Weekly Whisky News- 5th of September

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 5th September 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

New Whisky Releases: Glenmorangie’s A Tale of Spices & Port Ellen’s 200th Anniversary Edition.

Highland distillery, Glenmorangie, launched A Tale of Spices, the exciting new sixth release in the award-winning series. Finished for the first time in four different cask types, it captures the mosaic of flavours and colours found at a vibrant spice market. Read More 

 

Port Ellen celebrated its 200th anniversary with a rare 42-year-old whisky – the Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition. Distilled in 1983, this marks the first limited release since the distillery’s reopening last March, with only 150 bottles available from October. Read More

Kingsbarns Unveils First 10-Year-Old Single Malt & Bruichladdich Showcases Octomore Series 16

Kingsbarns Distillery in St Andrews unveiled its first age-statement whisky, a 10-year-old single malt. Matured mainly in ex-Bourbon barrels with a touch of shaved, toasted and re-charred wine casks, it delivers a soft, balanced character with notes of summer fruits and vanilla. Read More

 

Bruichladdich in Islay revealed its 16th annual Octomore Series. Featuring three expressions, it celebrates creativity and experimentation by exploring the influence that barley, cask and high levels of PPM can have on whiskies bottled at five years old. Read More  

Balvenie Releases Second Fifty Collection Edition & Fettercairn Launches Vanguard Series. 

The Balvenie released the second edition of its three-part Fifty Collection. It features a blend of whiskies from two casks: a single European oak refill butt, which was also used for the first edition, and an American oak hogshead, both casks were filled in 1973.  Read More 

 

Fettercairn announced The Vanguard Series, a collection of whiskies that explore how we individually experience flavour through the senses. The debut features two releases: The Vanguard Rare 29 Year Old and The Vanguard 1st Release, each pushing the tropical house style in new directions. Read More 

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Weekly Whisky News- 29nd of August

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 29nd August 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

New Whisky Releases - Lochlea’s Core Range Debut, GlenAllachie Sinteis Series, and Kilchoman’s 20th Anniversary Cask

Lochlea, the farm-to-cask distillery in Ayrshire, has unveiled its first permanent core range of single malts: The Lochlea Single Estate Range. Featuring three new expressions – Orchard & Oak, Dark Briar, and Smoke without Fire – the range joins the distillery’s much-celebrated core whisky, Our Barley. Read More 

 

The GlenAllachie has introduced the second release in its Sinteis Series, showcasing the craft of dual maturation. This 2015 vintage brings together the bold influence of Scottish virgin oak with the depth of Oloroso sherry casks. Read More 

 

To mark its 20th anniversary, Kilchoman Distillery on Islay launched a prize draw for a unique bottling of single malt from its first-ever cask. The bottling will be drawn directly from Cask No. 1, the first cask filled at the distillery on 14 December 2005. Read More 

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Weekly Whisky News- 22nd of August

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 22nd August 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

Glenmorangie Debuts Altus 25-Year Single Malt and Cotswolds Distillery Launches Woodlands Farm Whisky

Glenmorangie unveiled The Altus 25 Years Old – a decadent new single malt crafted from bourbon casks and finished in Madeira wine casks. Hollywood icon Harrison Ford raises a glass to its heritage in Glenmorangie’s latest campaign. Read More 

 

The Cotswolds Distillery launched Woodlands Farm Whisky, the first release in its second Field to Cask series. This limited-edition collection celebrates the specific locations that have played a role in its journey. Read More 

Glenfiddich 16-Year-Old Limited Edition, Glen Scotia 12-Year-Old Core Malt, and SMWS ‘Tales of the Worm Tub’ Release. 

Glenfiddich Introduced a new limited-edition single malt – Glenfiddich 16 Years Old – to mark the first anniversary of its partnership with the Aston Martin Formula One team. Read More 

 

Glen Scotia added a 12 Year Old single malt to its core range, fully matured in first-fill bourbon casks and crafted in their signature Campbeltown style. Read More 

 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society released Tales of the Worm Tub, the fourth in its Creators Collection. It features a trio of Speyside whiskies from Craigellachie, Mortlach, and Benrinnes that pay homage to an old school approach to whisky making. Read More 

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Weekly Whisky News- 8th of August

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 8th August 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

Whisky News: Ardbeg Launches Final Anthology Release, Jack Daniel’s Introduces Blackberry, and Whisky Exchange Unveils Exclusive Single Casks. 

