Google News(Scotch/Distillery)|原題:The Last Ever Gordon & MacPhail Talisker: A Fitting Farewell to a Legend - The Whiskey Wash
Gordon & MacPhail宣布停止獨立裝瓶業務,其最後一款Talisker為1987年份、39年老酒,全球限量451瓶、酒精度51.4%,採用單一雪莉桶熟成。此酒已在英國售罄,代表一個時代終結。品酒師認為這支酒完美詮釋Talisker的經典特色——鼻腔呈現雪莉桶的焦糖巧克力與熱帶水果,口感則展現招牌的黑胡椒煙燻與肉感辛香,整體優雅成熟,獲得9/10高分,是對Talisker傳奇的完美告別。
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There are certain bottles that carry a weight beyond what is in the glass, and this 1987 Talisker is one of them. At 39 years old, drawn from a single refill sherry butt and limited to just 451 bottles at 51.4%, it is a genuine piece of history.
The Dalmore Concludes Cask Curation Series with $47k Madeira Cask Edition
READ THE STORYBut its real significance lies in what it represents: this is the last ever Talisker that will be bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. That fact alone explains why it has sold out almost everywhere in the UK, and it is the reason I approached this pour with a mix of excitement and, honestly, a little nervousness.
Independently bottled Talisker has never been the most common thing in the world. I remember my days working at The Whisky Shop, when younger expressions from the likes of Hunter Laing would come through, but something of this age is a rare beast indeed. And as I have said before, if you want anyone bottling your old whisky, Gordon & MacPhail is probably the name you want on the label.
On the nose, this leans into a classic sherry profile far more than the Glen Grant I looked at recently. There is rum and raisin fudginess, melted milk chocolate, that Nutella hazelnut feel, and a wonderful streak of exotic fruit running through mango, pineapple, and fresh green apple. I searched for the smoke and found only the faintest tingle, which is exactly what you would expect from something approaching four decades in the cask.
The palate tells a different story. This is where it becomes unmistakably Talisker. All the peppery, meaty, robust spice we love is there, opening with an almost Reuben sandwich quality of slow-cooked brisket, brine and pickles, before a huge slab of bright orange jelly cuts through. The chocolate softens, but that chilli pepper smokiness we all associate with the distillery arrives with real potency.
On later sips, it turns beautifully botanical, all pine resin, mint and coriander seed, thick and chewy and clinging to every part of the mouth.
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I have said before that Talisker as a distillery feels a little lacklustre right now, with many people falling out of love with the standard bottlings. This is the perfect rebuttal. It is a stunning, elegant old whisky, and it earns a nine out of ten from me. What was your first ever Talisker, and does the smoke still win you over the way it does me?
To see my full tasting of Gordon & Macphail’s final Talisker, check out my YouTube video.
Google News(ウイスキー)|原題:オーケー、ウイスキー「山崎12年」「白州12年」「響」「竹鶴」など抽選販売 - gourmet.watch.impress.co.jp
日本折扣超市OK超市自9月7日起推出日本威士忌抽選販售活動。限定app會員參加,需具備購買實績才可申購。販售酒款包括三得利山崎12年、白州12年、響 Japanese Harmony等,以及朝日集團尼卡竹鶴ピュアモルト、Nikka From The Barrel等系列商品。山崎12年與白州12年售價分別為17,600日圓,響為8,800日圓。9月20日截止申購,9月28日公布中獎名單。
Google News(ウイスキー)|原題:【9/15火大宮開催】世界200以上の蒸留所を知るアンバサダーが登壇!次世代ジャパニーズウイスキーKANOSUKEの魅力と可能性を多角的にひも解く特別セミナーを BAR 大宮ウイスキーサロン で開催! - 南日本新聞
嘉之助蒸溜所將於2026年9月15日在埼玉縣大宮的威士忌酒吧舉辦特別研討會。KANOSUKE品牌大使石原達也曾視察全球200家以上蒸留所,將深入探討「Next Generation Japanese Whisky from Kagoshima's Mellow Coast」這一品牌願景,講述鹿児島焼酎傳統與威士忌創新的融合。活動包含8種原酒試飲,參加費5,000日圓(約台幣1,100元),適合威士忌愛好者與業界人士深入認識日本威士忌發展現況與未來方向。
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「鹿児島・九州プレスリリース」は、「PR TIMES」から提供を受けた企業・団体のニュースリリースを掲載しています。南日本新聞社が製品やサービスの購入・利用を推奨したり、その品質・内容を保証したりするものではありません。
株式会社ロイヤルマイルKANOSUKEヘッド・オブ・ブランド・アドボカシーの石原達氏がKANOSUKEのスローガンを多角的にひも解き、KANOSUKE(嘉之助)が目指す次世代ジャパニーズウイスキーの魅力と可能性に迫ります。
KANOSUKE特別セミナー2026年9月15日(火) BAR 大宮 ウイスキーサロンにて
BAR 大宮ウイスキーサロン(所在地:埼玉県さいたま市大宮区、オーナー:木原 フランチャイズ本部:株式会社ロイヤルマイル 東京都新宿区、代表取締役:静谷和典)は、
2026年9月15日(火)19:00より、鹿児島・嘉之助蒸溜所の魅力に迫る特別セミナー「
Next Generation Japanese Whisky from Kagoshima's Mellow Coast - 鹿児島から世界に挑む、次世代ジャパニーズウイスキー -」を開催いたします。詳細・ご予約は
特設公式ホームページにてご確認いただけます。
詳細・ご予約はこちら
本セミナーでは、世界5大ウイスキーやニューワールドを含む
世界各地200カ所以上のウイスキー蒸留所を視察してきたKANOSUKEブランドアンバサダー・石原達也氏をお招きし、KANOSUKEが掲げる「Next Generation Japanese Whisky from Kagoshima's Mellow Coast」というスローガンの意味を多角的にひも解きます。
さらに、
ブランドの魅力を体感できる8種類程度のテイスティングアイテムをご用意。ウイスキー愛好家から業界関係者まで、ジャパニーズウイスキーの現在地と未来を深く学べるプレミアムな一夜をお届けします。
世界200以上の蒸留所を知るブランドアンバサダーが登壇
国内外の蒸留所を巡り、ウイスキーの最前線を見つめ続けてきたヘッド・オブ・ブランド・アドボカシーの石原達也氏が、KANOSUKEのウイスキー造りのこだわりや哲学を分かりやすく解説します。
贅沢な「8種類程度」のテイスティング
解説とともに、KANOSUKEの多彩な原酒やラインナップを実際に味わえる8種類程度の試飲をご用意。テイスティングを通じて、味わいの設計思想や進化を五感で体感していただけます。
BAR 大宮 ウイスキーサロンならではの深く没入できる空間
厳選されたボトルが並ぶウイスキーバーという特別な空間、そして講師との心地よい距離感の中でグラスを傾け、深い学びと対話を楽しめる贅沢な時間を提供します。
詳細・ご予約はこちら
嘉之助蒸溜所が掲げるスローガン「Next Generation Japanese Whisky from Kagoshima's Mellow Coast(鹿児島発、世界に挑む次世代ジャパニーズウイスキー KANOSUKE)」。
長い歴史を持つ焼酎造りの「伝統」と、ウイスキー造りにおける「革新」、そして鹿児島の風土(テロワール)がもたらす独自性とは何か。世界中の蒸留所を知る石原氏ならではのグローバルな比較視点を交えながら、KANOSUKEというひとつの答え、そしてこれからの可能性に迫ります。
KANOSUKE ブランドアンバサダー 石原 達也(いしはら たつや)氏
石原 達也(いしはら たつや)氏
KANOSUKE ヘッド・オブ・ブランド・アドボカシー
世界200カ所以上におよぶウイスキー蒸留所を実際に訪問・視察し、国内外のウイスキー文化と製造現場に精通。現在はKANOSUKE(嘉之助蒸溜所)のブランドアンバサダーとして、鹿児島の風土が育むウイスキーの魅力を国内外へ広く発信している。
イベント名:KANOSUKE特別セミナー
「Next Generation Japanese Whisky from Kagoshima's Mellow Coast」
- 鹿児島から世界に挑む、次世代ジャパニーズウイスキー -
開催日時:2026年9月15日(火)19:00 開始(※受付・詳細は追ってご案内)
会 場:BAR大宮ウイスキーサロン
Google map
〒330-0845 埼玉県さいたま市大宮区仲町2丁目85 AXIS-COA 1階
講 師:石原 達也 氏(KANOSUKEブランドアンバサダー)
参加費:5,000円(税込 / 8種類程度のテイスティング付き)
イベント特設ページ:https://omiya-whiskysalon.com/kanosuke_seminar2026.html
【店舗概要 / お問い合わせ先】
BAR大宮ウイスキーサロン
店舗名:BAR大宮ウイスキーサロン
〒330-0845
埼玉県さいたま市大宮区仲町2丁目85
AXIS-COA 1階
Google map
お問い合わせ:048-606-4700
公式URL:https://omiya-whiskysalon.com/
会社名:株式会社ロイヤルマイル (BAR ウイスキーサロンのフランチャイズ本部)
代表者:代表取締役 静谷 和典(しずたにえん)
事業内容:バーの運営、オリジナルグラス「咲グラス」等のブランド展開、蒸留所プロジェクトの推進など
公式ホームページ:
https://www.royalmile.tokyo/企業プレスリリース詳細へPR TIMESトップへ
