Ben Nevis distillery garnered a lot of positive publicity in the last 2-3 years with lots of successful independent releases. We even see shortage of stock for the official 10 Year Old in the markets as it becomes a fans favorite.

I have a few opened Ben Nevis bottles at home but today I’ll focus on another Ben Nevis – a 27 Year Old from 1990 which appeared in the latest blind tasting competition I participated in (sort of).

This Ben Nevis was a bottling for the 40th birthday of SCOMA shop in Germany. It was distilled in 14.12.1990, filled...

I don’t think I need to introduce Talisker to you my readers, but it’s a review way long overdue as I was always delaying reviewing and publishing the Talisker 25 Year Old 2013 review.

But then I tasted the Talisker 25 Year Old 2017 Release in a blind tasting competition and the opportunity to have a side by side review of both edition was so tempting that I finally gave up and went for it. Let’s check out which edition is better.

Talisker 25 Year Old 2013 Edition (45.8%, 5,772 bottles, £262 )

Nose : Soft smoke, honey, dried fruit...

The doors will open today at 3.30 PM. For full details and information on tickets etc see here .

I have had a sneak peek at the facilities already and can reveal a few details.

The entrance on the 1st floor of Grand Hotel Terminus, Bergen, Norway.

A few glasses lined up. Ticket sales are on par with last year, which means the festival is mostly sold out. All attendees will get a whisky glass and a beer glass when entering.

The festival is split over two floors. Here you see the floor plan for the 1st floor. Note that...

Nordic whisky #209 - Isle of Lime Kutkäldu Shareholders Edition III, 4 YO, 46.2 %

Here is the third release exclusive for shareholders at Swedish distillery Gotland Whisky. The Isle of Lime Kutkäldu Shareholders Edition III is a light to medium peated whisky matured in bourbon barrels and Hungarian oak (presumably virgin oak), with cask sizes given as 200 and 100 litres. The total outturn was 5250 bottles (50 cl), and the whisky was launched in november 2018.

Gotland Whisky used organic Propino Tipple barley grown locally on thye island of Gotland. The casks were filled in weeks 2, 5,...

Irish whiskey lovers are luckier than ever. More blended Irish whiskeys have appeared in the last five years than in the previous 50. The transformation of blended Irish whiskey from a lifeline thrown by the few surviving distillers of Ireland to the life force driving forward one of the most thrilling whiskey-making nations is a truly remarkable feat. Irish pot still whiskey and Irish single malts deserve the love of aficionados, but for Ireland, the blend is savior, champion, protector, hero, and guardian angel.

Learn Everything You Need to Know About Irish Whiskey

Unlike their Scottish counterparts, Irish blenders often...

Making whisky is an expensive business, and many small distilleries who start out independent turn to bigger partners for help growing their production, distribution, and other business moves. Selling a stake in their distillery—or being acquired outright—doesn’t make these people sellouts, but it does open the door to questions .

Buyouts, Partnerships, and Majority/Minority Stakes in Independent Whiskey Distilleries and Brands

This list will be continuously updated as new acquisitions and other business partnerships occur.

Black Button Distilling —Rochester, NY

Sold minority stake to Constellation Brands in februari 2019

Wyoming Whiskey —Kirby, Wyoming

Formed strategic partnership with Edrington Group in...

Our 2018 Whisky of the Year proves that blends deserve to be taken seriously, and in the field of Irish whiskey, there are an array of options. From advanced aging to inventive finishes, there is enough diversity within Irish blends to fit almost any palate. Below, we highlight 19 blends that cater to single malt fans, cocktail champions, and curious sippers alike. What’s more, most of these picks register below $50 making the leap a bit easier to take.

The Artful Ascent of Irish Blends

For Pot Still and Single Malt Fans

Ideal for everyday sipping, these whiskeys allow you...

This drink, created by Garrett Flanagan, bartender at...

“The addition of Braulio amaro and Yzaguirre Blanco vermouth keeps this cocktail bright, bitter, and bold, while the Chinato relaxes the palate to a smooth, clean finish,” Brock Schulte, bar director at...

