Some master what others can't see. Glenfiddich's Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, returns for a second release in the Aston Martin Formula One™ Team partnership — a whisky built the way a race-winning car is built: through relentless refinement, layer by layer.
This 16 Year Old expression is a marriage of whiskies matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and fine wine and fortified wine casks, then finished in sequence across four further cask types — Port pipes, Oloroso sherry casks, wine casks, and a final, delicate rest in Fino Sherry butts. Where last year's Release No. 1 was shaped by American oak wine casks and second-fill bourbon, this new edition adds a fourth layer of cask influence — deeper, richer, and more complex still.
On the nose, rich stewed fruits unfold alongside marzipan and polished leather. On the palate, mellow toffee sweetness meets caramelised cane sugar, balanced by dry oak tannin. The finish is long, oaky, and quietly assured.
Bottled at 43% ABV, this is Glenfiddich at its most awarded — with more accolades since 2000 than any other single malt Scotch whisky across the IWSC and ISC, two of the industry's most prestigious competitions.
Tasting Note by Glenfiddich:Nose: Rich stewed fruits with a beautiful array of floral top notes. Hints of marzipan and polished leather. A drop of water accentuates the fresh, ripe fruits.Palate: Mellow and silky smooth with a creamy buttery toffee sweetness. Caramelized cane sugar with a lovely counterbalance of dry oak tannin.Finish: Long lasting oaky sweetness
Hibiki Japanese Harmony (Chiso Collaboration Limited Edition 2026) is a special presentation of Suntory's Japanese blended whisky, created in partnership with Chiso, the historic Kyoto kimono house established in 1555. Released on 1 October 2026, this edition celebrates traditional Japanese craftsmanship through a newly designed bottle and presentation carton.The collaboration brings together Hibiki's whisky-making heritage with Chiso's centuries-old expertise in kimono artistry. Known for its traditional Kyo-Yuzen techniques, Chiso has created an interpretation of Japanese floral motifs that reflects the relationship between nature, the seasons and traditional craftsmanship.The artwork wraps around Hibiki's distinctive 24-faceted bottle, which represents the 24 seasons of the traditional Japanese calendar. The design incorporates sakura (cherry blossom), ume (plum blossom), tsubaki (camellia), tachibana (evergreen Japanese citrus) and kiri (paulownia). Each carries a traditional meaning associated with renewal, longevity, resilience, prosperity or good fortune.The 2026 collaboration retains the established Hibiki Japanese Harmony whisky, with the limited-edition distinction coming from its illustrated bottle and matching gift carton rather than a change to the blend. The release forms part of Suntory's wider celebration of Japanese artistry and the connection between traditional craft and contemporary design.
Tasting Note by Suntory:Nose: Rose, lychee, hint of rosemary, mature woodiness, sandalwood.Palate: Honey like sweetness, candied orange peel, white chocolate.Finish: Subtle, tender long finish, with hint of Mizunara (Japanese oak).
Deanston Virgin Oak Cask Strength Batch No. 2 is a limited-edition Highland single malt released in 2026 to mark the distillery's 60th anniversary. Bottled at 60.7% ABV, this second cask strength edition builds on the established Deanston Virgin Oak expression, with a focus on American oak maturation and the distillery's characteristic waxy, honeyed spirit.
The whisky is initially matured in ex-bourbon casks before undergoing a finishing period of up to 12 months in virgin American oak. This secondary maturation introduces additional oak influence, contributing vanilla sweetness, toasted coconut, baking spices and charred oak characteristics. Bottling at cask strength provides a more concentrated expression of the whisky's texture and oak-derived flavours.The release also reflects Deanston's history as a former 19th-century cotton mill on the banks of the River Teith. Converted into a working distillery in 1966, Deanston continues to use 100% Scottish barley, long fermentation and traditional production methods. Its former weaving sheds now serve as whisky maturation warehouses, while the distillery operates using hydroelectric power.
As the second cask strength release in the Virgin Oak series, Batch No. 2 combines the established ex-bourbon and virgin oak maturation approach with a higher bottling strength. It is non-chill filtered and presented at natural colour.Tasting Note by Deanston:Nose: Sweet vanilla and honey lead, followed by toasted oak and coconut perfectly balanced by notes of crisp orchard fruits and a touch of lemon zest. Cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of clove follow, with chamomile and fresh heather.Palate: Rich notes of vanilla fudge and golden syrup are wrapped in charred oak, a touch of white pepper and bright orange peel. Cereal notes emerge with creamy toffee, roasted hazelnuts and a whiff of freshly baked apple pastries.Finish: Warming, spicy finish with notes of baking spice, vanilla pods and a twist of citrus.
Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Cask Strength 2026 Edition is the latest annual cask strength release from the Islay distillery, bottled at 55.8% ABV. This year's expression returns to a more pronounced cask-driven style, combining equal proportions of first-fill Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks to create a balance between sherry richness, bourbon sweetness and Bunnahabhain's characteristic coastal influence.The 2026 edition shares similarities with the 2023 release but introduces a sweeter, more rounded profile. The 50% first-fill Oloroso component contributes dried fruits, chocolate and gentle spice, while the 50% bourbon cask component introduces vanilla, honey and toasted coconut. Compared with the 2023 edition, the bourbon influence reduces dryness and produces a creamier texture, allowing the two cask types to integrate more evenly.Unlike many Islay single malts, Bunnahabhain's signature style is unpeated, allowing the influence of oak maturation and coastal surroundings to remain prominent. The 2026 edition retains this character while offering a fuller-strength interpretation of the distillery's established 12 Year Old expression.Produced in small batches, the whisky is bottled without dilution, chill filtration or added colouring, preserving its natural character.Tasting Note by Bunnahabhain:Nose: Raisins, figs and dates intertwine with honeyed vanilla which fades to reveal cinnamon and clove. Underlying coastal freshness.Palate: Burst of stewed fruits and comforting spice balanced by creamy vanilla and toasted coconut with a gentle maritime note.Finish: Long, evolving finish with dried fruit and spice gradually giving way to a touch of dark sugar and polished mahogany.
Established in 1887 by William Grant in Dufftown, Speyside, Glenfiddich has always been defined by a willingness to innovate within a tradition of uncompromising quality. The distillery remains family-owned across five generations, and it is that independence of spirit that has allowed it to pursue techniques rarely seen elsewhere in Scotch whisky production. The Solera Fifteen is perhaps the most distinctive expression of that curiosity, built around a process more commonly associated with the production of fine Sherry and Madeira than with single malt whisky.
At the heart of the 15 Year Old is a Solera Vat that has never been fully emptied since it was first filled in 1998. Kept perpetually at least half full, the vat brings together whiskies matured in three distinct cask types including new oak, American oak and Sherry oak, which marry continuously over time to create a whisky of layered complexity and remarkable consistency. As each portion is drawn off for bottling, it carries with it the accumulated character of every whisky that has rested in the vat before it, producing a depth of flavour that belies the 15 Year Old age statement. A genuinely distinctive bottle for a collection and an assured gift for anyone with an appreciation for craft and curiosity in equal measure.
Tasting Note by Glenfiddich:Nose: An intriguingly complex aroma. Sweet heather honey and vanilla fudge combined with rich dark fruits.Palate: Silky smooth, revealing layers of sherry oak, marzipan, cinnamon and ginger. Full-bodied and bursting with flavour.Finish: Satisfyingly rich with lingering sweetness.
Distilled and matured at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, at the heart of Speyside, this 21 year old expression represents one of the most distinctive releases in the distillery's core range. Founded in 1887 by William Grant, Glenfiddich remains family owned and is one of the most celebrated single malt producers in Scotland. Two decades of patient maturation in traditional oak casks allows the distillery's signature character to develop fully before Malt Master Brian Kinsman hand selects individual barrels for the final stage.
Those selected casks are transferred into Caribbean reserva rum casks for a finishing period that introduces a layer of tropical warmth and spice to the established Speyside foundation. The result is a whisky of considerable complexity, balancing the restrained richness of a long Speyside maturation with the more animated character that rum cask finishing imparts. At 40% ABV, it is approachable without sacrificing depth, and presents exceptionally well as a gift or a considered addition to a maturing collection.
Tasting Note by Glenfiddich:Nose: Intense and vanilla sweet. Floral, hints of banana, figs, rich toffee, new leather and oak.Palate: Initially soft, then brisk, vibrant and drying, peppery, a touch of smoke, oak, lime, ginger and spices.Finish: Very long, warming, dry and spicy.
Bunnahabhain distilled this whisky in 1999. Ten years later, it was moved into an Amontillado sherry cask, then Oloroso, then Manzanilla — three casks applied in sequence rather than simultaneously, each one following the last. Seven years of sequential finishing followed the initial ten years of maturation, for twenty-three years total.
Bunnahabhain is one of the few distilleries on Islay producing unpeated whisky. This bottle carries no peat. It is bottled at cask strength, 53.3%, non-chill filtered, with no added colour.
This release is one of 4,002 individually numbered bottles from the Feis Île 2024 release, Bunnahabhain's annual festival bottling. It is not part of the distillery's standard core range.
Tasting Note by Bunnahabhain:Nose: Freshly baked almond pastries are met with sweet berries, creamy fudge, rose petals and a hint of desiccated coconut.Palate: Fresh vanilla pods, butterscotch and creamy strawberries are balanced with honeyed cashews, wood spice and a gentle hint of tobacco.Finish: Dry finish with pine needles and blackcurrants
Every grain of malt in this whisky was turned by hand on The Balvenie's own malting floor.
The distillery has worked that floor since 1931, but it normally supplies only part of the barley Balvenie uses. For this limited edition Twelve Year Old, it supplied all of it. Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie built the whisky around that malt, so the character of the barley sits at the centre of the flavour.
The spirit matured for many years in American oak, which brings vanilla and gentle spice. It was then finished in ex-sherry bodega European oak butts from Jerez for added depth. It is bottled at 47.5%, a stronger bottling that holds on to more of the spirit's character. Try it neat first, then add a drop of water.
It comes in packaging designed by contemporary artist Daniel Arsham, in textured copper and verdigris tones inspired by The Balvenie's aged stills.
Tasting Note by Balvenie:Nose: Warm biscuit, honeyed creamy toffee, delicate ginger and aromatic oak.Palate: Mellow barley sugar sweetness, warming into crystallised ginger, delicate raisin and spice.Finish: Rich, velvety and smooth, with a lingering spiced warmth.
