English Whisky raises a glass to new protected status
English Whisky has been granted protected status, becoming the newest member of the UK's recognised whisky family
English Whisky has secured protected Geographical Indication (GI) status, a major milestone for a sector that has grown from a handful of pioneering producers into one of England’s most exciting food and drink success stories.
The new status officially recognises English Whisky as a distinctive whisky category, reflecting years of work by producers across England who have combined craftsmanship, innovation and ambition to create a spirit with a character worthy of protection.
With distilleries from Cornwall to Northumberland, the sector is supporting local communities by protecting skilled jobs and drawing visitors across the country, helping drive growth in every postcode.
There are more than 70 distilleries now producing English whisky, up from 46 in 2023, and bottles exported to more than 30 countries across the globe. Industry estimates maturing stocks held in casks across England to be worth around £1 billion, underlining the confidence and investment pouring into the sector.
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said:
The UK is home to world-class whisky production, from grain to glass.
Standing proudly alongside Scotch, Welsh and Irish whiskies, this new protected status is recognition of English Whisky’s distinctive character alongside the expert craftsmanship that goes into its production.
It’s a milestone that will be felt far beyond the distillery gates, bringing jobs, investment and pride to communities across the country.
The application was led by the English Whisky Guild on behalf of its member distilleries, bringing producers together behind a shared ambition to secure recognition for English Whisky’s distinct qualities, provenance and growing international reputation.
Morag Garden, English Whisky Guild CEO said:
Securing GI status is a landmark achievement for English Whisky and recognition of the quality and innovation across our growing industry.
We are grateful to Defra and to everyone who contributed to this collaborative effort. This milestone will support future growth and international recognition for English Whisky.
English Whisky now joins Scotch, Welsh and Irish whiskies as a recognised and protected whisky category, showcasing the breadth, qualities and innovation of whisky production across the United Kingdom.
To take advantage of this new protected status, English Whisky producers must first be verified under HMRC’s Spirit Drink Verification Scheme.
As the sector continues to expand, this protection will help secure the reputation of English Whisky while supporting the skilled jobs, local investment and thriving communities that sit at the heart of its success.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Pappy Van Winkle Prices Just Jumped Up to 30% — But They May Still Be Too Cheap - The Whiskey Wash
Van Winkle家族及Buffalo Trace酒廠於9月10日公布2026年系列價格，其中Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13年威士忌漲幅最大（30%），其他酒款漲幅介於11%-25%之間，23年款保持不變。儘管漲幅遠超過通膨（自2022年來調幅110% vs通膨12.5%），官方建議零售價仍遠低於二級市場價格，例如15年款官方價299.99美元卻在拍賣會上售價1,280-1,420美元。Van Winkle因稀缺性在波本威士忌市場蕭條時仍保持堅挺，但官方強調購買時應向授權經銷商購入，警惕假酒風險。
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Kentucky has more bourbon than ever. The state’s warehouses now hold a record 16.1 million barrels, while Jim Beam has switched off the stills at its main Kentucky distillery for the whole of 2026 as producers work through an oversupply of whiskey.
Pappy Van Winkle operates in a rather different corner of the market.
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On September 10, the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace Distillery announced the 2026 Van Winkle collection, with higher suggested retail prices for five of its six bottles. The largest increase is 30%, while the 23-year-old remains unchanged at $499.99.
Much of the bourbon industry is dealing with too much whiskey, but Van Winkle is still defined by scarcity. In February, 59,448 people entered Virginia’s state-run liquor lottery for the chance to buy just 46 bottles of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15-Year-Old.
So what has actually changed for 2026, how do the increases compare with inflation, and how do Van Winkle’s suggested prices compare with what the bottles are already worth once they reach the secondary market?
Pappy Van Winkle 2026 Prices, Bottle by Bottle
| Bottle / Expression | 2025 MSRP | 2026 MSRP | Price Increase | Secondary Market Value |
| Old Rip Van Winkle 10-Year-Old | $149.99 | $169.99 | +$20 (+13%) | $520 – $580 |
| Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-Year-Old | $169.99 | $199.99 | +$30 (+18%) | $550 – $610 |
| Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old | $229.99 | $299.99 | +$70 (+30%) | $1,600 – $1,900 |
| Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15-Year-Old | $239.99 | $299.99 | +$60 (+25%) | $1,280 – $1,420 |
| Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20-Year-Old | $359.99 | $399.99 | +$40 (+11%) | $1,800 – $2,200 |
| Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23-Year-Old | $499.99 | $499.99 | $0 (0%) | $2,580 – $2,860 |
| Collection Total | $1,649.94 | $1,869.94 | +$220 (+13%) |
Why Pappy Van Winkle Still Looks Cheap at MSRP
The Van Winkle family did not give a reason for the 2026 price increases.
Pappy Van Winkle Prices Just Jumped Up to 30% — But They May Still Be Too Cheap
READ THE STORYThey arrive against a more expensive backdrop for US distillers. Energy costs in July were 14.7% higher than a year earlier, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while very old bourbon also carries the unusual cost of tying up stock for decades and losing a substantial proportion of each barrel to evaporation.
For the oldest Van Winkle releases, that wait is measured in decades rather than years. The whiskey in this year’s 23-year-old went into its barrels no later than 2003.
Figures that Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley supplied to drinks site Alcademics in 2014 put the yield of a typical 23-year-old barrel of wheated bourbon at about 14 gallons from the 53 gallons originally filled.
“There are no shortcuts when you’re talking about whiskey that has spent this many years aging,” Preston Van Winkle, vice president of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, said in the family’s announcement of the 2026 Van Winkle collection.
The price rises have nevertheless comfortably outpaced inflation. Since the 2022 release, US consumer prices have risen about 12.5%, while the combined suggested price of the six Van Winkle bottles has risen 110%, from $889.94 to $1,869.94.
Even after those increases, suggested retail remains far below secondary-market value.
Bottle Blue Book, which tracks auction sales, values the 23-year-old at $2,580 to $2,860, the 15-year-old at $1,280 to $1,420 and even the 10-year-old at $520 to $580.
That leaves a very large gap between what Van Winkle costs at suggested retail and what buyers are already prepared to pay for it.
Why Pappy Van Winkle Has Escaped the Bourbon Slump
The wider bourbon secondary market has cooled, with the Bourboneur Secondary Market Index putting prices about 11% below their 2024 levels in March. Its analysis found that Van Winkle bottles tend to “settle into a durable range rather than collapsing,” trading more like blue-chip collectibles than speculative releases.
Retailers set their own prices under the three-tier system, and the family’s announcement states that neither it nor Buffalo Trace controls what individual stores charge.
“There’s no MSRP if you can’t get the product,” one store owner told Breaking Bourbon in 2019.
Drinkers who do buy at suggested retail often get the opportunity through state-run lotteries.
In North Carolina, the state commission held the 15-year-old at $169.95 from August 2023, then raised it to $299.95 on August 1, 2026, meaning buyers there absorbed several years of national increases at once.
Even at the new price, the gap between MSRP and secondary-market value remains substantial.
A $60 increase on a 15-year-old that sells for $1,280 or more at auction still leaves a gap approaching $1,000 before fees. The 23-year-old, which resells for more than $2,500, costs exactly what it did last year.
“We’re very lucky that we get to be part of it, even though we don’t benefit financially as much as people think we do,” Julian Van Winkle III, president of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, told Men’s Journal in 2024.
The Van Winkle Family’s Warning on Counterfeit Pappy
The family’s announcement also urges buyers to purchase Van Winkle only from licensed sellers, warning that unlicensed secondary markets and online sellers carry a higher risk of counterfeit bottles, fraud and alcohol scams.
A bottle offered well below its usual market value, or a seller asking for payment by wire transfer or cryptocurrency, should give buyers pause.
Anyone who suspects they have bought a fake is asked not to drink it, to report it to the Better Business Bureau and their state attorney general’s office, and to contact their credit card provider about fraud protection.
How Pappy Van Winkle Prices Compare With Macallan
At Total Wine, The Macallan Sherry Oak 18 Years Old costs $399.99, the same as the suggested price of the Pappy 20-Year-Old despite being two years younger.
The Macallan Sherry Oak 25 Years Old sells for roughly $2,400 to $2,700 at major US retailers, around five times the suggested price of the Pappy 23-Year-Old.
At the younger end, Scotch is cheaper. ABC Fine Wine & Spirits lists The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 Years Old at a regular price of $96.99, around $73 less than Old Rip Van Winkle 10-Year-Old.
The comparison is not exact as bourbon must mature in new charred oak, and the heat of a Kentucky rickhouse pushes spirit into the wood far harder than a cool Scottish warehouse does. Bourbon of 20 years or more is therefore relatively rare.
Van Winkle’s suggested prices have risen substantially, particularly over the past four years. But for whiskey this old, this scarce and this sought after, the official prices remain remarkably reasonable compared with both the secondary market and similarly aged prestige whisky.
