New whiskies and distilleries for 2023 - from Laphroaig to Dunphail

As we start the New Year, January can seem a bit of a depressing month for some, with bad weather and dark days.

But it can also be a time of looking forward to things yet to come, and this year in whisky is set to be an exciting one. In 2023, we will see the 12th release of Kilchoman’s 100 per cent Barley bottling, a fan favourite from this farm to bottle distillery on Islay.

We’ll also have plenty of festival bottlings to look forward to, from Spirit of Speyside, Campbeltown Malts Festival and Feis Ile. We can also look forward to the 2023 Càirdeas release from Laphroaig, which has been matured in white port and madeira casks.

On the distillery front, Machrihanish Distillery will break ground in 2023. This new distillery is located at Dhurrie farm near the former US base on the Machrihanish peninsula.

A famous name in the world of Scotch whisky, Laphroiag is set to this year issue the 2023 Càirdeas release, which has been matured in white port and madeira casks

The plans for the distillery come from the owners of the Isle of Raasay Distillery, R&B Distillers, who want to add a second single malt whisky brand to their portfolio by building The Machrihanish Distillery to create Campbeltown’s first farm-to-bottle single malt.

Over on Islay, the island’s 11th whisky distillery, Elixir, is set to open this year as well. Born from a love of Islay and its whiskies, co-founders of Elixir Distillers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh have combined elements of tradition and modernity in both design and production for their new distillery.

The £30 million project will create 15 jobs in the Port Ellen area. In Fife, Eden Mills, St Andrews is set to open in early 2023. It’s due to be one of Scotland’s first ever carbon neutral single malt whisky distilleries, with the £10m venture welcoming visitors to their new home in Guardbridge.

Dunphail Distillery, which is owned by London’s Bimber Distillery, in Moray is on course to open in 2023 after raising £2m in funding. The planned 200,000 LA capacity site will be constructed through the conversion of an existing farm steading and become Dunphail Distillery.

Speaking at the time of planning permission being granted, Matt McKay said: “We’ve worked very closely with Moray Council to ensure that Dunphail not only harmonises with the landscape, but that it also supports the wider community and the conservation of the local environment and its eco-systems.”