If you made a list of the all the Scotch whiskies to try before you die, it’s a fair bet that Black Bowmore would be on it. And for those in The Whisky Show’s 2016 Bowmore masterclass, not only did they tick that particular whisky off their list, they also got to try it in the presence of Eddie MacAffer (master distiller) and David Turner (distillery manager), who have a staggering 75 years’ experience of Bowmore between them.

Edide MacAffer (left) and David Turner of Bowmore (© Simon J Hanna)

Eddie has just retired, and has passed the baton to David, so this...

The appeal of Halloween fades every year for 20- and 30-somethings when they catch a glimpse of themselves in a shop window dressed as Dracula before hopping onto the tube at 6pm.

We appreciate that turning up to Halloween parties fully-costumed is (for some) no longer viable – a sobering moment, for sure, but we’ve got you covered. If you don’t fancy donning a costume on Halloween, here are some must-have props that will help you celebrate in style.

1. PISTONHEAD CRUDE OIL LIQUORICE CHILLI LIQUEUR

Great name. Turn up with a bottle of this under your arm and you...

Jim Murray knows how to surprise. Two years ago, he named  Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 as his World Whisky of the Year, while last year saw that honour go to Canada, with  Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye  taking the top gong. And now, the 2017 winner has just been announced. Jim Murray’s best whisky in the world is:  Booker’s Rye 13 Year Old . Jim described it as having a ‘brain-draining, mind-blowing’ nose with a finish of ‘amazing depth’, adding that it is a ‘staggering example of a magnificent rye showing exactly what genius in terms of whiskey actually means’, scoring...

Poor old Armagnac . It’s frequently in the shadows of its blingier cousin, Cognac , which outsells it by 15 bottles to one, even though Armagnac has a longer history. It’s a fabulous spirit, loaded with character, and deserves a little love. And with the weather turning colder, it’s the perfect time to try it.

What is Armagnac?

Armagnac is wine that has been distilled and then aged in oak barrels. It must be made in the Gascony region of south-west France and is generally the work of smaller, craft producers. There are no Armagnac makers anything like the size...

Diageo’s Dr Nick Morgan has spoken about Lagavulin many times this year, with the distillery celebrating its 200th anniversary. But what really came through at The Whisky Show’s 200 Years of Lagavulin masterclass was how much he is in love with the place. He took us through five Lagavulin bottlings, as well as an extremely old and rare White Horse , of which Lagavulin is a key component.

Dr Nick Morgan, Diageo’s head of whisky outreach

Dr Nick Morgan – In His Own Words

‘Lagavulin is one of the most special places in the world. There is something magical about...

This year’s showpiece Whisky Show masterclass featured three contrasting figures. The first: an avuncular figure who has held every job possible in a whisky distillery. The second: an innovator, famed for his experiments with casks. And the third: a legendary figure who lets his whiskies do the talking.

The Masters of Whisky masterclass (from left: Alan Winchester, Bill Lumsden, Dave Broom, Shinji Fukuyo) © Simon J Hanna

Our three Masters of Whisky were, respectively, Alan Winchester of The Glenlivet , Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie and Ardbeg , and Shinji Fukuyo of Suntory , with whisky writer Dave Broom on hosting...

Cognac and Armagnac are the most revered brandies in the world, famed for their elegance and luxury. They both hail from south-west France, and each has a slightly different distilling method, yet both carry sweet, spicy flavours married with plum, prune and apricot fruitiness.

These brandies have long been the choice of the connoisseur and the refined. And yet for such old-world, dare we say aristocratic spirits, they have filtered through into the lyrics of some of the most famous hip-hop stars the music industry has produced:  ‘Hennessy is what my system like – feeling like Superman, I might crip...

We’re busy at Whisky Exchange HQ. Not only are we getting ready for a busy final three months of the year, but tomorrow marks our annual Whisky Show  – two days with some of the best whiskies in the world, all under one roof.

Saturday and weekend tickets are sold out, but there are still a handful of Sunday tickets left. If you want one, don’t wait, as they’ll be gone by the end of the day – you can buy tickets here .

With so much to do at the show, it’s difficult to fit everything in. However, here are...

Speyside distillery  Glenrothes  bucks the trend by releasing its whiskies by vintage rather than with an age statement. Since 2010 it has been under the sole ownership of wine merchant (and independent bottler ) Berry Brothers & Rudd.  We welcomed brand heritage director Ronnie Cox to host our latest TWE tasting.

Ronnie Cox, brand heritage director of BB&R Spirits

In their own words – Ronnie Cox

‘ If you don’t like the whisky, keep adding water to it . I have a colleague who loves drinking whiskies at 50%+ ABV – I think he has a tongue like a Highland cow,...

Rejoice, for the aperitivo has made it safely to Britain’s shores. There are few drinks with such iconic style as the aperitivo, marked as distinct for its use of Italian bitter liqueurs, and often mixed with soda and Prosecco , making it less boozy than the traditional cocktail. You’ve probably enjoyed one without even realising you were dipping your toe into this unique Italian cultural activity.

