Review / Smokehead Twisted Stout

Smokehead is an innovative Islay single malt whisky brand owned by Iain Macleod Distillers. The Smokehead Twisted Stout, as the name suggests, has been part-matured in ex-stout beer barrels. It will be available from www.smokehead.com and specialist whisky retailers worldwide. It joins the core range products of Smokehead, High Voltage, Rum Rebel, Sherry Bomb and Terminado. The Smokehead Twisted Stout is bottled at 43% ABV and will cost £50 a bottle. 

Review / Smokehead Terminado

The Smokehead Terminado is the latest limited edition from the Islay single malt brand. This new bottling follows the brand's recent experimentation with different cask types that has included the Rum Rebel ex-rum cask finish and the Twisted & Stout ex-stout beer barrel finish. Terminado has seen a similar finishing period in ex-tequila casks that have been sourced from Jalisco in Mexico. The exact number of bottles has not been revealed. Smokehead Terminado is released at as no age statement and 43% ABV. It is initially exclusive to the Amazon and Smokehead websites. Wider distribution will follow. A bottle will cost £69/ US$83.

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (December 2, 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 (October 8, 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. 

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. 

Allotment Drams - American Eagle 4 years old & Smokehead Rum Rebel

We have two more episodes from our increasingly popular Allotment Drams series, our short videos where we talk about different whiskies from the surrounding of our allotment in north London. First watch as Matt tackles the American Eagle 4 years old, an American whiskey from the state of Tennessee, on a very hot afternoon. 

Then he talks about the brand new Smokehead Rum Rebel, an Islay single malt that has been finished in Caribbean rum barrels, while also showing off an impressive haul of produce that he has harvested. We hope that you enjoy Matt's thoughts and tasting notes on both whiskies.

 

#allotmentdram

 

Review - Smokehead Rum Rebel

 

This whisky is the latest addition to the increasingly popular Smokehead range from Ian Macleod Distillers. The Islay single malt, which is sourced from an un-named distillery on the famous whisky island, has seen a finishing period in ex-rum barrels from the Caribbean. It was launched in time to celebrate International Rum Day on August 16th. It joins the Smokehead Original, High Voltage and Sherry Bomb expressions in the core domestic range and the Extra Rare and Rum Riot in the travel retail range. All carry no age statement.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (August 14, 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 ... 

Allotment Dram - Smokehead

For those of you that follow us on Instagram (if you're not, why not? - click the tab at the top of the right hand column), you will know that we regularly post pictures of our 'allotment dram' - the whisky we are enjoying whenever we visit our allotment in North London to do some work or gardening. In these strange times, we have decided to bring this to life and record a brief tasting of each one, along with an update on the allotment's progress.

For this episode, Matt is visiting and working at the allotment on a much more traditional 'April Showers' type of day than we have experienced recently. He has picked an 'allotment dram' to suit the colder and damper conditions - Smokehead, an Islay single malt whisky that packs a peaty punch. Enjoy.

#allotmentdram

Review - Smokehead

Smokehead is an Islay single malt brand that is owned and bottled by Iain Macleod Distillers. The company also own the Glengoyne and Tamdhu single malt distilleries, and are currently renovating the fabled Rosebank distillery after almost 30 years of closure. Smokehead was first released in 2006 and stirred up the whisky category at the time with its then unconventional look and contemporary packaging. This has since had a revamp a couple of years ago. This whisky carries no age statement and is from an un-named distillery on the famous whisky island of Islay. There is much speculation as to which distillery it may be - tap it in to a search engine if you do not believe us.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (November 2, 2018)

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.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (April 13, 2018)

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.

Have just tried ... Smokehead 18 years old

Smokehead is a whisky released by Ian MacLeod Distillers. This 18 years old is a new premium single malt that joins the regular Smokehead, which was first released in 2006. The Smokehead brand offers quality whisky with a contemporary edge and this is reflected in the innovative graphics, design and website (www.smokehead.co.uk). Ian MacLeod Distillers own the Glengoyne distillery near Glasgow, as well as the Chieftain's and Dun Bheagan independent bottling brands. They also own various other spirits brands such as London Hill gin, Rostov vodka and Watson's rum.

As the name suggests, this whisky is smoky and named as an Islay (the island off the west coast of Scotland) single malt but the distillery is not revealed. The serious rumour is that this 18 years old is from Ardbeg. If this is true, then this makes Smokehead 18 years old the only way to currently get an Ardbeg of this age without breaking the bank. The other distilleries that it is rumoured to possibly be are Caol Ila or a heavily peated version of Bunnahabhain. The Smokehead 18 years old is a limited release with just 6000 bottles available worldwide. A bottle should cost £85-95 from specialist whisky and spirit retailers.

Smokehead 18 years old is light golden in colour and has a powerful nose that is packed with peaty smoke. This smokiness is heavy and a little tarry in nature but some other pleasant characteristics come through well - some honey, vanilla, nuts (think of almonds and hazelnuts) and a touch of citrus sharpness (imagine lemon zest). If you thought the nose was potent, then prepare yourself for the next step. On the palate, this again has a shovelful of hot peat but here the smokiness is more spicy and reminiscent of black peppercorns and red chillis. The sweet vanilla, oaky wood, pronounced cereal grains and honey come through well again. The citrus tang is present also and cuts through the heavy richness to freshen things up and create a lovely balance. The finish turns dry and woody with a bitter nutty edge (those almonds and hazelnuts again), a hint of saltiness and iodine present.

Smokehead 18 years old is a lovely smoky, spicy and luxurious dram that packs a proper punch. Definitely one for the peat lovers to try and not for the faint hearted! We thank Charles Miller from Harvey-Miller, the distributors of the Smokehead range, for the chance to sample this whisky.