Category: Wisdom & Opinions

The complete guide to non chill-filtered whisky

Non chill-filtered whisky (also styled non-chillfiltered and even un-chillfiltered whisky) is one of those terms in the whisky industry that is widely seen, read, and heard…and yet few drinkers truly understand what it means or signifies.  In that respect, it’s a bit like sour mash in the bourbon industry – a term you see printed on the label; a statement that supposedly has a positive connotation, and yet the majority of consumers view it as mumbo-jumbo…not really appreciating what it means, but just happy to enjoy what’s in the bottle.  So what is non chill-filtered whisky?  What is chill filtration?  And how do you un-chillfilter something?  Is a non chill-filtered whisky better than a whisky that has been chill-filtered?  Let’s dive in…

Continue reading “The complete guide to non chill-filtered whisky”

Which is the best Australian whisky?

Which is the best Australian whisky?   With interest in Australian whisky at an all-time high, combined with the staggering number of Australian distilleries now bringing mature spirit to market, it’s certainly an understandable question to ask. But can one realistically answer that question? Well…we’ll attempt to offer some guidance in just a moment but, first, it’s important to establish some ground rules…

Continue reading “Which is the best Australian whisky?”

Cape Byron Whisky

Cape Byron whisky burst on to the Australian scene in late 2022 with the official unveiling of its inaugural single malt releases. Of course, the distillery had long been established by then and was already well known for its gins. But well before the newmake malt spirit was even filled into casks back in 2019, whisky enthusiasts in Australia and further afield were already aware of the distillery and knew what was coming. That’s a pretty unusual situation for an Australian distillery, but then it’s also pretty unusual for an Australian distillery to have one of the giants and legends of the Scotch whisky industry – Jim McEwan, no less – onboard as a consultant, distiller, and business partner. To understand that arrangement, you have to go back to the beginning…

Continue reading “Cape Byron Whisky”

Indri Trini “The Three Wood”

Indri is the latest single malt brand to emerge from India, and it’s wasted no time in garnering accolades and attention. Like so many other “overnight success stories”, the real story reveals that success is actually the result of years of effort and development, and not some sudden, lucky strike of lightning. Trini (fully styled as Trini The Three Wood) is the flagship offering from the Indri stable, and it’s a whisky worth your attention. Indri Trini’s credentials, as we’ll see in a moment, make for a worthy pedigree.

Continue reading “Indri Trini “The Three Wood””

Visiting Scotland when your partner doesn’t like whisky

When planning a whisky trip to Scotland, most keen whisky tourists typically plan their itinerary by plotting out the key distilleries they want to visit, and then they crudely join the dots by shoehorning in the requirements and logistics of accommodation, transport, and food.  That’s all well and good but, as you quickly discover, distillery tours and visiting times are generally condensed between the hours of 10.00am and 4.00pm – leaving you with some blanks to fill in your days.  Also, as we explored in this article here (scroll down to point no. 7), trying to get your various distillery tours aligned without clashes or overlaps is a tough challenge.  Another consideration is that – as a very general generalisation – it would be fair to say that most whisky enthusiasts who would plan such a dedicated whisky pilgrimage to Scotland often have partners that don’t share a love of whisky to quite the same level of fanaticism. 

Accordingly, when planning a trip to Scotland with your partner, you’ll often need to incorporate stops, side-excursions, and other attractions to keep your other half happy….and not sentence them to the drudgery of sitting in the distillery car park while you’re inside having fun.   To keep the mood happy between the two of you as you traverse around the country, here are some worthwhile destinations, attractions, and other things to do in Scotland that are all near distilleries or that you’ll pass through as you hop from distillery to distillery….

Continue reading “Visiting Scotland when your partner doesn’t like whisky”

Amber Lane whisky

Amber Lane joins the growing list of New South Wales malt whisky distilleries to have emerged in the last five years.  Conceived in 2017 in the Yarramalong Valley just inland from Wyong on the Central Coast (about a 90 minute drive from Sydney), Amber Lane has quickly – very quickly – found fans and acclaim with the quality of its whisky.  This was recently in evidence just last month when all four of Amber Lane’s entries submitted to the Tasting Australia Spirit Awards walked away with Silver medals.  No mean feat for a distillery’s first releases.