Aperitivo-style cocktails such as the Negroni and Aperol Spritz are enjoying huge success in the UK

L’hora del aperitivo is the time where we in Blighty flock to the pub the moment we’re released...

It’s that time of year again: the Diageo Special Releases 2016 are here. Well, almost here – they’re earlier than usual this year and should be hitting The Whisky Exchange website on the evening of Wednesday 21 september. Other than that, it’s business as usual.

For those who don’t know them, the Diageo Special Releases are a yearly range of whiskies that appear every autumn, and have done for the psat 15 years. Diageo owns more distilleries in Scotland than anyone else, but not all of them get much exposure – the Special Releases are an opportunity to fix that.

There are a...

Whether it is to heat up in the middle of a storm, celebrate summiting a peak or having a well-earned nightcap, a carefully chosen spirit can elevate a weekend in the Scottish Highlands. Here are four selections that we suggest you give a try next time you take a trip into the mountains.

The Raincoat – Duppy Share Rum

Classic Scottish weather – sideways rain

You maj think it’s a strange choice to bring a sun-soaked Caribbean rum into the rainy hills of Scotland, but this fun-sized bottle of rum offers welcome spice in the midst of a cold storm. The...

Growing Malagousia at Ktima Gerovassiliou in Greece

Before I started writing about whisky, I wrote about wine . It’s still one of my favourite things, and no matter how many whisky dinners I attend, for me, wine is the best thing to pair with food. When I was getting into wine, I didn’t know where to start. Should I choose a bottle by country? By style? Price? But the more I learned, I realised that the single-biggest factor in a wine’s flavour is the grape variety.

We all enjoy the big four – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah/Shiraz...

As soon as you look beyond the whiskies released by distilleries, there’s a whole new world out there – the world of independent bottlers .

Distilleries don’t own every cask of whisky hidden in the warehouses of Scotland. They might make the spirit, but as soon as it leaves the still, all bets are off. Distillers swap and sell both new spirit and casks of mature whisky, and behind the scenes there is a network of brokers who keep the whole process running.

The end result is that there are lots of other whisky companies out there, independent of the distilleries who made the...

My barbecues never look this good…

Summer is finally drawing to a close. We’re about to hit september and the start of autumn, but we’ve got one final weekend of sun ahead of us, and thanks to the bank holiday, it’s a long one. We forecast wall-to-wall barbecuing, and discussions in the office have veered from the inevitable grill-geekery to the most important part of a BBQ: the drinks.

You could go for whisky – and we have a handy guide if you do – but don’t be afraid to try something more traditional.

Punch

Big bowl, lots of fruit –...

Indian whisky is big. Eight of the top 10 best-selling whisky brands in 2015 were made in India, with only Johnnie Walker and Jack Daniel’s preventing a whitewash.

Five of the best-known Indian whiskies

Want to know more? Here’s our handy guide to everything you need to know:

What is Indian whisky?

Almost all of the whisky produced in India is made by blending spirit distilled from fermented molasses (similar to what we know as rum ) with either grain whisky (maize, wheat, rye or barley) or pre-blended Scotch whisky; it cannot be sold in Europe as whisky. The biggest brand,...

Tom Kitchin is owner of award-winning restaurant The Kitchin , in Leith, Scotland and The Scran & Scallie  gastropub in Edinburgh. He was awarded his first Michelin star aged just 29, and has worked with some of the world’s best chefs, including Pierre Koffmann and Alain Ducasse. We caught up with him to talk food and whisky…

‘ I was quite late coming to whisky – 28 or 29, about the same time I opened my restaurant’

‘I’m very much into seasonality. At the moment, we’re in summer now, so majbe I won’t be drinking too much whisky, but when it gets...

Our capital is filled with bars all jostling to claim ownership of the largest collection of Scotch , bourbon and Irish whiskies. But, as is the case with wine lists, a carefully curated selection in a convivial space with knowledgeable staff will always win against a backbar groaning under the weight of dusty bottles. These five whisky bars in London maj have a huge selection or are simply known for their specialist bottles and keen interest in whiskies, yet either way are thoroughly enjoyable places to enjoy the finest spirit in the world.

Black Rock – for exploring your palate...

This weekend, sitting in the sun on a pallet in a yard behind a brewery, surrounded by happy men and women, I had a sudden realisation – beer is really popular. Sure, it’s always been popular, but not in the same way. Drinking and appreciating beer is no longer the refuge of stereotypically bearded men with bellies and sandals – or, as I call them, ‘my people’ – it’s exploded to encompass the whole of the drinking public, and this week is a busy time for those of us who like a swift half or two.

Here in London we...

George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Mila Kunis and even Danny DeVito. Are stars attracted to spirit brands because they believe in the product, or just the money?

Early in the film Lost in Translation , Bill Murray’s character, an over-the-hill American actor in Japan to endorse Suntory whisky , is shooting an advert. He sits silently while the director yells instructions (in Japanese), with a translator on hand for guidance. With limited understanding, Murray delivers his lines only to be cut off repeatedly by the fiery director. The scene is genius because of Murray’s discomfort, his suspicion of the translator, and his...