* This article was written by Matt Chambers of Whisky For Everyone and originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 14/12/17.
The last couple of years have seen the re-birth of gin, a spirit that many considered long dead. It has shaken off its historical ‘mother’s ruin’ image to capture the imagination of consumers like almost no other spirit category has before.
Shops and bars are awash with different gin brands and new products seem to pop up every week. Gin palaces, often dens of iniquity in the past, are re-opening. Gin is cool again and consumers are lapping it up.
But what has driven this boom and how long can it be sustained?
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Friday, December 15, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (December 15, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Friday, December 8, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (December 8, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Life After Whisky - What Happens To A Cask?
Ever wondered what happens to all of those old whisky casks? |
A recent event in London that I attended saw a whisky company collaborate with a bicycle manufacturer to produce something extraordinary from used whisky barrels. It got me thinking about some of the innovation that is going on in the whisky industry.
But what normally happens to a wooden cask once its days of maturing whisky are finished? What do people do with them? The answer is different in different places.
Friday, December 1, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (December 1, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Review - The Balvenie DCS Compendium Chapter 3
The DCS Compendium is a super premium series of single cask whiskies from The Balvenie. The series is formed of 25 single cask bottlings, which are split in to five chapters and released annually over five years, and is named after The Balvenie's long serving David C. Stewart. He has worked for owners William Grant & Sons for 53 years and has hand selected each cask involved in the DCS Compendium, which designed to chart his knowledge and skills of David Stewart over five decades.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Review - Ardbeg Twenty Something
Ardbeg Twenty Something is a recent limited edition release that was one of the Islay distillery's oldest and rarest ever bottlings. It was exclusive to Ardbeg Committee members and is a 23 years old single malt, which was distilled during a time when the distillery was just ticking over and producing just a few casks of whisky each year. This period in the 1990s saw a downturn in whisky production across Scotland and almost closed Ardbeg for good. Ardbeg Twenty Something has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks and these were selected by Dr. Bill Lumsden, the Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks for Ardbeg.
labels:
ardbeg,
ardbeg committee,
islay,
lvmh,
moet hennessy,
new release,
whisky review,
whisky tasting notes
Friday, November 24, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 24, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Minimum Alcohol Pricing - Why?
* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post on 16/11/17.
Scotland is poised to become the first country in the world to charge a minimum price per unit of alcohol. The unanimous ruling by the UK Supreme Court to back the Scottish Government proposal quashes a legal challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), allowing authorities to proceed with legislation that was initially approved five years ago.
So what does this mean for those buying alcohol in Scotland? And will it spread to the rest of the UK?
Scotland is poised to become the first country in the world to charge a minimum price per unit of alcohol. The unanimous ruling by the UK Supreme Court to back the Scottish Government proposal quashes a legal challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), allowing authorities to proceed with legislation that was initially approved five years ago.
So what does this mean for those buying alcohol in Scotland? And will it spread to the rest of the UK?
Friday, November 17, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 17, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Friday, November 10, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 10, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Thursday, November 9, 2017
Review - Dewar's 25 years old
This Dewar's 25 years old whisky replaces the no age statement Signature expression at the top of the popular Dewar's blended Scotch range. The move is designed to show the Dewar's commitment to the age statement category. The new 25 years old expression has been created by Stephanie Macleod, the Master Blender for Dewar's, and uses some of the company's oldest single grain and malt whiskies.
In an additional twist, once blended together the whisky has undergone a further maturation in casks used to mature Royal Brackla single malt. The Royal Brackla distillery is widely regarded as the brand home for Dewar's and its whisky is one of the signature malts in the range of blends.
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Review - Midleton Very Rare 2017 Edition
Irish Distillers have released the 2017 Edition of their super premium Midleton Very Rare bottling, which has appeared annually as a limited edition since it was first released in 1984. As with previous editions, this year sees a blend of grain and single pot still whiskeys. The age range for the 2017 Edition is 12 to 32 years and has been created by Brian Nation, the Master Distiller at Midleton. The oldest grain whiskey is 32 years of age and the oldest pot still whiskey is 26 years of age. All have been matured in ex-bourbon barrels that have then been specially selected by Nation, one of only two men to ever create the Very Rare.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Distillery Visit - Glenmorangie
Glenmorangie has a special place in our hearts at Whisky For Everyone. Looking back you could argue that it is the place where it all started for us, the place that sparked our interest in whisky. It was over a decade ago and on a holiday to the north Highlands that we decided to ‘visit something synonymous with Scotland’. That something was the Glenmorangie distillery.
