DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 14 July 2026

Stannergill Distillery Begins Production in Caithness — £5m Project, First Spirit on 10 July

Dunnet Bay Distillers has commenced production at its £5 million (US$6.7m) Stannergill Distillery in Caithness, following nearly two years of restoration and construction at the 200-year-old Castletown Mill. First spirit ran through the stills on 10 July 2026.

The distillery houses two stills named after the founders' daughters: a 5,000-litre wash still, Anna, and a 3,500-litre spirit still, Isla. Annual capacity is 240,000 litres. The site runs on an electric boiler with zero on-site emissions. A maturation warehouse and visitor centre are planned, and The Grain Store Restaurant opened on site in March 2026.

Co-founder Martin Murray said: "Everything here has been designed with intention, from fermentation through to distillation, to produce a spirit that truly reflects this landscape, while also setting a new standard for energy efficiency in our sector."

Wife and husband Claire and Martin Murray founded Dunnet Bay Distillers in 2014. The company's portfolio includes Rock Rose Gin, Holy Grass Vodka, and Mapmaker's Rum.

Murray's take: Caithness is the far north — remote, windswept, and not the first place you'd build a whisky distillery. That's the point. An electric boiler with zero on-site emissions is the 2026 standard, not an aspiration. Named stills, 240,000-litre capacity, a restaurant already trading — the foundation is serious. No whisky to taste for years.

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Gordon & MacPhail Releases Final Talisker Bottling — 39 Years Old, 451 Bottles, £1,250

Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled its last ever Talisker single cask bottling: a 39-year-old Connoisseurs Choice release from the Diageo-owned Skye distillery.

Distilled on 3 March 1987 and laid down in a refill Sherry butt, the whisky was bottled on 30 April 2026 at natural cask strength of 51.4% ABV. Limited to 451 bottles worldwide, it retails at £1,250 (US$1,670). Tasting notes list raisins, cloves, leather, tangerines, walnuts, cocoa, black pepper, and hints of ash.

Stuart Urquhart, operations director at G&M, said: "This release marks a poignant moment for us. Thirty-nine years in a refill Sherry butt has given this whisky exceptional depth without ever losing Talisker's signature character."

The label recreates the original 1970s Connoisseurs Choice design — red text on black. Whisky writer Serge Valentin said: "It is rather splendid to see the old black CC labels again. I also find that there is something exceedingly chic about releasing malts at 39 years of age, rather than waiting a few more months in order to display '40'."

G&M announced in 2020 that it would cease filling casks with new make spirit from distilleries it did not own by 2024, focusing on its own Benromach and The Cairn distilleries.

Murray's take: G&M stopping third-party cask filling was a quiet tectonic shift. 39 years in refill Sherry is the sweet spot: depth without the cask overwhelming the distillery character. Bottling at 39 rather than 40 is a choice — Valentin calls it chic, and he's right. Once these casks are gone, they're gone.

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Nikka Launches Miyagikyo Single Malt 10 Years Old — First Age Statement Since 2015, 45% ABV, $174.99

Nikka Whisky has launched Miyagikyo Single Malt 10 Years Old, the first age-statement Miyagikyo expression since 2015. The release marks a milestone in Nikka's gradual return to age-stated whiskies after a decade of stock shortages forced the suspension of most age-statement lines.

The 10-year-old is bottled at 45% ABV in 700ml format, with a US retail price of $174.99 and 1,572 bottles allocated nationwide. The whisky was crafted by Nikka's current blending team using carefully reserved batches to ensure consistency for future releases.

Packaging moves from deep rose to deep forest green, reflecting the natural environment around Miyagikyo Distillery. The label is made from Japanese craft washi paper. Yoichi 10yo will receive a matching update for 2026, featuring traditional indigo blue.

Emiko Kaji, Nikka Whisky Education and Global PR Leader, said: "With the 10-year-old expression, we wanted to reveal a new dimension of Miyagikyo's signature character. The result reflects both a decade of maturation and our vision for Miyagikyo's future."

