威士忌日報

今や世界中から注目されている台湾のウイスキー「カバラン」。普通なら100年はかかりそうな発展をわずか10年ほどで成し遂げ、ここ数年、台湾を訪れ、そのおいしさに目覚めたという人も多い。 最近、日本でも見かける機会が増えてきたが、この夏、ドン・キホーテのPPIHと組んで日本だけの限定商品を発売し、話題を呼んでいる。このカバラン蒸留所を擁する金車グループの会長に、現地で話を聞いた。 ●李玉鼎（アルバート・リー）さん 1965年、台湾・台北市生まれ。日本に留学し、明治大商学部を卒業。帰国後、父親が経営する飲食料品メーカー・金車グループに入社。2005年、ウイスキー事業に参入。2014年に総経理（社長）に就任、現在、同グループ会長・CEO。 名水の地、宜蘭の員山で新規事業をスタート 「カバラン」ウイスキーは2005年に蒸留所が設立されたので、まだ20年ほどの歴史だ。 このウイスキー事業を運営する金車グループは、元々1950年代からの生活用品メーカー。1970年代から飲料品を、1992年以降はインスタント麺やレトルト食品なども手掛けるようになった。 1980年代から缶コーヒーも発売する『Mr. Brown Coffee』は台湾では知らない人はいないほど。最近ではビールの『Buckskin』も発売し、エビなどを養殖する水産事業にも進出している。 同グループ会長の李玉鼎（アルバート・リー）さんは、こう語る。 「このカバランウイスキー蒸留所がある宜蘭(イーラン)県の員山(インサン)は、父方の祖母の出身地でした。 たまたま縁があって、この土地を購入しましたが、当初はウイスキー事業を始めるつもりはなかった。名水の地なのでビール工場を考えたりしましたが、まずは水の工場をつくることにしました。 台湾における酒造は、昔は国営事業のみに制限されていましたが、2002年から民営でも製造・販売ができるようになりました。現在、名誉会長である私の父は18歳のころからビジネスに関わっており、チャレンジ精神が非常に旺盛な人です。 家族経営の企業として、私も新規事業を考えた結果、ちょうどその頃、ブームの兆しが見え始めていたウイスキーに注目したのです。当時、台湾ではブレンデッドウイスキーが飲まれていましたが、台湾には2300万人のマーケットがあります。 独自のウイスキーを造れば、必ず売れると思いました。缶コーヒーで輸出のビジネスもしていたので、できあがったウイスキーは海外へ輸出することもできる。新たな柱になる事業として、ウイスキーに投資することにしたのです。それが2005年のことです」 誰からも否定された台湾でのウイスキー造り ウイスキー造りは初めてのことで、当初は数々の困難に見舞われたという。 「台湾のような温かい国でウイスキーを造るなんてできるはずない、と誰もが言っていました。できたとしても飲めるわけがないと。確かに弊社はウイスキーでは後発企業です。 しかし100年企業を目指していて、5年後、10年後のことを、そして若い人たちの変化や世界でのニーズなどを常に考えています。我々のモットーは、“突破と創造”です。 他国の真似をするのではなく、オリジナリティを出すことに腐心しました。ウイスキーのDIY体験やテースティングルームなども独自につくりました。 もちろん品質の追求にも妥協はありません。雪山山脈からの名水を活かし、蒸し暑い台湾の気候を上手く利用できるように考えたのです」 長年、輸出ビジネスに携わっていたこともあり、ヨーロッパなどから上質な樽を次々と入手。徹底した樽の管理が行なわれた。また、亜熱帯の台湾は気温や湿度が高い気候だが、その分、ウイスキーの熟成は早い。スコットランドなど冷涼な土地に比べると、3～4倍も早いという。 「〝エンジェルシェア〟といって、熟成により樽内のウイスキーは自然と蒸発して減るのですが、その量はスコットランドなどに比べると多い。その代わりに熟成は早く進む。 熟成した原酒をブレンドする経験を多く重ねることができ、ブレンド技術も高まりました。 ウイスキー造りに関わるスタッフみんなのチームワークのおかげでもありますが、留学した日本で学んだ細やかな精神も影響しているかもしれません」 こうした努力のかいもあり、トロピカルフルーツの香りが際立ち、リッチで余韻の長い味わいのウイスキーができあがる。2008年、最初のウイスキー「カバラン クラシック シングルモルト ウイスキー」が発売され、開業からそう長い年月を経ずに評判が一気に世界へと広まっていった。 世界で1000個の金メダルを受賞 「食事の際にウイスキーのサンプルを持って行って、料理との相性を色々と試しました。中華料理はもちろんのこと、日本料理やフランス料理などすべてに合います。ストレートやロックはもちろん、ハイボールもいけます」 その後も次々と新しいウイスキーの新商品を開発し発売。海外への輸出も広がり、18年の間にインターナショナル・ウイスキー・コンペティション（IWC）など世界の権威あるコンペティションで、カバランウイスキーは金メダルを1000個も受賞するに至った。 8月5日に日本国内のドン・キホーテで、このカバランウイスキーの新製品が発売された。日本向けに造られた、日本限定のウイスキーだという。 「ドン・キホーテは日本では大きなマーケットを有する巨大企業です。 渋谷のドン・キホーテは観光名所にもなっているようですが、日本の方も外国からの観光客も足を運び、消費をする場所になっているのでしょう。 1月にドン・キホーテの社長とお会いしてコラボが決まり、5月から試作品の試飲を重ね、7月には商品化とスピーディに進めました」 この日本向け新商品「Kavalan Blender’s Reserve Series」の開発担当のひとり、シニアブレンダーの楊順清（ZEROSE YANG）さんにも話を聞いた。 「日本向けのユニークなウイスキーを造るために、新たにブレンディングしました。 『NO.1』はバーボン樽を主体にラム樽、ポート樽、STRポート樽の原酒を使用。ふんわりと柔らかな香りがして、ハイボールに向いています。 『NO.2』はブランデー樽を主体にヴィーニョワイン樽、STRアメリカンオーク樽の原酒を使用。コニャックのような香りもしてリッチな味わいです」 李さんは、こう振り返る。 「最初の10年はチャレンジでした。その次の10年は発展する期間。今はそれを終えて、さらに次の10年、30年目に向けて邁進しています。 100年以上、200年続く蒸留所にならなくてはいけないのですから。日本や中国にも次々と蒸留所が誕生していて、今後ライバルになるかもしれません。 我々はまだ成功してはいないのです。意志を強く持って、品質を第一に追求していきます」 台湾を代表する企業、金車グループのあくなき品質追求。日本向けに開発された限定商品を試して、その意気を感じていただきたい。 取材・文／インディ藤田 わずか10年で再興！富山・三郎丸蒸留所のブレンダー兼経営者が語る「日本ウイスキー」ブームの作り方 この10年で蒸留所の数が増え、空前のブームのようになっている「ジャパニーズウイスキー」。そんななか、老舗の酒蔵を背負いながら一気に業界の寵児となった人がいる。 …

Kampala’s Sunday social calendar is set for a denim takeover this weekend as Garden Pop Up returns with a denim-themed edition on Sunday, September 6, bringing together music, fashion, cocktails and the easy-going energy of a garden day party. Hosted at Tales Bar & Lounge, the experience, billed as The Garden Pop Up, will run from 11am and is designed for a crowd that would rather ease into Sunday than rush through it. With denim as the dress code, guests can expect the familiar Kampala day-party mix of fashion, music, drinks and socialising, wrapped around an experience by The Singleton. The whisky brand is bringing its signature approach to occasion-led drinking to the event, positioning the afternoon as an opportunity to enjoy whisky beyond the conventional night-out setting. For The Singleton, the partnership fits into a wider effort to connect the whisky with experiences around music, food, travel and contemporary social culture. “The Singleton is about creating moments that feel considered but never forced. Garden Pop Up gives us the perfect setting to bring people together around great music, personal style, good company and an elevated whisky experience,” Simon Lapyem, the The Singleton brand manager said. “We want guests to experience the brand in a way that feels natural to how Kampala socialises today—during the day, with friends and with experiences worth remembering.” Music will be central to the afternoon, with a broad line-up of Kampala DJs scheduled to keep the garden moving. The roster includes DJ Roja, DJ Bugy, City Girl, DJ Matson, DJ Sern, DJ Gero, DJ Heydez, Ville and DJ Gadorfi, promising a mix designed to carry the party from the late morning into the afternoon. The event will also feature MCs Josh MC, MC Zack and Top Boy MC, who will take charge of the crowd and keep the energy moving between sets. Beyond the music, the denim theme gives the event another layer, turning the garden into a space where Kampala’s social crowd can bring fashion into the experience. Denim-on-denim looks, statement pieces and casual interpretations of the theme are expected to become part of the visual identity of the afternoon. Garden Pop Up arrives at a time when Kampala’s nightlife culture continues to expand beyond the traditional Friday and Saturday night format. Sunday experiences have increasingly become social occasions in their own right, combining brunch, fashion, music and premium drinks into longer daytime gatherings. For The Singleton, that evolution presents an opportunity to meet consumers in spaces where culture and social connection naturally intersect. With the music, denim dress code and whisky experience coming together at Tales Bar & Lounge, this Sunday’s Garden Pop Up is shaping up as less of a conventional party and more of a Sunday social ritual—one built around style, sound and good company.

