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Late October offered different takes on traditional whisky norms, from marriages to inventive cask finishes and limited editions. In addition, two Skye distilleries—Highland Park and Scapa — revealed their new labels and revamped ranges, and the Irish Wild Atlantic distillery announced its inaugural whisky release, which will be available in December.
Please keep reading to learn more about new whisky releases in late October 2024 that caught our attention. You can also find early October releases here.
Karuizawa 50-year-old 1965 & 1972 Marriage
Available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange's blockchain-enabled platform, Cabinet, the 50-year-old Karuizawa Marriage combines two of the oldest casks from the closed Japanese distillery Karuizawa, resulting in a ‘one-of-a-kind’ 50-year-old whisky created by Elixir Distillers. The rare release is limited to only 50 bottles on Cabinet.
The first component in Karuizawa Marriage was distilled at the distillery in 1965 and bottled initially as a 50-year-old whisky in 2015. The second component is a Karuizawa 1972, available to sample at a masterclass held at The Whisky Exchange in 2012. The single cask whiskies were vatted in 2022 and left to marry.
At 54.8% ABV in a 500ml bottle, the Japanese single malt was released with a €44,000 (US$48,000/£36,700) price tag, excluding VAT.
Image by The Whisky Exchange Cabinet
Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2024
The Antique Collection, the annual pre-Christmas release for American whiskey lovers, commemorates the 25th anniversary of Buffalo Trace acquiring the rights to the William Larue Weller brand. All five expressions appeared: Sazerac 18-year-old rye, Thomas H Handy rye, George T Stagg, William Larue Weller and Eagle Rare 17-year-old.
The 2024 release of WL Weller - the birthday boy - was aged for 12 years and bottled at 62.9% ABV. This year, Eagle Rare has matured for 17 years and four months and is offered at 50.5% ABV, the original Eagle Rare bourbon strength. George T Stagg is bottled at 68.05% ABV after 15 years and two months.
The 2024 fall release of Sazerac rye was aged 18 years and five months. The youngest of the quintet, Thomas H Handy, is offered at 63.6% ABV and aged for six years.
All five expressions are sold separately and retail for US$149.99 (£116) at the time of the release, but as all whiskey enthusiasts know, only the chosen few can purchase them at that price.
Image by Buffalo Trace
Littlemill 47-year-old The Vanguards Collection Chapter Two
Following the release of 45-year-old Chapter One Robert Muir last year, the second edition in Littlemill's The Vanguards Collection is dedicated to Jane MacGregor, the first woman to hold a licence of a distillery the size of Littlemill. The distillery closed in 1994 and was destroyed by a fire in 2004.
The 47-year-old single malt is presented in a Glencairn crystal, accompanied by a 50ml miniature, a book about Littlemill's history, and a topper handblown by glassmaker Bethany Wood. The release is offered at 44.9% ABV and is limited to 250 bottles worldwide through specialist retailers. Chapter Two retails for £14,500 (US$18,800).
Image by Littlemill
Johnnie Walker Black Label x Andy Gellenberg
Johnnie Walker conducted an AI experiment with Blue Label at their home on Prince's Street in Glasgow earlier this year. In October 2024, the brand unveiled a limited release of 5,000 bottles of Black Label. The edition was created in collaboration with German graphic artist Andy Gellenberg. Each bottle features a unique design that includes the silhouette of an individual, symbolising the 'many faces' of the modern whisky consumer.
The bottle retails for €34.99 (US$38/£29) and is available for a limited time in Germany, the brand's website and selected retailers.
Image by Diageo
Filliers PX Cask Strength & 15-year-old
Belgian Filliers distillery held a revealing event of the two new whiskies in early October 2024. The distillery started making single malts in 2008 and has now added Pedro Ximenez (PX) cask-strength and 15-year-old expressions to its stables - joining 10-year-old and bourbon cask-aged expressions.
The PX cask is a non-age-statement single malt bottled at 58.5% ABV and retails for €69.95 (US$77/£59). The 15-year-old was matured in Oloroso sherry casks and is bottled at 43% ABV, with a suggested retail price of €72.95 (US$80/£61).
