Momentous Single Malts
A handful of limited-edition, newly released whiskies, just in time for World Whisky Day
For this year's World Whisky Day, we've compiled some of our favourite recent limited edition releases to toast the holiday properly.
28 Year Old Bowmore 1991 Single Malt
Credit: Ben Shakespeare Photography
The spirits of the Caointeach of Islay inspire the bottling of Cask 88’s fifth release in their Scottish Folklore series, a 28 Year Old Bowmore. Having spent its 28 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, this single-cask whisky is limited to 203 bottles, bringing tropical flavours, floral notes as well as the requisite Islay peat to the forefront.
The Singleton 54-Year-Old
The second and final bottling in The Singleton’s Paragon of Time Collection, this 54-Year-Old 1966 vintage single malt is the oldest from the Dufftown distiller – a highly limited-edition release comprising a mere 235 bottles. The light-bodied elixir is mellow on the nose – with hints of fenugreek and parsley above a note of liquorice – and lightly sweet in taste thanks to the elements of dried figs and clove-studded oranges, before a dry, black peppery finish.
Gordon & MacPhail Mr George Legacy 1953
Glen Grant Distillery has honoured the “father of the single malt”, George Urquhart (or “Mr George”, as he was better known) with this 67-year-old whisky. Limited to just 355 bottles, the deep mahogany single malt – planned by Mr George himself – enchants with aromas of beeswax, stewed fruit and hazelnuts. Its taste is autumnal, with notes of plum, blackcurrant and treacle before a spicy finish with a tingle of bonfire embers.
Bowmore Timeless Series
Featuring a duo of coveted single malts – a 27-year-old and 31-year-old – Bowmore’s Timeless Series is all about sophistication. Limited to 3,000 bottles, the series focuses on balancing smoke, exotic fruit and sea salt in each bottle. In the 27-year-old rendition, drinkers can expect a whisky that was matured in sherry and ex-bourbon casks for 15 years before being transferred into first-fill Oloroso butts for the final 12 years. The whisky’s distinctive character offers up a fruitiness combined with nods to fresh leather, tobacco and beeswax. Conversely, the 31-year-old has been nurtured in ex-bourbon casks for 29 years before being moved to Spanish Oak Matusalem Sherry seasoned butts to finish and enhance the profile – which is defined by floral notes, honey, vanilla and a dose of peppermint.
Highland Park 50 Year Old
It’s one of the oldest and rarest releases from Highland Park Distillery. Crafted from nine refill casks laid down in 1968, this limited-edition release – just 274 bottles – follows the Orkney-based distiller’s time-honoured DNA, yielding intensely rich and fragrant notes of black cherries, dark chocolate, roasted oak, espresso, and, of course, the subtle use of peat smoke for which the distillery’s famous.
Kilchoman 2007 Single Cask
Distilled just two years after Kilchoman fired up its stills on Islay, this 2007-vintage spirit is rich with orchard fruits and sweet-citrus notes (thanks to the ex-bourbon maturation), alongside earthy dark-chocolate, sun-baked hay, fresh green chilli and some hearty lashings of Kilchoman’s meaty, peaty flavour. Available exclusively from The Whisky Exchange.