fake liquor Bombay Whisky complaint excise department no action News: Read Latest News and Live Updates on fake liquor Bombay Whisky complaint excise department no action, Photos, and Videos at DNAIndia
FAKE LIQUOR BOMBAY WHISKY COMPLAINT EXCISE DEPARTMENT NO ACTION
Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:Matt Johns: Pōkeno Whisky co-founder on the company being chosen for world-first climate study - The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin - iHeart|僅標題
(僅標題資訊)紐西蘭威士忌酒廠 Pōkeno Whisky 創辦人 Matt Johns 分享公司被選中參與全球首項氣候研究的相關訊息。此項研究可能涉及威士忌生產與氣候變遷的關係,代表該酒廠在永續發展與環保創新方面的領先地位。
Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:Old Monk isn't rum, says FSSAI: What Indians really drink as whisky and rum - The Federal
印度食品安全局(FSSAI)針對 Old Monk 的酒款分類做出澄清,表示其並非蘭姆酒。報導探討印度消費者實際飲用的威士忌和蘭姆酒產品,涉及產業標準和消費者認知的差異。此舉對印度烈酒市場的產品分類和監管有重要影響。
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Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:Taste Test: Four Roses’ New Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon Is One of the Year’s Best Whiskeys - Robb Report
美國威士忌評論家 Jonah Flicker 品評 Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon,獲得98分,認為是今年最佳波本威士忌之一。此款採用14年OBSK(31%)、14年OESK(39%)、15年OESV(20%)和23年OESK(10%)調配,酒精度109.2度。品酒師主任 Brent Elliott 表示,少量23年老酒能帶來深層橡木風味卻不失年輕波本的活潑特色。風味具甜焦糖、香料、果香(蘋果、桃子、樹莓)與香草肉桂等特點。預定10月10日發售,全球限量16,800瓶,建議零售價$250(約台幣8,000元),在酒廠與精選零售商販售。
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Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Sunday for his latest whiskey review.
It’s September, and that means that bourbon‘s greatest hits are starting to roll out once again in the form of the limited-edition annual releases that drop every fall. These whiskeys promise a lot based on their reputation, so when they don’t deliver it can be pretty disappointing to the whiskey world. But we have some good news—the new Four Roses 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon not only delivers, but far surpasses expectations. In fact, it’s a contender for one of the best bourbons of the year, but—as usual—it might not be so easy to find a bottle.
Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is different every year, so it’s helpful to provide the basic details about the latest release. It’s a blend of four of the distillery’s ten recipes (made from two mashbills and five different yeast strains): 14-year-old OBSK (31 percent), 14-year-old OESK (39 percent), 15-year-old OESV (20 percent), and 23-year-old OESK (10 percent). All of these component whiskeys are much older than regular Four Roses bourbon, which is usually aged between five and seven years, and the final blend was bottled at 109.2 proof. According to master distiller Brent Elliott, that minimal addition of the 23-year-old bourbon to the blend anchors deep oak flavors without it becoming the main focal point. “It’s not enough to overpower or shift the dynamic from the vibrant, interesting notes that you usually get with the younger bourbon,” he said during a recent media Zoom tasting. And I think he’s spot on here.
This is just a superb bourbon. Right out of the gate, a burst of sweet caramel hits you as you take a sip. That slowly evolves into spice, a fruit basket of apple, peach, and raspberry, along with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and orange peel. The palate is incredibly balanced, leaning one way then pulling back and heading off in a different direction. Ultimately, this is the best version of this whiskey that I’ve tried—at least as far as I can remember. Truthfully, that’s kind of hard to say without trying a few batches side by side, but I stand by that sentiment because no other edition of this bourbon has hit me with the same immediacy that this one did.
Of course, as usual Four Roses LE Small Batch is probably going to be a difficult bottle to find. 16,800 are being released with a suggested retail price of $250, and you can find one at the distillery visitor center or select retailers beginning on October 10. Your best bet is to probably to peruse secondary market websites if your local liquor store doesn’t traffic in fine spirits, but the good news is that past releases are actually selling for not too much more than the list price. It remains to be seen how that will play out with this new edition, but if you stumble upon one in the wild this is a bourbon that is absolutely worth the splurge.
Score: 98
- 100 Worth trading your first born for
- 95 – 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet
- 90 – 94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram
- 85 – 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market
- 80 – 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable
- Below 80 It’s Alright: Honestly, we probably won’t waste your time and ours with this
Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:This Beloved Maker’s Mark Whiskey Is Back - Sporked
Maker's Mark 連續第四年發售「Cellar Aged」窖藏威士忌,今年配比創新高,採用18%的14年威士忌、33%的12年威士忌和49%的11年威士忌混合。酒款於肯塔基石灰岩地窖中熟成,保持品牌特色甜感的同時增添風味深度。每瓶約175美元,9月1日上市,限量供應。
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Cocktail enthusiasts and old fashioned-lovers alike can breathe a sweet sigh of relief and rejoice together with the announcement that one of the country’s most coveted bourbons has once again come through for whiskey aficionados. That’s right, for the fourth year in a row, Maker’s Mark is releasing a new blend of its “Cellar Aged” Whiskey.
Videos by Sporked
With each year that Maker’s Mark releases this fan-favorite whiskey, the company sets out to make something that’s not only better than ever, but true to the flavors and drinking qualities that define the brand’s unique bourbons. But what makes this whiskey any different from a regular batch of Maker’s Mark, and how does this year’s blend differ from past years? Well, that’s what we’re here for. Let’s break it down together and see if this is the whiskey we’ll be reaching for to fill our glasses in the season to come.
Classic Vs. Cellar Aged — What’s The Difference?
