Tag: Bowmore

The complete guide to peat and peated whisky

Are you wanting to know more about peat and smoky whiskies?  Want to know what makes a whisky smoky in the first place?  Peat is one of the least understood aspects of the whisky industry, but fear not:  Our complete guide to peat will make you an instant expert on the topic.

Most whisky drinkers will remember and can pinpoint the first time they tasted a heavily peated whisky.  Like a fork in the road, it was probably a “love it or hate it” moment….there is rarely middle ground or ambivalence when your tastebuds first encounter a truly peaty, medicinal, smoky whisky.  But things change…

Would it be crude to suggest that Scotch whisky drinkers thus fall into three camps?  There are those that hate peated whisky; those that love peated whisky; and those that are actively and earnestly transitioning at some point between those two extremes.  No matter where you sit on that three-pointed scale, this guide will assist you in understanding all the ins and outs of peat and the role it plays in Scotch whisky.  (And we’ll touch on Irish whiskey, too).  So settle in with a dram of your favourite malt and let’s cover some facts and dispel a few myths….     Continue reading “The complete guide to peat and peated whisky”

Islay – Its distilleries and its whiskies

[Updated 2024] With Islay’s smoky, pungent, peaty whiskies gaining increasing popularity and traction around the globe, and with whisky tourism to Islay growing, now is a great time to come to terms with the island and its whiskies. Here’s a unique and new way of presenting Islay’s critical information….

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Whisky and music – the final frontier?

Whisky and music.  Can it work?  Whisky – as I’m sure you’ve discovered by now – is a very versatile drink.  It can be enjoyed any number of ways (neat, over ice, with a mixer, etc); it’s a key ingredient in many cocktails; and it can be paired beautifully with a large number of foods and other beverages.  Such culinary matchings are now the norm, and whisky dinners – featuring malts that are specifically matched to the food courses – are almost passe.

But it wasn’t always this way.  Attitudes to and experiences with whisky were once fairly narrow in their vision.  In fact, it was only as recently as 20 years ago that matching whisky to food became a “thing”.   Internationally, it was probably the work by Martine Nouet through Whisky Magazine that brought attention to the craft and skill of matching whisky to food.

Over time, whisky came to be paired with many different things.  I’ve hosted my fair share of Whisky & Cheese events over the years, and this also grew to incorporate many events that showcased Whisky & Chocolate, Whisky & Beer, Whisky & Coffee, and Whisky & Ice Cream.  And, whilst it’s a practice I don’t personally endorse, Whisky & Cigars is also a popular pursuit.

About the only pairing I’ve struggled with is the concept of Whisky & Music.  It’s admittedly a far less tangible concept than pairing whisky to food and beverages, not to mention a more subjective pursuit.  After all, people’s tastes and preferences in music cover a far more diverse (and sensitive) spectrum, and it’s difficult to assign objectivity to the applicability or success of any match.   For example, who’s to say a 10 year old Talisker is lifted or enhanced by drinking it to Beethoven’s Third Symphony any better than it would if paired with ‘Uprising’ by Muse?  Does a malt with a long finish work well with a song that has a long ending?

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Six historical whiskies you MUST try

You’ve probably been at a whisky event amongst a bunch of people and you were tasting a whisky from a particular distillery when someone near you remarked, “Ah, it’s not as good as it used to be…their whisky was so much better 20 years ago!”   Or words to that effect.   It’s a sentiment I’ve heard a lot lately.  Mostly because I’m the old fart repeatedly saying it.  We all look back on the rare and special whiskies we’ve tried in the past, and it’s hard not to wish that current incarnations were the same.

But I know I’m not alone – it’s an observation shared by many, and particularly amongst some of the pals I’ve been dramming with for 15-20 years.   We’re often accused of wearing rose-coloured glasses or getting caught up in sepia-toned memories.   That being said, we can be objective about this, and you should perhaps read our feature article, Is whisky better or worse today than it was 20 years ago?

To be clear, I’m not referring to all whisky per se … it would be folly and a blatant mistruth to suggest all whisky was generally better in the past.  However, there are some distilleries that, on the whole, are releasing whiskies today that are a far cry from the bottlings they released in years gone by.  I hesitate to suggest that their quality has gone downhill, since quality or flavour preference can be a subjective thing.

But, having said that, if you’ve been enjoying single malt whisky for over 20 years, there are a few benchmark drams that some of us hang our hats on.  You may have heard of these drams in the past and wondered what all the fuss is about?  Why are they so revered?

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10 things every whisky lover should know before visiting Scotland

[Updated April, 2024]  Visiting Scotland soon? Are you planning a trip to Scotland to visit your favourite whisky distilleries?  Yes, for every whisky lover, it’s the ultimate pilgrimage:  After listening jealously to other people’s travels and dreaming of making it to the promised land, you’ve FINALLY saved up for and planned your first whisky trip to Scotland.  Exciting times!

Of course, every first-timer always asks the same questions in the early stages of planning:  Where’s the best place to stay?  Which distilleries should I visit?  Should I hire a car?  Do I have time to get to Islay?  How many days should I spend in Speyside?  Is the trip up to Orkney worth it? 

Naturally, the answers to these are highly subjective and individual.  They’ll depend on your budget, the amount of time you can spare, which distilleries are your favourites, and what transport options are at your disposal.  But there are a few things to appreciate about visiting distilleries that you won’t read in the guide books or find online.  Here are ten things you ought to know before heading off to Scotland…

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Westland Whiskey – an American game changer?

It’s no secret that America is in the grip of a craft distillery boom right now.   According to the American Craft Spirits Association, there are over 770 craft distilleries in action across the US!  Of course, many of these distilleries are producing brandies, eau de vies, vodkas and so forth, and so we shouldn’t instantly assume that it’s all whisky/whiskey.  However, the number of distilleries that are actually profitable and creating more than a blip on the radar with consistent product is much, much smaller.   Look at the distilleries making a whisk(e)y, much less a malt whisky, and the number is smaller still.  Enter Westland whiskey…

When it comes to craft distilleries that are making a malt whisky on a scale that is garnering international attention, few rise above the pack more than Westland Distillery.  Located in Seattle, Washington (right up in the very north-west corner of the USA), the distillery has been in production since June 2011.

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Port Ellen and dram envy

[Update 2024: The article below was originally written in 2015.  Of course, the *new* Port Ellen distillery opened its doors in March 2024, but this changes the narrative only a little.  Much of what follows remains valid, given it will be many years until the new spirit has matured, and there will always be lust for the “old” Port Ellen.] What makes Port Ellen whisky so special?  Why is the Port Ellen distillery so revered, considering it was decided to close it down in 1983?  Let’s look at the fully story, including why Port Ellen whisky makes plenty of people envious…

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