Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (April 21, 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. 

Review / Glasgow 1770 'The Coopers' Cask Release'

This bottling is a limited edition single malt whisky from The Glasgow Distillery Co. The release is designed to celebrate the unique relationship that exists between a cooperage and a distillery. The whisky is a collaboration between the Glasgow-based distillery and the Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky. The cooperage is one of the largest independently-owned cooperages in America. It was founded by Ed McLaughlin in 1991 when he moved his coopering business from Glasgow to the famous whiskey state of Kentucky. 

The cooperage, now owned by Ed's son Paul, has created a cask made from a combination of two different cask types - half of the staves are heavily charred virgin American oak and half are from a lesser charred cask that has previously held Glasgow 1770 single malt. This unique cask was then filled with Glasgow 1770 spirit that had previously been maturing in ex-Port barrels.

Review / Talisker Xpedition Oak 43 years old

This new whisky is the oldest ever single malt to be released by the Talisker distillery from the Scottish isle of Skye. The Talisker Xpedition Oak 43 years old has been created from just 10 casks, with all being filled in the late 1970s. These have yielded just 1,830 bottles in total - a reference to the year that the distillery was founded. The whisky was finished for a short period in casks made from oak staves that travelled 3,264 miles across the Atlantic Ocean on the yacht of explorer James Aitken when he was taking part in The Atlantic Challenge. A piece of stave is included within the each presentation box.

Allotment Drams / Bladnoch Vinaya & Grace O'Malley Blended Irish Whiskey

We have two more episodes from our Allotment Dram review series for you. This is where we sit and talk about different whiskies in the surroundings of our allotment plot in north London. 

First, Matt takes a look at the Bladnoch Vinaya. This is a new addition to the core range of single malts from the Lowland distillery. Watch to discover more about the distillery and brand, and how it has come through a different recent past, before hearing Matt's thoughts and tasting notes.

Then on his next visit he goes Irish in the form of Grace O'Malley, a blended whiskey that has just been launched in the UK. Watch to find out the inspiration behind the brand and details of the bottling, before Matt gives his thoughts and tasting notes.

To keep up-to-date with our latest videos or to catch up on previous Allotment Dram episodes, please subscibe to our YouTube channel - click here.

#AllotmentDram

 

Review - Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake

 

A Tale of Cake is a new limited single malt that is the brainchild of Dr. Bill Lumsden - the Director of Whisky Creation at Glenmorangie. For this release, he has been inspired by memories of baking pineapple upside down cake, firstly with his grandmother and then with his daughter. The spirit involved was earmarked for use as Glenmorangie Original, having been matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. This was then finished in ex-Tokaji dessert wine casks from Hungary. These highly prized and rare barrels were sourced and hand selected by Dr. Bill for A Tale of Cake. The release also features bespoke packaging designed to represent a cake and the whisky is bottled at 46% ABV.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (January 18, 2019)

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.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (February 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.

Review - Tomatin Caribbean Rum, Cabernet Sauvignon & Oloroso Sherry Cask Finishes

These whiskies are a trio of new limited edition single malts from the Highland distillery of Tomatin.  They are designed to demonstrate the distillery's experimentations with different types of casks - the 9 years old Caribbean Rum, the 14 years old Cabernet Sauvignon and the 21 years old Oloroso Sherry. All are bottled at 46% ABV and will be available in selected specialist whisky retailers worldwide.

Review - Tomatin 1971

This whisky is the first release of the new luxury Warehouse 6 Collection from Tomatin. The collection will feature a series of rare single casks from the maturing stock with the first being distilled in August 1971 and bottled in May 2016. The 44 years old has been matured in a single ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead cask, which has yielded just 252 bottles. The whisky is presented in a bespoke hand-blown crystal decanter made by Glencairn Crystal and sits in a varnished wooden plinth with gold metal trim alongside two crystal tumblers.

Review - Talisker Skye

Talisker Skye is the latest whisky in the core range from the popular single malt distillery from the Scottish Isle of Skye. The whisky is created in homage to the rugged landscape and wild seas that surround the island distillery with tastes of fresh citrus, sweet smokiness and the maritime influence which is a signature of Talisker whiskies. This expression is constructed using toasted and refill American oak casks that are hand selected by Diageo's Master Blenders. It sits within the range consisting of Storm and Port Ruighe as the lighter, fresher and most citrusy of the series, but with an extra edge of sweetness compared the 10 year old thanks to the selection of a slightly higher proportion of toasted casks. Skye is bottled at 45.8% ABV and will be available in Spring 2015. The anticipated recommended retail cost will be £33.

Review - Highland Park Odin

Highland Park Odin is the greatly anticipated (and already sold-out) fourth and final bottling in The Valhalla Collection. Each single malt whisky in this series is named after legendary figures from Nordic history and Odin follows the previous award-winning releases of Thor, Loki and Freya.

This limited edition whisky with only 17,000 bottles released globally is presented in a dramatic black ‘battle worn’ bottle and black Viking long ship inspired wooden frame that is a signature to the complete series. It is 16 years old, 55.8% ABV, and for those lucky enough to have managed to pick up a bottle, it was available at a recommended retail price of £180. The whisky itself is aged in 250 litre hogsheads previously holding sherry; starting with refill casks then transferred to fresh first fill casks for a final four years.

Great places to drink whisky - New York City

New York City is rightfully famed for its night life. Any city vying for “best city in the world” status has to have some pretty cool bars to while away the small hours and get a little merry and New York’s sheer size means there’s a lot of places to choose from. So, on a recent holiday across the pond I ended up in a couple of Gotham’s excellent whisky bars in order to sample some of that famed night life and a couple of whiskies.