A Sleeping Giant Awakens at Port Ellen

For 41 years, the Port Ellen Distillery on Scotland’s Isle of Islay sat silent. Last month, a multi-million dollar restoration of the distillery was completed… Read More

For 41 years, the Port Ellen Distillery on Scotland’s Isle of Islay sat silent. Last month, a multi-million dollar restoration of the distillery was completed when the first spirit flowed at Port Ellen since 1983. While it’ll be years before we see new bottlings of Port Ellen, the distillery will be open to Islay visitors from around the world. Diageo’s Ewan Gunn was on hand when that first spirit flowed. He’s been part of the revival since it was announced in 2017, and joins us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, The Demeter Collection auction raised £49,000 for the Our Whisky Foundation, while William Grant & Sons is expanding its Blended Scotch portfolio with a new range of whiskies. 

Episode 1052: April 14, 2024

Links: Port Ellen Distillery | Our Whisky Foundation | William Grant & Sons | Balcones Distilling | Midleton Very Rare | Loch Lomond Whiskies | Fettercairn | Nc’Nean Distillery | Bimber Distillery | Rabbit Hole Distillery | Ezra Brooks | Chicken Cock Whiskey | Woodford Reserve | Duncan Taylor | Beam Suntory

Image courtesy Diageo.

Mark Reynier: Whisky’s Enfant Terrible

Waterford Distillery founder Mark Reynier has no shortage of opinions about how he feels whisky should be made, and he’s putting those opinions into the… Read More

Waterford Distillery founder Mark Reynier has no shortage of opinions about how he feels whisky should be made, and he’s putting those opinions into the bottle. Reynier has butted heads with the whisky establishment many times over the years because of his passion for flavor above all else, critics be damned. He’ll share some of his opinions with us on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Compass Box founder John Glaser is stepping down after 23 years, while there’s both good and bad news about whisky exports.

Episode 1046: March 3, 2024

Links: Waterford Whisky | Compass Box | Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. | Spirits Europe | The Macallan | Midleton Very Rare | The Busker | Bushmills | Jefferson’s Bourbon | Smooth Ambler | Michter’s | Heaven Hill | Westland | Method & Madness | Roe & Co.

Inbox | The Week’s Whisky News | March 1, 2024

Welcome to Inbox – our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to the WFE email. We started Inbox several years ago as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from arou…



Welcome to Inbox - our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to the WFE email. We started Inbox several years ago 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 this week's whisky news ... 

________


Dewar's
 

The popular blended Scotch whisky brand of Dewar's has added another expression to its Double Double series - the Dewar's Double Double 21 years old Mizunara. The whisky has seen a finishing period in Japanese mizunara oak barrels and will be exclusive to the travel retail sector. It has been created by Stephanie Macleod, the Master Blender for Dewar's. 

The Dewar's Double Double 21 years old Mizunara joins three other whiskies in the range - the Dewar's 21 years old Oloroso, 27 years old and 32 years old. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. The whisky will be available in selected travel retail outlets worldwide with a bottle costing £119/ US$150.
 
"The journey of creating this expression has been an exploration of flavours and craftsmanship. We have introduced a distinctive twist by finishing in Japanese mizunara oak casks, and therefore creating a new and exciting whisky."
Stephanie Macleod.

 
Glasgow
 

The distillery that reintroduced distilling to Glasgow has launched a trio of new single malts into their popular limited edition Small Batch Series - the Glasgow 1770 Calvados Cask Finish, Manzanilla Sherry Cask and Tequila Cask Finish. The bottlings represent the first time that the brand has used ex-Calvados and ex-Manzanilla sherry casks.

The Glasgow 1770 Calvados Cask Finish (pictured, above right) is bottled at 58.7% ABV and features finishing in a cask from the Normandy region of France. There are just 270 bottles. The Manzanilla Cask (pictured, above centre) has seen full maturation in a single ex-Manzanilla sherry butt sourced from a bodega in Sanlúcar de Barrameda in southern Spain. This has yielded 813 bottles and is released at 59% ABV.

The Tequila Cask Finish (pictured, above left) sees the triple distilled single malt finished in an ex-Tequila barrel from Mexico. The whisky is released at 55.3% ABV and there are just 272 bottles. Each of the whiskies will retail for £59 and are available via the Glasgow distillery website and in selected UK whisky retailers. Small amounts of the Manzanilla Cask is also available in Germany, Holland, Poland and South Korea.


Midleton
 

The super premium Irish whiskey brand of Midleton Very Rare has announced a special bottling to commemorate the 40th anniversary since the inaugural release. The Midleton Very Rare 40th Anniversary Ruby Edition covers four decades with spirit distilled by each of the brand's three Master Distillers - Barry Crockett, Brian Nation and current incumbent Kevin O'Gorman - featuring in the final blend.

