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New Whisky Releases April 2025
- Miona Madsen
- May 4
- 11 min read
In an extremely eventful month, new whisky releases kept on coming in April 2025. Since there is a lot of ground to cover, let's get to it and explore 28 new whisky releases and series that caught our attention this month. What a repertoire.
Johnnie Walker x Olivier Rousteing Couture Expression
The inaugural collaborative release from Diageo's luxury platform, Johnnie Walker Vault, paired master blender Dr Emma Walker with Balmain fashion house's creative director, Olivier Rousteing. The Couture Expression collection is the first of the partnership's two releases and includes four blended whiskies celebrating the four seasons.
Named Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, the four releases are presented in metallic shades representing each season. All the blends are made with the same 'heart blend', which includes whiskies from the closed Brora and Port Dundas distilleries.
Spring includes Cragganmore 1985, Caledonian 1977, and Port Ellen 1978. Summer is separated from the other blends by Cardhu Wine Cask Finish, Clynelish 1990, and Benrinnes 1988. The Fall edition includes Teaninich's experimental chocolate malt and Port Ellen 1978, while Winter's components include additional whiskies from Port Ellen and Brora, and Benrinnes 1988.
Available for purchase from 26 May, each expression is limited to only 25 bottles globally, with an individual price of US$20,000 (£15,067).
Image by Johnnie Walker Vault
Bowmore ARC-54
The second and last high-value collaboration between Bowmore and car manufacturer Aston Martin was inspired by the F1-inspired aerodynamic exterior of the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Called ARC-54, the 54-year-old single malt follows the release of 52-year-old ARC-52 in June 2022.
The whisky was distilled in November 1968 and aged in second-fill European oak Sherry butts and third-fill American oak hogshead casks. Inspired by a reported maturation 'golden ratio', the whisky combines 61.8% European and 38.2% American. The whiskies were married for 15 months before bottling.
Offered at 44.3% ABV, the 54-year-old release is limited to 130 bottles worldwide, each retailing for £71,000 (US$93,300).
Images by Bowmore/ Aston Martin
Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six
With the release of Chapter Six, Midleton Distillery's six-year journey comes to an end. Launched in 2020, the Silent Distillery Collection from the Old Midleton Distillery, which closed in 1975, has included some of the oldest and rarest Irish whiskeys ever bottled. The final edition is no exception, and commemorates the lost distillery's 200th anniversary.
The 50-year-old is not only the last expression in the collection but also the oldest Irish whiskey from Midleton. The release represents the last drops distilled by master distiller emeritus Max Crockett in the world’s largest pot still. The whiskey was initially aged in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in a unique barrel constructed using wood from the collection's previous five releases.
The 50-year-old whiskey is presented in a cabinet made of six woods: each previously featured in the cabinets of the first five Silent Distillery releases, with the sixth being a blue bird’s eye maple. Limited to less than 250 bottles, the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is bottled at 53% ABV. The rare release has a suggested retail price of £55,000 (€60,000/ US$60,000) and is available on the Midleton Collection website and in specialist retailers in the UK, Ireland and the US.
Image by Irish Distillers
Midleton Very Rare 2025 Edition
A second bicentenary bottle from Midleton was released only days after the 50-year-old was unveiled: the annual vintage blend of Irish single pot still and single grain whiskies. The 2025 edition features whiskeys matured in the distillery's A2 warehouse, which was built in the 1860s.
The vintage is the first instalment in a series that features six distinctive distillates. The blend includes three types of grain whiskey: Midleton's signature grain whiskey, a 22-year-old grain whiskey made from barley and malted barley, and a 21-year-old grain whiskey. The latter two were aged in refill ex-American whiskey oak barrels.
Offered at 40% ABV, Midleton Very Rare 2025 features a commemorative stamp marking the distillery’s 200th anniversary and retails for £220 (US$350). The release was launched in mid-April in select markets: Ireland, the US, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Australia, global travel retail, and directly from the producer. Additional markets will be added later this year.
Image by Irish Distillers
Royal Salute Rio De Janeiro Polo Edition
The seventh edition of Royal Salute's Polo Series was inspired by Brazil's polo capital, Rio de Janeiro. The blended whisky includes American oak-matured whiskies, as well as malts from Braeval Distillery aged in first-fill casks.
The limited release was launched globally in early April 2025, with a suggested retail price of US$190 (£147).
