Review - Ailsa Bay

Ailsa Bay is a new peated single malt whisky from the Lowland distillery of the same name. The distillery is owned by William Grant & Sons and is the first ever official release from there. The whisky is a combination of liquids that have been matured in four different types of cask - refill American oak, first fill bourbon, new oak and Baby Bourbon casks previously used by William Grant's Hudson distillery in New York. These casks have been selected and by Brian Kinsman, the Master Blender for William Grant. The contemporary packaging features a graphic map of the bay and a tall heavy glass bottle complete with a stopper made from Ailsa Craig granite.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (February 26, 2016)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Review - Yamazaki Sherry Cask (2016 Edition)

The multi award winning Japanese distillery of Yamazaki has announced the release of the 2016 Edition of its Sherry Cask expression. A previous version (the 2013 expression) gained fame by being voted 'Whisky of the Year' in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2015. There will be just 5,000 bottles worldwide and the whisky has been taken from ex-Oloroso sherry casks hand selected by Shinji Fukuyo, the Chief Blender at Suntory - he is only the fourth person to hold this position in Suntory's history. It joins three other expressions in the Yamazaki Cask 2016 Collection - the Bourbon Barrel, Mizunara & Puncheon.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (February 19, 2016)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Huffington Post Revisited Part 4 - Another Day, Another Distillery ...

Matt of Whisky For Everyone has been writing on the Huffington Post UK since being invited as a contributor in 2012.  His posts in the Lifestyle section are increasingly popular, so we thought we would publish the most-read articles in case you have not seen them before.  Recently, we showed three posts on WFE for the first time.  This fourth one was published on Huffington Post last week and looks at the ever-growing number of new distilleries and potential problems facing them.

________

Another Day, Another Distillery ...
Posted on HuffPostUK on 08/02/16 - click here to view the original article.

The proposed Ardnahoe distillery

Recently, the news of a new single malt whisky distillery in Scotland was greeted with universal applause from whisky fans. The Ardnahoe distillery, which will be constructed on the north east coast of the famous whisky island of Islay, is hoped to be in production by the end of 2017.

This is the latest in an increasingly long line of such announcements, mostly in the craft/boutique sector. But is there a real danger of the whisky industry overloading itself with new distilleries and will all of these projects survive?

Review - Old Forester

Old Forester is a bourbon from the famous whisky producing state of Kentucky in America.  It is one of the oldest American whisky brands and it has a number of claims to fame.  It was the first American whisky to be sold in sealed glass bottles rather than wooden barrels - this was over 25 years earlier than most other brands, who were later required to by a law change in 1897, and was done to ensure a better consistency of quality.  Old Forester was also one of the only distilleries to remain open during the damaging Prohibition era after it successfully applied for a license from the U.S. Government to continue production for 'medicinal purposes'.

Review - Benromach 35 years old

This 35 years old single malt is the latest limited edition release from the multi award winning distillery of Benromach.  It is said to be one of the oldest ever bottlings from the Speyside distillery.  The whisky was distilled and casked in the early 1980s before current owners Gordon & MacPhail took control, and is taken from some of the rarest casks that they inherited. The 35 years old has been matured in first fill ex-sherry casks and is housed in a specially designed decanter style bottle and a wooden presentation casket, both decorated with copper detail.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (February 5, 2016)

Welcome to this week's Inbox.  For those that have recently discovered us, Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our email inbox. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday.

Huffington Post Revisited Part 3 - Think You Know How To Taste Whisky? Think Again ...

Matt of Whisky For Everyone has been writing on the Huffington Post UK since being invited as a contributor to the blogging site in 2012.  His posts in the Lifestyle section are increasingly popular, so we thought we would publish the most-read articles in case you have not seen them before.  This week we will show three posts on Whisky For Everyone for the first time.  This one about an innovative brand launch changed how Matt viewed whisky tastings and opened his mind to experience more.

________

Think You Know How To Taste Whisky?  Think Again ...
Posted on HuffPostUK on 23/9/15 - click here to view the original article.

As a London-based whisky commentator I get regularly invited to whisky tastings and brand launches. Most follow tried and trusted routines. Nothing wrong with that, but they can seem formulaic sometimes. Sometimes something changes your thoughts, opening both eyes and mind. For me, this came at the recent launch of a new Chivas Regal whisky.

The words 'Experimental Chef' and 'Exploration Lab' on the invitation filled me with a slight sense of dread. I pictured a gimmicky tasting, albeit in a cool venue, that would push food and whisky pairing. Quickly I discovered just how wrong those initial feelings would be ...

Huffington Post Revisited Part 2 - A Positive Argument for No Age Statement Whiskies

Matt of Whisky For Everyone has been writing on the Huffington Post UK since being invited as a contributor to the blogging site in 2012.  His posts in the Lifestyle section are increasingly popular, so we thought we would publish the most-read articles in case you have not seen them before.  This week we will show three posts on Whisky For Everyone for the first time.  This one about 'no age statement' whiskies got lots of people irritated on whisky forums and is the most controversial to date.

________

No Age Statement Whiskies - A Positive Argument
Posted on HuffPostUK on 18/2/15 - click here to view the original article.

The recent release of The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve seems to be causing a stir amongst the whisky community. The Glenlivet has long been one of the biggest selling single malts but Founder's Reserve represents a departure for the brand as it strives to grow even further. It is the first permanent core range product to have 'No Age Statement' (or NAS for short) and this has got some people very annoyed.

Huffington Post Revisited Part 1 - Is Scotch Whisky Dead?

Matt of Whisky For Everyone has been writing on the Huffington Post UK since being invited as a contributor to the blogging site in 2012.  His posts in the Lifestyle section are becoming increasingly popular, so we thought we would publish the most-read articles in case you have not seen them before.  This week we will show three posts on Whisky For Everyone for the first time, starting with his most recent one - Is Scotch Whisky Dead?  This has over 1,700 Likes on Facebook to date.

________

Is Scotch Whisky Dead?
Posted on HuffPostUK on 13/1/16 - click here to view the original article.

The publication of a book last Autumn created a serious stir amongst the whisky community. In fact, it created a stir in the wider world with issues raised and tackled by the UK and global media.

The book in question was the 2016 edition of Jim Murray's Whisky Bible, an annual release that has become the world's best selling whisky publication. Murray samples around 4,000 whiskies each year and the book is a collection of his tasting notes and personal scores. Whisky fans wait to find out his top marks and these can make brands an instant success overnight. Murray is a powerful influencer and many consumers naturally follow his recommendations. So, why the fuss this year?