There are times when whisky overpowers the full experience of liqueurs or mixers. That’s why mezcal works perfectly in the Ojo Del Tigre, created by Garrett Borgeson, bartender at...

Ever find yourself in a whisky cocktail rut or too settled into the comfort zone of the familiar Old Fashioned and Manhattan? There’s an easy way to break free: substitute a different spirit in place of whisky and see how it tastes. It maj seem sacrilegious, but many bartenders are experimenting this way—and the results are delicious.

“We stand in front of walls of liquor every day with some bottles that hardly get touched. It’s a matter of time before a bartender wonders what something would taste like with another ingredient,” says Michael Toscano, head bartender at Dante in New...

Every mars, whisky lovers set their sights on the 17th. (In 2018, that date fortuitously falls on a Saturday.) St. Patrick’s Day is a time to celebrate all things Irish, and there’s never been a better time for fans of Irish whiskey to experience the riches of the Emerald Isle. You could try out a cocktail made with Irish whiskey , or experiment to create your own perfect Irish coffee . Or you could just sip some excellent whiskey neat or on the rocks. While there are a number of classic drams every whiskey lover should taste, new releases likewise...

Scotch whisky maj be our favorite export of the Scottish Isles, but it’s not the only one. According to an Act of Parliament, Harris Tweed must be made from virgin wool, dyed and spun on the Outer Hebrides, and woven in the homes of the Islanders. Produced using only human power, it’s a sustainable, beautiful, and durable natural fabric. Harris Tweed has been produced the same way for over a century, so like a tasty island dram, it never goes out of style. No wonder many designers are racing to incorporate it.

Satisfy Your Need for Tweed

Stormy Kromer Hat...

The Paper Plane was invented by mixologist Sam Ross in the early 2000s, Allen Lancaster, master cocktail craftsman at The Bar at The Spectator Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina explains. His In Plane Sight swaps aged rum for bourbon, Braulio Amaro for Amaro Nonino, and lime juice for lemon. He also adds fresh rosemary, which pairs up with the natural herbal profile of the Braulio. “This produces a darker, deeper, richer version of the original,” Lancaster says. “Balanced sweetness from the rum; bitterness and herbal notes from the Aperol, Amaro and rosemary; and acidity from the lime truly form a...

It was my birthday last week. In celebration of the beginning of my fifth decade, I gathered a team of crack whisky drinkers to make a pilgrimage to one of Scotland’s most surprisingly remote towns: way down to the bottom of the Mull of Kintyre to Campbeltown. Once Scotland’s distilling powerhouse, now home to just three distilleries, including Glen Scotia .

The end of Scotland’s dangly bit

These days it seems strange that Campbeltown was once such a huge part of the distilling business, with the long drive from Glasgow scenic but on occasion seemingly without end. But the town’s...

This Bowmore 26 Years is part of the Vintner’s Trilogy , a series of three wine finished single malts. We already had the Bowmore 18 Years Manzanilla before and it turned out to be rather excellent.

This 26 year-old expression was matured for 13 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then given a second maturation (another 13 years) in French oak wine barriques – something that I usually approach with caution.

Bowmore 26 yo ‘French oak barrique’ (48,7%, OB ‘Vintner’s Trilogy’ 2017, wine matured)

Nose: starts on a slightly farmy (yes!) peat, with hints of sheep stables. Love that....

Glen Albyn distillery (together with Glen Mhor) was part of Mackinlays until 1972 when it was sold to DCL which closed it down in 1983 due to its low value as a blender’s whisky. A couple of official bottlings appeared in the 1970s.

Once a year or so a group of serious malt connoisseurs gets together in Limburg, trying all kinds of interesting (long gone) bottles from their own collections. It is a mind-blowing experience that I was lucky to attend once, and sometimes I also get a few outstanding leftover samples in the post. Many thanks, Carsten.

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Johnnie Walker has a limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label called Ghost and Rare , which includes whiskies from ‘ghost distilleries’ that are silent and aren’t producing at the moment.

The first expression in this series is called Blue Label Brora and Rare – it features the Brora distillery as well as Pittyvaich and Cambus , plus malt and grain whisky from five operational distilleries: Clynelish, Royal Lochnagar, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie, and Cameronbridge.

While I’m always interested when I see the name Brora , in general I don’t think whisky from lost distilleries should ever be blended away. I’m...

Whiskies can acquire sherry flavors by resting in casks that previously held sherry, a fortified wine from the Jerez region of Spain. While sherry comes in a variety of styles, including dry fino and sharp, salty manzanilla, these are only occasionally applied to whisky. The darker-hued and aromatic oloroso is the more traditional choice, with sweet, rich Pedro Ximenez a tantalizing option.

The influence of oloroso sherry casks is identifiable as red fruit, figs, dates, and raisins, with Macallan and Glenfarclas as perhaps the most famous examples. The oak of the cask also plays a role, as it can be...

It’s a worldwide whisky mashup among this week’s newest releases.

Boutique blender Compass Box has unveiled its newest blend, created in honor of the company’s majority-female staff. Hedonism, The Muse is a special edition of Compass Box’s core blended grain scotch whisky and—if past limited editions have been any indication—should be a heck of a dram.

Meanwhile, Glendalough Distillery from County Wicklow, Ireland has three new expressions, which are rolling out with new packaging for the brand. Glendalough Double Barrel is a single grain whiskey aged first in bourbon barrels, then finished in oloroso sherry casks. Glendalough Black Pitts Finish 7...

There are a lot of different types of whisky show. From our own London show , with its gigantic dram list that requires planning in advance to get the most out of, to smaller shows like Whisky Live London (we’ll be running the shop again this year – come and say hello!) and even the infamous sweatbox at Limburg (Germany’s most impressive festival, with a who’s who of whisky geeks attending), there’s something for everyone. However, there’s one that stands out for me. I’m probably biased, as we do run it, but while The Whisky Show: Old & Rare is...

Jura signature series

We already mentioned upcoming Jura expressions some time ago (check Jura Seven Wood ) and now it turns out they were hinting towards an entirely new core range (or Signature series ) for the distillery.

There are five new whiskies:

• Jura Journey (40%, ex-bourbon, around € 35-40)
• Jura 10 Year Old (40%, ex-bourbon + Oloroso finish, around € 40-45)
• Jura 12 Year Old (40%, ex-bourbon + Oloroso finish, only in select markets, around € 50)
• Jura Seven Wood (42%, French oak + first-fill ex-bourbon, finished in red wine casks, around € 70)
• Jura 18 Year Old (44%,...

After the excellent Woodwinters Isle Solera I was keen to try more.

This Longmorn The One ‘Fiadhaich’ , a 27 year-old distilled in 1989, was acquired by Woodwinters several years ago but they held on to it until the time was right to bottle. This is said to be an entire cask (with quite some angel’s share indeed.

Longmorn ‘Fiadhaich’ 27 yo 1989 (54,6%, Woodwinters ‘The One’ 2017, hogshead, 50 cl, 185 btl.)

Nose: a mineral fruitiness. Apples, pineapple, then some spicy honey and coconut shavings. Freshly sawn oak and a little pepper. There’s also a fragrant, slightly...