The Last Drop Distillers 2024 Collection includes Auchentoshan; Tomintoul; and an Infinitum Rum Blend from Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Brazil, Fiji, And More
The Last Drop Distillers curates some of the world’s rarest and exceptional spirits, and has now unveiled its 2024 Collection. This year’s range features three bottles, a mix of rum and single malt Scotch whisky, and includes some really intriguing distilleries, the kind most of us never get to taste: a 40-Year-Old-Single Malt from the Auchentoshan Distillery, a 22 Year Old Infinity Rum Blend, and a 55-Year-Old-Single Malt from the Tomintoul Distillery; releases number 34, 35, and 36 respectively.
Each release celebrates a different piece of the spirit making puzzle: the unique production methods of Auchentoshan, the experimentation necessary to make the Infinitum Rum, and the innovation found within this early Scotch from Tomintoul.
The Last Drop 40 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Auchentoshan Distillery (Release No. 34)
Auchentoshan Distillery is currently the only distillery in Scotland to distill its spirit three times, producing a single malt that is delicate, mellow, and luxurious. With this bottling, Only 74 bottles produced have been produced, and it features a surprising sweetness.
Color: A light, delicate straw gold, with glints of yellow diamonds.
Nose: Light and delicate but with the richness of fruitcake and stewed apples, complemented with the ripe sweetness of raisins and black cherries. Notes of toffee and hazelnuts with hints of liquorice entice, with sweet spices and oak.
Palate: The richness of black cherries remains: cut grass, enhanced with the sweetness of raisins and caramel, intermingles with spices, vanilla, and a hint of oak, developing into a sweet floral, liquorice and spicy oak aftertaste.
Finish: A soft, deep finish to linger over, this is a whisky full of surprise and delight.
(Tasting Notes by Colin Scott, Master Blender, The Last Drop Distillers)
The Last Drop 22 Year Old ‘Infinitum Rum Blend’ (Release No. 35)
An ‘infinity rum’ is made from an experimental process that combines various aged rums from a wide array of distilleries. Release No. 35 blends rums from across the globe; with origins in Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Venezuela, Guadeloupe, Brazil and Fiji. Made from hundreds of samples sealed in an oak rum cask and left to slumber in a Liverpool warehouse for 22 years, only136 bottles remain at the point of bottling.
Color: Light amber in colour, the rich beading gives a hint of the treasure that awaits.
Nose: This rum oozes sweetness, with honeycomb, nutmeg, and allspice. The initial aromas are followed by citrus marmalade and stewed fruit. The aromas open to a cedarwood scent, speaking of its long years in oak barrels.
Palate: The natural sweetness leads to an array of tropical spices. Allspice, nutmeg, and gingerbread layer the tongue with a tingling of cloves. The mouth feel is of light oak and new leather.
Finish: The rum has a dry finish, and – hidden in this unique and multi-faceted blend – you will find a whisper of the rums of Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad, among many others. A dry finish of white pepper, hot spices, light oak, leather, tannins, citrus peel combine in harmony culminating in a delightful rum that can be sipped all year round.
(Tasting notes by Ian Burrell)
The Last Drop 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Tomintoul Distillery (Release No. 36)
The oldest single malt release from Last Drop so far, this whisky was born in the Sixties when new distillation technology began changing the game. These casks were put down to rest in Speyside when the Tomintoul Distillery was less than 5 years old. After aging for more than 53 years in six oak casks, the remaining liquid was married into an Amoroso sherry butt for a further 20 months. Only 582 bottles exist.
Color: A deep golden amber in colour, speaking of long years in rich sherry casks.
Nose: The colour heralds rich and ripe notes of dark fruits, sweet raisins, and fruitcake. This is followed by a gentle floral fragrance, grassy nettles, and notes of toffee, enhanced with the nuttiness of hazelnuts, spices, and an oaky sweetness.
Palate: The taste is an explosion of ripe fruits, and richly caramelised apples. A dance of spices and herbs tingles on the tongue, with buttery notes of sticky toffee pudding coming to the fore.
Finish: The finish is long and lingering, as befits a whisky of such great age. Sweet oak and surprising floral notes alongside the complexities of fresh, ripe, and dried fruits aplenty.
(Tasting notes by Colin Scott)
“We take great joy in sharing our discoveries and stories, and we are delighted to present The Last Drop’s 2024 Collection of Remarkable Spirits,” says Rebecca Jago, Managing Director of The Last Drop Distillers. “It has been a fascinating mission to curate these releases; each reveals a different element of what makes our business unique: the originality of the Auchentoshan process, the fortuitous result of the ‘infinity’ rum’ and the spirit of innovation within the Tomintoul release from the distillery’s early years.
The Last Drop 2024 Collection will be made available in limited quantities to its United States distributor network, which will ship to select retailers, bars and restaurants beginning in May 2024 at a suggested retail price of $5,300 for the 40 Year Old Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch (89.6 proof; 700ml + 50ml miniature); $3,100 for the Infitinum Rum (106.2 proof; 700ml + 50ml miniature); and $8,300 for the 55 Year Old Tomintoul Scotch Whisky (83.4 proof; 700ml + 50ml miniature); state taxes will vary per market.
Previous editions from The Last Drop Distillers include a 50 Year Old Signature Blended Scotch Whisky in 2021, and, in 2020, a 1980 Buffalo Trace Bourbon, a 1976 “Overproof” Very Old Jamaica Rum, and a 1959 Vintage Grande Champagne Cognac.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.