warmth of baking spices.”
Trending Stories
The whisky is presented in a black, screen-printed bottle, wrapped in paper featuring a map of Portugal – from where the finishing port casks originate. It is available from Douglas Laing and from selected retailers with a suggested RRP of £60.
To coincide with the release, Douglas Laing has also launched a ‘Golden Ticket Competition’. Anybody who finds a golden ticket (or a Scallywag Golden Bone) concealed within their Chocolate Edition will win prizes. The Scallywag Golden Bone represents the top prize.
The Scallywag series is inspired by the Fox Terriers that have long been owned by the Douglas Laing family.
The Lost In Time Series, Chivas Brothers & The Whisky Exchange
In a new collaboration, Chivas Brothers and The Whisky Exchange have come together to create The Lost In Time Series, which celebrates Speyside whiskies.
All of the whiskies in the selection were bottled “at the perfect moment in their maturation”, according to The Whisky Exchange. The collection includes eight bottles from the following distilleries: Miltonduff, Glenlivet, Glen Keith, Longmorn, Glentauchers, Braeval, Braes of Glenlivet, and Allt A’Bhainne.
The vintages in the series range from 1990 to 2003, providing a liquid time capsule showing how Speyside whisky was made around the turn of the millennium. The age statements are also impressive, ranging from 20 years old to 33 years old.
The new whiskies were selected for bottling by independent bottlers, Chivas Brothers, and award-winning spirits retailer, The Whisky Exchange.
Each bottle in the collection is individually priced between £285 and £1,225, available exclusively via The Whisky Exchange. The vertical of bottles can also be purchased for £6,750.
Mortlach 30 Year Old The Midnight Malt
Mortlach has unveiled a new limited-edition 30 year old whisky named ‘The Midnight Malt.’ A product of the Speyside distillery, it’s a celebration of the unique 2.81 distillation process and the rich heritage of Mortlach.
The whisky was also matured in “a three-cask finish of bold provenance”, with the liquid divided into three different types of casks for finishing: Bordeaux wine, Calvados, and Guatemalan rum. It was then refined in quarter casks before being bottled at 49.8% ABV.
The Midnight Malt is a single malt scotch whisky matured in first-fill oloroso sherry and American oak casks for three decades. The result is a robust, complex spirit with notes of chocolate, fruits, and warm pepper spices.
Mortlach Distillery worked with artist, Suchi Reddy, to create a dual-function incense holder and whisky coaster to go alongside the high age-statement whisky.
Of the new release, Dr Craig Wilson (Diageo’s Master of Malt) said “There is an art and science to the creation of whisky, born of an unabating quest to wield flavor—a journey that is complex, evolving into unknown directions, only to finally reveal itself as the patient labor of a visionary at work.”
Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel x RZA Limited Edition
Wu-Tang Clan frontman RZA has collaborated with Ballantine’s to release a new limited edition scotch whisky: Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel x RZA Limited Edition.
The rapper and the scotch whisky brand have previously collaborated on releases such as Ballantine’s x Flying Goose Sriracha Limited Edition.
The limited edition whisky was aged for seven years and then finished in American oak, paying homage to the bourbon culture of the USA. The tasting notes feature notes of “classic vanilla and apple” and “sweet caramel”.
On the label is the classic Ballantin’es logo, a poem written by RZA upon his visit to Speyside, and the Wu-Tang Clan hands.
The new Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel x RZA Limited Edition can be purchased from The Whisky Exchange while stocks last.
Latest News