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Glenfarclas Distillery today marked its 190th anniversary with the release of Glenfarclas 190, a limited-edition single malt drawing on whisky laid down across five decades. The bottling is the final release in the family-owned Speyside distillery’s Anniversary Trilogy and will be available in the UK and international markets from August 2026. Glenfarclas 190 is bottled at 51.4% ABV. That figure was formerly 90 British proof under the system used to indicate alcohol content for the first 154 years of production at the distillery. The release follows the distillery’s earlier anniversary expressions, Glenfarclas 175 and Glenfarclas 185. The whisky was hand-selected by Distillery Manager Callum Fraser and Managing Director Douglas Belford. Fraser was named Scotland’s Master Distiller of the Year at the 2026 Icons of Whisky Awards, while Belford was recognized as a Master of the Quaich in 2025. "In creating Glenfarclas 190, Douglas and I reviewed the incredible volume of casks in our warehouses and selected 78 casks to marry together to create this finished whisky," Fraser said. He added: "Balancing the creation of a whisky that’s 90 British proof with getting the flavour profile we wanted was intricate work, all done by hand and without the technology many modern distilleries rely on." Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. According to the official notes from the brand, Glenfarclas 190 offers "a smooth, rich, velvety feel on the mouth" with flavors of green apples, sherry sweetness, spicy Christmas cake and a long finish with a touch of dark chocolate and fresh tobacco. Fraser said the team drew on spirit from different eras. "We were able to pull out the fruitier notes from the 70s, rich sherried flavours from the 80s and 90s, and the toffee caramel notes from casks laid down in the 2000s," he explained. The distillery has been licensed since 1836 and remains in the hands of the sixth-generation Grant family. It sources sherry casks from a family-run bodega in Jerez, Spain, and continues to use direct-fired stills. "Celebrating 190 years of distilling at Glenfarclas is a proud moment," said John Grant OBE, chairman of Glenfarclas Distillery. A total of 15,000 bottles will be released globally with a UK RRP of £95 (US$127). The whisky is non-chill filtered with no added coloring. For more information visit Glenfarclas Distillery.

The International Whisky Competition published its 2026 results on July 7, with judges tasting every entry blind and scoring it across 15 criteria on a 100-point scale. The World section of the results holds the Best World Whisky title along with awards for individual countries, and this year the first-place finishers came from Taiwan, Australia, Austria, and China. A couple of these categories came close to a clean sweep. Kavalan took all three World Whisky places, and Laizhou finished first and third in China, with Pernod Ricard’s The Chuan between them. Here is a closer look at the four winners and how each one is made. Kavalan Peatist Oloroso Sherry Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky Award: Whisky of the Year, 1st Place, Best World Whisky, 96.97 points Tasting Notes: Smoky peat, tropical fruit, buttery toffee, charcoal-roasted plums, dark dried fruits, fresh herbs, raisins, figs, savoury-sweet black dates, candied plums, wood, cinnamon, cloves, chocolate, coffee, nuts Find Your Next Bottle: $133 / £130 First, to Taiwan. Kavalan has made quite the name for itself at this year’s IWC, with 8 of its whiskies amongst the Top 15. This expression, however, is the one that has outdone them all. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Peatist is the range Kavalan uses for its peated whiskies, which sit apart from the fruit-driven style the distillery built its name on. The malt is lightly peated and comes from Europe, and Kavalan has said it adjusts its distillation cuts to hold onto the smoky character. This release spent its maturation in Oloroso sherry casks and was bottled from a single cask at natural strength, without chill filtration or added coloring. The distillery runs ten pairs of pot stills in Yilan County, northeastern Taiwan, and takes its water from the Xueshan range. It belongs to the King Car Group, which built the site in 2005 and released its first whisky in 2008. Taiwan’s climate speeds up maturation, with a higher angel’s share than is seen in cooler climates. Kavalan’s head of research and development, Zerose Yang, was also named Master Distiller of the Year at the 2026 awards. Nullaki Single Malt – Tawny Cask 0017 Award: 1st Place, Best Australian Whisky, 91.83 points Tasting Notes: Caramel, blackcurrants, syrupy fruits, vanilla Find Your Next Bottle: AUS$395 Then to Australia, and a distillery that began distilling in 2022. Nullaki sits on Mount Shadforth Road in Denmark, Western Australia, and takes its name from the nearby Nullaki Peninsula. According to Nullaki, barley is sourced from within Western Australia and across the Great Southern, and the wash is fermented with a mixture of distillers, saison, and Belgian ale yeasts selected according to the cask the spirit is headed for. Distillation happens in small batches on a steam-heated copper pot still built by Stillsmiths in Tasmania, whose tall, narrow design the distillery says is meant to produce a light and approachable spirit. The Tawny casks are sourced from the Swan Valley, and most of the spirit matures in French oak barriques held in a barrel store sunk into the hillside with passive ventilation. The whisky is reduced with water from Nullaki’s own spring and bottled at 44% ABV. On the Nullaki website, one of the expressions listed is the first release, with batch identifier 0006. There is also a Distiller’s Cut 0021. However, it was specifically barrel 0017 that won at the IWC 2026. Single Grain, WHISKY Bio Schlägler Roggen, Mostellofass Award: 1st Place, Best Austrian Whisky, 89.60 points Tasting Notes: Creamy, chocolate pudding, blancmange, cereal, dried pears, prunes Find Your Next Bottle: € 60.80 Austria’s winner comes from Destillerie Farthofer in Öhling, in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria, and the cask needs a word of explanation. Mostello is Farthofer’s own pear dessert wine, made from local Mostviertel pear varieties using the port method, and this whisky spent eight years in barriques that had previously held it. It is a single grain whisky rather than a single malt, made from organic Schlägler rye, a heritage variety, and malted in Farthofer’s own maltings. Josef and Doris Farthofer produce around 40 organic spirits and liqueurs between them, and are probably still best known for O-Vodka, named the world’s best vodka at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2012. The whisky is bottled at 55% ABV without dilution, is non-smoky, and is sealed by hand with stamped wax. Laizhou Amontillado Sherry Cask Award: 1st Place, Best Chinese Whisky, 93.87 points Tasting Notes: Herbal notes, brown sugar, floral hints, candied plum, dried apricot, nuts, syrupy sweetness, gourmet chocolate Find Your Next Bottle: $86 / £75.50 Finally to China, and much the strongest bottling of the four. Laizhou released this one at 66% ABV, matured in first-fill Amontillado sherry casks brought in from Spain. Laizhou operates its own cooperage and works with a wide spread of cask types, from bourbon and sherry through to wine and Chinese huangjiu. The distillery was completed in 2021 after a five-year build, so nothing bottled under the name has had long in wood, and this release carries no age statement. The Chinese category was close at the top. Laizhou also took third place with its Sherry Harmony No. 3, and the whisky separating the two was Pernod Ricard’s The Chuan Pure Malt with a PX finish, at 93.13 points. A Small Field At The Top Worth noticing is how few producers sit behind these results. Kavalan filled all three World Whisky places, Laizhou took two of the three Chinese spots, MORRIS took second and third in Australia, and the Austrian entries all share Farthofer’s naming and cask style. The IWC does not publish how many whiskies were entered in each category, so the placings are hard to read as a full picture of what any of these countries produces. Have you tried any of these four? Are there any you would like to get your hands on, and what do you make of this year’s awards? Let us know in the comments.

