Diageo has announced its 2014 Single Malt Special Releases for the United States.
This year, the collection includes 11 whiskies, each representing flavors based on the place from which it was crafted. These releases have been hand-selected by a team of experts to deliver a unique and memorable experience to drinkers.
The special releases are:
Benrinnes 21 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 56.9%
Suggested Retail Price: $400
Robust, big-bodied and bluff. A malt that is all about flavor, with suggestions of truffle oil or ginger cake on a quiet nose followed by spicy and bittersweet tastes on the palate.
Brora 35 Year Old
Region: Coastal Highlands
ABV: 48.6%
SRP: $1,250
Takes its time to develop fully; the smoke and coastal notes take a while to arrive but it’s a classic Brora once they do, especially once a drop of water is added.
Caol Ila Unpeated 15 Year Old
Region: Islay
ABV: 60.39%
SRP: $120
An unpeated Caol Ila with a clear maritime character that stays fresh and light throughout. Has the familiar Caol Ila mix of sharp citrus and chewy cereals, as well as dried fruits, barley-sugar sweetness and cleansing notes.
Caol Ila 30 Year Old
Region: Islay
ABV: 55.1%
SRP: $700
Complex, mature and well-structured, it combines a palate and finish with peat smoke with drying, herbal accents to create a pungent, moreish malt.
Clynelish™ Select Reserve
Region: Coastal Highland
ABV: 54.9%
SRP: $800
A complex whisky that moves from waxy high notes of fruit and butterscotch, through warmth, to the dark dryness of an aromatic finish. Enjoy with water, which exposes its lighter side and raises elegant layers of creamy flavor.
Cragganmore 25 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 51.4%
SRP: $500
A balance between sweet and dry. Adding water softens things yet also dulls this fabulous complexity.
Lagavulin 12 Year Old
Region: Islay
ABV: 54.4%
SRP: $130
Lagavulin with a lighter spring to its step, with freshness, cereals, citrus and smoke. Sweeter notes of toffee and fruit are to the fore, though the tannins, herbs, resin and smoke speak to its lineage.
Port Ellen 35 Year Old Distilled 1978
Region: Islay
ABV: 56.5%
SRP: $3,300
An unexpected Port Ellen with a warming, spicy, gingery edge to its traditional sweet and smoky nature. A little water reveals a sweetness on the nose and richness and depth on the palate.
Rosebank 21 Year Old
Region: Lowlands
ABV: 55.3%
SRP: $500
The sweet, heady and exotic nose contrasts with the appetizing, cleansing, bittersweet dryness of the palate, which has natural, fresh, clean flavors and aromas.
The Singleton™ of Glendullan 38 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 59.8%
SRP: $1,250
A fresh and interesting nose with an interplay of fresh acidity and cereal sweetness.
Strathmill 25 Year Old
Region: Speyside
ABV: 52.4%
SRP: $475
A nose balanced between fresh and over-ripe leads to a dryness on the complex palate, then a long finish with an aromatic dryness. Add water if you wish, but with care.
