DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 21 July 2026

UK Government Launches Scotch Whisky Inquiry as Exports Continue to Fall

The Scottish Affairs Committee has opened a formal inquiry into the health of the Scotch whisky sector, scrutinising the impact of domestic policy, trade agreements, and tariffs on the industry. Exports account for around 90% of all whisky production in Scotland, and the numbers are heading the wrong way — from a peak of £6.2bn in 2022 to £5.6bn in 2023, with further declines predicted.

Patricia Ferguson, chair of the committee, said the inquiry will examine "opportunities and challenges facing the Scotch whisky sector" including the Deposit Return Scheme, workforce challenges, and rising energy costs. The deadline for evidence submissions is 18 September 2026.

The SWA welcomed the inquiry, noting that global trade uncertainty, tariffs, and rising domestic costs are "impacting competitiveness and investment across the sector." In February 2026, restructuring firm BTG found that 19% of Scottish distilleries face "significant or critical" financial issues. US tariffs imposed by the Trump administration contributed to a 15% drop in exports to the US in 2025, costing the industry £20m per week in lost revenue before their removal in May 2026.

Murray's take: A parliamentary inquiry is not a solution — it is a diagnostic. But when 19% of your distilleries are in financial trouble and exports have shed £600m in two years, diagnosis is overdue. The inquiry's scope is broad enough to matter: trade policy, domestic regulation, energy costs, workforce. The risk is that it produces a report nobody acts on. The deadline is September. Watch what lands by Christmas.

---

Glenglassaugh Expands Range with 15-Year-Old PX Sherry Cask Single Malt — £85, Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange

Glenglassaugh has added a 15-year-old single malt to its core range, available from today exclusively at The Whisky Exchange in the UK at £85 for 700ml. Bottled at 46% ABV, the expression layers Pedro Ximénez sherry and Spanish wine casks over the distillery's signature coastal spirit.

Master blender Rachel Barrie described the release as "a magnificent natural evolution," citing time spent on Sandend Bay as inspiration. The tasting profile runs to oranges, salted caramel, manuka honey, coffee, dates, papaya, and chocolate. The roll-out goes global: North America later this month, select European markets from August, Asia-Pacific from September.

Glenglassaugh was founded in Banffshire in 1875 and purchased by Brown-Forman in 2016 alongside Benriach and Glendronach. The brand was relaunched in 2023 with a three-expression core range. In January 2025, Brown-Forman paused production at Glenglassaugh and shifted to a shared production model with Benriach.

Murray's take: A 15-year-old at £85 positioned as a trade-up from the 12-year-old is solid shelf logic. PX sherry plus Spanish wine casks on a coastal Highland malt is a combination that earns its price. The production pause at Glenglassaugh in 2025 raised fair questions about the distillery's future — releases like this answer them. The Whisky Exchange exclusivity is a smart launch window; the global roll-out gives it legs.

---

Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey Lands in European Travel Retail — €24.99 at Seven Heinemann Airport Stores

Pernod Ricard-backed Skrewball, the 35% ABV peanut butter-flavoured whiskey, has entered European travel retail through a partnership with Gebr Heinemann. The brand is now available at Heinemann Duty Free stores in Frankfurt, Istanbul, Antalya, Berlin, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Munich airports, priced at €24.99.

Founded by Steven and Brittany Yeng in 2018, Skrewball had sold 500,000 nine-litre cases by 2022 before Pernod Ricard took a majority stake in March 2023. The brand has surpassed three million cases globally and grown 94% year-on-year in Pernod's global travel retail channel. Pernod cited Market.us data projecting the global flavoured whisky market at $35.7bn by 2034, growing at 6.5% CAGR, with Europe accounting for 45.8% of the market in 2024.

Ruediger Stelkens, director of commercial global LTC at Gebr Heinemann, called Skrewball "a distinctive brand with a strong personality and a flavour profile that clearly stands out in the whiskey category."

Murray's take: Peanut butter whiskey in European duty free is not a punchline — it is a category signal. Flavoured whisky is a $8.7bn market in Europe alone, and Pernod is pushing Skrewball into the airport channel because that is where impulse discovery happens. Three million cases in eight years for a seed brand is real volume. Whether it has staying power beyond the novelty pour is a different question, but travel retail is exactly the right testing ground.

---

Apogee 21 Buys Bankrupt Luca Mariano Distillery for $19.5m — 6,600 Bourbon Barrels Included

Nevada-based Apogee 21 has won a bid to purchase Luca Mariano Distillery in Danville, Kentucky, for $19.5m through a court-supervised bankruptcy process. The deal includes the 529-acre distillery campus, production facilities, real estate, brand assets, and approximately 6,600 ageing Bourbon barrels.

Luca Mariano filed for Chapter 11 in January 2026, just months after opening, with liabilities estimated between $10m and $50m. Apogee 21 plans to fund the purchase through $7m from a strategic investor group, senior secured debt, and a Series D share offering.

Apogee has also signed a letter of intent to acquire Rod & Hammer's whiskey brand and its distillery in San Luis Obispo, California — including a canning line, whiskey inventory, tasting room, and trademarks. The company already holds Noble Oak Bourbon and rye, acquired from Edrington (owner of The Macallan), along with approximately 11,500 barrels of ageing whiskey from that transaction.

Murray's take: A distillery that opened and went bankrupt inside the same year is a cautionary tale, not a bargain. But 6,600 ageing Bourbon barrels on a 529-acre campus for $19.5m is a asset play — Apogee is buying barrel inventory and production capacity, not a brand with equity. The Rod & Hammer's LOI adds a canning line and RTD capability. This is a roll-up strategy: acquire distressed assets, consolidate production, build a vertical platform. It works if the barrels are good and the debt is manageable. The $50m liability ceiling says the math is not simple.

---

Connemara Launches 'Gold' — Lightly Peated Irish Single Malt at €23.50, Targeting Newer Drinkers

Connemara, one of Ireland's few peated single malt producers, has launched Connemara Gold — a lightly peated expression aimed at drinkers exploring peated whiskey for the first time. Priced at €23.50 (~£20) and bottled at 40% ABV, the whiskey is matured in ex-bourbon casks and will be available in France from August 2026, with additional European markets to follow.

Connemara double-distils its single malt rather than following the triple-distillation tradition common in Irish whiskey, which the brand says delivers "a richer, more expressive flavour profile." Gold presents flavours of pear, peach, cereal, and what senior blender Sarah Dowling calls "a gentle whisper of smoke that builds in flavour and intensity."

Kirsteen Beeston, senior global marketing director at Suntory Global Spirits, which owns the brand, said drinkers "want something with more character than a blend, but they don't necessarily want to begin with the most intense smoky flavour."

Murray's take: A lightly peated Irish single malt at €23.50 is a shrewd positioning move. The Irish whiskey boom has been built on smooth and approachable — Connemara Gold threads the needle between that expectation and the growing curiosity about smoke. Double distillation instead of triple gives it more body, which matters at this price. The France-first launch is telling: French drinkers are moving toward Irish single malts, and Connemara is getting there ahead of the pack. For anyone who finds Islay intimidating, this is the on-ramp.

---

Got a tip or story we should cover? Find us at drammaster.academy or email [email protected].