Autumn is well and truly here, but while the year may be winding down, spirits producers are stepping up their game and introducing some truly unique innovations. Here is our pick of the top spirits launched last month.

Here are 10 of our top spirits launches from September 2017

Last month, Ballantine’s made the move into single malts, Glenfiddich offered a whisky made in ice wine casks in Canada, and Patrón Tequila added to its permanent line up for the first time in 25 years with an extra añejo variant.

Meanwhile, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is turning to the past with the launch of The Vaults Collection, featuring rare whiskies that have been distilled for decades. Others are looking ahead, with a futuristic offering from Johnnie Walker that ties in with the release of Blade Runner 2049.

Click through the following pages to explore our full round-up of top spirits launches in September.

Which new spirits products caught your eye last month? If we’ve missed your favourite, let us know in the comments below.

Ballantine’s Glentauchers, Glenburgie and Miltonduff

Ballantine’s shook things up last month with the introduction of its first range of single malts. Bottled at 40%, the new expressions are Glentauchers, Glenburgie and Miltonduff.

Glenburgie has notes of “concentrated fruitiness and honeyed sweetness”, Miltonduff is described as floral with a “subtle hint of cinnamon spice”, and Glentauchers has hints of “soft berries and barley sugar sweets”

Consumers in Taiwan got an early preview of the new products via an interactive experience in Taipei in September, where they got to learn about the brand and taste the new expressions. They are available in domestic markets at an RRP of US$56.

For more information, click here.

Glenfiddich Winter Storm

Glenfiddich continues to experiment with the launch of Winter Storm. Finished in French oak icewine casks from Niagara, Glenfiddich malt master Brian Kinsman came up with the idea after visiting the Peller Estate vineyards in Canada where grapes are picked at night when the temperature is at -10˚C.

Winter Storm is described as “a short, crisp premium liquid imbued with a unique layer of sweetness and complexity”, and has been aged for 21 years.

Marking both the beginning and the end of the winter months, two limited batches are available in October 2017 and March 2018, priced at £199.

For more information, click here.

SMWS Vaults Collection

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has released a range of “once-in-a-lifetime” single cask malt whiskies through The Vaults Collection. Stored for decades, the whiskies will represent the “finest and rarest casks” from the society’s treasure trove.

In A Perfumed Garden is a 26-year-old whisky that comes from the remaining stock of a Lowland distillery that closed in 1993 and only 170 bottles from a single cask will be produced, priced at £875.

Meeting An Old Master, meanwhile, is one of 437 bottles drawn from a single cask of whisky distilled in May 1990, and is priced at £980.

For more information, click here.

Mandarine Napoléon XO

To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Mandarine Napoléon liqueur, Dutch spirits producer De Kuyper has launched a limited edition expression that contains a drop of 125-year-old Cognac.

Mandarine Napoléon XO Gold is made with Sicilian mandarins and 125-year-old Grande Fine Champagne Cognac. It is described as having a “fresh and soft” mandarin flavour with a “delicious balanced Cognac finish”. Each bottle contains a single drop of Cognac from 1892.

Mandarine Napoléon was originally created for Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte himself, then rediscovered by Belgian chemist Louis Schmidt in 1892.

Mandarine Napoléon XO Gold is available at the price of €1892.00, and in keeping with the theme, only 125 bottles have been made available.

For more information, click here.

Patrón Extra Añejo

September saw Patrón Tequila expand its core line for the first time since 1992 with an extra añejo variant. Joining Patrón Silver, Patrón Reposado, and Patrón Añejo in the permanent range, the expression has been distilled from 100% weber blue agave and been aged for over three years in American, Hungarian and French oak barrels.

According to Patrón, extra añejo is the fastest growing category in Tequila. Lee Applbaum, global chief marketing officer at Patrón Spirits said: “We’re delighted to share this new expression with spirits aficionados everywhere.”

For more information, click here.

Johnnie Walker Black Label The Director’s Cut

Johnnie Walker has brought the future to 2017 with the launch of a whisky inspired by sci-fi film Blade Runner 2049. The whisky, which is a blend of thirty malt and grain whiskies and bottled at 49% is the result of a collaboration between Johnnie Walker master blender Jim Beveridge and director Denis Villeneuve, and gives a “contemporary twist” on the classic style.

Johnnie Walker Black Label featured in the original Blade Runner released in 1982, and the new bottle takes inspiration from this. It is only a limited run, with 39,000 bottles being available in 15 countries, with an RRP of US$89.99 for 750ml.

Beveridge said: “Johnnie Walker blending tradition dates back to 1820 and I’m honoured to carry on the legacy and collective memory of our other past blenders to ensure that the same whisky enjoyed today can be enjoyed responsibly in 2049.”

For more information, click here.

Yamazaki Mizunara Oak

Beam Suntory has released an 18-year-old version of Yamazaki Japanese whisky, aged exclusively in rare mizunara oak barrels.

Chief blender Shinji Fukuyo tasted hundreds of whiskies matured in mizunara oak barrels and selected the casks that best brought out the “art of mizunara”. It is described as having a “silky texture” with flavours of coconut, dried fruits and orange marmalade.

The limited edition is priced at US$1,000 a bottle and is bottled at 48% abv.

For more information, click here.

Camus XO Borderies Family Reserve

Camus has unveiled its new single estate expression at the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes this month. Camus XO Borderies Family Reserve will be available in the first quarter of next year across Europe and global travel retail, and will then roll out globally in the second quarter of 2018.

Family Reserve is created exclusively using grapes grown on one single Borderies vineyard belonging to the Camus family, which is in line with all of Camus’ Borderies offerings.

It is bottled at 40% abv, and is priced at US$250 for a one-litre bottle, and US$180 for 70cl.

For more information, click here.

Macallan Edition No.3

The Macallan has joined up with luxury perfumer Roja Dove to create Macallan Edition No. 3 – a single malt whisky which focuses on the aroma. This marks a change from Edition No. 1 and Edition No. 2 which had a focus on the influence the cask had on taste. Smaller oak casks have ensured an increased contact between the spirit and the wood, delivering an “intense experience” of flavour and aroma.

“Inspiration and innovation lie at the heart of The Macallan and in Edition No. 3 we have collaborated with one of the world’s most respected aroma experts to create a single malt whisky which pushes the boundaries and challenges convention,” said Bob Dalgarno, Macallan’s master distiller.

The Macallan Edition No. 3 is priced at US$95.00 and bottled at 48.3% abv.

For more information, click here.

Courvoisier Sherry Cask Finish

A major Cognac house has released a cask finished expression for the first time, with the aim being to “shake up the Cognac category”. Courvoisier Sherry Cask Finish has been finished for four to six months in PX Sherry casks, which were selected by Courvoisier’s master blender Patrice Pinet.

“In Cognac, we want to have more innovation to attract new consumers,” commented Pinet. “How can we adapt in the future? Today it’s possible with Sherry casks, but in the future do we need to change some specifications? I think it’s important to offer consumers something new, but keep the quality of the Cognac very high.”

The company hopes that the new expression, available at an RRP of $58, will be a new experience for Cognac lovers, but will also entice malts drinkers too.

For more information, click here.