We did the basic tour and remember being fascinated by the place – its location, the whisky making process (although we cannot pretend to have understood it), the architecture and the whisky itself, which we sampled in a small tasting at the end. We left with a bottle of the now retired Cellar 13, which we considered expensive at £40 (oh, those were the days ...) and cracked it open on the sleeper train home to London.
Friday, November 3, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 3, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (October 27, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Why Not Make Your Own Cocktails At Home?
* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post on 24/10/17.
Over the last few years the whisky industry has been making a concerted effort to attract more consumers. One such way has been the idea of mixing your whisky or drinking it in a cocktail, particularly at home. Adding a mixer to a whisky is nothing new – one thinks of whisky and coke as easily as one thinks of gin and tonic or vodka and lemonade, for example – and is easy. But does anyone really make cocktails at home? Can they really be bothered?
Over the last few years the whisky industry has been making a concerted effort to attract more consumers. One such way has been the idea of mixing your whisky or drinking it in a cocktail, particularly at home. Adding a mixer to a whisky is nothing new – one thinks of whisky and coke as easily as one thinks of gin and tonic or vodka and lemonade, for example – and is easy. But does anyone really make cocktails at home? Can they really be bothered?
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Review - Highland Park Dragon Legend
The Dragon Legend is a new expression that has recently been released by the Orcadian single malt whisky brand of Highland Park. It is designed to have a 'richer and smokier flavour' than previous expressions of Highland Park and is initially exclusive to UK supermarkets, including Tesco. Dragon Legend will then be rolled out to key European markets in early 2018. The name takes inspiration from the brand's Viking heritage and the tale of the evil serpent Fafnir. It has been matured in a combination of American oak and European oak ex-sherry casks, and is bottled at a strength of 43.1% ABV. The recommended retail price is £40.
Friday, October 20, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (October 20, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Review - Glenfiddich 21 years old Winter Storm
The Winter Storm is the third bottling in The Experimental Series from Glenfiddich. The whisky has been created by Brian Kinsman, the brand's Malt Master, and uniquely uses Canadian ice wine casks made from French oak for a short finishing period. These have previously matured ice wine, made from grapes frozen on the vine and picked at night, produced at the Peller Estate winery in Niagra. Following a period of experimentation, Kinsman discovered that older whiskies reacted best with the casks. Therefore, the Winter Storm is a 21 years old expression with a six month finish in the ex-ice wine casks.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (October 13, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Distillery Visit - Glendronach
It is not easy to find the distillery of Glendronach. The address is given as 'near Huntley' and as you drive along the busy A96 from Aberdeen towards Inverness you see a large brown tourist sign that tells the distillery is off to the right. But, then you drive. And drive. And drive, down and increasingly narrow and winding road.
You begin to wonder if you've gone wrong somewhere as the brown signs disappear, or if it even exists. But then you are rewarded - there nestled in a small valley is the padoga of a distillery. The picturesque scene means that you have finally reached your destination.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Review - Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Rum Cask Finish & Espresso Roast
These two whiskies are the latest expressions to be released in to Johnnie Walker's experimental Blenders’ Batch series. The Rum Cask Finish (Experiment #8) and the Espresso Roast (Experiment #9) have been created by Jim Beveridge, the Johnnie Walker Master Blender, along with his team of 12 blenders. This includes Chris Clark, who worked exclusively on the Rum Cask Finish, and AimĂ©e Gibson, who developed the Espresso Roast project. Both new whiskies have been designed with bartenders in mind.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Inbox Special Edition (October 9, 2017) - Brora & Port Ellen Distilleries Come Back To Life
It is not often that we produce an edition of Inbox outside of our regular weekly Friday slot, but sometimes news is announced that needs to be reported straight away. News that is so significant that it potentially changes the landscape of the whisky world. Today is one of those days as Diageo, Scotland's largest producer of whisky, have announced the re-opening of two of their most iconic closed distilleries - Brora and Port Ellen.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (October 6, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Friday, September 29, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (September 29, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Review - Balvenie Peat Week 14 years old
This new whisky is the first permanent addition to their core single malt range of Balvenie for almost five years. The Balvenie Peat Week 14 years old is a peated expression and is the result of trials undertaken at the turn of the century by David Stewart MBE, Balvenie's legendary Malt Master, and Ian Millar, the former Distillery Manager at Balvenie. At that time, not many Speyside distilleries were producing peated malt whisky and ever since Balvenie have dedicated one week per year to it.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Review - Benromach Triple Distilled
This is an innovative new whisky from the small Speyside distillery of Benromach. Most whisky in Scotland is normally distilled just twice and this is the first triple distilled spirit released by Benromach. The spirit used to create this whisky was distilled once through a wash still and twice through a spirit still, and all used for this first batch was distilled in 2009. This has been matured in first fill ex-bourbon barrels and then bottled at 50% ABV. There will be just 7,800 bottles of Benromach Triple Distilled. They will be available via selected specialist retailers in Europe and the UK with a recommended price of £45 each.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Review - Kavalan Peaty Cask
This peaty version from the Taiwanese distillery of Kavalan has been bottled especially for UK specialist retailer The Whisky Exchange. It was previously only available at the distillery but a few single casks were made available to whisky retailers around the world. With no natural peat in Taiwan, the flavour has been created by maturing in casks that have previously held smoky Islay single malts. Cask #029 for The Whisky Exchange has yielded just 104 bottles. Each has a natural cask strength of 52.4% ABV and costs £150. It is available to purchase here via the TWE website or at their London store in Covent Garden.
