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The whisky gods favoured whisky lovers in July. Not only did Salud Spirits release two single-cask Chichibu's, but the month also saw one of the most controversial rebrandings in recent months—The Glendronach. Compass Box also revealed its new core range in late July 2024.
The English Cotswolds distillery celebrated its 10th anniversary this month and released a commemorative whisky with Israeli M&H distillery to honour the late Dr Jim Swan.
For other new whisky releases in late July, keep reading.
Please click here to find more new whiskies released at the beginning of July.
Spirits of Salud Angels Favourite
In mid-July 2024, Dutch spirits distributor and bottler Salud Spirits announced the release of a rare Chichibu bottling. The heavily peated eight-year-old Japanese single malt was drawn from a single second-fill Bourbon cask, which unfortunately suffered a leak, resulting in the loss of three-quarters of the liquid.
Dubbed Angels Favourite, the release's name is a play on words for 'angel's share', the evaporation of spirits from the cask during maturation. However, the angels acquired more whisky than expected due to a leak in the cask. According to the bottler, the single cask suffered the biggest leak in Chichibu's history.
The whisky was initially planned to be bottled under Salud's 7even Gods of Fortune series, but the release size was deemed too small for the collection. Bottled at 63.5% ABV and limited to only 75 bottles, it is—to our knowledge—the third-rarest single-cask release from the Chichibu distillery.
The Angels Favourite will be initially made available in the Netherlands and Austria.
To find information about Chichibu's past releases, please visit our article featuring 473 Chichibu whisky releases.
Original Image by Salud Spirits
Glenmorangie Signet Reserve
Released in late July, the Glenmorangie Signet Reserve takes the original Jamaican Blue Coffee-inspired Signet expression to new depths. The latest release has been aged in a combination of Bourbon, sherry and virgin oak casks, but instead of bottling the whisky as Signet, the team at Glenmorangie decided to finish it in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks to create an extra-maturated Signet Reserve.
Bottled at 46% ABV, the expression retails for £345 (US$445).
Original Image by Glenmorangie
Bowmore 21-year-old Aston Martin Masters Selection 2024 Release
The partnership between Bowmore and Aston Martin was established in 2019, and the Aston Martin Masters Selection was introduced as an annual release in 2021. The fourth and final release in the series, the 21-year-old 2024 edition—aged in sherry casks—made its debut in retail in July.
The new release is offered at 51.4% ABV and retails for around £415 (US$532).
To learn about past releases and other car-related whisky releases, please see our article 'When Cars Met Whisky'.
Image by Bowmore
The Singleton Garden of Abundance Collection
In late July 2024, Diageo released the Garden of Abundance collection exclusively for travel retail. The series includes four single malt expressions, all distilled at Glendullan distillery in Speyside.
Marked with one barrel, Radiant Spring Garden is aged exclusively in American White Oak casks and retails for US$68 (£53). The second, Golden Autumn Orchard, was aged in ex-Bourbon and American White Oak casks with a suggested retail price of US$99 (£77).
The triple-matured Exotic Spice Grove was initially 'rested' in ex-wine and rejuvenated (STR) casks and married in Reserve Oak casks. The expression retails for US$180 (£140).
Lastly, Deep Forest Riches, or the 'quadruple cask crafted' single malt, was matured in European oak, Palo Cortado sherry and Marsala wine barrels and finally finished in PX Oloroso-seasoned casks. Marked with four barrels, the expression retails for US$280 (£217).
Images by Diageo
Cotswolds M&H Dr Jim Swan
In late July 2024, two distilleries that owe their success to the late whisky guru Dr Jim Swan came together to release a limited edition commemorative bottling in honour of their mentor.
The blended malt whisky combines single malts from English Cotswolds and Israeli Milk & Honey distillery - with Cotswolds aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and M&H matured in Swan's pioneering STR casks. The whisky is offered at 50% ABV and is limited to 700 bottles, retailing for £120 (US$154) each.
Image by Cotswolds
Cotswolds Traitor's Ford
As a second Cotswolds entry in this month's list, the English distillery teamed up with brewer Hook Norton to create Cotswolds' first rye whiskey release. The whiskey was released to celebrate the distillery's 10th anniversary and also commemorate the brewery's 175th anniversary.
