45 whiskies released in September - including a ‘celebration of Islay’ dram
It was a bumper month for whisky releases, with over 40 hitting the shelves in September.
From budget buys to ultra rare drams, and everything in between, September kicks off a busy month for whisky releases.
Here are some of the main whiskies released in September, plus where they can be bought. Things don’t seem to be slowing down in October either.
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Tomatin 2011 Pedro Ximénez sherry matured single cask
Highland distiller Tomatin has released a 2011 single cask whisky, matured in a first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry butt and bottled exclusively for UK specialist whisky retailers.
Carefully selected by Tomatin’s expert team, Cask No.37316 presents a 15-year-old whisky that has gently matured to develop a complex flavour profile. The brand’s soft, fruit-led spirit is made more complex with layers of dark chocolate and warm spice, creating an elegant balance of distillery character and rich sherried style.
Bottled at 58.8% ABV and limited to only 608 bottles, the Tomatin 2011 single cask release has an RRP of £105.
Macallan Carta Nautica Collection
The Macallan recently launched the Carta Nautica Collection, a new collection of two single malt Scotch whiskies that captures the spirit of exploration through a transatlantic journey of oak, craft and time.
Derived from the Spanish term for ‘nautical chart’, Carta Nautica tells the story of a purposeful passage, tracing the voyage of The Macallan’s oak staves and casks across the Atlantic Ocean, from North America to Jerez de la Frontera and Scotland, before finally arriving at The Macallan Estate.
The Macallan Carta Nautica Distilled in 1987 is a limited release and will be available through The Macallan Estate Boutique and other The Macallan Boutiques globally from 28th September, subject to availability and location.
The Macallan Carta Nautica 20 Years Old will be available exclusively in Singapore Changi Airport Lotte Duty Free shops from 28th September and globally at The Macallan Airport Boutiques, including The Macallan Boutique in London Heathrow Terminal 5 and key airports around the world from 19th October onwards at $800 / €678 / £593.
Bladnoch Loch Maberry Chapter Three
Bladnoch released Loch Maberry: Stories of Bladnoch, Chapter Three last month. This is the third instalment in a limited-edition series of single malt whiskies celebrating and selected by individuals who have a deep affinity with the distillery.
Where Chapter One celebrated a lifelong admirer of the distillery and Chapter Two traced a family's return to its roots, Chapter Three tells a love story — one that began with a chance meeting, and in which Bladnoch has been a thread throughout.
It is an eight-year-old spirit matured in an ex-Cognac hogshead and it is bottled at a cask strength ABV of 58.9%. Chapter Three of Loch Maberry: Stories of Bladnoch has a natural colour and is non-chill filtered. Just 458 bottles are available worldwide, each encased in a presentation box, priced at £108.
Master of Malt The Islay single malt
Islay is an island that inspires rare devotion - a place of pilgrimage for whisky lovers the world over. The Islay, a new whisky brand created by female-founded and led design studio Studio Minerva and independent whisky retailer and bottler Master of Malt, celebrates all of it: the landscape, the community and the culture that make the island unlike anywhere else.
Its debut collection comprises three continuous single cask whiskies, a 16, 20 and 30-year old, each drawn from a different Islay distillery and each an expression of the island's singular character.
Gordon & MacPhail anniversary series
Gordon & MacPhail, the family-owned independent bottler, has announced the launch of its Anniversary Releases collection - 1966 from Longmorn Distillery, 1976 from Glen Grant Distillery, 1986 from Miltonduff Distillery and 1996 from Linkwood Distillery.
Each whisky is named for its year of distillation, with the series designed to mark the milestones that matter most - the 1966 from Longmorn Distillery is the perfect gift for a 60th birthday, while the 1986 from Miltonduff Distillery makes the toast of choice for a ruby wedding celebration.
With only 30 - 100 bottles of each expression available depending on the vintage, the ultra-rare single malt whiskies in the collection are all single cask and have been hand-selected by the team at Gordon & MacPhail and bottled at cask strength.
The Anniversary Releases collection is priced £496 - £6,966 and available from specially selected whisky retailers and online at gordonandmacphail.com. Orders are open now for delivery in time for Christmas.
