Whisky
Whisky festivals prepare for busy September
SCOTLAND’S whisky festivals are preparing for a busy September, with Distilled taking place in Elgin, and the National Whisky Festival of Scotland rolling into Aberdeen. Tickets have gone on sale for Distilled, which takes place at Elgin town hall om 2-4 September. It marks the first time in three years that the Speyside festival will…
Read MoreReview: House of Hazelwood releases
Drinks blogger James Robertson reviews the first releases from new whisky firm House of Hazelwood. RECENTLY, a new business arm of the renowned distilling family the Gordons launched its first collection of rare and aged whiskies. Named after the family’s home in Dufftown, Speyside, House of Hazelwood will provide whisky enthusiasts and collectors with a…
Read MoreWorld’s smallest whisky bar opens for Fringe
THE world’s smallest whisky bar has opened in the Scottish capital ahead of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A former police telephone box on the corner of Hope Street and Shandwick Place has been turned into a tiny bar by whisky bottler Cask 88. There’s only enough room inside for one bartender and one guest. The…
Read MoreThe Islay Boys toast island’s 12th distillery
ARGYLL & Bute Council has granted The Islay Boys planning permission to build the island’s 12 distillery. Mackay Smith and Donald MacKenzie both hail from the Rhinns peninsula on Islay’s west coast and launched their whisky bottling company, The Islay Boys, in 2016. Now, the pair has teamed up with Ian Macleod Distillers to build…
Read MoreGin, rum, and whisky brands unveil new looks
THREE of Scotland’s gin, rum, and whisky labels have revealed fresh designs for their bottles. Isle of Raasay Distillery took inspiration from its island’s geology for its new bottle. The shape of its glass is moulded from real rocks, fossils, and Raasay juniper. Local botanist Stephen Bungard helped the distillery hand-pick juniper on the island,…
Read MoreWhisky Round-up: National Festival, Inverness, and more
Peter Ranscombe takes another light-hearted look at what’s happening in the world of whisky. THE National Whisky Festival returns to Summerhall in Edinburgh in December, following on from its events in Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Inverness. Tickets have gone on sale for the Edinburgh leg, which will feature distillers and bottlers, along with musicians and disc…
Read MoreMeet the Ardbeg whisky cask that sold for £16m
ARDBEG is donating £1 million to charities on Islay after selling one of its casks for a record £16 million. The sale price, which eclipses all previous cask records, was more than double the £7m that French luxury goods giant Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) paid in 1997 when it bought the distillery. The whisky…
Read MoreWhisky round-up: Glen Ord, Cail Bruich, Scottish Open, and more
Peter Ranscombe takes a light-hearted romp through the latest whisky news. GLEN Ord distillery at Muir of Ord near Dingwall is today reopening its visitors’ centre for its Singleton brand. Chef Tony Singh was on hand earlier this week to launch the centre, which is part of owner Diageo’s wider £185 million investment in its…
Read MoreWhat’s up with whisky: June’s review
Mark Littler returns with his monthly look at the world of whisky auctions. WELCOME back. It’s been a month of highs, with plenty to talk about in the world of whisky investing. Last month we signed off with speculation about The Macallan jubilee bottling and, against all expectations, it is now pretty fair to assume…
Read MoreInverness to get first distillery in nearly 40 years
Plans have been unveiled to build Inverness’ first distillery in nearly four decades. Water from the River Ness will provide some of the power for the Uilebheist distillery, which is named after the Gaelic word for “monster”. The site will also house a brewery, with both fermentation and distillation expected to begin later this year.…
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