Category: Reviews

Reviews of whiskies

Diageo Special Releases 2022

The annual Diageo Special Releases range is always keenly anticipated around the world each year.  Typically unveiled in the UK around October, many international markets don’t release them locally until the following calendar year.  And so it is that, in April 2023, many markets are only just now launching the Diageo Special Releases 2022 range.

The Diageo Special Releases – first launched 21 years ago now in 2001 – is a fantastic opportunity to try some of your favourite distilleries in an expression quite unlike the regular version that you’re otherwise familiar with.  The Special Releases expression might appear with a different or unique age statement, or might have undergone a different maturation regimen to the regular release.  Also of note is that, unlike the regularly available expressions that are typically bottled at 40-43% and have been chillfiltered, the Special Releases are typically bottled at higher cask-strength and remain non-chillfiltered.  The annual Diageo Special Releases also often include a distillery or two in the range that actually aren’t regularly bottled or commercially available – and so it’s an opportunity to try a distillery that you might not otherwise encounter.

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Macallan Harmony Collection – Intense Arabica

The Macallan’s Harmony Collection burst on the scene last year as the new badging for a limited edition, annual release.  The first release (now referred to as Harmony I) celebrated the world of chocolate with its “Rich Cacao” expression.  The second release (you guessed it – Harmony II) celebrates the world of coffee, and so The Macallan now brings you The Harmony Collection Intense Arabica.

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That Boutique-y Whisky Company: Return to Oz

Following the success of That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s first Australia Series releases back in 2021, the independent bottler is back with their second run focussing on whiskies from Australia, appropriately titled Return to Oz.  

Whisky & Wisdom covered Boutique-y’s original Australia Series back in April 2021, and you can read our original piece here, which gives much of the relevant background and philosophy behind it all.  The Return to Oz series shares the same approach and outlook, albeit with some new faces and names in the line-up.

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Morris Sherry Barrel

Morris has announced and released the third whisky in its permanent or core-range portfolio.  Morris Sherry Barrel joins its two stablemates, the Signature and the Muscat Barrel.

Morris – a name associated with wine-making for more than 150 years – launched its whisky brand and its first two releases in June 2021, and the Sherry Barrel has joined the party some 16 months later.  Whisky & Wisdom has previously told the full story of Morris whisky in our feature piece here (including a review and discussion of the Signature release), so we won’t repeat all the details on this occasion – click on the preceding link for the full background or to re-familiarise yourself with the Morris story.  

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Iniquity – Lazy Daze and Iniquity Gold Batch 007

The single malts from Iniquity, produced by Tin Shed Distilling Co, consistently rank amongst the finest Australian whiskies.  Two new releases from Iniquity crossed our desk this week and, not surprisingly, they impressed.  So much so, we figured they deserved a review and write up.  Accordingly, below are the details and our thoughts on Iniquity’s new Lazy Daze release, as well Iniquity Gold Batch 007 … 

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Cape Byron Whisky

Cape Byron whisky burst on to the Australian scene in late 2022 with the official unveiling of its inaugural single malt releases. Of course, the distillery had long been established by then and was already well known for its gins. But well before the newmake malt spirit was even filled into casks back in 2019, whisky enthusiasts in Australia and further afield were already aware of the distillery and knew what was coming. That’s a pretty unusual situation for an Australian distillery, but then it’s also pretty unusual for an Australian distillery to have one of the giants and legends of the Scotch whisky industry – Jim McEwan, no less – onboard as a consultant, distiller, and business partner. To understand that arrangement, you have to go back to the beginning…

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Westward Whiskey Tempranillo Cask

Westward Distillery, in Portland, Oregon continues to push the envelope in making American single malt whisk(e)y in a style that’s unshackled from some of the more traditional aspects or methods that define (and sometimes limit), say, Scotch whisky. The latest release from Westward to explore flavour further is the Westward Tempranillo Cask.

Whisky & Wisdom has written about Westward previously, and if you need a quick memory jog about the distillery’s story and philosophy, you might like to check out the first few paragraphs in our previous article here. The Westward Tempranillo Cask is the first release in a new range that’s been christened the Cascadia Creative Series.

The Cascadia Creative Series is a collaboration between the distillery and Dominio IV Wines, also located in Oregon. The series has been designed to highlight the provenance of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and to celebrate the creativity of the local team at Dominio IV Wines, a nearby producer from the Williamette Valley. The valley, on the western side of the Cascade Range, is home to over 7,500 hectares of vineyards and over 500 wineries.

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Indri Trini “The Three Wood”

Indri is the latest single malt brand to emerge from India, and it’s wasted no time in garnering accolades and attention. Like so many other “overnight success stories”, the real story reveals that success is actually the result of years of effort and development, and not some sudden, lucky strike of lightning. Trini (fully styled as Trini The Three Wood) is the flagship offering from the Indri stable, and it’s a whisky worth your attention. Indri Trini’s credentials, as we’ll see in a moment, make for a worthy pedigree.

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The Macallan – A Night On Earth

A Night On Earth (In Scotland) is the new, limited edition expression from The Macallan, released in time for Christmas and the new year.  The Macallan announced last year that it would be unveiling a series of annual, limited edition gifting expressions, and this is actually the second edition of A Night On Earth, after last year’s well-received 2021 release.   The suffix, “In Scotland” is added towards the bottom of the label in a smaller and lighter font, giving context to the whisky’s name and philosophy.

Macallan’s A Night On Earth essentially celebrates Hogmanay – the Scottish tradition of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new year.  Aye, it’s effectively the Scottish take on what the rest of the world calls New Year’s Eve.   Traditionally, one of the key aspects of Hogmanay is the first-footing – being the first person after midnight to cross the threshold (i.e. enter the house) of a friend or neighbour and present them with one or more gifts.  Traditionally, this would have been coal, shortbread, salt, or whisky, and was intended to bring good luck to the householder for the year ahead.  The host reciprocates by providing some food and drink which are then enjoyed together, and the festivities can continue well into wee hours of the morning (and the late hours, for that matter) with people knocking on doors to be the first-footer!

No accident, then, that A Night On Earth is timed as we approach the gift-giving season!   The whisky comes in impressive packaging that is a bit reminiscent of unpacking Russian dolls as you encounter layer under layer. 

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The Macallan M Copper

Exciting news for fans and observers of The Macallan this month with the release of the new addition to The Macallan’s M Collection range for 2022 – in this instance, the M Copper. The M Collection is a special, high-end offering within The Macallan’s portfolio that aims to showcase the brand’s so-called Six Pillars. As the word “pillar” suggests, these are the foundations on which the brand is built, and they comprise the following:

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