Van Winkle remains some of the best bourbon we have ever tasted, and even after the 2026 increases, we would be very happy to find any of the six bottles on a shelf at suggested retail price.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Kentucky Boy Straight Bourbon Whiskey - Joe's Daily
Jack Daniel's母公司Brown-Forman推出沉寂百年的Kentucky Boy Straight Bourbon Whiskey。該酒款源於1923年禁酒令時期併購的Lynndale蒸餾廠，曾在1940年代以賽馬主題行銷後停產。2026年的復刻版本為紀念傳奇調酒師Chris Morris（Woodford Reserve現代風格與Old Forester Birthday Bourbon創造者）加入公司50週年，由其門徒調製。酒款100美元一瓶，100 proof無年份標示，風味層次豐富，預計9月10日在肯塔基威士忌節首發，隔日在Old Forester品牌旗艦店上市，僅此一次限量發售。
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Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s, just pulled a name off the shelf that’s been dormant for a century. Kentucky Boy is effectively Jack’s forgotten sister brand: it dates back to 1923, when Brown-Forman picked it up through a Prohibition-era acquisition of Louisville’s Lynndale Distillery, ran it through the 1940s with a thoroughbred-racing motif, then let it disappear.
The 2026 revival isn’t a history lesson dressed up in an old label. It’s a tribute bottling built to mark 50 years since Chris Morris, the industry veteran behind Woodford Reserve’s modern identity and Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon, joined the company. His protégés put this one together, drawing inspiration from three releases tied to his career.
Bottled at 100 proof with no age statement, expect chocolate and Luxardo cherry up front, then ginger snap and stewed apple giving way to charred oak on the finish. It’s a one-time release: it debuts at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival on September 10, then hits Old Forester’s own shop the next day for $100.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：World's largest Johnnie Walker whisky collection goes under the hammer telling the story of an iconic brand - Scottish Daily Express
荷蘭收藏家 Frans Op den Kamp 耗時20年蒐集超過3,200瓶 Johnnie Walker 威士忌，包括1,600瓶原裝瓶、600瓶迷你瓶及1,000件原始廣告文物與紀念品，時間跨度逾百年。收藏亮點包括1960年代前的 Black Label、Red Label 等珍稀瓶款，以及限量200瓶的1805周年紀念限定版與 F1 冠軍 Jenson Button 設計、全球僅25瓶的 Signature Blend。該收藏由全球威士忌拍賣平台 Whisky Auctioneer 代理，於9月11日至21日舉行線上拍賣，預期吸引來自世界各地的收藏家競標。
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The largest-ever collection of one of the world's most-iconic whisky brands is set to go under the auctioneer's hammer.
More than 3,200 bottles of Johnnie Walker are being made available to buy along with original advertising promotions and brand memorabilia.
Interest is expected from around the world as some of the rarest bottlings come onto the market, in many cases, for the first time in years.
The collection has been amassed by Frans Op den Kamp, whose love affair with Johnnie Walker began in 1999. This was when he purchased a $130 bottle of Blue Label bought whilst on his way home from a business trip to New York.
During the next two decades, his fascination with all things Johnnie Walker grew and grew. And as it did, so did Mr Op den Kamp's knowledge of the distillery and its very special place in the pantheon of Scottish whisky. Such is his expertise that today, fellow collectors and industry figures turn to him for help dating, valuing and authenticating bottles.
Mr Op den Kamp explained: "Johnnie Walker has been a constant companion throughout my collecting journey. What began with a bottle of Blue Label bought in 1999 grew into more than two decades of learning and travelling from discovering rare market-specific bottlings to bringing together the full story of Johnnie Walker across a century."
He continued: "Parting with the collection is certainly not easy but I feel I have achieved what I set out to do. I hope these bottles find their way to collectors who discover something that resonates with them, whether that is a particular whisky, a moment in Johnnie Walker's history or simply the thrill of the hunt. Most of all, I hope it inspires a renewed appreciation for the art of blending and the story of Scotch whisky."
The collection spans more than a century of Johnnie Walker history, from early 20th-century Old Highland Whisky bottlings through to sought-after modern limited editions and ultra-rare releases.
The archive includes more than 1,600 full-size bottles, 600 miniatures, as well as more than 1,000 original pieces of advertising and memorabilia.
Highlights include pre-1968 corked Black, Red, and Swing bottlings, as well as rare single malt bottlings from Cardhu, Talisker, and Mortlach which explicitly reference John Walker on their original labels.
The collection includes highly-prized, more modern releases, such as the 1805 Celebration Blend. This was crafted to mark the 200th anniversary of John Walker's birth with only 200 bottles ever gifted to individuals recognised for "significant contributions to modern life".
Another ultra-exclusive is the Signature Blend by Jenson Button, created by the Formula One world champion and limited to just 25 bottles sold by private invitation in Shanghai.
The collection has now been brought to Scotland from Scotland to be sold by Whisky Auctioneer, the leading global platform for buying and selling whisky and spirits
Joe Wilson, head curator and spirits specialist, said: "What makes this collection so fascinating is the completeness of the story it tells.
"Johnnie Walker's history goes far beyond the global brand we know today, and these early bottlings, labels and memorabilia offer a unique glimpse into its twentieth century evolution and role in shaping Scotch whisky."
After opening a small grocery shop in Kilmarnock in 1820, John Walker began selling Scotch whisky and by 1850 he was offering his own labelled 'Walker's Kilmarnock Whisky'.
When his son, Alexander Walker joined the business in 1856 the business went into wholesale trading. In the late 1860s Alexander Walker created a blend of whisky which became the now famous 'Black Label'. In around 1920 the company was introduced to the American market where the whisky soon became a status symbol.
Dr Nick Morgan, whisky hstorian and author of: 'A Long Stride: The Story of the World's No.1 Scotch Whisky', commented: "Johnnie Walker’s history is, in many ways, the history of Scotch whisky becoming a global drink in the twentieth century.
"Having spent years researching the brand, I know how complex and fascinating that story is and what makes Frans' collection so remarkable is the way it brings that history together in physical form to tell it."
He went on: "These objects reveal how the brand evolved from the first appearance of the iconic 'Striding Man' figure in 1908 into the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky.
"Collections like this are invaluable because they allow us to experience history not just through documents and written records but through the bottles, labels and objects that people actually bought, drank and occasionally kept for posterity.
"Frans' dedication has created an extraordinary collection and a unique insight into the evolution and enduring power of the world's No. 1 Scotch whisky."
The online auction runs from Friday, September 11 until Monday, September 21
Scotch whisky is of course a cornerstone of the country's economy, supporting approximately 41,000 jobs across some 154 operating distilleries. The industry generates some £5.3 billion of economic value in Scotland, making it the most productive sector after energy.
A significant share of the industry's employment is in rural and island communities, where distilleries are frequently the largest local employer, and whisky tourism is a sizeable driver of local income, influencing hospitality, transport and retail. Distilleries are claimed to be Scotland's most-visited tourist attraction collectively, attracting circa 2.7 million visits in 2024 and generating around £85 million in direct visitor spend.
The combination of employment, export earnings, tourism focus and cultural symbolism makes the current pressures on the industry particularly concerning, even at a national level.
Full-year exports to the United States, the industry's largest market by value, fell by 4% in 2025, to circa £933 million, while global exports also declined, albeit more modestly. Trade barriers – particularly US tariffs – were a major contributor to that decline, compounding rising operational costs and a tax and regulatory burden labelled as unsustainable by the Scotch Whisky Association.
This picture has shifted, however. From 24 July 2026, US tariffs on Scotch whisky were removed entirely, following the agreement reached during His Majesty The King's April state visit. The Scotch Whisky Association has called it "welcome news," with Scotch's most valuable global market now open tariff-free again. It follows a similar reduction in India, where tariffs have fallen from 150% to 75% immediately under the new UK-India trade deal, with a further gradual reduction to 40% over the next ten years. Whether this translates into a genuine export recovery, though, is a separate question from the structural, generational shift in how whisky is consumed.
Several distilleries have already been reducing jobs, production and visitor facilities.
Over and above, there is little doubt that consumer drinking habits are changing – and, in the process, compounding the issue.
The associated trends may not simply be around a decline in drinking. Research from BGS Kantar determined that households in the UK, the US, India and Mexico were consuming spirits more frequently between 2024 and 2025. More likely, people are drinking in smaller measures, and buying cheaper bottles, with premiumisation losing ground to flavoured drinks, experiential occasion drinks and ready-to-drink formats favoured especially by millennials and Gen Z drinkers. Given Gen Z and millennials now represent circa 50% of the world's population, this is not something to be ignored. Indeed, Diageo has responded by investing more heavily in Johnnie Walker special editions and its blackberry-flavoured Crown Royal Canadian Whisky.
Other export markets tell a similar story: Spain's whisky market compressed at a compound annual rate of 3.4% between 2017 and 2022, as consumers turned to gin and wine, while in Asia-Pacific, export value fell by 8.3% in 2025 even though volumes were broadly stable, indicating a movement towards lower-cost brands rather than collapsing demand. India has acted against the trend, growing its export value by 15% to become Scotch whisky's third-largest global market. However, this is a rare cause for raising a glass.
Against this backdrop, the industry is lobbying for greater tax fairness and can take some comfort from an anticipated rise in domestic demand. But is there another route to long-term growth?
Two very public trends may point to the answers the industry may be seeking: the boom in ready-to-drink (RTD) products, and the runaway success of Aperol Spritz.
The global alcoholic RTD sector is valued at somewhere between $18 billion and $44 billion. Ready-to-drink and easy-to-use formats align well with the way Gen Z and millennials drink – largely occasion-focused, casual and with low effort. Spirits in cans, for example, can travel easily into new markets and new occasions such as picnics and outdoor events. Portion-controlled servings with a defined ABV fit comfortably with the broader drink-less-but-better motivations of Gen Z and millennials.
