Craigellachie Travel Retail Release Leads the Week’s New Whiskies

Craigellachie is releasing a 37-year-old Bourbon cask finished single malt. The whisky was distilled in 1984, and originally was matured in refill casks before being transferred to ex-Bourbon barrels. 

3,012 bottles will be available first at Gebr. Heinemann airport shops in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Istanbul, then at retailers in the U-K, Germany, France, Taiwan, and China starting August 1 with a recommended retail price of £3,800.

Arran is releasing a new 25-year-old single malt. It’s the oldest in the Arran range so far, and will become part of the distillery’s core range. Only 3,000 bottles will be available globally, with 240 coming to the U.S. at a price tag of $789.99 a bottle…

Meanwhile, Arran’s sister distillery, Lagg, has released its first whisky. The peated Kilmory is matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and bottled at 46 percent ABV with no chill filtering. It’s available now through the Arran web site for £49.99 a bottle.

Douglas Laing and Company has released a new edition of its Timorous Beastie Highland blended malt. It’s finished in Port wine casks and kicks off the brand’s Cheese Cellar Collection of whiskies crafted to be paired with cheeses. In particular, this one is said to pair well with a Stilton. It’ll be available globally, and will carry a recommended retail price in the UK of £65 a bottle.

O’Shaughnessy Distilling in Minneapolis has released a cask-strength bottling of its Keepers Heart Irish whiskey and Bourbon blend. The blend brings together Irish Pot Still and grain whiskies from Great Northern Distilling in Ireland with four year old MGP Bourbon. It’s bottled at 58.5% ABV, and will carry a recommended retail price of $49.99 a bottle. 

Nevada’s Frey Ranch is releasing what it calls a farm-strength uncut Bourbon using the same mashbill as the distillery’s award-winning Bourbon. It’s five years old and bottled at 62.1% ABV, and will be available at the distillery, online, and at retailers in California and Nevada for $79.99 a bottle.

Finally, it’s not a new whisky release, but Four Roses is marking the distillery’s 135th anniversary with a new tasting pack featuring all ten of the distillery’s recipes. It’s the first time all ten recipes have been available in one package, and comes with a QR code for a tutored online tasting with Master Distiller Brent Elliott. The pack costs $129.99 and will be available starting Friday at the Four Roses gift shops in Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Kentucky. In July, they’ll go on sale at select retailers in Kentucky, Georgia, Illinois, and California.

Published June 25, 2023