{"id":43270,"date":"2026-05-21T04:13:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T04:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/43270\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T04:13:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T04:13:28","slug":"diageo-released-its-oldest-single-malt-whisky-to-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/43270\/","title":{"rendered":"Diageo Released Its Oldest Single Malt Whisky to Date"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tDiageo<\/a> might be struggling at the moment, along with the rest of the whiskey industry\u2014according to a recent report<\/a>, its sales declined by more than 15 percent in Q3 of this year here in the U.S. Still, the company is not one to shy away from the luxury market, as evidenced by the launch of the new Rare Series, which includes the oldest single malt<\/a> whisky<\/a> it has ever released. We had a chance to try all five bottles this week, and these are indeed some fantastic single malts.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe new Rare Series is part of Diageo\u2019s<\/a> Rare & Exceptional lineup, which focuses on ultra-aged single malts from its many distilleries, including some ghost distilleries, that are available in limited numbers with very high price tags. \u201cIt is a privilege to unearth the exceptional scotch<\/a> whiskies in Rare Series, a collection celebrating the remarkable breadth of Scotland\u2019s scattered whisky treasures,\u201d said Diageo<\/a> master blender Dr. Craig Wilson in a statement. \u201cFrom the experimental richness of Talisker<\/a> 1992 Rare Series to the historic Glenury Royal, which has been aged for over half a century, and a Clynelish which embodies the distillery\u2019s signature waxy character, each expression showcases rarity, diversity, and meticulous craftsmanship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWe attended a tasting of all five of the Rare Series single malts earlier this week, and discovered that the range represents a wide diversity of flavors. The honor of being Diageo<\/a>\u2018s oldest single malt to date goes to Glenury Royal 1970, a 55-year-old whisky from this ghost distillery which closed in 1985. It was matured in American oak hogsheads and then transferred to European oak puncheons, and it is somehow still light and crisp after that long in a cask, with notes of ripe berries and apple on the palate along with some leather, oak, and tobacco. It\u2019s also bottled at 62.4 percent ABV, which is surprisingly high for a single malt this old. Senior global brand ambassador Ewan Morgan credited this to the oak used to make the the barrel in which the whisky was aged having a very tight grain which minimized the angel\u2019s share, something that no one expected back when the whiskey was distilled. Just 21 bottles are available (SRP $6,350).<\/p>\n

\n\tThe rest of the whiskies are as follows. Talisker 1992 is a 33-year-old whisky aged in bourbon and sherry caks and then put into Amoroso-seasoned American oak hogsheads for a full 20 years (the only expression from an experimental batch, according to Diageo). Look for soft smoke, vanilla, citrus, saline, grape jelly, and cherry on the palate. 30 bottles are available (SRP $1,300). Caol Ila<\/a> 1983 is the oldest whisky to date from this Islay distillery, aged for 42 years in American and European oak and bottled at 56.4 percent ABV. There is light smoke on the palate along with notes of white grape juice, lemon, and some minerality.\u00a030 bottles are available (SRP $3,000). Clynelish 1983 is another 42-year-old whisky, aged entirely in bourbon barrels resulting in big tropical fruit notes like pineapple and mango, along with honey and vanilla.\u00a0Just 16 bottles are available (SRP $4,000). Lastly, Blair Athol 1991 is a 34-year-old whisky aged in oloroso sherry casks and finished in PX sherry, and as you\u2019d expect this whisky is rich in notes of dried fruit, spiced rum cake, raisin, toffee, and tannic oak. 25 bottles are available (SRP $900).<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Rare Series is available to purchase by registering with Diageo\u2019s Private Client teams, although some of the bottles may already be sold out. If you\u2019d like to inquire, visit the Rare & Exceptional website<\/a> to find out more.<\/p>\n

\tAuthors<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"Jonah\"Jonah<\/p>\n

\n\t\tJonah Flicker\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Flicker is currently Robb Report’s whiskey critic, writing a weekly review of the most newsworthy releases around. He is a freelance writer covering the spirits industry whose work has appeared in\u2026<\/p>\n

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