Another year, another fantastic journey into the world of whisky. Yes, it is still too early to have a complete calendar of the 2022 whisky releases. However, it is possible to anticipate some new launches.

After our recommendation of the best whiskies to try in 2021, we have now listed some promising bottles of whiskies that have been anticipated for this year. You should definitely keep an eye on them. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

• Bowmore Rare Collection for 2022
• Macallan Classic Cut Series 2022
• Ardbeg Day 2022 – Ardocore
• Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1
• Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection 2022

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Bowmore

? Islay, Scotland
Bowmore was the first licensed Islay distillery.  The distillery typically produces a mild peaty whisky and still has its own traditional floor maltings. Still, the majority of malted barley comes from the mainland.

Bowmore Rare Collection for 2022

Bowmore had already announced this treasure in September last year: its most rare whisky collection for 2022, including a 1969 bottling priced at £35,000 (US$47,700). The new collection will also come with the exclusive 2021 releases of Bowmore 30-Year-Old and Bowmore 40-Year-Old, and it will be probably be released during January.

All three bottlings in this vault are exclusive expressions that reflect the brand’s distinctive signature. Each release tells the story of the distillery, its passion for whisky distilling over the decades and how time and cask type shapes the individual whisky, giving it a unique character that only Bowmore spirits have.

Bowmore 1969, bottled at 46.9%, is a single malt matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads. It offers floral notes on the nose, along with citrus and sweetness.

Meanwhile, Bowmore 30-Year-Old, bottled at 45.1% ABV, was matured in Sherry hogsheads and Bourbon casks. While testing it, you can immediately sense the ripe apricot and charred pineapple notes on the nose, followed by the tropical fruits and honey on the palate.

​​Finally, Bowmore 40-Years-Old, bottled at 48.7% ABV, was created as a limited edition run of just 159 bottles. On the nose, the whisky offers the aromas of exotic fruits and beeswax. On the palate, the expression delivers tobacco, chocolate and leather.

Macallan

?Speyside, Scotland.
Originally, Macallan distillery used only oak casks from Spain to mature their whiskies. At the beginning of 2004, the distillery presented a new core product: the Fine Oak series, in which the whisky is matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry oak casks. Typically, the whiskies produced by this distillery are smooth and rich in nuance.

Macallan Classic Cut Series 2022

The Macallan distillery always manages to surprise us with its expressions and this year was no different. Among the 2022 whisky releases, Macallan has a new add-on to its Classic Cut series introduced for the first time in 2017. This limited expression delivers a full-flavoured and memorable whisky matured in oak cask. At the moment, there is still little news about when and where this bottle will be launched. But this new spirit is certainly one worth keeping an eye on.

Ardbeg 

?Islay, Scotland
Ardbeg is one of the most innovative and experimental distilleries in the production of whisky and is also famous for its distinctive advertising and communication style. The whiskies produced are characterised by the perfectly balanced combination of salty sea air and the strong aroma of peat, and they are typically matured in ex-bourbon casks.

Ardbeg Day 2022 – Ardocore

Ardbeg is known for its creative labels and, of course, for the distillery’s exquisite expressions. The new bottling will be all about their ‘ardcore’ fans. In fact, last September a new label seems to have appeared in the US alcohol tax database and thus revealed 2022’s Ardbeg Day release: Ardcore, a peated single malt Scotch whisky created with black malt barley with tasting notes of dark chocolate, brittle toffee, aniseeds and charcoal. Ardbeg Ardcore Committee Edition and the general release will be bottled Non Chill-Filtered at 50.1% ABV and 46% ABV, respectively, and are expected to be both launched in spring 2022.

Laphroaig

?Islay, Scotland
Laphroaig is one of the few distilleries to still have a malting floor. It produces around 20% of its malt requirements in-house, the remainder being purchased from the Port Ellen malt house. It also has its own private land for peat, which is still harvested by hand to preserve all the aromas of this key ingredient.The whiskies are strongly peaty with an intense flavour that envelops the palate. 

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2022 Warehouse 1

Continuing our list of 2022 whiskies releases, there is great anticipation for Laphroaig Cairdeas 2022 Warehouse 1. The distillery started the Cairdeas – which means “friendship” in Gaelic – bottling series in 2008, and since then each release has become a much-anticipated annual event for fans. For this year, the departing manager John Campbell has one of his last few gifts: an expression matured in ex-bourbon casks and bottled at 52.2% ABV. Moreover, this bottling has been matured in Warehouse 1, right by the shoreline, which should increase the maritime character. The new release will be available this summer/fall.

Japanese Whisky

Yamazaki

?Minaseno, Japan
Yamazaki is the first and oldest single malt whisky distillery in Japan and it is currently owned by Suntory. The multi-layered whiskies produced are highly praised by whisky connoisseurs all over the world. It is located in the Minaseno region, on the periphery of Kyoto. The diversity of this region’s temperature and humidity creates the ideal conditions for cask ageing, contributing to the creation of a unique whisky.

Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection 2022

As for Japanese whisky releases in 2022, Suntory will launch a total of four new bottlings for its Yamazaki Tsukuriwake Selection for this year’s edition. The term Tsukuriwake refers to the brand’s philosophy of diversity through fermentation techniques, and the wide variety of cask types used. The combination of different distillation techniques leads to the blending of different flavours to create a rich and well-balanced whisky. Therefore, the collection will highlight the diversity of Yamazaki whiskies while focusing on their uniqueness.