Lee Zaremba, beverage director of...

The term “aperitif” comes from the Latin word aperire, which means “to open.” The practice of having a pre-dinner drink to stimulate your appetite maj date back to ancient Egypt; most certainly, Europeans were enjoying aperitifs by the 16th century, when medicinal spirits infused with roots, herbs, and spices became popular. These ingredients were believed to get the digestive tract moving, and some studies suggest they do, in fact, increase food consumption and make food aromas more enticing. So there is some science to support enjoying drinks with ingredients such as vermouth, herbal liqueurs, or bitters to heighten your dining...

We made it! januari is over, and as the calendar turns to its shortest month, there are new whiskies to anticipate.

Glenmorangie has unveiled the tenth release in its Private Edition series. Allta (“wild”) is a whisky whose barley was fermented from wild yeast found in the fields near the distillery—a first for Glenmorangie. Cultivating and using wild yeast is an unusual step for modern scotch distillers generally, although custom yeasts are very common in American whiskey. Glenmorangie Allta is priced at $99 and available in limited amounts.

Angel’s Envy has announced a new bourbon finished in oloroso sherry casks....

Modern Scotch whisky is at an interesting point. Whisky makers are torn between two poles of thought – tradition and innovation – with regulations governing both pushing them to choose their paths carefully. When it comes to carefully respecting the past while looking to the future, no one quite walks that fine line as well as Glenmorangie’s Dr Bill Lumsden with his yearly Private Edition bottling. This year sees the launch of the 10th release in the series, and it’s his geekiest experiment yet: Glenmorangie Allta .

The Glenmorangie Private Edition range

Each entry in the Private Edition range showcases...

No shortage of undisclosed Speyside malts these days (a squirrel, how appropriate), although this Speyside 1989 is not a blended malt but a single malt. We’ve seen similar 1989’s from other bottlers and they hint towards totally different distilleries, just like these 1970s siblings. It’s part of the latest batch of Maltbarn releases.

Speyside Malt 29 yo 1989 (49,1%, Maltbarn 2018, bourbon cask, 133 btl.)

Nose: starts malty, showing corn flakes, oranges, honey and nice hints of apricot. Some spiced tea, mint and liquorice wood. Dried flowers. Waxy notes, a light yeasty side and a whiff of vanilla....

Mount Gay Distilleries is supposedly the oldest commercial rum distillery in the world (going back to 1703). Located in Barbados, it is now part of the Rémy Cointreau group. It is made from molasses and distilled in both copper pot stills and column stills before being aged in American oak

This 7 year-old release is exclusive to The Whisky Exchange and the first-ever exclusive bottling from Mount Gay. Not counting the bulk sales or occasional independent bottlings which come under another name. It comes from a selection of 20 barrels and has a higher proportion of pot still than most...

Glenfarclas 15 Years sits in the middle of the core range: it has the dark glass of the upper range but of course they have quite a few expressions above it. Matured in sherry casks – of course. Quite a light colour though for a Glenfarclas.

Glenfarclas 15 yo (46%, OB +/- 2018)

Nose: nice, quite an enticing nose. It’s got a brightness to it (orange juice, fresh ginger, something heathery), then more butterscotch, red apples and raisins. Yellow plums. Subtle vanilla cake and cinnamon. Nice, and no traces of sulphur that seem to be mentioned in a...

Plenty of The Whisky Exchange exclusives these days…

When talking about the Taiwanese Kavalan whisky, a Vinho Cask is an American oak cask seasoned with Portuguese white and red wine before being re-toasted and filled with spirit.

This single cask bottling was distilled in 2012.

Kavalan 6 yo 2012 (53,2%, OB for The Whisky Exchange 2018, Vinho Cask, W120614028, 180 btl.)

Nose: the typical heavy wood polish with hints of glue. I personally like that in moderate amounts. Teak oil, peppery notes and a whole array of red fruits underneath: raspberry jam, figs and cherry brandy. Dark rummy...