Indian whisky makers face discrimination at home: Rakshit Jagdale, Amrut Distilleries MD State-level duties and registration fees favour imported spirits over domestic producers, says Rakshit Jagdale. Amrut Distilleries may have kickstarted the Indian single malt story, but its managing director Rakshit Jagdale feels that Indian companies face discrimination at home in the form of state-level duties and registration costs. The Bengaluru-based distiller has aggressively expanded capacity and recently launched the Amrut Kranthi, its 53rd expression. The company is targeting ₹750 crore in revenue by 2030, and says India now accounts for 70 per cent of its single malt sales. In this interview with Firstpost Flaunt, Jagdale talks about the next phase of the Indian single malt boom, Amrut’s expansion plans, and why he thinks state governments need to give domestic spirits a fairer deal. There have been several new Indian single malt launches over the past year, and yet more are in the works. Would you describe what we are seeing now as the second phase of the Indian single malt story? I think it’s the second phase. What is different is that back then, 22 years ago, nobody had heard about India producing single malt. But today, the path is laid. It was inevitable. We knew because you hear stories going around that many distilleries were setting up capacities, existing capacities were expanded to a very large extent. So we knew that the second wave was going to come. Scotland has more than 100 single malt brands. How many do you think India could have in another 10 years? If you keep a 10-year window, I’m expecting at least 50 single malts. We’re already at about 10. Another 40 to go. The Indian market is large enough to support it because disposable incomes have grown phenomenally, and they continue to grow. The growth story for luxury and premium spirits in India continues to roar. I think this 12 to 15 per cent growth that we’re witnessing in luxury and premium segment will sustain. If you look at the entire IMFL sector, it’s about 8 to 10 per cent growth. The luxury and premium category is driving this growth story. Amrut is targeting ₹750 crore in revenue by 2030. What has to happen to get there? We enhanced our distilling capacity last year by a third. So now we can go up to distilling 1.4 million litres. It’s still small compared to some of our distillery peers in India itself, but that will be the driving force to push us in the next four or five years to ₹750 crore. Also, a judicious combination of deluxe and the economy range is important to drive the top line. The luxury and premium segments will drive the bottom line. But if you want to drive top line, you have to have a combination of economy, deluxe and semi-premium products, which we already have. You’ve increased distilling capacity. What does that mean for warehousing, and how much whisky does Amrut currently have maturing? Since we have increased our distillation capacity, you have to have maturation warehouses. So we have set up two new warehouses about 30 kilometres from Bengaluru. And within the distillery itself, we have put up two more warehouses. Currently, we are sitting on about 22,000 casks. About five million litres of matured whisky at different ages, starting from one month going up till 15 years and growing. Most of the malt that we have maturing is for our single malt whisky project. We don’t use any matured single malt whisky in our blends. Amrut built its reputation overseas first. Has India now become the bigger opportunity, and which overseas markets remain important for you? India has become a very big opportunity for everybody. For us, absolutely. Today, the ratio for single malt whisky is 30 per cent overseas and 70 per cent in India. We will export close to about 25,000 nine-litre cases and expect to sell about 100,000 nine-litre cases this year. The fastest-growing export market is the United States, though there is a slowdown overall. What policy changes are needed for Indian spirits to grow further? Alcohol, as you know, is a state subject. And the most important thing is we need a level playing field. Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist for an Indian in his own country today as far as the alcobev business is concerned. For example, Maharashtra charges a countervailing duty of just 150 per cent on imported bottled-in-origin products. For us, it is 450 per cent. Take Haryana. The label registration fees are extremely low for bottled-in-origin products. For us, it is huge. Same is the case in Delhi. So why is there this disparity? Even if I have to get my own Fusion from the UK back to India, I also pay import duty. Fair enough. But when the product enters a state, alcohol being a state subject, you cannot and you shall not discriminate against an Indian in his own country. Nowhere in the world does it happen. The label registration fee we pay in the state of New York is the same for bourbon, it is the same for American whiskey, it is the same for an Indian whisky as well. About 10 years ago, Amrut’s expensive limited editions tended to be picked up by overseas collectors. Are Indians now buying and collecting them as well? A lot of Indians are collecting Indian single malt whisky now. When we launched Amrut Expedition last year (₹11.81 lakh) to commemorate our diamond jubilee, we allocated a few of the 75 bottles available globally to the Bengaluru duty-free, and these were pre-sold instantly. If we released something like 300 bottles of Expedition today, I think they would end up mostly in India. Then we have the Amrut Greedy Angels series. They’re about ₹25,000 to ₹40,000 a bottle. They’re exclusive bottlings, single cask, hardly 30 or 40 bottles for the whole country. That’s nothing. It’s like a drop in the ocean. We have been experiencing this interest from Indian buyers over the past three years. Slowly, that aspiration for Indian collectors is growing.

Spirit of Speyside Distilled all set for exciting return after hiatus A leading event which showcases the Speyside region’s drinks industry is returning this month - with the level of enthusiasm “as high as ever”. The Spirit of Speyside Distilled event is coming back on Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12, bringing together more than 20 drink producers from across Speyside. Following a one-year hiatus, and while Elgin Town Hall’s major redevelopment is still underway, the event will be held at the Alexander Graham Bell Centre at UHI Moray in Elgin. While whisky remains a major attraction in the area, Distilled is about much more than Scotland’s national drink. The event shines a spotlight on Speyside’s vibrant community of craft producers, allowing visitors to discover everything from whisky and gin to beer and other premium spirits, all under one roof. Three sessions are available, starting on Friday evening at 6pm, followed by two sessions on the Saturday at 11am and 4pm. Speyside brands confirmed include The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Gordon & MacPhail, Strathisla, Benriach, The GlenAllachie and Cardhu. Gin enthusiasts can enjoy samples from Gordon Castle Gin and Ùrar Gin. More information about tickets for the event is available on the Distilled website. Henry Angus, chairman of the festivals, said: “It’s wonderful to be back with Distilled after a break last year. “While the venue has changed, the enthusiasm from Speyside producers remains as strong as ever. “Distilled creates a fantastic opportunity for visitors to have the chance to meet the people behind the brands, sample fantastic products and experience the incredible diversity of drinks production across the region.”

ADVERTISEMENT Whisky brands built an entire century on a narrow promise, sell the specification and let the drinker do the rest. Age statement, cask type, tasting notes, that was where the relationship ended, usually in a glass. That model is fraying. What is taking its place is harder to package, a hunger for discovery that cannot be distilled, aged or bottled on command. The clearest evidence of this recalibration is showing up at Bacardi India's Dewar's, where Director of Blending Stephanie Macleod has paired with Australian celebrity chef Sarah Todd for a campaign the company calls its "Discovery Collaboration," built around India's regional food cultures. Strip away the marketing language and the wager underneath is a fairly uncomfortable one for an industry that has long competed on liquid quality alone, that the brand which wins going forward may not be the one with the best whisky, but the one that gives consumers the most compelling reason to keep exploring. That distinction, between having a good product and having a discoverable one, is fast becoming the fault line of the alcobev business. From premiumisation to provenance Premiumisation, according to Inderjit Singh Dhingra, General Manager of Brown Spirits India at Bacardi, has stopped being a conversation about price points. What matters now, he argues, is craftsmanship and what he calls "story doing," the idea that a brand's heritage needs to be experienced, not simply narrated. "Whisky is just not whisky, it is going beyond the bottle," Dhingra said. "Liquid backed up with storytelling, backed up with story doing, is something that really creates a brand and an experience. That is what today's consumer is looking for." Sarah Todd frames the same shift from the plate rather than the glass. Premium, for her, stopped being a fine dining menu with a five-figure price tag some time ago. "You go to Rajasthan and you have a lady who has been cooking laal maas on the ground for fifty years. That, to me, is premium," she said. "People buy from people. If you have a story behind your brand, that excites people, and they are willing to pay for these amazing experiences, whether it is in a glass or on a plate." While Macleod, who has spent close to three decades blending Dewar's, draws the parallel to her own craft. Whisky, she argued, is as much an art as a science, requiring intuition and palate as much as chemistry. It is a claim that matters commercially because it reframes the entire premiumisation debate. If craftsmanship, not cost, is the new marker of premium, then brands compete less on shelf price and more on the depth and credibility of the story they can tell about how something is made and by whom. Discovery replaces distribution as the new battleground If storytelling is the strategy, discovery is the mechanism, and this is where the conversation turns pointed. Dhingra was direct about why the campaign leans so heavily on India's regional food diversity rather than a single, standardised brand message. "Social media creates curiosity, and it is all about discovery," he said. "Food has become visual. It has to be more Instagrammable, and that creates curiosity. People see the drink, they go on social media, and then they discover. They want to know the flavour, they want to know the recipe." That discovery-first approach is also, deliberately, a response to a structural constraint the alcohol industry cannot escape, regulation. Traditional advertising routes remain heavily restricted for liquor brands in India, which has pushed spend and creative energy toward digital and social channels that are harder to police. Dhingra was candid about why that suits the category rather than merely constraining it. "It cannot be regulated. It is crowd sourced content, people sourced content," he said. "If it comes across as a story, and there is authenticity to that, you get to see more engagement. It has more relevance today than it had before." But more channels also mean more noise, and Dhingra was equally clear that volume is not the answer. "There is a clutter on social media. The amount of content being created across categories, across brands, is huge," he said. "Two things distinguish a brand, how distinct your content and story is, and how credible it is. Not everything on social media is a real story." That credibility test becomes sharper with artificial intelligence entering the content pipeline. Todd's warning was blunt. "We can all pop something into an AI platform and it churns out information, and we all sound like the same person," she said. "It is the same with food. It is that story behind it, that human connection, that you cannot get from an AI platform." The Gen Z correction The campaign's underlying consumer thesis challenges a popular industry assumption, that younger drinkers are retreating from alcohol altogether. Macleod pushed back on that reading. "There has been an assumption that the drop in consumption has been due to Gen Z, but actually it may be boomers and Generation X drinking less, having overindulged during the Covid years," she said. "Gen Z are drinking as much, but they are changing to drink better." Dhingra tied this to a broader consumer behaviour shift that cuts across age groups, one built around occasions rather than blanket celebration. "It is about occasion, not celebration. Within celebration there are micro occasions," he said, pointing to Dewar's decision to anchor its festive-season strategy around culinary moments specifically, rather than generic festivity. The wager, ultimately, is that in a market this crowded, the brand that teaches people something new about their own culture, one region, one dish, one flavour note at a time, earns attention that no media budget alone can buy.

