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ong considered the climax of the whisky calendar, Diageo’s annual Special Releases can always be relied upon to cause something of a stir among lovers of a decent dram.
This evolving range of limited-edition Scotch whiskies aims to illuminate and celebrate the distinctive characteristics of some of Scotland’s most prestigious distilleries, some of which are long-since closed. With a focus on quality and rarity, it’s no wonder the Special Releases have become a magnet for collectors, particularly of specific distilleries.
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Rare by Nature
Hand selected by master blender Dr. Craig Wilson, the 2019 Diageo Special Releases comprises eight high-strength and full-flavored single malts. While each is a distinctive reflection of its distillery’s unique character and the place in which it has been created, this year the collection is unified by one central theme: Rare by Nature.
“This is the first time that the Special Releases has been conceived as a cohesive collection, so the intention was to highlight as many aspects of whisky flavor as possible,” says Dr. Wilson, who explored some of Diageo’s rarest stocks to create each expression.
With such varied flavor profiles, the range represents an opportunity for whisky lovers to taste their way across Scotland while discovering a quirky side of some well-known distilleries, from the delicate, tropical notes of Speyside’s Cardhu 14 Year Old, which is given a rare double-maturation in Amontillado Sherry casks, to the meaty, rich and Sherried qualities of Mortlach, a distillery known as the “Beast of Dufftown.”
The journey continues through a lively, fruity 18 Year Old Singleton of Glen Ord, and on to the rich spiciness of an extra-mature Dalwhinnie 30 Year Old from the cool Scottish Highlands. Peat fans will love the powerfully smoky Lagavulin 12 Year Old from Islay, while the rugged shores of the Isle of Skye are represented in a robust, maritime Talisker 15 Year Old—the first outing for the age statement.
The range also features the first smoky release from Speyside’s usually light and fruity gem Cragganmore, as well as a rare, Sherry cask-aged 1989 vintage from closed distillery Pittyvaich. It’s nothing short of an eclectic yet cohesive series, which explores and celebrates the unique character of each distillery through playful twists and subtle nuances.
“The theme Rare by Nature was the basis for the entire collection, as each of these whiskies is designed to be a tribute to the distillery that created it,” says Dr. Wilson. “Ultimately a distillery is a lot more than just bricks and mortar, it is a product of the environment where it resides, so this is very much a celebration of the provenance of these whiskies.”
He adds: “Lagavulin would certainly be an example of a whisky very much made by its surroundings. The peat smoke is evocative of the peat fires that burn in the small cottages dotted around the island, while some of the other aromas in the spirit are reminiscent of the mosses, seaweed and general maritime notes found around the distillery.
“Cardhu, on the other hand, features a great deal of fruity and malty sweetness, with a gentler, smoother overall flavor, perhaps more in tune with the calmer, more peaceful atmosphere of the east of Scotland.”
The essence of each distillery is further reflected through the visually striking, ornate bottle designs that celebrate their individual natural surroundings. With colorful motifs of local flora and fauna, the bottles are beautiful on their own and yet complement one another as a complete collection.
As with previous years’ Special Releases, only a limited number of each expression has been created—never again will these whiskies be presented in the same line-up. As Dr. Wilson surmises: “These whiskies by their very nature are rare, as they are made from small pockets of stock and are one-off expressions which can never be repeated.”
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