Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (December 17, 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. 

Whisky For Everyone - A Decade of Blogging

When our first blog post popped up on 28 March 2008 it was difficult to imagine that Whisky For Everyone would still be going a decade later. Our fledgling interest in whisky, and Scotch in particular, led us to want to find out more. Writing things down seemed a good way to make facts, figures and tasting notes stick in our brains. If people read what we wrote then so be it - we gave it a working title of Whisky For Everyone and it was our vehicle for learning.

How Did You Get In To Whisky?

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 19/4/17.

What turned you on to whisky? Was there one experience or a particular whisky you tried that got you hooked? What made the biggest first impression on you? How did you get in to whisky? These are questions that I get asked on a regular basis.

Getting started in the whisky world can be a daunting experience. I found it that way to begin with. There are lots of things that you hear or read that could be true, but you just do not know. These include numerous well-known stereotypes and opinions – Should I add water to my whisky? How about ice? Is single malt better than blended whisky? And so on.

Playing To Your Strengths

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 5/1/17.

The current buzzword in the Scotch whisky industry seems to be experimentation. This year we have seen major brands releasing whiskies that have been matured in funky wine casks, creating new recipes and collaborating with craft beer brewers.

Experimentation has generally been seen as the realm of the craft or artisan distiller, especially those new to the scene. The major players argue that they have always been experimenting throughout their history and that this is simply taking it to the next level.

So what are the big whisky brands trying to achieve from this experimentation? Is it to simply diversify their range? Is it to make their product more attractive to a wider audience or new drinkers? Or is it to be seen as a ‘craft’ product themselves?

Is Rum The New Whisky?

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 10/11/16.

A few weeks ago, someone asked me about which spirit would be the ‘next whisky’. By that they meant, which spirit would come out of the shadows in a similar way that whisky started to do about ten years ago? Whisky has become the ‘new Cognac’. My prediction skills have never been good, but after some discussion we came to our conclusion – rum.

Why Is Old Whisky So Expensive?

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 4/11/16. 

When details of the latest super premium Scotch single malt were released earlier this week, they seemed to cause quite a stir across social media platforms and the whisky drinking community. Comments such as “looks nice but way too expensive”, “outrageous pricing” and “what a rip-off” were vented, but were frankly predictable.

But do these comments have an element of correctness, or are they simply naïve and showing a lack of understanding about the economics of the whisky industry? Why are old whiskies priced as they are?

The Rise and Rise of Irish Whiskey

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 11/10/16.

The Irish whiskey landscape is changing.

Whiskey in Ireland is experiencing an unprecedented boom. On the back of a general increased global demand for whisky as a spirit, the Irish side of the industry is witnessing something of a re-birth. But can this growth be sustained or will the market reach a saturation point somewhere in the future?

Which Whisky Would You Like? Let Me Guess ...

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 12/9/16.

“Taste is the least understood of our senses”
Dr. Adam Moore

Something caught my eye recently – a press release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society telling me that they could predict the type of whisky I like from my personal characteristics. It seemed an interesting idea and one that potentially makes sense, but can it really be achieved? Do your own personal traits mean that you will like certain flavours over others?

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.

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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?

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.

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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?

Whisky For Everyone on The Huffington Post UK

Matt C, one of the founders of Whisky For Everyone, is a regular contributor on The Huffington Post UK.  He has been writing about whisky and whisky related topics within the LifeStyle section of the popular blogging website since being invited to be a contributor in 2012.

His latest article is now live on the site.  Within the article he looks at influences behind the reported demise of Scotch whisky in the media and awards being given to other sectors, plus asks whether the situation is really as bad as we are led to believe.  To read the article, please click the link below.  We hope that you enjoy ....

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/matt-chambers/is-scotch-whisky-dead_b_8960890.html