For anyone unfamiliar with the aging process of Maker’s Mark whiskey, it is traditionally made from distilled corn, red winter wheat, and malted barley and aged in barrels in a warehouse. The trademark flavor of Maker’s Mark in part comes from rotating its barrels throughout the aging process. This is a process that is maintained across all of its bourbons.
Where the “Cellar Aged” bottles differ is at the seven to nine year aging mark. At this point, select bottles are placed in a LEED-certified limestone cellar in the Kentucky hills. This change of environment to finish the aging process allows the whiskey to age more slowly, maintaining the approachability and sweet characteristics that the Maker’s Mark label is known for, whilst increasing the depth of flavor without taking on all of the woodiness of the barrel’s inherent flavors.
Is It Different Than Last Year’s?
Actually, yes! Each year of the “Cellar Aged” collections’ launch is markedly different from the last as they blend the bottles using different percentages of aged bourbon each year. A long tasting process, filled with encouraged debate, allows the company to determine which blend best represents the trademark Maker’s Mark flavor profile.
This year’s blend is unique in the sense that it has the highest percentage of their longest age whiskey in the mix to date. Their longest age whiskey in the blend is the 14-year aged bourbon, of which each bottle contains 18% of — 2% higher than the 2025 blend. The remainder of the bottle is comprised of impressively aged bourbon as well, though. 33% of the bottle is made up of 12-year aged bourbon, and the remaining 49% is 11-year aged bourbon. Altogether, they’ve created what the company is saying demonstrates the artistry of Makers’ blending.
Each bottle of the deeply flavored, and yet not-at-all bitter, whiskey comes in at around $175. But, they’re not going to be on shelves in abundance either. These distinctly limited-batch, cask-strength bottles are hitting shelves on September 1st. So act quick if this innovation from Maker’s Mark is bound to excite your palate.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Google News(Scotch/Distillery)|原題:The TREX Factor: Discovering Highland Park 20 Years Single Cask Series, a Duty Zero by cdf exclusive - Moodie Davitt Report|僅標題
(僅標題資訊)Highland Park 推出全新 20 Years Single Cask Series 威士忌,為蘇格蘭高地區經典品牌的限量單桶裝瓶。此款由 cdf 獨家販售,屬於 Duty Zero 系列產品。單桶威士忌因每桶風味獨特而備受收藏家青睞,Highland Park 以其煙燻泥煤特色聞名,本款 20 年陳釀應具有相當成熟複雜的風味表現。
Costco’s Kirkland Signature range has built a reputation on bottles that outperform their price. In our recent survey The Whiskey Wash readers confirmed their Costco favorites; Bourbon took four of the top five places, and the 12-year-old blended Scotch beat both of Costco’s single malts.
The Dalmore Concludes Cask Curation Series with $47k Madeira Cask Edition
READ THE STORYHowever, one bottle finished last on every single measure we recorded, which no other whiskey in the range managed. The Kirkland Signature Tennessee Whiskey took 875 points, fewer than a third of the winner’s total, and only 109 readers out of 2,724 named it as their favorite.
It is not a bad whiskey, and the voting shows most readers have owned it at some point. It is simply outgunned by what sits alongside it.
Why Kirkland Signature Tennessee Whiskey Finished Last
The voting pattern is more revealing than the placing. The Tennessee whiskey collected 268 third-place votes, more than its first and second places combined, and appeared on 517 ballots in total, or 19 percent. Readers know the bottle and many of them own it. Almost nobody rates it above anything else in the cart.
Tennessee Distilling Ltd. produces it in Columbia, ages it for four years and puts it through the Lincoln County Process, the sugar maple charcoal filtration that legally separates Tennessee whiskey from Kentucky bourbon. It sits stylistically between the state’s two giants, drier than Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 and with more body than George Dickel, and it carries decent notes of leather, walnut, caramel and maple syrup.
The problem is the strength, as at only 80 proof it disappears into anything more assertive than cola, and it lacks the weight to reward drinking neat. At $22 to $37 for 1.75 liters it is cheap, but Costco’s own shelves now hold better ways to spend the same money.
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What to Buy at Costco Instead
The most direct swap is the Kirkland Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon, which arrived in warehouses in May 2026 and finished fifth in our survey on its first outing. It matches the Tennessee whiskey on format and roughly on price, at 1.75 liters for a tracked average of $27.30, and improves on it everywhere else. It runs at 92 proof, comes non-chill filtered, and took a gold medal and 92 points from Tastings.com in April.
If you want the best bottle in the range rather than the best value by volume, the Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond bourbon costs around $25 for a liter and drew more first-place votes than any other Kirkland whiskey. Barton 1792 distills it, the federal Bottled-in-Bond standard guarantees the age and the 100 proof, and it holds its shape in a cocktail in a way the Tennessee whiskey never quite manages.
Award-Winning Tennessee Whiskeys Under $60
If you specifically want Tennessee whiskey rather than bourbon, the category has produced some genuinely cheap medal winners over the past two years.
Jack Daniel’s Bonded, $27.
Named World’s Best Tennessee Whiskey in the no age statement category at the World Whiskies Awards America 2026. It is bottled in bond at 100 proof, aged a minimum of four years, and charcoal mellowed through sugar maple in the usual Lynchburg way. Expect seared corn, caramel, butterscotch, toasted marshmallow and maple. A 750ml bottle costs roughly what Costco charges for 1.75 liters of the Kirkland, so you are paying for strength and structure rather than volume.
Bib & Tucker 6 Year Old, $45.
A silver medal winner at the World Whiskies Awards 2025, sourced rather than distilled in house, and aged at least six years in new American white oak. At 92 proof it delivers pecan pie, warm baking spice and chestnut, with a silky finish that drinks well above the price.
Uncle Nearest Cognac Cask, Barrel 006, $54.99.
Tennessee Whiskey of the Year at the London Spirits Competition 2026, with a gold medal and 92 points. The distillery honors Nathan “Nearest” Green, the first known African American master distiller and the man who taught Jack Daniel, and this release is blended by his great-great-granddaughter, Victoria Eady Butler. Aged in charred oak and finished in French cognac casks at 100 proof, it brings dark cherry, salted caramel and dark chocolate over the maple charcoal base.
The pattern across every alternative here is the same. Each one is bottled at 92 proof or higher, and each one costs more per bottle than the Kirkland. Strength is what the Tennessee whiskey is short of, and it is the one thing you cannot get cheaply by buying in volume.
Google News(Scotch/Distillery)|原題:Living Souls Whisky 2026: Six New Releases - thedailywhisky.com
獨立裝瓶商 Living Souls 推出六款蘇格蘭威士忌,價格從£66.95到£274.95。陣容包括15年Tamnavulin(入門款)、19年Glen Moray雪莉桶完成、21年Kildalton Islay泥煤款,以及兩款來自已停業酒廠的珍稀穀物威士忌——27年Dumbarton和鎮店之寶50年Carsebridge(1983年停產)。特別值得關注的是16年99&1 Error #2,延續首發版本的概念(99%未泥煤+1%泥煤)。全數即日起於Master of Malt發售。
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Living Souls whisky has arrived in a six-bottle drop, and the range is the story: a 15-year-old Speyside malt you can buy for under £70 sits alongside a half-century-old grain from a distillery silent for over forty years. In between there is a peated Islay 21, a sherry-finished Glen Moray, a tropical 27-year-old Dumbarton grain, and the return of the 99&1 concept as Error #2.
The prices run from £66.95 to £274.95. Every bottle is 70cl. Four are single malts, two are single grains, and all six are out now through Master of Malt.
