The 15 best new Scotch whiskies for autumn - including ‘eagerly anticipated’ launch
As autumn descends, and the nights draw in, it’s an ideal time to try a new whisky.
As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, it’s an ideal time to cosy up in front of a fire with a dram or two.
Luckily, autumn is a busy time for new whisky releases, so why not try something new? From peated island and highland drams to softer, sweeter whiskies, here are some of the best new releases to enjoy this autumn.
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Wemyss Malts Smoky Shores 14 year old
Wemyss Malts recently confirmed the return of Smoky Shores, one of its most sought-after limited releases, now carrying a 14-year age statement. The original expression sold through in full following its launch in 2022, and this follow-up has been eagerly anticipated by trade and whisky enthusiasts alike.
At the heart of Smoky Shores 14 is a pairing of two single malts with very different relationships to peat. One is drawn from a distillery long synonymous with peated malt, its character shaped by a distinctly smoky style.
The other is a less familiar peated expression, drawn from a distillery better known for its unpeated house style.
Master blender Isabella Wemyss selected and married the two from a small parcel of hogsheads, setting one style against the other to rebuild the salty, smoky, distinctly coastal profile that made the original Smoky Shores a favourite.
Fourteen years of maturation has evolved the familiar profile, while retaining the salty, smoky and citrus-led character of the original. Maturation has deepened the whisky's savoury complexity and lends it a buttery gold colour, while a thread of citrus keeps the smoke from tipping into heaviness - a hallmark of the considered, patient blending that runs through all Wemyss Malts spirits.
Smoky Shores 14 is bottled at 46% ABV and left non-chill filtered to preserve its full texture and character and has a PPM of 10.
Ardbeg Trudernish 15 year old
Ardbeg Islay single malt Scotch whisky has 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.
Seeking a rich new dimension to Ardbeg’s peaty liquid, Ardbeg’s whisky makers matured their smoky, balanced spirit in bourbon, new charred oak and Oloroso sherry casks over 15 years, for mellow creaminess and softer smoke.
It has been likened to Ardbeg Uigeadail, and is priced at £80. You can buy a bottle from Ardbeg.com, in Ardbeg Embassies, the Distillery Visitor Centre, and specialist retailers from autumn 2026.
Torabhaig Distillers Series - first releases
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.
For her bottle, Iona built her whisky around chocolate malt - a rich, slightly bitter speciality grain she first met at Crisp maltings in Portgordon, and liked enough to eat by the handful. She tasted the chocolate character coming through off the still after just 15 minutes so adjusted her timings to capture the deepest, richest flavours.
Distiller Niall Culbertson’s whisky was designed to reflect his childhood coming to the bay by boat. His ambition was to produce a bright, coastal whisky with unmistakable maritime character. Using a small portion of brown malt and dark crystal malt, with a low peat level base malt, Niall chose to part-mature his spirit in ex-rum casks, capturing aromas of tropical fruit and light sweet char.
Both whiskies are priced at £75 and you can buy Niall’s here and Iona’s here.
Glasgow 1770 Sherry Cask Matured Batch 1
The Glasgow Distillery has unveiled the latest editions of its annual Glasgow 1770 Single Malt Scotch Whisky series introducing Batch 2 releases of its Bourbon Cask Matured and Ruby Port Cask Finished single malts alongside an entirely new Sherry Cask Matured expression.
This brand-new annual release has been created in collaboration with renowned Spanish sherry producer Ximénez-Spínola. The whisky combines two of The Glasgow Distillery's signature whisky styles with two different styles of sherry cask, marrying unpeated single malt finished in Pedro Ximénez Sherry with peated single malt matured in Medium Sherry casks.
The result is a richly layered whisky balancing sweet sherry influence with elegant peat smoke, revealing notes of cedarwood, candied orange peel, dark fruits, ground coffee and lingering sweet smoke.
Holyrood Smoulder
Edinburgh’s experimental whisky makers, Holyrood Distillery, have unveiled their latest limited-edition whisky - Smoulder.
With a sultry smoky note, this whisky brings to life Holyrood’s flavour-first approach to whisky making, by using a carefully curated selection of malt, yeast and casks not typically seen together in the whisky-world.
And because it wouldn’t be Holyrood without a little extra twist, the design - by illustrator Jamie Edler - takes the smouldering taste of the whisky and brings it to life through the passionate gazes between lovers most commonly seen in classic romance novels.
Lindores Abbey Nectere
Lindores Abbey Distillery in Fife recently released Nectere, a single malt whisky that is matured exclusively in Sherry casks. From the Latin Conectere meaning to link, to bind, to connect, Nectere has been created to showcase the distillery’s past and future.