Furthermore, many producers make RTDs locally thereby avoiding import tariffs. Interestingly, the RTD sector is one where premiumisation is less affected: most new launches are positioned as premium rather than cheap, which makes RTD a genuine premium format as well as an accessible entry point. Flavour innovations can lower barriers further, with spirits of this type growing faster than traditional categories.
Whilst none of the above necessarily indicates people are drinking more, it does highlight a shrinking, more selective, tariff-affected audience whose loyalty relies less on single-brand allegiance, and more on convenience, moderation and format flexibility. Canned versions of popular cocktails embody the shareability and low-commitment appeal that has driven the success of drinks such as Aperol Spritz – a wine-based cocktail of Prosecco, Aperol and soda water – which has gained social media viral popularity. They are colourful, portable, easy to photograph (for social media), and require no skill to make successfully. For an industry built on craft, heritage and patience this is a very different value proposition, and one the Scotch whisky sector needs to tackle.
To distil this complex issue to a simple question: how does the industry adapt to this changing market landscape?
Gen Z and millennial demand for whisky is not linear and sectors that misread structural habit changes as trends are likely to lose more than sales, especially in the case of Scotland where jobs and communities are at real risk.
Gen Z is drinking less than any previous generation, and prioritising experience, authenticity and personal values over heritage. This is a generation that wants to know what a brand stands for as much as how it tastes. Producers that continue to market to this audience in traditional ways are likely to end up following a shrinking and increasingly indifferent audience.
However, opportunity exists: RTD growth and the Aperol Spritz phenomenon are proof of that, and indicators that this opportunity splits into two segments.
The first segment is premium, experiential drinkers. Millennials are estimated to be responsible for a significant share of the ultra-premium whisky market despite drinking less overall. When they choose to drink, they will typically trade up, seeing the choice as an experience rather than a routine purchase. Younger drinkers are also more likely to research before buying. This means Scotch whisky brands must communicate genuine value rather than leaning heavily on heritage alone. This plays directly to Scotland's strengths in provenance, craft, and location, but the story must be told in a way that resonates rather than simply invoking tradition.
The second segment is casual, convenience drinkers. Bacardi Breezer and Smirnoff Ice have both been relaunched to attract Gen Z, whilst cask ale has seen a circa 50% rise in popularity amongst 18-24-year-old pub-goers. It could be argued that whisky's traditional rituals and symbolism, once its greatest assets, may have held it back from gaining the same audience.
Against this backdrop, the scale and nature of the challenge the industry faces become evident. Winning both premium and casual drinkers is hard: young consumers face a wide range of influences, fragmented routes to purchase and consumption, and the message for a casual drinker may look nothing like that for a brand justifying its premium price. Any brand that tries to be all things to all drinkers – heritage-driven yet a session drink, exclusive and accessible – risks becoming confusing for everyone and relevant for no one.
If attraction isn't difficult enough with Gen Z and
Review: Basil Hayden Cognac Cask Reserve Bourbon Left Me Wanting More
Bourbon and cognac have more in common than you may think. Bourbon is a whiskey made from at least 51% corn, and cognac is a French brandy made from wine grapes. Still, both have undeniable similarities, including the character and complexity that extensive aging in oak barrels lends to spirits.
In early September 2026, Basil Hayden announced a marriage of the two with its release of a new, limited-edition whiskey that combines the classic character of bourbon whiskey with the finesse and elegance of well-aged cognac in its Basil Hayden Cognac Cask Reserve Bourbon. Crafted by Master Distiller Freddie Noe at the historic James B. Beam Distillery, the whiskey starts with the classic Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon, featuring a high-rye mash bill, that ages in American oak barrels. While there is no age statement on the whiskey, production regulations require a minimum of two years. After the initial aging, the brand finishes the whiskey in French oak casks that had previously aged cognac for 20 to 25 years. Again, the producer doesn't disclose how long the 80-proof bourbon is finished.
Although we feel the classic bourbon is overpriced for its proof and overall flavor complexity, we wanted to see whether the new cognac barrel-finished whiskey changed our mind. We acquired a sample from the distillery and performed a taste test to ascertain if the whiskey deserves a place in your bar. In doing so, I utilized my knowledge, training, and expertise as a Certified Sommelier and long-time whiskey lover.
Methodology
To conduct the review, I followed the tasting steps I use when reviewing any spirit. As a Certified Sommelier with a 20-plus-year tenure as a professional spirits writer and reviewer, I taste dozens of newly released wines and spirits every year. To begin, I poured a dram of the new release into a Glencairn glass and let the whiskey breathe for about five to 10 minutes.
The time in the glass lets the whiskey come in contact with oxygen, helping open the aromas and flavors of the bourbon that had been sealed in the bottle. This process helps the whiskey come alive. It helps to enhance the spirit's characteristics, while allowing some of the alcohol to dissipate into the air.
I also poured a shot into a standard tumbler-style rocks glass. While the Glencairn is one of the best glasses for sipping bourbon and evaluating spirits, I prefer the weight and feel of a rocks glass. I did try the whiskey with both a splash of filtered water and a large ice sphere to see whether the character changed with either. Here are the results.
Taste test
The first observation of the new release was how pale the whiskey was. While the color was a lovely amber hue, it didn't look like a whiskey aged and finished in two separate barrel programs. The aromas were nice but subtle, revealing soft notes of caramel, brown sugar, dark chocolate, toast, and dried fruit, the latter showing the slightest hint of the cognac barrel's influence. First tastes revealed creamy caramel, roasted nuts, and popcorn, with dried apricot and peaches on the front palate. On the mid-palate, the flavors shifted from sweet, caramelized sugar and dried fruits to more savory dried leather, crushed peppercorn, and toasted oak.
However, once the bourbon hit the back palate, there was nothing there. This was followed by a finish that faded almost instantly. The whiskey's finish tells you about its quality. A liquor that lingers with silky grace on your palate until well after you have swallowed is one of high-quality. The mouthfeel was thin and almost watery.
With its high-rye mash bill, Basil Hayden is known for its fresher style and soft, intentionally light 80-proof palate. However, the character was almost whiskey-lite, lacking the complexity, structure, and richness that the barrel aging program should bring. Once I added a splash of water, the character faded even more. Adding ice completely hid the subtle nuances. The overall taste wasn't off-putting, and it did reflect the soft, approachable style that is signature Basil Hayden. However, I was left wondering what the point even was.
Does Basil Hayden's new bourbon deserve a place on your bar cart?
If you are a novice bourbon drinker and are new to drinking barrel-aged spirits, you may enjoy Basil Hayden's new whiskey. It is incredibly soft on the entry, with a low 80-proof palate that lacks the burn that cask-strength, high-proof whiskey can bring. However, the cognac cask influence was nominal at best. The overall taste was not that different from Basil Hayden's original bourbon.
The thin mouthfeel and short finish left me wanting more, which, with the addition of water, only intensified. I believe the taste would be completely lost in a cocktail that is anything more than a whiskey highball. Even with the trend towards lower-alcohol liquors, the desirable complexity and well-rounded depth that barrel-aged spirits should have were hard to find in the new release. This is particularly even more true due to the additional finishing the whiskey received.
Basil Hayden claims that finishing the whiskey in cognac casks will "[expand] the boundaries of bourbon." However, if you want the character that finishing a whiskey in a wine barrel should bring, such as rich flavors of dried berries and stone fruits with cedar and toasted baking spice, there are better options to choose from. This is especially true given the overcrowded field of top-shelf bourbons, many of which deliver these desirable qualities and have prices that match those of the new release, such as Angel's Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon finished in port casks.
Price and availability
While purchase information for the new release is not yet available on the brand's website at the time of writing, I know Basil Hayden began shipping the cognac cask-finished Kentucky straight bourbon to select retailers across the country in early September 2026. Although the product is still new, in a quick internet search, I found that it is available at liquor stores from New York to Florida to California, with shipping available to states across the country.
The whiskey is available with a suggested retail price of $49.99. Its cost is comparable to Basil Hayden's signature Kentucky straight bourbon, which is nice to see since the cost of producing the new cognac cask-finished bourbon is higher due to the additional oak barrels for finishing and additional steps that the aging process brings.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：2XO & Sugarhill Gang Launch ‘Rapper’s Delight’ Whiskey - The Whiskey Wash
威士忌品牌 2XO 與調酒師 Dixon Dedman 聯手傳奇嘻哈樂團 Sugarhill Gang，推出《Rapper's Delight – The Hip-Hop Blend》威士忌，售價 $79.99 美元（約新台幣 2,600 元）。此款威士忌是 2XO Collectibles Series 系列第七款新作，靈感源自 Sugarhill Gang 1979 年經典單曲《Rapper's Delight》。酒款採用高裸麥（35%）與中度裸麥（18%）兩款特製配方，經雙次橡木桶陳放，Dedman 形容其為「充滿黑糖風味、口感厚重的威士忌」，帶有楓糖漿、焦糖、烤蘋果風味及溫和辛香尾韻。本月起於全美與 ReserveBar 線上販售。
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2XO Whiskey and American whiskey blender Dixon Dedman have teamed with hip-hop group The Sugarhill Gang to launch “Rapper’s Delight” – The Hip-Hop Blend, priced at $79.99 (£59.17, ₹7,635)) per 750ml. The whiskey is the seventh release in the brand’s Collectibles Series and lands this September nationwide and online at ReserveBar.
