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Back in 2001, Diageo was at the forefront of creating a new type of whisky customer: The Collector. The company's Special Releases offered consumers rare and old cask-strength bottles, which soon became highly sought-after collectable whiskies. As an annual tradition, a lot has changed in the last 20 years since Diageo launched its series. Now, we take a look back over the years and rediscover what was bottled and when.
While we're accustomed to seeing old Talisker, Port Ellen, and Brora on the list, some of those familiar releases have vanished over the past couple of years. Nowadays, the special releases appear to be more about limited cask-strength expressions than rare whiskies. For some reason, these releases don't seem so 'special' anymore, with the only thing special being the premium price you'd have to pay to get a bottle.
To fill the void left by the absence of old and rare expressions, Diageo has launched its Prima & Ultima range.
Whether the changes made are for better or for worse is ultimately up to you, the buyer, to decide.
Special Releases 2001 - 3 Expressions
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Special Releases 2002 - 7 Expressions
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Special Releases 2003 - 9 Expressions
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Special Releases 2004 - 10 Expressions
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Special Releases 2005 - 10 Expressions
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Special Releases 2006 - 9 Expressions
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Special Releases 2007 - 11 Expressions
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Special Releases 2008 - 10 Expressions
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Special Releases 2009 - 9 Expressions
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Special Releases 2010 - 9 Expressions
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Special Releases 2011 - 8 Expressions
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Special Releases 2012 - 8 Expressions
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Special Releases 2013 - 10 Expressions
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Special Releases 2014 - 11 Expressions
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Special Releases 2015 - 9 Expressions
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Special Releases 2016 - 10 Expressions
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Special Releases 2017 - 10 Expressions
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Special Releases 2018 - 10 Expressions
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Special Releases 2019 - 8 Expressions
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Special Releases 2020 - 8 Expressions
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Special Releases 2021 - 8 Expressions
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Special Releases 2022 - 8 Expressions
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Thoughts about the Diageo Special Releases? Let us know below. #thewhiskyardvark #whiskyardvark
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