There’s always an on-going debate among whisky fans about the influence of age on a whisky. Most people will have an opinion on what the optimum age is for a whisky from a given distillery and would argue anything beyond that runs the risk of the cask killing the spirit. Nevertheless, a grand age statement always looks impressive and draw everyone’s attention.

Some distilleries have disregarded the age debate and decided to ‘go big or go home’. Macallan possibly fall under this category, having recently released another septuagenarian single malt. And they’re backed up by indie-favourites Duncan Taylor, who’ve released two older Macallans of their own.

But as we know, age isn’t everything when it comes to whisky. To prove the point there’s a variety of impressive young or non age statement whiskies in this round up, ranging from the latest releases from up and coming distilleries to a reinvented classic from a well-known Highlander.

CLYDESIDE

Glasgow’s Clydeside distillery have announced their latest release - a 6 year old, sherry matured expression called Napier.

The whisky takes its name from Robert Napier, whose original shipyards are opposite where the Clydeside distillery sits today. His mantra was ‘quality, quality, quality’. It’s an ethos adopted by the Clydeside distillery and it shows in this expression.

Made using 100% Scottish grown barley, the Clydeside Napier offers notes of orange marmalade, strawberries and vanilla before a warming, ginger spice on the finish. Available now at the distillery and through selected retailers for around £56.

COTSWOLDS

Cotswolds have partnered with a local brewery to release the distillery’s first rye whisky.

Taking its name from a local historical landmark, Traitors’ Ford Rye Whisky is a celebration of two milestones: Cotswolds’ 10th anniversary and the 175th anniversary of the Hook Norton Brewery.

Mashing and fermentation took place at Hook Norton in 2016, before being distilled and matured in a re-charred American Oak cask at Cotswolds. Eight years later the whisky is ready to be released. Only one barrel of the rye was filled and as such only 200 bottles were released.

A ballot took place on 30th July for the bottles.

DUNCAN TAYLOR

Esteemed independent bottler Duncan Taylor have released a pair of rare, well-aged Macallan single malts. The two whiskies form part of their rarest Reserve series, a range that showcases some of the bottler’s most exclusive whiskies.

The younger of the two is a 1991 vintage, 33 year old Macallan bottled at 50.6%. Duncan Taylor say we can expect notes of tropical fruits, dark chocolate and creamy toffee. But, if a 33 year old malt is the youngest, then surely the next whisky must be something special…

At 52 years old, the second whisky is the oldest Macallan to have been released by Duncan Taylor. This is a stunning 1969 vintage bottled at 41.4% following maturation in both bourbon and sherry casks.

Both expressions are presented in 10cl bottles featuring gold bar-inspired packaging. Only 500 bottles of each will be made available.

Old Macallan will generally speak for itself, but so confident are Duncan Taylor in the 1969 vintage that King Charles was offered a dram on a recent visit to Edinburgh. And if it’s good enough for royalty, then it’s good enough for us.

GLENMORANGIE

It can be a gamble to tinker with a classic, but when the experienced hands of Dr Bill Lumsden are at the helm it’s likely to be a success.

Glenmorangie have launched the Signet Reserve, a Pedro Ximinez cask matured variation of their beloved Signet. The Signet was first launched in 2008 and uses high-roasted malt to bring a deep, rich, coffee-like flavour to the whisky - a bold and unique move at the time.

The new expression takes the original Signet - itself aged in a combination of bourbon, sherry and virgin oak casks - and places is in PX casks for further maturation. The result is an even richer flavoured whisky showcasing notes of chocolate truffles, toffee, and tiramisu.

This delightfully decadent dram is bottled at 46% ABV and is retailing for around £345.

GLENTURRET

Since their takeover by the Lalique group in 2019, Glenturret have eschewed the traditional core range concept in favour of annual, small batch releases. The former home of Famous Grouse have recently revealed their 2024 line-up, with drams for catering to all tastes and budgets.

In keeping with previous years, the heart of the range is a made up of a Triplewood variation alongside a 12 year old and a 15 year old, the latter of which boasts a slightly higher ABV of 50.8% and is limited to just 6,000 bottles.

For those who prefer a whisky with a smoky profile, Glenturret have 7, 10 and 14 year old Peat Smoked expressions. The 14 year old is available exclusively at the distillery in Crieff.

At the upper end of the price spectrum sits the Extremely Scarce range, which this year consists of a 25 and a 30 year old variation. These two releases are limited to just 210 and 300 bottles respectively.

Each whisky across the ranges is presented in an eye-catching decanter. Unsurprising for a distillery owned by a luxury glassmaker, perhaps, but impressive all the same.

HOLYROOD

Another new distillery showing off their wares now with the third release from Edinburgh’s Holyrood Distillery.

The Holyrood Ambir takes its name from the Scots spelling of ‘amber’ and has been specifically crafted to be a sweet, after dinner dram. The team at Holyrood are incredibly passionate about strains of malt and yeast and their selection of cereals for this malt lend themselves to velvety textures and sweeter flavours.

Combining this with a combination of bourbon and sherry ask maturation results in a whisky boasting notes of creamy fudge, red fruits and digestive biscuits.

KNOB CREEK

When a brand has two popular whiskies, there must be a temptation to put the two together to try and create something greater than the sum of its parts. That type of thinking might have been behind Knob Creek’s latest release.

The Kentucky-based producer have crafted a limited Bourbon x Rye expression which, as the name suggests, combines their bourbon and rye whiskies. The blend is composed of 70% seven year old rye and 30% 9 year old bourbon.

Bottled at 113 US Proof/56.5% ABV, this boundary pushing American whiskey is retailing for around US$45.

MACALLAN

Macallan’s Red Collection is the distillery’s homage to their whisky makers past and present, but is perhaps best known as being home to some of the most eye-catching age statements released by the famous Speysider.

Their latest instalment in the series is no different: at 73 years old, it is made up from some of the oldest stock maturing in Macallan’s enviable warehouses.

For those curious what a whisky that old would taste like, Macallan promise aromas of apricot jam and liquorice on the nose with a sweet and mouth-coating palate with flavours of dates, treacle toffee and a subtle spice.

An impressively mouthwatering prospect for those able to afford a bottle. Expect to pay around £72,000 per bottle.

TOMATIN

Tomatin have utilised fortified wine casks to mature their whisky for more than a century, and they recently looked to develop that connection with the launch of The Sherry Collection.

The collection comprises a trio of whiskies matured in different styles of sherry casks: a 2014 vintage Manzanilla sherry finish; a 2008 Palo Cortado cask; and a 2006 Pedro Ximinez which spent an impressive eight of its 17 years maturing in sherry wood.

These limited edition whiskies each take on a character of their own thanks for the cask influence, but they never over power or undermine the influence of Tomatin’s spirit. Truly harmonious whisky making.

Each of these releases are bottled at 46% ABV and are priced between £65 and £150.