In March 2026, at the World Whiskies Awards in the United Kingdom, judges handed their top Indian prize to a whisky that carries no age on its label. Paul John’s Port Select Cask was named World’s Best Indian Single Malt, winning inside the No Age Statement category against bottles that wear their years with pride. In India the missing number is not an omission to apologize for, it is the result of a deliberate choice. The story behind that empty space runs through four distilleries, two climates, and a quiet argument with Scotland about what age really means. This guide explains why Indian single malt matures so much faster than Scotch, why its distillers rarely chase high age statements, and how the north and south of the country produce two very different styles. By the end you should be able to read an Indian bottle without leaning on a number, and to choose the first one worth pouring based on the Scotch you already enjoy. Why Age Says Less About Whisky Than You Think Most drinkers carry one firm belief into a whisky shop, that a bigger number on the bottle means a better spirit inside it. The belief is comfortable, widely shared, and mostly wrong about what age actually does. Age is not a measure of quality in whisky, it is only a record of how long the liquid sat inside a barrel. What genuinely changes a spirit is the interaction between wood, air, and alcohol, and that interaction can run slowly or quickly depending on where the barrel rests. Scotch built much of its prestige on the age statement, because in a cold northern climate time really is the main lever a distiller can pull. A ten-year-old and an eighteen-year-old there taste like different investments of patience. Over the decades that honest shorthand hardened into a marketing rule, and the rule now works against the industry that first invented it. When maturation happens somewhere warmer, the number on the label stops describing the whisky in the glass, and Scotch has little room to say so without undermining its own shelf. The Climate That Speeds Up Indian Single Malt Maturation India’s advantage is not a secret ingredient, it is simply the weather. In Scotland maturation slows to almost nothing in winter, and once the temperature drops below freezing the exchange between spirit and oak effectively stops for months at a time. In Goa or Bangalore the heat rarely lets up, and the barrels keep working through the entire year without a dormant season. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Heat makes the wood expand and drives the spirit deep into the oak, then every small shift in temperature pushes and pulls the liquid back out again. That constant motion draws color, tannin, and flavor from the barrel at a pace Scotland cannot hope to match. A cask of three to five years in this environment can carry the depth and dark hue of a Scotch left alone for ten or fifteen. The whisky has not aged faster in any literal sense, it has simply matured faster, and those two ideas are not the same thing. The Price of Maturing Whisky This Quickly Speeding up maturation carries a real cost, and in India that cost is paid to the angels. Distillers use the phrase angel’s share for the whisky lost to evaporation while a cask sits and matures. A Scottish warehouse gives up around two percent of a barrel each year, a figure distillers have lived with for centuries. In the tropical heat of Goa and Bangalore that annual loss runs somewhere between eight and fifteen percent. A distillery can surrender a third of a barrel long before the whisky is ready to bottle. The upside is concentration, because as the volume falls the remaining liquid grows richer and more intense in flavor. The downside is a hard ceiling on how long the whisky can age. Leave an Indian cask too long and the wood begins to dominate, turning the whisky tannic and bitter, which is precisely why these distilleries rarely chase the tall age statements that Scotland prizes. They are not being modest about age, they are being honest about their climate. In the South, Indian Whisky’s Clock Runs Fastest The two southern distilleries sit where time moves quickest of all. Amrut, based inland and at altitude in Bangalore, was the pioneer that first put Indian single malt on the map, and its 2010 release Fusion drew serious attention from critics who had not taken the category seriously before. The warm, year-round climate pushes its whiskies toward maturity several times faster than a temperate warehouse ever would. Paul John works on the Goan coast, a few miles from the Arabian Sea, in heat and humidity that barely shift between the seasons. That relentless environment gives its whiskies a rich, tropical character and the rapid cask integration that carried the Port Select Cask to its award. Both distilleries lean on Indian six-row barley, a hardy grain that most European producers abandoned long ago, which lends an oily texture and a heavier cereal note to the spirit before it ever meets oak. In the North, the Malt Keeps a Slower Time Move north toward the Himalayan foothills and the clock changes its rhythm entirely. Rampur, in Uttar Pradesh, and Indri, in neighboring Haryana, sit in a climate of violent extremes rather than steady heat. Summers there turn fierce and dry, with temperatures climbing toward fifty degrees Celsius and forcing the spirit hard into the oak. Winters then fall close to freezing, and that cold brings the long dormant pause a Scottish warehouse knows well. The seasonal swing there does two important things at the same time. It still accelerates maturation well beyond the Scottish pace, yet the winter rest holds the whisky back from the aggressive intensity of the south. The result is a softer, more layered style that sits closer to a gentle Speyside than most drinkers expect from India. Rampur leans on ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for a refined, floral profile, while Indri built its reputation on a triple-cask approach and a price that made the category easy to try. What the Missing Age Statement Means for Your Glass Once age comes off the table as a guide, the useful question becomes where a whisky was made rather than how long it waited. That single shift makes the Indian shelf far easier to read. A drinker who loves bold, sherried Speyside malts will find a natural match in Amrut, with its heavy body and its notes of dark chocolate and spice. Someone drawn to fruity, richer Highland and port-finished styles will recognize the tropical sweetness of Paul John. Drinkers who prefer the delicate end, the softer Speyside or the gentle Lowland malts, will feel at home with Rampur and its floral restraint. Anyone who simply wants an approachable, easy-drinking entry point, in the mold of a reliable Highland or a good blend, will find Indri built for exactly that. None of these whiskies are strict copies of Scotch, and they are not meant to be. They are a translation of preference, a way to step into the category from familiar ground. The age statement began as an honest Scottish shorthand for patience, in a country where patience was the main thing a distiller had to offer. India inherited none of that history and saw little reason to keep the habit. The whiskies now collecting the industry’s biggest prizes are making the same argument, quietly, from behind labels that leave the number off. What matters is not the years a spirit has counted, but the climate that shaped it.