Ardbeg launches third and final release in the Anthology series: Named after a mythological, serpent-like beast, the third edition in the Ardbeg Anthology series – The Beithir’s Tale – is the Distillery’s first whisky matured in designer bourbon casks.  Read More 

 

Jack Daniels launch blackberry: Brown-Forman-owned Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey has added a blackberry flavour to its range. Read More 

 

The Whisky Exchange reveals single cask Glenallachie and Nc’nean whiskies: London-based spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange (TWE) has released two exclusive single cask single malts for August – from two well known distilleries, Glenallachie and Nc’Nean. Read More

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Weekly Whisky News- 25th of July

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 25th July 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

Whisky News: Fielden Introduces Hazybower and Elixir Distillers Reveals Tormore Legacy Series.

Fielden Whisky launched Hazybower, the second release in its Fieldnotes Collection, celebrating the flora of the English countryside. Limited to just 1,000 bottles, Hazybower continues Fielden’s Fieldnotes story that started with Hedgerow last year. Read More 

 

Elixir Distillers unveiled a new batch of official pre-releases as it prepares for the highly anticipated relaunch of the Tormore single malts range next year. The Legacy series features limited-edition single malts distilled in 2003, 2009, and 2012, marking the first vintage releases from the Speyside-based Tormore Distillery under Elixir Distillers’ ownership. Read More 

Whisky News: Gordon & MacPhail to Release Oldest Single Malt, Distillers One of One Previews Exceptional Auction Lots

Gordon & MacPhail announced it will make whisky history in October with the release of the world’s oldest single malt Scotch: an 85 year old Glenlivet. This landmark bottling will officially overtake The Macallan’s 84 year old Time: Space, which was launched in September last year and currently claims the title of the oldest single malt Scotch ever released. Read More 

 

The Distillers One of One revealed the first extraordinary lots for its highly anticipated third auction taking place in October at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh. Glencairn Crystal is creating unique decanters for many of the one of a kind lots of whiskies as well as crafting a commemorative Founders Reserve decanter for a special blend of the Founder Donors’ whiskies by Master Whisky Blender, Richard Paterson. Read More 

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White Peak Distillery

White Peak Distillery

White Peak Distillery

In this Q&A we speak to Max and Claire Vaughan, the husband and wife team who founded the Peak District’s first full-scale craft distillery in the heart of Derbyshire in 2016, where they make Wire Works Whisky.

Neither of you are from a whisky background so what was your inspiration for setting up a distillery and what makes White Peak Distillery special?

Our journey began with pure passion – passion for whisky and for place. Max, a lifelong enthusiast inspired by his father, was introduced to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and became a regular at their Farringdon tasting rooms while we lived in London. It was there that the idea to set up a whisky distillery took root. As a trained accountant, Max opened a file on his laptop that same day and began shaping what would become our business plan.

From the start, we knew we wanted to focus on flavour—creating a distinctive new make spirit where character comes from the craft of whisky-making, not just time in the cask.

Derbyshire, where we grew up and married, has a rich history of brewing, innovation, and industry, yet no legacy of whisky-making. Our vision was simple: to create a unique and authentic English whisky that captures the spirit of this remarkable region.

We set up White Peak Distillery in the former Johnson & Nephew Wire Works in Derbyshire’s Derwent Valley that forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, every aspect of the Distillery and its spirits links back to this heritage-rich setting.

What are the key defining characteristics of the Wire Works Whisky range that contribute to its unique identity?

Wire Works Whisky is shaped by our distinctive industrial heritage and guided by a deep commitment to flavour and Derbyshire provenance. Since our First Release in February 2022, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve won various prestigious awards for many of our Wire Works Whisky releases.