Image by Royal Salute
Macallan Distil Your World Hong Kong
Following previous releases celebrating the culinary offerings of Mexico, London, and New York, Macallan has continued the Distil Your World series with a Hong Kong edition. The series is a collaboration between Euan Kennedy, lead whisky maker of The Macallan, and Michelin-starred chefs and brothers Joan, Josep, and Jordi Roca.
The single malt is aged in Sherry-seasoned European oak hogsheads and American oak casks. In April, it will debut in Asian travel retail and the Asia-Pacific region at US$4,750 (£3,680). Less than 500 bottles of the Hong Kong edition will also be available for private clients to pre-order in the US. The release will go on general sale in the US in September.
Image by The Macallan
The Macallan Folio 8
The latest edition in The Macallan Archival Series, Folio 8, was released exclusively in global travel retail (GTR) in mid-April, following initial launch in the US market in February. First introduced in 2015, the collection celebrates Macallan's advertising campaigns from the 1980s and 1990s. The eighth release in the series highlights a billboard campaign from the 1980s called 'The Colossus of Nose,' a reference to the Colossus of Rhodes statue.
Folio 8 is bottled at 43% ABV and retails for US$400 (£302) at The Macallan boutiques and duty free shops in GTR at select airports.
Images by The Macallan
The Macallan The Tree of Life Collection
Last one this month from Macallan, we promise.
In late April 2025, The Macallan unveiled a new collection celebrating Scottish artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh's 1902 stained-glass panel work called The Spirit of the Rose. The collection includes two expressions: 46-year-old The Tree of Life and a non-age statement, Art is the Flower.
Starting with the 46-year-old limited release, the whisky was distilled in 1979 and drawn from two sherry-seasoned casks. The release commemorates Mackintosh's retreat to the countryside at the age of 46, and is offered at 46.2% ABV. No price has been made public, but the release is limited to 112 Lalique decanters, which can be purchased only from The Macallan by invitation.
The Macallan Art is the Flower, on the other hand, reportedly has an RRP of US$1,100 (£829). The single malt was aged in sherry-seasoned European oak casks and is offered at 50.4% ABV. Art is the Flower will be available from select retailers from 6 May.
Images by The Macallan
Star Hill Farm Whisky 2025
In April 2025, Maker's Mark unveiled its first non-Bourbon whiskey. Called Star Hill Farm after the distillery site, the new annual addition to the distillery’s range is said to evolve yearly with exploration of variables into the resulting whiskey. The inaugural wheat whiskey release is made from two distinct mashbills: 70% soft red winter wheat and 30% malted barley, and the other 100% malted soft red winter wheat.
The 2025 release is a blend of seven- and eight-year whiskeys, bottled uncut at cask strength of 57.35% ABV. The annual release has a suggested retail price of US$100 (£75) and will be available in the US and the UK in mid-May, followed by Australia later this year.
Image by Maker's Mark
Ardbeg Smokiverse
Held this year on 31 May, the Ardbeg Day has been an annual celebration of all things Ardbeg since 2012 on the last day of Fèis Ìle, Islay Festival of Music and Malt.
This year's limited edition, Smokiverse, is made with experimental 'high-gravity' mash in which the amount of water has been reduced. The whisky is aged in Bourbon casks and bottled at 48.3% ABV. Available from Ardbeg embassies and the distillery on 28-30 May, Smokiverse will be officially released on 31 May.
Image by Ardbeg
Stauning Censored
On 1 April, a 2003 agreement signed between the EU and Canada was unexpectedly enforced, banning European producers from calling their rye whiskies 'rye whisky' on their bottles. Call it bad timing, but the enforcement was no April Fool's joke.
The deal was signed when rye whisky was not yet produced in Europe. To note, to this day, Canadian 'rye whisky' doesn't need to consist of any rye, but it can be used to describe any Canadian whisky.
To answer the absurdity of 'protecting an ingredient', the Danish Stauning distillery released a limited-label edition of its rye whisky, where the word has been covered with a red 'Censored' banner.
Image by Stauning
The Glen Grant Exploration No1
Campari's Glen Grant Distillery launched a new range in GTR this April, called the Exploration Series. Paying tribute to James 'The Major' Grant's travels in the 19th century, the series is dedicated to cask finishes.
The inaugural expression, Exploration No1, was initially aged in Bourbon barrels and finished in Caribbean rum casks. Bottled at 48% ABV, the release will be available exclusively in GTR from March to August 2025 at 37 key Asia-Pacific airports in eight countries. Exploration No1 retails for HK$940 (£91/US$121).
