DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 26 August 2026

By Murray

Bruichladdich Completes the Still Series with Greener Still 15-Year-Old

Bruichladdich has released Greener Still, a 15-year-old unpeated single malt that completes the distillery's Still Series trilogy and marks 25 years since the Islay distillery reopened in 2001. Bottled at 51.6% ABV with an RRP of £120, the whisky was matured entirely in first-fill bourbon barrels and is made from a combination of Bere, Biodynamic, and Organic barley. The original Still Series ran from 2006 to 2008 with three colour-coded bottlings: Blacker Still (sherry), Redder Still (Bordeaux), and Golder Still (bourbon). Greener Still shifts the focus from cask to field. It joins Old Skool and Yellow Submarine III as the third 25th-anniversary release from Bruichladdich this year. Available from bruichladdich.com and specialist retailers from August 2026.

Murray's take: The Still Series has a cult following, and completing it 18 years after the last bottling is a statement, not a nostalgia exercise. Moving the emphasis from cask experimentation to agricultural sourcing is the right pivot for Bruichladdich, a distillery that has built its identity on barley provenance. Three barley types in one bottling, all matured in first-fill bourbon for 15 years on Islay, gives the spirit room to speak without a heavy cask overlay. £120 for a 15-year limited edition from a distillery with this track record is a fair ask.

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Surrey Pensioner's £130 Whisky Cask Valued at £270,000

A cask of Glenrothes single malt purchased for £130 in 1971 is going on sale for £270,000, more than 2,000 times the original purchase price. Angus Kerr, an 81-year-old former commodities trader from Surrey, bought the cask at £1.20 per gallon after losing roughly £1,000 on Rolls-Royce shares. The cask was filled on 2 January 1969, making it the oldest known Glenrothes cask in existence. It contains enough whisky for approximately 287 bottles. Kerr lost contact with the original selling company when it went bust, but was contacted years later by a Glasgow warehouse demanding storage fees. Tasting experts described the 57-year-old spirit as "absolutely fantastic." The cask is being brokered by Mark Littler. Kerr told BBC Radio Surrey: "I don't drink scotch. If I did, I would be looking around for something that was £18, no more."

Murray's take: The detail that lands here is not the return on investment, impressive as 2,000x sounds. It is that Kerr bought a cask of single malt in 1971 for £130, forgot about it for decades, and the whisky turned out to be good. A cask filled in 1969 could have gone the other way. Old whisky in cask is a gamble on evaporation, alcohol loss, and oak influence over half a century. That this one survived as "absolutely fantastic" rather than thin, woody, or dead is the part worth noting. The buyer at £270,000 is paying for rarity and story, not just liquid. That is how cask investment works at the top end.

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Michter's Named World's Most Admired Whiskey for Fourth Consecutive Year

Drinks International has placed Michter's at number one on its 2026 list of The World's Most Admired Whiskies, the fourth consecutive year the Louisville-based distillery has topped the ranking. The list is determined by an academy of independent global drinks buyers, journalists, bartenders, and whisky experts from more than 25 countries. Two Suntory-owned brands completed the podium: The Yamazaki in second place for the third year running, and Hibiki in third. Michter's Executive Vice President Matt Magliocco said: "Everything we do centers upon striving to make the highest quality whiskey, which requires taking a lot of extra steps throughout the production process that are more expensive but critical to the ultimate flavor and taste profile." Master Distiller Dan McKee added: "These past few years have taken me from Miami to Melbourne and just about everywhere in between."

Murray's take: Four years at the top of a list voted by an independent academy is a serious run. Michter's is not the cheapest American whiskey, and it is not the biggest, but it has built a reputation on production discipline rather than marketing scale. The podium tells its own story: an American bourbon above two Japanese whiskies, voted by a global panel. That is a shift in perception that would have been hard to predict a decade ago. Whether the streak continues depends on whether the whiskey keeps getting better or the field catches up.

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House of Hazelwood and Bertie's Launch Highland Whisky Journey

House of Hazelwood has partnered with Bertie's Whisky Bar at The Fife Arms in Braemar to create a curated whisky experience through the Cairngorms, featuring some of the rarest and oldest Scotch whiskies ever released. Guests choose from nine House of Hazelwood expressions ranging from 33 to 57 years old, the largest collection of the brand available in any bar or restaurant worldwide. The experience moves through ancient Caledonian forest, beside the River Dee, and to a privately owned Highland estate with views across peaks including Ben Macdui and Braeriach. Highlights include the 57-Year-Old Blended at Birth, the 52-Year-Old The Pursuit of Pleasure, and The Garden at Hazelwood, a 47-Year-Old Blended Malt inspired by the grounds of Hazelwood House. Tom Addy, senior whisky bartender at Bertie's, said: "Rather than confining the tasting to a single room, we've taken inspiration from the landscapes around us." House of Hazelwood forms part of William Grant & Sons, the family-owned distiller behind Glenfiddich and The Balvenie.

Murray's take: Nine expressions from 33 to 57 years old, tasted across Highland estates and ancient forests, is a different proposition from a standard tasting menu. The decision to move the experience out of the bar and into the landscape is what makes this interesting. Whisky and place are connected, but most premium tastings happen in a room with a tasting mat. Whether the Cairngorms backdrop enhances the 57-year-old or just adds theatrical context is a question only the guest can answer. At this level, the experience is the product. The whisky is the licence to charge for it.

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The Whisky Exchange Completes 12-Bottle Zodiac Series

The Whisky Exchange has unveiled the final four whiskies in its 12-bottle Zodiac Series, completing the collection with Sagittarius, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Aquarius. Selected by Buying Director Dawn Davies and Own-Label Product Manager Chris Bolton, each whisky was chosen to capture the personality of its corresponding star sign. The Scorpio bottling is a Speyside Distillery 2009 15 Year Old, bottled at 53.9% ABV, priced at £89.95. Sagittarius is a Bunnahabhain 2020 4 Year Old at 60.4% ABV, aged in a first-fill sherry butt, priced at £54.95. Capricorn is a MacDuff 2014 11 Year Old at 50.1% ABV, aged in a re-charred barrel, priced at £62.95. Aquarius is a Campbeltown Blended Malt 2015 10 Year Old at 57.4% ABV, priced at £72.95. Friends of The Whisky Exchange had access from 24 August, with general release online and in store from 7 September. The full collection features artwork by Jenna Morse and can be purchased as four element-themed sets or the complete 12-bottle collection.

Murray's take: Thematic whisky collections live or die on the selection, not the concept. A Bunnahabhain 4-year-old at 60.4% from a first-fill sherry butt for Sagittarius is a bold pick for a sign associated with fire. A 15-year-old sherried Speyside for Scorpio is more predictable but harder to argue with. The MacDuff 11-year-old in re-charred barrel and a Campbeltown blended malt from refill hogshead round out the set with variety. Pricing sits between £54.95 and £89.95, which is accessible for single cask strength bottlings. Whether the astrology framing holds together as a tasting journey is subjective. The whiskies are solid, and that is what matters.

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