Christmas is now officially over, the New Year is here, and for me, it’s time to give my body time to regroup. Every januari, various charities promote an alcohol-free month; among them this year are Alcohol Concern ( Dry januari ), the British Liver Trust ( Love Your Liver ) and Cancer Research ( Dryathlon ). So there’s no better time to highlight our range of non-alcoholic drinks to see you through the month.

Claytons Kola Tonic – £6.95 (75cl)

There is a wide range of products in that often-overlooked part of any drinks cupboard:  syrups and mixers . While many...

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James Buntin is the new brand ambassador for Speyside single malt Balvenie

After 14 years in Australia, new Balvenie brand ambassador James Buntin is back in the UK, on a mission to spread the word about this highly regarded distillery and its whiskies. We met up with this impressively hirsute Scot to share a dram and a story or two – and he didn’t disappoint.

‘ I’m 46, and I’ve been drinking whisky for 46 years – my mum used to take a drop of whisky and rub it on my gums’

‘ There’s nothing better than a nip and...

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The TWE blog team cannot WAIT for Christmas! Two of them, anyway… (from left: Billy, Rocky, Stuart)

After 12 months of sensible, serious whisky chat, we thought it was time for the TWE blog team to let our hair down – although, judging by the pic, we might struggle with that one. So, in the spirit of Christmas, we’ve each shared our favourite festive food, songs and films, as well as some delicious bottles we’ll be drinking over the Christmas period. Don’t forget to keep checking the blog in 2015, and a Merry Christmas to all of you.

STUART
‘Look, there’s only...

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We’re now 22 days into december, and with Christmas Day only three days away, there is one thing on our minds: there are only three more TWE Advent Calendar prize draws to go. We’ve given away 21 prizes already and are now on to the home stretch. Now that everyone’s starting to hide away ready for 25 december, we thought we’d try to tempt you back to your computer keyboards with a sneak preview of the last three days of prizes.

Firstly, today’s prize – the latest addition to the Bunnahabhain range : Ceobanach. According to the bottle it’s pronounced ‘kyaw-bin-och’,...

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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. However, nestled among the various launch parties last month was one event that was a little different – an evening with The Balvenie that was all about the whiskies they already have out. No new releases, no bells and whistles, just a table covered with some of the whiskies they’ve released over the past few years, almost as a quiet boast.

Quite a line-up…

Over the...

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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 Hven (pronounced ‘veen’). Distiller and joint owner Henric Molin is a chemist by trade and uses his background to create a range of spirits, predominantly using nosing and chemical analysis.

Spirit of Hven distillery on an overcast, windy oktober morning – not many takers for cycling!

The distillery is situated on the island of Ven (the ‘h’ prefix is the older Swedish spelling, and is also used...

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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. In light of this, the TWE team decided it would be hilarious to ask me to round up our varied selection of Christmas gift packs  – thanks, guys!

How I must appear to my TWE colleagues during december…

If you’re anything like me and find choosing the right present tricky, our perfect gifts for Christmas section is here to help. An easy-to-use gift finder  will help you choose the...

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[You can find the first two parts of this series at: What was a sherry cask? and What is a sherry cask? ]

In the last post, I talked about how the type of wood that makes up a cask has a large effect on the spirit that goes into it. However, if the cask has already had a liquid stored in it, then that too will obviously have some influence as well. In the case of a sherry cask, that liquid will either be sherry or another similar fortified wine.

Palomino grapes, fresh from the vines, ready for pressing

It starts,...

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If you’re a whisky fan, it’s highly likely you jot down the occasional tasting note or two. Tasting notes are the perfect way to keep track of the whiskies you’ve tasted and when. And keeping a record of them is a very handy thing to have.

For example, if you’re struggling to decide on a particular whisky to buy, then a quick scan over your tasting notes could help you make up your mind. Or if you’re choosing a whisky from a favourite distillery, then your notes will refresh your memory on the expected flavour and style. You can also see...

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As you maj have noticed, Christmas is rapidly approaching. That means that the world’s postal services start groaning at the seams and deliveries start slowing down. To make sure you get your parcel by december 25, make sure you order before the dates listed below:

United Kingdom

Orders to postcodes IV, HS, KA27-28, KW, PA20-49, PA60-78, PH17-26, PH30-44, PH49-50, ZE, BT, IM, TR21-25 must be placed by 2pm on Friday 19 december. Orders using 3-5 working day delivery (offered for some small parcels) must be placed by 2pm on Friday 19 december. All other UK orders must be placed by 2pm...

