Friday, November 15, 2024
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Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Review | Diageo Special Releases 2024: Spirited Xchange Second Edition
Diageo, Scotland's largest whisky producer, has announced the line-up for their annual Special Releases Collection. The Diageo Special Releases: Spirited Xchange Second Edition is formed of eight single malts, which are limited in number (although the exact numbers have not been revealed). This year's collection is designed to push the boundaries of Scotch whisky and features familiar distilleries alongside lesser known hidden gems.
Friday, November 8, 2024
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Friday, November 1, 2024
Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | November 1, 2024
Friday, October 25, 2024
Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | October 25, 2024
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Review | Ardbeg Spectacular
Each year the Islay distillery of Ardbeg releases an annual Fèis Ìle bottling for Ardbeg Day - this day at the beginning of June marks the end of the festival on the famous whisky island of Islay. Ardbeg Spectacular represents the first single malt from the distillery to feature maturation in ex-Port casks. It is a marriage of traditional ex-bourbon cask Ardbeg and spirit matured fully in ex-Port barrels and has been created by Gillian Macdonald, the Master Blender for Ardbeg. Ardbeg Spectacular is released at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour.
Friday, October 18, 2024
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Thursday, October 17, 2024
Review | Hibiki 40 years old
This new whisky is the oldest ever version of the award-winning Hibiki blend from The House of Suntory. It features whiskies from the company's three distilleries of Chita, Hakushu and Yamazaki. There are six component whiskies in total - the largest percentages are Yamazaki American Oak from 1983, Hakushu Lightly Peated from 1981 and two Chita single grains from 1979 and 1981. Smaller percentages in the blend include Yamazaki Spanish Oak and Yamazaki Mizunara Oak, both from 1983.
Monday, October 14, 2024
Review | Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary 8 years old
The American bourbon brand of Wild Turkey has released a special commemorative whiskey to celebrate the remarkable career of Jimmy Russell, the long-serving Master Distiller. This year marks the 70th anniversary since Russell began working at the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on September 10 1954. His remarkable career includes establishing Wild Turkey as a global brand and being inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame.
The Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary 8 years old features whiskeys of 8- and 9-years of age that were hand-selected by son Eddie Russell and grandson Bruce Russell, who both work at the distillery in senior positions, from Jimmy's favourite rickhouses.
Friday, October 11, 2024
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Friday, October 4, 2024
Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | October 4, 2024
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Review | Glenmorangie A Tale of Ice Cream
The north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie has launched the fifth bottling in its annual Tales series of single malts - the Glenmorangie A Tale of Ice Cream. The new limited-edition whisky is inspired by trips to a traditional ice cream parlour.
It features spirit initially matured in ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period in high-vanillin virgin American oak barrels. These barrels have been lightly charred to bring out extra vanilla notes from the wood. A Tale of Ice Cream has been created by Gillian Macdonald, the Master Blender for Glenmorangie, and Dr. Bill Lumsden, the Director of Whisky Creation for the brand.
Monday, September 30, 2024
Review | Glen Grant The Glasshouse Collection
The Speyside distillery of Glen Grant has revealed a new set of whiskies named The Glasshouse Collection. The trio represent the oldest permanent expressions to be released by the distillery. They also represent the final bottlings created by legendary Dennis Malcolm OBE, the legendary Master Distiller who is due to retire shortly after over 60 years at Glen Grant.
The collection is inspired by James 'The Major' Grant - a key figure in Glen Grant's history. He was an avid plant collector and travelled the world during the Victorian era, bringing specimens back to Scotland to grow in a huge greenhouse that he built on the distillery grounds. The different names refer to how the light changes during the day in the glasshouse.
Friday, September 27, 2024
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Monday, September 23, 2024
Review | Lochlea Harvest Edition (Third Crop)
This whisky is the latest small batch single malt from the Lowland distillery of Lochlea. The Lochlea Harvest Edition (Third Crop) is released as the award-winning field-to-bottle distillery celebrates its sixth birthday and has been created by John Campbell, the outgoing Director of Production at Lochlea. Harvest Edition forms part of a wider series inspired by the farming year and features Sowing, Fallow and Ploughing Editions also. The Third Crop will be the final bottling for each.
