Every month we’re blessed with multiple new whiskies from different distilleries for us to find out about and hopefully get round to trying.

This past month, many top brands have gone above and beyond, with a number of great distillers and blenders releasing more than one exciting new whisky. It’s been a real effort to keep on top of it all, but we’ve given it our best shot.

Who ever said you can have too much of a good thing eh?

ARDBEG

Islay’s Ardbeg are arguably one of the most prolific distilleries on the island. This past month has seen two new whiskies announced.

Firstly, Ardbeg have unveiled this year’s Feis Ile release: Smokiverse. Ardbeg Day is always one of the highlights of the festival and this year we’re being treated to a sweeter side of Ardbeg.

Smokiverse utilises a unique ‘high-gravity mash’. The science behind this goes a little over our heads, but the long and short of it seems to be that crafting a denser wort during the production process results in more intense fruity aromas in the final spirit. Expect bubblegum and tropical fruit sweetness sweetness balancing Ardbeg’s trademark peat influence.

With an RRP of £93, the Ardbeg Smokiverse will be available from the distillery and selected sites during Feis Ile, before a wider general release from 1st June.

In addition to Smokiverse, Ardbeg have also released the seventh edition of their popular Traigh Bhan series. This range of 19 year old whiskies pays tribute to Islay’s mysterious ‘singing sands’, with the latest batch believed to be the most balanced yet in terms of flavour. This 2006 vintage showcases refreshing notes of mint and lemon peel alongside subtle peat smoke.

BOWMORE

Bowmore’s ongoing collaboration with Aston Martin has produced some exciting and intriguing releases, and the latest in no exception.

The Bowmore ARC-54 is a stunning 1968 vintage, 54 year old single malt presented in an artistic decanter inspired by the latest in Aston Martin car-making technology. With notes of soft butterscotch and buttery shortbread, the whisky promises to be as delicious as the decanter is eye-catching

We covered this release in a previous article, so check out “Bow-ah's ARC: An Islay Distillery's £71k Whisky” for more information on this piece of whisky history.

COMPASS BOX

Maverick blenders Compass Box have unveiled two new expressions.

The first is a blended malt Scotch celebrating the group’s 25th birthday - the Flaming Heart 25th Anniversary Edition. First produced in 2006, this is the eighth edition of this blend and it is well known for its smokier profile.

This release proves to be no exception. Fiery Talker single malt makes up the heart of the blend, enhanced by Laphroaig and an unnamed Islay, with some Benrinnes added to the mix to round it out. The result is a blend with plenty of black pepper and medicinal smoke, but its balanced by notes of apricot and raspberry.

The Flaming Heart 25th Anniversary Edition is available now, retailing for around £130.

Their second blend is called Scot Free and, as the name suggests, is a whisky made without any Scottish elements. Made entirely from English single malts, Scot free is believed to be the world’s first vatted English whisky.

This whisky was made partly in celebration of English whisky, but also partly in response to some of the recent controversy surrounding English single malt. For more information on this whisky and the English whisky debate, check out our recent article “Outside the Box: Blenders Reveal English Whisky.”

GLASGOW DISTILLERY

Glasgow Distillery celebrated their tenth anniversary by releasing their oldest single malt to date.

Fittingly, the team opted to put out a 10 year old to coincide with their tenth birthday. The distillery filled its first casks in 2015, so their whisky is only just beginning to hit double digits in terms of age.

This particular expression came from an ex-bourbon cask filled with unpeated spirit and offered notes of heather honey, green apples, lemon zest, melon, pineapple, and cinnamon.

Only 230 bottles were released and the Glasgow Distillery’s website sold out incredibly quickly, so if you’re interested in a bottle your best chance will be to keep an eye on the secondary market.

GLENALLACHIE

Glenallachie have launched a new series of whisky inspired by the Scots Gaelic word for ‘synthesis,’ apparently encapsulating the distillery’s bold creativity.

