Diageo Special Releases 2023
What are the Diageo Special Releases? For fans of malt whisky and, in particular, those who prefer their single malt bottled at a higher strength beyond the standard 40% ABV, there are some annual expressions and releases to look out for each year. The Diageo Special Releases is one such range and, for most markets around the globe, its annual arrival and launch is a much-heralded and anticipated event.
Collectability seems to be at the heart of the evolution of the modern-day Diageo Special Releases. To be fair, the Special Releases were always sought-after by collectors – mostly because of the standout whiskies that were included and not because of their custom labels. It wasn’t until recently that collectors were targeted much more openly, starting with the first ‘Rare by Nature’ series in 2019.
Hitherto, the Diageo Special Releases were simply a range of whiskies launched at the same time, not linked through an overarching theme. The whiskies were often inherently special because of the content inside the bottle, not because of packaging or elaborate marketing stories. The reputation of the Diageo Special Releases is built on the quality and rarity of many of its earlier whiskies. And this rarity is completely missing from the current iteration of the Special Releases.
Artists were commissioned to create artwork for each of the Diageo Special Releases 2023, the labels aspiring to be “visual tasting notes, placing the expression at the centre of the experience and exploring the flavours that emerge from the local spirit casks.” For example, the Mortlach was finished in ex-Kanosuke casks, so the artwork was made by Japanese illustrator Kouzou Sakia.
All the truly exclusive and rare whiskies from Diageo have moved to the Prima & Ultima range. As a result, the Special Releases are now a stripped down version of their former selves. It’s not surprising that last year’s Special Releases are still easily available. And those from two and three year ago are too. It’s becoming more rare for Special Releases to quickly sell out.
Some leading whisky shops in Europe won’t be stocking the Diageo Special Releases 2023 at all. Certain others have bought less. That’s their response to the rise in prices. For example, the recommended retail price for the new Lagavulin 12 Years Cask Strength is closing in on 200 euros. And the new Clynelish 10 Years is priced even higher. How sustainable can this current course be? It feels like something may need to change for the Special Releases to have a long-term future.
So why did Diageo create the Prima & Ultima series to begin with. Why take that aura of exclusivity and rarity away from the Special Releases? What is bruited about is that they wanted to make the Special Releases more accessible and (relatively) affordable for new drinkers. But that has never been what the Special Releases were about.
Of course, it is understandable Diageo is not letting go of the Special Releases. They’ve created and curated a valuable brand that is worth protecting. But wouldn’t it have made more sense to keep the integrity of the Special Releases intact, and to launch a new, affordable range just below it? Because in all honesty, the term Special Releases may not truly befit the occasion anymore. For comparison sake, I've added a video of one of last year's whiskies and its sibling this year.
The theme for 2023 was ‘Spirited Xchange’, featuring Single malt whiskies from 8 distilleries, some well-known, others a little more obscure. They’ve become a marketing exercise focussing beyond the liquid, luring (new) drinkers in with elaborate tales of “cultural exchange of flavours, craft and artistry.”
The Diageo Special Releases 2023 range followed the pattern and theme of all previous years: It showcased some favoured Diageo distilleries, as well as some of the ones that see less of the limelight. Indeed, the Diageo Special Releases 2023 selection featured the first ever official bottling release of Roseisle, together with the less seen Glendullan, under its Singleton persona.
Looking critically at the Diageo Special Releases 2023, there are two whiskies that warranted calling a Special Release. Firstly, the Glenkinchie is of sufficient age AND the oldest-ever released by Diageo. Secondly, it’s great that they’ve included the inaugural release from Roseisle. But the other six whiskies? There are got two whiskies without an age statement, which always makes it hard to properly evaluate their specialness. And the other four have matured 10 to 14 years – not very noteworthy indeed.
So let's get down to the whiskies:
Roseisle The Origami Kite: 12 YO, 56.5% ABV, OB, RRP €144.99
Matured in a mix of 1st-fill and Refill ex-bourbon casks.
Nose: There’s a nice mixture between wood-influenced vanilla elements and fruity citrus notes. Pastel de nata with pomelo and yuzu, along with hints of chaff, meringues and crème caramel. A sliver of almond oil too, and maybe even some candle wax.
Taste: Buttery mouthfeel. Notes of peanut skins, charred oak and a slight spicy bitterness kind of overshadow some of the more fruity, Speyside-y elements. But they’re there. Just somewhat hidden. Think honeycomb, some chocolate, and stewed apples.
Finish: Medium. Nicely integrated sweetness.
Overall: A mite extra nutty and spicy. An agreeable introduction to this unknown distillery.
Glenkinchie The Floral Treasure: 27 YO, 58.3% ABV, OB, RRP €409.99
Matured in a combination of refill ex-bourbon barrels and European oak butts.
