The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is launching Diptych, a duo of 30-year-old single cask whiskies designed to explore the influence of different oak types on maturation. The set, which is the final release in the 2025 Creators Collection series, will be available from December 3 and features two whiskies from the same distillery finished in different Pedro Ximénez casks.
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Both single malts were distilled on the same day in 1994 and spent 28 years maturing in oloroso sherry butts.
They were then moved into first-fill Pedro Ximénez casks for an additional maturation period, with one cask made from American oak and the other from Spanish oak.
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Euan Campbell, head of whisky creation at the SMWS, said: “Diptych is a celebration of how different oak types can transform whisky in fascinating ways.”
“These two casks share the same DNA – same distillery, same year, same initial maturation – but their final chapter in American versus Spanish oak PX casks has created two distinct personalities,” he continued.
Campbell added: “It’s a rare opportunity to explore the profound influence of wood on whisky, presented as a work of liquid art.”
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Cask No. 96.41, named The ‘Iberian’, was finished in the Spanish oak cask.
Official notes from the brand describe “sandalwood, cedar and well-brushed leather boots on the nose, followed by layer upon layer of dark fruits – blackcurrants and blackberries – spiced with cloves, ginger and star anise.”
Its counterpart, Cask No. 96.42 or The ‘American’, was aged in the American oak cask.
The brand’s tasting notes for this expression mention a journey from “mango slices and cinnamon buns” to “an opulent dessert of chocolate cake and pear frangipane tart, rounded off with calvados and tobacco.”
The Diptych duo is the final installment of the SMWS Creators Collection for 2025.
The series features rare whiskies curated to tell unique flavor stories and presents them in one-of-a-kind bottles.
The whiskies can be purchased together for £900 or individually for £450.
