Whisky Month has been in full flow, with new launches, expressions and festivals on the horizon

Weaving a new story

Edinburgh whisky maker Woven Whisky has unveiled plans for a major new blending facility and visitor experience in Leith, set to open in 2027.

Based at one of Edinburgh’s hottest new openings – Brown’s of Leith – the two-floor site will house Woven’s full blending operations, public blending rooms, a tasting space and a lounge bar. Woven have launched a new “Blending Rooms” experience: an immersive two-hour session, priced at £55, where guests create, blend and bottle their own whisky. Running every Thursday and Friday for small groups, the experience is designed as a hands-on introduction to the art of whisky blending.

Coastal sampling

Scotland’s leading distilleries will gather on the Angus coast this June as Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery hosts ‘A Dram Good Whisky Festival’, bringing together more than 10 distilleries for a day of tastings, masterclasses and distillery experiences. Taking place on Saturday 6th June, the festival will welcome whisky enthusiasts, trade professionals and visitors to the Arbikie Estate for two ticketed sessions featuring drams from participating exhibitors, guided tours, talks from whisky makers and curated masterclasses throughout the day. Distilleries already confirmed for the festival include Bladnoch Distillery, Glencadam Distillery, InchDairnie Distillery, Kingsbarns Distillery and Nc’nean Distillery, alongside international names.

Top Dog

Aberdeenshire whisky producer Little Brown Dog recently launched its first ever core expression whisky. The new whisky – Aberdeenshire Single Malt – represents a major milestone for the business. Founded in 2018 by Andrew Smith and Chris Reid, Little Brown Dog is an independent bottler and microdistillery. Built on a shared passion for flavour, transparency and craftsmanship, the company has earned a loyal following for its characterful single cask whiskies, small-batch releases and innovative spirits.

Flying the flag

Award-winning bottler, Saltire Rare Malt is based in Falkland, Fife – the historic birthplace of Scotch whisky more than 530 years ago. Saltire Rare Malt specialises in sourcing single casks from some of Scotland’s most respected distilleries. The first release from their brand-new Cigar Malt Series is a limited-edition 18 year old from a ‘lost distillery’ in Speyside – their oldest release to date. 

Island firsts

Arran Distillers has launched the long‑awaited Arran 14 Year Old and the first core‑range Arran 30 Year Old, alongside refreshed packaging across the single malt range. The launches build on the momentum of last year’s milestone 30th anniversary, celebrated with a vibrant festival weekend in Lochranza and the release of 30 rare Palo Cortado Private Casks, plus the recent accolade as ‘Distillery of the Year’ at the Scottish Whisky Awards.

Peaty power

Cù Bòcan, the experimental single malt brand produced at Tomatin Distillery, has released the first known peated Scotch whisky to be matured in ice wine casks. Creation #8 is the latest release in the brand’s limited-edition series which explores unique cask combinations. The new expression showcases a never seen before dual cask maturation, using a combination of rare Canadian ice wine casks and high-quality Spanish Verdejo casks, a pairing which results in a unique flavour profile of fruit salad sweets, lime zest, earthy smoke and soft oak spice.