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Diageo Special Releases 2015: Finding a Bottle in the USA

One of the annual rites of passage for spirits giant Diageo towards the end of each year is the unveiling of its Special Releases series of limited edition Scotch whiskies. 2015 is certainly no exception to this rule, as the latest batch was released overseas a few months back. They’ve slowly been trickling into U.S. retailers as well, which is why we are now presenting you with word of them at the start of 2016.

The yearly Special Releases collection, as we touched upon when the 2014 selections were first revealed, represents a mix of “rare, old and unusual bottlings from famous and closed distilleries,” according to Diageo. This year’s crop is certainly no exception to this rule, including among its offerings an ancient 40 year old single grain whisky and a 37 year old bottling from the shuttered Brora distillery.

Diageo Special Releases 2015

You can learn more about each of the 2015 Diageo Special Releases bottles below via information from Diageo’s Malts website. I’ve also linked to lists of places in the US that may currently have them in stock, should you want to pick up one of the (rather spendy) releases:

  • Brora 37 Year Old: 50.4% ABV; “a magnificently confident, smoky and sweet expression – if a chocolatier made a malt it would surely taste like this.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • Caol Ila 17 Year Old Unpeated: 55.9% ABV; “unusually rounded, a little less ‘full on’ than previous expressions, it still has all their fruity sharpness, hints of smoke and the sea, grainy cereals and bittersweet tannins.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • Clynelish Selected Reserve 2015: 56.1% ABV; ” created…using hand-selected casks – including ex-bourbon first-fill American Oak barrels, rejuvenated and refill American Oak hogsheads, and ex-bodega and refill European Oak butts.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • Dailuaine 34 Year Old: 50.9% ABV; “this is an outstanding and unusually fragrant example of this robust classic that has an unexpected spicy complexity.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • Dalwhinnie 25 Year Old: 48.8% ABV; “drier and less honeyed than you may expect, it drinks very well, both straight and with a little water.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • Lagavulin 12 Year Old: 54.4% ABV; “big on distillery character and full of life, with freshness, cereals, citrus and signature smoke.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • Port Ellen 32 Year Old: 53.3% ABV; “this sweet, intense, enigmatic and uncompromising Port Ellen is a complex tour de force of aromas and flavours… being from refill European Oak butts filled in 1983, which was the last year of production.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • Pittyvaich 25 Year Old: 49.8% ABV; “this bottling has lived longer than the distillery itself. The refill American oak hogsheads and first fill ex-bourbon barrels create a complex, attractive and slender whisky.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
  • The Cally 40 Year Old: 53.3% ABV; “the oldest Caledonian ever released by the original distillers, and a true individual – highly complex yet wonderfully open and accessible, with a compelling nose.” [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE]
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