Review | Aberfeldy 21 years old Malbec Cask Finish

This single malt whisky is the latest addition to the Wine Cask Collection from the Highland distillery of Aberfeldy. The Wine Cask Collection whiskies are created by Stephanie Macleod, the Malt Master for Aberfeldy. This latest edition - the Aberfeldy 21 years old Malbec Cask Finish - has seen the brand partner with Finca Ambrosia, an organic winery located in the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina. 

Review / Aberfeldy 18 Years Old Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Cask Finish

This whisky is the latest bottling in the Red Wine Cask Collection from the Highland distillery of Aberfeldy. The Aberfeldy 18 years old has been finished in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon casks from the Napa Valley in California. The series, which launched in 2019, showcases some of the finest wine barrels from wineries around the world. This new release has been created by Stephanie Macleod, the Malt Master at Aberfeldy. The Aberfeldy 18 years old limited edition is bottled at 43% ABV and is available in selected global markets including France, Germany, the UK and USA. A bottle will cost £115/ $US150. 

Review / Aberfeldy Red Wine Cask Collection - 15 years old & 18 years old

These whiskies are the latest new expressions to the Red Wine Cask Collection from the Perthshire distillery of Aberfeldy. The Aberfeldy 15 years old and 18 years old have been crafted by Stephanie Macleod, the Malt Master at Aberfeldy, and are the first in the series to feature wine casks from outside of France. The Red Wine Cask Collection was launched in 2019 and has seen annual releases since.

The Aberfeldy 15 years old has been finished in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques sourced from California's Napa Valley. The 18 years old has been finished in ex-Tuscan red wine barrels from Bolgheri in Italy. Both expressions are bottled at 43% ABV and are available in limited numbers, although the exact quantity of each has not been revealed.

Review / Craigellachie 13 years old Armagnac Cask Finish

The Speyside distillery of Craigellachie has revealed a new range of single malts and the first whisky in that range. This Craigellachie 13 years old Armagnac Cask Finish bottling kicks off the Craigellachie Cask Collection. The series is designed to show off the distillery's heavy style of single malt, which is created through the use of traditional worm tub condensers. The concept will see whisky finished in barrels from other spirit producing regions that use similar traditional methods. Initial maturation was in re-fill and re-charred American oak ex-bourbon barrels. The whisky was then transferred to French oak Bas-Armagnac brandy casks sourced from a distillery in the Gascony region of France.

Review / Aberfeldy 18 years old Côte Rôtie Finish

This new whisky is the third bottling in the French Red Wine Cask Collection from the Highland distillery of Aberfeldy. The series kicked off in 2019 with the 15 years old Pomerol Finish and was followed in 2020 by the 18 years old Pauillac Finish. This third release has been finished in Côte Rôtie wine barrels sourced by Stephanie Macleod, the Malt Master for Aberfeldy, from the famous Rhône Valley in France. The Côte Rôtie appelation is located in the northern Rhône and covers around 500 hectares. There are 60 vineyards with most growing the Syrah and Viognier grape varieties. The wines are known for their elegance and finesse with fruity and floral characteristics.

Review - Dewar's 25 years old

This Dewar's 25 years old whisky replaces the no age statement Signature expression at the top of the popular Dewar's blended Scotch range. The move is designed to show the Dewar's commitment to the age statement category. The new 25 years old expression has been created by Stephanie Macleod, the Master Blender for Dewar's, and uses some of the company's oldest single grain and malt whiskies.

In an additional twist, once blended together the whisky has undergone a further maturation in casks used to mature Royal Brackla single malt. The Royal Brackla distillery is widely regarded as the brand home for Dewar's and its whisky is one of the signature malts in the range of blends.

Review - Craigellachie 31 years old

This is the oldest and rarest of the single malts in the core range of the Craigellachie distillery in Speyside. The Craigellachie 31 years old was released in 2016 and has recently won the prestigious title of Best Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards 2017. Craigellachie's whiskies are part of a wider programme of single malt releases that were launched three years ago by owners John Dewar & Sons, part of the Bacardi group. This programme aims to showcase the Scottish distilleries owned by the group - Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Macduff and Royal Brackla, plus Craigellachie.

