For fans of malt whisky and, in particular, those who prefer their single malt bottled at a higher strength beyond the standard 40% ABV, there are some annual expressions and releases to look out for each year. The Diageo Special Releases is one such range and, for most markets around the globe, its annual arrival and launch is a heralded event. In a quirk of international marketing and timing, not all countries feature the DSR in the actual year of release. Australia is one such market and for over a decade now, each annual release of the DSR occurs in the year following the “vintage”. As such, March 2024 sees the arrival in Australia of the Diageo Special Releases 2023 range!
Tag: Roseisle
The most beautiful distilleries in Scotland
It’s a question often asked: Which is the most beautiful distillery in Scotland? But if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, how does one assemble a definitive list of Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries that adequately captures all the subjectivity from amongst the whisky community? And when it comes to distilleries – which are nothing more than factories to produce alcohol – what metrics do we use to define beauty? Is it architectural flair? Aesthetic lines and symmetry? And how do we compare architectural and construction fashions across timelines? Many would suggest that the classic, quaint, stone-built distilleries of the Victorian era have a romantic advantage, but purists are correct to assert there is beauty in the functional architecture of modern behemoths such as Roseisle or Dalmunach.
There are further complexities: How much does the surrounding environment impact our assessment of a distillery’s beauty? For example, Lagavulin is, in reality, just a clump of relatively plain, white-washed buildings nestled together. However, put them in a coastal location on the water, add some colour from the local vegetation, and throw in the ruins of a medieval castle nearby for good measure, and you have one extremely beautiful distillery.
A further difficulty arises when you look at the many distilleries that have been bastardised over the years with unsympathetic expansions, often resulting in clashing, jarring visuals. There are many such examples that mix their original old-world Victorian charm with 1960’s modernism or 1970’s brutalism.
Following a poll that Whisky & Wisdom ran on Twitter a few weeks ago to gauge public opinion, we offer you – in no particular order – the following list of Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries:
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The Scotch whisky distillery building boom
If you’ve been somewhat overwhelmed by all the new whisky distilleries to appear in recent years, you’re not alone! The Scottish whisky distillery construction business is in a true boom cycle at present, with the building pursuit effectively splitting itself into four vastly different endeavours.
The first is the raft of new, relatively small distilleries being built. Of course, this got its start a little over 10 years ago or so with the likes of Daftmill and Abhainn Dearg, but has exploded more recently with the likes of Kingsbarns, Ballindalloch, Ardnamurchan, Wolfburn, Glasgow…and well, the list goes on, right down to the tiny operations of, say, Strathearn and Dornoch. If you haven’t kept up, it’s almost alarming to discover that over 30 new distilleries have recently started up or are currently under construction from the Lowlands to the Islands and everywhere in between.
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Are you paying too much for your whisky?
Is whisky too expensive? How much should you pay for a good bottle of single malt? How much should you pay for a bad bottle of malt? Why are some distilleries or labels so expensive, whilst others seem so much cheaper? Why do NAS whiskies cost so much, when all you ever hear about is that their vattings contain mostly young malt? In fact, when it all boils down: Why is whisky so expensive?
That’s a lot of questions. So what are the answers?
The Top Six distilleries to visit before you die
Everyone has a bucket list, and I daresay most whisky drinkers would probably list visiting their favourite distillery for a distillery tour as a “must do” at some stage in their life. But if you’re really serious about your whiskies and you could actually get yourself to six distilleries before qualifying for your entitlement of the angels’ share, what are the Top Six to visit? In no particular order…
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