Browsing Posts by Author: Rocky

Chances are you’ve heard of Chartreuse, even if you’ve never tasted it. A staple of many of my generation’s parents’ and grandparents’ drinks cabinets, it’s been referenced in films from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes to Quentin…

Christmas is now officially over, the New Year is here, and for me, it’s time to give my body time to regroup. Every January, various charities promote an alcohol-free month; among them this year are Alcohol…

With all the romance of whisky, it’s easy to forget that distilleries are, in essence, factories, and production is just cold, hard science. One distillery that takes an extraordinarily scientific approach is Sweden’s Spirit of…

I’ll be honest. Christmas is my least enjoyable time of year. It’s cold, dark for two-thirds of the day, and my favourite TV programmes are on at different times, ruining my routine – I’m the Grinch of the office….

December’s Malt of the Month certainly fits the criteria – a stunning whisky that is often overlooked – Port Askaig 19 Year Old Cask Strength. Introduced by independent bottler Speciality Drinks in 2009, the range…

It’s been more than two years since we last held a Kilchoman tasting at TWE Vinopolis, which showcased the first releases of 100% Islay and Machir Bay, along with the precursor to Loch Gorm. With…

There are some dates that stick in the memory – Thursday 9 November 1989 is one of them. The day east met west, the day the Berlin Wall fell. Today marks the 25th anniversary since…

This year I decided to overcome the post-Whisky Show blues by visiting a distillery (and a country) that’s been on my bucket list for a few years – Sweden’s Mackmyra. ‘The founders wanted to create a whisky…

The first Masterclass of The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show aptly celebrated the first single malt brand – Glenfiddich. Led by newly appointed UK brand ambassador Mark Thomson, the Masterclass charted the history of the distillery, with six…

One of the standout Masterclasses at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show saw the launch of Gordon & MacPhail’s new Private Collection Ultra series – a range of four single-cask whiskies, each selected by a branch…

The headline Masterclasses at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show are guaranteed to be special. This year’s line-up included a rare chance to taste six whiskies from legendary closed distillery Brora, in the epically titled Aurora Brorealis, led…

October’s Malt of the Month is Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Year Old, an oloroso-sherry-finished whisky that is part of the extra-matured range that also includes Quinta Ruban (ruby port finish) and Nectar D’Or (Sauternes finish). The Highland distillery is…

For something a bit different, we explored grappa for the first time at our latest Vinopolis tasting, ably guided by expert Nick Hopewell-Smith. It’s fair to say grappa has a bad reputation. At the tasting, we unanimously agreed this…

The eagerly-awaited line-up of the Diageo Special Releases 2014 has been announced. There are a total of 11 bottlings this year, including the four usual suspects (Port Ellen, Brora, Lagavulin and unpeated Caol Ila), a…

[Sadly, we’ve sold our initial allocation, but you can sign up here to be notified should we manage to find some more.] Arguably the most anticipated Scotch whisky release of 2013 was the first edition…

It’s time for our next Malt of the Month, and for September we’ve chosen Glengoyne 18 Year Old. Our selection is based purely on highlighting whiskies that often get overlooked – either within a distillery’s range…

Despite the growth of using brown spirits in mixed drinks, Cognac has not benefited to the same degree. The same can be said of liqueurs, with Grand Marnier and Domaine du Canton the only two Cognac-based examples that…

Every now and then, a new product arrives at TWE that really excites us – unique, with a great back story, or simply an interesting concept. So, when we heard about the release of a…