The new release draws inspiration from the monks who first distilled at the Abbey in 1494, with the evolving tradition of Sherry production from across Spain. The Nectere expression is matured in a combination of four sherry cask types; Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, Amontillado and Palo Cortado. Designed to deliver depth, colour and complexity, each contributes layers of dark fruit, spice, nuttiness that only the finest Sherry wood can provide.
The Balvenie 1931 Collection 12 year old
Recently The Balvenie released its oldest expression to date; an 88 year old whisky. With just 17 bottles available it was bottled in 2019 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 1931 Collection Twelve-Year-Old is made using similar techniques, from malt to cask, as the 88 year old Balvenie.
Made from100% home malted barley and matured in American oak casks, the limited edition is then finished in ex-sherry bodega European oak butts from Jerez, the same region in Spain as the original cask #239.
The result is a rare expression of The Balvenie’s classic house style; beautifully balanced and refined, with layers of honey and delicate spice revealing a rich, velvety and smooth finish.
Laphroaig 35 year old
Laphroaig 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. The UK exclusively at JPHA until September 28 before wider distribution across specialist retailers. RSP of £880.
Glengoyne Scottish Oak 17 Year Old
Glengoyne has recently unveiled Scottish Oak 17 Year Old, the third instalment in its Oak Masters' Series, following White Oak (2024) and Mizunara Oak (2025).
The whisky has spent most of its seventeen years maturing in Glengoyne's classic refill bourbon and refill sherry casks. Each parcel was then hand-selected by the distillery's blending team and transferred into casks made from virgin Scottish oak, where it was finished for up to two years, tailored cask by cask, to gently enhance Glengoyne's signature orchard fruit with warming spice and subtle wood.
The Macallan The Harmony Collection Inspired by Fresh Coconut
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The Macallan has unveiled the sixth and concluding release in The Harmony Collection, marking the final chapter in a series that explores the brand’s connection to the natural world through creativity, craftsmanship and innovation.
Crafted by The Macallan’s whisky mastery team, the release comprises two distinctive single malt Scotch whiskies: Inspired by Fresh Coconut and Inspired by Toasted Coconut. Through precise cask selection and maturation expertise, the team has skilfully drawn forward a nuanced coconut character rarely present in The Macallan, showcasing the balance between the science and art of whisky making.
The Macallan Harmony Collection, Inspired by Fresh Coconut is like summer in a glass and has notes of fresh coconut, citrus and tropical fruits layered with vanilla, sweet oak and gentle spice. The palate unfolds with coconut milk, zesty lime and soft sweetness, leading to a bright, floral finish.
Loch Lomond Waypoint 31 year old
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.
RAER single malt whisky The Inaugural Release
Jackton Distillery has officially 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.
RAER Inaugural Release has been distilled, matured and bottled at Jackton Distillery. The whisky has been drawn from Bourbon, Pedro Ximénez, Amontillado and Oloroso sherry casks, and bottled at 48.7% ABV. It is natural colour and non-
chill filtered.
The Glendronach Boynsmill House Edition
200 years ago, James Allardice founded The Glendronach on the Boynsmill Estate in the Scottish Highlands, nestled within the 'Valley of the Brambles', with a singular vision: to unite the robust character of Highland spirit with the exquisite influence of Spanish sherry casks.
In 2026, as The Glendronach marks its 200th anniversary, the distillery brings together its dedication to celebration, entertaining, and its storied home with the unveiling of The Glendronach Boynsmill House Edition.
Boynsmill House Edition has been matured for fourteen years in the distillery's signature combination of the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks.
The Dalmore Distillery Select Series 2026
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First launched in 2024, The Dalmore Distillery Select Series offers whisky fans hidden gems from The Dalmore’s dunnage warehouses.
True to the ethos of the Series which focuses solely on small batch stocks, the 2026 release is exceptionally limited. Just one whisky has been hand-selected for the 2026 release, of which just 1,110 bottles will be available, non-chill filtered and of natural colour.
The Distillery Select 2026 is a Semisecco Marsala finish, aged for 14 years and bottled at 53.7% ABV. It has enjoyed an initial maturation in American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels, before a finish of one year and nine months in Semisecco Marsala casks.
Semisecco Marsala barriques add a distinctive layer of complexity to this special whisky. The medium sweet style of this Sicilian fortified wine brings sweetness, warmth, and depth, adding notes of candied citrus, honeyed fruit, roasted nuts, and gentle spice.
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