We’ve already posted information on the forthcoming Diageo Special Releases 2016 with Port Ellen 37 and Brora 38 in the limelight. In the last few years, we came to expect those releases (along with the Caol Ila and Lagavulin) but we always have a supporting cast from other distilleries in Diageo Portfolio and it seems like we have four new addition to the Special Releases 2016 and the current list is as the following:
- Lagavulin 12 Year Old 2016 – 57.7%
- Caol Ila 15 Year Old Unpeated – 61.5%
- Port Ellen 1978 37 Year Old – 55.2%, 2940 bottles
- Brora 38 Year Old – 48.6%, 2984 bottles
- Auchroisk 25 Year Old – 51.2%, 3954 bottles
- Linkwood 37 Year Old – 50.3%, 6114 bottles
- Cambus 40 Year Old – 52.7%, 1812 bottles
- Glenkinchie 24 Year Old – 57.2%, 5928 bottles
- Mannochmore 25 Year Old – 53.4%, 3954 bottles
Here are the labels:
Nose: Smells nice and despite the youth notes in it, it smells older. Quite solid and dense nose with a lot of dust, citrus fragrance with lemon and a bit of lime, cereals, cookies dough, hints of white pepper and spices, creamy and rich. 
Nose: What a rich and dense nose. It’s pretty heavy with prunes, dried berries and fresh orange peels. Has that jammy/marmalade feel to it, wax and smoke, maybe even smoked wax?, sweet raisins, old library and furniture like visiting the grandparents, light mint spice shows up after a while along with some chocolate and coffee to balance the heavy fruitiness, feels quite fresh and lively. 
Nose: Classic Ardbeg peat and smoke, but not so ashy at first although this get rectified over time along with meat in sweet sauce and soot. Sweetness originating from the sherry casks – sweet red fruits, more fresh fruit than dried and with jammy edge. I quite like it as it’s not overpowering and there’s a good balance here. With water: sweeter with sherry notes taking the front seat. 
Nose: rich and velvety, caramel and toffee. A lot of sherry notes: soaked raisins, nutmeg and a bit of cinnamon, dried sour berries, dark chocolate. But it’s also carries some saltiness and some leather-ness (yeah, not a real word but you get the meaning, right?) after a while. 
Nose: A very sweet nose. nutty and somewhat winey with tannins, fruity with a lot of apricots. The peat is very restrained, cured BBQ meat, sweet smoke and generally the Kilchoman peat profile is right there in the background but muted. Again apricots and white pepper, not a very complex nose but it’s lovely, balanced and rounded.
Nose: That’s a classic nose with gentle smoke, light and round peat note, salty, floral and honey vanilla notes. Real mature and even relatively delicate. With water it becomes more bowmore-y yet still retains some of the floral perfume notes but it becomes oh so more mainstream and less unique. 
Nose: Soft peat smoke, rounded and surprisingly bodily and rich, cereals, soft ashes and brine. With extra time in glass it becomes much sweeter and fruity with added peaches and apricots. bonus point: the peat is stronger. 
Nose: Hmm, good fresh and fruit nose, feels very mature for its age, sweet gentle peat, fruity and reminds me the new make a lot, oily, honey and lemon. After a while additional smoke shows up with vanilla. 
Whisky Gospel 