The Glenturret 20 Years Old whisky
The Glenturret last month announced its highly anticipated Extremely Scarce Range. This year’s collection includes three scarce expressions - introducing a new 20 Years Old Single Malt alongside The Glenturret’s 25 Years Old and 30 Years Old expressions.
At the heart of this year’s release is the debut of The Glenturret 20 Years Old, a new addition to the range, crafted from four European oak casks and limited to 1,700 bottles worldwide.
The Glenturret 20 Years Old brings together vibrant tropical fruit with the gentle warmth of wood spices. Pineapple and mango unfold with intensity, complemented by delicate ginger and a refined foundation of mature oak. On the palate, tropical fruits intertwine with sweet spices, culminating in a subtle, fruit-led finish.
Glasgow Distillery 10 Year Old Peated Whisky
One of Glasgow's independent whisky distilleries has reached another milestone, releasing its first ever 10 Year Old Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
The Glasgow Distillery's new Glasgow 1770 10 Year Old Peated celebrates a decade since the team first began producing peated single malt at the Hillington-based distillery in 2016. Today, peated whisky accounts for around five months of the distillery's annual production.
Only 550 bottles of the new whisky have been produced, making it one of the distillery's most limited releases. The release brings together whisky matured in three ex-Bourbon casks - two refill and one first-fill - which have been married together and bottled at 54% ABV. The decision to mature the whisky solely in ex-Bourbon casks was intentional, allowing the character of the peated spirit and its ten years of maturation to shine through.
Presented in a gift carton and limited to just 550 bottles, the Glasgow 1770 10 Year Old Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky is set to make a standout gift for whisky lovers this festive season. RRP: £69
KAZE 921 from Tenkyo Distillery releases
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Tenkyo Distillery, located in Bandai, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan announced the release of KAZE 921 FIRST EDITION 2026, a limited-edition blended whisky.
KAZE 921 will be released each year on 21 September, the birthday of Tenkyo Distillery’s founder, Shunsuke Koike. Even before Tenkyo Distillery was completed, Shunsuke had begun exploring the possibilities of maturation in the Aizu region of Japan.
He sourced new make spirit from three distilleries in Scotland and filled a total of 189 casks, using 58 different cask types. It was an exploration of how spirit, cask, climate and time could shape a whisky unique to this place.
Later, a small quantity was taken from each cask and incorporated into the KAZE Solera System. Among them, several casks that displayed particularly exceptional character were quietly set aside.
This year’s 921 is centred around two richly matured Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, one American oak and one European oak, selected from among these special casks and carefully married with the KAZE Solera System nurtured in Aizu.
This release is also accompanied by the traditional craftsmanship passed down through generations in Aizu.
The label is made using Izugahara washi, a traditional craft of Aizu. Barley straw from Aizu-grown barley is incorporated into the paper, with each label individually finished using traditional letterpress printing.
The top of each cork stopper is individually hand finished using an Aizu lacquerware technique known as ishime-nuri. The bottle is presented in a specially made luxury presentation box.
The release is limited to only 921 bottles available through the Tenkyo online shop and the Yukkura direct-sales shop at Tenkyo Distillery.
The Macallan Time : Space Collection, The Macallan TIME: SPACE Sherry Cask
The Macallan has unveiled The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask, the third chapter in its acclaimed TIME : SPACE Collection.
This is a 20 Years Old single malt Scotch whisky bottled at 44.8% ABV and it marks the first release influenced by casks seasoned with The Macallan's own Valdespino sherry wine following the acquisition of the historic Valdespino bodega in Jerez, Spain. After full maturation in sherry casks, it underwent a finish in a selection of the first 200 Valdespino-seasoned casks.
The nose features sherry-soaked raisins, figs, medjool dates, frangipane, cinder toffee, caramelised nuts, and dark chocolate truffles. The palate includes dried fruits, ginger cake, treacle toffee, bramble jam, chocolate-coated cherries, and wood spices.
The Glenlivet 12-Year-Old Provence
The Glenlivet recently launched its 12 Year Old Provence Edition: a new limited-edition release inspired by a region celebrated for its sun-soaked landscapes, vibrant flavours, and relaxed way of life.