The 10% levy came off on 24 July. Fifteen months of it cost the industry close to £20 million a month, and how much of that comes back to you is a separate question entirely. The tariff on Scotch whisky entering the United States lifted at 12.01am Eastern on 24 July 2026, and the first duty-free shipment left Scotland within 48 hours. For the industry that is straightforwardly good news. For the bottle in front of you it is more complicated. What Exactly Changed The exemption applies to whisky classified under US tariff codes 2208.30.30 and 2208.30.60, which covers Scotch but also whisky produced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Any UK whisky now enters the US at zero. The wider 10% tariff on UK goods remains in force. Whisky has been carved out of it as a category-specific exemption negotiated within the broader trade settlement, not as part of any general relief on British imports. Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney described the outcome as a “zero-for-zero” regime, with Scotch entering the US duty-free and American whiskey entering the UK on the same terms. The bourbon barrel trade that supplies Scottish warehouses is worth roughly £200 million a year, so the traffic genuinely runs both ways. How We Got Here Whisky has been a bargaining chip in transatlantic trade disputes for most of a decade. In October 2019, single malt Scotch was hit with a 25% tariff as collateral damage in the Airbus–Boeing subsidies row, a dispute with nothing whatsoever to do with whisky. US exports fell by roughly a third and the industry put its losses at around £500 million before the tariff was suspended for five years in 2021. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals. By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The current chapter began in April 2025, when a 10% levy on UK goods swept whisky up with everything else. President Trump announced its removal on 30 April 2026, following a state visit to Washington by King Charles III, and it took a further twelve weeks to take effect. What the Tariff Cost The Scotch Whisky Association put the damage at close to £20 million a month in lost exports. Chief executive Mark Kent noted last September that more than a thousand jobs had already gone in Scotland alone. The export figures bear him out. Between May and December 2025, shipments to the US fell 15% by volume and 7% by value. Across the year as a whole the US market was worth £933 million, down 4%, on 120 million bottles, down 9.2%. The US remains the largest market for Scotch by value, which is why a 10% duty did as much damage as it did. Will Your Scotch Get Cheaper Probably a little, probably slowly, and probably less than the headline number suggests. The tariff was never levied on the shelf price. It was charged on the importer’s landed customs value, which is what the importer paid before shipping, distribution, state taxes and retail margin were added. On a $60 bottle that came to a few dollars of cost rather than six. There is also the matter of stock already sitting in the pipeline with duty paid on it. Nobody in the chain will absorb that, so bottles bought under the tariff will sell through at tariff-era pricing, and how long that takes depends entirely on how fast your local retailer turns over inventory. Then the saving has to survive three tiers to reach you. Importers and distributors absorbed a meaningful share of the tariff when it landed, protecting volumes rather than passing on the full increase, and having swallowed it on the way up there is little commercial reason to hand all of it back on the way down. When the 25% single malt tariff was suspended in 2021, exports recovered smartly and shelf prices barely moved. What Our Readers Expect We put the question to 1,025 US-based readers in May 2026, while the tariff was still in force, and the scepticism was striking. Asked whether Scotch would become noticeably cheaper once the tariff went, 58.1% said they expected retailers or importers to keep the saving. Just 26.1% expected to pay less themselves, and 15.7% were unsure. The tariff had clearly been felt at the till: 64.5% had noticed Scotch prices rise since it was introduced, against 18.7% who saw no change. Almost nobody expects the reversal to change their habits. A slim majority, 53.2%, said they would buy about the same amount of Scotch as they do now, 24.8% expected to buy more and 9.6% less. A further 12.4% had not heard the tariff was going at all. Mark Littler, our owner and editor-in-chief, put it this way: “The tariff was felt at the till, and our readers clearly noticed prices rise. What’s striking is how few expect that to simply reverse when the tariff goes. It shifted how people feel about the value of Scotch, and that doesn’t switch back overnight.” What Is Still Tariffed This is not a general thaw. Irish whiskey, Cognac, Champagne and other EU spirits all