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This Week in Whisky: Benromach 25, Penderyn NINE and Scotch Trade Disputes

Writer: Filip Janczak
Filip Janczak
23 hours ago
10 min read

Weekly whisky and spirits news | Monday 19 to Sunday 25 October 2026 | Compiled Sunday 25 October, UK time | Whisky Clan editorial

A busy week for whisky reached from the distilleries of Speyside, Islay and Wales to Tennessee, Ireland, India, Australia and Japan. Benromach's 25 Year Old, Jack Daniel's powerful Coy Hill Rye and a football-inspired Penderyn single malt led the releases. Behind the bottles, industry arguments over tariffs and whisky definitions, and a disturbing river pollution report, deserve equal attention. Sunday's extra developments include Brown-Forman's expansion ambition in India and a Japanese festival that brings whisky and other spirits together.


In this week's roundup




This Sunday edition brings together the important stories reported across the week with newly reported Sunday developments. It is a digest rather than a duplication of the earlier Whisky Clan articles. Future daily editions will follow on Monday through Saturday.


Sunday developments


Brown-Forman sets its sights on India's Scotch market


The GlenDronach Distillery stone buildings near Forgue, Scotland, part of Brown-Forman's Scotch portfolio

A new development on Sunday came from Brown-Forman, which wants India to become one of the ten biggest markets for its Scotch portfolio within five years. The American group introduced The GlenDronach in India earlier in 2026 and told Press Trust of India that Benriach and, later, Glenglassaugh are planned additions. Its strategy rests on growing demand for premium single malts and the lower import tariffs agreed under the India–UK trade pact. The ambition is striking given the separate uncertainty over how reduced duties should apply to bulk Scotch imports.



Kanosuke and Hioki celebrate Japanese distilling on Sunday


Sunday 25 October is the date of the Hioki Kanosuke Spirits Festival in Kagoshima, Japan. The organisers have scheduled a free event spanning Kanosuke Distillery and Hioki Distillery, bringing whisky, shochu, gin, rum and liqueurs into one programme. Festival-only whisky bottlings, a hand-fill experience, tours, tastings and talks are part of the published plans. One especially unusual bottle is a 200ml hand-fill at 58% ABV, matured in bourbon wood and finished in a Carcavelos wine cask. The event highlights how Japanese producers are using distillery tourism to introduce enthusiasts to other regional spirits.


Explore the distillery: Kanosuke Distillery on Whisky Clan


Whisky releases worth knowing


Benromach adds a 25 Year Old at the top of its range


In Speyside, Benromach has introduced the oldest expression in its Signature range. The new 25 Year Old combines whisky matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks, is bottled at 46% ABV and has a UK recommended price of £250. The Gordon & MacPhail-owned distillery describes its familiar gentle smoke alongside richer fruit and toffee notes. The launch continues Benromach's push towards an age-stated range built around its characterful house style. Readers who missed Sunday's detailed report can find it in Whisky Clan's Benromach and Crolly news edition.


Explore the distillery: Benromach Distillery on Whisky Clan


Jack Daniel's takes Coy Hill Rye to barrel strength


Tennessee's Jack Daniel's has unveiled its 2026 Single Barrel Special Release: Coy Hill Rye. The whiskey uses a mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn and 12% malted barley, was charcoal mellowed before maturation and was aged for at least ten years in the elevated Coy Hill barrelhouses. Individual barrels range from 64.35% to 74.25% ABV, so this is emphatically not a standard-strength rye. The announced US recommended price is around $90 for 700ml. It is another sign that Jack Daniel's is expanding beyond the familiar Old No. 7 identity.



Penderyn teams up with Ian Rush for NINE

Exterior of Penderyn Distillery in Wales, where NINE single malt was developed with Ian Rush

Former Liverpool and Wales footballer Ian Rush has joined Welsh distillery Penderyn for a nine-year-old single malt called NINE. Matured in Tawny port casks, the whisky's name and age statement reflect Rush's famous number nine shirt. Rush was involved in selecting the liquid, while the striking gold bottle was developed for a launch centred on North Wales and Merseyside. For Penderyn, it is a collaboration that connects Welsh whisky to a sporting audience well beyond the usual tasting-room crowd.


Explore the distillery: Penderyn Distillery on Whisky Clan


Bowmore and Snarkitecture reveal two 20-year-old Captivo whiskies


Islay's Bowmore worked with New York design studio Snarkitecture on two limited-edition 20-year-old single malts. Captivo Sherry Cask Pursuit, bottled at 51.8% ABV, is positioned for global travel retail, with initial availability planned for parts of Asia. Captivo Oak Voyage, at 50.8%, is aimed at domestic and specialist channels. Both bring Oloroso sherry influence to the distillery's mature spirit. The packaging collaboration is notable, but the story for whisky drinkers is the difference between the two cask programmes and where each expression will be sold.