Friday, September 20, 2024
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Thursday, September 19, 2024
Review | Stauning HØST
HØST (pronounced 'hurst' and meaning 'harvest' in Danish) is the latest edition to the core range of the Danish distillery of Stauning. The whisky is a marriage of their single malt and rye whiskies, which are made using barley and rye grown on two farms close to the distillery. The cereals have been floor-malted and kiln-dried at Stauning and then double distilled through their copper pot stills. HØST also features a marriage of cask types - ex-bourbon, heavily charred new American white oak and a small percentage of first-fill ex-Port barriques.
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Review | Abasolo
Abasolo is a Mexican corn whisky. It uses an indigenous maize variety called cacahuazintle (pronounced kaka-wha-sint-lay) to make its spirit and nixtamalization - an ancient cooking technique used since the time of the Aztecs. No other whisky in the world uses this. The whisky is produced using a long 120-hour fermentation and double distillation through copper pot stills. It is then aged in 200-litre second-fill ex-bourbon casks sourced from the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky.
Friday, September 13, 2024
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Thursday, September 12, 2024
Review | The Singleton Gardens of Abundance Collection
The Singleton Scotch whisky single malt brand has a new core range that will be exclusive to the travel retail market - The Singleton Gardens of Abundance Collection. The new series features four expressions, each featuring a different cask make-up. These are named Radiant Spring Garden, Golden Autumn Orchard, Exotic Spice Grove, and Deep Forest Riches.
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Review | The Glenallachie 35 years old
The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the launch of its oldest single malt whisky to date - The Glenallachie 35 years old. The whisky has been released to represent the distillery’s unwavering commitment to cask craftsmanship and small-batch whiskies, and has been crafted by Billy Walker, the owner and Master Distiller at Glenallachie.
Friday, September 6, 2024
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Friday, August 30, 2024
Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | August 30, 2024
Thursday, August 29, 2024
Review | King's Inch 8 years old
This Scotch whisky bottling is the first-ever age statement single malt in the core range of King's Inch. The King's Inch 8 years old has been created by owners Courageous Spirits, who have selected a Lowland single malt that has been matured in ex-bourbon casks and ex-Oloroso sherry butts and then vatted them together. There are just 1,500 bottles available.
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Review | The Hearach
The Hearach is the first single malt to be released by the Isle of Harris Distillers Ltd. It is released in small batches with each batch showing a natural and subtle difference in colour, aroma and flavour. At the time of writing the latest release is Batch #16. The inaugural batch was bottled and released in September 2023. The first whisky was distilled in December 2015 and the decision was taken to make a lightly peated style of single malt. The name refers to a person from the Isle of Harris – Na Hearadh in Gaelic.
Friday, August 23, 2024
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Friday, August 16, 2024
Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | August 16, 2024
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Review | Glasgow 1770 Cognac Cask Finish & Tokaji Cask Finish (Batch 02)
The Glasgow distillery has announced the latest bottlings in its Small Batch Series of single malts - the Glasgow 1770 Cognac Cask Finish (pictured, above left) and Tokaji Cask Finish (pictured, above right). Both are the second batches of these whiskies to be released, but the first ever from the distillery to carry an age statement. Both are bottled at six years old, natural cask strength, non-chill filtered and of natural colour.
Friday, August 9, 2024
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Monday, August 5, 2024
Review | Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve
This is a new addition to the core single malt range of the north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie. The Glenmorangie Triple Cask Reserve has married three different cask types together to take the spirit in a different direction. These are ex-bourbon, charred new American oak and ex-rye whiskey casks. It has been created by Gillian Macdonald, Master Blender for Glenmorangie, and will be the new kick-off point for the core range and ahead of the recently released The Original 12 years old, which replaced the former 10 year old version.
Friday, August 2, 2024
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Friday, July 26, 2024
Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | July 26, 2024
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Review | Kingsbarns Coaltown
Coaltown represents the third permanent whisky in the core single malt range of Kingsbarns, the Lowland craft distillery that pioneered the Fife artisan distilling revolution. It joins the ex-bourbon and ex-red wine cask Doocot and ex-Oloroso sherry cask matured Balcombe as permenant expressions. The name is inspired by Coaltown of Wemyss - a small coal mining village in Fife, located just north of Kirkcaldy, which has close links to the distillery's owners. The whisky has undergone full maturation in American oak casks that have previously held peated whisky. These have been sourced from an unnamed distillery.
