DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 13 August 2026

Glenfiddich Releases 230-Bottle Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Edition

Glenfiddich has unveiled a limited single cask release to mark its partnership with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Glenfiddich 14-Year-Old Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2026 Edition is drawn from a single first-fill bourbon cask, selected personally by Malt Master Brian Kinsman. Bottled at natural cask strength of 61% ABV, the release is limited to 230 bottles.

Tasting notes describe sweet American oak delivering vanilla, caramel, and toasted spice, balanced by Glenfiddich's hallmark orchard fruit flavours of pear and baked apple. On the palate, honeyed malt and toffee richness give way to warming oak spice and a long finish.

The whisky is available exclusively through Royal Mile Whiskies from August 2026, with an RRP of £120 for the 70cl bottle. It will also be available by the dram at Edinburgh's The Glasshouse.

Murray's take: 230 bottles at 61% ABV from a single first-fill bourbon cask, hand-selected by Kinsman — this is how you do a partnership release. The Tattoo is one of Scotland's most visible cultural exports, and Glenfiddich pairing a cask-strength single malt with it rather than a watered-down commemorative bottling shows respect for the audience. £120 for a 14-year single cask at cask strength is fair. The Royal Mile Whiskies exclusivity means this sells out fast and becomes a secondary market bottle. Worth chasing if you're in Edinburgh.

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Glasgow Distillery Unveils Three Single Malt Releases for 2026

The Glasgow Distillery has expanded its Glasgow 1770 Single Malt Scotch Whisky series with three limited releases for 2026. The line-up features Batch 2 editions of its Bourbon Cask Matured and Ruby Port Cask Finished expressions, plus an all-new Sherry Cask Matured single malt.

The Bourbon Cask Matured Batch 2 is an eight-year-old marrying equal proportions of peated and unpeated double-distilled single malt, matured exclusively in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 54% ABV, limited to 1,600 bottles at £59.

The Ruby Port Cask Finish Batch 2 returns after a sell-out debut in 2025. Now aged seven years, the whisky spent almost four years finishing in Ruby Port hogsheads after initial bourbon maturation. Also 54% ABV, limited to 1,200 bottles at £59.

The new Sherry Cask Matured Batch 1 is a six-year-old created in collaboration with Spanish sherry producer Ximénez-Spínola. It combines unpeated single malt finished in Pedro Ximénez casks with peated malt matured in Medium Sherry casks. Bottled at 55% ABV, 1,600 bottles at £59.

All three are natural colour, non-chill filtered, and available from 12 August via the Glasgow Distillery website and specialist UK retailers, with select international markets including Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, France, Finland, and Switzerland.

Murray's take: Three expressions at £59 each with proper age statements and batch-strength ABV — Glasgow Distillery is pricing like a distillery that wants to build a following, not fleece one. The Sherry Cask Matured is the standout: a peated/unpeated blend across PX and Medium Sherry casks at six years old is ambitious for a distillery founded in 2012. The Ruby Port returning after a 2025 sell-out tells you the demand is real. At these prices and bottle counts, these won't sit on shelves.

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Amrut Launches Kranthi Indian Single Malt in the US

Amrut Distilleries has launched Amrut Kranthi, a new single malt whisky, across the US through importer PM Spirits at a suggested retail price of $39.99. Bottled non-chill filtered at 40% ABV, the release is the newest addition to the Bengaluru-based distiller's single malt portfolio.

The name Kranthi signifies "revolution," reflecting what the brand describes as "the spirit of a self-reliant India." The launch continues Amrut's two-decade legacy of pioneering Indian single malt whisky globally. The company positions the release within the broader growth of the Indian single malt category, which now represents nearly 700,000 cases and an estimated $105 million in value.

Murray's take: $39.99 for an Indian single malt from the distillery that effectively created the category is a statement price. Amrut could charge more — Indian single malts have earned their premium positioning — and choosing not to is a volume play. The category at 700,000 cases and $105 million is still small compared to Scotch, but the growth curve is steep. Kranthi at $40 sits below Amrut's Fusion and Spectrum expressions, which means it's targeting the curious buyer who hasn't tried Indian whisky yet. Smart gateway bottle.

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Suntory Global Spirits CEO Talks Globalising Japanese Whisky

Greg Hughes, CEO of Suntory Global Spirits, has given an exclusive two-part interview to Global Drinks Intel, covering the Middle East conflict's impact on the business, the state of its Scotch whisky operations, and the future of Suntory's Japanese whisky portfolio.

In Part II, Hughes told deputy editor Jessica Broadbent that Suntory is "making very strong progress on share in particular in Europe." The interview's headline framing — "Our goal is to globalise Japanese whisky" — signals Suntory's intent to move Japanese whisky beyond its premium-niche positioning into broader global availability.

The interview also touches on Suntory's Scotch operations, which include Bowmore, Laphroaig, Glen Garioch, and Ardmore, and the RTD category's role in driving total spirits growth, covered in Part I. The full article is available to Global Drinks Intel subscribers.

Murray's take: Hughes saying "globalise Japanese whisky" is the quote that matters. Japanese whisky has been supply-constrained for a decade — Suntory has been allocating rather than marketing. If the CEO is now talking globalisation, that means production capacity is finally catching up to demand. The Scotch portfolio (Bowmore, Laphroaig, Glen Garioch, Ardmore) is the cash engine that funds the Japanese whisky expansion. Watch for Suntory to push Hibiki and Toki harder into emerging markets where Japanese whisky penetration is still low. The Middle East conflict impact is real but secondary — this interview is about where Suntory is spending next.

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Whisky Week Expands to Three Scottish Cities

Whisky Week returns to Scotland from 20 August to 13 September, expanding to its largest programme to date with more than 50 venues across Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Described as Scotland's largest whisky trail, the festival invites enthusiasts to follow a trail of participating bars, each partnering with a different distillery or brand.

The rolling tour starts in Aberdeen from 20-30 August, moves to Glasgow from 27 August-6 September, and finishes in Edinburgh from 3-13 September. Participating venues include Aberdeen Whisky Shop, The Grill, and The Tippling House in Aberdeen; The Pot Still in Glasgow; and Port of Leith Distillery, The Black Cat, and Teuchters Bar in Edinburgh.

Festival partners include Glenfiddich, Springbank, Glengoyne, Glen Moray, Kingsbarns, Kilchoman, Wemyss Malts, Caol Ila, and Tamnavulin. Every venue offers at least one dram for £5 or less, and wristband holders gain access to exclusive festival menus, tastings, tours, and experiences.

Co-founder Gregor Sey said: "Whisky has always been about more than what's in the glass. It's about the people you share it with, the stories behind every dram, and the venues that bring Scotland's whisky culture to life."

Murray's take: A whisky festival that asks you to walk between bars rather than sit in a convention hall is the right format. £5 drams at 50+ venues with distillery partnerships means you can try Springbank at The Pot Still, then Caol Ila at a different stop, for less than a round costs in London. The three-city rolling structure gives each city a 7-10 day window, which is enough time to do it properly without rushing. If you're anywhere near Scotland in late August, this is the one to clear your calendar for.