Simon Wittenberg takes a look at some of the latest news and launches making the headlines in the world of whisky.

Coachbuilt and Williams Racing Limited Edition 18 Year Old
Coachbuilt Whisky, which was established by former F1 driver Jenson Button, has teamed up with Williams Racing to create a new limited edition series (above) which pays homage to the iconic Oxfordshire-based outfit.

The inaugural release is an 18-year-old (48% ABV) – a nod to the highly successful Adrian Newey-designed Williams-Renault FW18 race craft, which saw Damon Hill claim the driver’s championship in 1996, and where the livery found on the car is reflected on the bottle.

The whisky offers orchard fruit and winter spice on the nose before subtle hints of vanilla, dark chocolate, and cinnamon arrive on the palate. The finish is long, smooth, and rich. Only 3,000 examples are available, priced at £230 each.

For more information, visit www.coachbuiltwhisky.com/williams-18.

Glasgow 1770 Cognac Cask Finish and Tokaji Cask Finish

The Glasgow Distillery has added two new expressions to its Small Batch Series, a collection of limited edition and experimental cask-finished whiskies. The first is the Glasgow 1770 Cognac Cask Finish (2,250 bottles are available with an ABV of 58%), a lightly peated and fruity release that delivers notes of sweet smoke, rich honey, poached pear, dried apple, and vanilla ice cream.

The Glasgow 1770 Tokaji Cask Finish (54.8% ABV), with 1,300 bottles available, has a Hungarian sweet wine cask influence. It brings notes of tropical mango, pineapple orange, dried apricot, cashew nuts, manuka honey, and nutmeg spice. Both of these expressions have been matured for six years and are available at an RRP of £59.

For further details, see www.glasgowdistillery.com.

Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Years Old
Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, and the Japanese botanical artist Azuma Makoto have partnered to create the limited edition Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Years Old (46% ABV).

It is Glenmorangie’s first whisky to be finished in Chardonnay casks from Burgundy in France, and the 23-year-old single malt encapsulates nature, through notes of lemon balsam, poached pears and cocoa powder layered on the oaky, earthy tones of the forest floor. Azuma Makato’s stunning sculpture, featured on the whisky’s packaging, evokes the fragrant scents and elemental depths of this extraordinarily rare whisky.

Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Years Old is priced at £1,050 per bottle and is available at select retailers in the UK, China, Japan, Taiwan, India, and the USA, as well as at Glenmorangie’s inaugural boutique in London’s Heathrow Terminal 2.

For more information, visit www.glenmorangie.com.

House of Hazelwood – The 2024 Collection
House of Hazelwood hosts the largest inventory of aged Scotch whisky held anywhere in the world, with stocks held in several carefully selected warehouses across Scotland. It has now released a third collection of aged and rare whiskies, which pay homage to the adventuring spirit of the Gordon family.

There are eight blended malt and grain expressions divided into two separate ranges, called The Legacy Collection and The Charles Gordon Collection. Prices range from £1,200 for each of the 203 bottles of the 33-year-old Hazelwood Highlander (in The Legacy Collection), to the 58-year-old named The Last Trace (in The Charles Gordon Collection), costing £6,000 each, as only 65 bottles are in existence.

For further information, see www.houseofhazelwood.com.

Loch Lomond 50 Year Old
Loch Lomond Distillery has unveiled its limited edition 50-year-old. Drawn from the whisky maker’s oldest reserves and limited to 100 individually numbered bottles worldwide, this single malt whisky has been aged in a combination of refilled American oak casks, first-fill bourbon casks, and Oloroso sherry hogsheads.

The result is a light whisky with notes of white flesh fruits, crisp citrus and a tropical character that pays homage to its exceptional age.

The design of the 50 Year Old’s lead crystal decanter has been crafted by Glencairn Crystal Studio in Scotland, and sits in a wooden display cabinet, which comes with a 50ml sample of the liquid and a hardback book. Non-chill-filtered and natural in colour, Loch Lomond 50 Year Old (42.6% ABV) is priced at £25,000.

For further information, visit www.lochlomondwhiskies.com.

Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute Collection

Royal Salute has unveiled the new 62 Gun Salute Collection, a trio of exceptional blends inspired by the sensory spectacle of the 62 Gun Salute ceremony, one of the British Monarchy’s highest forms of ceremonial honour, and fired on State occasions from the Tower of London.

Alongside the Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute Original Reserve ($3,000), The American Oak Reserve ($3,300) has a vibrancy that reflects the intensity of the gun salute spectacle, while The Peated Reserve ($3,300) captures the subtle smokiness that drifts over the City of London at the conclusion of the salute.

To mark the unveiling, the brand has also introduced Royal Salute’s Exclusive Tasting Chamber at the renowned Tower of London. The exclusive new space is the only place in the world where all three of the 62 Gun Salute expressions are available for side-by-side tasting alongside the other precious blends from the wider Royal Salute portfolio.

For more information, visit www.royalsalute.com.

The Glendronach – a new visual chapter

The Glendronach has unveiled a new brand identity on its bottles—a prestigious and timeless design. To bring the new look alive, the distillery has partnered with the renowned Scottish-born photographer Rankin.

The new visual identity will first be seen on the brand’s 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, and 18 Year Old single malts.

For more details, visit www.glendronachdistillery.com.

The Singleton – Gardens of Abundance collection
The Singleton Distillery in the Muir of Ord, in Scotland, has launched a new travel retail exclusive collection of single malts named ‘Gardens of Abundance’.

It is Diageo Global Travel’s largest malts unveiling ever, and the latest line-up features four distinctive whiskies: Radiant Spring Garden, Golden Autumn Orchard, Exotic Spice Grove, and Deep Forest Riches.

Drawing inspiration from fertile grounds and diverse ecosystems that have nourished both land and spirit for centuries, the whiskies evolve from light and grassy notes to mature orchards, sweet spice groves, and rich forest woodiness.

The Singleton Gardens of Abundance collection will be available at Changi, Delhi, Dubai, and Heathrow airports from August 2024. It will then be rolled out across more locations in the following months. The RRP ranges from £55 to £220.

For more details, visit www.thesingleton.com.