The blend takes its inspiration from The Sugarhill Gang’s 1979 single “Rapper’s Delight,” widely credited with introducing rap music to a mainstream audience.
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“I couldn’t be more excited to partner with the legendary Sugarhill Gang and their historic single, ‘Rapper’s Delight’,” said Dedman. “It’s surreal to collaborate with such a generational and iconic team.”
Dedman described the whiskey as “a brown sugar bomb with loads of weight and viscosity on the front of the palate.” He added: “It’s unique and classic, like this collaboration.”
The Sugarhill Gang also reflected on the tie-up. “When we made ‘Rapper’s Delight’ in 1979, we could never have imagined the song’s impact,” the group said.
“Collaborating with Dixon Dedman and 2XO to bring the spirit of ‘Rapper’s Delight’ into the world of whiskey has been an exciting opportunity for us,” the group continued. “It’s an amazing way to honor where hip-hop came from while creating something entirely new to share with our fans.”
Pappy Van Winkle Prices Just Jumped Up to 30% — But They May Still Be Too Cheap
READ THE STORY2XO, meaning Two Times Oak, refers to Dedman’s blending process in which every expression undergoes additional oak exposure. The extra oak interaction builds sweetness and balances the spice derived from the rye-forward mash bills.
The Hip-Hop Blend consists of two proprietary mash bills – a high-rye (35%) bourbon mash bill and a moderate-rye (18%) bourbon mash bill.
Dedman double-barrels the high-rye mash bill into new #3 and #4 charred oak barrels for nine to 12 months. That component comprises 90% of the blend, with the remaining 10% from the moderate-rye mash bill.
According to the official notes from the brand, the whiskey features maple syrup, caramel, brown sugar, baked apples and a mild, silky, peppery finish.
The release follows previous Collectibles editions, including The Vinyl Blend, The Sneakerhead Blend and The Kiawah Blend.
All 2XO whiskeys are crafted in partnership with Prestige Beverage Group.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：A Look Inside: Alan Jackson’s Silverbelly Whiskey Distillery & Museum - Nashville Guru
鄉村音樂傳奇 Alan Jackson 於 2026 年 6 月 25 日在納什維爾下城開設 Silverbelly Whiskey Distillery & Museum。這棟建築集三大功能於一身：現場混調與裝瓶自有品牌 Silverbelly 威士忌的運作酒廠、展示 Jackson 四十年音樂生涯的博物館，以及私人酒吧 The Vault。博物館分三展區依時序呈現其喬治亞州根源、鄉村音樂黃金年代的舞台服裝和手寫歌詞，以及獲獎歷程。主樓提供威士忌品飲、現場音樂與客製化裝瓶體驗，VIP 導覽套票含博物館、品飲和 The Vault 入場。
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Alan Jackson’s Silverbelly Whiskey Distillery and Museum opened on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 121 3rd Avenue South in Downtown Nashville, a block off Lower Broadway. It’s three things in one building: a working distillery that blends and bottles his Silverbelly Whiskey on site, a museum on the second floor covering Jackson’s four-decade career, and a private speakeasy called The Vault. Jackson has had a spot on Broadway since 2016, when AJ’s Good Time Bar opened, but this is the first one built around his career and his whiskey together. Nashville Guru stopped by to get a look inside.
The Distillery
Silverbelly Whiskey Distillery’s main floor offers multiple bars, a stage, and colorful murals inspired by Jackson’s music. Whiskey flights are the main draw, along with a cocktail list that runs from signature drinks to classics, and there’s live music while the bar is open. Bottles of Silverbelly are for sale alongside merchandise. The whiskey itself is blended, proofed, bottled, and labeled on site, and the Proof Room off the bar is where guests can fill and label a bottle of their own to take home.
The Museum
Venture upstairs to experience the Alan Jackson Museum. The museum is split into three exhibit areas that follow Jackson’s career in order. The Georgia Roots covers his early years in Newnan, Georgia, with family artifacts and personal items from before the move to Nashville. Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow picks up with the honky-tonk years and holds stage outfits, handwritten lyric sheets, and original memorabilia. Remember When closes it out with the awards from a run that put him in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
For the best all-around experience, The Backstage VIP tour is the way to go. It runs about 90 minutes and is offered daily at noon, 2:00pm, and 4:00pm. It includes a welcome cocktail, the museum, a whiskey flight, the bottle-your-own experience in the Proof Room, and access to The Vault. Tickets are sold through Etix, and private tours can be arranged through events@silverbellywhiskey.com.
The Speakeasy
The Vault is the private bar tucked inside the building, stocked with rare pours that aren’t on the main bar list. It isn’t a walk-in room. Access comes with the Backstage VIP tour or a private event booking, which keeps it quiet compared to the rest of the building.
The Exterior
Silverbelly Whiskey Distillery & Alan Jackson Museum are located right off Lower Broadway at 121 3rd Avenue South, right next door to the Johnny Cash Museum.
The Details
For Alan Jackson fans and music lovers, this is a must-visit.
- Address: 121 3rd Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37201 (map/directions)
- Hours: Daily 10:00am to 10:00pm
- Tours: Daily at noon, 2:00pm, and 4:00pm
- Instagram: @silverbellywhiskey
- Official Website
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：The Van Winkle Family Announces the 2026 Release of Its Annual Whiskey Collection - bevnet.com｜僅標題
（僅標題資訊）范溫克爾家族（The Van Winkle Family）宣布了 2026 年份年度威士忌系列的發售計畫。范溫克爾是美國肯塔基州知名威士忌品牌，其 Pappy Van Winkle 系列因稀有且高品質而備受推崇，每年發售都引發威士忌愛好者高度關注。本次公告代表新一年份的珍稀威士忌產品即將推出市場。
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Saltire Rare Malt secures six Scottish Whisky Awards finalist places - streamlinefeed.co.ke
成立於2024年的獨立裝瓶商 Saltire Rare Malt 在2026年蘇格蘭威士忌大獎中獲得6個決選席次，涵蓋4個類別，其中Single Cask Scotch 13 and Over類的8個品酒名額中佔3席（Aultmore 15年、Caol Ila 17年、Tamnavulin 17年），另獲獨立裝瓶商年度獎和品牌卓越獎提名。這間由Nigel Heywood和Keith Rennie於蘇格蘭Falkland創立的新興公司，去年獲得新星獎，今年更在國際擴張中增聘5名專業人員進軍美國和亞太市場，展現獨立裝瓶商與大型釀酒廠的競爭實力。
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Saltire Rare Malt secures six Scottish Whisky Awards finalist places
The Falkland bottler, launched in 2024, takes four whiskies to the 2026 taste finals and adds Independent Bottler of the Year and branding nominations.
Fife bottler Saltire Rare Malt has taken six finalist places across four categories at the 2026 Scottish Whisky Awards, according to the competition's published finalist list, a sweep that puts three of its single casks into eight available tasting slots.
The nominations matter beyond one small company: they show how quickly an independent bottler, which buys and bottles casks rather than distilling, can earn judging recognition against distillery-owned brands with far larger stocks and marketing budgets.
Six places, four categories
The organisers' list places Saltire Rare Malt in Independent Bottler of the Year and Excellence in Branding, alongside four whiskies in the tasting finals. Three of the eight places in Single Cask Scotch 13 and Over went to its Aultmore 15 Year Old, Caol Ila 17 Year Old and Tamnavulin 17 Year Old, while its Port Dundas bottling reached the Single Grain and Blended Grain Scotch category.
- Independent Bottler of the Year: company nomination against four rival bottlers, including Brave New Spirits and Douglas Laing
- Excellence in Branding: company nomination among seven finalists
- Single Cask Scotch 13 and Over: Aultmore #301239, Caol Ila #313181 and Tamnavulin #1008, three of eight places
- Single Grain and Blended Grain Scotch: Port Dundas #50092100
Trade publication Larder reported the six placements on 11 September, noting the company was named Newcomer of the Year at the 2025 awards.
A two-year-old business model
Friends Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie launched Saltire Rare Malt in 2024 from Falkland's market square, opposite Falkland Palace, specialising in rare single cask and limited-edition Scotch. The company works with whisky experts Hans and Becky Offringa, known as The Whisky Couple, to curate its collection.
Independent bottlers add value through selection: they buy casks from distilleries, decide when and under what label to bottle, and stake their reputation on palate rather than production. That model explains how a business without a still can hold three of eight places in a single cask category judged on taste.
Rennie told Larder that having four whiskies in the taste finals, alongside the branding and bottler recognition, meant a huge amount to a team that launched just over two years ago.
Growth beyond Fife
The nominations follow the company's largest investment in people to date. In July it appointed five whisky professionals, among them Gary Clark as US national sales manager and Kotaro Kurihara as product marketing specialist for Asia Pacific, The Spirits Business reported. Saltire says its bottlings now reach collectors and trade partners across Europe, North America, Asia and South Africa, after a first expansion in 2025 added staff for the UK, European and US markets.
The finalist list also shows the scale of the field: distillery owners such as Glenmorangie and Loch Lomond hold a dozen places each across taste categories, while independent bottlers compete mainly in cask and company awards. Against that baseline, six placements for a 2024 launch is an outlier result rather than a routine one.