remain subject to US tariffs, and both the Distilled Spirits Council and Pernod Ricard have publicly pushed for the treatment Scotch has just received. Elsewhere the traffic is moving the other way. A 50% duty on Canadian whisky takes effect on 19 August 2026, so if you drink across categories your rye is about to do the opposite of your Speyside. What to Watch The deal was announced quickly and through unconventional channels, and trade lawyers spent weeks advising clients not to reprice on the announcement alone. What was delivered by that route can be reversed by it. The clearer signal will be marketing spend. If producers are treating this as a genuine reset rather than a quiet margin recovery, money will go back into the US market in the form of allocations, activations, ambassadors and festival presence. Failing that, watch your own receipts. If Scotch pricing at your regular shop has not moved by the autumn, you have your answer about where the saving went. Survey of 1,025 US-based readers of The Whiskey Wash, conducted 1–31 May 2026. Figures reflect consumer perception and expectation rather than recorded price changes.

Two whisky bottles can sit side by side on an American shelf and now face dramatically different treatment at the border. Scotch whisky became eligible to enter the United States tariff-free on July 24. Canadian whisky is moving in the opposite direction. A White House proclamation calls for an additional 50% duty on covered Canadian products beginning August 19. The tariff schedule specifically includes whisky. The administration says the measure responds to Canadian provinces removing American alcoholic beverages from their distribution and retail systems. According to the proclamation, Canadian imports of U.S. alcoholic beverages fell approximately 81%, from $718 million to $137 million, during the 12 months following those restrictions. Canada is still negotiating. Global Affairs Canada said discussions with Washington are expected to deepen before the tariff takes effect. The proclamation also gives the United States room to reduce or end the duty. For drinkers, the practical question is what happens between customs and the shelf? Scotch importers can bring in new shipments without the earlier tariff. Canadian whisky companies are preparing for a much larger bill. What A 50% Whisky Tariff Actually Does The duty starts with the bottle’s customs value, well before it reaches a store. The eventual shelf increase will depend on how each business handles the added expense. Usha Haley, the W. Frank Barton Distinguished Chair in International Business at Wichita State University and chair of the World Trade Council of Wichita, said the importer pays the tariff at customs. Percentage-based margins can increase the effect as the whisky moves through domestic distribution. “Tariffs are based on the importer’s landed customs value,” Haley said. “But the costs increase as the products move to shelves because distributors and retailers apply percentage margins. Each tier raises the already higher cost, compounding the increase.” A bottle carrying a $20 customs value would pick up an additional $10 duty. The final retail increase could land above or below that amount depending on contracts, margins and how much of the expense businesses absorb. Research from the Federal Reserve found that U.S. tariffs imposed during 2018 and 2019 passed fully and quickly into consumer goods prices, generally within two months. The researchers also found that percentage-based markups can make the final effect larger. Josh Taves, managing director in the Mergers and Acquisitions advisory practice at The Post Oak Group, said companies with stronger finances may delay passing the expense along. “Some retailers, in order to maintain long-term customer loyalty, may flex the financial resources and the foresight to absorb the short-term reduction in profitability,” Taves said. Others may have little room to wait. The same Canadian whisky could therefore carry different prices at two stores depending on when it arrived and how much cost each business was willing to absorb. Mid-Priced Canadian Whisky Faces The Hardest Test Haley expects the middle of the market to feel the greatest pressure. “Generally, mid-tier bands are the most price sensitive,” she said. “At those price points consumers can easily and quickly get substitutes when prices rise. Ultra-premium and luxury brands are the least price sensitive.” Someone considering a collectible bottle may tolerate a higher price. An everyday buyer has more alternatives. American whiskey already occupies the same shelves, while other imported whiskies can compete for the same occasion. Taves expects households watching discretionary spending to become more guarded when tariff-related costs reach their budgets. That pressure is likely to appear first around bottles consumers view as interchangeable. Canadian