Cross-category whiskey blends are challenging traditional spirit classifications by combining multiple styles into a single expression. Redwood Empire Whiskey’s The Hyperion Batch 001 blends bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and American single malt, incorporating more than 10 mash bills and stocks aged between seven and 14 years. The 110-proof release uses a “blend bill” detailing the proportion of each whiskey category rather than a conventional mash bill. Each annual Hyperion release will feature a distinct composition that will not be repeated. For Redwood Empire, the format provides a way to showcase the depth of its barrel inventory while creating scarcity through limited annual releases. Combining different whiskey categories can also attract enthusiasts seeking less conventional expressions while supporting premium pricing and collectibility. The approach gives distillers another way to differentiate mature inventory, experiment with flavor profiles, and build recurring anticipation around changing yearly releases. Image Credit: Redwood Empire Key Themes Behind This Trend - Cross-category Spirits - Hybrid whiskey formats blur established classification boundaries, creating premium positioning for products built around novel flavor architecture and category-defying identity. - Blend Bill Transparency - Detailed composition disclosures provide collectors and enthusiasts with a new language for evaluating complexity, provenance, and production intent beyond traditional mash bills. - Annual Scarcity Releases - Non-repeating yearly blends turn mature inventory into serialized collectibles, reinforcing anticipation, exclusivity, and secondary-market interest. Where This Applies - Whiskey - Producers gain fresh differentiation by combining bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and single malt into expressions that expand consumer expectations of American whiskey. - Luxury Beverages - Scarce, high-proof releases with transparent blending narratives strengthen premium pricing models rooted in craftsmanship, collectibility, and limited access. - Alcohol Retail - Retailers benefit from distinctive limited-edition spirits that generate enthusiast traffic, allocation demand, and storytelling opportunities across premium shelves.

Dierks Bentley has pushed his Row 94 bourbon line deeper into Kentucky whiskey territory with Broken Branches, a five-year-old, 100-proof expression that uses fire-toasted oak staves to add another layer to the aging process. The release is made with Lofted Custom Spirits at the historic Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, Kentucky. Broken Branches uses what Row 94 calls “Branch Aging.” Time-worn oak staves, fire-toasted and seasoned for as long as 24 months, are placed inside the barrels to deepen the whiskey’s flavour and complexity. The second release also expanded Row 94’s reach beyond its original footprint, with distribution planned for Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The expansion came as Bentley’s flagship Row 94 entered its second year on the market with a 94 rating from Wine Enthusiast. It has also earned Gold honours from Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards, the Denver International Spirits Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, along with Silver recognition from the International Wine & Spirits Competition. “That recognition matters,” Bentley says. “Not because it looks good in a headline, but because it represents the long days, hard work, and attention to detail that go into every bottle.” Broken Branches sits alongside Row 94 Full Proof, a 120-proof, uncut expression aged for at least four years that also received a Gold medal at Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards. Together, the releases have allowed Bentley to expand Row 94 beyond the flagship bottle while keeping the whiskey rooted in Kentucky production. Bentley launched Row 94 in September 2024 as a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced at Green River Distilling Co. The brand has also travelled with him on the road, with Bentley signing bottles and sharing the whiskey with fans during his touring schedule.

The Pōkeno Whisky Company has been selected for an international study that looks at whiskies from eight continents, including one matured in Antarctica (inset). Waikato distillery The Pōkeno Whisky Company has been selected for an international study into how different climates shape the maturation, chemistry and taste of whisky. The study, titled Climate-Driven Maturation Signatures in Global Whisky: A Comparative Multi-Continental Chemical and Sensory Study, examines whiskies from The 8 Continent Series, a collectioncurated by London-based businessman Daniel Monk of whisky business Cask World. The series is limited to 300 sets of the eight whiskies. In The 8 Continent Series, Pōkeno Whisky represents Zealandia, a largely submerged landmass that includes New Zealand, which was recognised as the world’s eighth continent in 2017. Pōkeno Whisky co-founder Matt Johns said he was proud to be chosen for the project. “From the first time I visited, I felt they were genuinely asking the same question that sits at the heart of The 8 Continent Series: how much does place shape whisky? “Matt and the team have taken generations of whisky knowledge and applied it to New Zealand, rather than simply trying to recreate Scotland. “There is also a lovely thread back to whisky’s Scottish roots. Matt brought years of experience working in Scotland’s whisky industry, while Mike Tawse is a second-generation Scottish cooper now making casks in New Zealand. “For a collection exploring how whisky has travelled across the world, I loved that connection.” Pōkeno Whisky has been chosen alongside Penderyn Distillery of Wales, which represents Europe; Union Distillery of Brazil, representing South America; Shelter Point Distillery of Canada, representing North America; Boplaas Family Vineyards & Distilling of South Africa; Rampur Distillery of India, representing Asia; Lawrenny Estate of Australia; and La Alazana Whisky of Argentina, which represents Antarctica. The Antarctic whisky matured at La Alazana Distillery for five years before spending a further three years maturing at Marambio Base, an Argentine research station in Antarctica, in temperatures that dropped to -35C. Meanwhile, Monk and Johns remained tight-lipped about what whisky Pōkeno Whisky has contributed to the study and series, though the Waikato Herald understands it is a special cask from its existing range, not a new launch. Over six months, Dr Aline Bortoletto, a Brazilian food scientist specialising in alcoholic beverages, will analyse the eight single malt whiskies from around the world. Bortoletto and her team at beverage research and development company Inovbev will build a detailed chemical and sensory profile of each whisky. Monk said it was the first scientific comparison of single malt whiskies matured across every continent. He said he hoped the study’s findings would help whisky makers understand how their own climate and environment shaped the spirit they made. “It’s already understood that climate makes a difference – this study provides an opportunity to learn more about that ... and provide data that may help whisky-making become more sustainable in the future. “For example, if producers know how best to work with their climates, they may be able to look at every step of their production process and find ways to be more efficient and use less energy.” Monk said the study came amid a growing interest in world whisky. The whisky industry was initially centred on Scotland and Ireland, with established industries in the United States and Japan. Lately, New World whisky made outside those traditional countries had grown, he said. Johns said being part of the study was “incredibly enriching”. “We’re very, very lucky to have been chosen for this. This, for me, is an incredible opportunity to showcase to the world what New World whisky is,” he said. “We’re all out there battling very hard ... to explain to people that Old World whisky is really, really good, but just cause it’s got an age statement on it, it doesn’t mean it’s better than what we’re bringing out. “The fact that we’ve got people like Daniel who are championing the cause, who are saying, ‘Well, actually New World whisky has a lot more to offer and this is why’ ... this just helps ... give the category of New World whisky more credibility. “This is gonna ... shine a light on our creativity.” Johns said he was excited about what the study’s results would teach distilleries. “We all know that climate affects maturation massively. “I mean, we look at our 9.5% Angel’s share [the natural alcohol evaporation rate that occurs as the whisky matures in a barrel] per year ... you get 2% in Scotland. “But what elements of the climate affect it, how does it scientifically affect the whisky ... what does it do to the DNA structures of the whisky? “[The findings are] gonna help us do our jobs better. I’m hoping it’s [also] gonna open some new innovation for us.” Championing New Zealand whisky It has been a busy time for Pōkeno Whisky. In August, after working on it for almost one-and-a-half years, the company launched a special collaboration with American collectables company Syzygy Forge: Ringbearer, a whisky in honour of The Lord of the Rings’25th anniversary. “We were sitting in the distillery one day [early last year] and a couple of guys rolled up,” Johns said. “They were ... Americans and ... they were going like ‘We’ve just come from Hobbiton, we’re massive fans and we’ve got a collectibles business. Would you guys be interested in making a Lord of the Rings’ whisky?’ “It caught us off guard a bit ... but we gradually got quite excited about this. “Pōkeno is all about making innovative and creative whiskies that are a true reflection of the culture and climate in New Zealand. “It’s a bit kinda tongue in cheek here, but you know, New Zealand is very much Middle Earth, it’s very much Lord of the Rings and [we thought] this could be a bit of fun.” Johns said there were a lot of hoops to jump through, as the whisky is licensed by Warner Bros, making it official Lord of the Rings merchandise. He said while he was somewhat aware of the trilogy’s popularity and had seen the movies, he didn’t realise how big a following it had. “There is a fan base of 17.5 million active fans and collectors around the world today ... Hobbiton still gets 650,000 visitors a year.” When it came to composing the Ringbearer, Johns said he and Pōkeno Whisky production manager Gareth Kimpton spent about three days playing around with different cask types. “This was all about what can we do, whisky-wise, to make this a true reflection of Middle-Earth? “The Lord of the Rings is a powerful film, it’s an epic saga. So, we need a whisky which is robust and which is powerful, we need a whisky that is strong.” This meant using virgin casks, Johns said. They also wanted to add a typical New Zealand element. In the end, Ringbearer was made of whiskies fully matured in first-fill Bourbon, virgin oak, muscat and mānuka honey casks. Johns said the whisky tasted rich and smooth, with the honey adding texture. “You’ve got our standard tropical fruitness ... that’s enhanced by the muscat cask ... that gives you zesty orange and pear notes. And then you’ve got this ... mānuka honey richness in the end.” The company has released 12,000 bottles, with most distributed in Australia and the US and 2000 in New Zealand. Johns said demand had been huge and he had received emails from people around the world asking to get their hands on a bottle – before the product was even announced or launched. He said the team was “pretty proud” of this whisky and had entered it into the World Whisky Awards this year. The team’s focus now shifts to other projects, including launching a whisky club and exploring other native wood casks. They’re currently looking to trial kahikatea and tawa but are struggling to find wood, Johns said. Danielle Zollickhofer is the Waikato news director and a multimedia journalist at

