This Rare Whisky Collection Features One of the Oldest Scotches Released This Year
Whenever The Last Drop Distillers rolls out a curated set of releases, you know it’s going to be special.
Previous editions have included a 50-year-old single cask single malt, 50-year-old Scotch blend, and collection of 40-year-old bourbon, 44-year-old rum, and 61-year-old cognac. So, it’s safe to say that whenever the curators announce new spirits are on the way, it’s going to be interesting.
And now, The Last Drop Distillers has revealed its 2024 Collection, Releases No. 34, 35, and 36. It features a 40-year-old single malt Scotch whisky from the Auchentoshan Distillery (Release No. 34), 22-year-old rum blend (Release No. 35), and 55-year-old single malt Scotch whisky from the Tomintoul Distillery (Release No. 36).
The Last Drop 40-Year-Old Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Release No. 34)
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Located in western Scotland, just outside Glasgow, Auchentoshan Distillery has been making whisky for over two centuries. While most Scotch is distilled twice, Auchentoshan is the only extant distillery in Scotland to distill its spirit three times, something more commonly done for Irish whiskey. The result is a more delicate spirit, and The Last Drop is celebrating the Lowland brand’s continued creativity with Release No. 34.
The Last Drop Distillers master blender Colin Scott notes that delicate yet rich aromas of fruitcake and stewed apples complement the sweetness of raisins and black cherries, which play alongside toffee, hazelnut, oak, and licorice notes. The palate is rich, with flavors of black cherry, cut grass, raisins, and caramel, which intermingle with spice and vanilla. Floral notes stick out as well, as does the presence of licorice.
Only 74 bottles of the 40-year-old single malt have been produced. Coming in at 89.6 proof, the whisky features a suggested retail price of $5,300 for a 700ml bottle.
The Last Drop 22-Year-Old Infinitum Rum Blend (Release No. 35)
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"Infinity" rums are so named because they're a blend of aged rums from many distilleries. Release No. 35 features a blend of rums from multiple countries across the globe, including Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Venezuela, Guadeloupe, Brazil, and Fiji. Made from hundreds of duty-suspended samples, the liquid was aged in an Liverpool warehouse oak cask for 22 years, before being bottled by The Last Drop.
Expert Ian Burrell describes the rum as offering sweet aromas of honeycomb, nutmeg, and allspice, followed by citrus marmalade and stewed fruit, leading to a cedarwood scent. The palate features allspice, nutmeg, gingerbread, and clove along with light oak and new leather notes.
Only 136 bottles exist, and each 700 ml costs $3,100.
The Last Drop 55-Year-Old Tomintoul Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Release No. 36)
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Release No. 36 is the Last Drop’s oldest single malt yet. It comes from whisky that was made when Speyside’s Tomintoul Distillery, founded in 1964, was less than five years old. The Scotch matured for more than 53 years in six oak casks before marrying into an amoroso sherry cask for 20 months, ending at 83.4 proof.
Scott describes the whisky as offering rich, ripe aromas of dark fruits, sweet raisins, and fruitcake alongside a gentle floral fragrance, grassy nettles, and notes of toffee, hazelnuts, and spices. The palate features an explosion of ripe fruits, caramelized apples, spices, and buttery notes of sticky toffee pudding.
Just 582 700ml bottles of the single malt are available for an $8,300 price tag each.
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