Exciting whisky debuts of 2021

The Balvenie Twenty-five

The first release of The Balvenie Twenty-five is instantly appealing. Created by master distiller David Stewart MBE as a part of the Rare Marriages series, the whisky was aged for two and a half decades in five distinct casks ranging from American bourbon to European casks from oloroso sherry.

Expect the expected: vanilla and rich honey. Then comes unexpected flavours of 25 years – toasted marshmallows, dried orange rind, cinnamon, crystalised ginger – and a silky mellow finish that comes only with time.

The launch is marked with an artistic collaboration with renowned paper quilling artist Yulia Brosdskaya. She is known to paint with paper, and her three-dimensional caramel-toned artwork imitates the ebbs and flows of the whisky in a beautiful and unique form.

For more information, visit The Balvenie.

The Macallan Harmony Collection Rich Cacao

Macallan continues its tradition of limited-edition series, and this time, the distillery explores the world of sustainable packaging. The quest led master whisky maker Polly Logan to Girona, Spain, to collaborate with the acclaimed Roca brothers.

Logan collaborated with the youngest brother, world-renowned pastry chef Jordi Roca, and immersed herself in the world of chocolate, exploring the chocolate-making process and uncovering the distinctive flavour profiles.

“As I immersed myself in this world, I uncovered a great synergy between the whisky-making process and that of chocolate. Both take time and exceptional attention to detail,” Logan explains.

The inspiration resulted in two revelations. First, a cacao-inspired whisky, and second, Macallan found an excellent source for sustainable packaging in the waste product of peeled cacao skins.

Logan explains how she recreated the right notes: “For this expression, I sought out a specific chocolate note in The Macallan’s traditional sherry-seasoned European oak casks and combined this with a vanilla note imparted by sherry seasoned American oak casks to sweeten the slightly bitter chocolate note I had found.” The result is a glistening liquid with rare chocolate notes of milk and dark chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, and dates.

For more information, visit The Macallan.

The Glen Grant 15 Years Old

Yet another Speyside stable, The Glen Grant, launched the 15 Years Old Single Malt Scotch in Singapore, adding to its collection of 10-,12- and 18-year-old expressions. The 15 Years Old is crafted by master distiller Dennis Malcolm, who celebrates 60 years at the distiller, at 50% ABV.

Matured in hand-selected first-fill ex-bourbon casks, the whisky flavours are further enhanced by non-chill filtration for a fuller texture. According to tasting notes supplied by The Glen Grant, “[T]his golden liquid offers aromas of citrus fruit and toffee accompanied by a rich palate of spiced pear, apricot, and vanilla, leaving a nutty finish with delicate notes of fruit and a complex flavour profile.”

Interestingly, another Glen Grant, The Dennis Malcolm 60th Anniversary Edition, recently sold in a Shanghai auction for RMB380,000 (S$80,000). It was created as a tribute to the master distiller and was released in limited numbers (360 bottles worldwide) in a unique crystal decanter.

For more information, visit The Glen Grant.