Not Buffalo Trace: The Best-Selling Bourbon In The World Has Been Around For 230 Years The world of bourbon ranges from affordable go-to's to rare, sought-after offerings. The first brands that come to mind depend on which end of the scale you pay more attention to. So, the one that sells the most bourbon in the world may either surprise you or feel like a total no-brainer. It's Jim Beam. Is Jim Beam one of the best bourbon brands? Absolutely. But bourbon enthusiasts may have expected the top seller to be a pricier pick like Buffalo Trace, Blanton's, or Michter's. Per the annual Brand Champions report from The Spirits Business, Jim Beam sold 16.7 million cases in 2025. The second top seller is Jack Daniel's, at 13.4 million cases — Jim Beam has quite the lead, and it's been that way for several years. Perhaps Jim Beam's sustained popularity can be attributed to its history. Founded in 1795, it's one of the older and more established brands on the market — in 230 years, you're bound to figure out how to make consistently good bourbon. The distillery was started by the Boehm family, who changed their name to Beam after immigrating to America and settling as farmers in Kentucky. Jacob Beam began turning his surplus corn into whiskey. He sold his first batch in 1795, officially forming the distillery ahead of an explosion of others popping up in Kentucky. The distillery passed from generation to generation; in 1935, Jeremiah Beam re-founded the distillery as the Jim B. Beam Distilling Company, named for his father. Jim Beam's reputation for quality, consistency, and accessibility Jim Beam has a distinctive flavor and quality, which the family intentionally honed and protected throughout the years. James "Jim" Beam would take the distillery's house yeast strain home with him on weekends to ensure it remained the distinctive yeast used in his bourbon only. The brand continued to scale up its recipes over the years without increased production causing drops in quality. They still age their bourbon for four years, when straight bourbon's minimum aging period is only two. While some people might assume Jim Beam isn't as good as bourbons that are more rare, this ubiquitous bourbon still wins awards at respected competitions like the 2016 International Wine & Spirit Competition. In fact, it's that accessibility that has helped Jim Beam become the world's best seller. We ranked Jim Beam bottles worst to best, and offerings run from the iconic Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey to the Double Oak twice barrel-aged expression. While nuances change, the whiskey is always well made, free of additives and coloring, and satisfyingly delivers on bourbon's key tasting notes like vanilla and caramel. And it does all of this for around $22 for a 750-milliliter bottle. Also adding to Jim Beam's selling power is the fact that the distillery owns and produces bourbon for other brands — some of which are behind the most search-worthy rare bourbons. Names like Basil Hayden, Booker's, and Hardin's Creek in the Jim Beam portfolio demonstrate the quality the distillery is capable of, and this range only further strengthens Jim Beam's popularity and sales.

Who Makes Costco's Kirkland Signature Canadian Whisky? It's no secret that shopping at Costco can save you money, especially when choosing the popular warehouse chain's private label Kirkland Signature over more recognizable name-brand products. This becomes quickly apparent when shopping for liquor. Despite their lower prices, Costco liquors stand toe-to-toe with pricier brands. One of the best Kirkland liquors to buy at Costco is whisky. Given how secretive Costco can be about the suppliers behind Kirkland products, many are left wondering who actually makes Kirkland whisky. Concerning Kirkland Signature blended Canadian whisky, the answer is not straightforward. Fans have analyzed the flavor profile and even the label itself and suspect that it is distilled by Crown Royal. The bottles also have a similar arched shape with purple accents, and their contents are aged in Canada. Forbes named Crown Royal the 14th bestselling whisky brand in the world in 2025. Alberta Distillers Limited has also been put forth as Costco's possible contract distiller. The Calgary-based company is owned by Suntory Global Spirits and produces Alberta Premium, a popular Canadian 100% rye whisky. However, Alberta Premium is higher-proof and described as spicy, while Kirkland and Crown Royal are both noted as being smooth. How does Kirkland Signature's compare to other Canadian whiskies? Costco shoppers who have tried Kirkland Signature blended Canadian whisky find it to be a solid, though by no means perfect, duplicate for Crown Royal, especially Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye. Of course, others disagree, claiming, as one Reddit user put it, "The Crown gets its name for a reason." Some drinkers are of the opinion that Kirkland Canadian whisky is sweeter than Crown Royal and tastes great with a mixer. When comparing Kirkland's offering to other popular Canadian whiskies, there are some key distinctions. Canadian Club 1858, a classic blended Canadian whisky, is described as having flavors of rye spice, oak, pepper, sweet corn, and toffee. It is also lighter and drier in taste than Kirkland Signature. Another well-known Canadian blended whisky, Seagram's VO, is said to have a buttery, fruity, and honey-like flavor with hints of spice in the finish. Kirkland, on the other hand, is said to have vanilla, caramel, and mild oak notes. Whether or not Crown Royal is the distillery behind Kirkland's Canadian whisky, their flavor profiles match up best. Crown Royal fans looking for a less expensive substitute for their favorite should consider giving Costco's version a try — and perhaps exploring some forgotten whisky cocktails. That isn't to say this cheaper Canadian whisky can't be enjoyed neat as well. You do you.

The Scotch specialist is expanding nationwide distribution through Truman & Orange, with premium expressions set to join its core single malt range. SOUTH AFRICA – Scotch whisky specialist CVH Spirits is seeking to strengthen its presence in South Africa by focusing on single malt propositions and premium expressions rather than volume-driven distribution. The company has appointed domestic alcohol merchant Truman & Orange as the exclusive distributor of its portfolio in South Africa. CVH’s core range of single malt Scotch whiskies is now available in the market, with select higher-end expressions scheduled to launch from the end of next month. Majority owned by South African investment group Remgro, CVH was formed in 2023 following Heineken’s acquisition of Distell. Since then, the company’s portfolio has maintained a limited presence in South Africa. Blended Scotch brands Scottish Leader and Black Bottle have remained readily available through an agreement with Craft Liquor Merchants. However, CVH’s single malt portfolio previously had only a small online presence, according to CEO Ronan O’Rahilly. “Our new partnership with Truman & Orange will bring greater national presence in South Africa across all channels (including travel retail) for our full Scotch whisky portfolio,” O’Rahilly said. CVH said it had taken time to establish its international business structure before returning its brands to the South African market. “We have deliberately taken the time to establish the right structure for our international business rather than simply putting the brands back into market,” O’Rahilly said. “Our approach is about building the brands for the long term, ensuring we have the right partners, the right positioning and the right level of support behind them.” The company said it “sees an opportunity for a portfolio built around credentials and differentiated single malt propositions rather than volume-driven distribution” in South Africa. “South Africa is an important market for us, given our history here and the opportunity we see for premium Scotch whisky,” O’Rahilly added. “Since becoming independent, we have had the opportunity to be much more focused on where and how we take our brands to market.” He said the company could now operate with greater agility and invest in markets where it identifies long-term potential. Recent market data cited by CVH showed that South Africa’s Deluxe whisky segment, covering products priced at R2,000 and above, grew 19%, while the Super Premium segment recorded 2% growth over the same period. CVH has also expanded its international distribution network. In March, its European unit appointed MyDrinks Austria as its distributor in Austria, replacing Rudolf Ammersin. The company also relocated its headquarters from East Kilbride on the outskirts of Glasgow to Glasgow city centre in March. Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.