The inaugural release in the Sinteis Series is a 2014 vintage that utilises both American Chinquapin and Pedro Ximenez casks, with both bold cask types complimenting each other. It comes bottled at natural cask strength (57.8% ABV) and offers a complex flavour profile of liquorice and butterscotch on the nose and blackberry and molasses on the palate.

This single malt is available now with an RRP of around £75.

GLEN MORAY

It’s not strictly whisky that we’re dealing with here, but bear with us.

Glen Moray have announced a pair of spirit drinks crafted using the distillery’s reputed Speyside spirit and highly unusual maple syrup casks. These casks prevent them from legally being called whisky, but they sound delicious delicious.

One is a 2013 vintage, peated spirit showcasing notes of smoked bacon and caramel, while the other is a 2017 vintage, unpeated spirit with a profile featuring sweet oak and vanilla. And of course, sweet maple syrup shines through in both.

Both bottles have an RRP of around £90 and will be limited to less than 250 bottles each. They will be available exclusively during the Spirit of Speyside Festival (30th April - 5th May), with a wider release potentially following.

LOCH LOMOND

A pair of whiskies have been released by Loch Lomond as part of their ongoing partnership with The Open golf tournament. Whether you’re a golfer or not, there’s definitely something worth checking out about these whiskies.

One is a Chianti red wine cask finish that has been bottled at 46% ABV and has a vibrant profile with notes of fresh pears, peaches and red berries. Retailing for around £48 from selected stockists.

The second is a 2002 vintage, 22 year old single malt matured in a combination of American and Spanish oak. Expect a warming, toasted oak profile that can only come with a whisky of this age, alongside notes of toffee, pineapple and a delicate smoke. Only 3,500 bottles of the 2002 vintage have been made available.

MACALLAN

If good things come in threes, then the legendary Easter Elchies distillery certainly treated everyone last month by revealing a trio of new whiskies.

The first was the latest in the brand’s Distil Your World series. This release draws inspiration from Hong Kong. In collaboration with the team at El Celler de Can Roca, lead whisky maker Euan Kennedy sought to create a whisky as unique and complex as the city itself.

To achieve this, he married spirit drawn from the finest European and American oak casks in Macallan’s warehouses. In terms of flavour, vibrant tropical fruits are balanced by ginger and antique oak.

The Disitl Your World Releases have been incredibly popular so far and this will likely be no different. Those keen on getting a bottle can register their interest with Macallan directly.

The other two new Macallan releases are inspired by one of Scotland’s most famous artists - Charles Rennie Macintosh.

The first in a stunning 46 year old single malt called Tree of Life. Only 112 bottles will be released, though ‘bottles’ is an understated term. Tree of Life is presented in an eye-catching Lalique decanter with a stopper inspired by Mackintosh’s work ‘The Spirit of the Rose.’

Partnering Tree of Life is the Macallan Art is the Flower, a non-age statement malt presented in packaging inspired by the same mackintosh piece. Macallan’s whisky makers used Mackintosh’s time spent travelling Europe as the avenue to craft a unique single malt crafted from European oak matured spirit.

No RRP has yet been revealed for either expression. The Tree of Life will be available through invitation by Macallan, while Art is the Flower will be available from specialist retailers from 5th May.

MIDLETON

Midleton Distillery is responsible for producing some of Ireland’s best known whiskey brands, yet some of their finest stock is reserved to be put out under their own name. These two whiskies undoubtedly back up that theory!

Concluding the distillery’s Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection is a stunning 50 year old whiskey presented in a hand-blown decanter made by House of Waterford. The decanter comes housed a hand-crafted wooden cabinet made from six rare woods.

The whisky itself is the culmination of a series showcasing single pot still whiskies from the now silent Old Midleton Distillery. These whiskies were among the rarest and oldest Irish whiskies ever released and this 50 year old is the pinnacle of this journey. It is believed to be a bold and vibrant dram with notes of fresh fruit and antique oak.