Falkland's heritage adds texture to the brand story: local records tie the area to the 1494 entry in which King James IV ordered malt from Friar John Cor to make aqua vitae, an early written reference in the history of Scotch whisky.
The winners of the 2026 Scottish Whisky Awards will be announced later this year, with the Dr Jim Swan Award winner revealed in October according to the organisers. For Saltire the test then shifts from recognition to results: whether finalist places convert into wins, and whether a newly built international team can turn judge approval into sustained export sales.
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- 01HeraldScotlandFife whisky bottler Saltire Rare Malt shortlisted for six Scottish Whisky AwardsNews reportPublished 11 Sept 2026Accessed 11 Sept 2026Evidence used - • Saltire Rare Malt secured six finalist spots at the 2026 Scottish Whisky Awards including Independent Bottler of the Year and Excellence in Branding
- • Company launched in 2024 by Keith Rennie and Nigel Heywood in Falkland, Fife, and works with Hans and Becky Offringa
- • Company appointed five whisky professionals across North America and Asia Pacific
- 02Larder MagazineFife Bottler Saltire Rare Malt secures six Whisky Awards Finalist spotsNews reportBy Andrew Brebner Published 11 Sept 2026Accessed 11 Sept 2026Evidence used - • Six finalist spots across four categories with three of eight places in Single Cask Scotch 13 and Over
- • Saltire named Newcomer of the Year at the 2025 Scottish Whisky Awards
- • Co-founder Keith Rennie quoted on the nominations
- • Winners of the 2026 awards to be announced later this year
- 03Scottish Whisky AwardsFinalists 2026Primary documentPrimaryBy Scottish Whisky AwardsAccessed 11 Sept 2026Evidence used - • Saltire Rare Malt listed among five finalists for Independent Bottler of the Year and among seven for Excellence in Branding
- • Saltire casks Aultmore #301239 15 years, Caol Ila #313181 17 years and Tamnavulin #1008 17 years hold three of eight Single Cask Scotch 13 and Over places
- • Port Dundas #50092100 listed in Single Grain and Blended Grain Scotch
- • Dr Jim Swan Award winner to be announced in October
- 04The Spirits BusinessSaltire Rare Malt Whisky strengthens global teamNews reportPublished 8 Jul 2026Accessed 11 Sept 2026Evidence used - • July 2026 appointments of Gary Clark, Jared Card, George B Summer, Laura Sol and Kotaro Kurihara described as the largest investment in people to date
- • First major expansion in 2025 added staff for UK, European and US markets
- • Keith Rennie quoted on building an international Scotch whisky company
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If you’re a whisky drinker, you probably have your favourites from here and abroad. There are plenty of great options to choose from. The whisky market is stacked with world-class drams – from local Australian heavyweights like LARK, Sullivans Cove, and Hellyers Road to Scotch classics like Lagavulin and The Macallan, or even a top-shelf American bourbon. But if you haven’t ventured into Japanese whisky, you’re overlooking some of the most impressive liquid on the market, no matter your preferred flavour profile.
To be labeled authentic Japanese whisky, the spirit must adhere to strict production standards:
- Malted Grain: Distilled using malted grain (barley for single malts).
- Local Sourcing: Made using Japanese water, typically drawn from natural mountain springs.
- End-to-End Production: Mashing, fermentation, distillation, and aging must occur entirely in Japan.
- Cask Ageing & Bottling: Matured in wooden barrels (including rare Mizunara oak) in Japan for at least three years, bottled at 40 per cent ABV or higher.
But the real magic lies in the glass. From delicate, floral single malts to rich, harmonious blends, here are the best Japanese whiskies to elevate your home bar.
1. Hakushu 12 Year
If you’re getting into Japanese whisky, Hakushu 12 Year is a must-try expression. This single malt whisky from the House of Suntory is made from 100 per cent malted barley and pure mountain spring water from the Ojira and Jingu Rivers near Mount Kaikomagatake in the Japanese Alps. This memorable, complex expression is a vatted marriage of lightly peated and non-peated single malt whiskies.
- ABV: 43 per cent
- Price: AUD $280-300
- Cask type: This popular single malt was matured for at least 12 years. The non-peated single malt is matured in European ex-sherry casks, and the peated whisky is matured in American oak barrels.
Flavour profile:
- Nose: Aromas of orchard fruits, mint leaves, vanilla beans, fir trees, and gentle peat smoke greet you before your first sip.
- Taste: The palate features herbal tea undertones, caramelised sugar, vanilla beans, candied orange peels, mint leaves, oak, and light campfire smoke.
- Finish: Long and warm, ending with a mix of herbal tea, butterscotch, and a gentle smoky flourish.
- Key Detail: A marriage of non-peated and peated single malts makes for a nuanced, complex flavour profile.
2. Hibiki Japanese Harmony
An essential starting point for any collector, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a versatile blended whisky well-suited for mixing into cocktails or sipping neat, look no further than Hibiki Japanese Harmony. Popular among bartenders and drinkers alike, this whisky is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies from Suntory-owned Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries. Buy this blend if you’re looking for a rainy-day sipper or want to make a Japanese whisky version of any of your favourite cocktails.
- ABV: 43 per cent
- Price: AUD $140-180
- Cask type: This award-winning blended whisky is matured in 5 different casks, including Japanese Mizunara oak, American white oak, sherry casks, and additional casks from the included distilleries.
Flavour profile:
- Nose: The nose features scents of lychee candy, orchard fruits, manuka honey, toasted vanilla beans, and oaky wood.
- Taste: The palate is velvety smooth and centred on flavours such as chocolate fudge, butterscotch, vanilla, honey, candied orange peels, and gentle baking spices.
- Finish: The finish is lingering and long, ending with a balance of vanilla, toffee candy, and peppery spice.
- Key Detail: If you want to get your foot in the door while trying some whiskies from the most well-known distilleries for a fraction of the price, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is a great choice.
3. Nikka Yoichi 10 Year
This popular single malt whisky begins with a 100 per cent malted barley mash bill. Produced in Hokkaido, Japan, at the Yoichi Distillery, it’s distilled using traditional coal-fired pot stills and more modern Coffey stills. It’s matured for a minimum of a decade in a combination of three unique barrels.
- ABV: 45 per cent
- Price: AUD $120-175
- Cask type: This popular expression is matured in a combination of barrels including ex-bourbon, virgin American oak, and sherry casks.
Flavour profile:
- Nose: The nose is a mix of aromas including toasted vanilla beans, tropical fruits, herbal tea, citrus peels, and gentle smoke.
- Taste: Sipping it reveals notes of vanilla cream, salted caramel, cracked black pepper, orange peels, oak, and sticky toffee pudding.
- Finish: The finish is lingering, warm, and dry, ending with a mix of sweet fruit, oaky wood, and peaty smoke.
- Key Detail: Coastal distillation and ageing give this single malt a unique salted-caramel, coastal maritime aroma and flavour.
4. Yamazaki 12 Year
If you only add one bottle to your cart from this list, make it the Yamazaki 12-Year. One of the most sought-after expressions in the world, this is an award-winning single malt. Made with 100 per cent malted barley, this renowned whisky is matured for a minimum of 12 years in a combination of three distinct casks, giving it the balanced, layered flavour profile Japanese whisky drinkers love.
- ABV: 43 per cent
- Price: AUD $250-400
- Cask type: This popular single malt was matured for 12 years in a combination of American oak, Spanish sherry, and Japanese Mizunara oak barrels.
Flavour profile:
- Nose: A lively nose of caramelised pineapple, citrus zest, honey, toasted vanilla beans, and rich oak greets you before your first sip.
- Taste: The palate is a symphony of flavours including sandalwood, toasted coconut, sweet vanilla beans, candied orange peels, cinnamon candy, herbal tea, and other baking spices.
- Finish: The final sip features a warm, long, balanced finish of dried fruits, ginger cookies, and oak.
- Key Detail: Maturation in three very different barrels gives this beloved single malt its mellow, complex flavour profile.
5. Mars Iwai Tradition
Named after Kiichiro Iwai, a beloved figure in the history of Japanese whisky, Mars Iwai Tradition is a blended whisky featuring whiskies made from malted barley, grain, and lightly peated malted barley. Distilled at Mars Shinshu Distillery in the Japanese Alps, this is a blended whisky you’ll want to always have on hand for sipping neat and mixing into your favourite cocktails.
- ABV: 40 per cent
- Price: AUD $100-125
- Cask type: This non-age-statement blended whisky is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon American oak barrels, sherry casks, and select wine barrels.
Flavour profile:
- Nose: Scents of dried cherries, clover honey, toasted vanilla beans, sticky toffee pudding, oak, and gentle peat smoke are prevalent on the nose.
- Taste: Drinking it brings notes of sticky toffee pudding, sweet treacle, herbal tea, ginger candy, chocolate fudge, vanilla cream, and just a wisp of peaty smoke.
- Finish: Long and warm, ending with a mix of charred oak, caramelised sugar, and gentle campfire smoke.
- Key Detail: A perfectly balanced blend featuring peated single malt, single malt, and grain whiskies.
6. The Chita Single Grain
First launched in 2015, The Chita Single Grain is the perfect gateway into Japanese whisky for bourbon or whiskey drinkers. This is because single-grain whisky is made with a base of corn rather than the usual barley. Matured in a combination of three barrels, it’s a perfect replacement for your favourite bourbons in an Old Fashioned or Whisky Sour. It’s also flavourful and aromatic enough to be enjoyed neat or on the rocks.