Access Denied You don't have permission to access "http://www.ndtvprofit.com/business/450-million-cases-and-we-are-still-asking-what-is-in-the-bottle-12005664/amp/1" on this server. Reference #18.16eb1cb8.1788651125.d7a3044d https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.16eb1cb8.1788651125.d7a3044d

Every so often, a bottle comes along that makes me kick myself for not buying a second one. The Signatory Vintage Speyside 15 Year Old is exactly that whisky. Bottled at 48.2%, non-chill filtered, with no added colour, this one checks all the boxes on paper. The Dalmore Concludes Cask Curation Series with $47k Madeira Cask Edition READ THE STORYBut what truly sets it apart is what lies behind that carefully worded “Speyside” label. This, as far as I am concerned, is a Macallan in everything but name. Distilled in 2009 and aged in first and second fill Oloroso butts, this dram carries the unmistakable signature of the famous distillery. I cannot say exactly how Signatory came to acquire these casks, whether they bought them once the spirit was already maturing in the Macallan warehouse or through some other arrangement. What I can tell you is that the fingerprint is right there. Pour this for anyone blind and they are going to call Macallan without hesitation. On the nose you get that classic chocolate orange note, ripe caramel apple, red fruit, raisins, and a touch of walnut. It is beautiful, and that generous ABV only lifts it further. The palate is where this whisky truly earns its keep. It has opened up considerably since I first cracked it. I remember detecting something faintly dirty in the early days, a slightly off cherry character, but that has vanished completely. What remains is velvety, sweet, and rich, with real layers and a long, satisfying finish. There is not a hint of heat, nothing sharp. The viscosity you get from European oak used only once or twice is on full display here. 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. I once put this head-to-head with the Macallan 12 at 110 proof and thought the 110 might have the edge. Not anymore. This is drinking absolutely dynamite, dangerous even. After my last sip, I had no choice but to give this a 90, and it is very rare that I hand out a mark that high. That score is also precisely why it pains me to say this bottle is now sold out. Those of you clever enough to grab a few were very smart indeed. My advice is simple: do not let it happen again. When the next “M” edition surfaces, buy it up, because in my experience they have all been excellent so far. So here is my question for you: how many of these hidden gem bottlings have you missed by hesitating, and which one still haunts you? For a more detailed breakdown and to see the whisky for yourself, you can watch my full video on the subject.

AI generated summary, newsroom reviewed Blind whiskey tastings are supposed to strip away everything except what is in the glass, and this approach produced a genuinely interesting shortlist at the Irish Whiskey Masters 2026 of 8 best Irish whiskeys that won master medals. Chaired by The Spirits Business and scored by a panel of specialists without any knowledge of the labels in front of them, the competition awarded its top honour, the Master medal, to eight Irish whiskeys spanning nearly two and a half centuries of distilling history. Some are familiar whiskey bottles that cost less than a decent bottle of wine, while others are single cask rarities produced in tiny quantities and aimed squarely at collectors. Here are the eight Master medal winners, and what makes each one worth seeking out. Powers Gold Label whiskey traces its roots to James Power’s Dublin distillery, founded in 1791. The blend combines pot still and grain whiskey, with the 2026 judges noting cinnamon, ripe pear, raisins, honey and charred oak. Award: Master Category: Blended – Ultra-Premium ABV: 43.2% Powers Gold Label Whiskey Price: $25 – $37 (approx.) Made with 100% Irish-grown rye from County Wexford, Powers Irish Rye whiskey draws on historic Powers recipes and is triple distilled before maturation in virgin, first-fill and refill American oak. It brings peppery spice, caramelised apple, ginger and honey. Award: Master Category: Blended – Ultra-Premium ABV: 43.2% Powers Irish Rye Whiskey Price: $34 and $40 (approx.) The Bushmills 22 Year Old Single Cask by That Boutique-y Whisky Company was finished in an ex-Maury wine cask, with just 390 bottles produced. Judges noted dried red fruit, citrus, juicy berries, milk chocolate and a rich, textured palate. Award: Master Category: Single Malt – Ultra-Premium ABV: 45.8% Bushmills 22 Year Old Single Cask Price: £249.95 / $338 (approx.) The Donn whiskey is a 6.9-year-old single malt matured in ex-bourbon, Tawny Port, toasted Hungarian oak and Pedro Ximénez casks. The result is rich and heavily Sherried, with black cherry, chocolate and vanilla fudge. Award: Master Category: Single Malt – Ultra-Premium ABV: 46.15% for the 2023 inaugural edition The Donn Whiskey Price: Waitlist only; no dependable current retail price verified. The Teeling 33 Year Old Single Malt Rum Cask whiskey comes from its Very Rare Cask Collection and is limited to just 141 bottles. Finished in a rum cask, it shows dried fruit, caramel, burnt sugar, baked banana and fudge. Award: Master Category: Single Malt – Ultra-Premium ABV: 52.1% Bottle count: 141 Teeling 33 Year Old Single Malt Rum Cask Price: €3,480 at Dublin and Cork Airport Duty Free. Green Spot whiskey is a classic single pot still Irish whiskey, made with whiskey aged between seven and 10 years in new and refill bourbon and sherry casks. Green apple, honey, spice and toasted wood define its profile. Award: Master Category: Single Pot Still – Super-Premium ABV: 40% Green Spot Whiskey Price: €60 at Tesco Ireland; other Irish retailers list it around €69. Yellow Spot whiskey is a 12-year-old single pot still whiskey matured in bourbon barrels, sherry butts and Malaga casks. Honey, peach, spice and crème brûlée give it a richer, sweeter character. Award: Master Category: Single Pot Still – Ultra-Premium Age: 12 years ABV: 46% Yellow Spot Whiskey Price: $100 / £83 according to current international listings; Irish retailers currently list it around €87–€92. Powers Three Swallow Release whiiskey won both a Master medal and the overall Irish Whiskey Taste Master title. Matured mainly in bourbon barrels with some Oloroso sherry, it shows peach, green apple, citrus, herbs and pot still spice. Award: Master + Irish Whiskey Taste Master Category: Single Pot Still – Ultra-Premium ABV: 43.2% Powers Three Swallow Release Price: $48 / £39.99. Current UK listings sit around £39.99. * Powers Gold Label - Rich, spicy and fruit-forward with cinnamon, pear and charred oak. * Powers Irish Rye - A distinctive Irish rye with peppery spice, caramel and honeyed oak. * Bushmills 22 Year Old Single Cask - Limited to 390 bottles, with dried fruit and a rich, textured palate. * The Donn - A cask-driven single malt with dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla. * Teeling 33 Year Old - A rare 141-bottle release with deep fruit and a rum-cask finish. * Green Spot - Classic single pot still character with green apple, honey and spice. * Yellow Spot 12 Year Old - Rich and sweet, with honey, peach and crème brûlée notes. * Powers Three Swallow Release - The overall Taste Master, with fresh fruit, citrus and pot still spice. What are the best Irish whiskeys that won Master medals at the 2026 Irish Whiskey Masters? The eight winners include Powers Gold Label, Powers Irish Rye, Bushmills 22 Year Old, The Donn, Teeling 33 Year Old, Green Spot, Yellow Spot 12 Year Old and Powers Three Swallow Release. Which Irish whiskey won the overall Taste Master title? Powers Three Swallow Release won both a Master medal and the overall Irish Whiskey Taste Master title. Which Irish whiskey won the overall Taste Master? Powers Three Swallow Release. What is the oldest whiskey on the list? Teeling 33 Year Old Single Malt Rum Cask. Which whiskey is the most limited? Teeling 33 Year Old, with just 141 bottles. Which is the most affordable? Powers Gold Label is among the lowest-priced options, depending on market. Which is a 12-year-old Irish whiskey? Yellow Spot 12 Year Old, matured in bourbon, sherry and Malaga casks.

403 ERROR The request could not be satisfied. Request blocked. We can't connect to the server for this app or website at this time. There might be too much traffic or a configuration error. Try again later, or contact the app or website owner. If you provide content to customers through CloudFront, you can find steps to troubleshoot and help prevent this error by reviewing the CloudFront documentation. Generated by cloudfront (CloudFront) Request ID: rCCNVtsdHEVQBJem-CDqq7-mlk6H8Vs_oYTUwNfvklqVjyN2UV4_WQ==

