2024 already had some new whiskies in store for us. In this blog, we picked 10 whiskies from our list that appeared in our range this year and are really not to be missed.
Arran Signature #2 Bonfire
Arran's Signature Series is a series of limited expressions, specially selected by Distillery Manager Stewart Bowman and signed by him as a sign of approval. For the second bottling in this series of four, they chose an 11-year-old single malt on the beautiful island on the west coast of Scotland. This is a peated whisky (42PPM) that first matured for 5.5 years in ex-bourbon casks. It then received a long second maturation of also 5.5 years in smaller 115-litre quarter casks. Naturally, this whisky is not cold-filtered and nothing was added; it was bottled at a strength of 50% and aptly named Barrel Bonfire. Your bottle, one of 14,822 copies, is packaged in a beautiful and recyclable cotton gift bag.
Nose: caramelised hazelnuts, orange zest and abundant vanilla, complemented by rich dry smoke.
Mouth: rich and soft, oily and complex. Spicy notes of cinnamon mixed with citrus notes, more vanilla and toasted wood.
Finish: long, sweet and rich. Vanilla lingers and peat with campfire smoke adds a luxurious touch.
Kilkerran 8y Cask Strength Oloroso
The 2024 edition of the Kilkerran 8 Years Cask Strength matured entirely in sherry casks and was bottled at 57.4%.
Nose: Tones of soft peat smoke, leather-bound books and sticky toffee pudding are present in the nose.
Mouth: The familiar rich and dirty character of our Kilkerran 8 Years Cask Strength sherry series is evident. We also get thick date syrup, blackcurrants, cherries, redcurrants and a maritime coastal flavour.
Finish: As the whisky develops, there are notes of ashy medicinal smoke, ginger and chocolate oranges.
Kilchoman Batch Strength
What can you expect from Kilchoman Batch Strength? Matured in an iron-clad combo of re-charred red wine casks, oloroso sherry casks and bourbon casks, a few drops of water were added after maturation to produce a Batch Strength of 57% abv. The result is a colossal dram that combines Kilchoman's natural peat smoke and citrus character with dark fruits, rich spices and salted caramel.
Nose: red fruit, fresh cherries, heather blossom and intense peat smoke.
Mouth: toffee, rich spice, vanilla and lingering peat smoke.
Finish: silky viscosity with fresh rusk, butter and honey.
Kilchoman Sauternes 2024
The limited edition Sauternes Cask Matured has been fully matured in ex-Sauternes wine casks and then bottled at 50%. Anthony Wills, founder of Kilchoman, selected a combination of new and refill Sauternes barriques from 2017 and 2018, creating the perfect balance of buttery sweetness, barbecued pineapple, candied ginger and floral peat smoke.
Nose: Creamy, buttery notes with ripe fruit, a hint of salty sea air and subtle peat smoke.
Flavour: Butterscotch and floral notes are combined with tropical and candied fruit with integrated peat smoke.
Finish: Sweetness continues in the aftertaste, balanced with clean lingering smoke and a rich texture.
Springbank Local Barley 13y
This edition of Local Barley is made exclusively from barley grown locally at Glencraigs Farm, Campbeltown. Barley variety Belgravia, 60% bourbon casks and 40% sherry casks, bottled at 54.1%.
Nose: On the nose, this whisky is brimming with fruitiness, ripened bananas, cooked sweets and cinnamon.
Mouth: Initially, the thick, tough and oily texture of this whisky is evident. Then we get a peppery and malty note, followed by strawberries, brandy schnapps and parma violets.
Finish: In the aftertaste, subtle peat smoke hides in the background, wine gum sweetness, toasted oats, dunnage-like earthiness and a slightly drying flavour
Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2024
Kilchoman Loch Gorm edition 2024 was aged for a minimum of 9 years in oloroso sherry casks previously used by Bodega Jose y Miguel Martin. The 23 casks selected by Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills are a combination of 17 first fill and six refill casks from three different distillation years. The sherry-soaked oak adds layers of rich fruit character that balance beautifully with the classic Kilchoman peat smoke and citrus flavours.
Nose: waves of sweet BBQ smoke and cooked fruit with dark chocolate and dried figs.
Mouth: delicate peat smoke combined with toasted nuts, cinnamon and malted barley.
Finish: fresh notes of citrus and rich toffee.
Glenlivet 2006 17y (Daily Dram)
This is a single cask from the 2024 Daily Dram bottling series.
Nose : dark and mysterious over pipe tobacco, tar, dried dark fruit and a hint of soy sauce
Mouth : rich and full of dark fruit and dried red fruits, followed by a noble touch of wood
Holyrood Embra
Holyrood Distillery seems to be able to do magic with different malts and yeasts, quite impressive if we are honest. The mashbill consists of heavily peated malt, distilling malt and a pinch of chocolate malt. Furthermore, they work with a combination of different yeasts, and if you look closely at the diagram in the sell sheet, we even see a glimpse of Belgian Ale yeast popping up there. Maturation is over First Fill Bourbon, Peated Islay Quarters and a batch of brand new American oak.
Nose: zest of lemon, chestnut, hints of peppermint and light hickory smoke.
Mouth: biscuits, dark chocolate mousse, notes of earthy Highland peat smoke.
Finish: lightly stewed pears, with a well-rounded, clean finish.
Wolfburn Manzanilla
Wolfburn is the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland. The original distillery dates back to 1821 and its ruins are about 350 metres from the current distillery, which restarted production in 2013, near the village of Thurso. In their young existence, they have already managed to carve out a permanent place in the single malt range at Thurso.
For this new expression, the Manzanilla Cask Finish, Wolfburn uses casks of Manzanilla sherry to add extra flavours at the end of the maturation period. This type of sherry is a dry and delicate wine with a floral character and it is not used very often in the whisky industry. The casks Wolfburn used had a wonderful dry nose. The result is a whisky with a distinctly fruity and full-bodied character.
Nose: Syrup, cashew butter and a vinous overtone - deep and sweet.
Mouth: Oily, classic dry Manzanilla is evident, accented with rich fruit, sultanas, plums and dates and a slight honey note
Finish: Sweet wine, fruit and a hint of caramel
Glen Ord 2012 11 years (Daily Dram)
This is a single cask from the 2024 Daily Dram bottling series.
Nose : white fruit, bourbon vanilla and blossom honey
Mouth : peach, pear and pastry cream
Finish : light mineral and straightforward with white pepper
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I've known Broekmans since I graduated in 2006 and thanks to Jan I've come to know the passion for spirits. I dedicate myself every day to the webshop, customer service and all the IT involved. In my spare time, besides whiskey, I can also really enjoy rum, but just as much as a gin tonic or a simple bellini. In the words of Martien Meiland, if there's no alcohol in it, don't call me!
