DramMaster Daily Whisky News — 31 August 2026

By Murray

A £50,000 Sip of History: Tasting the Glen Grant 72 Year Old

Distilled in 1948 and bottled by Gordon and MacPhail in 2020, the Glen Grant 72 Year Old sits at 52.6% ABV after more than seven decades in a single American oak sherry cask — exceptionally rare for the period, as bourbon barrels did not arrive in bulk in Scotland until after the war, mostly from 1953 onwards. The whisky sells for between £20,000 and £50,000 depending on the decanter. Reviewer Phil Dwyer scored it around 84 on first tasting for Forbes, finding bitterness that suggested too much oak. After letting the bottle breathe for an hour, the bitterness vanished, replaced by fudge, clotted cream, and chewy brownie. His revised score: 9.5 out of 10. The nose brings old leather, lemon oil, absinthe, liquorice, treacle tart, and foam banana sweets. The palate moves from mint and anise into milk and dark chocolate, gentle cigar smoke, and the peach iced tea fruitiness that Glen Grant carries at its core.

Murray's take: A 72-year-old whisky holding 52.6% ABV is close to miraculous. What makes this review worth reading is the honesty — Dwyer scored it 84, let it breathe, and scored it 9.5. The lesson is about the bottle you already own: give it an hour before you judge it.

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Paul John on Indian Single Malt After the Tariff Cut

The India-UK Free Trade Agreement came into force on 15 July 2026, cutting India's import duty on Scotch from 150% to 75%, with a phased reduction to 40% over 10 years. Eleven days later, the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies estimated Indian single malt sold roughly 500,000 nine-litre cases in 2025 — up 22% year on year, with homegrown producers holding 92% of the made-in-India segment. Paul P. John, chairman of John Distilleries, laid down his first Goan malt spirit in 2008 and launched Paul John in London before India. He welcomes the tariff cut: "It is both competition and an opportunity to grow the category." His warning to his own side: "We should not assume that a historical price advantage will protect us indefinitely." Goa's warehouses lose 8% of cask contents annually to the angels' share, against 2% in Scotland, with average temperatures of 30°C and humidity above 70%. He argues age statements without context are misleading — a young Goan whisky can reach a concentration that a Scottish age comparison will not predict. "The glass must remain the final judge." He co-founded the Indian Malt Whisky Association to set category standards, and his fear is specific: "I dread that one badly made Indian single malt as someone's first experience can tarnish the category built by reputable producers."

Murray's take: Paul John welcomes the tariff cut that makes his competitors cheaper — his argument is that a bigger Scotch shelf means more people discovering single malt. The 8% angels' share in Goa against 2% in Scotland is the number that matters: tropical maturation is faster, more intense, and more expensive in lost stock. The constraint is not demand — it is supply, and time cannot be accelerated.

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Torabhaig Distillers' Series: Handing the Distillery to the Makers

Torabhaig, the Isle of Skye single malt distillery, has launched The Distillers' Series — a collection giving its distillers full creative control over production for one month every year. The series debuts across 10 markets in September 2026 at £75 RRP, opening with two expressions. The first comes from Iona Macphie, who joined Torabhaig at 21 and distilled her whisky at 23 — the youngest distiller to complete the process. She built her expression around chocolate malt from Crisp maltings in Portgordon, tasting the chocolate character off the still after 15 minutes and adjusting timings to capture the richest flavours. "The chocolate malt turned the wash black as stout but the final spirit is really rounded and rich," she said. Bottled at 60.9% ABV. The second is from Niall Culbertson, who used brown malt and dark crystal malt and part-matured in ex-rum casks for a bright, coastal, maritime character. Bottled at 59.3% ABV. Each expression is limited to 5,250 bottles globally, non-chill filtered with no added colour. Torabhaig began distilling in 2017 as the first new distillery on Skye in 190 years and forms part of the Mossburn whisky portfolio. Whisky maker Neil MacLeod Mathieson said: "The stills are the same, the island is the same, but the story changes with every maker. That is exactly the point."

Murray's take: Most distiller-autonomy releases are marketing exercises — a guest name on a label with minor tweaks. Torabhaig is giving two distillers the actual stills for a month and letting them choose everything. Macphie's chocolate malt at 60.9% and Culbertson's rum-cask coastal at 59.3% are genuinely different spirits from the same still house. 5,250 bottles each at £75 is a fair price for a distiller's personal statement.

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Supreme Court May Decide if Americans Can Distil Whiskey at Home

A nearly 158-year-old federal ban on home distilling could face a US Supreme Court test after two federal appeals courts reached opposite conclusions within 11 days in April 2026. The law, 26 USC 5178(a)(1)(B), prohibits any distilled spirits plant from being located in a dwelling house or connected enclosure. On 10 April, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals declared the ban unconstitutional, calling it an unnecessary and improper means for Congress to exercise its taxing power. On 21 April, the 6th US Circuit upheld the ban, ruling that while the prohibition is not itself a tax, it is a necessary and proper means of collecting the federal excise tax because stills could be hidden. The circuit split gives SCOTUS an opportunity to take the case. A petition has been filed asking the justices to legalise home whiskey distilleries. The law predates the Civil War.

Murray's take: Home brewing has been legal since 1978; home distilling remains a felony. The 5th Circuit called the ban what it is — an improper use of taxing authority to police behaviour unrelated to tax collection. If SCOTUS takes the case, the government must explain why a 158-year-old ban survives when home brewing does not.

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What It Really Costs to Buy Your Own Cask of Springbank

Springbank does not sell casks to the public. Secondary-market casks come almost entirely from private owners, many originally sold through La Reserve, the London wine business of Mark Reynier, who later revived Bruichladdich and founded Waterford. Reynier borrowed a wine tradition of gifting a cask, approached Springbank in their lean years, and the scheme took off. Casks available today tend to date from 1991 to 2001 — the whisky inside is already 20 to 30 years old. Prices range from £50,000 to £400,000, driven by fill level and ABV. If strength drops below 40%, it is no longer Scotch, so a weak cask must be bottled immediately. Provenance is verified through bonded warehouses in duty suspense, where every cask owes a debt to HMRC audited monthly — a tax debt that is the real gold standard of authenticity. You cannot legally call the whisky "Springbank" — the word is trademarked — but you can label it "distilled at the Springbank distillery," since geography cannot be trademarked. Ongoing costs include insurance, warehouse rent, the 90-day removal rule, bottling, label design, and taxes. Broker Mark Littler's verdict: do not treat this as an investment. Own a cask because releasing whisky with your own name on the label is a uniquely brilliant experience.

Murray's take: The £50,000-to-£400,000 range tells you why cask investment is not for the faint-hearted. The real risk is the ABV floor — drop below 40% and you bottle immediately or lose the liquid. The HMRC audit is the provenance: the tax debt cannot be faked. Own the cask for the experience, not the return.

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