The Dalmore has never positioned itself as an ordinary whisky brand, so perhaps it was inevitable that when its Highland distillery finally reopened to visitors, the standard distillery tour would not be coming back with it. The Dalmore Concludes Cask Curation Series with $47k Madeira Cask Edition READ THE STORYAfter more than six years without public tours, The Dalmore has returned with something far more ambitious. Its new visitor experience costs £250 per person, requires a minimum booking of two and lasts around three hours. It is private, heavily personalised and deliberately positioned closer to luxury hospitality than conventional whisky tourism. I went in wondering whether that price could possibly feel justified. By the time I left, the more interesting question was whether we should still be calling it a distillery tour at all. A Distillery Transformed Without Losing Itself The Dalmore sits on the Cromarty Firth, north of Inverness, where whisky has been made since 1839. The setting has always been part of its appeal, but the distillery itself had gone decades without anything approaching this scale of redevelopment. That matters because the team could easily have polished away the character that makes visiting an old Scottish distillery interesting in the first place. Instead, what struck me was how much of the original place still felt present. The Victorian buildings remain central to the experience, but the spaces around them now feel more deliberate, luxurious and considered. You move between old production architecture and contemporary hospitality without feeling as though somebody has dropped a hotel bar into the middle of a working distillery. 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. That balance is difficult to get right. Whisky tourism has become considerably more sophisticated over the last decade, but there is a point where too much polished stone, soft lighting and expensive furniture starts separating visitors from the reason they travelled there in the first place. At The Dalmore, the whisky still feels central. Not A Production Line Tour Most distillery tours follow a familiar rhythm. Malt. Mash. Fermentation. Stills. Warehouse. Tasting. Gift shop. There is nothing wrong with that. I’ve been on countless examples and still enjoy them enormously. But once you’ve visited enough distilleries, you begin to know when the guide is about to explain the angel’s share before they’ve even reached that part of the tour. The Dalmore takes a different approach. With only your own group and a dedicated host, the conversation has room to move wherever your interest takes it. If you want to spend time discussing why The Dalmore’s stills differ in shape and how those differences affect reflux, weight and character, the experience has space for that conversation. If you’re more interested in maturation, blending or the development of the house style, the focus can move accordingly. That freedom was one of the things I enjoyed most. Whisky enthusiasts rarely arrive with the same level of knowledge or the same questions, yet traditional tours have to cater to everybody simultaneously. Here, there isn’t somebody at the back of a group waiting patiently while another visitor asks what barley is. The experience adapts. It sounds like a small distinction, but over three hours it completely changes the pace. The Dalmore Stillhouse For all the new investment, the production spaces are still where The Dalmore becomes most interesting. The distillery’s stills have always played an important role in shaping its character, and seeing them in context gives production discussions far more meaning than looking at specifications online. This is also where a private experience begins to justify itself. Rather than hearing a polished five-minute explanation before being moved along, there is time to dig deeper into what is happening inside the equipment and why. For me, that is far more valuable than being given more whisky at the end. The best distillery experiences don’t simply show you where whisky is made. They change the way you taste it afterwards because you understand a little more about why it tastes the way it does. The Dalmore Whisky Naturally, a £250 Dalmore experience needs to deliver when the glasses appear. The tasting element is personalised rather than fixed around one rigid flight, with the possibility of exploring different parts of the portfolio depending on the interests of the group. That might mean spending more time with distillery releases, looking beyond the core range or exploring expressions that make sense within the conversations you’ve already had during the visit. That flexibility is far more interesting than simply placing progressively older whiskies in front of somebody and assuming age equals education. What I enjoyed most was having time with the whisky rather than feeling the usual pressure to nose, taste and move on before the next group arrives. A proper tasting changes when you give the glass twenty minutes instead of five. Fruit develops. Oak becomes clearer. Alcohol settles and secondary aromas begin appearing. The Dalmore’s richer house character suits that slower style of tasting particularly well. It also reinforces something that became increasingly clear throughout the visit. This experience isn’t designed around volume. It is designed around attention. Does £250 make sense? This is the unavoidable question. At £250 per person with a minimum booking of two, you’re looking at £500 before travel or accommodation enters the equation. For four people, the experience reaches £1,000. That is serious money for any distillery visit. If your only objective is to understand how Scotch whisky is made and taste a few good drams afterwards, there are dozens of excellent experiences around Scotland that cost considerably less. But I don’t think that’s the comparison The Dalmore is trying to win. This sits closer to private dining, a bespoke winery experience or a luxury hospitality appointment. You’re paying for privacy, time, access and personalisation as much as you’re paying for whisky. Looked at through that lens, the proposition makes considerably more sense. You aren’t sharing the experience with twenty strangers. There is no pressure to keep moving because another group is ten minutes behind. You have roughly three hours with a host and the freedom to shape those hours around what genuinely interests you. For the right visitor, that has real value. A Waiting List Perhaps the clearest indication of how the market has responded is availability. The experience runs twice daily from Monday to Friday and demand is already extending well into the future, with bookings already reaching into the latter part of 2027. That is an extraordinary position for something costing £250 per person. It also says something about where premium whisky tourism is heading. For years, distilleries primarily viewed visitor centres as places to build brand loyalty and sell bottles. Increasingly, the experience itself has become part of the luxury proposition. Consumers who might spend hundreds or thousands of pounds on whisky increasingly expect access, storytelling and hospitality to operate at the same level. The Dalmore has clearly recognised that. So, is it worth it? If you’re simply looking for your first distillery tour, I’d start elsewhere. Scotland has too many excellent, affordable whisky experiences to suggest sp

A young distillery on a small Scottish island, a whisky crafted with a notably diverse mix of casks. With The Draam, Isle of Raasay embarks on an experiment where different flavors come together in a single bottle of single malt whisky. But is it an experiment that suits you? You’ll find out in this whisky review. If you don’t immediately recognize Isle of Raasay The Draam, there’s no need to worry. The whisky originally launched in 2021 as Isle of Raasay Single Malt. It wasn’t until 2025 that the distillery’s flagship whisky officially took the name The Draam. The whisky itself, however, remained unchanged. For The Draam, peated and unpeated spirits are matured separately in three different types of casks: first-fill ex-American rye whiskey barrels, fresh Chinkapin oak, and first-fill Bordeaux red wine casks. That makes six cask types in total, ultimately married together like a flavor jigsaw. Time to see if all the pieces truly fit. See, smell, taste | Country | Scotland | | Distillery | Isle of Raasay Distillery | | Type | Single Malt Scotch Whisky | | Color | Amber | | Nose | Dark fruit, cherries, blackberries, and wood smoke | | Palate | Dark fruit, wood smoke, cinnamon, black pepper, and vanilla | | Finish | Smoky, spicy, and sweet | | Age | No age statement | | ABV | 46.4% | | Volume | 70 cl | | Price | Around 55 euros | A piece of Raasay in your hand Even before you pull the cork, The Draam already has an edge. This isn’t just a standard whisky bottle with a different label slapped on. The glass features embossed details inspired by Raasay’s rocks and fossils. The distillery quite literally aims to build a piece of the rugged island into the bottle. That may sound a touch grand, but the result speaks for itself. The bottle looks modern, yet the texture gives it something raw and natural:perfectly in step with a whisky from a small Hebridean island. On a shelf full of lookalike whisky bottles, you’ll pick this one out instantly, unless you’ve got more Raasay bottles lined up, in which case you’ll want to check the label color. Oven-baked fruit with a small fire on the side Once in the glass, the fruit comes forward quickly. Don’t think crisp apples fresh from the fruit bowl; this leans more toward fruit that’s spent time in the oven. Baked plums, red apples, and cherries lead the way, giving The Draam a distinctly fruity, almost juicy start. But it doesn’t take long for something entirely different to step in. A layer of dry wood smoke gradually drifts over the fruit. Not a massive peat punch that bulldozes everything in the glass, but a clearly present veil of smoke. Behind it sits a touch of earthy vanilla and even something mineral. Master of Malt mentions flint: hard to picture perhaps, but think dry, stony, and slightly sharp. That interplay is what makes the nose compelling. One moment you’re hovering over a bowl of warm dark fruit; the next, it’s as if someone a few meters away has lit a small wood fire. Smoke, caramel, and a handful of salted nuts On the palate, The Draam shows its smoky side more clearly. The peat smoke is fresh and quite tight, yet again without taking over the rest of the whisky. Beneath that, dark, sweet caramel unfolds. The sweetness is joined by malty notes reminiscent of biscuits. Then the oak gradually steps forward and the texture turns creamier, while a peppery grain note adds some welcome bite. It works surprisingly well. You don’t just get smoke or sweetness. One moment you taste peat and oak; the next, dark caramel smooths it all out again. That push-and-pull keeps The Draam approachable despite its smoky character. The finish builds on that. The smoke eases off and lingers as a thin layer. Then come salted nuts, robust butterscotch, and sweet toasted oak. It’s that sweet–salty combo that really sings, as if you’ve grabbed a handful of salted nuts and snuck a soft caramel right after. | Whisky Deals from Whisky Exchange | Week 36 | | Glenfiddich 18 Year Old | 77,59 euros | | The Perfect Measure 25 Whisky and Spirits Advent & Tasting Set | 99,75 euros | | 20 Whiskies That Changed The World Tasting Set | 119,76 euros | | Port Charlotte 10 Year Old | 49,85 euros | | Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo | 60,13 euros | Conclusion: Isle of Raasay The Draam Review Isle of Raasay The Draam proves that a lightly peated whisky doesn’t have to be all about smoke. Dark fruit lends it a friendly face from the nose onward, while wood smoke, caramel, malt, and pepper make what’s in the glass far more intriguing. The way the sweet and smoky notes trade places is especially effective. No peat sledgehammer, but certainly not a whisky where you have to go hunting for the smoke. That makes The Draam a great option for drinkers who want to venture into peated territory without feeling like they’ve swallowed a campfire. At the same time, there’s enough smoke and spice here to keep peat fans interested. And we haven’t even touched on those six different cask-and-spirit combinations. On paper, it might sound like someone got a little too enthusiastic with experimentation. In the glass, there’s a reassuring logic to it all. + Dark fruit and smoke in fine balance + Plenty of character without turning into a peat monster + Striking bottle that stands out immediately – The mineral streak won’t appeal to everyone

This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.