If you have been following the Living Souls label, one name on that list will stop you: the 99&1 16 Year Old, badged Error #2. We have tasted the original 99&1, and it was outstanding, which is exactly why a second “error” makes us raise an eyebrow. More on that below.
What is Living Souls whisky?
Living Souls is an independent Scottish bottling label built around limited, small-batch releases of single malt, blended malt and blended Scotch. An independent bottler buys casks from distilleries (rather than distilling its own spirit) and bottles them under its own name, often disclosing the distillery, sometimes not.
This new set leans into two things independent bottlers do best. First, single casks and small vattings from named distilleries at ages the distilleries themselves rarely release. Second, whisky from closed, or “silent”, distilleries that no longer produce, where the only way to taste them is through stock that independents have held for decades.
The six bottles at a glance
Tasting notes below are the official released notes for each whisky, except where we say otherwise. We have hands-on history only with the 99&1 line.
| Bottle | Age | Style and region | Casks | ABV | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamnavulin 15 | 15 yrs | Single malt, Speyside | Bourbon barrels | 48% | £66.95 |
| Dumbarton 27 | 27 yrs | Single grain, Lowland (closed) | Refill casks | 48.4% | £84.95 |
| Glen Moray 19 | 19 yrs | Single malt, Speyside | Amoroso sherry hogshead finish | 50.5% | £94.95 |
| 99&1 16 (Error #2) | 16 yrs | Single malt, northern Highlands | Multiple casks | 52.1% | £98.95 |
| Kildalton 21 | 21 yrs | Single malt, Islay | Refill bourbon and sherry | 42.6% | £139.95 |
| Carsebridge 50 | 50 yrs | Single grain, Lowland (closed) | First-fill bourbon finish | 40.3% | £274.95 |
The entry point: Tamnavulin 15 Year Old
At £66.95 this is the way into the range, and it is a straightforward showcase of Speyside malt left in bourbon barrels for 15 years. Tamnavulin is a quiet workhorse of the region, a distillery whose single malt turns up far less often than its output would suggest.
Style: Single malt, Speyside Age: 15 years Casks: Bourbon barrels ABV: 48% Price: £66.95
Nose: Toasted marzipan, fresh apple, pear drops, vanilla shortbread.
Palate: Red apples, treacle and ginger loaf, creamy malt, buttered soda bread.
Finish: Vanilla fudge, toasted oak, pancake batter, golden syrup.
Sherry sweetness: Glen Moray 19 Year Old
Glen Moray is one of the great value Speysiders, and here it gets 19 years plus an amoroso sherry hogshead finish. Amoroso is a sweetened oloroso-style sherry, so the finish pushes the malt towards dessert: the released notes point to nougat, honeyed malt and boiled sweets. At £94.95 and 50.5%, it is the sweet, sherried option in the set.
Style: Single malt, Speyside Age: 19 years Casks: 19 years maturation with an amoroso sherry hogshead finish ABV:50.5% Price: £94.95 Profile: Nougat, honeyed malt, boiled sweets.
The Islay: Kildalton 21 Year Old
“Kildalton” is the name independent bottlers use for an undisclosed Islay malt. Kildalton is the parish on the south-east coast of Islay that is home to the island’s most famous peated distilleries, so the label tells you the postcode without naming the maker. This one is 21 years old across refill bourbon and sherry casks, bottled at a gentle 42.6%.
Style: Single malt, Islay (undisclosed) Age: 21 years Casks: Refill bourbon and sherry ABV: 42.6% Price: £139.95
Nose: Warming spices, medicinal peat, burnt brown sugar, barbecued pineapple. Palate: Dried fruits, dark caramel, a prickle of peppercorn heat. Finish: Rich, smoky, herbaceous.
Lost distilleries: Dumbarton 27 and Carsebridge 50
The two grains are the collector’s corner of this release, both from Lowland distilleries that no longer exist.
Dumbarton, the grain plant behind Ballantine’s for decades, closed in the early 2000s. This 27-year-old spent its life in refill casks and has turned tropical: mandarin, coconut cream, ginger and papaya. At 48.4% and £84.95, it is a lot of age for the money and a good introduction to why aged single grain has a following.
Carsebridge is the headline. The distillery fell silent in 1983, so a 50-year-old from it is a genuine time capsule. Half a century in wood, finished in a first-fill bourbon barrel, and bottled at a natural 40.3%, it stays delicate rather than woody. At £274.95 it is the trophy of the set.
Dumbarton 27 Year Old Style: Single grain, Lowland (closed) Casks: Refill casks ABV: 48.4% | Price: £84.95
Nose:Mandarin, buttery pastry, honeyed nuts, soft stone fruits.
Palate: Oaken vanilla and coconut, zesty orange peel, ginger loaf.
Finish: Candied ginger, dried lemon, honeydew melon.
Carsebridge 50 Year Old Style: Single grain, Lowland (closed) Casks: First-fill bourbon barrel finish ABV: 40.3% | Price: £274.95
Nose: Orange blossom, lemon sherbet, butter shortbread.
Palate: Mandarin, vanilla fudge, cardamom buns, a gentle touch of coconut.
The one we care about most: 99&1 16 Year Old (Error #2)
This is the bottle that made us look twice. The 99&1 name is the recipe: a “mostly” unpeated northern Highland single malt with roughly one percent peated malt in the mix. According to Living Souls, that one percent got in by accident, a small amount of peated spirit from the same distillery added to the batch before it was re-racked into multiple casks. Hence “Error”. It is bottled at 52.1% and priced at £98.95.
Here is our honest position. We tasted the original 99&1, and it was one of the most complete drams to cross our table that year, with all the layered fruit and the faint curl of smoke that the concept promises. So when a second “error” appears, in the same house, with the same trick, we are allowed a knowing smile. Whether Error #2 is a genuine repeat accident or a happy formula worth reproducing on purpose, we honestly do not mind. If it lands anywhere near the first, this is the bottle in the range we would open first.
There are no official tasting notes out yet, and we have not tasted this exact batch, so we are not going to invent a nose for it. A full review will follow once we have a glass in hand.
Style: Single malt, northern Highlands Age: 16 years Concept: “99&1”, roughly 99% unpeated with about 1% peated malt from the same distillery ABV: 52.1% Price: £98.95
Price and availability
All six are available now from Master of Malt in 70cl, priced from £66.95 for the Tamnavulin 15 to £274.95 for the Carsebridge 50. Master of Malt ships to much of Europe and beyond, so readers outside the UK can order directly, subject to local import rules. These are small-batch bottlings, so the older and rarer names (the Carsebridge 50 in particular) are the ones likely to sell through first.
Which one is for you?
If you want the easy recommendation, the Tamnavulin 15 at £66.95 is the range’s value pick and an honest, fruity Speysider for everyday drinking. If you want sweetness and body, the sherry-finished Glen Moray 19 is the one. Peat drinkers have the Kildalton 21, an Islay malt at a relaxed strength that puts fruit alongside the smoke. Grain enthusiasts get two very different lessons in age with the Dumbarton 27 and the Carsebridge 50. And if you already know the 99&1 story, Error #2 is the one to watch, and the one we will be reviewing in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Living Souls 2026 release? Living Souls has released six new Scotch whiskies a
Decadent Drinks’ August release has landed, and it is an unusually wide spread: six bottles running from a 41-year-old Ardmore down to a pair of sherried 19-year-olds. Two of them come under the Whiskyland banner, and those are the two we would put in front of you first: a 34-year-old Dufftown and, the headline of the whole drop, the first ever independent bottling of Daftmill.
