Happy Glenfarclas 105 Day everyone! Now, while this may not be the most well-known of whisky-related holidays – those honours go to World Whisky Day and International Whisk(e)y Day – the 105th day of the…
Continue reading »Happy Glenfarclas 105 Day!
Posted on 14 April 2016 by Billy
8 Comments on Happy Glenfarclas 105 Day!
Oban Little Bay – win a trip to Scotland!
Posted on 12 April 2016 by Stuart
18 Comments on Oban Little Bay – win a trip to Scotland!
Oban was one of the first whisky distilleries I visited; it was more than a decade ago, but I remember it well. Situated on Scotland’s west coast in the heart of the Highland town of the…
Continue reading »Highland Park 1999 – exclusive to The Whisky Exchange
Posted on 8 April 2016 by Billy
6 Comments on Highland Park 1999 – exclusive to The Whisky Exchange
Finding good whisky is difficult. I don’t mean on the shelves – despite loud online debates to the contrary, there has never been such a range of different, great-tasting drams available – but finding a…
Continue reading »The rise of British spirits
Posted on 6 April 2016 by Rocky
7 Comments on The rise of British spirits
Spirit production in Britain has come a long way in the past decade. Previously just a bastion of whisky and gin, today you’ll find aperitifs, cider brandy and even marc made on the island. Founded in…
Continue reading »April offers of the month – Royal Brackla, Bacardi and Gusbourne
Posted on 4 April 2016 by Rocky
5 Comments on April offers of the month – Royal Brackla, Bacardi and Gusbourne
It’s time for April’s drinks of the month! We have the usual malt and spirit offers, and new for this month: sparkling wine. The Malt of the Month is Royal Brackla 16 Year Old. Launched…
Continue reading »All whiskies to carry age statements by 2017 – exclusive
Posted on 1 April 2016 by TWE Admin
76 Comments on All whiskies to carry age statements by 2017 – exclusive
The Whisky Exchange has learned of a startling development that could turn the whisky industry on its head – within 12 months, every spirit produced in the EU will need to declare its age on the label….
Continue reading »Elements of Islay: Peat – what lies beneath
Posted on 30 March 2016 by Stuart
5 Comments on Elements of Islay: Peat – what lies beneath
Peat has always been a divisive subject among whisky drinkers. For every individual who craves that salty, smoky hit that peaty whisky provides, there’ll be another who shies away and heads for a gentler, fruitier…
Continue reading »Linie Aquavit – around the world in 180 days
Posted on 25 March 2016 by Rocky
9 Comments on Linie Aquavit – around the world in 180 days
I’ve had a fascination with aquavit for a long time. Admittedly, I’m a fan of caraway-flavoured spirits in general, as explored in my kummel post. Last month I took a trip to Norway to visit…
Continue reading »Laphroaig Lore – peaty knowledge
Posted on 23 March 2016 by Billy
5 Comments on Laphroaig Lore – peaty knowledge
With a year of 200th birthday celebrations behind them, you’d think that the folks at Laphroaig might want to have a rest. That’s not their style, and they have kicked off 2016 with a new ongoing…
Continue reading »World Whiskies Awards 2016 – who won?
Posted on 18 March 2016 by Billy
12 Comments on World Whiskies Awards 2016 – who won?
Today is the start of Whisky Live London (tickets still available here) and that means that last night marked the announcement of the winners of the World Whiskies Awards 2016. I’ve been a judge for…
Continue reading »Poteen – the spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day
Posted on 16 March 2016 by Billy
8 Comments on Poteen – the spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day
Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day, and while I will inevitably drink a pint of Guinness and a shot of Jameson, I try to spend the day looking at another side of Irish drinks. Last year…
Continue reading »Plantation Rum – showcasing the blenders’ art
Posted on 14 March 2016 by Billy
6 Comments on Plantation Rum – showcasing the blenders’ art
After a whisky-heavy beginning to our tastings calendar, we jumped away from Scotland for something more exotic – Plantation Rum. We were joined for the evening by founder and master blender Alexandre Gabriel, who brought…
Continue reading »Corsair – southern style
Posted on 11 March 2016 by Stuart
3 Comments on Corsair – southern style
‘If it has been done before, we are not interested in doing it.’ An apt motto when you learn that it comes from Corsair, the US-based distiller that has turned more than a few heads…
Continue reading »Elements of Islay – the peat generation
Posted on 9 March 2016 by Rocky
7 Comments on Elements of Islay – the peat generation
Our fortnightly London tastings follow a theme, often a single type of spirit or a range of products from one brand. Sometimes it coincides with the launch of a new product, as was the case…
Continue reading »Growers’ Champagne Tasting with Dawn Davies MW – small is beautiful
Posted on 7 March 2016 by Stuart
6 Comments on Growers’ Champagne Tasting with Dawn Davies MW – small is beautiful
The big Champagne houses are some of the best-known brands on the planet – the likes of Krug, Bollinger and Moët et Chandon. But there is another side – the world of growers’ Champagne. People…
Continue reading »Laurent-Perrier Rose – Champagne of the Month
Posted on 4 March 2016 by Rocky
5 Comments on Laurent-Perrier Rose – Champagne of the Month
For March’s Champagne of the Month, we’ve chosen an iconic pink Champagne: Laurent-Perrier Rosé. One of the first non-vintage rosé Champagnes when it was launched in 1968, it has become instantly recognisable around the world….
Continue reading »Rumchata Cream Liqueur – Spirit of the Month
Posted on 3 March 2016 by Stuart
4 Comments on Rumchata Cream Liqueur – Spirit of the Month
Easter is just a few weeks away, so for the sweet-toothed among you, we have an ideal Spirit of the Month for you: Rumchata Cream Liqueur. It’s been a huge hit in the US since its 2010 launch,…
Continue reading »Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old – Malt of the Month
Posted on 2 March 2016 by Billy
10 Comments on Singleton of Glen Ord 15 Year Old – Malt of the Month
I’ve been intrigued by Glen Ord for years. Back in the dim and distant past, I became aware of the distillery when I was asked to write about them in 1001 Whiskies to Try Before…
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Recent Comments
You'd need to take that up with Dave Broom :) For another point of view (and a direct answer to Dave's post), I'd recommend having a look at
Well, that is the issue: Broom writes reviews of whiskies with scores on one hand while saying that whiskies of the past weren't better, just different and that people pay too much attention to scores...
Posted on: 17 April 2018
If you think that no whisky is inherently better than another (which is an interesting reading of what Dave Broom has said – he does write whisky reviews with scores every week) then by definition...
Posted on: 17 April 2018
It probably would be a bit of both - but thinking back to recent comments by Dave Broom on whiskies of the past and on scoring, it kind of calls into question whether a whisky of the present (or past)...
Posted on: 16 April 2018
Only the one release that I can find, which is why it slipped under my radar – as I mentioned in the article, there will be lots more soon, but not much is old enough to release yet. I think Dingle...
Posted on: 3 April 2018