distillers cannot solve the problem by moving production south. Federal labeling rules define Canadian whisky as a distinctive product made in Canada under Canadian law. The same protection applies to Scotch, which must be produced in Scotland. Those definitions appear in the Code of Federal Regulations. “You simply cannot make ‘Scotch’ in the United States,” Taves said. Canadian whisky faces the same geographic limit. Importers can change the brands they emphasize, but they cannot move production to avoid the tariff while preserving the category’s identity. Canadian Distillers Depend Heavily On The United States The American market is difficult for Canadian distillers to replace. Spirits Canada, the country’s national spirits trade association, said approximately 93% of Canadian spirits exports went to the United States in 2025. It estimates that American demand supports 48% of Canadian spirits production. “The North American spirits sector is deeply integrated,” said Cal Bricker, president and CEO of Spirits Canada. The organization is urging provincial governments to restore access for American alcohol while Canadian officials negotiate with Washington. It has warned that distillers could face canceled orders and growing inventory if the tariff takes effect. The American spirits industry also opposes further escalation. The Toasts Not Tariffs Coalition said beverage alcohol and hospitality companies are “caught in the middle of trade conflicts” they did not create. Taves sees the Canadian tariff as part of a wider political negotiation involving provincial alcohol restrictions and other trade disputes. “We do not anticipate this to be a permanent problem,” Taves said. “We must cooperate with our Canadian neighbors.” Businesses still have to prepare for August 19. Optimism about an agreement cannot replace inventory planning once shipping and customs deadlines arrive. Scotch Gets An Immediate Opening Scotch enters this period with a clear advantage. The British government said the removal of U.S. tariffs on UK whisky took effect July 24. The first eligible shipment was scheduled to depart within 48 hours. UK whisky exports were worth £5.4 billion in 2025, including approximately £1 billion sent to the United States. Scotch accounted for most of that business. The Scotch Whisky Association valued Scotch exports at £5.3 billion for the year. The category had been losing ground. Global Scotch export value declined 1.8% in 2025, while volume fell 4.3%. After a 10% U.S. tariff took effect in April, shipments from May through December fell 15% by volume and 7% by value. The smaller decline in value suggests higher-priced bottles provided some protection as overall shipments weakened. It also supports Haley’s assessment that premium spirits withstand price pressure better than mid-priced products. “Distillers can breathe a little easier,” Scotch Whisky Association chief executive Mark Kent said when the tariff removal was announced. American shoppers may not see immediate discounts. Companies that absorbed the earlier tariff can use the relief to rebuild margins. Others may spend it on retail support or wider distribution. Scotch’s advantage could first appear through better availability rather than cheaper bottles. Existing Inventory Will Delay Canadian Price Increases Canadian whisky that has already cleared customs and entered domestic distribution will retain its earlier tariff treatment. “Imports that are already in the U.S. when tariffs hit are not retroactively taxed,” Haley said. “So prices for consumers can stay low for months after tariff announcements, then spike high when tariffed imports move to the shelves.” There is an important exception. The proclamation applies to products entered for consumption or withdrawn from a bonded warehouse for consumption on or after August 19. Whisky can therefore be physically inside the United States and still incur the duty if it remains under customs control. International trade attorneys at Husch Blackwell also noted that covered products entering a foreign-trade zone after the deadline generally must receive privileged foreign status, limiting opportunities to avoid the duty through lat

