As the year comes to a close it’s time to look back on 2019 and the whisky releases that came with it. It’s been a fun and experimental year for the whisky industry. Record prices were reached at auction, new releases came one after the other, and whisky went a step further into the luxury realm. Note the spelling; this article won’t include any whiskey, sorry Ireland and America!
Talisker Botega Series: 41 Year-Old
Released in August 2019, this is the second release in Diageo’s Talisker Botega series. Only 2,000 bottles were released globally, with liquid showcasing the amazing fusion of whisky and the influence of sherry casks. Dr Craig Wilson of Talisker worked with the Sherry Masters at Bodega Delgado Zuleta to produce and age the whisky in six of the best sherry casks the Botega held.
Another exciting 2019 release, the Glenfiddich Grand Cru showcases whisky aged in French cuvee casks for approximately 6 months. The bottle features the Glenfiddich’s new, sleek design and the whisky is geared towards celebration. Instead of popping a bottle of champagne in the club, why not go with a bottle of Grand Cru whisky?
Suntory launched Ao earlier this year, a blended whisky which features whisky made in the 5 largest whisky producing regions of the world – Japan, Scotland, Ireland, America, and Canada. This release marked a new chapter for whisky, as most companies from Japan who have previously released such blends always did so behind smoke and mirrors and a lack of transparency. Suntory being fully transparent about where the liquid comes from here is a big step in breaking down the barriers in Japan’s whisky industry and setting an example.
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year-Old
The Ardbeg Traigh Bhan was one of the most exciting peated whiskies of 2019, and knowing Ardbeg’s fanatic fan base, it makes sense that it sold out so quickly. An amazing peat bomb at 46.2% ABV, this is one you’ll have to hunt for.
The recently launched Highland Park Triskelion delivers the expertise of Gordon Motion, Max McFarlane and John Ramsay, men who were, at one point in time, the whisky masters of the Highland Park distillery. Each master played a part in the creation of this whisky, making it a truly remarkable and unique whisky, as this will probably never happen again. The number three comes in again in the cask types used – first-fill sherry seasoned Spanish oak butts, first-fill sherry seasoned American oak casks and first-fill bourbon barrels.
Yamazakura: The First
Yamazakura in Japan is known for primarily creating blended whiskies containing Scotch and other imported liquid, along with a small percentage of Japanese whisky. This year, they were finally able to release their very first, 100% Japanese single malt, distilled at the Asaka distillery, which was renovated and reopened in 2015. A monumental release in the distillery’s history, and the first of many to come.
Balvenie Stories: Week Of Peat
The Balvenie 14 Year-Old Week Of Peat is the 2nd is a 3-bottle series named the ‘Balvenie Stories’. Each release tells a tale about the distillery, and this one brings an amazing balance with subtle peat and the gentle sweetness the brand is known for.
The first release in Glen Moray’s ‘Curiosity Series’, this whisky was aged in casks previously holding cider. While this has been done in other countries, this project was a first for Scotch, a category governed by strict rules put down by the Scotch Whisky Association. As the casks were initially sent to a cider company by the distillery and then returned, the release was technically allowed as the collaboration is similar to that between distilleries and beer brewers.
Nikka Yoichi Limited Edition 2019
This release recently arrived in the US, however, the Japan-launch was earlier in the year. Both this, and the other expression by Nikka’s Miyagikyo distillery, includes liquid distilled in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Beware, it’s not cheap and a very limited allocation is coming to the US.
The Essense Of Suntory 3: Cedar
The 3rd chapter of the Essense of Suntory series looks at the unusual use of cedar wood maturation in whisky with two exciting blends. Named the ‘Rich Type’ (Yamazaki) and ‘Clean Type’ (Hakushu), the releases take malt and grain whiskies from Suntory’s two most popular distilleries and explore how the different profiles work with the cedar.