Review - Aberfeldy 16 years old

John Dewar & Sons, the owners of the Highland distillery of Aberfeldy, have released a new expression in to their core single malt range. The Aberfeldy 16 years old has been matured entirely in ex-Oloroso sherry casks and will sit between the current 12 and 21 years old expressions in the range, which forms part of the owners wider Last Great Malts portfolio. There is also an 18 years old, which is exclusive to the travel retail sector. This new release was launched back in November and will be available in eleven selected world markets - Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 27, 2015)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, 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.

Review - The Deveron 12 & 18 year olds

The Deveron is the first ever range of single malts to be released from the Macduff distillery in northern Aberdeenshire.  The name of the range is taken from the River Deveron, which flows next to Macduff and then out in to the North Sea shortly afterwards. The new range features expressions of 10, 12 and 18 years of age with all bottled at 40% ABV. The range is the last to be released in a series by owners John Dewar & Sons called The Last Great Malts - this has seen whiskies released from their five Scottish distilleries, most for the very first time.  The other four are Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Royal Brackla.

Review - Royal Brackla 12, 16 and 21 years old

This new range from the Royal Brackla distillery forms part of a larger range called The Last Great Malts.  This showcases whisky from each of the five Scotch distilleries owned by John Dewar & Sons. Ranges from Aberfeldy, Aultmore and Craigellachie are already on the market, both in domestic and travel retail, with Macduff (which will be bottled under the Deveron name) to follow shortly this Autumn. It is the first full range to ever be released from the distillery and one whose whiskies we were very unfamiliar with.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (September 4, 2015)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, 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.

Review - Craigellachie 19 years old

This is the travel retail exclusive bottling for the Craigellachie range that was released last year.  This was the first range of malts to be released by the distillery and was part of a wider programme of single malt releases by owners John Dewar & Sons, part of the Bacardi group. This programme, entitled The Last Great Malts, aims to showcase Craigellachie and the other Scottish distilleries owned by the group - Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Macduff and Royal Brackla. Only the Macduff and Royal Brackla now remain to be released, and both will appear later this year.

Review - Aultmore 12 years old

This whisky is the new single malt from the little known distillery of Aultmore. It forms part of a new range of whiskies, which is the first such range from the distillery.  The range features this 12 years old, plus 21 (which is a travel retail exclusive) and 25 years old expressions.  These have just been released and will be joined by 30 and 35 years old versions later in 2015.  The range forms part of Bacardi's The Last Great Malts range, which showcases whisky from the group's five single malt distilleries - Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, Macduff and Royal Brackla.

Distillery visit - Aultmore

Last Summer, we were delighted to attend a press trip that saw us visit the five single malt distilleries owned by John Dewar & Sons - Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie, Macduff and Royal Brackla.  The trip was organised to promote their new series of whiskies entitled The Last Great Malts, which sees most of the distilleries getting a range of single malts for the first time.

Distillery visit - Craigellachie

Last month John Dewar & Sons announced The Last Great Malts programme.  This sees the company, which is owned by multi-national drinks company Bacardi, releasing a range of single malts to showcase their five Scottish distilleries.  Four of these - Aultmore, Craigellechie, Macduff and Royal Brackla - have never had a range of malts available before, while the existing Aberfeldy range has been revamped and expanded.

Craigellachie is the first of the four to appear on the market - read our thoughts and tasting notes on the range here - and prior to the launch Karen and Matt C were invited to the distillery, which is not open to the public ...

New releases - The Craigellachie range

The Craigellachie range is a brand new series of bottlings and represents the first range of single malts to ever be released by the distillery.  The launch is part of a wider programme of single malt releases by Craigellachie's owners John Dewar & Sons, which is part of the Bacardi group.  This programme is entitled The Last Great Malts and aims to showcase Craigellachie and the four other Scottish distilleries owned by the group - Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Macduff and Royal Brackla.

Inbox - August 22, 2014

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, 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.

Have just tried - Aberfeldy 12 years old

This whisky is the flagship single malt from the Highland distillery of Aberfeldy.  It has just recently been re-launched with new packaging.  This is pictured above and focuses on numerous aspects of the distillery's history and heritage, with the gold lettering paying homage to the discovery of gold particles in the local river.  This new identity, which is the first re-branding for Aberfeldy since 1999, forms part of a larger plan for its single malts - the current 21 years old expression has also been given new look, a new travel retail exclusive 18 years old has been added with more ages planned to join the 12 and 21 year olds in the core range.