Both are old, both are Whiskyland, and they pull in opposite directions in the glass, which is part of what makes them the pick of the release. One is still on the shelf. The other has already gone. We will start with the pair, then walk through the rest so you can see where they sit.
The focus: two old Whiskyland bottlings
Whiskyland is the flagship range from Decadent Drinks, the independent bottler run by whisky writer Angus MacRaild, the man behind the satirical WhiskySponge blog and a co-founder of Kythe Distillery. The company started in 2019 as the bottling arm of that blog and built its name on casks chosen for character, presented naturally, without chill-filtration or added colour. When WhiskySponge closed at 100 editions, Whiskyland took over, releasing numbered “chapters” wrapped in an ongoing comic mythology about the imaginary land the whisky supposedly comes from.
Two of those chapters carry this release.
Whiskyland Chapter Thirty-Seven Dufftown 34 years old is a single cask distilled in 1991 and matured for its whole life in a refill bourbon barrel, bottled at natural cask strength of 51.1%. Dufftown is a Speyside distillery in the town that bills itself as the whisky capital of Scotland, and as an owner’s bottling it mostly appears as The Singleton of Dufftown. A cask-strength single cask at this age is something you will only really find through an independent bottler, which is a large part of the appeal.
Whiskyland Chapter Thirty-Five Daftmill 20 years old is the one people will remember this release for. Daftmill is a cult Lowland farm distillery in Fife, run by the Cuthbert family, and until now every bottle it has ever released has been an official one. This is the first independent Daftmill ever, and the oldest Daftmill bottled to date. It is a small batch rather than a single cask, a marriage of a first-fill sherry butt and a first-fill bourbon barrel, distilled in 2006 and bottled with a little reduction at 53%. For a distillery this closely guarded, letting an outside bottler release a cask is a genuine mark of trust, and unsurprisingly it sold quickly on a one-bottle-per-customer limit.
So the two sit at opposite ends of the flavour map. The Dufftown is the fresh, honeyed, waxy old Speyside; the Daftmill is a dense, sherried Lowland full of dark fruit and tobacco. Between them they show the range Whiskyland covers.
Dufftown 34 vs Daftmill 20 at a glance
| Dufftown 34 (Ch. 37) | Daftmill 20 (Ch. 35) | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Speyside | Lowland |
| Distilled / Age | 1991 / 34 years | 2006 / 20 years |
| ABV | 51.1% (natural cask strength) | 53% (gently reduced) |
| Cask | Refill bourbon barrel (single cask) | 1st-fill sherry butt + 1st-fill bourbon barrel (small batch) |
| Profile | Fresh, honeyed, waxy, citrus and green fruit | Rich sherry, dark fruit, tobacco, chocolate, treacle |
| Availability | In stock, £485 | Sold out |
| Best for | Old-Speyside seekers who want elegance and lift | Collectors, and sherried old-malt lovers who caught it |
Decadent Drinks describes the Dufftown as fresher than its age suggests, opening into honey, citrus and green fruit, then an old-and-young palate of orchard and exotic fruit, flower nectar, runny honey and gentle cedar and sandalwood, closing on wax, dried flowers, lemon rind and a mineral, herbal-tea edge.
The Daftmill is the darker, richer of the two: a classical sherry nose of damp tobacco, cedar cigar box, plum wine, star anise and Dundee fruit cake turning honeyed, then a dense, treacly palate of plummy dark fruit, black tea, caramelised demerara, salted dark chocolate and liquorice, closing long with tobacco, chocolate, plum wine and a faint menthol lift. Full structured notes for both are in the tasting block below.
The rest of the August release
The other four bottles cover a lot of ground.
The Ardmore 41 years old is the oldest thing in the drop. Ardmore is a Highland distillery best known for its peated malt, most of which historically went into Teacher’s blends, so an official-age single malt at 41 years is a rare sight. Full specs were not listed at the time of writing, so confirm the ABV, cask and price on the product page.
The Old Orkney Relics 30 years old is the sentimental pick, and the most affordable at £120. Decadent Drinks owns the historic Old Orkney brand, and this is the final cask of Gordon & MacPhail’s original Old Orkney blend: whiskies distilled in 1996, married with a high proportion of Orkney malt, matured 30 years in a refill sherry butt and bottled at a soft, easy 41.7%. It leans into beeswax, heather honey, dried fruit and a waxy, leathery old-blend character.
Rounding out the drop are two richly sherried 19-year-olds under the Decadent Drams label, both bottled at a gently reduced 53%. The Tamdhu 19 (£149) comes from a second-fill sherry hogshead and is the more composed of the two, all sultana, date, fig and prune with earthy dark-bread and tobacco notes. The Dailuaine 19 (£145) is the bigger, meatier one: thirteen years in a refill hogshead then six in a first-fill sherry hogshead, giving a dense, classical sherry profile of dark-fruit chutney, plums in Armagnac, liquorice and bitter chocolate. Dailuaine is a Speyside distillery with a naturally weighty spirit, long valued as a blending malt, which is why it stands up to that much sherry.
Price and availability
Everything is sold directly through decadent-drinks.com, which ships from the UK and handles international orders, including the US and much of Europe, with duty paid at checkout on many routes. As of writing, the two Whiskyland bottles are both in stock.
| Bottle | ABV | Cask | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardmore 41 | 45,3% | Refill Hogshead | £399 |
| Whiskyland Dufftown 34 | 51.1% | Refill bourbon barrel | £485 |
| Daftmill 20 | 53% | First-fill sherry butt + barrel | £265 |
| Old Orkney Relics 30 | 41.7% | Refill sherry butt (blend) | £120 |
| Decadent Drams Tamdhu 19 | 53% | 2nd-fill sherry hogshead | £149 |
| Decadent Drams Dailuaine 19 | 53% | 1st-fill sherry hogshead finish | £145 |
These are single casks and small batches, so numbers are limited and the older bottles rarely hang around. Treat “in stock today” as exactly that.
Which to prioritise
The Daftmill 20 was always going to be the bottle everyone wanted, being the first independent Daftmill and the oldest yet bottled, and it went accordingly. If you got one, hold onto it.
If you missed it, or you would rather buy something to actually open, the Dufftown 34 is our pick of what is still available: old cask-strength Speyside from a distillery you rarely meet at this age, fresh and honeyed rather than tired. At £485 it is an enthusiast bottle, not an everyday one, but it is a coherent buy for anyone who chases old refill-cask malt.
And if you want the most whisky for the least money, the Old Orkney Relics 30 at £120 is a lot of old blended Scotch and a nice piece of brand history. Something here for most tastes, then, which is unusual even by Decadent Drinks’ standards.
Find bottles here
Frequently asked questions
What is in the Decadent Drinks August release? The August 2026 release is six bottles: a 41-year-old Ardmore, a 34-year-old Whiskyland Dufftown, the first independent 20-year-old Whiskyland Daftmill, a 30-year-old Old Orkney Relics blend, and two sherried 19-year-olds from Tamdhu and Dailuaine under the Decadent Drams label.