The release combines Château Sainte Marguerite white wine casks with Rivesaltes and Sauternes casks, each contributing its own character to the whisky.
The result is a beautifully balanced single malt, layering The Glenlivet's elegant and mellow house style with delicate floral complexity and ripe orchard fruit notes. White peach, nectarine, pear and bright citrus are complemented by subtle spice, creating a flavour profile that brings a sun-ripened character to The Glenlivet’s signature style.
The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Provence Edition is available in select markets around the world at a recommended price of $54.99 USD. You can buy a bottle here.
Bruichladdich Distillery Octomore 17 Series
The Hebridean distillery releases its latest super-heavily peated whiskies in an ongoing experiment that has taken place for the last 17 years.
In September Bruichladdich Distillery launched its highly anticipated annual Octomore series. Each annual release is a bold enquiry into barley origin and esoteric cask maturation.
The 17 Series includes three super-heavily peated expressions: Octomore 17.1: 100% Scottish mainland Concerto barley, matured in bourbon barrels - 81.0PPM, £143.
Octomore 17.2: 100% Scottish mainland Concerto barley, matured in French oak, then finished in Port barriques - 81.0 PPM, £158.
Octomore 17.3: Ultra-high provenance single malt, aged for five years in bourbon barrels and wine casks - 132.1 PPM, £199.
Benromach 12 year old
This new release is the Speyside distillery’s flagship whisky. Tasting notes include a rich and fruity flavour profile, reminiscent of fruitcake, with vibrant raspberry and orange notes, cracked black pepper and a touch of smoke.
Aberargie Expressions
Aberargie Distillery has launched Expressions - a new series of single malt whiskies celebrating the influence of barley, while supporting the next generation of Scotland’s farming community.
Aberargie Expressions Single Malt Whisky - Golden Promise and Laureate editions are both available from specialist UK retailers, following the sell-out success of the Perthshire distillery’s inaugural release in March 2026.
The new series comprises two single malts made separately from Golden Promise and Laureate barley, allowing whisky drinkers to explore the individual character of each variety for the first time.
The Borders Distillery First Release single malt
A historic moment for this new distillery, as it released its first single malt in September.
In this first release, limited to 10,000 bottles, the team say that The Borders inaugural single malt is “smooth, elegant and fruit-forward.”
First-fill bourbon barrels are the foundation of this whisky and of every signature whisky that will follow, bringing notes of caramel, vanilla, honey and a soft, rounded sweetness. A Madeira finish that deepens the sweetness, warmth and fresh orchard notes.
Caol Ila 2026 Jazz Festival bottling
The second in the trilogy of bottles marking the partnership between the distillery and the Jazz Festival is The Drummer, a 19-Year-Old Caol Ila.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor The Guitarist, The Drummer has benefitted from a rare experimental three-stage maturation in American oak, with the third and final stage taking place in ex-Bulleit bourbon casks.
This results in an unusually sweet and spicy edition of the coastal whisky, with smooth, rich flavours and undertones of the signature smoke for which Caol Ila is famed.
The Balvenie 88-Year-Old
The Balvenie recently unveiled its oldest whisky ever: an 88-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, distilled in 1931, with just 17 bottles in existence.
Bottled in 2019 after 88 years of maturation, the whisky was brought to life by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, and forms part of The Balvenie’s new 1931 Collection, alongside two further limited-edition expressions, a 12 year old and 15 year old.
The 88-Year-Old will be available exclusively to private clients and collectors globally, with UK enquiries through Harrods.
RAER inaugural single malt from Jackton distillery
In September Jackton Distillery launched RAER Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The Inaugural Release, a milestone for the family-run Lowland producer based on the Kean family farm just outside Glasgow.
The first bottles begin shipping Friday 4 September 2026, bringing locally-distilled single malt whisky back to South Lanarkshire, after a more than 180-year gap in the area’s recorded whisky history.
There are still a few bottles left, priced at £68 and available from the distillery website.
