Browsing Monthly Archives for April 2015

Ayala – a resurgent Champagne house

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Ayala logo

Although we’re known for whisky and fine spirits, we also have a carefully chosen selection of that most celebratory of drinks, Champagne. We’re always looking for new and exciting additions to our range, too, and have…

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Caol Ila 2002 – Gordon & MacPhail TWE Exclusive

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Caol Ila 2002 Gordon and MacPhail Whisky Exchange Exclusive

One of the favourite jobs at Whisky Exchange HQ is choosing whisky to become a TWE exclusive. Whether it’s from our own stocks of maturing casks or someone else’s stash, the opportunity to decide that a…

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In their own words – Mickey Heads, distillery manager, Ardbeg

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Mickey Heads

We recently managed to grab a few minutes before a whisky tasting with Ardbeg distillery manager Mickey Heads. Here’s what he had to say about life on Islay. ‘I was born in Port Ellen too…

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Laphroaig 15 Year Old – let the celebrations begin

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Laphroaig 15 Year Old

If you’ve looked at a bottle of Laphroaig over the past few years, then you probably know why 2015 is a big year for the distillery – founded in 1815, as they proudly state on their labels,…

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Spirit of the Month – Plymouth Navy Strength Gin

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Plymouth Navy Gin

For the past year, we’ve been naming a Malt of the Month. We’ve had some excellent drams, with great  special offers, from old favourites like Laphroaig 10 and Highland Park 12, to lesser-known gems like…

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Midleton Dair Ghaelach – if you go down to the woods today…

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Irish Oak

Whisky drinkers are well versed in the effect the choice of cask has on the spirit. American oak (usually ex-bourbon) adds notes of vanilla and toffee, while Spanish sherry casks deliver rich, nutty, fruit and…

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Cinzano 1757 – Cin Cin!

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Cinzano

Cinzano is so ingrained in drinking culture, it’s almost taken for granted. I was first made aware of it by one of those famous mirrors that adorned so many households in the 1970s, as well…

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Bowmore – a totally tropical journey (part 2)

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Bowmore

In part one of this series, Ollie looked at the golden era of Bowmore whiskies. He now turns his attention to the 1980s and beyond, beginning with a tricky period for the distillery… 1980s For many…

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Whisky Fight Night: Brawl at the Bridge – tickets on sale now!

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Whisky Fight Night 3

The Whisky Exchange Shop at Vinopolis hosts lots of great events. However, there’s one pair of presenters who stand out from the crowd when it comes to putting on an evening to remember, creating tastings that…

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Chris Cusiter – ‘Whisky is something Scotland can be proud of’

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Chris Cusiter

Scottish rugby international Chris Cusiter talks to TWE about his new-found love of whisky, this year’s World Cup, and his post-career plans. What do you like about whisky? I love it; I love everything about…

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Hedonism Quindecimus – Happy 15th Birthday, Compass Box!

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Hedonism Quindecimus

The Whisky Exchange and boutique whisky blender Compass Box have a few things in common: we started out from one person’s idea, we’re based in west London and we have fewer employees than most people assume….

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Bowmore – a totally tropical journey

18 Comments on Bowmore – a totally tropical journey

Bowmore Distillery

During a recent trip, I was very fortunate to try a plethora of once-in-a lifetime drams from the oldest distillery on Islay: Bowmore. Outside of the big-name investment whiskies such as the Black Bowmore trilogy…

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Futurist Cocktails

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Fortunato Depero – Campari

Italy at the turn of the 20th century was a strange place. Having become a unified country in the middle of the 1800s, the new state had changed a lot, but was still steeped in tradition,…

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In their own words – Mark Thomson, UK Brand Ambassador, Glenfiddich

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Mark Thomson, Glenfiddich UK Brand Ambassador

‘I got into whisky because of my family. My grandfather, who recently passed away at 106, had drunk whisky all of his life. Sherry was his other tipple, but I didn’t speak Spanish so the…

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Nikka Japanese Whisky – tasting highlights

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Nikka 12

In my previous post, we looked at the history of Japanese Nikka whisky, the realisation of Masataka Taketsuru’s dream. In all, Nikka makes nearly 30 different whiskies from its two distilleries. Having tasted the entire range with brand…

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Cherry Heering – the liqueur that made a cocktail

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Cherry Heering

Some brands are synonymous with their categories – Hoover (vacuum cleaner), Bic (biros), Disaronno (amaretto). And in the world of cherry brandy, the daddy of them all is Cherry Heering. Officially called Heering Original Cherry…

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Windswept Brewing

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Windswept Brewing

We’re always looking for new, tasty things to stock at The Whisky Exchange, and while our name suggests a focus for that search, we don’t stop at whisky. We’ve got a dizzying range of spirits,…

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