What is the Whiskyland Daftmill 20? It is the first ever independent bottling of Daftmill and the oldest to date, released as Whiskyland Chapter Thirty-Five by Decadent Drinks. Distilled in 2006, it is a smal
Google News(Scotch/Distillery)|原題:5 Things You Should Know About Johnnie Walker Red Soul - The Whiskey Wash
帝亞吉歐於2026年3月推出 Johnnie Walker Red Soul,定位為 Red Label 首款全球創新產品。Red Soul 是款更甜更順的調和蘇格蘭威士忌,專為非威士忌飲者設計,已在歐洲及中東推出。建議售價 £25(約台幣 820 元),酒精度 40%,無年份標示。與 Red Label 相比,Red Soul 移除辛辣及煙燻特色,改強調香草甜感與焦糖風味,主要喝法為加檸檬水、可樂或蘇打水混飲。帝亞吉歐市調指 26% 的非蘇格蘭威士忌飲者對甜型風味感興趣。此舉反映集團策略轉向大眾市場,因 Johnnie Walker 銷量近年下滑 6%。首批評價尚稱溫和正面,平均評分 79.46/100,但專業評論認為此款定位於混飲非純飲愛好者。
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Diageo announced Johnnie Walker Red Soul on March 11, 2026, calling it the first global innovation to sit under the Red Label banner. It is a sweeter, smoother blended Scotch aimed squarely at people who do not currently drink whisky, and it has been rolling out across Europe and the Middle East since the spring.
The Dalmore Concludes Cask Curation Series with $47k Madeira Cask Edition
READ THE STORYHere is how it compares to standard Red Label, how Diageo intends it to be drunk, what it costs, who the company built it for, and what the early reaction looks like.
1. How It Compares To Red Label
Given the ‘Red’ in the name of the bottle, the first question that comes to mind is how Johnnie Walker Red Soul is different from Red Label.
Well, Red Soul and Red Label share their ABV at 40%, their 700ml bottle size, their lack of an age statement, and roughly the same price.
Diageo says Red Soul draws “from the same unparalleled reserves of aging casks” as the original, though the company has not disclosed which whiskies go into either blend, and it is very widely assumed that Red Label contains young whisky and a lot of grain whisky.
What Diageo has been clear about is the character of Red Soul. Red Label is the spicier one, with a touch of smoke and a peppery edge that some drinkers enjoy and others find sharp and harsh.
Red Soul takes that out. The official tasting note describes rich vanilla sweetness moving into caramel fudge and gentle oak, and states plainly that it has “no smoky notes.”
Master blender Dr. Emma Walker, who has held the role since January 2022, said she has “long loved” Red Label’s “bold, spicy energy,” and described the reformulation as a deliberate change of direction.
The team, she said, “kept the lively, approachable core that defines Red Label, but chose to dial up the vibrant vanilla sweetness and smoothness, deliberately stepping away from smoky notes to create something brighter.”
2. Johnnie Walker Red Soul Is Made To Be Mixed
The house serve is Red Soul with lemonade, a pinch of sea salt, and a strawberry garnish, with cola and soda versions also listed on the brand’s product page. Diageo describes a whisky that “holds its character in longer, lighter tasting serves,” and Emma Walker said the result “shines in simple serves and is perfectly suited to relaxed, spontaneous times with friends.”
John Williams, Diageo’s global whiskey director, put the same point more directly, calling Red Soul “softer, a bit sweeter and perfect for mixing.”
Nothing in the launch materials suggests it was built to be drunk neat. In this, it is doing much the same job as Red Label, which is far from my favorite neat pour. Red Soul, however, appears to be built for sweeter drinks than its spicy sibling.
3. It Is Super Affordable
Diageo set the recommended price at £25 for a 700ml bottle, with the usual caveat about variation by market.
In practice, UK supermarket whisky rarely stays at its recommended price for long. Tesco listed Red Soul at £25 with a Clubcard price of £18.50, an offer that ran through July 13, 2026. The bottle made its UK debut at Sainsbury’s.
European listings have appeared lower still, with Whiskybase recording a Dutch price of €15.99.
Red Soul has not launched in the United States. It does not appear at Total Wine or ReserveBar, and Diageo has not announced a date. The company said the rollout would begin in Europe and the MENA region with additional markets to follow, so a US release is possible.
4. There Is An Interesting Strategy Behind Johnnie Walker Red Soul
Diageo has been open about who Red Soul is for. Company research cited in the launch materials found that 26% of non-Scotch drinkers are open to the category but want sweeter flavors, drawn from a Kantar/Diageo study of 30,000 people across ten countries in 2023.
John Williams said Red Label had already been recruiting new drinkers, “particularly females and younger audiences,” but that “for some, it’s still not always considered a drink that feels easy and social.”
Emma Walker put the target more plainly, calling it “a flavour profile designed to appeal to a younger audience who perhaps had not tried whisky previously.”
The launch arrived during a broader change of direction. In February 2026, chief executive Sir Dave Lewis told analysts the company was “significantly underrepresented” in the mass market, as reported by The Spirits Business, moving away from the premiumization push of previous years.
Scotch itself is holding up: Diageo’s full-year results on August 6 showed group operating profit down 27.2%, with Scotch volumes up 3% and the category now its largest at 24% of net sales.
Johnnie Walker’s own volumes are another matter. The Spirits Business Brand Champions 2026 report recorded a 6% decline to 20.3 million 9L cases, still well ahead of Ballantine’s on 9.1 million, and noted that Lewis’s mass-market focus “goes against Johnnie Walker’s premium positioning,” pointing to Red Soul as a possible answer. Whether it brings in new drinkers or moves existing Red Label buyers across is the open question.
5. Early Verdicts Are Thin and Cautiously Positive
Reactions from whisky lovers have been quiet so far. Whiskybase shows an average of 79.46 out of 100 from 15 ratings as of August 2026, with individual scores spread between 58 and 84.
The blog reviews that do exist have been fair to it within its category. Whisky For Everyone found muscovado sugar, butterscotch, and apple crumble, and concluded plainly: “Is it the most complex whisky? No.” But they did also recognize “A fine effort all round,” and noted that it is perfect for mixing.
Master of Malt noted the strategy “may raise an eyebrow among some whisky drinkers,” with the fair observation that those drinkers are already buying whisky.
It is worth remembering that dedicated reviewers are not kind to standard Red Label either, so a lukewarm critical response was always likely for a bottle designed for people who are not reading whisky reviews, or even drinking whisky, in the first place.
Where Does Johnnie Walker Red Soul Fit In To The Lineup?
Red Soul takes its place at the accessible end of a Johnnie Walker range that has grown busier in recent years, joining Blonde and Black Ruby below Black Label and the older expressions.
For a bottle intended to be mixed, the questions still outstanding are practical ones: whether it reaches the US, whether the price settles closer to £18 than £25, and whether it really brings in anyone new.
Have you had a chance to try Johnnie Walker Red Soul? Let us know in the comments below.
On Islay whisky is part of life for most people. Adam Hannett (43), master blender at
Bruichladdich, grew up here. We talked to Hannett about life, whisky and the future of Bruichladdich.
Over the years, Hannett learned from some of Bruichladdich’s most influential figures. Take for example Jim McEwan and Duncan McGillivray. Today, he doesn't only make the
Bruichladdich spirit, but also Port Charlotte and Octomore while continuing to experiment with barley, casks and different approaches to whisky making.
You grew up on Islay. Which memories of the island stand out
most from the years before whisky became part of your life?
I love living on Islay and have nothing but fond memories
growing up here. The scenery is breathtaking and my childhood was predominantly
spent outdoors with my siblings - walking, swimming and exploring the beaches.
The way the light changes throughout the year with the seasons and the weather
means the view never looks the same two days in a row - and so a small island
can always look new.
What was your first experience with whisky?
Like most people on Islay, whisky was always part of
family celebrations. While my first unnofficial whisky might have been to sooth
sore gums as a baby. Then my dad gave me my first dram during a Hogmanay
celebration to toast the new year.