Friday, September 22, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (September 22, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Review - Exotic Cargo
Exotic Cargo is a new whisky from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and is the first ever blended malt that they have released. The new whisky continues the expansion of their core range of products which has recently added American whiskey, Cognac, gin and rum to the portfolio. Exotic Cargo has been created using whiskies all distilled on the same day in 2006 and all have been matured in ex-sherry hogshead casks. It has been bottled at 10 years of age and at a strength of 50% ABV. It is also non chill-filtered and of natural colour. There are just 1,937 bottles available and each will cost £45.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Review - Treacle Chest & Vanilla Burst by Wemyss Malts
The Wemyss family have released these two new whiskies as the first in a new series called The Family Collection. The collection has been crafted from whiskies held within the Wemyss family's own private portfolio of casks. These first two releases - entitled Treacle Chest and Vanilla Burst - represent two differing styles of whisky, one has been matured in ex-Sherry casks and the other in ex-bourbon casks. The names refer to the expected flavour characteristics from each cask type.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (September 15, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Review - Diageo Special Releases 2017
The Special Releases are an annual selection of bottlings from Diageo, Scotland's largest producer of single malt whisky. The series first appeared in 2001 and has grown to be eagerly anticipated by whisky fans, consumers and collectors around the world. The Special Releases are designed to showcase some of the best whisky, both single malt and single grain, held within Diageo's extensive portfolio of maturing stocks. This includes distilleries that are currently in operation and those that have sadly closed.
We were delighted to again be invited to a special preview event in London a couple of weeks ago. Here we got to sample each of this year's ten Special Releases bottlings in the company of Dr. Nick Morgan, Head of Whisky Outreach at Diageo, and Maureen Robinson, one of Diageo's Senior Whisky Blenders and a major influencer of the Special Releases programme. Here is the information for each whisky and our tasting notes.
labels:
blair athol,
brora,
caol ila,
collectivum xxviii,
convalmore,
diageo,
diageo special releases,
glen elgin,
lagavulin,
port dundas,
port ellen,
special releases,
teaninich
Friday, September 8, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (September 8, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Review - Ardbeg An Oa
The An Oa (pronounced an-oh) is the first permanent addition to the core single malt range of Ardbeg for almost a decade. It is named after the Mull of Oa, the southernmost point on Ardbeg's home island of Islay. The whisky is the brainchild of Dr. Bill Lumsden – the Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks for Ardbeg's owners Moet Hennessy. Ardbeg An Oa is a combination of ex-bourbon barrels, ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and virgin oak casks. These have been married in a large French oak vat housed in The Gathering Room, a new feature at the Ardbeg distillery.
labels:
ardbeg,
dr bill lumsden,
islay,
lvmh,
moet hennessy,
new release,
smoky whisky,
whisky review,
whisky tasting notes
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Review - Glendronach Kingsman Edition 1991 Vintage
The Kingsman Edition 1991 Vintage is a special limited edition single malt from the east Highland distillery of Glendronach. The new whisky is a collaboration between Rachel Barrie, the Whisky Maker at Glendronach, Marv Films and 20th Century Fox to mark the release of the movie Kingsman : The Golden Circle. Glendronach was selected by director Matthew Vaughn as it is his favourite single malt. The whisky is constructed of just four ex-sherry casks, all of which were filled in 1991 (this is the year of birth of the movie’s lead character, Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin).
