Rum & Cigars - A Match Made In Heaven

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 6/4/17.

Rum and cigars have long gone hand in hand. The combination is largely associated with the Caribbean and one island in particular is synonymous with it. That island is Cuba. Some of the best rum on the planet is made there and it is home to many of the world’s best known and biggest selling cigar brands.

Distillery Visit - Midleton Micro Distillery

Tucked away in a corner of the massive Midleton distillery in Co.Cork is something special. Hundreds of tourists file passed it every day without realising that it is even there. Important and innovative work is going on inside, work which is shaping the future ranges of the distillery’s brands and of Irish whiskey. It is the Midleton Micro Distillery.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (April 7, 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 - The Dublin Liberties Copper Alley

Copper Alley is an Irish single malt whiskey released by The Dublin Liberties.  It was launched in September 2016 and is the company's second whiskey in their fledgling range, following 2015's Oak Devil expression.  The Copper Alley is named after one of the oldest streets in Dublin, which is located within the historic distilling district.  The whiskey used is single malt from an undisclosed Irish distillery and has been matured in ex-bourbon casks for 10 years before being finished in 30 years old Oloroso sherry casks for six months.  Only 31 such casks were used for finishing for this limited edition.

Review - Benromach Sassicaia 2009 Vintage

This whisky is the latest release in the expanding Wood Finish series from the small Speyside distillery of Benromach. All of the whiskies included in this expression were distilled in 2009 and matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. These were then hand selected by Keith Cruickshank, the Distillery Manager of Benromach, and transferred to ex-Sassicaia red wine casks sourced from the Bolgheri region of Tuscany in Italy. The finishing period in these casks was 28 months. As with all of the Wood Finish series, this whisky is a limited edition - there are just 7,783 bottles available.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (March 31, 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.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (March 24, 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.

Havana - My Top Five Cocktail Bars

* This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post UK on 14/3/17. 

Cuba is a country that has long been associated with rum, cocktails and cigars. It is spiritual home of classic cocktails such as the daiquiri and mojito and boasts some of the world’s most iconic bars in the capital, Havana. But there are now new places popping up to challenge the older and more traditional establishments. On a recent visit to Havana, I went to check a mix of the old and new – here are my five favourites.

Inbox - The Week's Whisky News (March 10, 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 - Method And Madness

Method And Madness is a new whiskey range from Irish Distillers, the Irish whiskey branch of Pernod Ricard. This carries a tag line of 'when knowledge and discovery collide', which acknowledges the experimental nature of the new whiskeys.  The range is designed to push the boundaries of Irish whiskey and showcase some of the most innovative work that the blenders, coopers and distillers are producing at the company.