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Early August 2024 was relatively quiet for new whisky releases, possibly because many brands aim to launch new expressions in early September with The Whisky Show in mind.
Nonetheless, some big names did release limited and travel retail editions. For example, Balvenie revealed its new Fifty Collection, and Glenmorangie delighted its fans with two GTR releases and a trio set called the Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection.
In addition, the following new whisky releases caught our attention in early August 2024.
Fielden 2019 Harvest Rye
After launching its English rye whisky in late May 2024, Fielden, formerly Oxford Artisan distillery, released its first vintage harvest rye on 1 August. Fielden, which will relocate from Oxford to Yorkshire in September, announced that the release will be an annual edition to the distillery's range, available on Lammas Day each year.
Unlike many other whiskies, Fielden’s vintage refers to the year the grain was harvested rather than when the whisky was placed in the casks. The inaugural vintage release was made from rye harvested in 2019, with the whisky containing 73% rye, barley, and wheat.
The 2019 rye has been aged in eight different casks, including American oak STR and second-fill casks, as well as a Sauternes barrique and a Ramandolo barrel. The rye is offered at 50% ABV and retails for £80 (US$102).
Image by Fielden
Glenmorangie 16-year-old & 21-year-old
In early August 2024, Glenmorangie launched two whiskies exclusively for travel retail: 16-year-old Vindima and 21-year-old Aureaum. Both whiskies are offered at 43% ABV.
The younger of the two, Vindima, has been aged in Bourbon barrels and finished in Malmsey Madeira casks. Named after a grape harvest festival on the island of Madeira, the expression's label reflects the colour of ripe grapes. Vindima retails for £90 (US$114) and is available at airports worldwide.
The 21-year-old Aureum was launched in August at London Heathrow Airport with a retail price of £215 (US$273) and will be available worldwide in September. The expression was aged in Bourbon casks and named after its golden colour; the name means 'gold' in Latin.
Original Images by Glenmorangie
Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection
Another release from Glenmorangie in early August 2024 is the Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection, inspired by master distiller Dr Bill Lumsden's passion for wine. For the triple-bottle set, the single malts were finished for years in French wine casks from Burgundy and Bordeaux and Italian wine casks from Piedmont.
The first of the whiskies was distilled in 1995 and aged for 29 years, initially in Bourbon casks and transferred into red Margaux wine casks in 2004. With more than 20 years in secondary casks, the expression is the longest cask-finished whisky released by the distillery and is offered at 52.5% ABV.
The second bottling was also distilled in 1995 and aged 28 years. In 2005, the whisky was re-casked in Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru white wine Burgundy casks for the remaining 18 years. The release was bottled at 52.1% ABV.
The last one of the trio is a 27-year-old Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish, distilled in 1996 and finished for 18 years in red wine casks from Piedmont. The expression was bottled at 51.3% ABV.
The release is limited to 600 sets worldwide. Starting in August, the set is available through Moet Hennessy's private client channel for £7,740 (US$9,000) and, from October, at London Heathrow Airport, selected retailers and the distillery.
Original Images by Glenmorangie
Travis & Springbank 26-year-old
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Kilkerran single malt in July, the Scottish rock band Travis teamed up for a performance with Springbank, the owner of Glengyle distillery and its Kilkerran single malt. Less than a month later, the collaboration released a 26-year-old Springbank single malt that went on sale and sold out on 14 August.
The release was available on the distillery's website for £1,250 (US$1,600) and limited to one bottle per purchase.
Matured for 26 years in a refill Bourbon hogshead, the whisky was distilled in 1998—the same year the band recorded its album, The Man Who. The launch of the limited release coincided with the band's latest album, LA Times, and the Raze The Bar tour. Travis & Springbank was bottled at 53.5% and limited to 234 bottles.
Original Image of Springbank
The Lakes Boundless
The English The Lakes distillery has announced the launch of its first travel retail exclusive expression, Boundless single malt. Officially launched at the 2024 TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, the release will be available from 29 September at select duty-free locations across Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East.
Boundless has been aged in sherry-seasoned casks and offered at 48% ABV.
Original Image by The Lakes
Teeling Crystal Malt
First released exclusively for The Loop in Dublin Airport, Teeling's 'world's first-ever Crystal malt' was officially released outside travel retail in August 2024. Made with a mashbill recipe of distillers' malt and crystal malted barley, the mash is fermented with distillers and white wine yeast. After triple-distillation, the spirit was aged in virgin American oak barrels.
Retailing for £80 (US$103), the single malt is offered at 46% ABV and is limited to 18,000 bottles worldwide.
Image by Teeling
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2024
Since 2002, Old Forester distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, has released a birthday Bourbon to commemorate founder George Garvin Brown's birthday on 2 September.
The 2024 release was aged for 12 years in warehouses G and L. For the release, the distillery combined 209 casks and bottled the whiskey at 53.4% ABV. Announced in mid-August, the Bourbon was made available through a nationwide sweepstake at the distillery's website from 15 to 21 August, with the condition that the winning bottles be purchased from 5 September to 14 December. Starting from September, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon will also be available nationwide for US$200 (£155).
Image by Old Forester
Murray McDavid Ultra Series
Independent bottler Murray McDavid launched the Ultra series in an exclusive event at Edinburgh’s Signet Library in late July 2024 with three old and rare whiskies: 30-year-old Macallan, 33-year-old Glen Scotia, and 50-year-old Caperdonich. The series started appearing in the media in August. The collection will be dedicated to some of the rarest single malts from the company's warehouse.
The 30-year-old Macallan was distilled in 1993 and bottled at 43.3% ABV. The 1991 Glen Scotia 33-year-old was initially matured in an American oak ex-Bourbon hogshead before being re-casked into a French Vosne-Romanée red wine barrique in 2011. The release is offered at 49.7% ABV.
The oldest inaugural bottling, Caperdonich, was distilled in 1972 at the now-closed distillery (2002). The single malt was aged in American oak hogsheads and bottled at 47.1% ABV. All releases under the Ultra series are offered in Glencairn decanters.
Original Images by Murray McDavid / Glencairn
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