When did whisky first become genuinely interesting to you?
The moment I joined
Bruichladdich. I wanted to stay on
the island and when Bruichladdich reopened in 2001 I jumped at the chance to
work in the visitor centre. Being immersed in the story of the distillery, the
spirits we were creating, and the people who worked there got me hooked.
You started at Bruichladdich as a tour guide. What was it
about the distillery that drew you further in?
Undoubtly the people. The energy and the passion was
palpable, there was a real sense of community. Every day I was learning
something new from the whole team around me – and I beame completely
fascinated. Whisky is more than chemisty and craft, it’s agriculture,
community, memory time.
Who had the greatest influence on you during those early
years?
Duncan McGillivray, our previous Distillery Manager, was
a huge influence. He had such a positive, can-do attitude and nothing was ever
a problem. He also had an encyclopedic knowledge of the disitllery – every
machine, every sound, every smell. It was unbeliveable. Without him we would
never have got the Victorian equipment up and running again. A proper
Bruichladdich legend.
What did it mean to you personally to eventually take over
from Jim McEwan?
Jim was an incredible mentor and I feel honoured to have
learned from him. But of course they are big shoes to fill! But before Jim left
he told me to do everything my way, in my style – it had to be me in the whisky.
I still carry everything he taught me, while telling my own story.
How has your own approach to making whisky developed since
then?
Being Master Blender comes with a lot of responsibilty –
managing a team as well as our stocks and spirit. I’ve grown in confidence over
the years and refined my own whisky making style. As Bruichladdich has evolved
so have our sustainability committments, and I’m always looking at ways we can
reduce our inputs, get the most out of our raw ingredients, and give back to
the community and environment.
What does the way you make whisky reveal about you as a
person?
Paitience! Nothing in whisky is every done quickly.
Nothing is rushed and absoultey everything is considered. In today’s fast-paced
world, to be able to take your time over something and really scrutinse every
detail is a wonderful part of the job.
Can you remember a cask that genuinely surprised you? And
how did it surprise you?
One of the joys of my job is having the responsibility to
keep an eye on the maturing stocks, which means opening the casks and sampling
them to check on the progress and assess the whiskies. In doing this, I’ve learned
that every cask really is individual and two of the same casks maturing side by
side can differ quite dramatically. I suppose seeing this over the years means I
expect the unexpected! I’ve come to realise that marrying and blending casks is
all about understanding how the differences work together to create a balance
and flavor profile that helps to tell the story of the whisky itself.
What do you notice in a whisky today that you might not have
noticed twenty years ago?
The agricultural side of whisky making is a lot more
prominent in our industry now. Our spirits start in the soil, and at
Bruichladdich we’ve always been fascinated in barley varietals, growing
techniques and farming systems. It’s great to see these conversations happening
more and more today.
Bruichladdich talks a great deal about provenance, barley
and the island itself. What does place mean to you when you're making
whisky?
Place is everything. I want to make whisky where Islay
can be found in every drop. Our whiskies are quintessentially Islay; we grow
over 50% of our barley here, every cask matures on site on our shores, and we
bottle using Islay spring water from Octomore Spring. To make a whisky that speaks of where it is
from is so special – and it’s something I take great pride in.
Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore each have very
distinct identities. How do you approach each of them differently?
It's
great to have both peated and unpeated single malts in our whisky portfolio.
For me, it’s a chance to showcase the various styles and depth of flavour
available in the whisky market and challenge myself as a whisky maker to master
these varying expressions.
With
Bruichladdich, I’m always looking to enhance our signature floral and fruity
style which works so beautifully with our unpeated spirit.
Port
Charlotte is such a versatile spirit. Like Bruichladdich, I’m looking to
capture our house-style and balance this with Port Charlotte’s unique barbeque
peat smoke. The spirit also takes to casks exceptionally well, so it’s great to
explore different wood types and flavour profiles.
Octomore
is a welcome challenge year on year. The unique and precise balance of varying
peat levels, cask influence and barley provenance is a complex alchemy, and
pushes me as whisky maker.
Are there experiments currently sitting in the warehouses
that you're particularly curious about?
Always! Experimentation is a key part of what we do here
at Bruichladdich, and there’s always something in the pipeline. Right now, we’re
experimenting with more grains and even looking at creative ways we can explore
the whisky-making process itself.
When you look ten years ahead, where would you like
Bruichladdich to be?
As a whisky-maker, I’m leaving things for the next
generation – and I want to leave things better than I found them. I hope in ten
years Bruichladdich is still making incredible, interesting, flavour-forward Islay whiskies.
- What is your favourite whisky?
It’s almost impossible to choose – but I have a soft spot
for Port Charlotte 10.
- How many glasses of whisky do you drink per week?
Despite my job (and outwith sampling!) I’m not a huge
whisky drinker. I love a dram on a Friday evening by the fire, a lovely way to
ease into the weekend. And through the summer when the weather is good a Classic
Laddie highball or two in the garden of an evening is something I have taken to
very well.
- What is your favourite bottle in your collection?
It changes all the time (based on whats open usually!) but
the different quadruple distilled whiskies we have released over the years are
favourites as the concept is just so different to anything else.
- What is the most expensive whisky you’ve ever tasted?
I have been lucky enough to try some old an rare whiskies
– some very old Bruichladdich’s would probably be the most expensive. However,
I am left with an appreciation of the spirit and how special it is to taste
something so old rather than a memory of the price tag, thankfully!
- Which whisky-producing countries should we be watching?
Google News(Scotch/Distillery)|原題:About a tenth of what comes out of malt whisky production is spirit, while Scotland's malt whisky industry produces almost 750,000 metric tons of spent barley and 2 billion liters of copper-laced pot ale a year, residues one Scottish firm has fermented into a petr - ScienceBlog.com
A century-old wartime recipe for making a chemical solvent has been pointed at the leftovers of Scotch whisky, and the result is a fuel that can run an ordinary car. Same microbe, same basic process. What changed is the reason for using it.
Let’s start with the wartime problem. In the First World War, Britain ran into a shortage of the chemicals needed to keep making shells. Its smokeless propellant, cordite, required acetone as a solvent, and wartime disruption cut Britain off from important continental supplies. What helped replace them was a bacterial fermentation process developed by Chaim Weizmann at the University of Manchester. A century later, an updated version of the same acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation process was used to turn whisky-industry waste into biobutanol, which powered a car in a 2017 demonstration.
The two ends of that story don’t obviously belong together. One is about wartime munitions. The other is about a distillery waste stream nobody wanted. What connects them is a single microbe, and the odd fact that a technology shelved decades ago turned out to be exactly what a modern recycling problem needed.
The wartime origin of the process
The chemist was Chaim Weizmann, who later became the first president of Israel. At the time he was hunting for a way to make industrial solvents using bacteria. He found one, Clostridium acetobutylicum, that eats carbohydrate and produces a mix of three chemicals: acetone, butanol and ethanol. The method became known as ABE fermentation, or the Weizmann process. Chemistry World describes how the Weizmann process changed everything by relying on that organism to ferment cereals.
At first it was a lab curiosity. Asked how much acetone he could make, Weizmann is quoted as replying, “So far, I have succeeded in making a few hundred cubic centimetres of acetone at a time by the fermentation process.”
Demand for cordite pushed it much further, fast. By 1917, according to the same Chemistry World account, the process was making almost 3,000 tons of acetone a year at the Royal Navy Cordite Factory at Holton Heath in Dorset.
