Dalmore 102 Proof, Paul John Christmas Malt and Heaven Hill Phoenix Lead Whisky News
GLOBAL WHISKY & SPIRITS NEWS | Wednesday 28 October 2026 | Reporting cutoff: 2026-10-28 08:33 GMT | Whisky Clan editorial
Six whisky developments from Scotland, India and the United States are shaping the conversation today. The Dalmore has revealed a stronger 12-year-old malt; Rare Find is preparing a trio of old single casks; Goa's Paul John is turning to Moscatel for Christmas; and Kentucky's Heaven Hill has chosen a remarkable way to remember its 1996 distillery fire. There are two more new American and Indian releases to watch.
These are mostly announcements dated 27 October, not bottles that all went on sale this morning. Below, we distinguish the dates customers can actually buy, pre-order or expect shipments from when the press announcements first appeared.
In today's edition
Summarise Wednesday's whisky news with AI
Scotch whisky: The Dalmore strengthens its 12 Year Old
The Dalmore 102 Proof will arrive online on 2 November
Announced on Tuesday 27 October, The Dalmore 102 Proof Aged 12 Years is a limited-edition Highland single malt bottled at 51% ABV. The name is a reference to British proof; the figure is notably higher than the familiar Dalmore 12 Year Old at 40% ABV. The whisky spent its first ten years in American white-oak ex-bourbon barrels before portions went into Oloroso sherry casks and bespoke Gonzalez Byass casks incorporating aged Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez influence.
The Dalmore says the result develops candied citrus, berries, treacle toffee, dark chocolate and sherry-led richness. Those are producer tasting notes, not an independent Whisky Clan review. Its UK recommended price is £90, with the distillery announcing exclusive sales through its website from Monday 2 November, rather than today. A punchier strength and a distinct cask recipe make this a useful comparison with the regular expression, not simply a new label.
Explore the Highland producer in our Dalmore Distillery history and visitor guide
Rare Find names Macallan, Tormore and Deanston for its Long Game casks
Three exceptionally old Scotch whiskies, plus a members-only Highland Park
Edinburgh-based independent bottler Rare Find announced its Long Game collection on 27 October, with three whiskies due at selected specialist retailers on 6 November. The Macallan 36 Year Old was distilled in 1990 and drawn from a refill sherry butt at 54.1% ABV: only 18 bottles are listed, priced at £2,500. A Tormore 38 Year Old from a 1989 first-fill Oloroso sherry barrique is 56.4% ABV, with 198 bottles at £595. Deanston's 34 Year Old, distilled in 1991 and matured in a second-fill Pedro Ximénez butt, is 48.8% ABV, with 72 bottles at £325.
A separate 1989 Highland Park, finished in a refill Port octave, will have just 67 bottles at 51.9% ABV and £695. That one is for Rare Find Vault members, with pre-orders scheduled for Friday 30 October. The release puts the spotlight on the differences between refill sherry, Oloroso and PX ageing — and on how few casks of that age can reach a commercial bottling.
Read the related Whisky Clan guides: The Macallan · Tormore · Deanston · Highland Park
Indian whisky: a Moscatel Christmas malt and a new blended craft range
Paul John's ninth Christmas Edition finishes in Spanish Moscatel
Goa's Paul John unveiled its 2026 Christmas Edition on 27 October. The unpeated single malt spent its initial maturation in American oak before an 18-month finish in Spanish Moscatel wine casks. The distiller says these casks contribute honeyed floral notes and warming festive spices. At 48% ABV, the non-chill-filtered release is priced at £65 for a 70cl bottle in the UK.
The company reports 6,500 bottles for global release, of which 480 have been allocated to the United Kingdom. The expression continues an annual changing-cask Christmas series begun in 2018. Those quantities and tasting descriptions come from the company's announcement; stock levels at individual retailers have not been independently verified. The choice of sweet Spanish wine oak underlines how India's tropical maturation climate is being combined with European cask finishing.
More background: Paul John Distillery and Indian single malt
Globus Spirits introduces DWAAR SIPAHI with Indian malts and PX-finished Scotch
The second Indian development was announced in New Delhi on 26 October and reported the following day: Globus Spirits introduced SIPAHI, the first release in its new DWAAR Indian Craft Whisky line. The company says the blend combines aged Indian single malts with Scotch finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Its recipe uses Indian six-row barley from Rajasthan, while the bottle's identity draws on the country's historic fortified gateways.
A phased rollout is planned for Rajasthan, Haryana, Goa, Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi. The publisher reports indicative retail pricing of roughly ₹1,400–₹2,400 depending on local excise duties. No verified ABV was provided in the source reviewed, so none is assumed here. The mix of Indian whisky and imported Scotch reflects the different product approaches competing in India's premium market.
