June has been busy. And hot. The best new releases this month are pretty scorching too. You’ve probably seen a few already. But there’s so much to get stuck into and we don’t want you missing out on anything, do we?
There’s a tasting set that turns into a tiny football match, whiskies inspired by Westeros*, a golf-ready Loch Lomond**, mysterious Scotch from the Thompson Bros., a bonded rye with cocktail credentials, peated whisky finished in ice wine and Spanish Verdejo wine casks, 50 year old Cognac, artisanal mezcal, Pedro Ximénez-rich blended malt, and English sake from Peckham.
June, frankly, has had range. And a tasting set that turns into a tiny football match. Did we mention that already? Here are 10 of the best new releases to land at Master of Malt this month.
Meet Drambuteo, perhaps the greatest thing whisky has ever produced
Top 10: Best New Releases in June
Drambuteo Set – England vs. Scotland 12 x 30ml
Drambuteo. Yes, you read that correctly. A whisky tasting set and a tiny tabletop football game in one box. We are not sure civilization gets much better than this. Inside are 12 x 30ml wax-sealed whisky samples sourced from top producers, split between England and Scotland. Taste your way through the line-up, pick your side, and once the drams are empty, the bottles become your players. The set includes a miniature pitch, ball, coloured holders, and goalies in green, because some traditions still mean something. It is a brilliant gift and the England vs Scotland match-up this World Cup won’t deliver. With no VAR in sight. Thank heavens.
Kyrö Whisky Of Fire (Game of Thrones)
Finland’s Kyrö Distillery has gone full Westeros with this limited edition Game of Thrones release, created to mark the third season of HBO’s House of the Dragon. Whisky of Fire is one half of a dual release from the Finnish rye specialists***, and it very much lives up to the name. Made from 100% smoked, malted rye, the whisky brings together alder wood smoke, peat, bourbon cask maturation, and a rum cask finish. This is one for fans of smoky whisky, rye whisky, fantasy television, or all three. Some Venn diagram, that.
Loch Lomond Open Special Edition 2026 Gift Set 70cl Whisky
Loch Lomond’s partnership with The Open continues with this 2026 Special Edition Gift Set, created to mark the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. Made solely with spirit distilled in Loch Lomond’s distinctive straight neck stills. It was initially matured in American oak before a six month finish in Argentinian Malbec casks. It comes smartly presented with a pair of glasses, making it a fine pick for golf lovers, whisky lovers, and people who spend most weekends insisting they could have gone pro if not for that rotten dodgy elbow.
Mystery Malt #6 (Thompson Bros.) Whisky
The Thompson Bros. return with the sixth batch of Mystery Malt, and once again the whole point is that you do not know what you are getting until you open it. The whisky comes in opaque black glass, hiding its identity until the label underneath the lid is revealed. It could be young, old, peated, fruity, coastal, sherried, bourbon-matured, wine-finished, Port-finished, or something else entirely. Previous mystery releases have ranged from a six year old Dornoch to a 29 year old Ben Nevis, so the possibilities are not exactly boring. It’s a whisky lucky dip.
Jaywalk Bonded Rye Whiskey
Jaywalk Bonded Rye Whiskey is a Manhattan waiting to happen. The mash bill is 75% rye, 13% corn, and 12% malted barley, including Horton Heirloom and Field Race ryes, and it’s aged for seven years and bottled at 50% ABV. That means it meets the requirements for bonded whiskey. A serious rye for people who like rye to taste like rye.
Cù Bòcan Creation #8 Whisky
Tomatin’s experimental peated whisky series colours outside the lines and Cù Bòcan Creation #8 continues that fine habit by combining lightly peated Scotch whisky matured in rare Canadian ice wine casks with whisky drawn from fresh Spanish Verdejo casks. It might just be the first peated Scotch whisky matured in ice wine wood. Bottled at 46% ABV, with natural colour and no chill filtration, it’s a limited edition release, so get it while you can. I really want some Verdejo now.
Hermitage 50 Year Old Grande Champagne Cognac
Hermitage knows its way around old Cognac better than maybe any other brand alive. This 50 year old Grande Champagne expression is very much in its wheelhouse. After more than half a century of maturation, you can expect notes of fruit cake, sultanas, and porcini, pointing to the kind of mature, savoury, dried fruit-laden profile that only time can really build. Good things come to those who wait.
Mezcal Reina Espadín
Mezcal Reina Espadín hails from San Pablo Villa de Mitla in Oaxaca. It follows mezcal’s artisanal production process, beginning with espadín agave harvested between five and seven years old, then cooked in an earthen pit, milled with a horse-pulled stone tahona wheel, naturally fermented in wooden vats, and double distilled in copper pot stills. That’s process, not PR fluff.
The Lochend Blended Malt #3 – Pedro Ximénez Hogshead (Blind Summit Whisky)
Blind Summit Whisky returns with the third instalment of The Lochend Blend, bringing together six single malts from across the Highlands, Speyside, Orkney, and the Scottish islands. After marrying in a Pedro Ximénez hogshead, the blend has picked up a satisfyingly rich, dessert-friendly profile that good PX cask influence can bring when it is handled properly. Only 320 bottles total though.
Shogun Pure English Sake
English sake brewed in Peckham. There’s something you don’t expect to say everyday. Shogun Pure English Sake is just rice, water, yeast, and koji. The brand wants people to embrace the wonderful world inhabited in every glass of the traditional Japanese drink. We do too. Kanpai.
*Buy before the 5 July and you might bag yourself a trip to Finland to see Kyrö.
**Buy before the 5 July and you might bag a golf bag full of Loch Lomond whisky and other goodies.
***The other is Kyrö Whisky Of Blood (Game of Thrones).