Image by The Glen Grant
Talisker The Wild Blue
Talisker The Wild Blue is a limited edition from the Skye-based distillery finished in South African red wine casks for sixteen months. The release was created in partnership with Blue Marine Foundation to help restore marine and coastal wildlife. The collaboration aims to raise more than US$110,000 (£83,000) for sea conservation, donating £3 (US$4) for each bottle sold to the foundation.
The limited edition is offered at 48.2% ABV and is now available with a suggested retail price of £82 (US$109).
Image by Diageo
Glasgow 1770 10-year-old
In honour of the 10th anniversary since the start of whisky production at The Glasgow, the distillery released a limited edition 10-year-old single malt, the oldest expression from the distiller. The whisky was aged in a single refill Bourbon cask, resulting in just 230 bottles, which sold out on the distillery's website in less than 30 minutes on 10 April. Offered at 54% ABV, the expression sold for £69 (US$90) per bottle.
Image by The Glasgow Distillery
The Singleton Gourmand
In April 2025, Diageo released a trio of 42-year-old Glen Ord single malts as a set, The Singleton Gourmand collection, inspired by desserts. Containing three 500ml bottles and limited to 136 sets, the collection retails for £8,800 (US$9,000).
The first of the three, ‘Notes of Fig & Chocolate Ganache’, bottled at 46.8% ABV, has undergone a second maturation in new and bodega-treated European oak casks and married in heavily toasted Priorat wine casks. The second expression, ‘Notes of Caramelised Crème Brûlée’, was aged in new European and American oak barrels and finished in ex-Grand Cru casks and bottled at 45.3% ABV.
‘Notes of Black Cherry Gâteau’ has been matured in two different American oak barrels and a European oak cask. The whisky was finished in an ex-Amarone cask before being bottled at 45.5% ABV.
Images by Diageo
Oban 15-year-old Cask Strength
Another limited edition from Diageo, Oban 15-year-old Cask Strength, was released in mid-April exclusively for the US market. The single malt has been initially aged in European oak casks and finished in ex-Oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry casks and bottled at natural cask strength at 55.3% ABV.
Image by Diageo
Highgrove The Anniversary Celebration
To commemorate King Charles III and Queen Camilla's 20th wedding anniversary on 9 April, Cotswolds Distillery and Highgrove Estate teamed up to release a limited edition single malt. The whisky is made from heritage Plumage Archer barley and aged in a single first-fill Bourbon cask. Offered at 46% ABV, the expression is limited to 150 bottles available exclusively from Highgrove Estate with a price of £150 (US$198).
Image by Highgrove
Royal Salute Marquis
Canadian Diageo-owned whisky brand Crown Royal released a new Caribbean rum cask-finished blend exclusively for the US market. Launched in late April in Georgia, Maryland, Washington DC, and select military bases where spirits-based beverages are sold, the Crown Royal Marquis is offered at 40% ABV with an RRP of US$39.99 (£30).
Original Image by Crown Royal
Old Dominick Single Barrel Straight Wheat Whiskey
Memphis, Tennessee-based distillery Old Dominick added a seven-year-old single barrel wheat whiskey to its range in mid-April 2025. Made with a mashbill of 83% wheat, 12% corn, and 5% malted barley, the release marks the first time wheat whiskey has been distilled in Tennessee since Prohibition, according to the distillery. The whiskey is bottled at around 62% ABV and retails between US$60-$70 (£45-£53), depending on the state.
Image by Old Dominick
Loch Lomond The 153rd Open Championship
Loch Lomond Distillery has been the official sponsor of The Open Gold Tournament for some years now. For the 2025 championship, the distillery released two limited releases: non-age statement finished in Tuscany Chianti wine casks (46% ABV) and 22-year-old aged in American oak barrels and hogsheads, and finished in first-fill Spanish oak casks (46.7% ABV).
The Open 2025 Special edition has a suggested retail price of £48 (US$64) and the 22-year-old retails for £250 (US$332), limited to 3,500 bottles.
Images by Loch Lomond
Blair Athol 20-year-old Flora & Fauna
Blair Athol Distillery released a 20-year-old single malt as part of Diageo's Flora & Fauna series on 1 April, available exclusively from the distillery, followed by launch on malts.com on 1 May. Blair Athol is usually available as a 12-year-old expression as part of the series.