- ABV: 43 per cent
- Price: AUD $100-115
- Cask type: This non-age-statement single grain Japanese whisky is matured in a combination of American oak ex-bourbon barrels, European oak wine casks, and Spanish oak barrels.
Flavour profile:
- Nose: On the nose, you’ll
ST CYRUS, SCOTLAND, September 11, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- ECOSSE has officially entered its public phase following the September 4 launch, moving the project from pre-launch momentum into its public phase .The $ECOS Token Sale was already live ahead of launch, while the public phase now gives users a clearer view of how the token, platform activity, and wider ECOSSE direction fit together.
With the launch complete, attention can now shift to what happens across the ecosystem itself. $ECOS supports the digital side of ECOSSE through eligible platform participation, selected services, marketplace functions where available.
Why the Public Phase Matters
$ECOS Utility: $ECOS supports digital participation and selected functions across the wider ECOSSE ecosystem.
Token Sale Progress: Participants can continue following vesting and claiming as each scheduled portion becomes available.
Community Participation: Users now have more ways to follow platform activity, updates, and new participation opportunities.
Whisky RWA Direction: ECOSSE continues developing a separate whisky-focused RWA layer alongside its digital ecosystem.
"We are bringing single malt Scotch whisky into the RWA space through a model built around maturation, bonded custody, provenance, and clear digital records. With the public phase now live, the community can follow the platform today while the whisky-focused direction continues to develop." -Mr. Ross Foster, Co-Founder.
What This Means for the ECOSSE Community
$ECOS utility, Token Sale progress, platform rollouts, participation updates, and future whisky-related developments can now become part of the ongoing project conversation.
$ECOS remains the utility token for the digital ecosystem, while any future whisky-linked RWA offering will follow a separate structure.
The Road Ahead
ECOSSE will continue sharing confirmed updates around platform activity, $ECOS utility, marketplace use where available, community participation, and future whisky-related progress.
The next stage is about turning launch attention into continued participation. Follow the official ECOSSE channels, keep up with each confirmed update, and stay close as the digital ecosystem and longer-term whisky direction continue to develop.
Watch live video: https://youtube.com/live/qmyd6B2V-mQ?si=N_rZpW9kq_vu7aZM
# # #
Contact Information
Mr. Ross Foster
ECOSSE COIN
St Cyrus, Scotland
United Kingdom
Telephone: 72000 12347
Email: Email Us Here
Website: Visit Our Website
Blog: Visit Our Blog
I arrive at Bottega Café a little early for my interview with Julieann Fernandez, Master Blender and Head of Spirit Supply for CVH Spirits. It’s partially planned, because I hope to catch up with the restaurant’s owner, Saverio Cardillo, and get some insights into the relaunch that I’m here to attend. He’s keen to chat, so we find a spot under seemingly infinite rows of wondrous whiskies. Before we begin, I glance up and notice a few new shelves, one of which floats almost impossibly overhead. It boasts a very enticing 30-year-old Bunnahabhain, and it’s the perfect segue…
“Having Bunnahabhain, Tobermory, Ledaig and Deanston back on our shelves is quite an achievement,” explains Cardillo. “They’re such great, proudly South African brands, and they haven’t been easy to get.” Although all three distilleries mentioned (Tobermory produces Ledaig) are in Scotland, they are owned by CVH Spirits, a local business, majority-owned by South African investment group Remgro.
We whisky lovers claim them as we would Trevor Noah or Charlize Theron. Regardless of which foreign land they may call home, we’re happy that they’re making contact again and have found a way back to our shores. The night’s line-up features a range of delights, from the Deanston 12-Year-Old to a Bunnahabhain Stiùireadair and the Ledaig Sinclair Series Rioja Cask Finish. “We’re going to be in for a treat,” enthuses Cardillo, before going into detail about what makes each of these offerings so unique and appealing.
“I actually met Julieann three years ago in Scotland at the Deanston Distillery,” he tells me. “She was passionate and knowledgeable and had these great ideas for wood finishes. So, I can’t believe that I’m seeing her tonight.” And just like that, as if on cue, Julieann walks in. After we talk, she proceeds to host the tasting, peppering it with personal insights and nuggets of information. It’s as whisky should be: relaxed, edifying and fun. Near the end, Cardillo pulls that 30-year-old off the shelf and pours us all a dram. It’s the perfect ending. Here’s how it began.
Julieann, your journey into whisky started in an unlikely place: forensic sciences. What made you choose that career path?
I’m a big believer that everybody has a gift, and they’re good at something. For me, it just happened to be science, and I became really interested in the analytical side of things. My mum was in the funeral business, so I don’t know if there was maybe a slightly morbid connection, but I think that’s what piqued my interest. So yeah, I decided to go to university, and that’s what I chose to study.
And did you enjoy it?
I absolutely loved it, but getting a job in Scotland is really, really difficult, so I decided to take a year out between my third and fourth year at university, just to get some sort of work experience, either in a lab, or just something more hands-on. I applied for lots of different things, from oil to gas, and it just so happened that the position I got was in the whisky industry, and from there, I just fell in love with it.
So, you’re Scottish, surrounded by more whisky distilleries than most people, and you fell into whisky accidentally?
Nobody in my family was a whisky drinker, so it’s not something that I had much exposure to. When I started working, it was analytical chemistry stuff, so actually analysing the whisky. But part of the role did involve sensory analysis. So, I did the organoleptic assessment, and I realised that I really enjoyed it, and I got a really good score.
After doing that for a year and building up my knowledge and confidence, I felt this was something that I really enjoyed and I would like to do more of. So, after I graduated, I wanted to go back into Scotch whisky because that’s where I’d found that passion.
Tell me more about that part of your journey.
I graduated in 2014, and I went to the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, which is an amazing organisation based in Edinburgh. They really support the Scotch whisky industry with research. I was an analytical chemist, but I didn’t want to spend all my time in a lab analysing samples. So, I thought to myself, I need to find a way to get back into actual whisky making. And then a job came up again with Chivas Brothers in their grain distillery, Strathclyde, right in the centre of Glasgow.
I moved there, and again I was doing the analytical side of things, but I did get to spend a lot of time understanding the ins and outs of how grain whisky is made. And then, because Strathclyde closed in the summer for a maintenance period, I would then go up to Speyside (to Chivas Brothers’ other distilleries) and work in their labs and start to learn more about malt whisky distilling. I was fascinated.
And how did you move from there to where you are now?
Distell approached me in 2017, and it just sounded like such a good opportunity. So, I joined as a blender. It was really hands-on ― I learnt about the brands and the history of each of our distilleries. And then, at the end of 2019, I was approached about the position of Master Blender, which was advertised, and external candidates applied for. Now, at the time I would have been 27, and I was pregnant with my first child, but I interviewed the same as everybody else and got the job just as I was going off on maternity leave for my first son. It’s honestly been a whirlwind since then.
You were now in charge of some heavyweight whisky brands. What was that like?
Taking over control of all these liquids, you feel like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s funny because I wanted to make sure that the quality and the consistency were there, but I also wanted to make my mark, because I didn’t want to do the same as what everybody had done over the years. I felt I had this unique opportunity where I wanted to stay true to our roots but also just do me. So, there was definitely a lot of pressure, but the longer you do it, the more your confidence grows.
What was the best advice you were given in those early days?
Believe in yourself and follow your gut. That is what I do. I think you do get a bit of imposter syndrome sometimes, and you think, wow, to have this role at this stage in my life is absolutely unbelievable. But you need to just forget about that. Believe in yourself and believe in your talents.
What about the worst advice?
What I discard is probably the opinions that people have. You could make something in a unique cask, for example, and not everybody’s going to love it. And you know what? That’s OK. It then becomes a talking point, and you talk about what they did love about it or what they didn’t like about it.
I’ve been told by many people that whisky is part science, part magic. It’s a bit like striking a balance between forensic evidence and deep-seated intuition. Do you agree?
Whisky is one of those things where it’s very, very hard to know exactly what it’s going to do. You can have this perfect blend in your head and have ratios written down on paper. You pull it together, and it’s nothing like what you thought it was going to be. A lot of the time, that analytical side does need to go out the window, and you must become a bit more of an artist. It’s a mixture of everything: a little bit of magic, a little bit of science, but mainly art for me.
I’ll buy casks based on flavour profile, and then I’ll put whisky in and I’ll just taste it and see how it starts to perform, and go from there, because whisky takes its own journey, and we can’t change that. I just go with the flow now.
You wear many hats in your day-to-day job. What does your typical day entail?
There’s no such thing as a typical day ― no two days are the same. As soon as the new spirit comes off the still, that’s when it becomes my responsibility. I look after the process from the start right through to when we fill the casks. So, my day can go from nosing new make spirit to grading that, pulling new blends together, purchasing casks and looking at our inventory, right thr
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：How to Drink Dewar’s White Label - The Whiskey Wash
Dewar's White Label 是創立於1899年的調和蘇格蘭威士忌，以Aberfeldy酒廠的蜂蜜風味為核心，採用雙重陳年工藝。文章詳細介紹了品飲方式，包括純飲時可品嚐蜂蜜、香草和柑橘風味，亦適合加冰或調製High Ball。據傳High Ball雞尾酒由Dewar創辦人次子Tommy在1890年代造就，已成為品飲蘇格蘭威士忌的經典方式。文中並建議搭配食物的方式，如印度咖哩小食或漢堡，適合日常享用。
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Dewar’s White Label has been on sale since 1899, and it remains one of the best-selling Scotch whiskies in America, a fixture on back bars from New York to Mumbai.