We look at every strand of the whisky making process in our pursuit of flavour. To create Wire Works Whisky, we use spent brewer’s yeast from local Thornbridge Brewery, combined with an uncommonly long fermentation for a distinctive new make spirit with character before it goes into a cask.

Wire Works Whisky flavour is built upon our considered approach to whisky-making, resulting in a complex, well-balanced and lightly-peated spirit. The palate and nose deliver fruit forward notes, bonfire toffee and sweet vanilla, with a rich mouth feel and long finish.

We also produce Shining Cliff Gin and White Peak Rum.

As the whisky market continues to evolve - particularly with the rise of English whisky - what key trends are you seeing and how are you adapting to stay ahead of the curve?

We’re seeing growing demand for authenticity, quality, and provenance in whisky, which aligns perfectly with our approach at White Peak. Drinkers today are looking for brands with real stories and transparent processes, and our home, heritage, and full whisky-making journey here in Derbyshire give us a genuine point of difference.

Innovation in whisky-making also remains key. Whether it’s exploring mashing techniques, distillation cut points, barley types, cask fill strength and proofing down, we’re constantly developing new releases that stay true to our lightly-peated Wire Works style while offering something fresh and exciting for whisky lovers.

Ultimately, our focus will always be on quality – making whisky with care, honesty and integrity, without shortcuts. That’s how we honour the trust placed in us by our customers and continue to build Wire Works Whisky for the long term.

How significant is the role of your local region and community in shaping the identity and operations of White Peak Distillery?

The community we form part of is important. Those that worked at the Wire works before us felt the same and we carry this tradition forward. They created a vibrant community life, sponsored activities and events including the annual sports and flower show (largest in England). Johnsons made cables to last, through honesty and innovation.

We’ve developed a true connection with the region. As previously mentioned we use spent brewer’s yeast from a local Peak District brewery – Thornbridge Brewery – who we also partner with on cask experiments too, contributing flavour that is unique to Wire Works Whisky. The design and construction of our distillery includes equipment and engineering sourced locally in county.

The entire process happens on site, from mashing and fermentation, through distillation, maturation and bottling – a full life-cycle of Derbyshire provenance. Each stage of whisky-making is designed to develop layers of flavour and creating a whisky that is a true reflection of Derbyshire’s rich heritage.

What can whisky enthusiasts look forward to discovering when they step inside the distillery for a tour?

On our distillery tour you’ll meet the passionate team behind our spirits, sample our award-winning range, and discover how we honour the site’s rich industrial heritage – drawing inspiration from a legacy of quality and craftsmanship.

Our distillery experiences start from just £18 per person and include a guided tour led by one of our expert Still House team members and tasting of our signature spirits.

How important is your choice of glassware when it comes to whisky tastings?

The glass you choose can transform your whisky experience – shaping the aroma, enhancing the flavour, and unlocking the full character of the dram.

We’re always very particular about using good quality glassware to showcase our spirits to their fullest potential. The Glencairn Glass is a great glass for whisky as its wide bowl allows the spirit to breathe and reveals the depth of its colour, while the tapered rim helps to concentrate the aromas.

Distillery Q&A

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Weekly Whisky News- 18th of July

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 18th July 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

Whisky Milestones: The English Turns 18, Big Ben Honoured by Murray McDavid and the House of Commons, SLANJ Makes Its Debut. 

To celebrate its 18th anniversary, England’s oldest licensed whisky distillery, The English, has released 60 decanters of its inaugural cask, 001. The oldest English whisky ever bottled, it was first matured in a first-fill ex-Bourbon cask, finished for 12 months in a sherry hogshead, then returned to its original cask. Read More 

 

To mark 166 years since Big Ben’s iconic chimes first echoed across Westminster, Murray McDavid and the House of Commons joined forces to unveil The Elizabeth Tower. This rare 35 year old single grain Scotch whisky was created to honour the restoration of the Elizabeth Tower – the home of Big Ben. Read More

 

SLANJ, a new blended malt Scotch whisky, was launched by Brian and Craig Halley, founders of SLANJ Kilts, along with Stuart Montgomerie. The blend is made from 70% Speyside single malt matured in sherry casks and 30% Highland single malt matured in bourbon casks. Actor Rory McCann, known for his role as The Hound in Game of Thrones, is one of the brand’s investors. Read more

