Review / Diageo Prima & Ultima Collection (2021 Edition)

This set of single malts form the second line-up for the annual Prima & Ultima Collection from Diageo, Scotland's largest whisky producers. The 2021 Edition consists of eight rare bottlings and shows the diversity of maturing stock across Diageo's portfolio, both from current and closed distilleries. The whiskies were selected by Maureen Robinson, Senior Blender at Diageo, who has taken over the reigns from Jim Beveridge OBE. He curated the inaugural set in 2020. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (August 6, 2021)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. 

Review - The Diageo Special Releases 2016

The Special Releases are a limited edition range of whiskies that are bottled each Autumn by Diageo, Scotland's largest whisky producer.  The series started in the early 2000s and is designed to highlight some of the best and rarest Scotch whiskies from Diageo's extensive estate of single malt and single grain distilleries, including some that are no longer in production.

In 2016 special release there are 10 whiskies - nine single malts and one single grain - and all are bottled at the natural cask strength and all are non chill-filtered.

New releases - Douglas Laing & Co 'Old Particular' range

The Old Particular range is a new selection of single cask single malt whiskies released by the independent bottling company of Douglas Laing & Co. The range has been in development since January this year and includes stylish packaging that is covered with information about the release, including colour coding to show the whisky's region of origin. All casks are hand selected by Fred Laing, the Managing Director, and Jan Beckers, the Global Brand Ambassador for the company.

New releases - Diageo Special Releases 2012

Each Autumn there is always a ripple of anticipation around the whisky industry as they wait to see what Diageo, the multi national drinks company, are to release in their annual Special Releases programme.  This programme highlights some of the most exceptional single malt stock from within their portfolio of 28 working distilleries, plus remaining stocks from those which have been closed. Some of these stocks have dwindled to almost critical levels.

Diageo Special Releases 2012

Around this time each year, there is always a ripple of anticipation around the whisky industry as they wait to see what Diageo, the multi national drinks company, are to release in their annual Special Releases programme.  This programme highlights some of the most exceptional single malt stock from within their portfolio of 28 working distilleries, plus remaining stocks from those which have been closed. Some of these stocks have dwindled to almost critical levels.

New releases > Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd.

The Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Ltd. were set up in Glasgow in 1938 with the plan to bottle and blend whisky for export to America following the Prohibition period there. They are now based in the town of Huntly, close to the Speyside whisky region of Scotland. Duncan Taylor are reported to have one of the largest privately held collections of rare whisky casks in the world and bottle approximately 200 different whiskies a year. Their range is extensive and has numerous branches to it, which are detailed below. For more information on Duncan Taylor, their whisky and the different ranges, check out their website www.duncantaylor.com.

We were delighted to receive a small package last week, which contained samples of some of the new releases from across their ranges - we thank Karen Law of Duncan Taylor for this. Normally, we may not write about these, as they are such limited releases, but the parcel contained a number of lesser known distilleries that we are not so familiar with and as such, therefore haven't written much about them. It's always good to try new things, right? If you like the sound of any of them, then don't hang around as none of their bottlings ever seem to stay on the shelves for long. They can be found in specialist whisky retailers.

Auchroisk 22 years old Octave
Auchroisk (pronounced ar-thrusk) is located in the eastern corner of the Speyside region. It is also one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland having been founded in 1974 and has an annual production capacity of 3.8 million litres. The whisky produced there is used within popular blended whiskies such as Johnnie Walker and J&B. Single malt bottlings are rare, so this one is a treat - it's distilled in 1988 and has been matured in an octave cask (a cask that is the eighth the size of a regular cask), before being bottled at 22 years of age and 52% ABV.

The colour is golden yellow and the nose is lovely with plenty of vanilla, brown sugar, oak and zesty lemons. It has a youthful freshness which defies its age. On the palate, the tangy lemon zest hits first and then give way to notes of robust cereal grain, honey, sweet vanilla, coconut and toffee. There are hints of dried grasses and toasted almonds. A final hit of oak grips the palate and carries on through to the finish, in which this oak gives a pleasant dryness. The toasted almonds and cereals are particularly prominent on the finish.

Bunnahabhain 32 years old Rare Auld
Bunnahabhain (pronounced bunna-ha-ven) is located on the north eastern coast of the famous whisky island of Islay. It is the lightest of the Islay malts, which are known for their peaty and smoky nature, and commonly is not peaty at all. The distillery was founded in 1881 and has a current production capacity of 2.5 million litres per year. Most of the whisky produced is used as the base in a variety of blends, including Black Bottle. This bottling was distilled in 1979 and is 32 years old from cask no. 1774, with an alcoholic strength of 46.9% ABV.

