Every year we all wait anxiously for the Diageo Special Releases, although I’m not quite sure why anymore, because most of ’em are way out of our price range. Anyway, the Special Releases 2017 have just been revealed by Diageo. There’s no images yet, they’ll become available later in the year.
As you may have noticed, it’s early in the year for Diageo to release the information on their Special Releases. That’s because they can’t keep them secret anyway, because labels have already popped up in the public TTB Database. Nick Morgan of Diageo further explains. “So highly awaited are the releases, you may have noticed that we struggle to keep them under lock and key. Special Releases has rapidly become the worst kept secret in Malts due to your enthusiasm and dedication to the collection. So, in light of recent speculation, we would like to confirm the truly impeccable line-up of this year’s collection of ten bottlings.”
As you may notice, I’ve listed only nine bottlings below, and that’s because Diageo are keeping one Special Release secret for now. They’ll reveal that one later in the year. My money is on another NAS-release, since it is lacking from the line-up below, and has been a staple of the Diageo Special Releases in the last three years with no age statement bottlings of Clynelish and Cragganmore.
BLAIR ATHOL 23 year old
Distilled: 1993 ABV 58.4%
Region: Highlands
Cask: Ex-Bodega European Oak Butts
No of bottles: 5,514
BRORA 34 year old
Distilled: 1982 ABV 51.9%
Region: Coastal Highlands
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No of bottles: 3,000
CAOL ILA 18 year old
ABV: 59.8%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
Limited quantities available worldwide
CONVALMORE 32 year old
Distilled: 1984 ABV 48.2%
Region: Speyside
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No of bottles: 3,972
GLEN ELGIN 18 year old
Distilled: 1998 ABV 54.8%
Region: Speyside
Cask: Ex-Bodega European Oak Butts
No of bottles: 5,352
LAGAVULIN 12 year old
ABV: 56.5%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
Limited quantities available worldwide
PORT DUNDAS 52 year old
Distilled: 1964 ABV 44.6%
Region: Lowlands
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
No of bottles: 752
PORT ELLEN 37 year old
Distilled: 1979 ABV 51%
Region: Islay
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads & Refill American Oak Butts
No of bottles: 2,988
TEANINICH 17 year old
Distilled: 1999 ABV: 55.9%
Region: Coastal Highlands
Cask: Refill American Oak Hogsheads & Refill American Oak Barrels
Limited quantities available worldwide
