Category: Wisdom & Opinions

The Malt Whisky Yearbook, 2025

For many whisky drinkers and whisk(e)y enthusiasts, there are some annual events and recurring appearances on the whisky calendar that we eagerly await each year. For example, it might be annual releases (such as the hotly-anticipated Diageo Special Releases bottlings), or the results from any of the many annual whisky awards and competitions. However, for whisky lovers who are really serious and passionate about this great drink, the annual release that we most look forward to each year is the new edition of the Malt Whisky Yearbook.

The Malt Whisky Yearbook for 2025 is out now and, as always, it’s an absolute ripper of a read. Editor, Ingvar Ronde, has again outdone himself with a superb publication. This year’s edition is all the more special in that it marks the 20th Edition. Yes, this wonderful resource has been informing, educating, and entertaining us now for twenty years!  

So what makes this the “must-have” book? There are so many reasons, but the executive summary is that it is so many different things in one small package:

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Octomore Whisky (and Series 15)

Of the many whisky distilleries, brands, and names that make up the landscape of Islay, few are as storied or as enigmatic as Octomore. “The most heavily peated whisky in the world” is the tagline that invariably accompanies the name, and whilst that’s an easy feature or hook for the brand to hang its hat on, it has always struck me that it risks underselling the whisky. For there is so much more to appreciate about Octomore than its mere peating levels.

Octomore is not a whisky distillery. (At least, not anymore. The original Octomore distillery was in operation from 1816 to 1852.) It is one of three different styles or variants of whisky made at the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay. As such, the story of Octomore cannot be told without first telling the story of Bruichladdich.

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Kanosuke Whisky

Kanosuke Distillery is a relatively newer player on the Japanese whisky scene; even newer on the global whisky scene. Established in 2017, it has a backstory and history significantly older and broader than the age of its spirit, but in the increasingly crowded space of world whisk(e)y, it’s a slow process for newer brands – even those with quality products – to make a splash.

For all its visibility, profile, and its broad spread of enthusiastic fans, Japanese whisky remains something of an enigma. For decades, the main brands worked quietly away, doing things in a very Japanese way, i.e. setting about the making of whisky in a very methodical, no-nonsense fashion without blowing their own trumpet. In the tiny circles of the “single malt enthusiasts’ club”, we knew there were truly amazing Japanese malts being bottled, and this was – to us – happily one of the world’s best kept secrets.

That all changed in 2012 when a Yamazaki expression won World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards that year. Other Japanese whiskies won a bunch of awards and accolades at other awards programs and in noted whisky publications over the next four years and, suddenly, the secret was out.  Demand rapidly exceeded supply, and the corresponding economics ensured Japanese whisky was a scarce and expensive option for single malt enthusiasts. And so it returned to being an enigmatic product for most drinkers…something you sometimes saw and heard about, without really digging into too deeply. Kanosuke is one of the brands hoping to change that…

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Are whisky brands jumping the shark?

If your social media feeds are anything like mine, then whether you’re scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, X, or TikTok, you’re invariably alerted to the many new whisky releases that come out each month.  Either a brand’s official channel will announce a new product, or someone you’re connected to will like or comment on that post, and it then turns up in your feed.  It’s a convenient, albeit distracting way to stay on top of the endless new whisky releases and expressions that keep appearing.   But as you see some of the more intriguing, obscure, and fancy releases arriving on the market – particularly as they hit you in rapid-fire succession – you can’t help but feel that some whisky brands are jumping the shark.

Jumping the shark?  It’s an idiom that has its roots back in the 1970’s American television sitcom, Happy Days, although the saying itself was coined a few years later after the show had finished its run. Facing falling ratings, the producers of the show came up with increasingly far-fetched ideas to try and attract/maintain viewers – culminating in an episode where the show’s writers concocted a thin storyline that saw The Fonz jump over a shark whilst waterskiing.   It was the television equivalent of clickbait and a weak grab for attention.  In modern parlance, one official definition puts it this way: “The idiom ‘jumping the shark’ or ‘to jump the shark’ is a term that is used to argue that a creative work or entity has reached a point in which it has exhausted its core intent and is introducing new ideas that are discordant with, or an extreme exaggeration of, its original purpose.”