Getting there meant solving a problem no one had cracked at that scale. A fermentation this large had to be kept free of other microbes, or the whole batch would spoil. The Microbiology Society’s magazine, The Microbiologist, describes it as “the first microbiological process to require asepsis on an industrial scale.” After the war it kept running commercially for decades, until cheaper oil-based methods pushed it out.
The whisky problem: most of it is not whisky
Jump a century forward and a few hundred miles north.
Making Scotch malt whisky is, in pure material terms, mostly a business of producing things that are not whisky. By one estimate, as little as 7 percent of what comes out of the distillery is the drinkable spirit. Everything else is left behind.
Two leftovers dominate. There is pot ale, the liquid from the copper stills, and draff, the spent grains. Pot ale carries traces of copper picked up from those stills. Across the whole industry the volumes are large. Scotland’s malt whisky sector produces almost 750,000 tonnes of draff and two billion litres of pot ale a year. Some of it becomes animal feed and fertiliser. A lot of it is simply a cost to get rid of.
Old process, new feedstock
This is where the two eras meet. Celtic Renewables, an Edinburgh firm founded in 2012 as a spin-out from Edinburgh Napier University by the microbiologist Professor Martin Tangney, took that century-old fermentation and pointed it at whisky waste. Draff and pot ale are rich in carbohydrate, which is exactly what the bacterium wants to eat. What the company is after is biobutanol, a direct petrol substitute that goes straight into an ordinary engine.
In 2017 they tested the idea in the real world, filling up a Ford Focus and driving it. Tangney called it the first time in history a car had been driven on a fuel made from whisky waste. He was honest that this was a proof of concept, not a filling station. He told Saveur, “We physically poured a bottle of [alcohol] butanol into the car, but the scale of this could be huge.”
The pitch behind the company is less about whisky than about waste economics. Tangney says his objective is “to change the economy, taking stuff with limited use and upvaluing it.” The firm has since built what it describes as Scotland’s first biorefinery, at Grangemouth.
Then versus now: what changed, and what didn’t
The microbiology is essentially the same in both eras. Same type of bacterium, same three-chemical output, same need for a clean ferment that made the 1916 job so hard. What changed is everything around it.
In the war, the product that mattered was acetone. Butanol was close to a nuisance, piling up in storage. Today the value has flipped: butanol is the target, as a fuel, and the process is run for the very molecule the original operators barely knew what to do with.
The pressure has flipped too. A hundred years ago it was a shortage, a cut-off supply chain. Now it is the opposite, a surplus. An industry is making residues faster than it can usefully use them.
The raw material is the sharpest contrast of all. Weizmann’s plants ran on grain, and later lost out to cheap oil-based chemicals. Celtic Renewables runs on material that already exists whether anyone ferments it or not, and would otherwise cost money to throw away.
What strikes us here is how little of this is invention in the usual sense. The chemistry was worked out over a century ago, scaled up, then retired when oil got cheap. Nothing about the bacterium changed. What changed was the economics around it: a waste stream big enough and troublesome enough to make an old, shelved process look efficient again. A technology can be abandoned not because it stopped working but because the world around it moved on, and it can come back for the same reason. The whisky residues were always going to be produced. It took a First World War solvent recipe to make them worth something.
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Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:Is Anyone Better Than Islam Right Now? Exclusive Roman Dolidze Interview Archaeological Discovery Illicit Whisky Still (9gQstEjPQq) - mshale.com|僅標題
根據標題提示,該報導涉及考古發現與非法威士忌蒸餾器的相關議題,並包含 Roman Dolidze 的獨家專訪內容。具體細節因無法取得完整內文而無法詳述,但此類發現通常涉及威士忌釀造歷史或非法釀造活動的探討。
Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:Virginia Tech Coach James Franklin Says It Was “Un-American” To Penalize RB For High-Fiving Military Corps After Touchdown - Whiskey Riff|僅標題
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Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:The Internet Erupts After Officials Rob Western Michigan Of One Of The All-Time Great College Football Upsets - Whiskey Riff|僅標題
(僅標題資訊)威士忌媒體 Whiskey Riff 的 Google News 摘要頁面出現美式足球相關標題,與威士忌產業新聞無關。此為 Google News 演算法將非威士忌內容混入搜尋結果的情況,不具威士忌愛好者參考價值。
Greendale Middle School runner wins Whiskey City 5K
- Steven Harmeyer
- 3 hours ago
- 1 min read
(LAWRENCEBURG, Ind.) – A Greendale Middle School student was the first to cross the finish line at the Whiskey City 5K on Saturday.
12-year-old Liam Reade won the race by nearly 30 seconds over the second place finisher.
Liam was a last-minute entrant into the race after the extreme heat cancelled his school’s cross country races.
The top female finisher of the race was 39-year-old Leslie Karle, of Cincinnati.
Proceeds from the Whiskey City 5K benefit the Lawrenceburg Lions Club, and there were 76 competitors ranging from age 7 to 83 who took the course through downtown Lawrenceburg and the Dearborn Trail.
Reade is one of four Greendale Middle School cross country runners who will compete at the middle school state finals in October.
Google News(Whisky 綜合)|原題:Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Review - The Whiskey Wash
(僅標題資訊)Green Spot 是來自愛爾蘭的經典單一壺式蒸餾威士忌,本文為 The Whiskey Wash 對該酒款的專業品評。評論者 Genevieve 是來自南非的威士忌愛好者,擁有哲學博士學位,並經營威士忌品酒業務。文章同時涵蓋其他威士忌評測,包括 Gordon & MacPhail 最後一款 Talisker、Thompson Bros 18年泥煤高地麥芽威士忌,以及 Dalmore 新蒸餾廠體驗的評價。
閱讀原文全文
Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
Genevieve is a whisky enthusiast from South Africa with a PhD in Philosophy, so she enjoys both drinking and thinking about whisky. She loves tasting new whiskies whenever she gets the chance - so much so that a few years ago she set up a small whisky tasting business, "Kenton on Whisky", in the tiny coastal town where she lives (this also serves as an excellent excuse to grow her selection of whiskies beyond reasonable limits).
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A local father of three has today dispelled a long held scientific theory that a father’s love cannot be quantified.
Frank Milsom (64) has, in a somewhat roundabout way, confirmed that you can actually put a price on dad.
This comes after his offspring turned up to Father’s Day with a nice little something something from Dans for the great man, marking the first time in recorded history the Milsom children have collectively nailed the assignment.
Fresh off the back of a decade-long run of socks, undies, boring books he’s not gonna read and shitty power tools he already has better versions of (including a second angle grinder purchased in 2019) - Frank has finally received a Father’s Day gift worth writing home about.
A nice, but not too over the top bottle of whisky.
“Yeah, glad they finally got the hint this year,” laughed Frank, treating himself to an afternoon glass at 11am, because why not.
“What do the Europeans call it?”
“A digest teef? (sic),” said Frank, showing our reporter the bottle of Monkey Shoulder.
“Apparently it’s a middle of the range one, which is nice to know they haven’t gone the bare minimum ya know.”
“Good on em.”
Frank’s eldest daughter Phoebe, who was in charge of the gifting process as per usual, said she’s glad this year’s gift landed with the old boy.
“Turns out you can put a price on dad,” she laughed.
“You certainly can put a price on wrangling my deadshit little brothers though.”
“So I just went to Dan’s with Dale (her bf) and sorted it out, on my lunch break, in the car park, in under five minutes, and sent them the deats haha.”
“Anyway, all’s well that ends well.”
At time of publishing, Frank was three glasses deep and could still be heard practising his pronunciation of ‘digestif’ for the next time Barry brings it up.
More to come.
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