After a long wait, Diageo's darling brand of single malts has launched its travel exclusive set.

The Singleton is in fact an umbrella brand that covers three distilleries – Glen Ord, Glendullan and Dufftown – that are united by a house style. This house style focuses on an enjoyable, approachable, crowd-pleasing whisky, rather than intricate complexity. It’s not surprising that this approach has led it to become one of Diageo’s best-selling single malt brands from its stable.

Last week, The Singleton launched its new travel exclusive range titled "Gardens of Abundance," right here in our backyard at Changi Airport. All four whiskies hail from the Glendullan Distillery, and were blended under the supervision of Diageo’s Master Blender Craig Wilson.

While these whiskies do not bear age statements, they appear to have been subject to very different maturation periods and regimes. The Radiant Spring Garden, the first in the series, draws its character primarily from white oak casks. Next, the Golden Autumn Orchard enjoys a "Double Oak" maturation in both ex-bourbon and American white oak casks. The Exotic Spice Grove, a "Triple Cask" matured Glendullan, has was matured in ex-wine, rejuvenated, and reserve oak casks. Finally, the Deep Forest Riches is a "Quadruple Cask" matured whisky aged in European oak and finished in 3 Sherry-seasoned casks: Palo Cortado, Marsala Wine, and Pedro Ximénez Oloroso.

The whiskies also come in successively higher ABVs – the Radiant Spring Garden comes in at the 40% ABV while the highest is the Deep Forest Riches at the still-very-approachable 45% ABV.

As a side note, the term "rejuvenated casks" may raise an eyebrow or two, but it likely refers to a process where older casks are revitalized and made more active to enhance their influence on the whisky; very often by shaving the inner surface, toasting, and re-charring. This is a similar technique to the STR-cask process pioneered by the late Dr. Jim Swan.

If memory serves me right, I should note that this is also The Singleton’s first travel retail exclusive whiskies in almost a decade! Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the launch event to taste these new bottlings firsthand.

Here’re my notes!

The Singleton Radiant Spring Garden, Glendullan Single Malt, 40% ABV – Review

Matured in White Oak casks

Tasting Notes

Nose: Bright and estery, with waves of light orchard fruits. Opens with vanilla and honey sweetness intertwined with caramel, all underpinned by a subtle creaminess and gentle oak spice. White pepper adds a touch of warmth, while green apple peels and rings bring a crisp, fresh note. A hint of roasted pine nuts lingers in the background.

Palate: Straightforward with a very light texture; rather effortless to sip. Vanilla and honey notes from the nose carry through, accompanied by a gentle brown sugar sweetness.

Finish: Lingers for quite a while. A green mintiness emerges at the end, accompanied by more vanilla and a whisper of spice that warms the back of the throat. There’s a bit of a mineral, slate-like quality.

My Thoughts:

True to The Singleton DNA, this is an easy-sipping spirit that goes down effortlessly. It's a crowd-pleaser with broad appeal for sure. Unlike other standard Singleton malts with more substantial sherry influence, this white oak-focused expression seems brighter and fresher, showcasing orchard fruits, though there is also a less expected, rather prominent minty finish.

The Singleton Golden Autumn Orchard, Glendullan Single Malt, 41.8% ABV – Review

“Double Oak” Matured in ex-Bourbon and American White Oak casks 

Tasting Notes

Nose: A slightly richer nose, though objectively it remains quite light and fresh on the whole. Opens with a waft of ripe tropical fruits, leading with ripe mangoes and bananas intertwined with a subtle touch of caramel.

Palate: Also very approachable and friendly, revealing a hint of sweetness and a slightly fuller body than its predecessor, though it maintains a light touch. Familiar notes of vanilla and spice from the nose carry through, slightly more mellowed and deepened as if hinting at a touch more age. Sweeter notes of caramel and honey join the party while lending a warmth and richness.

Finish: Smooth and moderate in length. The finish is marked by vanilla and a whisper of spice that gently warms the back of the throat. This also leaves a mellower warmth in its wake – the somewhat sharp minty notes in the earlier expression are absent here.

