Karuizawa is an almost unobtainable whisky. I’m incredibly lucky in getting to try it from time to time, but I hold a strange opinion that gets me strange looks from whisky fans: I think bourbon-cask-matured…
Continue reading »Karuizawa: bourbon casks are best
Posted on 26 January 2018 by Billy
2 Comments on Karuizawa: bourbon casks are best
Burns Night – keep it traditional
Posted on 25 January 2018 by Billy
2 Comments on Burns Night – keep it traditional
Burns Night is upon us. Expect the internet to be filled with pictures of steaming haggises, triple tartan outfits and more kilts than you can wave a sgian-dubh at. Here on The Whisky Exchange blog,…
Continue reading »Glenglassaugh: Revival, Evolution and a new chapter
Posted on 17 January 2018 by Billy
1 Comment on Glenglassaugh: Revival, Evolution and a new chapter
When it comes to revivals, Glenglassaugh has had one of the more impressive crawls back from the dead in recent years. A decade of stuttering resurrection has been rewarded with the dawning of a new…
Continue reading »Infinity bottles: blending whisky at home
Posted on 10 January 2018 by Billy
8 Comments on Infinity bottles: blending whisky at home
Blending whisky is hard. It takes master blenders years to hone their skills, working up slowly through the ranks to take on the creation of new whiskies. However, that shouldn’t stop you having a go…
Continue reading »Drinks trends for 2018
Posted on 5 January 2018 by Dawn
No Comments on Drinks trends for 2018
The Whisky Exchange’s head buyer, Dawn Davies MW, spends more time than most seeking out new and exciting drinks. Here are her picks for the top trends of 2018… 2018 is a year for change….
Continue reading »The Whisky Exchange Blog Review of 2017
Posted on 1 January 2018 by Billy
No Comments on The Whisky Exchange Blog Review of 2017
It was a busy year, 2017. Lots of new things to drink, lots of tastings to attend and lots of new posts on the blog. So, before we properly commit to 2018 (it’s only a…
Continue reading »The Whisky Exchange – Our Highlights of 2017
Posted on 29 December 2017 by Stuart
No Comments on The Whisky Exchange – Our Highlights of 2017
As we head into 2018, it’s time to look back at some of the best bits of the past 12 months. The Whisky Exchange blog team has chosen its favourite moments of 2017, including memorable…
Continue reading »What we’ll be drinking this Christmas
Posted on 22 December 2017 by Stuart
No Comments on What we’ll be drinking this Christmas
It’s been a busy year at The Whisky Exchange and the blog team is ready to wind down and enjoy the festive season. Here’s what we’ll be drinking this Christmas… Stuart I don’t associate one…
Continue reading »Brendan McCarron – the Ardbeg apprentice
Posted on 20 December 2017 by Billy
1 Comment on Brendan McCarron – the Ardbeg apprentice
Brendan McCarron is Head of Maturing Whisky Stocks for The Glenmorangie Company – makers of Ardbeg and Glenmorangie – and heir apparent to the company’s whisky creator, Dr Bill Lumsden. We spoke to him at…
Continue reading »Port and whisky: separated at birth?
Posted on 8 December 2017 by Billy
1 Comment on Port and whisky: separated at birth?
One summer, years ago, in the early days of my obsession with drinks, I went away for a long weekend in Portugal and came back a changed man: a few summery days in Porto are…
Continue reading »The Whisky Exchange Whisky of the Year 2018
Posted on 6 December 2017 by Caroline
1 Comment on The Whisky Exchange Whisky of the Year 2018
Whisky of the Year has gone global! For 2017 we opened up the awards to any bottle from across the world, provided it was not cask strength, below £60 and an ongoing release. Despite my…
Continue reading »What is fortified wine?
Posted on 28 November 2017 by Stuart
1 Comment on What is fortified wine?
You may not have come across the term ‘fortified wine’ before, but you’ve almost certainly drunk one. Ever had a glass of port or sherry at Christmas? Then you’ve tried a fortified wine. And if…
Continue reading »In their own words – Dan Szor, founder, Cotswolds Distillery
Posted on 21 November 2017 by Billy
2 Comments on In their own words – Dan Szor, founder, Cotswolds Distillery
Dan Szor is the founder of Cotswolds Distillery. He left behind a career in finance to follow his love of whisky and build the first distillery in the area. After years of development and hard…
Continue reading »The Art of Whisky – what makes a beautiful bottle?
Posted on 14 November 2017 by Billy
1 Comment on The Art of Whisky – what makes a beautiful bottle?
Whether you’re a whisky collector or a drinker, a whisky’s looks are important. Beyond its colour and how it looks in the glass, there’s the packaging. While we are focused on finding whiskies that taste…
Continue reading »In Their Own Words – Malcolm Waring, distillery manager, Old Pulteney
Posted on 10 November 2017 by Stuart
No Comments on In Their Own Words – Malcolm Waring, distillery manager, Old Pulteney
Malcolm Waring is the distillery manager at Old Pulteney, until recently the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland. He tells us how Old Pulteney got its name, his reaction to winning the most coveted…
Continue reading »Lost whisky distilleries of Scotland: our picks
Posted on 8 November 2017 by Billy
2 Comments on Lost whisky distilleries of Scotland: our picks
While there are hundreds of lost distilleries dotting the countryside north of the border, it’s rare to find whisky from any that closed before the 1980s. And if you do, it’s often more a collector’s…
Continue reading »
Recent Comments
Unfortunately, the answer is 'between 400g and 2000g per litre' :)
Posted on: 9 October 2024
What ratio of Sloe to gin is used, I see anything from 400 to 2000g of sloe to 1 litre of gin!
Posted on: 7 October 2024
What really makes Bob Harris' predicament in 'Lost In Translation' so absurdly funny is that he nailed it in one take, and the director just couldn't accept that.
Posted on: 11 January 2024
I'd say there's not a lot between them. I'd say that the techniques used to make the rum change the flavour more than the raw material between molasses and cane honey, so it'll be other factors that...
Posted on: 26 October 2023
Such a pity that the distillery was destroyed. I had the great luck to try one of these, to me almost magic, Karuizawas. It was a 1972/2008, 36y, #7290 with 65%. Since today I have memoriesof this...
Posted on: 17 October 2023