Inbox | The Week's Whisky News | January 12, 2024

Welcome to our first Inbox of 2024. Inbox is our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (September 22, 2023)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (May 19, 2023)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / Whisky News Round Up Part 1 (September 9, 2022)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (August 12, 2022)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (May 27, 2022)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (February 4, 2022)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (November 26, 2021)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (November 5, 2021)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Review / Johnnie Walker Blue Label 'Ghost & Rare' Pittyvaich

This whisky is the fourth bottling in the Blue Label Ghost & Rare series from Johnnie Walker. The best selling Scotch whisky brand created the limited edition series to highlight old and rare whiskies from closed distilleries. This new release focuses on the 'ghost' Speyside distillery of Pittyvaich, which only operated from 1974 to 1993 and was located in Dufftown. The whisky's creator is Dr. Jim Beveridge OBE, the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, and features two other 'ghost' closed distilleries of Carsebridge and Port Dundas. Other rare whiskies included come from the Highland and Speyside distilleries of Auchroisk, Cragganmore, Mannochmore, Royal Lochnagar and Strathmill.

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (October 15, 2021)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Distillery Visit / Glenkinchie

Despite having been to Edinburgh for work and pleasure on numerous occasions, we had somehow never got around to visiting Glenkinchie. For much of its recent history this unassuming distillery was the closest to Scotland's capital and attracted many visitors because of the fact. Now it has increasing competition with the Holyrood distillery built right in the centre of Edinburgh and a couple more new ones out in Leith. So what have owners Diageo done? Given it a major revamp and made it even more important than ever.

Glenkinchie is now the official Lowland home of Johnnie Walker, the world's best selling Scotch whisky of which its single malt is an important component. The distillery is one of four dotted around Scotland that each play a similarly influential role within the famous blended range. The other three official regional homes of Johnnie Walker that form Diageo's Four Corners of Scotland are Caol Ila on Islay, Cardhu in Speyside and Clynelish in the Highlands. Each has been renovated to tell each distillery's individual story within the wider Johnnie Walker tale.

Our Top 10 Whiskies of 2020

Another year has passed and it is time for one of our favourite blog posts - our top 10 whiskies from last year. Everyone will have a different opinion about what should and should not be on such a list. Our list is simply our favourites with no agenda or criteria, other than the whisky had to be released in 2020. 

2020 was a year like no other in our lifetimes. The effects of Covid-19 have impacted all facets of daily life and beyond. It has had huge implications for the whisky industry around the world too. But after a short hiatus in March and April, companies began to carry on with adapted plans and release new bottlings. Launch events, tastings and even whisky shows turned to the online format and have now become commonplace. 

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (December 18, 2020)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

 

This will be our last Inbox of 2020 before the festive break and what a strange/ difficult/ weird/ unpredictable/ unprecedented* year it has been (* delete as appropriate, haha). Inbox will return in the New Year. Anyway, here is the news from this week ...

Allotment Drams - Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years old & Glen Moray Sauternes Cask Matured

 

We have two more episodes from our Allotment Dram series for you. First, Matt revisits a classic blended Scotch whisky - the Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years old. Watch as he talks about one of the world's best selling whiskies and what makes it so popular, then gives his thoughts and tasting notes.

Then on his next visit he takes a look at a new whisky - the Glen Moray Sauternes Cask Matured - on a very chilly November afternoon. Watch as he talks about the limited edition single malt and the new series of releases that it kicks off, before Matt gives his thoughts and tasting notes.

To keep up-to-date with our new videos, please subscribe to our YouTube channel - click here.

#AllotmentDram

 

Review - Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years old

The Johnnie Walker Black Label forms part of the core range of best-selling blended whiskies from Scotch whisky giant Diageo. It sits between the Red Label and Gold Label in the range that also includes the Green Label 15 years old, 18 years old and Blue Label as permanent expressions. These are often joined by numerous limited editions and bottlings created for specific markets. All are created by a team of 12 blenders at Diageo, which is headed by the legendary Dr. Jim Beveridge OBE. The brand sells a staggering 18.5 million cases of whisky per annum worldwide - that is just over 220 million single bottles each year.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 13, 2020)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. 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. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. Here is the news from this week ...

Review - John Walker & Sons Bicentennial Blend

The Bicentennial Blend is one of three special bottlings by Johnnie Walker, the world's best selling Scotch whisky, that have been created to celebrate its 200th anniversary. The other two new whiskies are the Celebratory Blend and the Blue Label Legendary Eight. There is also a special commemorative pack for the regular Blue Label bottling. The three new whiskies are all limited editions and have been created by Jim Beveridge OBE, the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, and his team at Diageo. John Walker opened his grocery shop in King Street, Kilmarnock in 1820 and began blending his own whiskies in the cellar.

Review - Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight

The Blue Label Legendary Eight is one of three special bottlings by Johnnie Walker, the world's best selling Scotch whisky, for its 200th anniversary. The other two new whiskies are the Celebratory Blend and the Bicentennial Blend, both released under the John Walker & Sons name. There is also a special commemorative pack for the regular Blue Label bottling. The three new whiskies are all limited editions and have been created by Jim Beveridge OBE, the Master Blender for Johnnie Walker, and his team at Diageo. John Walker opened his grocery shop in King Street, Kilmarnock in 1820 and began blending his own whiskies in the cellar.

Allotment Drams - John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend and Midleton Very Rare 2020 Edition

 

We have two more episodes from our ongoing Allotment Dram series for you and both feature brand new whiskies that have just been released. Firstly, Matt looks at the John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend. This forms part of a commemorative set of whiskies that have been created for the Johnnie Walker 200th anniversary by Dr. Jim Beveridge OBE and his team of blenders at Diageo. Watch to find out about the special blend and Matt's thoughts and tasting notes.

 

Then on his next visit, Matt showcases the latest bottling in the legendary Midleton Very Rare series. This series of whiskeys has been described in the past as 'the pinnacle of Irish whiskey' and this one is the last created by the now-departed Master Distiller Brian Nation. Watch as Matt talks about what makes each release special, plus gives his thoughts and tasting notes. We hope that you enjoy both videos.

To keep up-to-date with our video content or to subscribe to our YouTube channel - please click here.

 

#AllotmentDram