The last two decades have seen a far-reaching transformation of the international whisky landscape. These changes include the revival of Ireland’s historic whiskey industry; the development of the global following of Japanese whiskies; the revolution in style and production techniques precipitated by the rise of the craft whisky sector; the dramatic growth in bourbon demand and the booming popularity, both in the US and around the world, of rye whisky.

There has also been the dramatic increase in the range of cask finished expressions, burgeoning whisky production among both traditional producers like India and non-traditional producers like Taiwan and France; the cult-like popularity of peated whiskies, including the development of super-peated whisky expressions; and the release of super-premium priced, ultra-aged Scotch whisky expressions. All of these developments, just a few of the many changes transforming the international whisky industry, have occurred against a backdrop of growing premiumization and skyrocketing production.

On a more personal level, the last two decades have brought dramatic changes to two London based entrepreneurs – Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh. From a modest beginning, The Whisky Exchange, the online spirits merchant they founded in 2001, has grown into the largest online retailer or whisky, especially Scotch whisky, in the world.

This week, to commemorate both the far-reaching and ongoing transformation of the international whisky market and as a personal testament to their own equally dramatic experience, Sukhinder and Rajbir are releasing “20 Whiskies That Changed The World.”

The collection offers up 3 cl (a little over one ounce) samples of the 20 whiskies that have had the most dramatic impact on both the global whisky market, as well as the two brothers personally. According to The Whisky Exchange:

This eye-catching gift set of 20 x 3cl Perfect Measure samples tells the story of this transformation in the best way possible – by offering you the chance to taste some of the whiskies that made it happen.

The 20 whiskies are grouped into four sets of five whiskies each: Whisky Revolution, Magic of the Cask, Peat Makes the World Go Round and The New World. The collection includes a comprehensive guide that doubles as a tasting book, and also features producer profiles, a bit of history of the distillery and tasting notes.

The guide also explains how each whisky in the collection shaped the evolution of the global whisky industry; from Compass Box hedonism, the expression most responsible for igniting the continuing interest in grain whiskies, to the Balvenie DoubleWood, the expression that brought cask finishing to the forefront of the whisky industry and has gone on to influence the style of not only other whisky producing countries but other spirits, like tequila or rum, as well.

The impact of Sherry cask maturation is amply illustrated in a range of expressions, from The Macallan 18 YO, perhaps the best-known purveyor of Sherry cask maturation, to other notable bottlings like the Dalmore King Alexander III, considered by many Richard Paterson’s greatest creation, to the Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength; arguably one of the top two (the other being the Aberlour A’bunadh, Sherry matured cask strength expressions.

Peated whiskies are illustrated in all their various styles, from the Islay medicinal style of Lagavulin and Laphroaig, to the historic 19th century template of Springbank to the revolutionary Octomore, which redefined what it meant to be a peated whisky.

The impact of international producers is illustrated with an assortment of equally iconic whiskies, from Amrut, one of the first single malt Indian whiskies with a truly global following, to the incomparable Yamazaki, the uncrowned king of Japanese whisky, to two American standouts: Blanton’s Gold, an American whiskey that was impossible to find in the US, to Michter’s Single Barrel Rye.

The 52-page booklet is also supplemented by online tasting videos available on the TWE website designed to accompany the tastings. The whiskies can be sampled separately at one’s leisure or tasted in four flights alongside the video guides.

The 20 whiskies in the collection are:

Whisky Revolution        

Compass Box Hedonism - Blended Grain Scotch Whisky

Monkey Shoulder The Original - Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Clynelish 14-YO - Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Glenfiddich 15 YO - Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Johnnie Walker Blue Label - Blended Scotch Whisky

Magic of the Cask               

The Balvenie 12 YO DoubleWood - Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The Macallan 18 YO Sherry Cask - Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The Glendronach 15 YO - Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The Dalmore King Alexander III - Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength - Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Peat Makes the World Go Round

Talisker 18 YO - Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 

Springbank 10 YO - Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Laphroaig Quarter Cask - Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Lagavulin 16 YO - Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Octomore 10 YO Fourth Edition - Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The New World                   

The Yamazaki 12 YO - Japanese Single Malt Whisky

Nikka Coffey Malt - Japanese Single Grain Whisky

Amrut Fusion - India Single Malt Whisky

Blanton’s Gold- Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Michter’s US 1 Single Barrel Rye - Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

The collection will be available starting June 4, exclusively from The Whisky Exchange, and is priced at £160 (approximately $200).

Sláinte