April 2024
Three grains: a fallen giant, an ambitious youngster and a slice of single-grain history
Single-grain whisky flows backstage in the whisky industry, hidden from the masses but favoured by whisky makers Single-grain whisky will never be able to compete with its single-malt cousins. Its grain still distillation is less romantic, its flavours less celebrated, and its personality resides in an arena conquered by
Mortlach – the Speyside whisky distillery that likes to reveal its dark side
Not known as the Beast of Dufftown for nothing, Mortlach doesn’t always grab headlines, but when it does, it's for its deep, dark range of flavours Mortlach is one of Diageo’s nearly 30 Scottish whisky distilleries. The first legal distillery in Dufftown, it maintains its hard-won Beast of
Scotland’s Calling – find a festival that fits your whisky rhythm
Behind the headline Scottish whisky festivals is an army of smaller events that keep the whisky celebration going year-round The queues start early for the daddy of all Scottish whisky festivals - Islay. It’s a huge event that sees the entire island open to visitors from all over
March 2024
Is Cragganmore one of the most underrated whisky distilleries in Speyside?
Fans of Cragganmore, the Diageo-owned single malt producer, often enjoy the fact that their favourite producer sometimes slips under the radar Despite its arrival in the Diageo stable as one of the original Classic Malts and some superb releases since, Cragganmore Distillery has missed out on much of
Meet the Highlander mapping the past and future of Tomatin Distillery
Scott Adamson’s role at Tomatin is a three-way split between champion, historian and blender, he tells Gary Quinn Scott Adamson is a Munro Bagger, that elusive group of people who hike into Scotland’s wild places to conquer peaks of over 3,000ft (914m). Named after Sir Hugh Munro, who
Meet Fercullen, a new-wave Irish whiskey brand from Powerscourt Distillery
Fercullen - Bottling 21-year-old stunners alongside its own-make single malt, this young distillery puts a spotlight on Ireland’s whiskey industry Powerscourt Distillery stands in good company. Located on the beautiful Powerscourt Estate and next to the stunning Powerscourt House it also neighbours the five-star Powerscourt resort and hotel as
The Irish New Wave: Meet three Irish whiskey distilleries on the rise
With up to 30 new wave Irish whiskey distilleries now operating, the Irish whiskey scene has changed utterly Not very long ago, Irish whiskey was succeeding on the backs of just four incredible whiskey distilleries: Midleton, Bushmills, Tullamore and Cooley. These giants of Irish whiskey drove the survival of
February 2024
Teeling trio reveals the experimentation driving the Dublin distillery
Never shy to experiment, Teeling Distillery has developed into a whiskey maker of international standing Teeling has championed cask finishes since they opened their then-craft distillery in 2012. Thirteen years later the Dublin whiskey makers have conquered the world, building a world-class whiskey brand and attracting major investment. Bacardi
Hinch – The Irish distillery helping rebuild Co Down’s whiskey heritage
With personality, panache and style, Hinch Distillery has forged a superb whiskey engine in the Northern Irish countryside As you approach this handsome distillery in Ballynahinch, Co Down, the three copper stills at Hinch dominate the courtyard. Situated on the grounds of Killaney Estate, it offers a beautiful purpose-built
Port Ellen – is Islay’s gentle giant finally about to be unveiled?