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Bruichladdich 18yo & Bruichladdich 30yo

Of all the distilleries on Islay, Bruichladdich surely has the most interesting story to tell from the last 25 years.  Yes, much has been made of Ardbeg coming back from the dead, and its story is certainly compelling.  Bruichladdich’s story, however, has a bit more grit.  Its tale speaks more of hard work and toil; of sweat and determination by a small and dedicated team of personnel; of a community that rallied; and an operation that ran off the smell of an oily rag.  Many years later, it also speaks of reward.

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23rd Street Australian Whisky

The ever-evolving narrative around the Australian whisky industry continues to morph and develop.  One of the more interesting (and pleasing) threads to follow has been the increasing number of distilleries bringing new releases to market below the $100 price threshold.  23rd Street Distillery is the latest to do so, throwing down the gauntlet with an impressive new malt whisky release that carries a price tag of $80 and is labelled simply as 23rd Street Australian Whisky.

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Visiting The Macallan distillery in 2024

Even if you only have a vague interest in Scotch whisky, you’re probably aware that The Macallan embarked on a massive and – literally – groundbreaking construction of a new distillery in recent times.  Established on the Macallan Estate, just a short distance from the existing/old distillery, the new production facility is exceptional and unique in its design, its layout, its appearance, and its functionality.  The new distillery is also unique in its approach to whisky tourism and how it goes about welcoming visitors.  Visiting The Macallan as a whisky enthusiast can be a tricky venture at the present, and it’s not a simple exercise.  If you’re wanting to visit the new Macallan distillery and to experience one of their tours, here are a few thoughts, tips, and comments following our visit in April 2024…  Continue reading “Visiting The Macallan distillery in 2024”

The Whisky Castle at Tomintoul

There’s an old adage when it comes to travelling and being a tourist:  Sometimes, the best sights and experiences are found off the beaten path.  Similarly, there’s an old truth when it comes to shopping and retail:  Years after the purchase, you won’t always remember how much you paid; you might not even remember what it was you bought, but you’ll remember the experience in the shop and how you were looked after by the proprietors.  When it comes to The Whisky Castle at Tomintoul, both these truths quickly become evident and play out. 

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Waiheke Whisky

Waiheke Whisky comes from Waiheke Island in New Zealand.  Waiheke is a small island in the Hauraki Gulf, just a 40 minute ferry ride east of Auckland.  The island has a strong tourism industry and is renowned for its vineyards and wineries, its beaches, and restaurants.  Although it’s popular for day trips or weekend stays out of Auckland, the small island – just 92km2 in area – is home to roughly 9,000 people.  As a point of reference and context that many readers will appreciate, Islay is roughly 620km2 in comparison and home to just over 3,000 inhabitants.  Islay is obviously well known for its whiskies.  One suspects Waiheke isn’t too far behind!

The distillery itself has an incredible story that showcases extraordinary enthusiasm, passion, initiative, independence, and determination by its founders, together with a journey and evolution that belies its years.  Indeed, evolution is key to appreciating Waiheke’s story, and it would be an injustice not to outline some of it here.

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Whisky Mythbusters – Debunking the whisky myths

There are plenty of articles and videos online that purport to address so-called myths about whisky. What many of them actually discuss are just misconceptions, and the content is aimed chiefly at novices and newcomers to the category. Well-worn examples include “older whisky is better whisky”, or “the smokiness in whisky comes from the charred barrels”, or “you should add water to your dram”. While such content does have value, that’s not what this article is about.   What’s more interesting is to look at some of the myths and stories that are so deeply entrenched in whisky’s culture, they’re even believed by seasoned whisky drinkers and enthusiasts. Worse still are those that continue to be reinforced by some well-meaning but misled brand ambassadors. And let’s not get started on the misinformation spread by influ…oops….content creators who are more interested in getting clicks than researching their topic. So let’s knuckle down and tear into some of the deeper myths about whisky that continue to endure…       Continue reading “Whisky Mythbusters – Debunking the whisky myths”