8 New Scotch Whiskies for Spring 2024

In olden times, a Scotch whisky drinker was a Macallan Diehard. Or a Laphroaig Lounge Lizard. Or a Johnnie Walker Blue Label Guy.

These days, Scotch, like other whisk(e)y categories, is boldly playing, experimenting, and adapting. Sure, the standbys, delicious as ever, abound. But if you’re seeking something new or adventurous, or diving into the flavor-driven world of Scotch for the first time, these recent releases are a great place to start.

Longmorn 18- and 22-Year Single Malt

57.6% | 54.5% ABV, $280 / $440

New to the U.S., but with 130 years behind it in Scotland, the Speyside distillery is a favorite among fellow whisky makers. The brand was initially founded by John Duff, who also launched the nearby Benriach distillery, and has produced whisky continuously through fires, wars, and multiple owners. With these two releases, Longmorn explores the depth and complexity that comes with careful aging. The whiskies are non-chill filtered, aged mostly in American oak casks (presumably ex-bourbon) and bottled at cask strength. The new releases also received snazzy new bottles decked out in royal purple and gold. They definitely look sharp on a home bar.

Tasting Notes: Tasting these two expressions side-by-side is a great way to explore the effects a few extra years have on the same juice. The 18-year is rich and velvety on the intake, with up-front aromatics of chocolate, toffee and soft oak. It’s full bodied and chewy on the mid-palate, with notes of milk chocolate, oak, vanilla, and green apple. The long finish is spicier, but with the chocolate overlay. Of the two it’s my favorite, and I could sip it all day. With just a few more years on it, the 22-year tastes completely different. There is an oak brashness (not in a bad way) that dominates, with a more vegetal, leather, ripe stone fruit complexity. Notes of almond appear on both the nose and palate, and the long dry finish is rich with cooked pear, oak, white pepper, toffee, and walnut.

Ardray Blended Scotch Whisky

48% ABV | $85

This approachable take on blended Scotch from Beam Suntory is the perfect sipper as spring thaws evolve into warmer weather. Developed byBeam Suntory chief blender Calum Fraser and a team of Japanese blenders, it launched last winter. The whisky is crafted specifically to be a bit milder, more balanced and less full bodied than your average traditional blended Scotch. If you’re a fan of some of the lighter Japanese offerings, you have some idea where this one’s going. The collaboration works: Ardray is a “malt rich” blend drawn from about ten distilleries, but neither malt nor grain whiskies dominate, in part due to an intriguing solera-style aging and blending process. The result is a creamy, harmonious, and complex blend of flavors that keep you coming back sip after sip. The modern, streamlined label and bespoke (700ml) bottle also point to the fact this isn’t your grandparents’ Scotch. They’ve even come up with an innovative way to drink it “off the rocks”: pouring your whisky over a large piece of ice balanced over your glass, so it chills, but doesn’t dilute.

Tasting Notes: On the nose it’s a soothing mélange of oak, warm apple pie, ripe pear, and a touch of malt smoke. Nothing smacks you in the nose, nothing overpowers. On the palate it is creamy, yet medium bodied. Weird terms (for whisky) like “fresh” and “light” initially hit the brain, but then the complex flavor notes and subtle richness emerge, with a slightly smoky finish reminding you you’re not sipping some ephermal, single-note whisky. Up front you’ll get orange spice, a floral note and a hint of vanilla, which expands in richness as it the whisky rests lightly on the mid-palate. Soft oak, apple, and lemon peel all develop, and the long finish tapers off with just the right hint of smoke and malt. Suffice to say I finished my sample one no problem: I really liked this one.

Macallan Home Collection River Spey

44.6% ABV | $487

The Macallan has been unveiling new and limited releases at a record clip the past few years, including special treats like annual releases of the Sherry Oak 18-year, and the Harmony Collection Amber Meadow created in collaboration with Mary and Stella McCartney. For River Spey—the second expression in the Home Collection celebrating elements of the distillery and its surroundings—the brand partnered with photo-realist artist Michelle Lucking to create a unique label and box (featuring a certain nearby body of water) to encase the limited-edition expression. Available exclusively on Macallan’s own e-Boutique, the juice features component whiskies aged in European oak sherry-seasoned casks, American oak sherry-seasoned casks, and American oak ex-bourbon casks. No age statements have been provided.

