If there’s one distillery that evokes some of the more dramatic images and sentiments in the world of Scotch whisky, it is surely Talisker. As a distillery and as a single malt, it cuts across the full spectrum of whisky’s nuances and features: Words often associated with Talisker include coastal, peat, remote, Highlands, sweet, iodine, Isle of Skye, wormtubs, smoky, brine, visitor centre, old, sea loch, Johnnie Walker, aged……it is all things Scotland, and has been since 1830. Fans of Talisker single malt have been thrilled to see its core-range and other portfolio offerings expand in recent times. From the widely available 10 year old, to the some of unique expressions in the Diageo Special Releases range, there’s always a splash of briny, peaty Talisker to enjoy at lots of different ages and price points. One of the more fascinating releases – and certainly one of the tastiest – is the new Talisker 45yo Glacial Edge.
Tag: Diageo
The Singleton of Glen Ord 40yo
Exciting news for fans of rare and aged whisky this month, with Diageo releasing the third and final expression of The Singleton’s Epicurean Odyssey series. The first and second releases were bottled at 38 and 39 years old respectively, and so perhaps it’s no surprise that the third release is The Singleton of Glen Ord 40yo.
Diageo Special Releases 2020
The Diageo “Special Releases” range is keenly awaited each year, and the latest collection (2020) is now being made available to markets around the world.
[Update: If you’re looking for info on the Diageo Special Releases for 2021, see our more recent post here.]
Whisky & Wisdom has attended the launch events for the Special Releases range in previous years, but with COVID still largely preventing such public events, a special media kit was prepared for this year’s range. The box – a very attractive and well-presented affair, it must be said – contained samples of the eight releases.
The idea behind the Diageo Special Releases range is to present and showcase whiskies from selected distilleries that differ significantly from the usual or familiar form that we associate with those distilleries. We thus see things like unpeated releases from Islay distilleries; or releases with significant age statements that aren’t normally available; or releases given special cask treatments or finishes; or simply releases from closed or rarely seen distilleries. There’s always something for everyone, and each year’s Special Releases range showcases a diverse spectrum of flavours and also price points.
Australian whisky has its Cardhu moment
Our Cardhu moment? Yes, very much so….
Since the Australian whisky industry’s re-birth 30-odd years ago, there have been a number of specific markers or events that have indicated the industry is taking steps forward and leaving its fledgling status behind. Like an adolescent transitioning to adulthood, not every step is glamorous; there will be a few missteps along the way; but you’ve got to take those steps to learn and develop.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Ellen
It wasn’t that long ago that Johnnie Walker had a fairly simple portfolio: Red Label, Black Label, Green Label, and Blue Label. Today, each of those labels have their own individual portfolios! The Blue Label range is no exception, and it was recently expanded this month with the release of the new Ghost & Rare expression tagged as “Port Ellen”.
The Ghost & Rare range, launched last year with what we’ll now call the “Brora” release, is a range of blended whiskies that showcase the closed, silent and lost distilleries in parent company Diageo’s stocks. Hence the term ghost, referring to distilleries that are no more. As the names would suggest, last year’s release had the cult whisky Brora in the mix, and this year’s release features the biggie of them all: Port Ellen.
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The Scotch whisky distillery building boom
If you’ve been somewhat overwhelmed by all the new whisky distilleries to appear in recent years, you’re not alone! The Scottish whisky distillery construction business is in a true boom cycle at present, with the building pursuit effectively splitting itself into four vastly different endeavours.
The first is the raft of new, relatively small distilleries being built. Of course, this got its start a little over 10 years ago or so with the likes of Daftmill and Abhainn Dearg, but has exploded more recently with the likes of Kingsbarns, Ballindalloch, Ardnamurchan, Wolfburn, Glasgow…and well, the list goes on, right down to the tiny operations of, say, Strathearn and Dornoch. If you haven’t kept up, it’s almost alarming to discover that over 30 new distilleries have recently started up or are currently under construction from the Lowlands to the Islands and everywhere in between.
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Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition
The Johnnie Walker stable of whiskies continues to grow and expand, as the latest edition to the Black Label, the “Sherry Edition” demonstrates. Whisky & Wisdom has covered off most of the new releases and expressions in recent times (see links below), but whether Johnnie Walker is your cup of tea or not, you can’t accuse the world’s biggest selling brand of Scotch whisky of standing still. I guess that’s why Johnnie Walker is the striding gent.
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Diageo Special Releases 2017
Our annual take on the range each year, this is our piece on the Diageo Special Releases 2017 whiskies…
Johnnie Walker Blue Label – Ghost and Rare “Brora”
Johnnie Walker continues to extend their portfolio and bring interest to the category of blended Scotch whisky with a number of new and/or limited edition releases. The “Blue Label” brand has many incarnations and variations these days since it was first expanded with the King George V release several years ago now.
The latest Blue Label release comes with all the usual fanfare and back-story, but this one will deservedly and legitimately grab your attention. For, whilst many rare blends tease you with vague or enigmatic tales of especially “rare” or “old” whiskies making up the blend (but never telling you what they are), Blue Label’s first “Ghost and Rare” release proudly shows its hand and tells you its secrets. And any whisky that declares Brora as a key ingredient is going to draw the interest of whiskyphiles.
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Diageo Special Releases 2016
Does the Diageo Special Releases 2016 range need an introduction? For anyone who’s entered the single malt whisky scene in recent years, the choice and array of bottlings, brands and releases can be overwhelming. Almost 30 years ago now, the situation was very different when Diageo launched “The Classic Malts” – first into travel retail in 1988, and then into the domestic market in 1989. Those six whiskies (Glenkinchie, Cragganmore, Oban, Dalwhinnie, Talisker, and Lagavulin) became the vehicle through which hundreds of thousands of people were introduced to malt whisky. For close to a decade they were almost the definitive collection and – notwithstanding the omnipresence of the likes of Glenfiddich and Glenlivet – it was only by the late 1990’s that other brands and recognisable labels started to consistently appear in regular retail outlets.