What Makes Glen Scotia’s Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 Whisky Special
NewsFriday, 06 March 2026 at 10:15
Glen Scotia Distillery in Campbeltown is all set for the 2026 Campbeltown Malts Festival. The special festival whisky was the last piece of the puzzle, and that’s now in place too. This year’s release once again spotlights bold flavors and a fittingly maritime character.
The new Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 whisky is a limited seven-year-old single malt. It’s bottled at cask strength and has enjoyed a beautiful finishing period. Below, we share everything you’ll want to know about this whisky.
FAQ
- What is the Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 Release?
The Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 Release is a limited edition 7-year-old single malt created especially for the annual Campbeltown Malts Festival. The whisky matured in first-fill bourbon casks before a 6-month finish in Ruby Port casks. It’s bottled at cask strength of 53.9% and without added color or chill filtration. - When will the Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 whisky be released?
The release lands around the Campbeltown Malts Festival, held on 19 and 20 May 2026. It will be sold worldwide via the Glen Scotia webshop and at specialist whisky retailers. - What does the Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 Release taste like?
The whisky is known for notes of ripe red fruit, gentle peat smoke, and warm spices. It also carries a distinct maritime salinity that’s quintessentially Campbeltown. Thanks to the Port finish, it gains extra depth and a fruit-forward sweetness.
A festival release with character
Glen Scotia’s annual festival bottlings have earned a strong reputation among whisky enthusiasts over the years. This whisky, then, has high expectations to meet. For the 2026 edition, the distillery has gone for a quintessential Campbeltown profile, combining robust flavors with a layered, maritime character.
The whisky first matured for just over six years in first-fill bourbon casks. It was then finished for a further six months in Ruby Port casks. Master Blender Ashley Smith oversaw the cask selection for this festival release and is delighted with the result:
'This year’s Festival Release is a true celebration of Glen Scotia’s distinctive Campbeltown character. The whisky showcases Glen Scotia’s signature maritime salinity, complemented by layers of gentle peat smoke, vibrant red fruits, and warm spices from the ruby port cask finish. It’s a whisky that keeps evolving on the palate, delivering fresh surprises with every sip.'- Ashley Smith
How does the Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival Release 2026 taste?
The new Glen Scotia whisky also comes with detailed tasting notes. Here they are at a glance:
- Nose: Opens with sweet peat, ripe red cherries, and creamy vanilla fudge.
- Palate: Bold flavors of mandarin, blueberry jam, and layers of charcoal smoke.
- Finish: Cinnamon, spices, maritime tones, and lingering peat smoke.
The whisky is bottled at 53.9% alcohol by volume (ABV).
Read also
Where to buy the Glen Scotia Festival Release 2026
The Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2026 Release is limited and available worldwide through the distillery’s webshop and specialist retailers. The price per bottle is £59.
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LATEST COMMENTS
- There is no distillery equipment there and also no licences to produce or sell alcohol.TRC19-12-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your response and for sharing the video. Unfortunately, the evidence you referred to consists only of two people talking about the whisky, without any explanation or identification. We have not spoken to the individuals in the video ourselves, nor can we verify who they are. We describe it as a Chinese whisky because it is released by a Chinese distillery. As you mentioned, the distillery has chosen to label the product as “pure malt” instead of “Chinese whisky.” Based on that, we do not believe they are doing anything illegal.M0nkey16-11-2025
- So - you have the proof......where's your write up?Yvonne16-11-2025
- You are absolutely right. Luckily that doesn't matter for the taste of the whisky. Have you tried it yet?M0nkey05-11-2025
- Guess what? Finland is not part of Scandinavia.Gray105-11-2025
- Throw in the towel? You mean restructure to compete and win in a challenging industry environment.WestwardFounder21-10-2025
- There is nothing legally to prevent the English whisky GI from coming into force, it complies with all the relevant laws and the single malt definition follows the precedent of Welsh whisky and US whiskyChefBear15-10-2025
- Three emails sent (two with videos, linked to a Google Drive Share). 1. The original video. 2. The video with subtitles as it was shared on YouTube 3. Screen grab of the YouTube channel where the video was blocked due to Pernod Ricard lobbying. The story was covered on Drinks Intel at the time - link here - https://drinks-intel.com/subscriber-news/pernod-ricards-the-chuan-pure-malt-whisky-not-sourced-solely-from-china-global-drinks-intel-exclusive/Yvonne10-10-2025
- Hi Yvonne, Thank you for your interesting comment. Could you share your copy with us, so we can adjust our item accordingly? Mail us at [email protected]. Thank you in advance.M0nkey09-10-2025
- Let's keep this factually correct. Pernod Ricard DID NOT release a Chinese whisky. Their first output from The Chuan (the name of the distillery in Sichuan, China) wasn't fit for bottling. What they actually bottled was imported Scotch whisky. This is why the product is called "PURE MALT" and not "Chinese Whisky" - because Pure Malt is not a regulated term - this is not a secret. This was exposed about a week after they released it. There were even videos about their own staff on site admitting it was made from imported whisky - which Pernod Ricard got the lawyers onto to get the video pulled. I've got a copy if you want it.Yvonne09-10-2025
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