By Richard Thomas Rating: A- One of the things to come out of the Japanese whisky explosion a decade ago was the introduction of many whisky enthusiasts to Japan’s Mizunara oak. Whiskies finished in this wood have been appearing in a steady trickle ever since, often as limited editions. Mizunara is a scarce wood (the …
Family-owned Scotch whisky and premium spirits specialist, Gordon & MacPhail, welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh to The Cairn Distillery on Monday 20th May 2024. Upon arriving at the distillery, situated in the Cairngorms National Park, near the river Spey, the Duke and Duchess met with members of the distillery team and Gordon & …
By Richard Thomas Being something of a whiskey generalist, one of the problems I grapple with regularly is how to overcome preconceived notions and deeply ingrained preferences. Enthusiasts have a tendency to be nerdy about whiskey, and nerds have a tendency towards blinkerdom. So, even though Scotch whisky present a wide, deep palate of flavors …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Scotch whisky is a drink that invites some serious nerdom, arguably more so than bourbon whiskey. The first serious division of camps in enthusiasm for Scotch are between those who love Sherried whiskies and those who are devoted to peated whiskies. Among the latter, the focus is overwhelmingly places on …
Sixty years after Stewart Laing first learned how to make whisky on Islay, he and his sons Andrew and Scott are celebrating a lifelong family dream come true with the release of the first whisky from Ardnahoe, the distillery they built on the world-famous whisky island. Released on 10th May, Ardnahoe Inaugural Release (£70) is …
Ardgowan Distillery has announced the two final additions to its Clydebuilt whisky series: Anchorsmith and Draughtsman Blended Malt Scotch Whiskies. Anchorsmith combines six distinct whiskies from renowned Lowland, Speyside, and Highland distilleries, each matured in first fill Oloroso sherry casks and handpicked by Master Whisky Maker Max McFarlane. Draughtsman, the last in the series, offers …
Last Drop Distillers has unveiled their 2024 Collection of three sourced bottlings: a 40 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Auchentoshan Distillery (Release No. 34), a 22 Year Old Infinity Rum Blend (Release No. 35) and a 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky from the Tomintoul Distillery (Release No. 36). Release No. …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ This is one of a pair of expressions released by Islay distillery Bruichladdich in early 2024 as part of a “Luxury Redefined” series. The whiskies represented two sides of a pivot point in Bruichladdich history. The distillery was mothballed for several years, covering the mid- to late 1990s, with production …
Gordon & MacPhail has unveiled the fourth edition in its annual series celebrating the legacy of George Urquhart – the man described by whisky writer Charlie MacLean as ‘the father of single malt whisky’. The Mr. George Legacy 1958 from Glen Grant Distillery was laid down by ‘Mr George’, as he was known to those …
Ian MacLeod Distillers has announced that the revived Rosebank Distillery will open to the public on June 7, 2024. Rosebank is a Lowland distillery, set on the Forth and Clyde Canal between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The distillery was mothballed in 1993; the state reason at the time was an estimated £2m upgrade to its wastewater …
