In the interests of full disclosure, and to give any conspiracy theorists out there more grist for their mills, I will begin this blog by revealing that I and several other lucky whisky-lovers will be going to watch…
Continue reading »Tasting Notes: Dalmore 1980
Posted on 3 July 2009 by Tim F
2 Comments on Tasting Notes: Dalmore 1980
Tasting Notes: Kilchoman 3yo Sneak Preview!!
Posted on 26 June 2009 by Tim F
7 Comments on Tasting Notes: Kilchoman 3yo Sneak Preview!!
Well well, what’s this? Yes, it’s a pre-release sample of Kilchoman 3yo, as dropped in by none other than Anthony Wills himself at a meeting with Sukhinder earlier this week. For those who can’t read…
Continue reading »Friends of TWE Blog: Irish Whiskey Trail
Posted on 19 June 2009 by Tim F
3 Comments on Friends of TWE Blog: Irish Whiskey Trail
What with setting up ‘The Whisky Exchange & Friends’ Facebook group (use the button in the sidebar or click here to join), I haven’t had time to do much with the blog this week, but I’m just about caught…
Continue reading »New Octomore: First Pics
Posted on 12 June 2009 by Tim F
8 Comments on New Octomore: First Pics
This just in from Mark Reynier’s Bruichladdich blog… Apparently this year’s release was peated to 140ppm before distillation. Yikes!
Continue reading »New Swedish Whisky planned: Box Distillery
Posted on 11 June 2009 by Tim F
6 Comments on New Swedish Whisky planned: Box Distillery
Sukhinder sent me over a brochure for a new Swedish whisky, so I thought I’d share. The company is called Ådalen Destilleri AB and their single malt will be made in a converted power station…
Continue reading »Your Worst Nightmare: Alcohol-Free Whisky
Posted on 9 June 2009 by Tim F
28 Comments on Your Worst Nightmare: Alcohol-Free Whisky
This just arrived from the ‘Couldn’t-Make-It-Up’ department. I assumed it was a joke, but there is in fact a website as well, so if it is a joke it’s been pretty thoroughly done: “We would…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Ten: Aftermath
Posted on 2 June 2009 by Tim F
5 Comments on Islay Festival Day Ten: Aftermath
Day 10: A Kick In The Ballochs… Bang on 7am and our alarm clock blasts into action, as welcoming a sound as a prize festival bottling smashing on a stone floor and the accompanying ‘yelp’…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Nine: Ardbeg
Posted on by Tim F
4 Comments on Islay Festival Day Nine: Ardbeg
The Malty-Millionaires…. Holiday: n: ‘A day free from work that one may spend at leisure, especially a day on which custom or the law dictates a halting of general business activity to commemorate or celebrate…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Eight: Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain
Posted on 1 June 2009 by Tim F
1 Comment on Islay Festival Day Eight: Kilchoman and Bunnahabhain
A bunch of prize tossers It was another early start on Friday as we had a lot of ground to cover. First up was a 9.30am tasting at Islay’s newest distillery, Kilchoman, where we were…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Seven: Laphroaig
Posted on 29 May 2009 by Tim F
3 Comments on Islay Festival Day Seven: Laphroaig
Day Seven “Can I throw my apple-core in the sea?” Ahhh! A rare lie-in for the bloggers with just an 11am start to our day. Bliss! Today was another day of tastings and we were…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Six: Bowmore & Port Ellen
Posted on 28 May 2009 by Tim F
3 Comments on Islay Festival Day Six: Bowmore & Port Ellen
Jeepers, these tastings just keep getting earlier and earlier! The alarm goes off at 7.30 and we’re blearily making tea and filling bowls of sugar puffs before leaving at 8.45 to our first tasting at…
Continue reading »TWE Shipments to Sweden suspended
Posted on 27 May 2009 by Tim F
3 Comments on TWE Shipments to Sweden suspended
I just got this message from my colleagues back at TWE Towers in Park Royal, asking me to announce the following on the blog: “It is with regret to inform our Swedish friends that shipping…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Five: Ardbeg and Laphroaig
Posted on by Tim F
4 Comments on Islay Festival Day Five: Ardbeg and Laphroaig
Day 5 –there’s no way a Chinchilla can play drums like that…. After shaking the bed out to check for any errant sand fleas that might have escaped the heel of a brogue the night before,…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Four: Caol Ila
Posted on 26 May 2009 by Tim F
2 Comments on Islay Festival Day Four: Caol Ila
Day Four – Shame, Sunsets and Sandfleas Today was all about Caol Ila. After watching Newcastle and ‘Boro crash out from the Premiership on Sunday night we were in high spirits on the way up…
Continue reading »Islay Whisky Festival: Day Three – Bruichladdich
Posted on by Tim F
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The weather had improved incredibly after Saturday’s wash out, so onwards to the Bruichladdich open day. Speaking to Jim McEwan the night before, the last 8 years of festivals have remained sunny for the distillery’s…
Continue reading »Islay Festival Day Two: Lagavulin & Ardbeg
Posted on 25 May 2009 by Tim F
1 Comment on Islay Festival Day Two: Lagavulin & Ardbeg
The 6.30 wake up call resonated through our ears like plates being dropped in a restaurant; initial shock followed by reluctant applause. But you get on with enjoying your lot and pay your bill at…
Continue reading »Islay Festival 2009: Day One
Posted on 24 May 2009 by Tim F
1 Comment on Islay Festival 2009: Day One
Islay Day One Day 1- Well, this is it. Over 6 months of planning and many excited emails, the 22nd of May has arrived – our first day on the trek towards Islay and 2009’s…
Continue reading »Tasting Notes: Suntory Hibiki 12 Years Old
Posted on 15 May 2009 by Tim F
16 Comments on Tasting Notes: Suntory Hibiki 12 Years Old
Right, time is cracking on on Friday afternoon, so I’ll make this brief. After a splendid tasting by Suntory at TWE Vinopolis on Wednesday night I was rather disappointed that the 12 year-old Hibiki (which…
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Well, as Caperdonich originally should contribute to blends only and as there hasn't been any distillery bottlings before the two for the Italian market in the late 70's, I'd assume that a unique...
Posted on: 15 July 2022
That's really intriguing! I need to look into when the regulations started clamping down on naming – there was some discussion around Malt Mill online recently (thanks to
Hi there,
Posted on: 15 July 2022
Excellent recipes. I've bought a bottle of Baron Sigognac 10, and I'm a little under-whelmed, so I thought "cocktails" but there aren't many.
Posted on: 24 December 2021
We do run monthly competitions – often more than one a month – exclusively for our online customers, including one recently that