My Thoughts:

Sweet, smooth, and rather flavourful. Here’s another pleasant and easy sipper of a whisky. The character of this shares many similarities with the Radiant Spring Garden, although the this expression appears to offer a slightly fuller body and a touch more depth with a distinct emphasis on caramel notes, all of which suggests a slightly longer maturation.

The Singleton Exotic Spice Grove, Glendullan Single Malt, 42.8% ABV – Review

“Triple Cask” Matured in Ex-Wine, Rejuvenated casks and married in Reserve Oak casks.

Tasting Notes

Nose: The aroma is richer still, a distinctive layer of red fruits unfurling with cranberries, cherries, and plums taking center stage. Significantly more robust and spirit-forward with heavier spices reminiscent of cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of liquorice.

Palate: Flavourful and rounded, boasting a thicker texture and heavier body. Initial sip comes on a little spirit-forward, with wood spice, white pepper and a slight herbaceous warmth. Spice quickly dissipates, giving way to a nice mix of rich Manuka honey, brown sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, jam, and nutmeg. The wood character continues to be ever-present, offering a nice counterpoint of slight bitterness to balance the sweetness.

Finish: Clean but aromatic, with a touch of ripe red berries, mild oak spice, wood lacquer and polished cigar boxes lingering.

My Thoughts:

This is a significantly richer, fairly woodsy and well-rounded expression with plenty of wood spice. The European oak influence is evident, opening with a very robust initial spice that thankfully quickly mellows into a smooth, aromatic experience. This has a nice heavy body and is much more rounded than its predecessors. And while it offers a bit more spice and heat, it remains fairly easy to sip while offering a good flavour-to-heat ratio.

For those of us familiar with STR cask whiskies, there’s also this familiar and distinctive combination of red fruits, vanilla, oak and wood spice that might ring a bell.

The Singleton Deep Forest Riches, Glendullan Single Malt, 45% ABV – Review

“Quadruple Cask” Matured in European oak, finished in Palo Cortado, Marsala Wine, and Pedro Ximénez Oloroso seasoned casks.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich, spiced and decadent. Notes of Christmas pudding, with festive spices and dried fruits – apricots, raisins, and dates – taking center stage. A generous drizzle of thick honey and a dollop of jam add sweetness, while whispers of fruit cake and toasted walnuts lend warmth and complexity.

Palate: Rich, syrupy and smooth, with a nice palate-coating texture. Opens with a luscious wave of dried figs, dates, and sultanas. Toffee and caramel weave through the fruit, sweetness balanced by a gentle nuttiness reminiscent of toasted pecans and walnut. As the flavors evolve, a subtle warmth emerges, bringing notes of liquorice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

This whisky is undeniably flavour-forward, and while the Sherry influence is very evident, the tannins are restrain, maintaining a balanced freshness without veering into leathery or overly dry oak territory.

Finish: Relatively short, with a lingering warmth on the back of the throat, where the spices continue to dance alongside a touch of wood spices and walnuts.

My Thoughts:

This is the star of the quartet, in my opinion. It’s rich, rounded and undeniably the most expressive of the bunch, with European oak influence shining through in a cornucopia of caramel, toffee and dried fruits without succumbing to harsh tannins or any leatheriness.

It’s ample while remaining fairly smooth, going down very easily and leaving very minimal heat on the palate. If you're seeking a flavour-forward whisky that's still pretty approachable, look no further.

Final Thoughts

Singleton’s “Gardens of Abundance” range offers a delightful selection of whiskies that caters to a very broad spectrum of palates. The Radiant Spring Garden stands as the most approachable of the series with the broadest appeal even to non-whisky drinkers – it’s really require light and effortless to imbibe. I should add that this bottle also comes at a pretty affordable price considering the 1000ml volume. The series gradually builds up to the layered but still very balanced Deep Forest Riches which has much more European oak that I imagine would appeal to most frequent Scotch drinkers.

Overall, the entire range also very consistently maintains The Singleton’s signature smooth and easy-drinking format.

The Gardens of Abundance collection is currently available in all Lotte Duty Free stores across Singapore Changi Airport terminals 1, 2, 3, and 4. It is also set to be rolled out to Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Heathrow airports in August 2024.

@CharsiuCharlie