That this particular expression is the result of a more conventional cask maturation regimen and is thus in more familiar territory notwithstanding, the whisky has been beautifully matured and has melded perfectly with the oak. 27 years is an old whisky in anyone’s language but, despite the many years in wood, the spirit is still in harmony with the oak and there’s no sense of dryness, tiredness, or over-maturation. The spirit is still fresh and vibrant, but has been beautifully shaped and mellowed by the cask influence.
Nose: Very elegant, supremely delicate. The floral notes weave in and out. It is somewhat leafy also, but there are touches of melted butter, some warm apple compôte, and a hint of orange zest too. Maybe not the most complex, but neatly integrated and sophisticated.
Taste: The creamy texture is enjoyable. It certainly doesn’t give away its age. Not as delicate as you might expect. The European oak provides some wood spices, there’s plenty of fudge, a whisper of ginger, some crème brûlée and a tinge of orange marmelade.
Finish: Medium length. Lingering oak tannins, some char, then settling into sweeter notes like honey. Even a touch of aniseed.
Overall: Elegant, sophisticated, covering up a fleeting sense of youthfulness. Lives up to expectations. Best of all, there’s still a wonderful complexity to the spirit that belies its old age. An outstanding dram.
Lagavulin The Ink of Legends: 12 YO, 56.4% ABV, RRP €194.99
Finished in Don Julio Anejo Tequila casks.
Fans of Lagavulin won’t be disappointed with this. While the old flagship expression at 16 years continues to be the benchmark and reference point for many Lagavulin fans, there have been ample 12 year old expressions of Lagavulin across many campaigns over the last decade to suggest that 12 years is a pretty good sweet spot for this much-loved distillery. The tequila cask influence is subtle, but – whether psychosomatic or real – you could close your eyes and easily convince yourself you’re drinking a quality, smoky mezcal here. It is extremely light in colour too.
Nose: A sort of creamy saline solution with hints of charred citrus. Briny oysters too. Also a whiff of driftwood, honeycomb, bonfire smoke, and oregano, as well as a touch of barbecued beef.
Taste: A fatty mouthfeel. Thumbs up, always. Then an initial sweetness as well as pickled lemons, followed by cracked black peppercorns, earthy peat smoke, a few pinches of salt and orange pith.
Finish: Medium to long. Lingering spices, quite dry and fairly sweet.
Overall: Lagavulin’s Cask Strength whiskies are revered and this year’s edition is once again very good, although, in the context of previous releases, much sweeter.
Talisker The Wild Explorer: NAS, 59.7% ABV, RRP €144.99
Finished in a combination of White, Tawny and Ruby Port Casks.
Bottled at its natural cask strength, Talisker The Wild Explorer is a surge of warmth courses through your senses, emanating a sweet, charred essence. The powerful crash of sea-salt spray against the ship's bow rekindles the adventurous spirit within resolute sailors. Like the iconic Portuguese caravel, braving the unforgiving sea to reach the farthest corners of the earth, the Malt Master pays tribute to the Portuguese origins of these intrepid vessels by maturing this exceptional maritime whisky in a unique blend of Ruby, White, and Tawny port casks.
Compared to previous Diageo Special Releases expressions of Talisker, this is a milder expression, certainly in terms of the peat. There is less of the iodine and dry peatsmoke seen in other recent expressions, but the signature seaweedy, maritime note was still very much on display. The port cask influence is evident with some dry spices, together with an alluring sweetness that complemented the malt.
Nose: Opening up on hints of smoked paprika powder, cured meats and a gentle coastal breeze, as well as some seaweed, dried red fruits (dates, raisins) and chalk. The gentle wood smoke is accompanied by a touch of iodine.
Taste: Pretty classic Talisker. A distinct pepperiness accompanied by wood smoke and a sweetness that presumably comes from some of the ex-Port casks. Not too much wood influence though. Some damp oak too, as well as a good pinch of salt and dried fruits.
Finish: Medium to long. The pepperiness lingers. The salty smoke too.
Overall: A cross between the Talisker Port Ruighe and the Talisker 57° North. Good whisky that doesn’t lean on the ex-Port casks, but doesn’t shy away from it either.
Oban The Soul of Calypso: 11 YO, 58% ABV, OB, RRP €173.99
Finished in Caribbean pot still Rum Casks.
Much of Oban’s marketing makes mention of its coastal location, which is amusing when you consider very little of the spirit actually matures there. Nonetheless, there is a maritime character to many Oban bottlings, and this is no different. The rum cask influence lends a butteriness to the palate, together with hints of sugar cane, mango, bananas, mint and citrus.
