Whisky Focus - Diageo Special Releases 2015

As most whisky enthusiasts and collectors will know by now every year Diageo release a small number of specially selected whiskies from its vast portfolio of Scotch malt whisky distilleries. This autumn they have selected nine whiskies which will make up its Diageo 2015 Special Releases. As always all nine whiskies in the limited edition releases have been bottled at natural cask strength.

Once again the series embraces some exceedingly rare and therefore increasingly sought after single malts from the dwindling stocks of long-silent distilleries alongside expressions from familiar and less familiar working distilleries, but at unusual ages.

The oldest whisky in this years release is is the Brora 37 Year Old which is also the oldest expression of Brora to be released to date, limited to a total of 2,976 bottles worldwide and even with a RRP of £1,300 I am sure this will sell out very quickly given the quality of previous releases in this series.

Don't worry if you haven't got a £1,300 to spare as the Lagavulin 12 Year Old makes its 15th annual appearance in the Special Release series and its price tag is a little more suited to everyday dramming at £80 a bottle.

The Cally 40 Year Old is a single grain whisky from (if you haven't already guessed) the Caledonian distillery. With the Scotch whisky industry's recent push in promoting the pleasures of single grain whisky it is no surprise to find a single grain whisky amongst the Special Releases this year. This is the Caledonian distillery's first appearance in the Special Releases, limited to 5,060 bottles, The Cally has an RRP of £750.

Another one of three bottlings from Islay in this years releases and continuing the series of Unpeated Malts from the Caol Ila distillery is the Caol Ila 17 Year Old, although unpeated many of these releases do have the gentlest trace of smoke and to date the unpeated releases have been outstanding demonstrating that this distillery is not just about the peat. Diageo haven't disclosed the number of bottles available on this one other than to say it has limited availability and that it has a RRP of £90.

Always a popular choice when it appears in the Special Releases is the easy drinking Dalwhinnie and this years offering is a Dalwhinnie 25 Year Old bottled at 48.8% ABV, a limited release of 5,916 bottles it will set you back £325.

Next up we have a whisky from the Clynelish distillery which will no doubt attract a few raised eyebrows and comments from whisky enthusiasts, why, because it has no age statement. The Clynelish Select Reserve carries no age statement but is a blend of four different ages, with the youngest being 15 years old, although Diageo haven't revealed the ages of the other whiskies in the mix. Bottled at 56.1% ABV and limited to 2,946 bottles, it has a RRP of £550.

Next we have a whisky from Diageo's rarely seen Dailuaine distillery, the Dailuaine 34 Year Old, going by the few official distillery bottlings there has been from this distillery we can probably expect a rich full bodied dram. Bottled at 50.9% ABV and limited to 2,952 bottles, it has one of the more attractive RRPs of the older whiskies in this years releases, £380.

The final Speyside whisky in this years releases is from the short lived Pittyvaich distillery which was built in 1975 by Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd, the distillery was closed and completely dismantled in 1993. The Pittyvaich 25 Year Old would have been produced in the last few years of the distilleries short life, bottled at 49.9% ABV and limited to 5,922 bottles, it has a RRP of £250.

Finally we have a bottling that will certainly be of interest to whisky connoisseurs and collectors, a very rare bottling from a long-closed distillery, Port Ellen 32 Year Old

Buy The Diageo 2015 Special Releases:

• Brora 37 Year Old
  A limited release of 2,976, bottled 50.4% ABV. RRP £1,300

• Lagavulin 12 Year Old
  Available in limited quantities, bottled 56.8% ABV. RRP £80

• The Cally 40 Year Old
  A limited release of 5,060, bottled 53.3% ABV. RRP £750

• Caol Ila 17 Year Old
  Limited availability, bottled 55.9% ABV. RRP £90

• Dalwhinnie 25 Year Old
  A limited release of 5,916, bottled 48.8% ABV. RRP £325

• Clynelish Select Reserve
  A limited release of 2,946, bottled 56.1% ABV. RRP £550

• Dailuaine 34 Year Old
  A limited release of 2,952, bottled 50.9% ABV. RRP £380

• Pittyvaich 25 Year Old
  A limited release of 5,922, bottled 49.9% ABV. RRP £250

• Port Ellen 32 Year Old
  A limited release of 2,964, bottled 53.9% ABV. RRP £2,400

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