Simon Wittenberg gathers together some of the latest news and launches, making the headlines in the world of whisky.

ANGEL’S ENVY Triple Oak
ANGEL’S ENVY, the global brand that produces finished whiskeys at their Louisville-based distillery in the USA, has unveiled its Triple Oak expression, becoming the first new addition to the brand’s award-winning Signature Series in over 10 years.

ANGEL’S ENVY Triple Oak is a blend of whiskeys finished in three types of barrels sourced from around the world, namely Hungarian oak, Chinkapin oak from Kentucky (offering hints of caramel and vanilla), and French oak (providing notes of spices, chocolate, and cinnamon). This whiskey carries an RRP of $74.99 (around £56).

For further details, see www.angelsenvy.com.

Benromach 50 Years Old
The Benromach Distillery in Forres, Scotland, has unveiled a rare, limited edition 50 Years Old single malt, where only 248 bottles will be made available with an eye-watering price tag of £20,000 each.

This spectacular whisky offers notes of lemon and subtle smoke on the nose. Stewed fruit aromas are complemented by orange zest and a hint of aged leather on the palate, before giving way to a long, full finish, which ends with a hint of cracked pepper and a wisp of smoke.

This spectacular spirit (54.6% ABV) is housed in a unique hand-crafted glass decanter created by the Ross-shire-based Glasstorm business, one of the UK’s most renowned hot glass studios.

For further details, see www.benromach.com.

Ferg & Harris luxury single cask bottlings

Single malt whisky brand Ferg & Harris, founded in 2021, which sources some of the rarest, most desirable single casks from distilleries across the country, has released a collection of five exceptional new whiskies, each featuring an inspired cask wood finish for a truly distinctive dram. Four are from the Speyside region, with one coming from Islay.

The line-up includes an 11-year-old Towmore (£89.99) and two 15-year-olds from the Craigellachie distillery (£129.99). The spirit has been matured in an Amontillado Sherry butt which has been divided and used to fill two different finishing casks, namely Virgin Oak and White Port. These ‘sister’ whiskies share the same fruity warmth of their sherry maturation but have developed different notes.

For more information, visit www.fergandharris.co.uk.

Glenfiddich Grand Château

Glenfiddich, the distillery from Speyside, has launched Grand Château, its newest limited edition Grand Series. Glenfiddich Grand Château is a 31-year-old, where the liquid has been matured in American oak barrels, before being finished for an extended nine years in exceptional Bordeaux red wine casks from the French wine-growing region.

To bring the Grand Château world to life, Glenfiddich has enlisted the services of the internationally renowned French artist André Saraiva, who has previously collaborated with global luxury brands. Glenfiddich Grand Château is available from luxury whisky retail outlets at a price of £1,550.

For more information, visit www.glenfiddich.com.

Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown: Release No.2
Glen Scotia has unveiled the second release of its five-part, limited edition ‘Icons of Campbeltown’ collection, which debuted last year. The line-up is inspired by etchings found on Campbeltown’s Market Cross.

Priced at £98 per bottle, release No.2 is a 14-year-old medium-peated single malt, which has seen the spirit laid down in American oak, before being finished in Barolo red wine casks. The result is a smoky liquid with hints of red candied fruits and berries, coupled with a dry, long finish.

For the artwork, Glen Scotia has collaborated with illustrator Joel Holtzman, who has been behind several Marvel and Disney characters, and this edition depicts a vivid scene of a dragon climbing the iconic Market Cross.

For further details, see www.glenscotia.com.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ultra
Johnnie Walker has showcased its new Blue Label Ultra expression at this year’s London Design Festival – the brand’s, and probably the world’s lightest 70cl Scotch whisky glass bottle ever made.

Tipping the scales at just 180g without the closure, the bottle contains a new Johnnie Walker Blue Label expression blended for this special release.

Dr Emma Walker, the Johnnie Walker Master Blender, used precious liquids from distilleries such as Oban, Brora and Royal Lochnagar, as well as a variety of ‘ghost whiskies’, first created in distilleries that have since closed.

In celebration of this first-of-its-kind innovation, just 888 bottles will be produced, and a limited number will be released for sale next year with a price tag of £1,000.

For further details, see www.johnniewalker.com.

Royal Salute Harris Reed Edition
Unveiled at this year’s London Fashion Week, Royal Salute has expanded its existing Fashion Collection by collaborating with visionary designer Harris Reed, renowned for his perfectly crafted demi-couture designs, gender-fluid fashion and A-list celebrity following.

The new addition to the line-up has been named the Royal Salute 21-Year-Old Harris Reed Edition.

A trio of eye-catching designs are available, where a striking halo of feathers and colour adorns each flagon. Lying inside is a beautifully balanced blended 21-year-old Scotch, which counts sherry-matured Braeval whisky, bringing notes of raisins and spice. Chosen for its evocation of Reed’s childhood memories, this liquid has been combined with malts matured in American oak barrels for heightened fruit and sweet hints.

To round off this already impressive blend created by Sandy Hyslop, the rare inclusion of a grain whisky finished in charred virgin oak barrels intertwines with vanilla to create a luxuriously creamy texture.

Royal Salute 21-Year-Old Harris Reed Edition is available in selected luxury retailers worldwide with an RRP of US$248 (around £188).

For more information, see www.royalsalute.com.

The Dalmore The Distillery Select Series

The Dalmore has unveiled The Distillery Select Series, featuring limited edition expressions made with very rare parcels of spirit laid down in specific casks hand-selected by The Dalmore’s whisky makers.

It features a 2009 Vintage Sherry Cask Finish (a 15-year-old single malt), strictly limited to 2,736 bottles, and costs £300, a 17 Year Old – the 2007 Amarone and Port Cask finishes, which has 918 bottles available with an RRP of £1,000 and a 24 Year Old, named the 2000 Vintage Calvados Finish, with 383 on sale, priced at £5,000 each.

For additional information, see www.thedalmore.com.

The Glendronach partners with Rusacks St Andrews
The Glendronach distillery has partnered with Rusacks St Andrews, the flagship five-star boutique hotel belonging to the Marine and Lawn Hotels and Resorts group, which sits in the renowned university town to the north of Edinburgh.

The exciting collaboration has seen the creation of a new members’ club-inspired space called ‘Room 116’, where connoisseurs will be able to enjoy rare single malts from brands owned by The Glendronach’s parent company – Brown Forman, a business which also counts Benriach and Glenglassaugh in its impressive portfolio.

For further details, see www.glendronachdistillery.com.

The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured
The Isle of Harris distillery has introduced its second permanent expression within The Hearach single malt range, named The Hearach Oloroso Cask Matured. Bottled at 46% ABV, the non-chilled filtered spirit has been laid down exclusively in first-fill Oloroso Sherry butts hand-picked for quality from the respected Bodega José y Miguel Martín, located in southern Spain.

This whisky offers subtle notes of orange peel, warming spices, fireside smoke and toasted hazelnuts that evoke a cosy winter evening—a nod to the cooler nights, as the evenings become longer and the autumnal chill sets in. The latest release is available now priced at £75.

For further information, visit https://harrisdistillery.com.