Nose: Opening up on gentle hints of bananas and an overall estery fruitiness with a hint of grasses and herbs. Slightly funky, one might say. Also a whiff of orange zest, charred lemon peel and tinned apricots. Then poached pears too.
Taste: Quite an aggressive, almost hot arrival. A good pinch of salt accompanied by spices, charred oak and a distinct nuttiness; sugar cane, mango and bananas come through. Water calms things down somewhat, adds a minty touch and elevates the cereal notes too.
Finish: Short to medium. Lingering spices, eucalyptus, almond paste and a delicate sweetness.
Mortlach The Katana’s Edge: NAS, 58% ABV, OB, RRP €304.99
Finished in a combination of ex-Kanosuke Japanese whisky and ex-Pinot Noir casks.
Mortlach has traditionally been a more robust and meatier malt, courtesy of its use of wormtubs and the complex distillation process employed with its partial triple distillation. This Mortlach is no different. Whilst the decision to bottle without an age statement may tempt some to believe the whisky is young, there’s certainly no hint of youth on the nose or palate. The master blender has used a traditional bourbon barrel and finished the new make in Japanese Kanosuke whisky and ex-Pinot Noir barrels. This combination ensures a surprising whisky that is hinted at with a samurai warrior on the label. The whisky is well crafted, and very drinkable.
Nose: Baked pastries, a hint of tree bark and some licorice, but mainly darker fruits. Buckwheat honey, blackcurrants. Plums. Raspberry. Slightly muted though. Also a whisper of chocolate, white pepper, leather, brown toast and pencil shavings.
Taste: A rather thick mouthfeel. The cloying nature of the Pinot Noir is present, as are the dark fruits. Then aniseed, more plums, raspberries, strawberries, plums, a touch of cloves and charred wood.
Finish: Medium length. A touch of menthol, fruit candy, cinnamon and chocolate.
Overall: The Mortlach The Katana’s Edge is a bit atypical, although some of the distillery’s more meaty characteristics are recognisable. Well balanced and eminently drinkable.
Clynelish The Jazz Crescendo: 10 YO, 57.5% ABV, OB, RRP €204.99
Matured exclusively in ex-bourbon American Oak cask.
Whilst its stablemate and predecessor, Brora, has demonstrated it can mature to grand old ages and prosper, Clynelish hits its sweet spot at 10-14 years, as seen with this bottling as a classic example. Clynelish’s malt has always been flavoursome and complex in its own right, and it is perhaps no coincidence that it’s the only malt in the Diageo Special Releases 2023 range to come from a single cask type. The first-fill ex-bourbon casks have done the work beautifully; these barrels allow notes of caramel and vanilla spices to be revealed, while retaining the excellent character of the distillery. No further adornment is necessary. Yes, it starts off young-give it a few minutes and it becomes exactly what you would expect from a Clynelish.
Nose: Allow the swirled alcohol to settle to get mellow aromas on the nose that begin a mineral and maritime theme, then become sweeter and rounder, their golden melody anchored by an earthy bass note. Waxy exactly like you want your Clynelish to be. Fruity with touches of white grapes, unripe bananas and zesty lemons, as well as vanilla-flavoured sweets, a hint of wet pebbles and that gentle sea breeze.
Taste: Somewhat waxy, but not extremely so. The fruits take centre stage here, almost to a tropical degree. But there’s a honey-esque sweetness to underpin everything, along with some peppery spice, walnuts and a pinch of salt.
Finish: Medium. Sweet and waxy with some coconut shavings.
Overall: An excellent 10 YO but devilishly expensive.
The Singleton of Glendullan The Silken Gown: 14 YO, 55% ABV, OB RRP €154.99
Finished in Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak casks.
For many years an anonymous, workhorse distillery for Diageo, Glendullan finally appeared in the limelight when it was included in the re-vamped Singleton range. The name “Singleton” was originally meant for Auchroisk back in the 1990’s. “The Singleton of Auchroisk” was marketed into the early 2000’s before being retired. The Singleton name was then reincarnated a few years later as a collective brand name for the Glen Ord, Dufftown, and Glendullan distilleries. This particular expression is a little dry on the palate, without losing anything of its elegance and exclusivity.
Nose: Wave away the first whiff and it opens up on pastry, grass, vanilla and sugared
cereals, and also gentle stone fruits, green apples and some pear skin. It certainly seems buttery and creamy, two key
characteristics of Chardonnay wine. Other notes include some grass, apples, honey, and apricots.
Taste: The palate follows a similar pathway, albeit with an added spiciness. Think white pepper. Dense, a good mouthfeel. Fairly creamy. Layers of sweetness. Butterscotch. Cotton candy. But also some walnuts, gentle orchard fruits and a tinge of grapefruit.
Finish: Medium length and somewhat drying. A whisper of salted butter, toffee and apple peel.
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