The Midleton 50 year old is available now from selected retailers in Ireland, the UK and the US, with an RRP £55,000.

Another release also has ties to the Old Midleton Distillery. Midleton’s annual Very Rare releases are always hotly anticipated and this year’s edition is released in what would have been the old distillery’s bicentennial year.

The 2025 Very Rare is a blend of American-oak cask matured pot still whiskies blended with a trio of grain whiskies, two of which had previously been aged for over 20 years. The result is no doubt a fitting tribute to 200 years of whisky making tradition, with notes of toffee fudge, apples, vanilla, honeycomb and a hint of chilli oil.

Available now with an RRP of £220.

THE SINGLETON

Another trio of malts, this time from Diageo’s Singleton brand. Those with a sweet tooth should definitely read on.

The Singleton Gourmand is a collection of three 42 year old single malts from Glen Ord. If that’s not enticing enough, Diageo have partnered with Master Pâtissier Nicolas Rouzaud to design three desserts that perfectly compliment each whisky. These pairings will be available to experience from 28th April to 5th May at Justerini and Brooks’ boutique in London.

Each of the three whiskies underwent a 12 year aging period before maturing for a further 29 years in a different type of cask - the longest secondary maturation period in Singleton history.

Only 136 sets will be available globally, with an RRP of £8,800.

STAUNING

Denmark’s Stauning have responded to changes in naming legislation with a slightly tongue in cheek release.

A recently enforced agreement between the EU and Canada has meant that European whisky producers may no longer be able to label their produce as ‘rye whisky’. Stauning - well known for their rye-based spirits - retaliated quickly by launching a unique “Censored” version of what is essentially their core range rye whisky.

We wrote about the the rule change and various distillers’ responses in our previous article “Rye-ts and Wrongs: EU-Canada Agreement Threatens European Whisky Makers,” so check that out for more context.

TALISKER

Talker’s latest release is perhaps more than a whisky; it’s part of an effort to improve biodiversity around the world.

Talisker Wild Blue is a limited edition single malt matured in red wine casks from South Africa, resulting in a unique take on the Skye distillery’s trade mark peppery character. Expect that pepper and peat smoke to give way to sun-dried cranberries, orchard fruits and a long, warming finish.

£3 from every bottle of Wild Blue will be donated to the Blue Marine Foundation, whose projects endeavour to improve water quality and therefore promote biodiversity, particularly in coastal areas. Talisker’s story - and it’s history as an island distillery - is intrinsically linked to the sea, so its a partnership that makes perfect sense.

The Talker Wild Blue is available now with an RRP of £82.

TOBERMORY

Isle of Mull’s Tobermory distillery have offered up a new cask strength whisky under their Ledaig brand.

Ledaig Hebridean Moon takes inspiration from Mull's Baliscate Standing Stones. These stones once served as as ancient markers of the lunar cycle, symbolising renewal and reflection. In the spirit of this theme, this whisky was crafted from the first spirit to be made using the distillery’s new stills that were installed in 2014.

The whisky was then laid to rest in ex-bourbon casks for 10 long years, making it the first 10 year old Ledaig to be bottled at Cask Strength. Bottled at 58.8% ABV, the profile promises punchy peat with soft citrus fruits and a hint of toasted oak.

Available now with an RRP of £85.

TORABHAIG

Torabhaig have unveiled the fourth release in their Legacy Series - their range of whiskies charting the evolution of the young distillery’s spirit until it reaches 10 years old.

Sound of Sleat is named after the Linne Shleite, the narrow strip of sea between Skye and the mainland, and features packaging designed by Skye-based artist Ellis O’Connor.

As for the whisky, the spirit has been peated to 78ppm, with an in-glass ppm of around 14. Following maturation in American oak (a combination of virgin and ex-bourbon) casks, the result is a single malt boasting notes of honey, vanilla, zesty oak and a sweet bonfire smokiness.

Available now from selected retailers.