The colour is golden yellow and the nose is complex and pleasant. First up are aromas of dusty cereal grains, followed by toffee, something floral (honeysuckle maybe?), wood spices (especially cinnamon) and some salty brine. On the palate, this is soft and buttery but with an initial salty and slightly citric tangy (imagine orange rind). Then come notes of toffee, sandalwood, vanilla and heavy and yeasty malted barley, all of which are backed up by further brine. The finish is sweet and full of barley, with the toffee and brine never far away.

Craigellachie 11 years old NC2
The Craigellachie distillery is located in the village of the same name in the heart of the Speyside region. It sits at the point where two famous rivers meet - the Spey and the Fiddich. Craigellachie was founded in 1891 and was designed by famous architect Charles Doig. It currently produces 3.5 million litres per year with most contributing towards the popular Dewar's range of blended whiskies. Single malt bottlings are extremely rare - this one is 11 years of age, was distilled in 1999 and has an alcoholic strength of 46% ABV.

The colour is a pale lemon yellow and the nose is very light and delicate. The subtle aromas take time to evolve and include dry, gristy barley, honey, vanilla and toffee. There are also hints of lemon zest and dried grass or hay. On the palate, this is again light and delicate. It is initially very grainy, before this subsides and the other subtle notes come through - honey, vanilla, lemon sherbet, plus the tiniest hints of toffee, damp earthy smoke and hay. The finish is a little bittersweet and is deliciously fresh, vibrant and mouth watering.

Invergordon 1972 Rare Auld Grain
Invergordon is a large grain distillery which is located on the shores of the Cromarty Firth in the northern Highlands, near the town of Alness. It was built in 1961 and now occupies a huge 80 acre site. Invergordon produces grain whisky which is used a the base for the popular range of Whyte & Mackay blended whiskies. Releases as a single grain whisky are very rare and this one was distilled in 1972 and has been maturing in cask no.85255 ever since. It has been bottled at the cask strength of 45.5% ABV. We have never tried any whisky from this distillery.

The colour is a dark golden yellow and the nose is expressive and vibrant for a whisky of this age. With time, it reveals aromas of sweet honey, vanilla, robust cereals, orange oils, chocolate and plenty of wood spices (think sandalwood, cinnamon). On the palate, this really comes out of its shell. A fantastic combination of coconut, honey and oranges hits your taste buds, followed up by the robust grains, vanilla and drying, slightly tannic wood spices. The orange and vanilla notes carry through to the finish, which is otherwise deliciously dry, woody and spicy.

New releases > Diageo Special Releases 2010 Part 1

Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks company, have just released their latest cask strength single malt whisky range. The Special Release series began in 2001 and the selected bottlings are released annually, around this time of the year. The idea is to showcase special stock that they are holding from their existing and closed Scottish distilleries. This years selection is made up of nine single malt scotch whiskies, with all limited in numbers and are highly collectable and desirable as a result. They will only be able to be purchased from specialist retailers and in selected markets around the world.

We at Whisky For Everyone were lucky enough to get an invite to the official launch and tasting of the Special Releases that was recently held at Diageo's headquarters in London. We will present our tasting notes from the evening in two parts. The second part, which includes the Caol Ila 12 years old Unpeated, Cragganmore 21 years old, Glenkinchie 20 years old, Lagavulin 12 years old cask strength and Port Ellen 31 years old, will follow shortly.
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Auchroisk 20 years old
Info > 58.1% ABV - 6000 bottles - Matured in mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks - RRP £115
Auchroisk (pronounced ar-thrusk) is one of Diageo's least known distilleries and is located in the eastern corner of the Speyside region, close to the village of Mulbern. It is also one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland having been founded in 1974 and has an annual production capacity of 3.8 million litres. The whisky produced there is used within the blended whisky market, mainly Diageo's Johnnie Walker and J&B brands.

The colour is a deep gold and the nose gives plenty of immediate vanilla, honey, coconut and almond aromas. Other notes then join, such as burnt sugar, sultanas and a hint of cinnamon. The nose remains fresh and vibrant throughout. On the palate, this is immediately richer and deeper in character than the nose suggested, feeling creamy and warming. A distinct cereal note is present, reminiscent of oatcakes, and this graininess carries on through to the finish. It is joined by plenty of vanilla, toffee, honey, sultanas and coconut. The coconut becomes particularly prominent with the addition of a few drops of water, as does a previously undetected floral note (think of honeysuckle). The finish is short and slightly dry, with woody oak and a pinch of cinnamon spice present.

