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.

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 The original version of Astar was released ten years ago but had to be withdrawn due to a lack of suitable casks.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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.