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Review | Elijah Craig Straight Rye
The American whiskey brand of Elijah Craig has announced the release of their rye expression into the UK market. We were invited to the launch event of the Elijah Craig Straight Rye. The spirits has a mash bill of 51% rye, 35% corn and 14% malted barley. This heavy reliance on corn as the secondary grain makes the spirit highly suited to long maturation, which has enabled this rye whiskey to reach eight years of age.
Friday, July 19, 2024
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Thursday, July 18, 2024
Distillery Visit | Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey is one of the gems of the American whiskey industry and home to a family dynasty that spans three generations. Recently, Matt was invited to Kentucky to visit the distillery and new visitor centre, which are about one hour's drive south of Louisville, and meet the names behind the brand.
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When driving through Kentucky in May you could almost think you were in Scotland. Green rolling hills and farms zip by. But once you hit the town of Lawrenceburg, where the Wild Turkey distillery is located, this changes. Now you are definitely NOT in Scotland. The quaint main street is lined on either side with old colonial buildings, each adorned with a fluttering Stars & Stripes flag. Now you know that you are well and truly in Kentucky - the heartbeat of the American whiskey industry.
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Review | Fettercairn 16 years old (2024 Edition)
The Highland distillery of Fettercairn has refreshed its core domestic and travel retail ranges to coincide with its 200th anniversary celebrations this year. Part of this has been to announce the permanent addition of this Fettercairn 16 years old expression to its revamped domestic range. It joins the flagship 12 years old, with a 24 years old expression completing the set. The new travel retail range offers 14-, 17- and 25 years old whiskies.
Friday, July 12, 2024
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Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Review | Glenmorangie The Original 12 years old
The north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie has reimagined its classic and well-loved The Original single malt whisky. The bottling, which was previously bottled at 10 years old and has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s, is the cornerstone of the Glenmorangie core range and will remain so. It is the whisky that all others in the range are based around. The new iteration has seen the age increase to 12 years old with the cask make up (100% ex-bourbon barrels) and strength (40% ABV) remaining the same. It is essentially the same whisky but two years older.
Friday, July 5, 2024
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Monday, July 1, 2024
Review | Wire Works Bourbon Barrel
This whisky is the second single malt whisky that will form the core range from the English distillery of White Peak in Derbyshire. The Wire Works Bourbon Barrel is the first bottling to use 100% first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, which were sourced from the Heaven Hill distillery in Kentucky, and features their oldest whisky to date. Some of this was from their very early spirit runs in 2018. The new whisky will join the Caduro as a permanent expression in the core range.
Friday, June 28, 2024
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Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Review | Glenmorangie 23 years old: Dr. Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto
This limited edition whisky is a premium release from the north Highland distillery of Glenmorangie. It marks a collaboration between Dr. Bill Lumsden, the Director of Whisky Creation for the brand, and renowned botanical artist Azuma Makoto. The partnership has seen the pair use a shared love of landscape and the natural world (a concept know as shinra bansho in Japan) to create a unique whisky and living art installation. This follows a visit to Glenmorangie and the surrounding Highlands by Makoto, with Lumsden as his guide.
Friday, June 21, 2024
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Thursday, June 20, 2024
Review | Glenfiddich Perpetual Collection Vat 01
The Perpetual Collection is a series of whiskies created by the famous Speyside distillery of Glenfiddich. The series is exclusive to the travel retail market and are therefore only available in selected airports worldwide. The final whiskies are taken from huge marrying solera vats at the distillery. These have never been emptied, hence the 'perpetual' tag, and are said to contain some very old whisky.
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Review | Bushmills 15 years old Cognac Cask Finish
This whiskey is the latest new addition to the permanent core range of the Northern Irish distillery of Bushmills. The initial 14-year maturation of their signature triple distilled single malt has taken place in first fill and re-fill ex-bourbon barrels, before a luxurious 12-month finish in French oak ex-Cognac casks sourced from the famous Cognac region of France. It has been created by Alex Thomas, the Master Blender at Bushmills.
Friday, June 14, 2024
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Thursday, June 13, 2024
Review | Lochlea Cask Strength Batch 2
Cask Strength Batch 2 is the latest limited-edition single malt whisky from the Ayrshire field-to-cask farm distillery of Lochlea (pronounced lock-lee). This second batch is both older and features different casks to the inaugural 2023 release. The batch features a cask make up not seen before in previous bottlings from the distillery - ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry (60% of the marriage) and ex-Oloroso sherry (28%) butts, plus STR ex- red wine barriques (12%). All the whiskies were distilled in 2018 or 2019.