The 20-year-old is limited to 1,002 bottles, and the whisky is aged in refill casks and part-finished in a combination of classic rejuvenated casks, wine-seasoned American oak, and wine-seasoned European oak. The single malt is offered at 52.8% ABV with a price of £400 (US$531).
Image by Diageo
Glen Scotia 2025 Festival Edition
Released annually ahead of the Campbeltown Malts Festival, the Glen Scotia Festival edition explores cask finishes. This year's bottling is a nine-year-old heavily peated whisky aged in first-fill Bourbon casks and finished for six months in Spanish Ribera del Duero red wine casks.
Offered at 54.7% ABV, the 2025 edition has a suggested retail price of £68 (US$88).
Image by Glen Scotia
Indri 11-year-old Founder's Reserve
Indian whisky distillery Piccadily unveiled its oldest single malt expression to date in mid-April 2025. The 11-year-old is dedicated to the founder of Piccadily Agro Industries, Kidar Nath Sharma, and is aged in ex-Bordeaux red wine casks.
Limited to only 1,100 bottles, the release is divided between India, where the whisky bears an ABV of 50%, and select international markets with a 58.8% ABV. Indri 11-year-old is priced at ₹35,000 (US$414/£311).
Image by Piccadily
Compass Box Flaming Heart 25th Anniversary Edition
For Scotch blended whisky brand Compass Box, 2025 marks the company's 25th anniversary. In celebration of the milestone, the brand launched its eighth edition of Flaming Heart blended malt, limited to 9,384 bottles. The blend comprises 48.1% Talisker, with the remaining components including 'Williamson' Islay malt, Benrinnes, and Laphroaig finished for two years in first-fill Marsala casks.
The limited release is offered at 48.9% ABV and retails for £130 (US$173).
Image by Compass Box
Compass Box Scot-Free
In February 2025, English whisky makers announced their efforts to identify the country's whiskies with a geographical indication (GI), which was quickly slammed by The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). According to SWA, the GI could be 'very damaging' to the reputation of UK-made single malts.
As a company with a history of battling with the Scottish whisky authority, Compass Box created a 61-bottle limited release in support of English whisky makers. Called 'Scot-Free', the release is described as the world's first English vatted malt and celebrates the number of English whisky distilleries currently in operation - 61. Raising the finger to SWA's previous regulatory action, the whisky is labelled indeed a 'vatted malt', a term that the association banned in 2011. Compass Box also placed red crosses on top of the words 'Scotch' and 'Scotland' on the label.
Offered at 48.7% ABV, the vatted malt is a blend of six English single malts from Copper Rivet, Cotswolds, East London Liquor Co, Spirit of Yorkshire, The English, and White Peak Distillery. Created for St George's Day on 28 April, all the bottles were either given away free or sold through a ballot, which ended on 30 April.
Image by Compass Box
The English VE Day 80th Anniversary
Continuing with English whisky releases, The English Distillery in Norfolk unveiled a limited edition single malt to commemorate Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) on 8 May 1945, which marked the formal end of WWII.
Limited to 3,000 bottles, the whisky was matured in first-fill Bourbon and virgin oak casks and bottled at 46% ABV. The commemorative edition is available from the distillery, retailing for £65 (US$86) with £2 (US$2.60) of each one sold donated to veterans.
Image by The English Distillery
Ledaig Hebridean Moon 10-year-old Cask Strength
Marking Ledaig's first-ever cask-strength 10-year-old bottling, the Hebridean Moon draws inspiration from the Isle of Mull's Baliscate Stones, ancient moon-tracking standing stones. In addition, the expression marks the first aged release which uses spirit distilled on the Tobermory Distillery's new stills installed in 2014.
Offered at 58.8% ABV, Ledaig Hebridean Moon retails for £85 (US$113) and is limited to 7,000 bottles worldwide. The expression will be released on 12 May.
Image by Tobermory Distillery
Nc'nean Huntress Lemon Meadow
Organic whisky distillery Nc'nean released its fourth edition in the Huntress series on 29 April. The Lemon Meadow single malt is made using French yeast from the sparkling wine production and includes whiskies aged 56% in STR red wine casks, 42% in ex-American whiskey barrels, and 2% in ex-oloroso Sherry casks.
Limited to 5,729 bottles, the whisky is offered at 48.5% ABV and is available on the distillery's website for £89.75 (US$119).
Image by Nc'nean
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