Like many whisky lovers, Professor Gordon Cook of the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Center would love to get his hands on some Macallan 1878 27 year old. Yet he has no intention of putting it in his mouth. The whisky recently captured a lot of attention when a Chinese multi-millionaire reportedly paid 9,999 Swiss francs ($10,000) for the dram at the Hotel Waldhaus am See in St. Moritz, Switzerland. What’s even more surprising than the exorbitant price: the whisky maj be a fake.

The vintage bottle’s label raised suspicion with the words, ‘Roderick Kemp. Proprietor, Macallan and Talisker Distilleries Ltd.’—an...

It’s a big week for whisky!  Jack Daniel’s is launching a new, permanent rye whiskey. Jack fans maj remember seeing and tasting the Unaged Rye and Rested Rye that the distillery released in the last few years, as well as Single Barrel Rye , which will still be available. The new rye whiskey is the culmination of those early releases, which came from Jack Daniel’s first new mashbill in over 150 years.

Also new this week: The Macallan Edition No. 3, a limited-edition whisky that highlights the aromatic qualities of single malt scotch. Meanwhile, Highland Park Magnus is debuting, part...

For most of its existence, peat was one of the hallmarks of Scotch whisky . Whether wisps of smoke wafting from blends like Johnnie Walker , or the pure and punchy peat of Islay , many drinkers came to assume that scotch means peat. Peat is actually nothing more than a convenient fuel source that worked its way into whisky as the result of kiln-drying malted barley over fires fueled by the decomposing vegetation.

Peat bogs are found in many parts of Great Britain, but they are widespread in the Scottish Highlands and islands, where for centuries they have provided...

92 points, 61% ABV, $130...

90 points, ...

Just a week after announcing its seventh batch of limited-edition bourbon , Kentucky Owl has revealed plans to roll out a rye whiskey for the first time. The 11 year old sourced whiskey will be available in much larger quantities than Kentucky Owl’s bourbon—and will cost less, though it’s by no means inexpensive at $130 a bottle. About half the country will have access to Kentucky Owl rye.

Meanwhile, New York-based Hillrock Estate has a new bourbon from its solera , finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. The distillery says the 6 to 8 week finish gives the nose and...

In Quercus we trust. There are over 600 species of oak trees in the Quercus genus, to which whisky maturation owes all. Without time in oak barrels, whisky would remain white and fiery, devoid of the toasty, caramel, nutty, or vanilla notes that make our mouths water. It’s simple—without oak, there is no whisky as we know it today. Considering oak’s profound effect on the taste of whisky, it’s not surprising that the details count. The specific type of oak, the origin of the tree, and all the finer points of its treatment during production will influence the flavors the...

The influence of the barrel makes up a huge part of a whisky’s flavor—often  most of the flavor comes from the wood, and that wood is almost always oak. (By law, whisky in Scotland and most whiskeys in the United States must be aged in oak.) So the type of oak the whisky ages or is finished in matters. Here are the six main types of oak used for aging whisky.

American (Quercus alba)

Typical flavors : The standard-bearer, offering vanilla, caramel, baking spices, and coconut

Try it : Your favorite bourbon

Mizunara (Quercus mongolica)

Typical flavors : Oriental incense,...

The days maj be growing shorter, but your whisky options are more numerous than ever. The Fall 2017 issue hits newsstands on september 5th, featuring scores and reviews for over 95 new whiskies—from scotch and bourbon to Irish, Canadian, and world whiskies. Here we reveal the 10 highest scoring bottles, including  Knob Creek ‘s anniversary single barrel, an “electric”  Chivas Regal , 25 year old  Glen Moray with a rich port cask finish, a silky sweet  Canadian Club , and more.

Knob Creek 25th Anniversary Single Barrel 92 points, 61% ABV, $130

Wonderful opening of cigar humidor and tack room, it...

Style diversity is a key characteristic of American craft whiskey, but most have one thing in common: youth. They are generally young compared to what the legacy producers deliver, lacking the years in a barrel that lead to mature-tasting whisky. No one has solved the aging puzzle either. Young whiskeys taste young.

Unlike most other countries, there is no minimum wood aging duration for American whiskey . Any amount of wood contact will suffice. One type of whiskey, corn whiskey, doesn’t need to be aged at all.

American whiskey making tradition has deep roots. Fifty years ago, when bourbon sales...