Image by Filliers
The Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut
Inspired by India, this year's Boss Hog release from WhistlePig's team scavenged Delhi's Khari Baoli spice market for ingredients. The single-barrel release combines the producer's oldest straight rye and finishes it in barrels seasoned with aged rye whiskey, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, fennel, poppy, and black peppercorn.
Boss Hog XI is bottled between 51.9% ABV and 52.6% ABV and carries a retail price of US$600 (£464).
Original Image by The Bourbon Finder
The Glenlivet Groundbreaker Collection Chapter One
The new collaborative collection will feature the artworks of a diverse range of artists. Chapter One: The Travel Inward, illustrated by Malaysian-Chinese contemporary artist Red Hong Yi, marks the first time Glenlivet single malt has been finished in red wine casks. Hong Yi created four labels depicting cities and countries that have shaped the artist's careers: Borneo, Shanghai, Los Angeles and Scotland.
The whisky was initially matured in European and American oak casks, and then a portion of the single malt was finished in charred American oak and European red wine casks. Offered at 40% ABV, the release debuted at Singapore Changi Airport with an RRP of US$100 (£77) but has since been launched worldwide in global travel retail.
Image by The Glenlivet
Crown Royal 12-year-old Reserve
Canadian whisky Crown Royal has replaced its core expression, non-age statement Reserve, with a new 12-year-old Reserve. The news follows the release of the brand's oldest release to date earlier this October - the 31-year-old.
The new 12-year-old will be rolled out across the US in November. It is bottled at 40% ABV and retails for US$50 (£39).
Image by Sip Whiskey
The IslandMen 1921 Inaugural Release
Wild Atlantic distillery in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, announced its upcoming inaugural release in late October 2024. The whiskey itself will be bottled on 21 December this year from cask number 001, resulting in around 380 bottles.
Called The IslandMen 1921, the release honours the year in which the last distillery in the region, Watt Distillery, closed. The ABV and price of the limited edition whiskey have yet to be revealed, but interested buyers can register on the distillery's website before 14 December by entering a ballot. The fact that the price has not been revealed makes us hope that entering the ballot is not binding.
Image by Angel's Envy
Port Charlotte SYC:01
Released as part of the brand's Cask Exploration series, Port Charlotte SYC:01 is the first in the range aged in organic and biodynamic Syrah wine casks from Rhône, France.
The expression was created with malt peated to 40ppm and distilled in 2013. Initially, the spirit was filled into a combination of first-fill (75%) and second-fill (25%) Bourbon barrels, but transferred to wine casks in 2018 for four years. As a last step, the whisky was married in refill bourbon casks.
Bottled at 54.4% ABV, Port Charlotte SYC:01 is the seventh release in the series and retails for £110 (US$144).
Image by Bruichladdich
Rampur Barrel Blush
The Indian distiller Radico Khaitan's Rampur whisky launched Barrel Blush expression in the UK, followed later in October 2024 across Europe and the US. The single malt was matured in American Bourbon barrels and finished in Australian Shiraz red wine casks.
Offered at 45% ABV, Barrel Blush retails for £65 (US$85).
Original Image by Rampur
Loch Lomond The Waypoint Series First Release
Loch Lomond is a distillery known for using ex-bourbon casks, but in October 2024, the distillery revealed a new series that will explore different types of casks: The Waypoint Series. The series pays tribute to the distillery’s setting in Scotland and its proximity to The Trossachs National Park.
For the first edition, 16-year-old Falls of Falloch, unpeated Loch Lomond single malt was finished in Cognac casks. The expression is offered at 46.2% ABV and retails for £82 (US$106).
Original Image by Loch Lomond
Copenhagen x Harvey Nichols Rare Aquavit Cask
Danish Copenhagen distillery teamed up with England-based Harvey Nichols department store to introduce a limited edition whisky aged in aquavit casks, stepping away from traditional single malt norms. The release is bottled at 49% ABV and can be bought at Nichols for £275 (US$357) per bottle or in their London flagship store by the glass.
Image by Copenhagen distillery
Thank you for reading The Whisky Ardvark. Make sure to check out some of our other whisky news and new releases listed below.
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