Tasting Notes: The sherry casks give a deep reddish-gold-umber hue to the spirit, while imparting flavor notes of raisin, fruit cake and burnt sugar. The medium-bodied liquid sits beautifully on the tongue, delivering rich notes of milk chocolate, toffee, and the ongoing raisin highlights, which carries on through the finish (surprisingly not as long as expected), accentuated with baking spice, barn wood and a touch of white pepper. The soft aromatics in the glass reflect much of what you find on the palate.

Isle of Skye 18-Year Blended Whisky

40% ABV | $65

Blended whisky has evolved well beyond its workaday origins, welcoming a new generation of fans. Isle of Skye represents this successful transition from old school to new elegantly, and is considered something of a whisky makers’ whisky. Originally created in 1933 by Ian Macleod Distillers, this “new” range of aged expressions (from eight to 30 years) landed in the U.S. this year. The 8-year has been well received and is a bargain for the quality at $20-30. But the 18-year hits the sweet spot for me. Isle of Skye whiskies, like Talisker, are big, smoky whiskies reflecting the rugged northern Scotland seaside landscape (“Forged from Fire and Ice” is the brand’s mantra).

It’s worth noting these arrive in the new (to the U.S.) 700 ml bottles rather than our familiar 750 mls.

Tasting Notes: You’re greeted by the deep amber-copper color, and a promise of something complex. While both the aroma and taste deliver on this promise, it may seem a bit underwhelming to some. The nose is light and slightly fruity, but I find it pleasing, with hints of ripe berry, baking spice, white pepper, and a bit of sea-and-smoke, appropriate for the peat-forward single malts from the island. On the palate, it’s more complex with a light- to medium-bodied weight on the mid-palate. It opens with a toffee sweetness and a hint of cream, but morphs quickly and smoothly to oak, pepper, smoke, and cinnamon. It finishes dry and a bit short, with the pepper, dry wood, and a soft smoke dominating. “Approachable, yet complex” may be the best way to describe the overall experience, if you’re one to avoid words like “smooth” and “mouthfeel.”

Dewar’s Double Double 21 Year Old Mizunara Oak Cask Finish

46% ABV | $150

Mizunara is a species of Japanese oak, and has become something of a barrel-finishing darling, thanks to the intriguing flavor notes it imparts. The oak is notoriously challenging to work with thanks to higher porosity and wonky growth habits, but adds intense notes of vanilla, coconut, sandalwood and floral highlights. It’s not even the first time Dewar’s has finished its blended whisky in the wood: Dewar’s Japanese Smooth is an 8-year released in 2022. This significantly older batch is aged first in American oak, then finished in the Mizunara. This is the second iteration of the 21-year Double Double Mizunara from master blender Stephanie McLeod and her team: the name comes from aging component whiskies, then blending them and aging again in a four-step process.

Tasting Notes: On the nose this is more classic Dewar’s Double Double than on the palate. The heightened sweet notes are there, but since the primary Dewar’s 21 Double Double is finished in sherry, there’s already a sweetness. You’ll find ripe berries, cooked apple, toffee, a hint of chocolate and vanilla. On the palate, the Mizunara overlay is more evident, particularly compared side-by-side. You get floral notes, bright cherry notes, and a maple-toffee open. But in the mid-palate and finish, as you explore, you’ll find the heightened vanilla and polished wood notes on the medium finish. The spice-and-sweet nature of the whisky carries through to the finish with hints of smoke.

Deanston 15-Year Tequila Cask Finish Single Malt

52.5% ABV | $280

Opened in 1966 in what remained of a 200-year-old cotton mill in the Highlands of central Scotland, Deanston owes much of its unique character to its history and unusual production techniques. Though the whisky is light in color, it tends to boast plenty of full-bodied flavor with traditional Highland emphases on heather, apple, and honey. This latest release matured for 13 years in the brand’s traditional oak hogshead barrels, then was finished for two years in ex-tequila casks. The finish is long enough, you’ll definitely get hints of tropical fruit and a bit of agave floral sweetness. It’s a limited release, but you’ll find it at select retailers or Reserve Bar for now.

