Top 10 no-age-statement Scotch whiskies

As a growing number of Scotch producers admit a scarcity of aged stocks, no-age-statement expressions are becoming more prolific, with a number of exciting new bottles launched in the past 12 months.

No-age-statement Scotch whiskies are becoming increasingly popular, as this list shows

Controversy over the emerging trend of no-age-statement Scotch whiskies has been bubbling for some time, with numerous producers and fans lamenting the supposed loss of quality caused by a lack of age declaration in Scotch.

By law, products labelled as Scotch whisky must have been aged for at least three years, but consumers across the globe often rate the quality of Scotch, and as such the amount they spend on it, by how old it is.

However, some producers and connoisseurs have argued such prejudice could actually limit innovation in the industry, particularly in light of a demonstrable lack of very old liquid.

Despite widespread contention, one thing is clear, as old stocks shrink and experimentation is more generally accepted in the industry, no-age-statement whiskies are carving a niche in the Scotch market.

Click through the following pages to see our pick of the top 10 no-age-statment Scotch whiskies to be released in the past year.

If you think we’ve missed an essential launch, or if you have any thoughts about the growing no-age-statement Scotch trend, let us know by leaving a comment below.

Haig Club

One the most recent no-age-statement Scotch whiskies to launch, Haig Club also pioneers the emerging grain whisky trend.

Launched by Diageo in collaboration with football icon David Beckham and music mogul Simon Fuller, Haig Club is a 40% abv product comprised of liquid from three types of cask: first-fill, rejuvenated and refill Bourbon barrels.

The bottling, which will be officially released this summer, has a vanilla, honey, floral and fresh green apple nose with notes of raisins and toasted almonds on the palate and a spicy, long finish. It is designed to be both mixed into cocktails and drunk on its own.

The RRP of the whisky is still to be confirmed.

For more information, click here.

Talisker Storm

Diageo released an ageless bottling of its Talisker Scotch whisky brand as part of a new series in February last year.

Talisker Storm is comprised from a selection of rejuvenated and refill casks of various ages, and then bottled at 45.8% abv without an age statement.

Turning away from age as a selling point, Talisker Storm is said to reflect the unique character of the Isle of Skye-based distillery. It is described as having the distillery’s signature sweet warmth and briny, peppery finish with a “deeper intensity”.

Talisker Storm carries an RRP of £39.10.

For more information, click here.

Glenfiddich Cask Collection

Described by the William Grant-owned brand as its “most innovative launch in years”, Glenfiddich released a series of no-age-statment single malts into global travel retail in September 2013.

The Glenfiddich Cask Collection consists of the Select Cask, Reserve Cask and Vintage Cask, all of which are bottled at 40% abv.

The whiskies also pioneered Glenfiddich’s solera vat technique, which was used for the creation of its 15-year-old expression. The distillery built three additional oak vats especially for the Cask Collection, each of which is never less than half full and is regularly replenished with matured whisky for marrying for several weeks.

The Select Cask carries an RRP of £39, while The Reserve Cask retails for £49, and The Vintage Cask is priced at £79.

For more information, click here.

Glenmorangie Companta

The already coveted Glenmorangie Companta joined the brand’s Private Edition series in January this year.

Bottled at 46% abv, the no-age-statement bottling has been non-chill filtered and matured in Grand Cru casks from Clos de Tart and sweet fortified wine casks from Côtes du Rhône.

The expression is described as having a spicy nutty oak, wood smoke nose and a palate of cherries and stewed fruits with milk chocolate and brown sugar.

It carries an RRP of £69.99.

For more information, click here.

Lord Elcho

Wemyss Malts announced it would be expanding its blended Scotch whisky portfolio with the release of no-age-statement blended Scotch whisky Lord Elcho.

Lord Elcho was originally released as a 15-year-old, but Wemyss launched an ageless variant just this month.

Blended from a selection of malt and grain whisky, Lord Elcho is bottled at 40% abv and is described as “full and soft, with waves of chewy caramel and a warm spiciness”.

The expression carries and RRP of £24 – £25.

For more information, click here.

The Glenlivet Alpha

Pernod Ricard made the bold move of releasing a “mysterious” expression of its The Glenlivet Scotch whisky without an age statement, tasting notes or cask information.

Bottled at 50% in a completely opaque bottle, The Glenlivet Alpha was described as a “blank canvas” designed to challenge consumers to develop their own perceptions of the whisky without being influenced by age, colour or cask.

However, the expression’s tasting notes were later revealed by The Glenlivet’s master distiller following a social media campaign designed to engage fans of the malt.

The Glenlivet Alpha retails for £95.

For more information, click here.

The Singleton Tailfire and Sunray

Diageo launched two new expressions of its Singleton Scotch whisky brand complete with rejuvenated packaging in March this year.

The Singleton Tailfire has been aged in mostly European oak casks and features a red label reminiscent of the spirit’s red berry and vanilla flavours.

Meanwhile, The Singleton Sunray features an orange label, reflecting the liquid’s maturation in predominantly Bourbon casks and subsequent honeyed, baked apple flavour.

Both were released in a bid to attract younger consumers to the single malt category.

Tailfire retails for £33, while Sunray carries an RRP of £36.

For more information, click here.

The Macallan M

Edrington got tongues wagging when it released the luxurious £3,000 Scotch The Macallan M as part of its no-age-statement 1824 series.

Only 1,750 lalique crystal decanters of the Scotch were launched in October last year.

“It is important for us to be able to sustain the range going forward,” said David Cox, director of fine and rare whiskies at The Macallan, “Age is important to us. Our whiskies need to be old, but they also need to be sustainable. Ultimately, we need to manage our stock as much as we can.”

A six-litre decanter of The Macallan M broke the Guinness World Record for the most expensive whisky to ever be sold at auction when it went under the hammer at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in January this year – fetching an astonishing £381,620 (US$628,000)

For more information, click here.

Cardhu Amber Rock

Daigeo took a leaf out of Edrington’s book with the launch of no-age-statement Cardhu Amber Rock by focussing on the colour of the whisky, similarly to the The Macallan 1824 series.

The name Cardhu Amber Rock refers to the Gaelic translation of the brand’s name, which means “black rock” and was chosen to highlight the expression’s “golden, jewel-like” colour.

Double matured in toasted American oak casks, the bottling is described as  tasting of citrus and honey with fruit, spice, sweetness and fresh vanilla.

Cardhu Amber Rock carries an RRP of £41.

For more information, click here.

Glen Garioch Virgin Oak

Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery Glen Garioch made the bold move back in July 2013 of releasing a no-age-statement expression which has also been aged in virgin oak barrels.

Bottled at 46% abv, the whisky is described as having notes of chocolate cake, treacle syrup and orange marmalade.

Glen Garioch, which carries an RRP of £69.99, was released as a limited edition.

For more information, click here.