クラシックでありながらどこか控えめな魅力を持つウイスキーサワーは、もっと注目されてしかるべき時代を超えた一杯である。 8月25日は全米ウイスキーサワーの日であり、酒感がありながらバランスの取れた4つの材料から成るカクテルに光を当てるには絶好の機会だ。ウイスキーにレモンジュース、シンプルシロップ、卵白が溶け合うことで、すでに豊かな風味と質感を備えた一杯だが、実はそこにさらなる奥行きを加える方法がある。 「ウイスキーサワーは非常にシンプルなドリンクなので、どのスピリッツを選ぶかが、カクテルをどの方向に持っていくかを決める大きな要素になります」と、シカゴのアサドール・バスティアン（Asador Bastian）のソムリエ、クリスチャン・シャウムは語る。例えばシングルモルトは、大胆で鋭いライウイスキーよりも丸みがあり、よりまろやかな飲み心地をもたらす。一方、バーボンはベーキングスパイスを伴うほのかな甘みを加える。 ベースとなるスピリッツが重要であることは間違いないが、好みにかかわらず、ウイスキーサワーの味わいと輪郭を完成させるうえでおそらく最も重要なのはシェイクの仕方だとシャウムは言う。まず氷を入れて約9秒シェイクし、その後ダブルストレインしてティン（金属カップ）に戻す。そこから氷なしでティンの中でシェイクするか、ミルクフォーマーを使うのがよいという。「これによって空気が入り、理想的なふんわりとした質感が生まれます」とシャウムは説明する。 技法を身につけたら、さまざまなウイスキーを試し、自分の好む個性を探る段階に進める。以下では、バーテンダーたちが選ぶお気に入りの10本を紹介する。 Willett Family Estate 4 Year Bourbon シャウムがウイスキーサワーを作る際に好むのは、100プルーフ以上のウイスキーだ。このスモールバッチの銘柄は125プルーフだが、バーボンらしい個性により、キャラメルを思わせる含みを持つ一杯になる。そのため、レシピを少し調整する必要がある。「バーボン本来の甘みとのバランスをよりよく取るため、シンプルシロップは通常より少なめにし、ビターズは多めに使う」のがよい。 Jack Daniel's Gentleman Jack このなめらかなテネシーウイスキーは、リッチで丸みがあり、わずかな甘みを備えているため、ウイスキーサワーを「スピリッツの主張が強すぎるドリンクではなく、格上げされたクラシックのように感じさせてくれます」と、Sadie's NYC（Sadie's NYC）のゼネラルマネジャー、スターリング・コープランドは説明する。「その穏やかな個性は、レモンの酸味ある柑橘感とうまく溶け合い、このカクテルをよりなめらかでバランスの取れたものにします」。プロの助言として、レモンジュースは必ず搾りたてを使い、Gentleman Jackを用いる場合は少し多めに加えるとよい。スピリッツ本来のリッチさを程よく切ってくれるからだ。 The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 ナッシュビルのThe Patterson House（The Patterson House）では100プルーフのケンタッキー・ストレート・バーボンを使っているが、ビバレッジディレクターのアレックス・マカッチェンが自宅でウイスキーサワーを作る際に個人的に好むのはスコッチ、とりわけThe Balvenie DoubleWoodだ。このスペイサイド・スコッチは、バーボン樽で12年熟成された後、オロロソ・シェリー樽で9カ月仕上げられる。「出来上がるサワーには、オレンジ、ハチミツ、レーズンの香りがあり、そのすべてをモルトが下支えしています」とマカッチェンは説明する。「これまでで一番のお気に入りです」 Eagle Rare Bourbon この90プルーフ、10年熟成のバーボンウイスキーは「ほのかなダークフルーツのニュアンスを伴う豊かさをもたらし、カクテルの鋭さを和らげます」と、Fontainebleau Las Vegas（Fontainebleau Las Vegas）の飲料開発・トレーニング担当アシスタントディレクター、ジア・セントジョージは語る。また、「酸味を丸く包み込みながら、感じられる複雑さと余韻を高める、上質なオーク由来の熟成感を加えてくれます」 Johnnie Walker Black Cask ホワイトオークのバーボン樽で熟成されるJohnnie Walker Black Caskは、同ブランドにとって15年以上ぶりの恒常ラインアップとなる商品だ。Bobby's Triple ThreatのThe Club 3でバーマネジャーを務めるジン・チョーによれば、このスコッチは、クリーミーなバニラのニュアンスを備えた穏やかな甘みがあり、ウイスキーサワーのベースに最適だという。「バーボン樽によって引き出されるリッチで香ばしいトーストしたマシュマロの風味に支えられ、美しいスモーキーな複雑さをもたらします」とチョーは語る。 Sazerac Rye 90プルーフのこのライは「少しパンチがあります」と、Trino Chicago（Trino Chicago）のバーテンダー、デリック・コッホは言う。このベースは、定番の材料に負けない存在感を保ちながら、スピリッツ主体のドリンクであることを思い出させてくれる。コッホは、ピロンシージョ（未精製のサトウキビ糖）のシュガーシロップを使うことを勧めており、「シンプルシロップでは得られない、もう少しの豊かさと深みを与えてくれます」と語る。 Rabbit Hole Heigold 「柑橘を使ったウイスキードリンクの多くでは、バーボンとライを半分ずつベースに使うのが好きです」と、ニューヨークのPebble Bar（Pebble Bar）のバーマネジャー、ティム・スウィーニーは語る。正式には、1つのウイスキーがライであり同時にバーボンであると見なされることはないが、Rabbit Hole Heigoldはそれに近い存在だ。「これはハイライ・バーボンです。つまり、定義上はバーボンでありながら、多くのバーボンよりもライの含有量がかなり高い。そのためサワーの中で、スパイスの効いた刺激とキャラメルコーンのような風味の両方を得られるのです」とスウィーニーは言う。 Four Roses Small Batch Tin's（Tin's）のバーディレクター、ボウエン・カークウッドがバーテンダーを始めた頃、Four Rosesのバーボンは大半のウイスキーサワーの基準となる存在だった。現在、カークウッドが手に取るのは、カクテルに独自の特徴をもたらす、より「プレミアムなバージョン」であるFour Roses Small Batchだ。「熟した赤いベリーと乾燥スパイスのおいしい風味があります」とカークウッドは言う。さらに、6〜7年熟成されているため、「タンニンが強すぎることなく、樽由来のオークの風味をしっかり得られます」 Buffalo Trace この象徴的な銘柄は、ニューヨークのOphelia（Ophelia）のビバレッジディレクター、アミール・ババヨフにとって頼れる一本だ。「搾りたてのレモンや砂糖に埋もれることなく受け止められるだけの個性があります」とババヨフは言う。彼が特に評価しているのは、このウイスキーが持つ甘み、スパイス、質感の組み合わせだ。「ブラウンシュガー、バニラ、トフィーのニュアンスがあり、その奥にやや濃い果実味とオークが感じられます」とババヨフは語る。「カクテルにしっかりとした存在感を与えるだけの厚みがありながら、酒感が強すぎたり攻撃的になったりすることはありません」 Knob Creek Knob Creekはやや高めのプルーフ（100プルーフ）であるため、希釈された後でもレモンジュースの酸に負けない骨格がウイスキーに備わると、Winnie's Jazz Club（Winnie's Jazz Club）のバーマネジャー、マシュー・ランキンは説明する。「バーボンの甘みは他の材料とよくなじみ、バニラ、キャラメル、オークがドリンク全体の風味を実に引き立ててくれます」

ニュース Amazon、ウイスキー「響 BLENDER'S CHOICE」を“1万7200円”で販売中 2026年9月5日 17:00 Amazonで「サントリーウイスキー響 BLENDER'S CHOICE」が“1万7200円”で販売されている。出品しているのは「お酒市場JOYLAB」と「酒のケント」で、配送料はいずれも無料。 BLENDER'S CHOICEは料飲店向けに開発された商品で希望小売価格は積極的に公開されていないが、4月1日にサントリーが価格改定を実施したあとは、有名スーパーやドラッグストアなどの抽選販売でも「1万7600円」で登場することが多く、それより400円安く購入できる。 1万7600円を下回る出品はほかにも複数あり、いずれも配送料は無料。ただし箱無しの出品も含まれるため注意が必要だ（価格は本稿執筆時点）。 サントリーウイスキー響 BLENDER'S CHOICE 容量： 700mL アルコール度数： 43度 テイスティングノート： ［色］赤みがかった琥珀色 ［香り］野いちご、白桃、パイナップル、クレームブリュレ ［味わい］ふくらみのある甘み、心地よい酸味 ［余韻］やわらかく甘やか、ほろ苦い余韻 ※Amazonの画面で異なる価格が表示された場合は、価格情報の下にある「Amazonの他の出品者」をクリックして出品を選択 なお、Amazon.co.jpによる招待制の抽選販売も並行して行なわれており、当選者への販売価格は「1万7600円」となっている。

Arudchelvan Karnan, 25, was sentenced on Sept. 2 as he pleaded guilty to one count each of harassment, causing annoyance while intoxicated in a public place and unauthorized entry to a protected place. Karnan had flown into Singapore from Sydney on July 19 and spent the night in Little India. He drank an entire 700ml bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey at his hotel at about 9 a.m. the following morning before heading to Changi's Terminal 1 for a flight to Kuala Lumpur, according to court documents cited by The Straits Times. By 3:30 p.m., after clearing immigration and reaching Gate C17, where his Scoot flight TR472 was preparing to depart, he began shouting in the seating area near the aerobridge, and other passengers alerted a Scoot employee. The employee approached him and he accused her of being racist and abused her with vulgarities, Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang told the court, according to The Straits Times. The airline then decided to off-board him. By 4:05 p.m., every other passenger on the flight had passed the boarding counter. A second Scoot employee told Karnan he would not be allowed to board, extended a strip and stood behind it to block his path. He ducked under the strip and headed for the aerobridge, shoving the woman and knocking her to the floor. She alerted a nearby security officer, who pressed the anti-hijack button and requested assistance from the Airport Police Division. The door closed before Karnan reached the plane, leaving another passenger who had not yet boarded stranded inside the aerobridge, Ang said, according to AsiaOne. An auxiliary police officer escorted him away as he launched into an expletive-laden tirade against Singapore and Malaysia. "I want England. Take me to England right now," he said. He was arrested soon after, and the Health Sciences Authority found 62mg of ethanol per 100ml in his blood specimen. | People pass the control tower of Singapore's Changi Airport, Jan. 18, 2021. Photo by Reuters | Police said in a statement in August, reported by Mothership, that the employee who tried to stop him fell and suffered injuries to her left arm and wrist. That statement put the flight delay at 45 minutes. Causing annoyance while intoxicated in a public place in Singapore carries a fine of up to S$1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. Unauthorized entry to a protected place carries a fine of up to S$20,000, up to two years in jail, or both. Police said the safe operation of security and boarding at a hub the size of Changi depends on passengers complying with lawful directions from airport authorities, and that they would not hesitate to act against travelers who compromise the safety of others.

