Diageo reveals its 2013 Special Releases collection

By Tara Craig

Published: 05 September, 2013

Diageo has revealed the 10 single malt whiskies that will make up its annual limited edition Special Releases for this year.

Available from November from specialist retailers in Northern Europe, the USA and selected Asian markets, the whiskies included are, according to Nik Keane, global director for malt whiskies at Diageo, "some of the most sought after, valuable and collectible single malt Scotch whiskies in the world".

Among the 10 are three from distilleries no longer in operation. Of these, the very rare Convalmor, from the Dufftown distillery, makes a welcome reappearance among the Special Releases, says Diageo. Last included in 2005, just 3,000 bottles are available in this limited edition. They were bottled at 36 years old.

Also from now-defunct distilleries, a 34 year old Port Ellen comes in an edition of fewer than 3,000 individually numbered bottles, as does the Highland East Coast 35 year old Brora.

"Stocks of Brora and Port Ellen are inexorably diminishing. Each year's limited-edition bottling releases one more fragment of whisky history that is unique, and can't ever be replaced. Many would accept that Port Ellen and Brora are among the world's rarest single malt whiskies still being released", said Nick Morgan, Diageo's head of whisky outreach.

Two Lagavulin whiskies appear in this year's Special Releases, a 12 year old and a 37 year old, the latter being the oldest expression of Lagavulin ever released. They are joined by a 1985-distilled Talisker and three Speyside whiskies - 21 and 22 year old expressions of Cardhu and a 28 year old bottling of The Singleton of Dufftown, the first limited cask strength edition of The Singleton in this series, with just 3,840 individually numbered bottles.

The final two whiskies in the 2013 Special Releases are a 21 year old Oban and the 8th unpeated limited edition of Caol Ila, subtitled "Stitchell Reserve" in honour of the long-serving distillery manager Billy Stitchell, due to retire this year.

Special Release whiskies are aimed at experts and connoisseurs - UK RRPs range from £70 for the Caol Ila to £1,950 for the 37 year old Lagavulin.

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