Miyagikyo Distillery was built in 1969 by Nikka founder Masataka Taketsuru. Yoichi 10yo returned in 2022 after the distillery was designated a Japanese Important Cultural Property in 2021.

Murray's take: The return of Japanese age statements has been the industry's slowest comeback — 11 years without a Miyagikyo 10yo. Nikka suspended age statements in 2015 when demand outstripped stock, and the non-age-statement expressions that filled the gap were good but carried a question mark. 1,572 bottles for the US at $175 means this disappears fast. The washi paper label and forest green rebrand signal confidence: Nikka believes the stock pipeline is stable enough to commit. Yoichi returned first. Miyagikyo following confirms the recovery is real, not a one-off.

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The Heart Cut Collaborates with Ardnamurchan — 30PPM Peated, PX Sherry Cask, 543 Bottles

Independent bottler The Heart Cut has released its 24th bottling: a single cask Ardnamurchan single malt, peated to 30PPM and fully matured in a Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry cask. Limited to 543 bottles.

The release is only the third Scottish distillery collaboration in The Heart Cut's portfolio, following partnerships with Nc'nean and Lochlea. Tasting notes describe gentle peat smoke, bright citrus, dried apricot, olive brine, and coastal salinity — characterised by the bottler as "the character of a west coast single malt fully matured in the sweetest form of sherry casks."

Georgie, co-founder of The Heart Cut, said: "Ardnamurchan is part of a new wave of Scottish distilleries choosing flavour over yield. In its short life, it's built the kind of cult following most distilleries take decades to grow — known above all for an oiliness of texture that's highly sought after and adored."

To mark the launch, The Heart Cut partnered with Fin + Flounder, a Broadway Market fishmonger in London, hosting an event on 11 July with Ardnamurchan pocket pours paired with oysters, donating £2 per pour to The Fishermen's Mission.

Ardnamurchan Distillery was founded in 2014 by Adelphi Distillery Ltd on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, the most westerly point of the British mainland. It runs on local renewables — hydro-electric, solar, and biomass.

Murray's take: 30PPM peat fully matured in PX — heavy spirit in the sweetest sherry cask available. Peat smoke meets dried apricot meets olive brine. Ardnamurchan's oily texture is its signature, and PX would amplify rather than mask it. The oyster pairing launch is smart — coastal whisky and oysters is a natural match, and partnering with a fishmonger rather than a whisky bar says something about who The Heart Cut is for.

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Oban Launches Little Curiosities — Rum Cask Finish, 57.5% ABV, £220, Distillery Exclusive

Oban Distillery has released Oban – Little Curiosities (57.5% ABV), a non-age-stated single malt initially matured in ex-Bourbon barrels before finishing in ex-Rum casks. The release is available exclusively from the Oban Distillery shop at an RRP of £220.

The bottle features illustrations inspired by the seaside town's heritage. The launch coincides with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, stopping in Oban until 19 July.

Tasting notes describe guava, papaya, blood orange, honey, and sweet vanilla on the nose, followed by sweet citrus, bitter grapefruit, subtle spice, sea salt, and black pepper on the palate.

Emma Watson, Brand Home Manager at Oban Distillery, said: "The distillery's history is deeply connected to the town. We were established in 1794, so we are a core part of its history. Our latest distillery-exclusive release, Little Curiosities, is a wonderful way to celebrate and share the stories that make our hometown so unique."

Oban is one of Scotland's smallest distilleries, founded in 1794.

Murray's take: Oban doesn't release distillery exclusives often — this is a distillery that lets its age statements do the talking. A rum cask finish at 57.5% cask strength is a departure. The tasting notes — guava, papaya, blood orange — read tropical, which is interesting for a malt known for its briny, orange-peel house style. Tying the launch to the Clipper Race stopover is good timing: the town fills with sailors and visitors, and a distillery-only bottle at £220 becomes a souvenir with a story. The illustrations sound like a nod to the Victorian curiosity cabinet tradition — appropriate for a 232-year-old distillery in a harbour town.

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