The limited release features just three casks, each a complex blend of single pot still and single grain whiskey, which have then been married together by O'Gorman. This was then finished for nine months in ex-Ruby Port casks. The whiskey has been bottled at the natural cask strength of 53.1% ABV and is presented in a bespoke Waterford crystal decanter. It will be available in selected world markets, plus travel retail. A bottle will cost €20,000/ £17,250/ US$21,600.

One extra special bottle of the Ruby Edition will also be released. The one-of-a-kind bottle has been designed by Keanes Jewellers in Cork. This features hand-engraved 18-carat solid gold on both the neck and stopper, plus 32 rubies encrusted within the neck collar. This bottle will be auctioned, ending on March 7 at 3pm GMT, with a starting guide price of US$60,000.


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2023: The Year in Whisky

A lot happened in the world of whisky during 2023, and with the help of WhiskyCast Community app members, we’ve identified the top ten whisky… Read More

A lot happened in the world of whisky during 2023, and with the help of WhiskyCast Community app members, we’ve identified the top ten whisky stories of the year. Join us as we count them down in the news, then listen as Milam & Greene’s Heather Greene shares her lessons on whisky entrepreneurship in WhiskyCast In-Depth. We’ll also have some of your year-end dramming choices in our Community segment, too. 

Episode 1037: December 31, 2023

Links: Milam & Greene | Torabhaig Distillery | Smokehead | Lagavulin | Bruichladdich

Never Say Die Bourbon: A Whiskey with a Back Story

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing… Read More

The stories behind the whiskies we drink are almost as enjoyable as the whiskies, and the story behind Never Say Die Bourbon is an intriguing one. There’s a near-death experience, followed by success on horse racing’s grandest stage, and a side story linking it to the founding of The Beatles. Never Say Die co-founder Brian Luftman joins us to share that story on this week’s WhiskyCast. In the news, Chivas Brothers workers approve a new contract, Kentucky Bourbon distillers set more records, and the deadline to avoid European import tariffs on American whiskey is getting closer.

Links: Never Say Die Bourbon | Chivas Brothers | Unite | GMB Scotland | Pernod Ricard | Kentucky Distillers Association | Campari | Teeling Whiskey Company | Old Forester | Milam & Greene | A. Smith Bowman Distillery | Talisker | The Whisky Exchange | Midleton Very Rare | Scottish Government Whisky Emissions Study

Photo courtesy Ninth House/Never Say Die Bourbon.

Is the Luxury Whisky Investment Market Softening?

Whisky has become more attractive as an investment asset in recent years, but a new report indicates the value of luxury whiskies has declined over… Read More

Whisky has become more attractive as an investment asset in recent years, but a new report indicates the value of luxury whiskies has declined over the past year. We’ll talk with the report’s author, Duncan McFadzean of Scotland’s Noble & Company, on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, lots of hardware was handed out at this week’s awards ceremonies in Scotland and Ireland, and we’ll have the details. Chivas Brothers faces strikes by its union workers next week, and there’s less than a month left before American whiskies face European import tariffs again.

Episode 1033: December 3, 2023

Links: Noble & Company | Scottish Whisky Awards | Icons of Whisky Ireland | Irish Whiskey Awards | Midleton Distillery Experience | Remy Cointreau | Pernod Ricard | Chivas Brothers | Old Fitzgerald | Jack Daniel’s | Fuji Whisky | Deanston | Cedar Ridge Distillery | Midleton Very Rare | Waterford Whisky | Adelphi | Lindores Abbey

Balcones Distilling Celebrates 15 Years of Texas Whiskey

Balcones Distilling in Waco helped put Texas whiskey on the map when it opened in 2008, and this past weekend, the distillery marked it’s 15th… Read More

Balcones Distilling in Waco helped put Texas whiskey on the map when it opened in 2008, and this past weekend, the distillery marked it’s 15th anniversary with a rain-soaked party. We spent the weekend in Waco for the celebration, and sat down with longtime head distiller Jared Himstedt to get answers to some of your questions. In the news, whisky cask investment schemes in the UK are coming under scrutiny, while a charity auction to benefit victims of the recent Irish floods has raised nearly €35,000. 

Episode 1029: November 5, 2023

Links: Balcones Distilling | Irish Whiskey Auctions.ie | Edrington | William Grant & Sons | MGP | Thompson Bros. | Scotch Malt Whisky Society | Lost Lantern Whiskey | Frey Ranch Distillery | 2XO Whiskey | Benromach | GlenDronach | Talisker | Crown Royal | Aberfeldy | Ardray

Midleton Makes Foray Into Very Rare Range With Foret de Troncais

Irish Distillers-owned Midleton Distillery has released Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais – Irish whiskey finished in rare French Tronçais oak casks originating from the French forest of the same name – as an addition to their Very Rare range of whiskies. The forest was established in the 1600s to sustainably supply oak for building […]

The post Midleton Makes Foray Into Very Rare Range With Foret de Troncais first appeared on Whisky Critic – Whisky Reviews & Articles – Style. Attitude. Whisky..