A truly exceptional whisky requires time, patience, and a lot of tasting along the way. You can’t make it if you don’t love drinking it. Indeed, for most whisky makers, sampling spirit is much less a chore than it is a cherished perk of the job. But even master distillers enjoy an occasional break from the brown stuff. When they’re not enjoying the fruits of their own labor, you’d be surprised at just how varied their tastes can be. Whisky Advocate tracked down a number of off-duty distillers to reveal what they were hiding in the mug.

David Stewart, Balvenie...

Coffee lovers have been embracing whisky barrel-aged coffee, and now British tea company eteaket has partnered with Tomatin Distillery to create a tempest in a teapot—a tea aged in scotch whisky casks . The blend of black teas from Assam, Ceylon, and Fujian has subtle flavors of fruit and smoke derived from its time in wood. It’s available for a limited time only, but there are also whisky-flavored teas from the Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company and Whittard .

But why stop with the tea? Here’s our recipe for a full-on whisky tea party. From bourbon-laden cakes to scotch-laced honey...

There aren’t any summer doldrums in the world of whisky. In addition to Ardbeg’s announcement about its newest whisky, An Oa , this week also brings news of a limited-edition release from GlenDronach . The pricy single malt scotch is meant as a companion whisky to the Kingsman film franchise, although unlike Old Forester Statesman—a permanent whiskey in Old Forester’s range, specially created to be part of the upcoming film “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” —GlenDronach Kingsman Edition 1991 will not be reprising its role. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Elsewhere in scotch, Johnnie Walker is rolling out its latest Blenders’...

F inishing is the popular term for transferring a mature whisky to a second cask, perhaps one that previously held port or rum, a first-growth Bordeaux, or is crafted from uncommon oaks like mizunara or Irish oak to give a different flavor profile. The purpose of finishing is to create a new whisky that complements the house style. Think of finishing like the secondary boosters on a space rocket, helping it to achieve a higher orbit, or like precious sapphires set around a diamond by a nimble-fingered jeweler to enhance the sparkle. When done well, finishing adds shades of color and...

Locating the best bang for your buck in single malt scotch can require some serious searching. It’s no secret that scotch prices have crept up in the last few years and many releases are small in quantity. And while tasting through thousands of bottles to find the best values isn’t an entirely unappealing endeavor, we realize not everyone has the time, or the budget, to do so. Here then are 9 splurge-worthy whiskies that top of our list of favorites and sell for under $100—some considerably less! Best of all, these whiskies are available on many store shelves—you maj even...

Arriving on Orkney, with its massive Stone Age monuments that predate the Pyramids of Egypt, you are no longer among Scots, but Orcadians. Genetic studies support that these island dwellers are a breed apart, indicating that 60 percent of the Northern Isles’ male population is of Scandinavian ancestry, some of the most concentrated Viking heritage in all of Britain. It’s logical, given that a Viking longship from Norway could reach this archipelago of 70 islands north of the Scottish mainland in 24 hours, the equivalent of a day’s drive for an intrepid seafaring Norseman.

Making their independence even more apparent,...

Humans have a weird binary when it comes to drinking alcohol—some beverages are strictly for cold weather, others for scorching hot days. So we drink rich stouts in the ski lodge, and save the crisp pilsners for golfing when it’s 100 degrees. We pull out a full-bodied red wine for the Christmas party and chill the riesling and rosé for a summer picnic. The same thinking often holds true for whisky: Peated scotch, we are told, is best reserved for chilly drizzles or windy winter nights.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. For example, consider how camping, a...

T he corps of dedicated whisky drinkers has long included a division with a deep interest in exclusivity. Think of the enthusiasts that chase after bottles of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon every year or clubs whose members have access to juice sipped by no others. So it only makes sense that whisky bars across the U.S. offering a secure place to store your precious holdings have found an eager audience. These arrangements, variously called locker or keep programs, allow customers to purchase preferred whiskies, or even carry in their own personal stash. The bar then keeps them on hand for...

There’s no place quite like the Orkney Islands, a far-flung archipelago off mainland Scotland’s northern coast. Home to the Highland Park and Scapa Distilleries, Orkney (it’s often referred to in the singular) has a history that goes back several millennia, and its Neolithic, Viking, and Scottish heritages intermingle throughout the stark, maritime landscape. When you’re ready to make the trek northward, consult this guide for our top recommendations. And don’t forget to read all about what makes Orkney so peculiarly special—and well worth a visit.

What to Do on Orkney

Distillery Tours on Orkney

Where to Shop, Eat, Drink, and...