American whiskey: Heaven Hill's Phoenix and a California corn-cask collaboration
Heaven Hill Phoenix brings 30-year-old whiskey into an 18-year-old release
Heaven Hill's new Phoenix is a one-time Kentucky straight bourbon built primarily around 18-year-old whiskey distilled in March 2008, supplemented with a component of 30-year-old whiskey from the old Heaven Hill Springs distillery. Bottled at 107 proof (53.5% ABV) and presented in a 750ml special-edition carton, it carries a suggested US price of $325, with shipments planned for select markets during October 2026.
Announced on 27 October, the release marks 30 years since the 7 November 1996 Bardstown fire that destroyed the original distillery and seven warehouses containing almost 100,000 barrels. Heaven Hill says no lives were lost, its employees kept their jobs and the family-owned business rebuilt. The older whiskey component ties the commemorative bottling directly to pre-fire production; it does not mean every drop in the bottle is 30 years old.
Read our Heaven Hill Distillery history for context on the Kentucky producer.
Sespe Creek joins UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko for Warbringer Bullet Edition
Oxnard-based Sespe Creek Distillery announced Warbringer Bullet Edition on 27 October. The single-barrel, overproof whiskey was selected with UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko and former Laphroaig master distiller John Campbell. It uses 65% mesquite-roasted Bloody Butcher heirloom red corn, 10% roasted yellow corn and 25% malted rye, with a Pedro Ximénez sherry-cask finish.
The small release is 114 US proof (57% ABV), limited to 170 bottles, with a suggested price of $95. The maker has scheduled a 3 November debut through the Warbringer online store and selected retailers in California, Texas, Arizona and Colorado; it was not available as a completed launch on the 27 October announcement date. The unusually high corn and malted rye content make this a striking contrast with the Scotch and Indian malt stories in today's edition.
For the Islay connection, explore Laphroaig Distillery and John Campbell's former workplace.
Dates to watch: 30 October to 6 November
Friday 30 October: Rare Find Vault pre-orders begin for its limited Highland Park 1989. Monday 2 November: The Dalmore's 102 Proof 12 Year Old is due to become available through its website. Tuesday 3 November: Warbringer Bullet Edition is due to debut. Friday 6 November: Rare Find's main Long Game trio is scheduled to reach selected specialist retailers. These dates come from the published release announcements and should not be mistaken for confirmation of stock or sell-outs.
Further ahead, Heaven Hill Phoenix shipments are intended for selected US markets during October, while Paul's John's UK allocation is relatively small. Availability may change as distributors and retailers receive stock. We will avoid reporting projected launches as completed sales until verified.
Explore more from Whisky Clan
Earlier this week: SMWS's first blended Scotch, Black Velvet's anniversary whiskies and the Mull liqueur launch (27 October)
Monday's coverage: Glenfiddich Japan, Still Austin Monster Mash and Belgian Owl auction updates (26 October)
Last week's flagship edition: Benromach 25, Penderyn NINE and Scotch trade developments (19–25 October)
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Sources and image credits
View reporting, image licences and editorial notes
Sources are arranged by story and followed by image credits. Release information is sourced from producer announcements and credited reporting, not from independent tasting. All announcement dates and on-sale dates are distinguished.
The Dalmore 102 Proof 12 Year Old — The Whisky Wire, announced 27 October 2026; sales scheduled 2 November — Original source / licence
Rare Find Long Game Macallan, Tormore, Deanston and Highland Park — The Whisky Wire, 27 October; sales 6 November and member pre-orders 30 October — Original source / licence
Paul John Christmas Edition 2026 — Retail Times, announced 27 October; UK allocation and price as reported by brand — Original source / licence
Globus Spirits DWAAR SIPAHI — The Whiskey Wash, 27 October, reporting the 26 October New Delhi launch — Original source / licence
Heaven Hill Phoenix 18 Year Old — Fred Minnick, 27 October; shipping announced for October — Original source / licence
Sespe Creek/Warbringer Bullet Edition official announcement — BevNET press release, 27 October, debut 3 November — Original source / licence
Dalmore Distillery hero photograph by Dave Thompson, 1 November 2022, Geograph/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, unmodified (site header may crop dynamically) — Original source / licence
Dalmore photograph licence — Original source / licence
Tormore Distillery photograph by Richard Sutcliffe, 17 October 2023, Geograph/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 — Original source / licence
Tormore photograph licence — Original source / licence
Heaven Hill Distillery photographed in Bardstown by Shadle, 9 May 2008, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0; historical distillery image, NOT a bottle of the 2026 Phoenix release — Original source / licence
Heaven Hill photograph licence — Original source / licence
Editorial note: The Dalmore, Rare Find, Paul John, Heaven Hill and Sespe releases were reported on 27 October. Globus Spirits announced its SIPAHI whisky on 26 October, and reporting followed on 27 October. The reported prices are recommended or indicative, and retailer availability can differ by country and date. The images show actual distillery premises, not photographs of the new 2026 bottles. This edition is an editorial synthesis and does not claim to have independently tasted these releases.
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