Irish Distillers-owned Midleton Distillery has released Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais – Irish whiskey finished in rare French Tronçais oak casks originating from the French forest of the same name – as an addition to their Very Rare range of whiskies. The forest was established in the 1600s to sustainably supply oak for building ships.

Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais was matured in ex bourbon-holding American oak barrels, then finished for three years in the rare French Tronçais oak casks, bottled at 48% alcohol by volume and is said to offer notes of apple, caramel, honeycomb and pear.

Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais is being made available online and in select markets [China, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK and USA] for $5,000 per bottle.

The post Midleton Makes Foray Into Very Rare Range With Foret de Troncais first appeared on Whisky Critic - Whisky Reviews & Articles - Style. Attitude. Whisky..

An Exercise in Whisky Blending

Anyone can blend one whisky, but to blend a whisky with long-term consistency between batches takes a true talent. This week, we’ll share an informal… Read More

Anyone can blend one whisky, but to blend a whisky with long-term consistency between batches takes a true talent. This week, we’ll share an informal blending session with Widow Jane head distiller and blender Sierra Jevremov on WhiskyCast In-Depth, along with tasting notes for Widow Jane’s latest release, The Vaults 15-year-old Bourbon. In the news, Kentucky is getting a massive new distillery project, while we were on hand as The Hearach single malt from Isle of Harris Distillery made its U.S. debut in New York City Thursday night. We’ll have tasting notes for that one, too, along with the new Glenglassaugh 12-year-old and Bruichladdich’s Octomore 14.3 single malts.

Links: Widow Jane | Whiskey House Distillery | Cabrach Trust | Compass Box | Buffalo Trace | The Hearach | Meikle Tòir | The Dalmore | Midleton Very Rare | The Macallan | The Glenrothes | Glenglassaugh | Bruichladdich

Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (October 13, 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 whisk…



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 this week's whisky news ... 
 
________
 
 
Jack Daniel's
 

The famous American whiskey brand of Jack Daniel's has launched its first ever single malt made from 100% malted barley. This was ground, fermented and distilled in Lynchburg, Tennessee. It is the first ever whiskey from the distillery to feature a 100% malted barley mash bill and has been matured in charred new American oak barrels, before a finishing period in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Jack Daniel's American Single Malt Whiskey is bottled at 45% ABV (90 Proof) and will be initially available in travel retail outlets worldwide. A one litre bottle will cost $US100. As part of the launch, the brand is hosting 40 activations in airports around the world which will see them offer 60,000 tasting samples.
 
"When we began experimenting with a 100% malted barley grain bill back in 2012, we knew it would be critical to put our own stamp on timeless single malt traditions and craft something that was uniquely Jack Daniel’s. We have achieved that and are excited for this release."
Chris Fletcher / Master Distiller at Jack Daniel's.

 

Kilchoman
The Islay farm distillery of Kilchoman has released its first ever single malt to be fully matured in ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured has seen maturation for a minimum of five years in casks sourced from Bodega José y Miguel Martin in Jerez, Spain. It is a vatting of 61 such casks and these have yielded 23,000 bottles. These will be available in selected specialist retailers worldwide. The Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask Matured is bottled at 50% ABv and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. A bottle will cost £90. 
 
"Some might consider five years to be a short maturation, but these PX hogsheads give such a rich and sweet character, that it is the only option to maintain a good balance of flavour."
Anthony Wills / Founder of Kilchoman.

 
Midleton
 

The premium Irish whiskey brand of Midleton Very Rare has released a new bottling, which is planned to be an annual release. The Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais is a fusion of Irish and French luxury and craftsmanship, and is the result of a collaboration that began in 2017. This saw Kevin O'Gorman, the Master Distiller for Midleton, travel to France on a cask procurement project.

This saw O'Gorman discover the rare T5 cask, which is made from French oak grown in the legendary Forêt de Tronçais ('Tronçais forest' in English). This supplies some of the finest oak and is used by prestigious wine and Cognac makers. The casks were specially airdried and built for Midleton at the Taransaud cooperage in France from hand-selected Tronçais oak casks.

The blend features single grain and single pot still whiskeys from the 1980s to 2000s, which had matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks. These were then blended together and filled to the T5 Tronçais oak casks for a further three years of maturation. The Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais is bottled at 48% ABV and will be available in selected world markets including China, France, Ireland, the UK and the USA, plus travel retail. A bottle will cost €5,000/ $US5,000/ £4,400. 
 
 
Timorous Beastie 
 

The Highland blended malt brand of Timorous Beastie has revealed a new limited edition - the Timorous Beastie Meet The Beast. As with all expressions of Timorous Beastie the whisky features only Highland single malts including some from Glengoyne, Glen Garioch and Blair Athol amongst others. These have been matured in ex-bourbon casks before being married together. 

Timorous Beastie Meet The Beast is bottled at the natural cask strength of 54.3% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The packaging features an 'illusion design' that only reveals its full detail when viewed through special glasses, which are contained in the presentation tube. It is available via specialist retailers worldwide and will cost £55/ €64 per bottle.


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