When you consider which Scotch whisky distilleries and brands have undergone a transformation over the last two decades, few could match the significant overhaul and expansion demonstrated by Glen Moray.
Tag: SMWS
The Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship, 2022
The biennial Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship returned to Sydney in March 2022, after a series of interruptions due to COVID and lockdowns. Originally scheduled for June 2020, it was postponed twice and pushed into 2021, then had to be re-scheduled again to 2022 after the second wave from Delta. For competitors who’d been holding on to their entry ticket for two years, it was a relief when the event finally got the green light to proceed and the various COVID variants were kept at bay for one incredible night. And, as whisky nights go, this was a great one….
Continue reading “The Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship, 2022”
The highs and lows of a whisky brand ambassador
Do you want to be a Whisky Brand Ambassador? There are a number of professions that have the outward appearance of being particularly glamorous and appealing. They’re the careers that people look on at with envy, with the inherent assumption that the work is always exciting, always fun, never a chore, easy to fulfil, well remunerated, and without any downsides.
Over the decades, several professions have assumed such projected glamour. Rock stars, airline pilots, flight attendants, professional footballers, film stars, astronauts, magicians, and so on. As a subtle prelude to this article, you’ll note that most of these professions involve performing and/or travelling. And, as any regular traveller or performer will tell you, it ain’t always a barrel of monkeys.
The role of a whisky brand ambassador is one such profession that, on the surface, must surely be the ideal, dream job? After all, you get paid to work with whisky. Heck, you get paid to actually drink whisky! You get paid to travel and tell people about whisky. You get paid to hear all the insider knowledge, to visit the distilleries, and to be on the frontline of whisky’s marketing, development, and expansion. If you love whisky, surely there couldn’t possibly be a downside ?
Continue reading “The highs and lows of a whisky brand ambassador”
Facebook whisky groups – the good, the bad, and the petty
From the earliest days of the internet, whisky “interest groups” formed and started having dialogues. In the old days of bulletin boards, chat rooms and lists, whisky groups were established, gathering even more weight, size and momentum once forums facilitated better user experiences and capabilities. In fact, whisky forums became their own little worlds, far outgrowing the little communities they started out as.
Continue reading “Facebook whisky groups – the good, the bad, and the petty”
Free the whisky
Most whisky enthusiasts around the globe have heard of the dramas and dilemmas taking place in British Columbia, Canada, where the government conducted a raid on a whisky bar and confiscated over 240 bottles of single malt whisky. It’s time to free the whisky.
Bruichladdich – the Gathering
Sydney has been fortunate to play host to some incredible whisky tastings over the years. The Ultimate Ardbeg Dinner (2007) and the Ultimate Glenfarclas Tasting (2015) being two examples. This month, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society curated and hosted what must go close to being the Ultimate Bruichladdich Tasting. Continue reading “Bruichladdich – the Gathering”
Unknown heroes of the whisky industry
When was the last time you poured yourself a healthy dram of Braeval? Or had a good swig of Miltonduff? How about a Glenburgie? Or an Allt-a-Bhainne? An Auchroisk? Dufftown perhaps? Have you even heard of these whisky distilleries, let alone seen a bottle of their whisky at your local liquor retailer?
What about Ardbeg? Oban? Bruichladdich? These names are more familiar, yes? And, chances are, you’ve had a dram of their product more than once or twice on your malt journey.
The irony here is that the first group listed above are some of the biggest distilleries in Scotland. And the second group are amongst the smallest. There’s a cliched conclusion here that you might have heard before: Size doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it that counts!
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society presents….Exotic Cargo
Members or watchers of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society may recently have heard about one of the Society’s latest projects: The release of a blended malt. No, not a blend….a blended malt. (And if that subtle distinction in terminology still confuses you, you are welcome to write to the Scotch Whisky Association and let them know your thoughts on the matter. Good luck.) It goes by the name of Exotic Cargo
If there’s one thing you can’t accuse the Society of doing in recent times, it’s standing still. Clubs, societies, bottlers, and brands need to continually evolve and change with the times, and the Society has been particularly pro-active in expanding its list of bottlings and the benefits that membership bestows on its members.
Continue reading “The Scotch Malt Whisky Society presents….Exotic Cargo”
Hyde Single Grain Whiskey – The Aras Cask releases
Want to know about Hyde Irish whiskey and the new Aras Cask releases? Read on…
Every whisky drinker has his or her favourite category or variety of whisk(e)y. Once upon time, many were firmly camped in one category and rarely ventured outside it. You might have been a Scotch person who never touched Bourbon. Or a fan of the Irish stuff who found the malts of Scotland a bit too robust. However, with the explosion of whisky bars around the country and diverse ranges of spirits more readily and affordably available to try by the dram, people can now explore categories of whisk(e)y outside their comfort zone without too much grief. It’s one of the reasons that people are expanding their horizons and – whilst we all still have our favourite – at least we’re embracing other categories.
For obvious reasons, it’s about this time every year that people suddenly decide to check out Irish whiskey. St Patrick’s Day means different things to different people, but – if nothing else – for whisky drinkers, it’s a good excuse to insert an ‘e’ into the word and try a drop of the pure.
Continue reading “Hyde Single Grain Whiskey – The Aras Cask releases”
Fets Whisky Kitchen, Vancouver
One of the greatest and most appealing aspects of being a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is the Members’ Rooms in the UK. With two venues in Edinburgh and one in London, the Members’ Rooms are both havens and heaven. They’re the whisky equivalent of entering one of the First Class airline lounges at an airport: Cosy lounges, brilliant food, a comfy fire during winter, knowledgeable and friendly staff, meeting facilities, and – of course – a sensational whisky bar. New and old SMWS whiskies adorn the shelves and they’re great venues to try the latest releases first without necessarily having to buy a whole bottle for yourself.