Continue reading “Amber Lane whisky”

The changing face of whisky marketing

Whisky marketing is a funny beast – its goal is to entice newcomers into the category or to encourage established whisky drinkers to try something new. For a product that is geared towards our senses of taste and smell, it’s amazing how little whisky’s current marketing methods actually speak to those senses – instead relying on sight and persuasion. But it wasn’t always this way…

Think about the bottles of whisky you’ve purchased in the last 6-12 months. Can you recall what prompted or urged you to buy those whiskies? Ignoring any financial incentive (i.e. it was on special or part of a discount deal) here’s a list of possible triggers that may have prompted your purchase…

• You saw a promo for it in a newspaper advertisement or lift-out.
• You attended a tasting event put on by the brand which was presented by the brand ambassador.
• You tried a dram of it at a bar or a whisky expo show and were impressed enough to grab a bottle for yourself.
• You saw some “chatter” and noise about it in an online whisky group (e.g. a forum or Facebook group).
• You read an online review of it by a whisky blogger.
• You watched a YouTube video review of it that was shot and uploaded by an amateur/enthusiast.
• You were “influenced” by an Instagram post.

At various different times in recent history, each of the above was considered “best practice” for whisky marketing. Those of you with either a few years under your belt or a bit of marketing experience may have noticed that the above list was presented in a particular order. Generally speaking, the above list started with more traditional, “old school” marketing methods and transitioned to more “new school” marketing methods. You may also have cynically (but accurately) observed that the list is in order of most expensive to least expensive, in terms of how much a brand must spend to market and promote their product. And therein lies the rub…

Continue reading “The changing face of whisky marketing”

Is the tide turning on the Scotch Whisky industry?

The Scotch whisky industry and its sales have seen many ups and downs over its history.  The last two decades have certainly been on the “up”.  However, there are some signs around that the tide might be turning, and perhaps there’s a “down” looming on the horizon.  Let’s take a look at some of these signs and whether the industry should be worried….

In many forms of pop culture and entertainment at the moment, there’s a fine yet increasingly blurry line between nostalgia and recycling.  Witness the recent Top Gun sequel: Many have argued (correctly) that it borrows far too heavily from the original.  Was this lazy, uninspired thinking by the producers – or a calculated ploy to cash in on the public’s fondness and nostalgia for the original?  (One suspects a combination of both!)  The same could be said for so many other big screen and little screen productions – it’s a seemingly endless line of sequels or spin-offs.  I assume it’s only a matter of time until the Fast & Furious is somehow worked into the MCU?   And when reality TV shows have to rely on getting previous contestants and winners to come back for a “fresh” season, you KNOW there’s a serious dearth of new ideas.

Whisky, it seems, is not much different.   The names of certain branded expressions or releases that were retired many years ago are back in service again.  (For example, Macallan’s “Gran Reserva” and Exceptional Special Cask labels, or Diageo’s “Singleton” appellation, etc).  Other buzzwords are being re-applied to countless expressions and releases that are actually just the same product that’s always been on the shelves, merely dressed up in new clothing.  (You can play whisky word bingo with the following: “Reserve”, “Harvest”, “Choice”, “Vintage”, “Barley”, “Vault”, “Sherry”, “Warehouse”, “Loch”, “Rare”, “Wood”, and “Cask”).   Oh, for the days when brands just had a 12yo, a 15yo, and an 18yo!!!      

But how effective is all this recycled – even “upcycled” – marketing?  Can the industry really afford to be re-dressing old ideas?

Continue reading “Is the tide turning on the Scotch Whisky industry?”

The Australian Whisky Awards, 2022

{This article is now a few years old, and discusses a unique awards program that operated as a public-vote.  You might like to read our more recent article, Whisky Awards – Who really wins?}

February 2022 saw the second annual Australian Whisky Awards, presented and organised again in Sydney by the Australian Whisky Appreciation Society, or “AWAS”, as it’s more commonly known.  The awards ceremony and gala dinner was held on the top floor of the Museum of Contemporary Art overlooking Sydney Harbour, and some 120 people gathered to mingle, celebrate with, and recognise the many people involved in various aspects of the industry.

Continue reading “The Australian Whisky Awards, 2022”

Westward – The American single malt whiskey

“New world” whisky/whiskey is advancing and expanding in many countries around the globe at the moment, and the category is particularly exciting and dynamic, given that most of the producers aren’t shackled by the rules and limitations that constrain, for example, the Scotch whisky distilleries. One country that has truly exploded as a new world producer is the USA, with a host of distilleries showcasing many different styles of whisk(e)y above and beyond the traditional bourbons and ryes of Kentucky. Westward is one such distillery.

Continue reading “Westward – The American single malt whiskey”