Diageo Introduces the Impeccably Crafted 2018 Special Releases Collection

Ten remarkable Scotch Whiskies will be released in limited quantities this autumn, as part of Diageo’s annual Special Releases collection. Eagerly anticipated worldwide by whisky enthusiasts, the limited edition natural cask strength bottlings are meticulously selected each year by the masterful blending team, to form a rare and sought after collection.

Attentively crafted and beautifully packaged, the collection encompasses some of the rarest and oldest whiskies from classic, lesser known and often closed distilleries. Each whisky within the range offers complex flavours of the highest quality, representing a fragment of Scotch Whisky history.

We can now confirm the following bottlings in the outstanding line-up of this year’s collection below, all selected by the skillful Diageo master blending team, for their flavour and historical intrigue:

CARSEBRIDGE 48 year old
ABV 43.2%
Region: Lowlands
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No. of bottles: 1,000

CAOL ILA UNPEATED 15 year old
ABV 59.1%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill & Rejuvenated American Oak Hogsheads and Ex-Bodega European Oak Butts
Limited quantities worldwide

CAOL ILA 35 year old
ABV 58.1%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads & Refill European Oak Butts
No of bottles: 3,276

INCHGOWER 27 year old
ABV 55.3%
Region: Speyside
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No of bottles: 8,544

LAGAVULIN 12 year old
ABV 57.8%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
Limited quantities available worldwide

OBAN 21 year old
ABV 57.9%
Region: Highlands
Cask: Refill European Oak Butts
Limited availability worldwide

PITTYVAICH 28 year old
ABV 52.1%
Region: Speyside
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No of bottles: 4,680

THE SINGLETON OF GLEN ORD 14 year old
ABV 57.6%
Region: Highlands
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads and Ex-Bodega European Oak butts followed by a unique maturation and marrying process
Limited quantities available worldwide

TALISKER 8 year old
ABV 59.4%
Region: Island
Cask: First fill Ex-Bourbon American Oak Hogsheads
Limited availability worldwide

Donald Colville, Diageo’s Global Malts Ambassador, said: “The Special Releases launch is a highlight in our whisky calendar year. It’s a collection that allows both knowledgeable whisky fans and those new to Scotch to hunt out truly unique limited editions. The range delivers memorable taste experiences unlike any other and the exceptional variety and quality of whiskies in this year’s collection will not disappoint.”

The final tenth bottling will be revealed later on in the year, kept as a surprise for the fans and enthusiasts of the collection. Each whisky in the 2018 Special Releases range is a limited edition,rare bottling. These whiskies have been crafted to be cherished and enjoyed responsibly.

For more Malts news please visit: www.malts.com

Distribution/Availability

Autumn 2018, from specialist retailers in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and selected Asian markets. Imagery and RRP will be available later in the year.

Additional Information

For the first time since the collection’s launch in 2001, Port Ellen and Brora will not be included in the range. Port Ellen and Brora are among the rarest Single Malt Whiskies still being released and will continue to be available for purchase as annual bottlings outside of the collection. This move follows the news of the re-opening of the Port Ellen & Brora distilleries.

About the Special Releases

During the late 1980s, the benchmark expressions of single malt whiskies from six single malt distilleries became well known under the CLASSIC MALTS name. Interest in older and rarer malt whiskies in general also grew during this period. One product of this was the RARE MALTS, a series of rarer releases begun in 1995, and which ended in 2005. There remained a demand for unusual, distinctive, often older, unrepeatable cask strength bottlings, usually of the CLASSIC MALTS. Such bottlings allowed collectors, connoisseurs and enthusiasts to enjoy and experience remaining older stocks, and/or unusual expressions of a distillery’s character – a treasure trove of priceless malts.

To satisfy this demand, the SPECIAL RELEASES series was born in 2001, and the annual collection – with familiar names and some surprises – has been eagerly awaited by enthusiasts ever since.

DIAGEO

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com. Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.