It is a blend rather than a single malt, built around the honeyed whisky of Aberfeldy distillery in the Scottish Highlands and priced as an everyday bottle.
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The company also claims to have given the world the Highball, and a tall glass of whisky and soda is still where White Label feels most at home, although it works neat and over ice too.
What Is Dewar’s White Label?
Dewar’s White Label is a blended Scotch whisky created in 1899 by A.J. Cameron, the company’s first master blender. Dewar’s says it combines up to 30 single malt and grain whiskies, with Aberfeldy, the distillery the Dewar brothers opened in 1898, at its heart.
Once blended, the whiskies go back into oak casks for a second spell of maturation, which the company calls double aging and credits for the smoothness the brand is known for.
In our tasting, the nose brings honey, heather, vanilla and citrus, while the palate is malty, with vanilla fudge, pear and a little spice. The finish is crisp, with a touch of oak and a faint wisp of smoke.
Pappy Van Winkle Prices Just Jumped Up to 30% — But They May Still Be Too Cheap
READ THE STORYIt is bottled at 40% ABV without an age statement and usually sells for $20 to $30 in the US. In India, a 750ml bottle costs roughly ₹1,450 to ₹2,400, depending on the state.
How Should You Drink Dewar’s White Label?
Stephanie Macleod, Dewar’s master blender since 2006, has said that whisky “wasn’t made to stand in ceremony” and was instead “made truly to be enjoyed; to give comfort and warmth.” That suits White Label, an everyday whisky that has never asked to be treated as anything grander.
Drinking it neat is still the best way to learn the house style, even if you plan to mix it later. It is light rather than layered, with honey arriving first, then citrus and a soft vanilla sweetness.
A few drops of room-temperature water loosen the aroma and bring the pear and vanilla further forward, which helps if the alcohol feels sharp on the first sip.
A single large cube of ice cools the whisky without drowning it too quickly, pushing the citrus and grain forward as the honey quietens. A light blend thins out fast, though, so this is a drink to finish rather than nurse.
The Dewar’s White Label Highball
Dewar’s traces the Highball to Tommy Dewar, the founder’s younger son, who led the firm’s push overseas.
According to the company, he ordered a “ball,” then common slang for a measure of whisky, on a visit to New York in the early 1890s, and asked for it to be served tall with ice and soda after his companion complained about the “beastly small glasses.”
Dewar’s says it trademarked the name “High Ball” in 1902, although others have claimed the drink too, among them the New York bartender Patrick Gavin Duffy, who said he brought the Highball to America in 1895.
Whoever poured the first one, the serve changed how Scotch was drunk. Gareth Howells, a national whisky ambassador for John Dewar & Sons, has said the Highball “took whisky out of the dark.”
To make one, pack a tall glass to the brim with ice, since a full glass melts more slowly than a few loose cubes, and pour in 50ml (1.7oz) of White Label.
Top it with 120ml (4oz) of chilled soda from a freshly opened bottle, pouring gently down the side of the glass, then stir once and finish with a twist of lemon peel.
Best Mixers and Cocktails for Dewar’s White Label
White Label mixes easily because its flavors are gentle enough to sit alongside other ingredients without disappearing.
Ginger ale is the natural next step after soda, and Dewar’s own recipe calls for 60ml (2oz) of White Label and 120ml (4oz) of ginger ale over ice, finished with a wedge of lemon or lime.
Cloudy apple juice picks up the pear and apple notes in the blend, while a lighter tonic brings a bitter edge that balances the honey. Plenty of people drink White Label with cola, and it mixes well enough, but the sweetness covers most of what the whisky has to offer.
For a proper cocktail, the Penicillin is a good fit, since the bartender Sam Ross created it at Milk & Honey in New York in 2005 using blended Scotch.
Shake 60ml (2oz) of White Label with 22ml (0.75oz) each of fresh lemon juice and honey-ginger syrup, strain it over a large cube, and float a little peated Islay malt on top.
How to Drink Dewar’s White Label in Hot Weather
Neat whisky makes most sense in a cold climate, and in real heat the alcohol can smell hot and spirity long before the flavor comes through.
Greg Benson, a mixologist who has worked as Dewar’s brand ambassador in India, told The New Indian Express that Scots mostly take their whisky neat, whereas Indian drinkers add ice, water or soda, largely because of the heat and humidity.
In the heat, make the Highball a little longer, with around 150ml (5oz) of well-chilled soda to 50ml (1.7oz) of whisky.
Fill the glass right to the top with ice and keep the bottle out of the sun, and the drink will stay cold and lively to the last mouthful.
What to Eat With Dewar’s White Label
Benson also noted that Indian drinkers like snacks or even full meals with their whisky, while Scots tend to drink theirs on its own, and White Label is well matched to that habit.
A Highball alongside chakna, the bar snacks of masala peanuts, pakoras and spiced cashews, works because the soda cuts through the salt and oil.
With creamy dishes such as butter chicken or paneer makhani, the whisky’s fruit and honey offset the richness of the sauce. Earthier vegetarian dishes like dal makhani or aloo gobi pair well with its lighter, floral side, which complements cumin and turmeric.
Macleod herself has enjoyed a Highball with curry, and said that “the ginger matched quite well with the dish and the highball was a refreshing complement.” For dessert, gulab jamun is a natural partner, as the whisky’s vanilla and honey echo the syrup and cardamom.
In the US, a Highball with fried chicken or a burger does much the same job, keeping the palate fresh between mouthfuls.
Final Thoughts
White Label has never been the bottle people keep for a celebration, and it is at its best on warm afternoons, at barbecues and parties, and on ordinary weeknights after work.
By the time A.J. Cameron blended it in 1899, Tommy Dewar had already spent two years traveling the world for the firm, returning with agents in 26 countries and an office in New York, the city where the company says the Highball began.
The Crieff-based Glenturret Distillery, has announced the launch of a new limited-edition release, said to be defined not only by time, but by the impression it leaves behind.
The Glenturret Remanence (48.4% ABV) is a non-age-stated single malt Scotch whisky, produced using peated spirit and matured in American and European oak casks.
Created by Bob Dalgarno, The Glenturret’s Whisky Maker, the latest release is inspired by what lingers after, the warmth of shared company, the quiet that follows and the memory that never fully fades. It explores the lasting character of an experience and its ability to stay with us.
The Glenturret Remanence, is said to deliver a refined veil of freshly awakened smoke, which opens the whisky, lifted by citrus brightness and soft vanilla sweetness. At its heart, smooth caramel unfolds into layers of elegant oak spice, balanced with quiet restraint. The finish is long and evocative, with gentle smoke and soft spice lingering long after the final sip.
Limited in quantity, The Glenturret Remanence is now available from the distillery’s website and selected specialist retailers, for a RRP of £95.00.
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Beer lovers have Oktoberfest, and wine has Beaujolais Nouveau Day, among others. But when does whisky season officially begin? According to The
Scotch Malt Whisky Society, there hasn’t been a clear moment, until now. This month,
SMWS launches the very first Whisky Equinox.
The idea behind this new whisky day is simple. As evenings draw in and temperatures start to dip, many of us reach more often for a glass of whisky. The Society wants to mark that shift each year on 23 September.
And a festive day dedicated to the water of life naturally deserves a host of new whiskies. SMWS is unveiling those as well.
Why is 23 September the start of whisky season?
The chosen name is Whisky Equinox, not a nod to whisky eclipses, but to the perfect moment to kick off the season. On 23 September we reach the autumnal equinox, when day and night are roughly equal and we begin the slow turn toward the darker half of the year.
For The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, it’s a beautifully symbolic time to open whisky season. Enthusiasts are encouraged to pour a dram on the evening of 23 September and raise a glass together: at home, with friends, or online using the hashtag #WhiskyEquinox.
Two whiskies for light and dark
For Whisky Equinox, SMWS has created two standout bottlings that embody the play of light and dark. The first, Riesling Spritz in the Sun, is a 12-year-old Speyside that represents the brighter side of the equinox. Its counterpart, Spice It Up After Dark, is an 11-year-old Highland that leans into the night.
Both whiskies come in smaller 35cl bottles. A single bottle is priced at 39 pounds, while the set of two is offered at 75 pounds
Normally, SMWS releases are members-only. An exception is being made for these two bottles:
anyone can purchase them via SMWS.com.
SMWS members also get two special bottles
Members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society will see a second Whisky Equinox duo as well—this time two standard 70cl bottles under the shared name Yin & Yang.
The first, Panpepato Party Starter, offers notes of cinnamon, ginger, chocolate, and dried fruit. The second, Library Cafe in Autumn, takes a softer tack, with flavours of strawberry tart, butterscotch, espresso, and pistachio.
Will we all be toasting on 23 September from now on?
There are already
international whisky days, but one more can only help. World Whisky Day lands in May, and International Whisk(e)y Day in March. The difference is that Whisky Equinox is designed specifically as the opening bell for the season when, according to the Society, many people return to whisky more often.
Whisky expert and Master of the Quaich Annabel Meikle certainly sees the appeal. In her view, whisky truly shines as the nights grow longer and the mercury falls.
