Whisky news round-up: Caskshare, Stannergill, and more

Peter Ranscombe serves up another irreverent dram of whisky news.

FORGET the cost-of-living crisis – there’s still life in the whisky market.

Caskshare received so much demand for £1,625 bottles of a rare Springbank 30-year-old single malt that it’s opened a ballot for the chance to buy one of the 135 bottles.

John Robertson, managing director of Caskshare, said: “Springbank is one of the most revered whiskies in the market and one of the most celebrated.

“Caskshare is about sharing really unique cask-strength limited-edition whiskies with our customers and making the ownership of rare and very interesting single malts accessible to everyone – in setting up this ballot, we’re standing by those principles.”

Ian Macleod Distillers has teamed up with four students from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to create a whisky.

The students investigated the variables involved in finishing Scotch in a virgin American-oak cask.

Their whisky spent three months in the barrel and has now gone on sale.

Emma Newton, blender at Ian Macleod Distillers, said: “As a graduate of this programme, it has been a brilliant collaboration and the students should be proud as they’ve created a delightful dram.”

Diageo – Scotland’s largest distiller and owner of brands including Bell’s, J&B, and Johnnie Walker – has bought a minority stake in the Oxford Artisan Distillery through its Distill Ventures arm.

Distill Ventures will help the distillery to develop its English rye whisky, which is made from “heritage grains”.

Frank Lampen, founder and chief executive at Distill Ventures, said: “Grain is becoming an important part of how whisky producers are continuing to innovate and develop new styles and flavours, and the heritage grains used by Oxford Artisan Distillery together with their ground-breaking approach to farming in a sustainable way make this one of the most exciting distilleries in the English whisky scene, and we’re delighted to be able to support them in their development.”

The distillery was founded in 2016 and its first rye was released last year.

Claire and Martin Murray, who own Caithness-based Rock Rose gin and Holy Grass vodka maker Dunnet Bay Distillers, have unveiled details of their first whisky.

The couple bought Castletown Mill and are investing £4 million to make Stannergill Whisky.

The distillery is selling its first 200 casks through Ellon-based Whisky Hammer.

Back in 2020, Whisky Hammer helped 8 Doors Distillery in John O’Groats to sell all 200 of its initial casks in fewer than 48 hours.

Read more news and reviews on Scottish Field’s food and drink pages.

Plus, don’t miss Blair Bowman’s whisky column in the December issue of Scottish Field magazine.