Brora 30 years old
Info > 54.3% ABV - 2958 bottles - Matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry refill casks - RRP £280
The Brora distillery was closed in 1983 and as a result the whiskies that were produced there are becoming rarer and rarer as stock dwindle. Brora was located on the north east Highland coast in the town of the same name and was founded in 1819. Upon closure, most of the buildings were dismantled but some remain and are used as warehouses for the neighbouring Clynelish, a modern distillery which was built in 1967.

The colour is golden with an amber tint and the nose is elegant, yet expressive. There are aromas of vanilla, dried tropical fruits (imagine mango and pineapple), cereals and a whiff of bonfire smoke. With time, a sweet note of buttery fudge starts to appear and becomes increasingly prominent. On the palate, there is initial sweetness that combines that fudge with honey, cereals and the dried tropical fruits from the nose (add in some peach now). Then it becomes drier and more complex with a pinch of saltiness and the bonfire smoke (think of the ash and embers) growing to add pleasant depth. The finish is long with plenty of malted cereals, honey and fudge present. The salt and smoke reappear to give a lovely final hit of dryness.

Glen Spey 21 years old
Info > 50.4% ABV - 6000 bottles - Matured in ex-bourbon casks that have also previously held sherry - RRP £120
Glen Spey, like Auchroisk, is one of Diageo's least known distilleries and this release is one of only two official bottling since 2001 (the other was part of the recent Manager's Choice range). The distillery is located in the famous central Speyside town of Rothes and was founded in 1878. Glen Spey has an annual production capacity of 1.3 million litres and all of its whisky is used in blended whiskies, especially Diageo's J&B Rare.

This whisky interested us because we have never tried any Glen Spey, as even independent bottling are rare. The colour is a bright gold and the nose is fresh and vibrant. There are aromas of toffee, butterscotch, vanilla, coconut and fresh green fruits (think of pears and apples especially). On the palate, this begins sweetly with a heavier mouth feel than expected - it is a little oily and seems to coat your mouth. The sweet notes include vanilla, honey and butterscotch, but these soon begin to battle with some very woody and much drier notes (imagine oak, coconut and wood spices like sandalwood and cinnamon). With water, the oak (which becomes more like sawdust) and the coconut become even more prominent. The finish is more subtle than expected and again starts sweetly before turning drier.

Talisker 30 years old
Info > 57.3% ABV - 3000 bottles - Matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry refill casks - RRP £230
Talisker is an iconic distillery located on the west Hebridean island of Skye. It is the only distillery on the island and is found close to the village of Carbost. Talisker was founded in 1830 and has a current annual production capacity of 1.9 million litres. The use of Talisker whisky is split between an increasingly popular single malt range and the blended market, where it can be found in some expressions of Johnnie Walker.

The colour is a deep gold and the nose is initially understated but develops well with a bit of patience and time. It is delicate with aromas of caramel, vanilla, dark dried fruits (think of raisins and prunes), spices (imagine nutmeg and clove) and some background coal smoke (this is slightly sulphuric and sooty). The nose is remarkable fresh for a whisky of this age and this is strengthened by some crisp green apple and pear notes. On the palate, there is a burnt sugary note that gives way to sweeter caramel and dried fruits. Add to this the spices (including some black peppercorns now) and the sooty, ashy coal smoke from the nose and the complexity starts to build. The freshness is still evident as a distinct salty tang is revealed and this is joined by a slightly savory, meaty note. The finish is long with a complex yet elegant combination of caramel, malty cereals, drying coal smoke and a hint of cracked peppercorns. A fantastic dram.

Have just tried ...Auchroisk 10 years old 'Flora & Fauna'

Auchroisk (pronounced ar-thrusk) is a little known distillery based in Speyside. It is owned by multinational drinks giant Diageo and is one of the newest distilleries in Scotland, only opening in 1974. The reason that it is little known is probably down to the fact that most of the whisky produced there (around 3.5 million litres per year) gets put into blended whiskies. The majority of this goes into J&B Rare, which is the second best selling blended whisky in the world. As a result, there are very few distillery bottlings around and this one belongs to Diageo's 'Flora and Fauna' range. The nose smells promising with an aromatic freshness of citrus (lemon zest), caramel, coconut and maybe a hint of liquorice. The flavour is also very fresh with the underlying taste being of the malted barley. On top of this, there is a fruitiness (raisins) and sweetness, some vanilla and toffee plus the zesty citrus notes from the nose. The finish is quite dry with a lasting maltiness and something herbal (freshly cut grass). This is good, it has a full flavour but it is refreshing and I like the dryness on the finish. It is priced around £35 and would be a good whisky to have on a hot summer's day or as an aperitif.