The Glenfarclas Distillery has announced the launch of the final release in its limited-edition Anniversary Trilogy series, celebrating the distillery’s 190th anniversary. Glenfarclas 190, is a single malt Scotch whisky comprising 78 hand-selected Sherry casks spanning five decades. The casks were married together and bottled at 51.4% ABV – formerly 90 British proof, the system used to indicate alcohol content during the first 154 years of production at the distillery. Following the Speyside distillery’s anniversary expressions, Glenfarclas 175 and Glenfarclas 185, this latest release is presented in bespoke packaging inspired by labels from throughout the decades. It celebrates the distillery’s rich heritage while telling the story of its long and distinguished history. The casks were hand-selected by Distillery Manager Callum Fraser, who was named Scotland’s Master Distiller of the Year at the 2026 Icons of Whisky Awards, alongside Managing Director Douglas Belford, who was recognised as a Master of the Quaich in 2025. Since it was first licensed in 1836, Glenfarclas Distillery has matured its spirit exclusively in Sherry casks, sourced in recent decades from a family-run bodega in Jerez, Spain. Remaining true to its traditional direct-fired distillation methods, Glenfarclas continues to produce a spirit that stands as a testament to the time-honoured craftsmanship and expertise passed down through six generations of the Grant family. Commenting on the launch, Callum Fraser, Distillery Manager, said: “Glenfarclas 190 perfectly embodies the flavour of Glenfarclas – from its smooth, rich, velvety mouthfeel to flavours of green apple, sherry sweetness, spicy Christmas cake, and a long finish with hints of dark chocolate and fresh tobacco. By drawing on spirit from across five decades, we were able to bring together the fruitier notes of the 1970s, the rich sherried character of the 1980s and 1990s, and the toffee and caramel notes from casks laid down in the 2000s.” Limited to 15,000 bottles, Glenfarclas 190 will be available from August through selected specialist retailers, for a RRP of £95.00. Leave a comment

The Scotch whisky industry is celebrating following the removal of tariffs on UK whisky entering the US.  According to the UK Government, the agreement follows the King’s visit to the US in April, during which president Trump agreed to lift the tariffs he had imposed a year earlier. The UK Government said the removal of the 10% levy is set to benefit whisky distilleries across the country, with the US accounting for almost 20% of all UK whisky exports in 2025. On the change, Douglas Alexander, secretary of state for Scotland, said: “This is a day of celebration for Scotland’s whisky industry. The removal of tariffs by the US is a significant measure that will open up opportunities for growth and prominence for this already beloved Scottish product in US towns and cities. “The action taken by president Trump demonstrates the partnership our two countries have and the close working in trade that supports economic growth both here in the UK and in the United States.” Meanwhile, Ian Duddy, international director of the Scotch Whisky Exchange, said: “The return of tariff-free trade for Scotch Whisky in the US is welcome news for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. “As Scotch Whisky’s most valuable global market, worth £933 million in 2025, the removal of tariffs provides greater confidence to invest, grow exports, and support jobs and communities across Scotland and the US.” He continued: “This outcome is testament to the strength of the enduring relationship between the UK and the US. On behalf of the Scotch Whisky industry, we are grateful to everyone who worked to make this happen, including His Majesty The King during his recent state visit.” Nodjame Fouad, CEO of Pernod Ricard’s aged spirits and champagne division, likewise added: “The return to tariff-free trade for Scotch whisky between the UK and US – the world’s most valuable Scotch whisky market – is very welcome news for our industry. “This move will improve access for American consumers to iconic Scotch whiskies such as The Glenlivet, while supporting businesses at home, and strengthening the long-standing trading relationship between the UK and US spirits industries.”

Beyoncé takes ownership of SirDavis American Whisky Grammy Award-winning singer Beyoncé has taken sole ownership of SirDavis American Whisky, the brand she founded in partnership with Moët Hennessy. Beyoncé – full name Beyoncé Knowles-Carter – released SirDavis alongside Moët Hennessy (the wine and spirits arm of LVMH) in 2024. The brand was named after the Crazy in Love singer’s paternal great-grandfather, who was a farmer and moonshiner in the American south during Prohibition. Dr Bill Lumsden, director of whisky creation at Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, both owned by Moët Hennessy, designed the liquid for SirDavis, alongside head blender for the brand Cameron George, and Beyoncé herself. Bottled at 44% ABV, SirDavis is made from a mash bill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley. It retails for RRP US$89 (£79 in the UK). Financial details regarding Beyoncé’s takeover of the brand have not been disclosed. The Spirits Business has contacted Moët Hennessy for a statement. SirDavis American Whisky was Moët Hennessy’s first spirit brand made from scratch in the US. The whiskey is crafted by third-party spirits producer MGP Ingredients, and finished, blended and bottled in Texas, where the singer is from. Related news SirDavis whiskey and Beyoncé go on tour