As a series of rare and collectible single vintage malts, the Prima & Ultima collection needs no introduction. Hand-selected from some of the finest distilleries in Scotland, including Brora, Port Ellen and The Singleton, the third installment, Prima & Ultima, has been curated by Diageo Master Blender, Dr. Craig Wilson, whose unrivaled knowledge of the region’s distilleries and their casks, has resulted in an exceptional collection of rare bottlings.
When it comes to single malts, few have Dr. Wilson’s expertise. In curating this edition, Dr. Wilson is following in the footsteps of just two renowned Johnnie Walker Master Blenders, Dr. Jim Beveridge OBE, who oversaw the first edition, and Master Blender Maureen Robinson, who curated the second.
“I have personally selected each whisky with great care,” says Dr. Wilson. “Each is an exceptional spirit marking both a special time in the distilleries’ history, and whiskies that I’ve had the privilege to watch mature.”
In total, eight storied whiskies have been added to this year’s Prima & Ultima collection and, in accordance with tradition, each bottling is drawn only from casks that are either the first or last of their kind.
Examples of the rare whiskies making their way into the collection are a 28-year-old Lagavulin 1993, a bottling of the last Talisker casks from 1984, and the oldest whisky among the eight from the oldest casks of Cragganmore.
This third release means the Prima & Ultima Collection in its entirety stands at 24 bottles–a spectacular yet extremely limited presentation of Single Malts. For 2022, only 317 sets of the third release of Prima & Ultima have been made available for purchase. Each set retails for SGD57,950 (USD40,750).
One whisky aficionado and collector who has been eagerly awaiting the third release is Singapore-based Garreth Anwar, founder of the Abbott Society, a collective started by two friends with a shared passion for fine food, travel and whiskies. Garreth is certainly no stranger to Prima & Ultima, having successfully acquired earlier releases of the series. The prospect of savoring and comparing rare bottlings is something he finds especially appealing about this collection, particularly the access to bottlings of extremely limited circulation from Scotland’s most celebrated distilleries.
“The first Prima & Ultima Collection was released in 2020 and it had a Port Ellen within the eight-bottle release. That was a bottling I was excited to try,” says Garreth. “Now, the third release includes a Port Ellen as well as bottlings from Brora and Royal Lochnagar–all particularly sought-after whiskies.”
Each full set of the Prima & Ultima collection includes eight single vintage malt bottlings, with each bottling accompanied by 20ml tasting samples.
Expressions of interest for the third release of Prima & Ultima must be made through Diageo’s private sales team here.
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