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It’s strange how quickly something becomes a yearly tradition. It’s only the second time we’ve given our Whisky and Spirit of the Year awards, but it already feels like a festive fixture. The core idea was the same as last year: choose a shortlist of excellent spirits and whiskies, and then choose one as the best.

As with last year, we went for ongoing, regular releases. On the whisky front, they weren’t cask strength and they were all under £60 a bottle. Again, in common with last year, the choice of Spirit of the Year was almost unanimous, but the...

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[If you missed it, here’s part one: What was a sherry cask? ]

These days, the vast majority of sherry casks used to mature Scotch whisky are specifically built for the whisky industry. They are still usually constructed in the same way as a traditional sherry cask, whether it was used to mature sherry in a solera or transport it around the world. However, not all casks are the same, and there are a number of choices made during their creation.

The first choice is the type of oak to be used. The usual division of oak types in the whisky...

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Kat modelling the soon-to-be-sought-after TWE Golden Ticket

‘I think,’ he said quietly, ‘I think … I’ll have just one more of those chocolate bars. The same kind as before, please.’

‘Why not?’ the fat shopkeeper said, reaching behind him again and taking another Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight from the shelf. He laid it on the counter.

Charlie picked it up and tore off the wrapper … and suddenly … from underneath the wrapper … there came a brilliant flash of gold.

Charlie’s heart stood still.

‘It’s a Golden Ticket!’ screamed the shopkeeper, leaping about a foot in the air.

If, like...

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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 is named after Islay’s main port and encompasses a range of small-batch whiskies at various ages from undisclosed distilleries on the island. Initially bottled at 45.8%, the cask-strength edition of the 19 Year Old was released in augusti 2011, the extra alcohol adding complexity and intensity.

Port Askaig 19 Year Old, 50.4%, £74.95 until 31 december (usually £99.95).

Nose : Intense salty, maritime character, backed up by sour...

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We’ve been fighting it, but now december’s upon us, it is officially Almost Christmas. With this curious state of being comes a number of things: tinsel becomes more appropriate, Christmas songs become legitimate radio fodder, and we launch our (now) yearly Fine Spirits and Whisky Advent Calendar .

After the success of last year’s competitions, we couldn’t not do it again, so another 24 bottles have been chosen and hidden behind the virtual doors of our advent calendar. The deal is the same as last year:

Each day at midnight, a new prize will be revealed. Go to the  advent calendar page ...

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Once you start getting into whisky, one of the first things you notice is the various types of cask that the spirit is matured in. While they all have their own distinctive character, the most common question we get asked is ‘Was this matured in a sherry cask?’

Such a simple question; such a difficult answer. Normally, we go for a simple yes or no, but, as usual, things are much more complicated than that.

Some modern casks. Being more specific than that is difficult…

Firstly, there is no legal definition for ‘sherry cask’. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (the...

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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 and heavy whisky, showing the classic sherry-matured style. However, every now and again, they find some interesting casks and release something that shows another side of the distillery’s character. The most recent of these special releases is the Glenfarclas 1966 Fino Casks .

The type of sherry usually associated with the classic sherry-cask-matured style is oloroso, a rich and dark wine, packed with dark-fruit...

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As mentioned on the blog previously, we’ve recently run a prize draw with our friends at Paul John : everyone who bought a bottle of Edited , Brilliance , Peated Selected Cask or the Classic Select Cask was entered into a draw to win a £500 shopping trip on The Whisky Exchange website. Our trusty random number generator was fired up and a winner chosen.

Paul John prize draw winner, Mags Brolly

We’d like to congratulate Mags Brolly of north London on winning the prize, and also on her excellent choice in festive spirits, including another bottle of Paul John whisky.

It’s not...

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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 first six-year-old whiskies now released by the distillery, we were delighted to see how things are progressing.

The Kilchoman team have been travelling around Europe in a Land Rover, holding tastings as they go

This autumn, founder Anthony Wills’s three sons embarked on a tasting tour of Europe in their new Land Rover, although as George pointed out, his younger brothers James and Peter...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2014/11/kilchoman-land-rover-tour-making-tracks/

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 first six-year-old whiskies now released by the distillery, we were delighted to see how things are progressing.

The Kilchoman team have been travelling around Europe in a Land Rover, holding tastings as they go

This autumn, founder Anthony Wills’s three sons embarked on a tasting tour of Europe in their new Land Rover, although as George pointed out, his younger brothers James and Peter...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2014/11/kilchoman-land-rover-tour-making-tracks/