Berry Bros. & Rudd, the leading wine and spirits merchant, continues to demonstrate its commitment to celebrating the finest spirits from around the world with the launch of its 2024 Spring Release. Building upon a rich history and tradition of excellence, the latest spirits lineup showcases an exceptional selection of whiskies and rum from both emerging and iconic regions, including Sweden, South America, Speyside and the Scottish highlands.
Renowned for their elegance and complexity, single malt Scotch whiskies hailing from Speyside take centre stage with releases from Knockdhu, Craigellachie, Glenlossie sitting alongside a Benrinnes distilled in 1979 from Berry Bros. & Rudd’s highly coveted Exceptional Cask Collection. Accompanying the Speyside single malts is a peated Madeira cask finish from highland distillery Ardmore, offering earthy aromas that merge seamlessly into notes of sweet apricot and gummy fruits.
Representing the pinnacle of Swedish whisky craftsmanship and its flourishing distilling scene is a High Coast Peated 2012, a bottling with unmistakable nordic character that delivers an exceptional sensory experience.
The final spirit within the seasonal release is an elegant and fruity Guyanese rum. Meticulously crafted, this luscious spirit gives off aromas of honey that develop into dry menthol notes, with a taste on the palate that provides succulent bursts of sweet fruit.
Felix Dear, Spirits Curator for Berry Bros. & Rudd, commented:
“Building on the success of previous releases within our seasonal portfolio, we continue to pour our expertise and passion for spirit into selecting each bottle and curating these collections, with a goal of showcasing a diversity of flavour and makers. The 2024 Spring Release is no exception.
It is always a pleasure to shine a light on distilleries from the iconic Speyside and Highland regions, many a stone’s throw from where I have hosted whisky tastings in the past, as well as delving into the rich and exotic flavours of South American Rum and representing the burgeoning Swedish distilling scene.”
Felix Dear
The 2024 Spring Release, featuring Benrinnes 1979 Exceptional Cask, Small Batch Glenlossie 2013, Craigellachie 2013, Knockdhu 2012, High Coast Peated 2012, Ardmore 2009 and Guyana 2013, will be available from 19th March 2024 at bbrspirits.com.
TASTING NOTES
Benrinnes 1979 #62 Exceptional Cask
The crescendo of aromas in this whisky begins with musty hessian and attics before rising into honey-soaked pineapple and peaches. Magnificent hints of leather and elderflower soon follow. The palate expands on this theme with apricot jam, stewed apple and lychee before developing into antique oak, cigar boxes and musty earth. The finish offers dried fruits and aged tea. This kind of complexity requires nearly half a decade of quiet ageing so accept no substitute.
ABV: 42.1%
RRP: £1,800.00
Small Batch Glenlossie 2013
Aromas of spiced vanilla yoghurt open the nose of this Glenlossie leading to warm orchard fruits and green boiled sweets. The palate is fresh with flavours of apples and pears with honey, caramel, and clove rock. A long finish brings waves of sweet fruit and lingering wood spice.
ABV: 46%
RRP £70.00
Craigellachie 2013 #302040
Craigellachie’s muscular spirit shows emerging aromas of fresh hay, malt and fireworks, before orchard fruits and a softer floral side of rose petals and Port. The palate is notably thick, with more barley, eau de vie, underripe vanilla and blackberries before a puff of wood smoke and digestive biscuits appear. The finish is long and one can feel the spirits oils lingering and showing a touch of peppery spice.
ABV: 55.4%
RRP: £90.00
Knockdhu 2012 #7127
This Knockdhu has a dry, nutty nose expanding with time in the glass. It shows almonds and walnuts before green fruits and banana bread notes appear. The palate is an equally complex meeting of fruits, wood spice and distillate-driven nuttiness, offering an excellent mouthfeel. A little tobacco dances across the finish, with a burst of citrus and some honeyed green fruits.
ABV: 58.8%
RRP: £75.00
High Coast Peated 2012 #4333
The nose on this whisky is unmistakably High Coast. Opening with clean, chiselled peat smoke then fresh orchard fruit and icing sugar showing with time. The palate is powerful yet sophisticated and everything we’ve come to expect from this distillery. Peat smoke, crisp green apples, wood ash and some nice minerality shine through. The two years in an ex-Islay cask bring out a little more peat reek on a long finish. This is a wonderful dram from one of Sweden’s best.
ABV: 59.8%
RRP: £110.00
Ardmore 2009 #709317
This peaty Highlander has spent years luxuriating in a sweet Madeira cask. Its earthy aromas mingle nicely with sweet apricot notes and plenty of gummy fruits. The palate is wonderfully viscous with hugely chewy notes of fruity smoke, plums, charcoal, earthy peat, peaches and oak spice. There is huge complexity here. Lingering smoke comes in waves against an oily fruitiness.
ABV: 54.2%
RRP: £96.00
Guyana 2013 #71
This is a delightfully elegant and lightly fruity rum. A luscious bed of honey aromas develops into dry menthol notes. The palate is dry, initially, until the honey gathers pace to give succulent bursts of sweet fruit.
ABV: 59.5%
RRP: £125.00
Disclaimer: This press release has been sent to me without charge or obligation to publish. I’m posting this as it is genuinely interesting to me, is a business whose whiskies I’ve been enjoying, and is not a promotion.
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