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Weekly Whisky News- 11th of July

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 11th July 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

Whisky News Round-Up: Falkland Whisky Debuts First Single Malt, Ardnamurchan Backs Maclean Brothers’ Pacific Row, Glen Scotia Honours King Charles III

Fife-based Falkland Whisky launched its first single malt: The Falkland Collection Speyside Single Malt. Distilled in Speyside and matured in oloroso Sherry casks from Spain, it’s inspired by the historic royal burgh of Falkland where Scotland’s first recorded whisky distillation took place in 1494. Read More

 

As the Maclean brothers row across the Pacific, Ardnamurchan Distillery announced it will donate £5 from every UK sale of Maclean’s Nose until 14 August to the Maclean Foundation, funding clean water projects in Madagascar. Inspired by their father, whisky legend Charlie Maclean, this blended Scotch whisky offers notes of citrus, sea salt, and bonfire. Read More 

 

Glen Scotia Distillery presented King Charles III with a bespoke bottle of its 25-Year-Old single malt whisky during his recent visit to Campbeltown. Matured in American oak casks and finished in first-fill bourbon barrels, the whisky showcases Glen Scotia’s signature coastal character. Read more

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Weekly Whisky News- 4th of July

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 4th July 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

New Whisky Releases: Glenmorangie Joins Formula One and Glenfiddich Celebrates Aston Martin Formula One, plus The Heart Cut Teams Up with Lochlea. 

Glenmorangie’s new role as the official whisky of Formula 1 was announced by Hollywood icon Harrison Ford. The partnership kicks off at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend where fans can enjoy cocktails and the exclusive Eagle Speedster Jaguar E-Type driven by Ford in Glenmorangie’s latest advertising campaign.  Read More 

 

Glenfiddich unveiled an ultra-rare Scotch whisky to celebrate its landmark partnership with Aston Martin Formula One. Available exclusively at Harrods, Glenfiddich 1959 honours the year Aston Martin debuted in F1. Read More 

 

The Heart Cut revealed its latest release in collaboration with single-estate distillery Lochlea. Handpicked by Lochlea Master Blender Jill Boyd, this unpeated single malt was matured in an ex-Islay whisky cask to give it subtle, smoky notes drawn entirely from the cask.  Read More 

Gleann Mòr Marks 10 Years with Rare Summer Scotch Collection, Dunville’s Unveils 23-Year-Old PX Finish. 

Gleann Mòr Spirits celebrated its 10th anniversary with the launch of its 2025 Summer Collection Rare Find scotch whiskies showcasing experimental cask-matured single malts from Craigellachie, Annandale, Glenglassaugh, Pulteney, and Braeval.  Read More 

 

Dunville’s Irish Whiskey has added its most mature expression yet to its Exceptional Sherry Cask Finishes range: Dunville’s PX 23 Year Old Single Malt. Aged 23 years and finished for nearly six in Pedro Ximénez sherry hogsheads, it is the oldest release in the brand’s core lineup. Read More 

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Weekly Whisky News- 27th of June

WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS

Friday, 27th June 2025

Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.

Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.

Millstones in Whisky: Ardgowan Opens, Hearach Croft Strength Launches, and TLDC Debuts English Blend. 

Ardgowan Distillery filled its first cask and officially opened to the public, marking Inverclyde’s first new distillery in over a century. Now in production, the independent Scotch whisky maker aims to craft top-quality whisky with a focus on carbon neutrality. Read More 

 

Isle of Harris Distillery unveiled The Hearach Croft Strength, a bolder 52% ABV version of its signature single malt. Crafted from Scottish barley and aged in ex-Bourbon barrels and oloroso and fino Sherry butts, it debuts next week at Scottish airports, with more UK airports to follow. Read More 

 

The London Distillery Company continued its revival with The Golden Union: Release No.1 – A Field in England. The first in a new series of English blended malt whiskies, it follows last month’s Renascence, TLDC’s first whisky since its revival earlier this year. Read More

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