Every year seems to see even more releases of whisky, and this year one of the things I have noticed is the rise of blended whisky. In recent years with the likes of Woven whisky, more people are understanding the quality that can come from this category. There are also more whiskies being released from beyond the borders of Scotland all of which I will reveal below. So without further a do, here is bottle one…
Perpetuity Blended Scotch Whisky Batch 1
The Port of Leith distilling company has been inspired by one of my favourite concepts, the infinity bottle. They have created a constantly changing vat of single malt and single grain whiskies from the three largest areas in Scotland, the lowlands, highlands, and Speyside. They are bottling the whisky in batches as the whiskies evolve. We know that in batch 1, there is grain whisky from North British and Malts from Deanston and Glentauchers included. It’s complex with vanilla and red apples and a little marmalade. Ginger, popcorn, citrus and a zesty finish make this a very good blend.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 45.7%
Find it here: £39.95
Bushmills 25 and 30 year old
Bushmills has in recent years had a rebrand and some changes made to the blending of their single malt casks with fabulous results. Very recently they have added two much older to their range. A 25 and 30 year old. The 25-year-old is matured initially in ex-bourbon and sherry casks and then finished in a port pipe giving lots of red fruit flavours along with the typical Bushmills tropical fruit. The 30-year-old was also initially matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks but for the later 16 years of its life in casks first-fill Pedro Ximénez casks were used. It’s hugely rich and complex yet full of life and vigour, both are drams to savour.
Bushmills 25 Year Old
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 46%
Find it here: £790// US $1099
Bushmills 30 Year Old
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find it here: £1900
Turntable
There are three blended whiskies to look out for from brothers Ally and Gordon Stevenson. With many years of experience, they wanted to help raise the appeal of blended whisky and have managed it in style. The three whiskies start with Track 1: Joy.discovery.invention which is a blend of a Knockdhu Chinkapin barrel, Linkwood Virgin oak barrel, and two grain whiskies, Girvan from a red wine barrel and Strathclyde from a Cognac barrel. Track 2 is Firestarter which uses a Caol Ila virgin oak cask, Benrinnes Chinkapin barrel and Cameronbridge and Invergordon grain whiskies from a virgin oak barrel. Finally, Track 3, Purple Haze, is from a blend of Balmenach from a PX sherry puncheon, Craigellachie from an Oloroso sherry but, and Invergordon from a sherry barrel. With each bottle, there is a predominant flavour; fruity, smoky and sherried. And all are excellent!
Track 1: Joy.discovery.invention
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find it here: £69
Track 2: Firestarter
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find it here: £69
Track 3: Purple Haze
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find it here: £69
Nikka Days
The whiskies on this list are mostly new, but I wanted to highlight a whisky one should always be on the lookout for. Japanese whisky these days can be quite expensive, and for good reason, the quality is very high and the quantities for each market are usually quite limited. However, there is a bottling that I think really stands out in the cost-to-value equation. Nikka Days, is a Japanese blended whisky using both the single malt distilleries Nikka own, Yoichi and Miyagikyo. It is a carefully crafted blend with lots of fruit and some soft smoke in the background making it a great all-round Japanese blend at an affordable price.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find it here: UK £39.90 // US $49.99
Oban Young Teddy The Macleans
This is the second release in the series, the first being called Old Teddy, and both are inspired by father and son who both worked at Oban Distillery. This whisky is finished in Palo Cortado and Oloroso Sherry casks and although it is complex with lots of fruit it is extremely approachable and easy to drink. This can only be bought if you visit the distillery, and I know it’s a long way to go, but it will make the journey worth all the effort. The distillery is a great one to see as it’s one of the very few in the heart of a town, and Oban is stunning.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 50.8%
Find it here: Only available at the distillery.
Morris Muscat Barrels
The Morris distillery can be found in the small town of Rutherglen. Not the one in Glasgow, but in Australia! The distillery is sited on the same site as the family winery, so there is a great source of interesting wine casks to use. This expression has been matured in both French and American oak but then finished in Morris Muscat Barrels giving loads of rich sweet fruit flavours and a spicy finish. Yum.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find it here: £74.70
Kentucky Owl Takumi Edition
This special edition Kentucky Owl combines the art of Japanese whisky blending and bourbon. Takumi means ‘Master’ in Japanese and this blend has been designed by the master blender from the Nagahama distillery, Yusuke Yahisa and John Rhea from Kentucky Owl. It is a blend of 4, 5, 6 and 13 year old bourbons and has complex flavours of rye bread, toffee, caramel, and soft spices with apples and pears and a touch of chocolate.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 50%
Find it here: UK £125 // US $149.99
Glenmorangie 15 Cadboll State, Single Estate Limited Release
This is an expression of Glenmorangie which couldn’t be a better representation of the whisky the distillery can create. Made with barley from the Cadboll estate, this is a blend of two harvests, matured in American oak and then finished in ex-Amontillado casks, which is master blender Dr. Bill’s favourite sherry. It is the third release of this 15-year-old whisky and is creamy and nutty with toffee notes and cloves. An elegant whisky, and a favourite of mine from Glenmorangie.
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find it here: UK £75 // US $84.99
Ardbeg BizarreBQ
Another very experimental bottling from the cult Ardbeg distillery. Using double charred casks and PX sherry casks, they also used unique BBQ casks which give lots of flavour of smoked meats and grilled, charred peppers and coffee. It’s big, it’s bold and it’s beautiful. As a limited edition, if you find one, I wouldn’t hang around thinking about it.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 50.9%
Find it here: £159.95
Two Brewers Yukon Single Malt Whisky - Release 35
Two brewers is made by Alan Hansen and Bob Baxter, who are two brewers in the Yukon area of Canada. In 2009 they extended their skills by buying a still and began to make whisky. This has been made with fourteen different mashes and matured in both ex bourbon barrels and virgin oak barrels for over eight years. Each of their releases is different and this one is exceptional. This is the first UK release and there are only 132 bottles.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find it here: £84.95
Wire Works Caduro
This hails from the White Peak distillery in Derbyshire and is the first release from Max and Claire in 2023. It is a lightly peated malt whisky using ex bourbon barrels and STR casks (shaved, toasted, and re-charred). This is every bit as good as previous releases and the subtle use of peat gives extra interest. It’ll be interesting to see how their core range develops, and these limited releases are certainly worth trying.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.8%
Find it here: £59.95
Words by Colin Hampden-White
If you’re looking for more whiskey recommendations, then head over to 12 Of The Best Irish Whiskeys or have a look at The Three Drinkers Limited Edition Red Silkie Irish Whiskey.