Simon Wittenberg starts the new year by taking a look at some of the latest releases and launches making the headlines in the world of whisky.
Berry Bros. & Rudd 2023 Winter Release
Berry Bros. & Rudd, Britain’s oldest curator of spirits and wine, brought its 325th anniversary year to a close with the unveiling of its 2023 Winter Release. It features bottlings from handpicked casks that can be paired perfectly with the colder months, including robust and smoky malts from the Islay distilleries Caol Ila and Williamson.
Richly sherried spirits, including a Dailuaine single malt, have been bottled to especially celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon. For something unique, a single-grain whisky from Strathclyde Distillery is bursting with fresh fruit and vanilla cream. Prices start from £75 per bottle.
For more information, visit https://bbrspirits.com.
Loch Lomond Distillery Spearhead
Loch Lomond Group has brought the distribution of its Spearhead whisky brand back in-house, allowing the business to focus on the expansion of the Spearhead product portfolio.
Unveiled in 2021, Spearhead is a unique single-grain scotch whisky crafted using 100% malted barley. The spirit undergoes an extended fermentation time of 92 hours before being distilled in a continuous Coffey-style still.
Spearhead is then matured in ex-bourbon barrels prior to being laid down in a combination of fire and infra-red toasted American oak barrels, which creates a lighter whisky boasting a complex range of rich and sweet notes. The product is now available in 26 markets worldwide, is bottled at 43% ABV, and has an RRP of £30.
For further details, visit www.spearheadwhisky.com.
Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kilranelagh Wood
Hot on the heels of the launch of Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais, the Irish whiskey brand has unveiled the fifth addition to the Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach (Irish oak) collection.
Named Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kilranelagh Wood, it incorporates a combination of light, medium, and heavy styles of single pot still initially aged in American oak bourbon barrels. The liquid was then matured in Irish oak Hogshead casks.
After twenty months, it was deemed that the Irish oak influence had struck the perfect balance with the single pot still character and was bottled, creating a whiskey that has forest notes of fresh pine accompanied by floral honey on the nose, dried chilli flakes and red bell peppers on the palate, and a wonderfully long finish, which sees pot still spices and oak linger.
Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kilranelagh Wood is housed in sustainable packaging designed by David Rooney, the award-winning Irish artist and illustrator. It is available at varying cask strengths in Ireland, UK, France, Brand Homes, USA and China, and carries an RRP of €490 (around £420).
For more information or to purchase a bottle, please visit https://midletondistillerycollection.com.
The Macallan A Night On Earth – The Journey
Following on from the launch of The Macallan A Night On Earth In Scotland, the Speyside distillery has announced the second release in its A Night on Earth portfolio, named The Macallan A Night on Earth – The Journey.
The bottle is housed in an innovative, multi-layered pack created in collaboration with acclaimed Chinese mixed-media artist Nini Sum.
Each layer has been designed to represent the different stages of the journey to reunite with loved ones at New Year, with the first depicting the night sky strewn with stars and fireworks, whilst the second shows a contemporary urban scenery, with the third layer, with its amber and orange tones, illustrating the warmth of lantern light and the feeling of coming home.
This limited edition whisky has been created using a perfectly balanced combination of The Macallan’s exceptional sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks together with American ex-bourbon barrels. This sunrise gold-coloured expression has an RRP of £105.
For more information, please visit www.themacallan.com.
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