Whisky
The 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.…
Read MoreThe Glenlivet unearths illicit whisky making
WHISKY maker The Glenlivet is mounting another archaeological dig to uncover evidence of illicit stills on Speyside. The Scotch brand launched its “Pioneering Spirit” project with the National Trust for Scotland in 2020. Last summer, the project uncovered artefacts used to make whisky, as well as part of the old Glenlivet distillery, about a kilometre…
Read MoreCASK & STILL LAUNCHES DRINKS TRAILS APP
THE team behind Cask & Still, Scotland’s whisky and spirits magazine, has launched a new and improved Drinks Trails App. It is now available to download for free on both iOS and Android devices. The Trails App is an interactive pocket guide to the country’s whisky and spirits industry, pinpointing the best distilleries, bottle shops,…
Read MoreNew releases: Whisky for Hibs fans, luxury Scotch, plus rum
Peter Ranscombe takes his weekly look at the latest whisky releases. HIBS fans can now toast their team with the first exclusive whisky bottled for them by the club’s new spirits partner, Gleann Mòr. The company – whose head office is just a few streets from Hibernian’s Easter Road pitch – has filled 350 bottles…
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