Whisky Posts & Articles

Glenglassaugh – Three new whiskies

Located up in the north-east of Scotland, Glenglassaugh is yet another of the many previously-obscure Scottish whiskies to have received a new lease on life and be thrust into the limelight following a change of ownership.  Like so many others in this category, it has a long if not chequered history that has seen numerous changes in ownership, periods of silence, and stuttered reincarnations.  Like its stablemate Benriach, Glenglassaugh is now on the happy receiving end of love and investment from Brown Forman, culminating in the recent launch of a new single malt core-range for the brand.  The range now incorporates the Glenglassaugh 12yo, the Sandend, and the Portsoy.

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Benriach – The Sixteen

The Benriach distillery and its brand is one of several Scottish single malt whiskies that have gone through something of a re-invention and transformation in recent years.  Located towards the northern end of Speyside, not far south of Elgin, Benriach has gone from relative obscurity to much-adored in less than two decades.  Attention and interest in the brand is set to further grow with the re-introduction of the Benriach 16, styled on the label as Benriach – The Sixteen.

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Talisker 45yo Glacial Edge

If there’s one distillery that evokes some of the more dramatic images and sentiments in the world of Scotch whisky, it is surely Talisker.  As a distillery and as a single malt, it cuts across the full spectrum of whisky’s nuances and features:  Words often associated with Talisker include coastal, peat, remote, Highlands, sweet, iodine, Isle of Skye, wormtubs, smoky, brine, visitor centre, old, sea loch, Johnnie Walker, aged……it is all things Scotland, and has been since 1830.  Fans of Talisker single malt have been thrilled to see its core-range and other portfolio offerings expand in recent times.  From the widely available 10 year old, to the some of unique expressions in the Diageo Special Releases range, there’s always a splash of briny, peaty Talisker to enjoy at lots of different ages and price points.  One of the more fascinating releases – and certainly one of the tastiest – is the new Talisker 45yo Glacial Edge.

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Women in whisky

It’s probably been more than 25 years since the theme or topic of “women in whisky” first got written about in the modern circles of whisky publishing.  By which I mean the new wave of books and magazines that started to emerge in the 1990’s, and the endless number of blogs, forums, and social media outlets in more recent times.   Indeed, flicking through my old back issues of Whisky Magazine from the early 2000’s, it didn’t take me long to find articles, profiles, and feature pieces that all revolved around women and whisky, or women in whisky.

Issue 14 of Whisky Magazine in 2001 had a feature article on “Whisky’s Women”. This issue from 2004 featured three articles about women and whisky; similar themes were explored in a 2005 issue, “Women of High Spirits”, and a 2007 issue with “Driven Women”.

It is an interesting topic to write about in 2023.  In some ways, there is a valid sentiment that holds this shouldn’t be a thing anymore.  Afterall, we’ve had several decades now of articles, interviews, and profile pieces highlighting the wonderful work of female distillers, master blenders, brand ambassadors, writers, journalists, bartenders, visitor centre managers, mixologists, and so on.   Women are prolific in so many corners and reaches of the whisky industry these days, one could be forgiven for questioning if gender needs to be an issue anymore.  And yet…

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Whisky Awards – Who really wins?

You don’t have to search or scroll too far through whisky’s marketing landscape these days before you encounter a reference to an award.  Gold medals, Double Golds, Trophy winner, Best-in-category…the list goes on.  To anyone marketing a whisky – whether it’s the distillery itself or a retailer looking to promote a particular product on their shelf – being able to say that the brand won an award should be a huge accolade and an indicator of quality.  But when it comes to the confusing world of whisky awards, there’s an increasing degree of scepticism creeping on to the podium.

Let’s make it clear from the outset that this piece is not intended to belittle or undermine any distillery or brand that recently won a whisky award, nor to cast shade on any specific awards program or award-giving entity.  But given that distilleries and brands are using awards as a selling point in their marketing arsenal and playbook, it’s important that consumers have at least some awareness as to what the badges, tokens, and ribbons might actually denote.   So let’s look first at some of the issues and criticisms that are causing concern…

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The Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024

In the wide and daunting jungle of whisky literature – that is all the books, magazine, blogs, subscriptions, and even video content – there’s really only one definitive resource that every whisky lover should have a copy of on their whisky shelf:  The Malt Whisky Yearbook.   An annual publication that has been updated and released every year since 2005, the latest edition for 2024 is out now.

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Dalmore – The distillery and its whiskies

Dalmore – as a distillery, as a whisky, and as a brand – has had a dynamic, if not enigmatic history.  Founded in 1839, almost directly on the shoreline of the Cromarty Firth, it is a Highland whisky that’s obviously north of Inverness and the allure of Speyside, yet seeming not north enough to trade on the geographical x-factor that the likes of Clynelish and Old Pulteney somehow cash in on.  It purportedly claims the title of being the first malt whisky to have been commercially exported from Scotland, with cases shipped to Australia way back in 1870.   Over the years it has been leased, family owned and operated, joint-ventured, acquired, and absorbed.  In more recent times, it’s a brand that has gone down the luxury product road, drawing attention for its old/rare releases and collections that carried eye-wateringly high price tags.  But for your average or typical whisky drinker, where does The Dalmore fit in to the current state of play?  We’ll answer that in just a moment but, as always, some background might help set the scene…

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Archie Rose Double Malt

It is an interesting time to be a whisky distiller in Australia.  The excise rate recently tipped over $100 per litre; new distilleries continue to come to market with their debut release; competition for the consumers’ dollar grows; the back bars at the on-premise venues are more crowded than ever…and all against the backdrop of rising interest rates and falling sales in certain price bands.  You’ve thus got to “dip your lid” to the distilleries that are driving onwards and upwards.  Archie Rose is one such distillery, and the new Archie Rose Double Malt is a great example of this….

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Glenmorangie’s “A Tale of the Forest”

A Tale of the Forest is the new release from Glenmorangie, and is the third in their “A tale of…” series, following A Tale of Cake and A Tale of Winter.  A Tale of the Forest is aptly named, for its aromas, flavours, style – and even its production – are all closely linked to the forest.  Yes, really!

Let’s get the big and obvious feature of this whisky out of the way first:  This is unlike any Glenmorangie you’ve previously tried.  It’s an altogether different style, and – whilst it’s got that signature Glenmorangie depth, complexity, and mineralic note – it offers aromas and flavours that will have you thinking you’re a long way from Tain.

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Waubs Harbour – Australia’s maritime whisky

With so many new Australian distilleries appearing on the market these days, it’s a challenge keeping up with them all.  Whilst there’s no definitive or official number, industry folk estimate there’s currently around 120-140 malt whisky distilleries operating in Australia right now.  Of course, the number of distilleries with matured stock being marketed and sold is somewhat less than this (estimates hover somewhere around 90), but the point is this:  It’s an increasingly crowded space, and it’s become increasingly challenging for a distillery to stand out from the pack; find its point of difference; and tell a new story.  One name that’s definitely singing a new tune is the Waubs Harbour distillery, and its Waubs Harbour whisky.

Waubs Harbour distillery is in Tasmania and, as the name suggests, is located in a coastal location by the water.  This geographical fact forms the heart and backbone of Waubs Harbour and its narrative:  It is a maritime distillery.  The word “maritime” appears almost more times on the distillery’s website than the word “whisky”, and until you’ve checked out the distillery’s location, you could be forgiven for thinking they’re laying it on a bit thick.  By drawing comparisons to the likes of Talisker and other Scottish distilleries that talk up the maritime angle, my initial thoughts were that they were overplaying it.  And then you see the pictures….

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