Friday, September 1, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (September 1, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (August 25, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Review - Glenmorangie Astar (2017 Edition)
The Astar is a re-release of the former cult favourite expression from the north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie. The original version of Astar was released ten years ago but had to be withdrawn due to a lack of suitable casks. It has taken Dr. Bill Lumsden - the Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks at Glenmorangie - almost a decade to orchestrate the Astar's re-release. This time it is released as a limited edition but, as with the original version, is still matured solely in casks made from American oak harvested from the Ozark Mountains in the American state of Missouri. Some are first-fill lightly charred casks and some heavily toasted barrels. The name of Astar translates as 'journey' from Gaelic.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (August 18. 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Diageo Special Releases 2017
Diageo, the leading Scotch whisky company, announced most of the line-up for this year's Special Release bottlings a few months ago. Today they have announced more details of each whisky, plus the 10th and final bottling the will make up the 2017 series - this is the Collectivum XXVIII, a blended malt which contains whiskies from each of Diageo's 28 Scottish malt distilleries that are currently in production. Every year the Special Releases, which first appeared in 2001, are eagerly anticipated by whisky fans and collectors.
We will be sampling each of the ten whiskies shortly and will write a full review with our tasting notes soon after that. For now, here are the details of each whisky for the Diageo Special Releases 2017. No indication of prices were given in the press release.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Review - Slane Irish Whiskey
This whiskey is the first to be launched from the new Slane Distillery in Ireland. This is located on the grounds of the famous Slane Castle, which is renowned for music concerts and its setting within the Boyne Valley. The distillery itself is yet to commence production, which is anticipated from late Summer 2017, so this first release showcases the complex flavour to be expected from the triple cask maturation used. Blending whiskey from virgin American oak, seasoned American oak and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, this expression is created to be a more complex, yet smooth, Irish whiskey. It has been bottled at 40% ABV.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (August 11, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Review - Glen Moray Mastery
The Mastery is a special rare single malt from the Speyside distillery of Glen Moray. It has been released to commemorate the distillery's 120th anniversary, which is happening this year. The whisky has been created by Graham Coull, the Distillery Manager at Glen Moray, and with it he pays homage to his predecessors. There have only ever been five Distillery Managers in Glen Moray's 120 year history.
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Distillery Visit - Talisker
The distillery of Talisker is located in the village of Carbost on the rugged Hebridean island of Skye. Talisker is a Viking word translating as 'sloping rock' and is named after Talisker Bay, which is about five miles away. The distillery was founded in 1830 by the MacAskill brothers and they were from the nearby island of Eigg. They purchased the land as it was cheap - this was because it was not good for farming. The village of Carbost was built at the same time as the distillery and the houses used for distillery workers.
Monday, August 7, 2017
Review - The Chita Single Grain Whisky
Renowned as innovators in Japanese whisky, Suntory have released their first single grain whisky into the International market designed as a new style of whisky for a new audience. Blended from spirit aged in wine
and Spanish oak casks alongside American white oak, Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo has created what Suntory describes as "a milder whisky with a clean, clear finish and unparalleled sophistication and complexity". It has been bottled at 43% ABV.
and Spanish oak casks alongside American white oak, Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo has created what Suntory describes as "a milder whisky with a clean, clear finish and unparalleled sophistication and complexity". It has been bottled at 43% ABV.
Friday, August 4, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (August 4, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Friday, July 28, 2017
Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (July 28, 2017)
Welcome to Inbox. For those new to WFE, 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.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Review - Bunnahabhain 46 years old
This whisky is the latest super premium release from Bunnahabhain. The Bunnahabhain 46 years old, which also carries the Gaelic name of Eich Bhana Lir, has the prestigious tag of being the oldest ever single malt bottled from the Islay-based distillery. The whisky is from a single second-fill ex-Oloroso sherry butt that was hand selected by Andrew Brown, the Distillery Manager at Bunnahabhain. This cask was maturing in Warehouse #4 at the distillery on the windswept north eastern coast of Islay since mid-1969.
labels:
bunnahabhain,
distell,
islay,
new release,
old whisky,
whisky review,
whisky tasting notes
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