The rye bill was made in 2016 at Hook Norton using 60% rye, 30% corn, and 10% malted barley. The lautered mash was distilled using a Holstein hybrid pot and column stills. Traitor's Ford rye was aged in re-charred American oak casks for eight years.
The single cask release is limited to 200 bottles and offered at 40% ABV. Interested buyers can enter a ballot on the distillery's website for a chance to buy the rye for £175 (US$225) starting from 30 July.
Original Image by Cotswolds
The English Founder's Private Cellar 17-year-old
Late July 2024, The English distillery in Norfolk released its oldest single malt to date, the 17-year-old Founder's Private Cellar. The whisky was distilled in June 2007 and bottled at cask strength at 55.3% ABV in August 2023.
The single cask release was aged for 17 years in a Portuguese Cabernet Sauvignon barrel and is limited to 265 bottles. The bottle retails for £295 (US$340) on the distillery's website.
Image by The English distillery
St Kilian Judas Priest Invincible Shield
German whisky distillery St Kilian first teamed up with a British heavy metal band in 2022 to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary. The partnership has resulted in four previous releases: Angel of Retribution and 50 Heavy Metal Years in 2022 and Ram it Down and British Steel in 2024.
In July 2024, the collaboration saw its fifth release: Invincible Shield, named after and labelled after the band's latest album cover. The expression, released on 31 July at the Wacken Open Air music festival, has been aged in Tawny Port and Bulgarian oak casks and offered at 47% ABV.
The release is limited to 7,850 bottles and retails for €59.90 (£51/US$65). It will initially be available from the distillery and the official website and later from well-stocked specialists.
Original Image by St Kilian
Glenturret 2024 Releases
In July 2024, The Glenturret launched its 2024 releases. This year's expressions include a non-age statement Triple Wood, three peated single malts, two unpeated core expressions, and two 'extremely scarce' editions. Compared to last year's range, the only new expression on the list is a 14-year-old Peat Smoked distillery exclusive.
The 14-year-old is made with peated and unpeated barley and aged in first-fill European oak casks and second-fill barrels. Offered at 48% ABV, the smoky expression is available on the distillery's website and at the distillery for £150 (US$193).
Images by The Glenturret
Micil Peated Single Malt First Release
The first peated Irish single malt from Micil distillery went on sale on 26 July and was almost immediately sold out. The whiskey was distilled in small stills and aged in PX, Amontillado and Palo Cortado sherry casks. Offered at 50% ABV and limited to 360 bottles, the release sold for £180 (US$).
Original Image by Micil
Duncan Taylor Rarest Reserve Series
Independent bottler Duncan Taylor launched its old and rare series Rarest Reserve in late July 2024. The inaugural two releases, 33-year-old and 52-year-old Macallan single malts, are offered in small 100ml bottles and presented in gold bar design boxes, limited to 500 bottles each.
The 33-year-old was distilled in 1991 and aged in Oloroso sherry casks. The expression is offered at 50.2% ABV and retails for £630 (US$810).
The 52-year-old was distilled in 1969 and initially aged in American oak ex-Bourbon casks, later finished in first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The single malt is offered at 41.4% ABV and retails for £7,850 (US$10,100).
Both expressions are available from The Spirits Embassy online and BlockBar.
Original Images by Duncan Taylor
Eden Mill The Art of St Andrews 2024
Eden Mill launched the Art of St Andrews series in 2019. For the fourth edition, the Scottish distillery has partnered with carver and ink artist Babs Pease to create a decorative label for the single malt.
The whisky was initially aged in Oloroso and PX sherry casks and finished in first-fill Amarone red wine casks from Veneto, Italy. Offered at 46.5% ABV, the release is limited to 2,250 bottles retailing for £150 (US$192) each on the company's website.
Image by Eden Mill
Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre 2024
Texas-based Bourbon producer Garrison Brothers has launched the fifth annual limited edition of Laguna Madre, finished in French Limousine Oak for four years. The whiskey is eight years old—the oldest expression from the distillery.
Offered at 101 proof (50.5% ABV), the 'Limousine oak-immersed' release is limited to 3,000 bottles. Laguna Madre will be available at limited bars, restaurants, and retailers in the US starting in August. The suggested retail price for the 2024 release is US$349 (£272).
Image by Garrison Brothers
Thank you for reading The Whisky Ardvark. Please check out some of our other whisky news stories listed below.
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