Browsing Posts in: Whisky Tasting Notes

It’s scary how many product launches happen around the festive season. Even though we expect to see lots of new bottlings appearing ready for the Christmas rush, this year has seen a surprisingly large number….

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…

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…

The folks at Glenfarclas are best known for producing whisky of a very specific style: sherry matured. They’ve done many releases with a nod to other styles, but the core of what they do is rich…

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…

The past decade has seen a huge rise in the popularity of smoky whisky. This jump is one of the main reasons why we’ve seen prices for Islay whisky shoot through the roof in recent…

It’s cold, it’s dark, people are starting to wear winter coats, and Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible has appeared. There’s still one thing missing: the Diageo Special Releases. While Rocky got a pre-pre-launch tasting a few…

Bruichladdich may have reduced their myriad number of bottlings in recent years, but they still know how to grab a headline or two. The progressive Hebridean distillers have just unveiled two latest additions to the…

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…

While there are hundreds of delicious drams to be had at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show, our excellent Masterclasses raise the bar a notch higher, offering a taste of some of the rarest malts in…

We like parties at TWE, and one excuse for a shindig that we we get involved with every year is Diwali – the Festival of Lights. A celebration of the triumph of light over darkness, the sky…

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…

Ears always prick up at TWE HQ when we hear about new bottlings of the ever-popular Elements of Islay range. Bottled by our sister company Speciality Drinks Ltd, Elements is a celebration of all things…

Time has rolled on a bit. It seems like only yesterday that I was a balding computer programmer, sat at a table in The Whisky Exchange shop in Vinopolis, confronted by 10 excellent whiskies. It was the…

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…