Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (May 12, 2017)

Welcome to Inbox.  For those new to WFE, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.  This is the news that has grabbed our attention this week ...

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Douglas Laing
The independent whisky bottler of Douglas Laing have announced two commemorative bottlings to celebrate the forthcoming Feis Isle festival.  The first is a limited edition of Big Peat, their popular Islay blended malt. Big Peat's Pals features the faces of 300 fans selected from a social media competition earlier this year.  This edition features the classic Big Peat recipe (including Ardbeg, Bowmore, caol Ila and Port Ellen) has been finished in ex-sherry butts. It is released at 48% ABV, is non chill-filtered, of natural colour and there are just 1,200 bottles available.

The second bottling is a special edition under Douglas Laing's Provenance label. This is a 6 years old single cask from the Caol Ila distillery. It was distilled in December 2010 and bottled in April this year with a natural strength of 50.6% ABV. Again, it is non chill-filtered and of natural colour. No indication of prices were given for either bottling in the press release. Both whiskies will feature in a series of special tastings on Islay during the Feis Isle festival. For information and to buy tickets, please visit www.douglaslaing.com.

Jura
The island distillery of Jura have announced details of their Tastival bottling, which they release each year as a limited edition. The 2017 Edition has been matured in a combination of first-fill American oak ex-bourbon casks and Port pipes from the famous Graham's vineyard in Portugal.  The bottling is the first to be created by Graham Logan, the new Distillery Manager at Jura. It is bottled at the natural cask strength of 51% ABV and is non chill-filtered. No indication of the number of bottles were given in the press release. Bottles will be available from June 1 and will cost £85 each.

Mackmyra 
The Swedish distillery of Mackmyra have announced a first 10 years old single malt, the first major whisky release with an age statement from the country. It has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon casks and new American oak ex-sherry casks, and 50 metres underground in Mackmyra's unique Bodås mine warehouse. There are just 20,000 bottles available, with over half going to the Swedish market. The rest will appear in selected world markets. It is bottled at 46.1% ABV and will cost £65-70 each.