What’s up with whisky: A Tale of Two Elchies

Mark Littler returns with his monthly look at the world of whisky auctions. WELCOME back, and welcome to September. This month we come to you with tales of the Elchies as we chat about the split that is appearing in the whisky bottle market. As we begin autumn, there are signs of softening across areas…

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Baxters hampers help small businesses

LEGENDARY Moray food producer Baxters is launching its first luxury Christmas hampers, with a focus on small Scottish brands. Products that have made their way into the hampers include Wild Hearth Bakery sourdough whisky stollen bread, a Clootie McToot clootie dumpling kit, and Kinalba cashmere socks. Kinloch Anderson has supplied tartan crackers, while the Highland…

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Whisky round-up: awards, auctions, new releases, and more

Peter Ranscombe unwraps a bumper round-up of light-hearted news, releases, and more from the world of whisky. ANNANDALE distillery is toasting a brace of prizes from the Scottish Enterprise Awards. The Globe Inn on Dumfries’ high street, which the distillery took over in 2019, was named as the “best fine dining restaurant in South West…

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Whisky news round-up: Talisker, Glenlivet, and more

Peter Ranscombe rounds-up the latest whisky news from Scotland’s distilleries. TALISKER ambassador Ross Edgley is attempting to break a swimming world record to promote the distillery’s partnership with conservation charity Parley for the Oceans. The long-distance swimmer aims to break the world record for the longest tideless open water swim. Edgley wants to swim for…

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WHISKY NEWS ROUND-UP: Finn Thomson, Ardbeg, and more

Peter Ranscombe takes a light-hearted look through the latest whisky news. THE Thomson family is marking its 300-year connection with the whisky industry by launching one of Scotland’s rarest private cask collections. Finn Thomson Whisky has signed up a slate of independent bottle shops to sell the whiskies in the UK, along with distributors in…

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Whisky new releases: Glenturret, Tullibardine, and more

Peter Ranscombe rounds up the latest whisky releases from Scotland’s distilleries and bottlers. GLENTURRET has added whiskies at either end of the age spectrum to this year’s core range. A seven-year-old single malt is joined by a 25 year old and a 30 year old. It’s seven-year-old peat smoke is aged in American oak casks…

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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…

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Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers at the Fringe

THE Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers – a band made up of tartan noir authors – is preparing to play four shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The super group – which consists of Mark Billingham, Chris Brookmyre, Doug Johnstone, Val McDermid, Stuart Neville, and Luca Veste – play “songs about murder and death”. Its covers…

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Gin Round-up: Mary King’s Close, Rock Rose, NTS, and more

Peter Ranscombe distills the latest stories from the world of gin into a light-hearted round-up. YOU might have thought that some of the botanicals that end up in gin are a wee bit scary – but wait until you visit The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh. The ghoulish tourist attraction beneath the streets of…

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Meet 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…

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