Diageo reveals its Special Releases Collection for 2019

Diageo has announced it will release limited quantities of 10 limited-edition Scotch whiskies in Australia in April as part of its annual Special Releases Collection.

The Special Releases Collection is a hand-selected range of some of the rarest and oldest cask-strength bottlings from distinguished, lesser known and even closed distilleries.

The annual collection is curated by a blending team that ensures each bottle encompasses a fragment of Scotch whisky history and reflects the stories of the people, places and craftmanship that make it so special.

The 2019 Special Releases Collection celebrates a year of firsts including: a debut of Inchgower 27-year-old bottling; Caol Ila 35 year old, the oldest bottling ever produced from the distiller; and The Singleton Glen Ord 14 year old, which is triple matured using a five-cask process.

The Collection also sees Cladach, a unique blend of six renowned coastal distilleries - Caol Ila, Clynelish, Lagavulin, Oban, Inchgower and Talisker; as well as the oldest bottling from Caresbridge, an exceptionally rare 48-year-old grain whisky that has resulted in just 1000 bottles being released.

In addition, the Special Releases Collection features unique releases from popular distilleries including Talisker 8-year- old and Oban 21 year old; while a classic Lagavulin 12 year old, Caol Ila Unpeated 15 year old and Pittyvaich 28 year old complete the selection.

“The launch of the Diageo Special Releases Collection is an incredibly special time of year for Scotch whisky and has become one of the most highly anticipated launches on the whisky calendar,” said Simon McGoram, National Whisky Ambassador for Diageo.

“Many of the releases within the collection are extremely rare and some are from ‘ghost’ [closed] distilleries, making this one of the few chances for both knowledgeable whisky fans and those wanting to explore the flavours of Scotch to own and discover an exceptional collection.

“We’ve seen the demand for rare and unique Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottlings increase exponentially over the past decade which is why we’re so excited about making this range accessible to everyone. The collection is priced to suit a variety of budgets, so there really is a whisky for all to savour, invest in, collect or gift.

The Diageo Special Releases Collection is available for purchase in whisky specialist venues and stores from April, pending availability.