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From Glenrothes' new core range expression to limited-release Old Grand-Dad Bourbon, the first couple of weeks of November 2024 offered new whisky releases across the spectrum. Here are some new editions that caught our attention.
Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais Edition 2
Irish Distillers released its second instalment in the Midleton French oak series in mid-November 2024, following the inaugural release last year. A blend of grain and single pot still whiskeys, the release includes distillates from the 1980s to the early 2000s, aged in American ex-Bourbon casks. The matured whiskies were married together and filled into casks made of five-year air-dried oak from the forest of Tronçais, known as T5 casks, made by Taransaud cooperage. The whiskey was aged for another four years to create the limited edition.
Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais Edition 2 is bottled at 48% ABV and will be available in select markets, including Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK, Czech Republic, Benelux, Germany, Singapore, and GTR. The suggested retail price is €5,000 (US$5,282/£4,388).
Image by Midleton
Chichibu 7even Gods of Fortune Daikokuten
The penultimate release of Chichibu single malts from Salud Spirits' 7even Gods of Fortune series - Daikokuten - was revealed in early November 2024. The heavily peated single cask release was aged in a second-fill Bourbon barrel for nine years and pays tribute to the god of commerce and prosperity, also known as a demon hunter.
Distilled in 2015, the sixth release of the series is offered at 61.9% ABV and limited to 187 bottles. Previous releases from the collection include Ebisu, Hotei, Bishamonten, Benzaitan, and Fukurokuju.
Image by Salud
Kilchoman Sanaig Cask Strength 2024
Revealed in early November, the 2024 cask strength edition of Kilchoman's Sanaig has updated packaging that distinguishes it from the core expression. The 2024 release is only the second cask strength version of Sanaig, following the first at the Fèis Ìle 2021.
The limited release includes whiskies finished and fully matured in Oloroso sherry hogshead sourced from José y Miguel Martín. Offered at 57.8% ABV, the expression retails for around £75 (US$95).
Image by Kilchoman
Macallan A Night on Earth - Jerez de la Frontera
Following the A Night on Earth series' releases 'Scotland' and 'The Journey', the third and final expression, 'Jerez de la Frontera', is said to be the edition released on the Macallan distillery's celebratory bicentennial year. The label was designed by Jerez native artist Maria Melero.
The release, paying tribute to the distillery's sherry-producing partners in Spain, was matured in a combination of European and American sherry-seasoned oak casks. A Night on Earth in Jerez de la Frontera is bottled at 43% ABV and retails for £110 (US$143).
Original Images by The Macallan
Longmorn 30-year-old
In February 2024, the Pernod Ricard-owned Longmorn distillery received a brand update featuring 18- and 22-year-old single malt expressions. In early November, the core line was joined by the oldest official bottling from the distillery, Longmorn 30-year-old.
The new expression is aged in hogshead and American oak barrels, offered at cask strength, and will be bottled once a year in a single batch. It will be available from mid-November through The Whisky Exchange and retail for €1,750 (US$1,883/£1,387).
Image by Longmorn/ Pernod Ricard
Compass Box Secrets of Smoke
Revealed in mid-November 2024, Compass Box's Secrets of Smoke is a limited edition blended malt that combines Caol Ila finished in Palo Cortado sherry-seasoned butts, the brand's core line expression, The Peat Monster blend finished in second-fill red wine casks, and Laphroaig finished in Marsala barriques.
Offered at 52% ABV and limited to 9,792 bottles worldwide, Secrets of Smoke retails for US$165 (£131).
In an eventful year for the brand, Compass Box's founder, John Glaser, announced his departure in February, followed by a core range revamp in September.
Image by Compass Box
Glenrothes 15-year-old
In early November 2024, Glenrothes added a 15-year-old expression to its core range, joining the existing 18- and 25-year-old single malts introduced as part of the new premium, updated permanent collection last year.
The new 15-year-old is aged exclusively in European oak sherry-seasoned casks and bottled at 43% ABV. It is now available at select retailers in the UK, including The Whisky Shop, Berry Bros & Rudd, Harvey Nichols, and Harrods. The expression has a suggested retail price of £100 (US$130).
Original Images by Glenrothes
Old Grand-Dad Bourbon 16-year-old
An iconic Bourbon brand made at James B. Beam Distilling Co distillery, the Old Grand-Dad has been given a new-found focus with a limited edition 16-year-old release in mid-November 2024.
