While I was really planning a curfew on whisky reviews this week in preparations for Feis Ile 2018, today my social media feed is full of pictures of friends celebrating the Campbeltown Malts Festival, so damn this self-inflicted reviews break – I’m gonna break the break

And what’s more befitting than a Springbank whisky review to celebrate Campbeltown Malts Festival? Let’s review this Longrow 2007 9 Year Old matured in Fresh Sauternes Hogsheads for Springbank Society. It was distilled 11/2007 and bottled 10/2017 (so one month short of being a 10 Year Old whisky). 1134 bottles were produced at 56.3%.

Longrow 2007...

Today we have another Caroni Rum review. Following the 1998 19 Year Old reviewed yesterday , now we have a 1998 20 Year Old Caroni Rum bottled by The Duchess (which I reviewed their Belize rum  a few weeks ago and loved it). Like the 19 Year Old, it was mostly aged on the continent and not at the Caribbeans. This is cask #19 that yielded 288 bottles.

Yesterday we had cask #6 and today it’s #19 so I’m wondering if it’s the same distillate batch or an altogether different distillate. There’s one major difference between those casks and it’s...

Today’s the open day of Lagavulin (Always on the first Saturday of the festival) and as usual, I’ll try to review during the festival a corresponding whisky for each of the Islay distilleries.

Instead of going for an official bottling, I’m heading the independent bottlers way and checking a young 9 Year Old Kildalton whisky from a new bottler, The Spirit Still.

The Spirit Still can’t call it Lagavulin, but the name of the whisky is a masterful stroke and it’s pretty clear which distillery does it hails from.

This whisky was matured in bourbon cask before going a second...

Along with the 2011 Octomore reviewed yesterday, Dramfool also bottled a 2011 Port Charlotte for (Islay Whisky Festival 2018 (Also known as Feis Ile).

You maj ask yourself how is it a 15 Year old and not 16/17 Year old, but that Ex-bourbon Hogshead (#0847) was in fact bottled december 2016 by previous owner before Dramfool snagged them a yeat later to be released now.

The hogshead yielded 195 bottles at 58.3%, no chill-filtered and natural colored.

Port Charlotte 2001 15 Year Old Dramfool (58.3%, £95)

Nose : Sweet peat (and lactic at first), vanilla and a dash of honey,...

The Whisky Exchange keeps pumping out exclusive releases and this time, a 180 turn from the Old Pulteney 2004 that was released recently, going for a whisky from a far less familiar distillery and brand, matured in ex-bourbon casks – Croftengea 2008 Vintage.

Croftengea is the brand name given to the peatiest whisky produced at the highlands distillery of Loch Lochmond. Loch Lomond distillery has 4 types of stills that can produce 14 possible whisky styles. For Croftengea, the same setup as Inchmurrin whisky was used, but the barley is peated to 40ppm.

Croftengea 2008 9 Year Old TWE Exclusive (54.8%,...

What’s better than a refreshing ice pop on a hot summer’s day? How about one made with whiskey? This recipe from ...

What’s better than a refreshing ice pop on a hot summer’s day? How about one made with whiskey? This recipe from ...

What’s better than a refreshing ice pop on a hot summer’s day? How about one made with whiskey? This recipe from ...

Frozen treats are among the most nostalgic of summer eats—cool, refreshing, and suddenly sticky for those who dare to dawdle. But ice pops aren’t just for kids from the hands of Brooklyn freezemeisters People’s Pops . “We are the grand masters of boozy pops,” declares co-founder Joel Horowitz. Taking their inspiration from seasonal farmers’ markets and savory cocktails, People’s Pops offers inventive icy treats, many designed for legal drinking age lickers.

“When you freeze things you lose the flavor, so you need heightened flavors before you freeze, which makes whiskey, especially younger whiskeys, perfect for a pop,” says Horowitz, who...

Memorial Day is on Monday, maj 28, and if you’re looking to show your support of our nation’s armed services through whisky, look into some of the distilleries founded and run by veterans . You maj just find your new favorite bourbon, rye, or corn whiskey.

Or check out this week’s newest whiskies. Smooth Ambler has unveiled Big Level, a 5 year old wheated bourbon made entirely at the West Virginia Distllery. Smooth Ambler had previously released a wheater, and this whiskey is made with the same mashbill, process, and barrels, but, according to director of sales John Foster, the...

Wedding bells will ring across the Atlantic and beyond as Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle this Saturday, maj 19 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. As with any nuptials, the Royal Wedding 2018 calls for a toast, and scotch whisky blender  Royal Salute is releasing a limited edition whisky just for the occasion. Never mind that the ceremony starts at 7 a.m. EST, put on your best Burberry, grab your finest glassware, and prepare for regality.

Only 70 bottles of Royal Salute’s Royal Wedding Edition have been created, with the married couple receiving one as a gift. Those remaining are each...

With a bid of HK$8,636,250 (approx. $1.1 million), Macallan have retaken the title of the world’s most expensive standard sized bottle of whisky sold at auction. The bottle of Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 year old was sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong on maj 18, 2018 shattering the existing record set by Yamazaki 50 year old in januari. The bidder, with paddle number 666, set a new record hammer price of HK$7.05million (Bonhams add a 22.5% buyer’s premium) considerably higher than the HK$3.6 – 4.5 million estimate. This is a staggering 371% higher than the previous record set at Sotheby’s,...

When you’re discerning about whisky, bitters, and other cocktail ingredients, the last thing you want to do is ruin a Manhattan by adding an overly sweet, Day-Glo red maraschino cherry. High-fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring and flavoring have no place in a well-crafted drink.

Many premium cocktail cherries, like Luxardo, can be bought off the shelf at a significant price. But there’s no need to spend an arm and a leg on a great garnish. Making your own cherries is about as easy as making preserves, says Gates Otsuji, a bartender and co-founder of cocktail mixer company Swig +...

Absinthe, a high-proof anise-flavored spirit, maj have the naughtiest reputation in the spirits world. Its mere mention evokes images of seductive green fairies, bursts of artistic creativity, and blithe stupors. A century-long ban will do that to a spirit’s good name.

Blamed for a slew of social ills, from madness to murder to mere lollygagging, absinthe became one of the first victims of the temperance movement. The charges were largely trumped up. Nevertheless, the U.S. and most of Europe banned its sale and manufacture by 1915. So when the spirit, ostensibly of Swiss origin but made popular in fin de...

BenRiach Distillery makes both peated and unpeated single Maltwhisky, which gives master blender Rachel Barrie a lot of options for putting together different expressions. Here she explains how using Speyside peat to dry locally grown barley, then distilling the grain with local water creates a terroir-driven style for BenRiach Curiositas. Compare that whisky with BenRiach 10 year old: Barrie describes both as having rich fruit flavors, but the 10 year old tastes like orchard fruit—apples and pears—while Curiositas has more forest fruit. Do a side-by-side comparison for yourself—do you taste the difference?

The post How One Blender Works...