Things have been busy, busy, busy recently, so here’s two months of whisky news for you. Industry Updates The Scotch Whisky Association has lost out in its attempt to block the Scottish Government’s minimum pricing policy (The Scotsman), but the organisation has now appealed to the UK Supreme court (Daily Telegraph). Meanwhile, the Association’s chief
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It’s summer (don’t let the weather fool you!), so there’s less news around than normal. However, you’ll still find all the latest whisky news below. Industry Updates Another month and another whisky distillery receives approval, with plans for a new facility in Hawick given the thumbs up (STV News). Work has also started on the
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A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the fifth annual An Evening with the Blenders. Each year, the event takes place at The Scotch Whisky Experience on the back of the International Spirits Challenge (ISC). Mid-way through the week, the blenders take an evening out of their busy schedule and share
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Here’s your round-up of all the latest whisky news: Industry News The BenRiach Distillery Company – which owns the GlenDronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh Scotch whisky brands – has been sold to Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman Corporation for £285 million (The Herald). And Chivas Brothers has reported profits down by 12%, despite the continual popularity of
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The first month of the year was BUSY, so here’s a round-up of all the latest whisky news. Industry News The most exciting news of the month was the announcement by Hunter Laing & Company would be building Islay’s first new distillery in more than a decade. The £8m Ardnahoe distillery will be built
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Writing this blog, I’m lucky enough to taste a wide variety of whiskies – special editions, limited, releases, unusual finishes, etc. As I result, it’s easy to lose sight of the great whiskies which don’t get much press. These are the malts which sit in drinks cupboards or on bar shelves, and are consumed by
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Things have been super busy in the non-whisky world, so for this week, you’ll have to make do with my most recent article for Calibre Quarterly. Published last week, it focuses on Quality vs. Quantity, with a look at Glengoyne, Kilchoman and The Balvenie. Normal service should return next week. Happy reading!!
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Pairing food and whisky has been an emerging trend over the past few years, with numerous bars and restaurants bringing together a whole host of foods and partnering them with Scotland’s national drink. Some of these combos have gone down a treat. And others need to go back to the drawing board. I knew I
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Despite being part of William Grant & Sons, I’ve always admired The Balvenie’s willingness to take creative risks with its products. This now includes tampering (for lack of a better word) with the successful Tun 1401 bottling, which the distillery announced over the summer would be discontinued and replaced with a new batch of releases
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At the start of September, I was invited to the Stirlingshire countryside to witness the unveiling of not one, but two new releases of The Balvenie. Cromlix – better known as Andy’s Murray’s hotel – provided the perfect backdrop for the launch, with Dr Sam Simmons, global brand ambassador at The Balvenie, our host for
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