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After spending a significant amount of time trying to find a cohesive list of new whisky (and whiskey) releases, I was frustrated that no such list seems to exist! There’s individual articles announcing new whiskies, or information about some whiskies released across certain time periods, but I had no luck finding something that covers the month very thoroughly.
So I’ve decided to create one (or several, actually).
At the end of every month, I’ll be collating to the best of my ability lists of new whiskies first released across the previous 30 days that I’ll divide into three articles – USA/Canada, Scotland/Ireland, and Japan/Rest of World – providing some basic information about each bottle.
A few disclaimers: I’ve found information on the below whiskies from a combination of sources, including emails and press releases sent to me, social media posts, ChatGPT searches, and good old-fashioned Googling.
Notably (and perhaps frustratingly), I am leaving out all single cask releases as it’s almost impossible to keep track of them — there’s just too many! Unfortunately, this means certain significant releases may not get featured, but one of the joys of enjoying single cask whisky is the hunt to find something unique and special.
I’m also certain I’ve left out whiskies that should be here, and would love to know about them. Get in touch on Instagram or BlueSky to let me know what to add to these articles and I’ll do my best to do so promptly.
Find this month’s releases from Scotland/Ireland here and USA/Canada here.
This is a weird one. Hatozaki is officially produced by the Kaikyō Distillery which was established in 2017…so if you do the math it begs the question – where was this 15 year old whisky made? Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a few blog posts complaining about the lack of information about this brand in general. And here’s a great article about the strange case of Hatozaki’s ‘Made in Japan’ whisky that was actually American rye…in any case there’s 3,000 bottles of this particular 15 year old whisky which was finished for three years in Mizunara oak casks.
It might be a push to call this a new release. In this particular case, Suntory has partnered with painter Hiroshi Senju to create these limited “Artist Collaboration” editions, featuring Hibiki 21 and 30 year old repackaged in stunning new bottles showcasing Senju’s custom artwork made for the brand. The 30 year old includes traditional byōbu-style display with multi-panel screens to showcase the fancy bottle.
Connoisseurs are always wanting to try whisky from the Chichibu distillery, founder Ichiro Akuto is considered to be one of the world’s best whiskymakers. Chichibu’s second 10-year-old returns has been mostly matured in ex-Bourbon casks.
Fun fact, there’s actually two Chichibu distilleries! This is the first single malt from Chichibu’s second site, matured for four or five years and gives an idea as to what the distillery character of this new site is about.
The eighth release from Chichibu’s London Edition series, this is a vatting of 10 casks, two of them peated. Good luck finding any of these three bottles, they sold fast.
Japanese whisky fans rejoice! Nikka’s Sendai-based distillery has revived its age-stated single malt after a decade’s absence. It’ll be tricky to find though, with only 9000 bottles available in Japan and a further 9000 available worldwide.
Produced by Sakurao Brewery & Distillery Co., this everyday blend delivers gentle grain sweetness and soft oak spice. Positioned squarely at Japan’s entry-level domestic segment. According to this article, ‘Sogaini’ means ‘too much’ or ‘so much’ in the Hiroshima dialect.
Not much information available on the latest release from this Yamagata distillery, but it’s matured in ex-Bourbon casks.
A light, fruit-forward Australian blend matured mainly in bourbon casks with a hint of apera (sherry) wood. Designed as a soft, summery malt for casual drinking.
The fourth Harvest Series annual bottling celebrates the magic of the Wychwood forest. Almost 10 years old, a mix of ex-bourbon and port casks were blended together for a total yield of 1,500 bottles.
The thirteenth release of Penderyn’s excellent Icons of Wales series is fully matured in tawny port pipes.