403 ERROR The request could not be satisfied. Request blocked. We can't connect to the server for this app or website at this time. There might be too much traffic or a configuration error. Try again later, or contact the app or website owner. If you provide content to customers through CloudFront, you can find steps to troubleshoot and help prevent this error by reviewing the CloudFront documentation. Generated by cloudfront (CloudFront) Request ID: 7c_cOt71t86E8GXntq1U04qDd_1Z1-ScfXC-_DnlVVoJ3fk403BFOQ==

Before Sother Teague got cocktail famous—before he opened Amor y Amargo in New York City, and became known as one of the leading global experts on all things bitter liqueurs—he was a chef. While this isn’t all that uncommon, it is a load-bearing fact. Many a cook has looked, through heat-rippled air, out the swinging kitchen door at the (comparatively) glamorous and (again, comparatively) lucrative world of the bar, and reasoned that combining ingredients according to a recipe is something they already know how to do. The ones that have the social gifts for front-of-house work often do make the jump, and even if they love it—even if they become full-fledged bartenders and bar managers and bar owners—their culinary training tends to express itself through their drinks. It never leaves them. Which brings us back to Sother Teague, and a cocktail called the Blackberry Buck. “I often say, ‘I used to cook food, now I just make chilled soup’” writes Teague in his delightfully titled cocktail book I’m Just Here For the Drinks, “that’s why I’m particularly drawn to the more savory recipes in the cocktail canon.” Paging through his book confirms these instincts—there are savory tweaks everywhere, from subtle (e.g. a few cilantro leaves to spice some mango) to overt (e.g. a raw egg yolk, drenched in hot sauce, presented as a shot). The Blackberry Buck has both. It begins fairly straightforward, combining bourbon, blackberries, lemon, and ginger beer, very similar to a Kentucky Buck and really the kind of thing that could be invented by anyone. But Teague changes it in two ways: First, he puts a crack of black pepper on top, and second, he accents the acid profile with a dose of balsamic vinegar. We have, in this space, extolled the virtues of vinegar in cocktails before, but it’s usually presented as homework—mash up a cup of fruit, add vinegar and sugar, wait 3 days, etc. And one of the many wonderful things about the Blackberry Buck is that it’s right now; balsamic vinegar needs no pre-softening, you already have some at home, and it slides into the profile of blackberries, bourbon, and ginger like a dream. When you taste it, you immediately understand. Is the cocktail good without balsamic vinegar? Sure. A little plain, but certainly good enough. But with the balsamic it takes on new levels of depth and resonance, opening with pepper and blackberry up front, bourbon rising almost immediately, and then the midpalate is a stage for the balsamic, which plays with both the fruit and oak before yielding the floor to ginger’s building spice. It’s a “deeper, more complex flavor,” writes Teague. “Embrace the savory—you won’t look back.” Blackberry Buck - 2 oz. bourbon - 0.75 oz. lemon juice - 0.25 oz. ginger syrup - 0.25 oz. balsamic vinegar - 2 blackberries - Ginger beer - 2 cracks black pepper Add blackberries to cocktail shaker and muddle (smash) them. Add bourbon, lemon, ginger, syrup, and vinegar, and shake with ice for eight to 10 seconds. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice and garnish with a blackberry and/or the cracks of pepper. NOTES ON INGREDIENTS Ratios: The above is presented as Teague wrote it, and is delicious. For my palate, though, I must say that I preferred to reduce the lemon to halfway between 0.75 oz. and 0.5 oz. (the balsamic will bring acidity), skip ginger syrup, and add simple to the tune of 0.5 oz. That’s just me. Bourbon: All bourbons tested for this recipe are delicious, but I narrowly preferred the spicier end—I think the rye spice complements the tingling ginger on the finish nicely—so if you have many options at your disposal, grab a “high rye” bourbon like Bulleit or 1792. Ginger Syrup: Ginger Syrup is a bit of a pain in the ass, and honestly, depending on your ginger beer, you may not even need it. Grab a spicy ginger beer like Cock n’ Bull, Blenheim Ginger Ale, or Badger, and you can replace this with good old simple syrup. But if you need ginger syrup or love that extra kick, make some by either juicing fresh ginger and mixing the juice 50/50 with white sugar (spiciest) or blending 6oz ginger with 6oz sugar and 4oz hot water, then straining. Balsamic Vinegar: One variable I tried is to side-by-side test some commodity balsamic vinegar with some 18 year old artisanal stuff, and I was surprised that I actually preferred the cheaper version. High quality balsamic has much more complexity, which presents on the midpalate and draws a bunch of attention to itself. It certainly still tastes good, but I personally felt that it came at the cost of overall cocktail cohesion. Black Pepper: Helps with the nose, and deepens the experience of spice. It’s nice. But if it’s too much for you, feel free to skip it, the drink is still good without.

Midland know their way around a honky tonk song, and “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” gives the Grammy-nominated country trio a chance to dig into one with some serious history behind it. Their version takes the Chris Stapleton and Mike Henderson composition and filters its Saturday-night spirit through Midland’s harmonies, dance hall instincts and a bluegrass-flavoured chorus. The song predates Midland’s recording by years. Written by Stapleton and the late Henderson, his former bandmate in The SteelDrivers, “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” has also been recorded and performed by Gary Allan and The SteelDrivers. Its mix of confession, bad decisions and barroom energy fits comfortably inside Midland’s affection for traditional country sounds. “‘Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey’ is a seminal honky tonk up-tempo classic that Stapleton wrote and fine artists like Gary Allan and The SteelDrivers have cut and performed,” frontman Mark Wystrach said. “We liked the song as it provided us with an opportunity to do a bluegrass arrangement on the chorus that really soars!” That bluegrass turn gives Midland’s recording its own personality. The trio’s harmonies are a natural fit for the arrangement, especially when the chorus opens up, while the song’s quick-moving rhythm keeps it firmly connected to the dance floor. It sounds built for a crowded room, with enough looseness in the performance to preserve the drinking song atmosphere at the heart of the writing. Wystrach called the song “catchy as hell, up-tempo, and a lot of fun to play and sing,” which helps explain why Midland added it to their repertoire. Their music has long drawn from honky tonk and neotraditional country, and “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” gives those influences plenty of room to breathe while allowing the group to put its vocal identity on a song already associated with some formidable country and bluegrass names. The recording followed “Marlboro Man,” which Midland released in January as another piece of new music for 2026. When “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” arrived, the trio were taking both songs on the road alongside material from across their catalogue, with a spring and summer schedule that included headlining performances in the United States and Europe. “Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey” ultimately lands exactly where Midland sound comfortable: somewhere between a dance hall, a dive bar and a harmony-heavy country record. The bluegrass lift in the chorus is the clever touch, giving a well-travelled song another distinctive arrangement while keeping its boot-stomping appeal intact.

Two shots of whiskey and a whole lot of unresolved feelings: this is the ex-text you actually want to send. Opening above the Old Red Lion pub in Angel on Thursday 3rd September, Oil & Whiskey: Don’t Text Your Ex proves heartbreak sounds better with a country-rock band behind it. Written by Kit Nolan and Dax Wiley, this musical dramedy compresses an entire doomed relationship – the longing, the fireworks, the inevitable falling-out – into one whiskey-soaked hour, and leaves you both wrecked and grinning by last orders. The four-piece band gives the whole show its country lilt, weaving through every scene without once letting the energy dip: this is a score built for ear worms, not elevator music. I was on Spotify before I’d even reached the tube home, which says good things about the soundtrack and probably less flattering things about my own relationship history. Opening-night nerves vanish with the first shot of whiskey – yes, there’s a toast, and it works as an icebreaker for cast and audience alike. From there, Juliet Perel’s Zelda arrives with real force, all Ariana Grande control with an Ella Langley twang. Cornelius Versa’s Teddy counters with a Josh Turner-deep croon that makes every apology sound both sincere and suspicious. Their chemistry carries the show, and it’s genuinely convincing. Sarah Giulianti’s protective best friend is a scene-stealer, calling the ex “trash” with the conviction of someone who’s personally been at the end of the phone at 2am. KJ Nugin’s Ray, part narrator, part sassy pub landlord pouring shots and home truths, gets the biggest laugh of the night preaching the joys of being single. Where the show earns its “dramedy” tag is in how quickly it swings from belting duets (“Jealous” is a genuine gut-punch) to gut-laughs to that quietly devastating moment where you realise the relationship is over and the room already knew it before the characters did. If there’s a note of critique, it’s that the tiny stage can’t quite contain the energy this cast is throwing at it. The vocals, the chemistry and the country swagger all need more room to move. By the final toast, this had stopped feeling like a show and started feeling like the best, saddest night out at a bar you’ve ever had. It deserves a life well beyond a room above a pub; West End, Broadway, somewhere with a stage big enough to match its twang. Your ex might be the one that got away, don’t let this show be the next one. Oil & Whiskey runs until Saturday 19th September 2026 at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Angel.