Laphroaig 35 year old Strong Characters collection
Laphroaig, one of Islay’s most distinctive single malt whiskies, has recently unveiled a rare 35-Year-Old expression as the second release in its Strong Characters collection, a limited-
edition series honouring individuals whose vision and bold character have shaped the distillery’s legacy.
Following the first bottling - a 33-Year-Old dedicated to Laphroaig’s co-founder Donald Johnston - the new expression honours his son, Dugald Johnston, who inherited the distillery at a young age, and during one of the most challenging periods in Islay’s history.
Limited to 5,500 bottles worldwide, Strong Characters Chapter Two is available on Laphroaig.com and specialist whisky retailers with an RSP of £880. You can buy a bottle here.
Royal Lochnagar 26 year old
Royal Lochnagar Distillery recently released a new rare bottling, The Pursuits Edition 26-year-old, in honour of its Highland home and inspired by the adventures so many have enjoyed in the Deeside area since the distillery was founded in 1845.
Only 840 bottles have been released, with each one presented in a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind leather pursuits pouch that can be strapped to saddles, belts or baskets, harking back to the Highland pursuits that inspired the design.
This 26-Year-Old Royal Lochnagar bottling stays true to the original distillery character and is finished in French oak Cognac casks. The result is a liquid richly layered with flavours of orchard fruits, sweet vanilla and berries with warm spice, polished oak and toffee.
The whisky is priced at £900 and bottled at 57.4% ABV. You can buy a bottle at the distillery in Deeside.
The Dalmore Madeira Wine Cask Edition
The Dalmore Cask Curation Series features The Madeira Wine Cask Edition (2026), which is the fourth chapter in the series showcasing rare single malts finished in Madeira wine pipes from Blandy's in Funchal.
These are a 30 Year Old: Finished in a Terrantez Madeira pipe; bottled at 48.3% ABV. Tasting notes include orange blossom, dried apricot, toasted nuts, and gentle exotic spice.
A 34 Year Old: Finished in a Bual Madeira pipe; bottled at 44.5% ABV. Tasting notes include dried fig, Seville orange, honeyed fruit, vanilla toffee, and warming patisserie spice.
And a 45 Year Old: Finished in a Malvasia Madeira pipe; bottled at 40.7% ABV. Tasting notes include dates, stewed fruits, dark chocolate, spiced orange, and sweet malt.
Ardbeg Trudernish 15 year old
Ardbeg Islay single malt Scotch whisky recently unveiled the first permanent 15-year-old to its core range, Ardbeg Trudernish.
Inspired by the ancient settlement of Trudernish on Islay’s “Enchanted Cape”, this whisky is aged in bourbon, new charred oak and Oloroso sherry casks.
The official tasting notes say: “a trace of earthy peat flits from the glass, as aromas of woodsmoke drift across dried herbs and chocolate lime. Tastes of vanilla and nuts are folded into decadent notes of creamy fudge sauce. The whisky’s harmony of flavours is enhanced by its ABV of 48.8%.”
Loch Lomond Waypoint 31 Year Old Peated
Loch Lomond Whiskies has unveiled Waypoint 31 Year Old, the latest and most prestigious expression in its Waypoint Series - a collection of single malt whiskies inspired by the distillery’s iconic setting on the banks of Loch Lomond and its enduring spirit of exploration.
Waypoint 31 Year Old is the third and oldest single malt in the series, and the oldest peated expression ever released by Loch Lomond Distillery.
Crafted using Loch Lomond Whiskies’ signature straight neck stills, the single malt was matured in three types of ex-Bourbon American Oak casks before being finished for 12 months in Tawny Port pipes.
Torabhaig The Distillers' Series
The Isle of Skye distillery recently introduced the distiller-led series that hands over complete creative control of production from grain to glass.
For one month every year, the distillery is handed over to two of the distillery's nine distillers to create their whisky - an industry-first initiative that captures the innovation and creativity of the Skye-based distillery.
The Distillers' Series debuts with two whiskies, each the work of a single Torabhaig distiller and each a window into how they think about flavour. The series will continue with two launches a year, exploring how each whisky develops over time.