Explore the distillery: Bowmore Distillery on Whisky Clan


Crolly launches a single pot still milestone in Donegal


The Crolly Distillery has announced what it describes as Donegal's first licensed single pot still Irish whiskey. Croithlí Cognac Single Cask Single Pot Still is bottled at 53.9% ABV, uses both malted and unmalted barley and was matured in French oak casks previously used for Cognac. The first batch is limited to 1,000 bottles and had a reported recommended price of €139, ahead of a November release. Crolly has already built a single malt identity; this moves it into another defining category of Irish whiskey.


Explore the distillery: Crolly Distillery on Whisky Clan


Arran brings local barley and a sherry finale to market


Lochranza Distillery on the Isle of Arran, producer of the Barley Batch 002 and Sherry Serenade single malts

Isle of Arran Distillers has unveiled Barley Batch 002 and Sherry Serenade from Lochranza Distillery. Barley Batch 002 continues its partnership with Bellevue Farm and is made with Concerto barley, while Sherry Serenade is a nine-year-old, unpeated single malt finishing the distillery's four-part Signature Series. The latter combines first-fill Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez and Amontillado sherry casks and is bottled at 50% ABV. Together they underline two different interests in contemporary Scotch: agricultural provenance and complex sherry maturation.


Explore the distillery: Lochranza Distillery on Whisky Clan


Distilleries, people and experiences


Alpine Distilling opens in a historic Wyoming railway complex


Alpine Distilling, the Utah-based producer founded by Rob and Sara Sergent, has opened a second facility in Evanston, Wyoming. Its new home is the historic Roundhouse and Railyards complex, developed in 1912. The project will expand production of whiskey and other spirits and is planned to welcome visitors for retail and educational experiences. It is an example of distillery investment being used to bring new activity into an existing heritage site, rather than building only on a modern industrial estate.


Rosebank broadens its role as a Falkirk visitor venue


The restored Rosebank Distillery has launched a corporate events and private-hire offering, adding meeting and conference facilities to its existing tour programme. The site reopened in 2024, bringing one of Scotland's famous Lowland names back into production. Its new venue offering uses the restored buildings and glass-fronted still house for a wider range of visits. It is another reminder that the modern distillery business increasingly combines making whisky with hospitality and tourism.


Explore the distillery: Rosebank Distillery on Whisky Clan


Archie Rose prepares a wider international whisky push


Australia's Archie Rose Distilling Co. is preparing a broader international rollout with actor Chris Hemsworth now among its owners. The Sydney producer has worked with design studio Thirst on distinctive new packaging for three whiskies co-created with Hemsworth. For whisky enthusiasts outside Australia, the more interesting question will be how widely those expressions become available and whether the brand can translate its local following into sustained overseas demand.



Richard Forsyth honoured for a career in whisky making


Richard Forsyth OBE, chairman of Speyside engineering business Forsyths, has been named as the 2026 Dr Jim Swan Award recipient at the Scottish Whisky Awards. A former apprentice coppersmith, Forsyth has helped build a company whose copper pot stills and production installations are used around the world. The award is due to be presented on 26 November. It is a welcome recognition that the whisky industry depends as much on skilled engineers and craftspeople as on familiar distillery brands.


Balblair brings Highland whisky into travel retail


Balblair Distillery buildings and branded barrels in Edderton, Scotland

Balblair has introduced an October activation at Heathrow Terminal 3, with an interactive sampling experience and displays from its age-stated travel retail portfolio. Further tasting activity has been planned for Gatwick and Manchester. It is a smaller commercial story than the week's major releases, but airport discovery remains important for distilleries trying to reach international visitors who might not already know their names.


Explore the distillery: Balblair Distillery on Whisky Clan


Japan's rare Karuizawa whiskies anchor a 2027 tasting trip


Shishi-Iwa House in Nagano has announced a six-day whisky programme for 24 February to 1 March 2027, featuring rare Japanese bottlings alongside other sought-after whiskies. Its published line-up includes historic Karuizawa and Mars Komagatake single casks. The original Karuizawa distillery closed in 2011 and its remaining bottles have become collector favourites; the itinerary speaks to the continued appetite for experience-led whisky tourism.


Explore the distillery: Karuizawa Distillery on Whisky Clan


Industry, trade and environmental news


India's bulk Scotch investigation puts trade deal under scrutiny


Indian investigators have been examining whether certain bulk Scotch imports by Diageo and Pernod Ricard qualify for reduced tariffs under the India–UK trade deal. The agreement lowered duties on qualifying Scotch imports from 150% to 75% in July, with further reductions planned over time. Reuters reported that industry representatives fear excluding Scotch used for Indian blending could undermine a central benefit of the pact. Both companies have said they are cooperating with officials. The outcome matters to whisky producers and to the many Indian brands that rely on imported Scotch components.


The meaning of English single malt remains contested


The Scotch Whisky Association has challenged England's newly approved geographical indication for English whisky, with debate focused in particular on how the term single malt is defined. The English Whisky Guild supports the recognition as a way to establish a distinct national category, while its critics argue that production requirements should not create confusion between different countries' single malt conventions. UK ministers said during the week that the appeal is a matter for the legal process and that Scotch whisky's existing protections remain intact.