Not in the mood for blending spirit styles? The brand also released Batch #1 of its Virgin Oak Cask Strength 2023 Edition, a bolder iteration of the brand’s popular Virgin Oak Single Malt.

Tasting Notes: As you raise the glass to the light, you’ll notice the deep gold whisky sparkle and display elegant legs (in part thanks to the high proof). The nose is bold and intense, with a bright interplay of heather, honey, pineapple, almond, butterscotch, and a hint of grassiness. On the palate, it opens strong and tight (you may want to add a bit of water to open things up), and dry upon the lips and gums. You’ll get baked apple, baking spice, cooked agave, and almond, which move and mix and mingle at the mid-palate with Deanston’s more familiar heather, cinnamon, and citrus. The long, long finish emphasizes oak, baking spices and a hint of green apple.

Ardbeg Anamorphic

48.2% ABV | $210

Ardbeg—Winner of the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition award for Islay Distillery of the Year (along with a host of other awards)—is known for its big, bold peat-and-smoke single malts, reflecting the challenging environment and natural resources of Islay. Each year the brand releases a limited edition which, outside of the U.S. is available initially only to Committee members (you can sign up at the website and get notifications for events and special tastings), but here our wacky three-tier laws make the whisky immediately available for all. For this exclusive release, Dr Bill Lumsden and his adventurous team incorporated experimental, highly charred casks that had been scored deeply inside for additional surface exposure of the whisky to the wood (aging is not disclosed). Lumsden claims it unlocks Ardbeg’s “hidden 4D flavor.” A modern package design emphasizes the edginess of this expression for the brand.

Tasting Notes: On the nose, the peat is there, but the dominant vibe is a dusty, bready, earthiness. Dry earth, dry barn wood, and hints of vanilla and mocha are then highlighted, through another pass under the nose, by sensual floral and herbal topnotes. Ardbeg fans will absolutely recognize the whisky, but the char twist introduces all new aromatic and flavor components. On the palate, it’s significantly more complex than many smoke-heavy Islay whiskies. It opens bright and spicy, with warming notes of black pepper, anise and clove. As it travels along the tongue, you feel the weight of this full-bodied spirit, with a wide array of hues and highlights: dark chocolate, fresh wood, black pepper, piquillo chilis, and the long finish emphasizes traditional Islay smoke, tar, and peat.

Fior Blended Scotch Whisky

43% ABV | $40

Launched by retired Marine Eric Dominijanni, Fior is marketed as the first Black-owned and (U.S.) veteran-owned Scotch whisky on the market. Sourcing a high-malt and grain content Scotch, the 20-year veteran (and classically trained chef who went up against Bobby Flay in an episode of Throwdown) worked to re-create his favorite personal infinity bottle of Scotch, working in conjunction with wine and spirits consultant James Landis, and launched it in 2023. It’s on shelves in a few states and can be ordered online from the brand directly. When you score a bottle, the result is a comfortable blended whisky that fans of Johnny Walker will quickly recognize and appreciate (and that received a 93 rating at the New York International Spirits Competition). On top of all that, a donation is made to the Operation Gratitude with each bottle purchase.

Tasting Notes: The nose is fairly straightforward, with a soft aroma of brown sugar, green apple, and a hint of heather. On the palate it’s clear the component whiskies are fairly young (no age statement is given), something the light gold color may also attest to. Fans of Johnnie Walker Black Label will be on familiar ground here. It opens a bit brash and spicy with a hint of sweetness on the tip of the tongue, but quickly evolves into a chewy, mid-weight whisky with notes of toffee, oak, blackberry, pepper and spice. As it moves to the throat, the smoke and menthol / medicinal notes trail behind, and a not-too-short finish emphasizes oak, spice and a hint of smoke.