These two new whiskies are Iona's expression and Niall's expression. Distiller Iona Macphie joined Torabhaig at 21 and distilled her whisky at the age of 23, making her the youngest distiller to go through this process.
Both whiskies are priced at £75 and you can buy Niall’s here and Iona’s here.
Arbikie The Signature
In September Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery, an independent Scottish farm distillery, launched The Signature, its first-ever Single Estate Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Produced from Odyssey barley grown on the Arbikie Estate in Angus, The Signature was grown, distilled, matured and bottled entirely on the family-owned farm. Matured for ten years in six bourbon casks and bottled at 48% ABV, only 1,000 bottles have been released worldwide, priced at £250 each.
Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 25 Year Old
Ardbeg has completed its ultra-rare millennium vintage series with its oldest and rarest release yet: the rich and zesty Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 25 Years Old.
Distilled at a defining moment in the Islay Distillery’s story, this highly limited bottling is created from some of the first Ardbeg ever finished in Tempranillo wine casks from Spain.
Used for the first time at the Distillery, its casks reveal a uniquely complex whisky, with rich notes of coffee, smoked fruit and barbecue ribs sprinkled with paprika, combined with peat smoke and sweet chilli – flavours amplified by the whisky’s custom ABV of 48%.
Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown No.4 The Griffin 12 Year Old
Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown Release No.4 is a limited-edition 12-year-old, unpeated single malt that pays homage to the Griffin, a legendary creature said to have been a guardian of Campbeltown’s harbour, whisky and bold character.
Icons of Campbeltown Release No.4 was finished in Vin Santo wine casks, bringing a rich honeyed sweetness layered with notes of dried apricot and sultana.
Smoky Scot Island Peat Edition: Orkney Release
The Smoky Scot Island Peat Edition: Orkney Release – a limited edition that explores a gentler, more aromatic side of island peat.
Produced using single malt Scotch whisky from Orkney, this new expression swaps powerful peat smoke for fragrant, floral and gently earthy character.
The team say “It’s a very different expression to the original Smoky Scot and a fascinating reminder that peat can tell very different stories.”
Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured
This new release from the Islay distillery has spent the full-term of its maturation in ex-Cognac barriques, allowing the French oak to fully express itself. The 2026 edition is a combination of 33 first-fill barriques, distilled in 2019, bottled at 50% abv.
The result, the team say, “is a marriage of toasted nuts, warming spices and luscious stone fruit, which balance beautifully with Kilchoman’s distinctive peat smoke and bright citrus character.”
Glenmorangie 50 Year Old
The oldest whisky released from the Highland distillery to date, it was distilled in the mid-1970s using some of the last barley malted in the distillery's floor maltings. It was then matured in bourbon and sherry casks for half a century, with a cask strength of 45.7% ABV.
Only 149 numbered bottles are, each presented in a bespoke handcrafted porcelain display vessel created by American ceramic artist Peter Pincus and his wife Laurie.
The UK price is £25,800 (€30,000). It is available through the Moët Hennessy Private Client Team, the Distillery Visitor Centre in Tain, select retailers, and glenmorangie.com.
Aberlour 21 Year Old single batch and 25 year old single batch
Launched at Whisky Live Paris, these two new releases from the Speyside distillery are created in single, small batches, as the name suggests.
The team say the whisky has “extraordinary depth and complexity, brimming with rich, intricate flavours. This non-chill filtered expression, crafted in a single small batch, reveals the pure, treasured essence of Aberlour.”
The tasting notes are of warm honey and cherries with spice for the 21 year old and apricots, warm spice, honey, butterscotch and cinnamon for the 25 year old.
Compass Box This Is Not a 10-Year-Old Whisky
Compass Box, the London-based Scotch whiskymaker recently announced the release of This is a 10-Year-Old Whisky: a limited-edition blended malt Scotch whisky, created with three outstanding single malts: Clynelish, Ardnamurchan (Peated) and Ardnamurchan (Unpeated) – each aged 10 years exactly.
Each component in this whisky is an exceptional single malt on its own. Clynelish brings its signature waxy, coastal complexity. The two Ardnamurchan expressions – peated and unpeated – add smoke, bass, structure and a wild Highland character that few distilleries can match.
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