Scotch producers seek a cut in UK spirits duty


Ahead of the planned 28 October UK Budget, the Scotch Whisky Association has called for lower spirits duty, arguing that recent increases are adding pressure without delivering the expected revenue benefits. The association points to tax receipts, production conditions and the importance of Scotch exports to the economy. The case is being made at a difficult time for producers, with changing global trade conditions and consumer demand putting extra attention on margins.


Cardhu spill remains under environmental investigation


Cardhu Distillery exterior in Speyside, associated with this week's River Spey environmental report

A Bloomberg investigation reported that a caustic soda spill from Cardhu Distillery earlier in 2026 reached a tributary of the River Spey and harmed wildlife. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is investigating. Diageo apologised, said it had revised controls and discussed support for environmental restoration. This week's reporting raised uncomfortable questions about waterway protections in a region whose rivers and landscapes are central to the whisky industry's identity. Findings and any enforcement outcome should not be assumed before the investigation concludes.


Explore the distillery: Cardhu Distillery on Whisky Clan


Scotch barley growers face a challenging year


Figures highlighted this week indicate a sharp decline in Scottish barley planting area and weaker yields after difficult weather. Scotland's 2026 barley area was reported at 258,000 hectares, its lowest since 1960, while lower demand from distillers has also affected maltsters. These pressures matter beyond farming: decisions made today about growing and malting barley shape the supply chain that will support future whisky production.


Irish whiskey tariffs remain a live US trade issue


Talks over US tariffs on Irish whiskey were still continuing at the weekend, despite earlier political remarks about removing them. Irish officials have described ongoing technical engagement with US counterparts. With exports and investment decisions sensitive to trade costs, this is one to monitor for a confirmed policy change rather than treating public comments as a completed tariff removal.


The week's further reading

Whisky Clan also examined five repeatedly award-winning peated whiskies in a separate 22 October feature, covering Port Charlotte 10 Year Old, MacNair's Lum Reek 12 Year Old, Ardbeg Wee Beastie, Teeling Blackpitts and Indri Agneya. It is a useful companion to this week's launch and industry reporting, not a new release announcement.


What to watch next

The UK Budget scheduled for 28 October, the unresolved India–UK trade treatment of bulk Scotch, and any findings from Scotland's environmental investigation at Cardhu all deserve close attention. For bottling fans, Crolly's November release, the roll-out of Bowmore's Captivo travel-retail expression and Brown-Forman's proposed new launches in India are the developments worth revisiting after this edition.


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Sources and image credits

Each reference below corresponds to the original reporting or official announcement behind a story in this edition. Dates describe publication or the event where specified. External links are collected here so you can continue exploring Whisky Clan first.

Brown-Forman on its India Scotch plans — Business Standard / PTI, 25 October 2026

Hioki Kanosuke Spirits Festival 2026 — official Kanosuke programme, event 25 October

Benromach 25 Year Old — The Whisky Wire, 23 October 2026

Jack Daniel's Coy Hill Rye — official Jack Daniel's press room, 21 October 2026

Penderyn and Ian Rush launch NINE — Luxury Hospitality Magazine, 22 October 2026

Bowmore and Snarkitecture Captivo releases — The Whisky Wire, 20 October 2026

Crolly Single Pot Still release — The Whisky Wire, 23 October 2026

Arran's two single malts — DRAM Scotland, 21 October 2026

Alpine Distilling's Wyoming opening — The Spirits Business, 23 October 2026

Rosebank's events offering — Larder Magazine, 21 October 2026

Archie Rose and Chris Hemsworth design partnership — Design Week, 23 October 2026

Richard Forsyth and Dr Jim Swan Award — ScottishNews.com, 22 October 2026

Balblair's Heathrow activation — DFNI, 19 October 2026

Karuizawa whisky tour in Japan — The Whiskey Wash, 20 October 2026

India's bulk Scotch trade dispute — Reuters, 23 October 2026

UK ministers on English whisky appeal — Vinetur, 23 October 2026

Spirits duty ahead of UK Budget — Vinetur, 14 October 2026 (continuing this week)

Cardhu pollution report — Bloomberg via Insurance Journal, 19 October 2026

Barley planting and distilling demand — City AM, October 2026

US tariffs on Irish whiskey — RTÉ, 24 October 2026

Benromach Distillery, Forres — photograph by Scott from London, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Penderyn Distillery 2014 — photograph by JTreg62, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0


Image credit: The GlenDronach Distillery photograph by Brooks patty, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Image credit: Lochranza (Arran) Distillery photograph by Chris Morgan, 2022, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Image credit: Balblair Distillery photograph by Colin Kinnear, 2018, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Image credit: Cardhu Distillery photograph by Anne Burgess, 2018, Wikimedia Commons / Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0.


Editorial note: The Kanosuke festival is described from the organiser's published Sunday programme; the article does not claim to verify attendance or outcomes after the event. Product tasting notes and future launch plans are attributed to their publishers or producers. This is the first 19–25 October weekly edition and has not been published yet.


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