It’s been years in the making but it looks like Diageo might finally be ready to reveal the reborn Port Ellen distillery. Is your collection ready to receive it? Many people believe that Diageo has kept us all waiting long enough. Will we see Port Ellen Distillery cranked
Spotlight Japan – Japanese whisky enters its second century still dominating global sales
The big players of Japan continue to dominate whisky sales, but collectors are also looking to the new wave Spotlight Japan - Of all the announcements Japanese whisky conglomerate Suntory made during its centenary year (2023), the one that caught the imagination most was the update on its
Five special Valentine’s whisky gifts for the whisky fan in your love life
Valentine's Whisky: with Valentine’s Day fast approaching, how do you choose the perfect bottle? Choosing Valentine's whisky doesn’t have to be complicated. Just follow your partner’s tastes in other drinks to find the perfect bottle to warm their hearts and remind them of just how much you like to
January 2024
Trust your palate and follow our flavour map to a world of whisky
Flavour map - Break out of your routine and let your taste in whisky lead you to a whole new batch of flavour The best thing about following a flavour profile over a particular brand or whisky style is that you are continually surprised. Choose any of our five
Burns night drams – three whiskies to toast a Scottish champion
Centuries have passed since Scottish poet Robert Burns died, but his legacy still rings through the glens of Scotland Choosing whisky for Burns night is always a fun endeavour: how do you match a trio of pours with the legacy of the great Scottish poet? Burns Night, held each
Travel retail trio: exclusive whisky releases that could previously only be found airside
Whisky is only equalled by perfume for dominance in the international luxury travel retail sector Airport travel retail has changed dramatically. No longer a destination that differentiates itself from the high street by simply offering litre bottles of spirits, it has become an exclusive and highly sought-after shopping experience.
Meet Stewart Walker – carrying the flame of tradition into its 200th year at Fettercairn Distillery
Fettercairn Distillery marks two centuries in 2024. Gary Quinn meets distillery manager, Stewart Walker, a man fuelling the drive to stay local 2024 is a big year for Fettercairn – it’s exactly 200 years since it struck gold beneath the Grampian Hills, pulling water from the mountains and
December 2023
Celebration bottles – special whisky pours to ring in the New Year
The New Year holiday deserves a very special pour - we asked some whisky experts to reveal their celebration bottles Choosing a single bottle to mark a special occasion like the New Year is no mean feat. Retailer's shelves are groaning with choice and after a packed holiday
A private pour: four great Victorian pub snug destinations in Dublin city centre
Dublin’s pubs are famously perfect for meeting with the locals but, sometimes, a private Victorian snug is the perfect alternative A snug is a tiny private room in a traditional Irish pub, such as in the Stag's Head, above. Originally designed as a place for women to meet each
A Year on the Road – Glen Melia chooses his favourite whiskies of the year
When Glen Melia hits the road, it's often to visit the best whisky houses in the world. Here are his whiskies of the year In his role as resident whisky expert and Sourcing Manager at the Single Malt Shop, Glen Melia has the enviable position of meeting the people
November 2023
Christmas gift guide – is €150-€300 the perfect price point for whisky connoisseurs?
Rare and exciting whisky releases under €300 to place under your tree this December 25th Christmas Gift Guide - The price range between €150 and €300 is a wonderful treasure chest of gift ideas and truly remarkable whiskies. It allows whisky makers the resources to experiment with cask types,
Christmas Whisky Gift Guide – five great bottles for under €150
Whisky plays a starring role every Christmas season and finding the perfect Christmas whisky is a sport of its own. Here are five of our favourites. Roaring fires, time spent with family and friends, gift-giving itself – these are the images of Christmas that we all chase. Distillers are
Tamdhu makes return to the mainstream via tradition and innovation
A new livery and smart marketing has brought Tamdhu back to a global marketplace When Ian Macleod Distillers brought Tamdhu Distillery into its stable, it built a life raft for a whisky production house that was on the verge of extinction. Despite its century-plus years of hard work along
Noble Rebel – Loch Lomond puts blended malts back in the spotlight
With the launch of Noble Rebel, Loch Lomond has put its weight behind a clever and highly marketable category Long before Scotland thrust single malts into the limelight, the country’s distillers had mastered the art of the blend. Nowhere had blends been more championed than in the country’s whisky
Glenglassaugh – the return of an old friend from the Highlands
Six months after Glenglassaugh unveiled its new core range, its new-found status and sense of place on the whisky stage has been assured Glenglassaugh Distillery has come a long way since its doors were closed in 1986. Then, anyone who knew the distillery’s output would have been drinking whiskies