The brand was created in 1882 by Raymond B. Hayden, who dedicated it to his grandfather Basil Hayden Sr. The brand changed hands over the years, and in 1987, Old Grand-Dad was sold to Fortune Brands, which later became part of Beam, then Beam Suntory, and finally Suntory Global Spirits as it’s known today.
Old Grand-Dad 16-year-old is bottled at 50% ABV and will be only available in the US for a limited time for US$200 (£158.50).
Image by James B Beam
Four Roses Single Barrel Collection
Four Roses diversified its single cask range by announcing the release of a new collection in November 2024. The new range will highlight 10 of the distillery's four unique whiskey recipes through bottlings each year. In 2024, the collection features three new expressions: OBSF, OESK, and OESO. The initiative was announced to commemorate Four Roses' single barrel expression's 20th anniversary.
The core expression, OBSV, is made with mashbill B (60% corn, 35% rye) and yeast strain V. OBSF is made with mashbill B and yeast strain F, OESK is made with mashbill E (75% corn, 20% rye) and yeast strain K, and OESO is made with mashbill E and yeast strain O. All expressions also include 5% malted barley and are bottled between seven and nine years at 50% ABV. All single barrel releases are priced at US$50 (£40).
The first three new editions will be available in 2025, followed by a new set of whiskeys each year, cycling through the nine recipes to complement the flagship bottle.
Image by Four Roses
Minden Mill Inaugural Collection
Nevada-based Minden Mill Distilling revealed its three inaugural whiskies in November 2024, following last year's acquisition by the Foley Family Wine & Spirits. Comprising Bourbon, rye and single malt releases bottled at 47% ABV, the single-estate whiskies are made with grain grown within a five-mile radius of the distillery. The whiskeys will be available in Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado, and Illinois.
Minden Mill Nevada Bourbon is made with 60% Earthtone Heirloom corn, 20% rye, 10% barley, and 10% oat, aged four years in American and French oak. The distillery's Nevada rye is made from a mashbill of 80% rye, 10% wheat, and 10% barley. Both the Bourbon and rye are priced at US$45 (£36).
The last expression, Nevada single malt, is made with 100% estate-grown barley, malted on-site. The whiskey is aged for five years in a combination of Oloroso sherry, ex-Bourbon and American oak casks and retails for US$60 (£48).
Image by Minden Mill
Octomore Series 15 'Ten Aged Years'
The 10-year-old Octomore completed the brand's Series 15 in mid-November. Made with 100% Scottish mainland Concerto barley peated to 107ppm, the whisky was distilled in 2013 and aged in four different types of casks.
50% of the spirit was aged in first-fill Bourbon casks, 15% in Pineau des Charentes, 25% in second-fill Pedro Ximenez sherry butts and 10% in first-fill red wine casks. All the casks were blended and left to marry for six months before bottling at 52.2% ABV.
The 10-year-old expression is priced at £175 (US$223) and is available exclusively from the Bruichladdich's website and the distillery on Islay.
Original Image by Bruichladdich
Scilly Spirit Single Malt
The already sold-out inaugural whisky release from Scilly Spirits was released in early November 2024. Aged in a medium-toasted new European oak cask, batch number one pays tribute to the loss of HMS Association in 1707 and its commander, Sir Cloudesley Shovell, off the Isles of Scilly, where the distillery is located. The distillery's bottle design is inspired by the Bishop Rock Lighthouse.
Offered at 46% ABV, the inaugural release was limited to 92 bottles, each retailing for £120 (US$153). Although the distillery owners announced their desire to sell it in May 2024, they plan to release the second single malt batch, aged in Bourbon casks, in April 2025.
Image by Scilly Spirit
Elsham Wold Second Release
English Elsham Wold distillery announced its second single malt release in November. The whisky was crafted in North Lincolnshire using Yorkshire barley, distilled in 2020, initially aged in miniature Bourbon casks and finished for a minimum of 12 months in the distillery's own English rum casks.
The limited release is available only through a ballot on the distillery's website and costs £85 (US$110).
Image by Elsham Wold
Extra: Fireball Crierball
Sazerac-owned Fireball cinnamon-flavoured whiskey liqueur is hoping to transform American football fans' tears into Crierball whiskey in 2025. The brand launched a campaign in November 2024 to collect donated fan tears and promises they “will undergo a meticulous, months-long process of sterilisation and distillation” to turn them into whiskey.
Image by Sazerac
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