Diageo Luxury Group has launched Rare Series, a new collection of rare Scotch whiskies drawn from the company’s vast reserves, with the inaugural chapter featuring five single malts from five iconic Scottish distilleries. The collection, which includes a 55-year-old from the lost ghost distillery Glenury Royal — the oldest single malt Diageo has ever released — is available exclusively through global registration with the company’s Private Client teams from Thursday 30th April 2026.
The five opening expressions span Scotland’s diverse whisky regions. Alongside the headline Glenury Royal 1970, the collection features a 33-year-old Talisker from the Isle of Skye, a 42-year-old Caol Ila from Islay, a 42-year-old Clynelish from the Coastal Highlands, and a 34-year-old Blair Athol from Pitlochry.
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Prices range from £800 ($900) for the Blair Athol 1991 to £5,700 ($6,350) for the Glenury Royal 1970. Bottles are extremely limited, with just 160 available globally for the Clynelish and 232 for the Glenury Royal.
Julie Bramham, Managing Director of Diageo Luxury Group, said: “Rare Series is an ode to Scotland’s rich whisky heritage and its enduring influence on the world of luxury, where rarity is not created, but revealed over time. Through this collection, we have curated exceptional whiskies while opening the door to deeply personal experiences, connecting our global community of Private Clients to the stories, the people, and the legacy behind them. The collection as such, is defined by provenance and character.”
Each whisky in the collection has been crafted by original distillers and their successors. Diageo holds more than 10 million casks across over 30 distilleries in Scotland, and the Rare Series is designed to showcase the breadth of styles found across the country’s whisky-producing regions.
The Glenury Royal distillery, located in Stonehaven in the Eastern Highlands, closed in 1985 and was demolished in 1992. Few casks remain from its production, making this 55-year-old expression particularly significant. It was matured in American oak hogsheads and married in European oak puncheons, bottled at a cask strength of 62.4% ABV.
The Talisker 1992 is the only expression drawn from an experimental batch. It was finished for over 20 years in Amoroso-seasoned American oak hogsheads, resulting in what the brand describes as a whisky of profound richness. The Caol Ila 1983, meanwhile, is the oldest expression the Islay distillery has ever released.
Dr Craig Wilson, Diageo Master Blender, said: “It is a privilege to unearth the exceptional Scotch Whiskies in Rare Series, a collection celebrating the remarkable breadth of Scotland’s scattered whisky treasures. From the experimental richness of Talisker 1992 Rare Series to the historic Glenury Royal which has been aged for over half a century, and a Clynelish which embodies the distillery’s signature waxy character, each expression showcases rarity, diversity, and meticulous craftsmanship. We look forward to seeing the series evolve with future additions to come.”
The official tasting notes from the brand describe the Glenury Royal as offering dry, fruity notes of apple and pear backed by faint smokiness, with a creamy-smooth texture and a lengthy, drying finish. The Clynelish is noted for fragrant top notes of lavender and rose petal on a classic candle wax base, while the Blair Athol presents aromas of high-roast espresso coffee with dark chocolate and raisin.
Future releases in the Rare Series will be determined by Diageo’s master blenders and unveiled only when the whiskies are judged to have reached their finest character. Private Clients will be offered exclusive first access to each new addition.
The collection is available through Diageo’s Private Client network, which includes fine wine and rare whisky specialists Justerini & Brooks. Registration also grants access to a curated programme of private tastings, invitation-only events, and immersive journeys across Scotland’s distillery landscape.
Diageo, the world’s largest spirits company, has periodically released aged stocks from its extensive portfolio, but the Rare Series represents a more structured and ongoing approach to bringing these whiskies to market.