Whether 23 September will become the day when whisky lovers worldwide reach for their glasses remains to be seen. We’ll be raising a glass of the water of life on 23 September either way.
FAQ
- What is the Whisky Equinox?
Whisky Equinox is a new initiative from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society to symbolically celebrate the start of whisky season on 23 September.
- Which whiskies are being released for Whisky Equinox?
Among others, two special 35cl bottles: Riesling Spritz in the Sun, a 12-year-old Speyside, and Spice It Up After Dark, an 11-year-old Highland.
- Do you need to be a member of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society to buy the bottles?
No. The two special 35cl Whisky Equinox bottles are, exceptionally, available to everyone.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Saltire Rare Malt Lands Six Scottish Whisky Award Nods - The Whiskey Wash
位於蘇格蘭菲費郡的獨立裝瓶商 Saltire Rare Malt 在 2026 蘇格蘭威士忌大獎中獲得六項提名，橫跨四個獎項類別，包括年度獨立裝瓶商和品牌卓越獎。其中四款威士忌進入品評決選，三款 Aultmore 15 Year Old、Caol Ila 17 Year Old 和 Tamnavulin 17 Year Old 更在單一桶 13 年以上類別中獲選。Saltire 於 2024 年創立，去年才獲評為新秀獎得主，此次多項提名反映其快速成長與國際擴展的成績。
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Fife-based independent Scotch whisky bottler Saltire Rare Malt has secured six finalist spots across four categories at the 2026 Scottish Whisky Awards. The nominations include Independent Bottler of the Year and Excellence in Branding.
Four Saltire whiskies have reached the taste finals.
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Three of the eight places in the Single Cask Scotch 13 and Over category went to the bottler’s Aultmore 15 Year Old, Caol Ila 17 Year Old and Tamnavulin 17 Year Old.
Saltire’s Port Dundas has also been shortlisted in the Single Grain & Blended Grain Scotch category.
The nominations mark a milestone for the company, which was named Newcomer of the Year at the 2025 Scottish Whisky Awards.
Saltire Rare Malt was launched in 2024 by friends and founders Nigel Heywood and Keith Rennie. The business is based in Falkland, Fife. The company works alongside whisky experts Hans and Becky Offringa, known as The Whisky Couple, to curate its collection of rare single cask and limited-edition Scotch whiskies. In just over two years, its bottlings have reached collectors and trade partners across Europe, North America, Asia and South Africa.
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READ THE STORY“We’re incredibly proud to see Saltire recognised across so many different areas at this year’s Scottish Whisky Awards,” said Keith Rennie, co-founder of Saltire Rare Malt.
“To have four of our whiskies in the taste finals – including three in the same single cask category – is particularly special, alongside recognition for our branding and a nomination for Independent Bottler of the Year.”
Rennie added: “We launched Saltire just over two years ago with a shared passion for exceptional Scotch whisky and big ambitions for the business. To see the whisky, the brand and the team recognised together means a huge amount to us.”
The nominations come during the company’s biggest period of international growth to date. Saltire recently appointed five whisky professionals across North America and Asia Pacific.
The Scottish Whisky Awards celebrate producers, bottlers and retailers across the industry.
Winners of the 2026 edition will be announced later this year.
The Saltire Rare Malt Collection is available to buy online.
Glasgow, Scotland – Independent bottler Dingolfi Spirits Ltd. has announced the launch of its flagship expression, Dingolfi Premium Rich Reserve. This premium Highland single malt Scotch whisky brings a bold and authentic flavor profile to the independent Scotch market, celebrating the meeting of traditional Scottish craft and rugged Norse heritage.
The name Dingolfi is derived from the Old Norse word Dingulfr, meaning “The Assembly of the Wolf.” It pays homage to the ancient northern lands where North Sea travelers and Highland clans would gather to trade, share stories, and find kinship.
Dingolfi Premium Rich Reserve is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky with an ABV of 46%, bottled at a robust strength to preserve its natural character. It has been matured in hand-selected ex-bourbon oak casks and is non-chill filtered to protect its full texture and depth.
According to the Dingolfi Spirits team, the whisky’s nose is warm and welcoming, featuring notes of vanilla pod, honey, toasted nuts, and orchard fruits. On the palate, it is rich and rounded, with layers of shortbread biscuits, baked apples, milk chocolate, and Brazil nuts, complemented by warm wood spices. The finish is a comforting, nutty warmth with lingering notes of cacao, roasted hazelnut, and dark espresso.
“Dingolfi is more than just a premium whisky; it is the liquid history of a place where different cultures merged,” says the Dingolfi Spirits team. “By skipping chill-filtration and keeping the strength at a bold 46%, we make sure every single drop carries the untamed, authentic weight of our northern roots.”
Dingolfi whisky is now available for purchase through partner retailers and online. For more information on upcoming tasting events or to join the community, visit the official Dingolfi website at dingolfi.com.
About Dingolfi Spirits Ltd.
Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Dingolfi Spirits Ltd. uses traditional methods to craft premium Scotch whisky, drawing inspiration from northern resilience and bold, unforgettable flavors.
Media Contact:
Contact: Dingolfi Spirits Team
Email: info@dingolfispirits.com
Website: dingolfi.com
There are many who still believe that all scotch whisky is smoky, but in fact the opposite is true—the majority of scotch is unpeated, and therefore not at all smoky. Of course, there are some single malts that are not just smoky, but taste more like burning campfires of blazing peat. The trick, if a distillery is going to do that, is to somehow still make the whisky enjoyable, and once again Bruichladdich’s Octomore series shows how that can be done.
Bruichladdich, which is located on Islay, released its first Octomore whisky in 2008, naming it after the nearby farm from which it gets some of its barley. That first release included whisky peated to a staggering 131 ppm, or parts per million, a measurement of the phenols in the whisky (for reference, Laphroaig, which is known for being a very smoky whisky, clocks in at about 45 ppm). The Series 8 Octomore was even more insane, tripling that number to over 309 ppm for some of its whisky, which begs the question if you can even pick up any other flavors at that astronomical level of smoke.
The whiskies in the Octomore 17 series aren’t quite that extreme, but they are still very smoky nonetheless, and also full of complexity. “Octomore embodies Bruichladdich’s purpose: to create thought-provoking whiskies that challenge industry norms and offer consumers something they cannot get anywhere else,” said master blender Adam Hannett in a statement. “We’ve used traceable, super-heavily peated barley from mainland Scotland and Islay, maturing each expression in a selection of high-quality casks, including bourbon, Sauternes wine, Port wine, Eiswein (ice wine) and Oloroso sherry.”
The series kicks off with 17.1, which, as is usually the case with the first entry, serves as the “reference point” for the other expressions. This single malt was distilled from 100 percent Concerto barley grown on the Scottish mainland and malted to 81 ppm. It was aged solely in first-fill bourbon barrels for five years, and the official tasting notes describe salt, smoke, and sweetness on the palate. 17.2 was made from that same type of barley and malted to the same ppm, but it was aged for four years in second-fill French oak casks previously used to age bourbon, and then finished for a year in first-fill port barriques (this combination is a first for the distillery). Look for notes of pepper, citrus, and berries.
The 17.3 was made from barley grown in Irene’s Field on the aforementioned Octomore Farm. The whisky was aged for five years in first-fill bourbon barrels along with second-fill Ribera del Duero, sauternes, Eiswein, and Syrah casks. This one is a peat monster at 132.1 ppm, but still retains notes of citrus, chocolate, and dark fruit behind all that smoke. For the first time, the fourth entry in the series, 17.4 in this case, is available here in the U.S. and not just as a distillery exclusive. It was malted to 108.2 ppm, aged for seven years in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks, and finished in French virgin oak barrels.
The first three whiskies are available now from specialty retailers, with prices ranging from $205 to $280. 17.4 will be available starting October 1 with a price tag of $250 per bottle.
Aberargie creates whisky in support of Scottish farmers
By Joe RogersPerthshire’s Aberargie Distillery will donate £1 (US$1.35) to the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) for every bottle of Expressions single malt sold.
The inaugural bottlings in the Aberargie Expressions series are a pair of single barley variety single malts, ‘allowing whisky drinkers to explore the individual character of each barley variety for the first time’.
Named Golden Promise and Laureate, both whiskies were matured in a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels and Sherry casks and bottled at 48.3% ABV without chill-filtration.
Golden Promise is described as rich and full-bodied, reminiscent of buttered pastry, stewed apples, brown sugar and baking spices. Laureate is said to be fruitier in character, with notes of orange peel, dried fruits and a lingering honeyed finish.
The two bottlings will be available directly from the distillery and at specialist retailers worldwide from 15 September at an RRP of £65 (US$88) for 700ml.
The donation from each bottle sold in the UK will go towards supporting young people in Scotland’s rural farming communities.
Aberargie’s head of production Greame McKeddie said: “Like many people in the farming community, I was born into it. Farming is in my blood. My family has been on our farm since the 1950s, with a history of farming stretching back generations.
“Small-scale farming is hard work, and the rewards are never guaranteed. That is why supporting SAYFC and the young people who represent the future of Scottish farming feels particularly important to us.
“As both a farmer and a distiller, you develop a greater appreciation of what is in your glass. Behind every whisky are generations of knowledge, passion and hard graft – not only from the people who distil it, but from those who grow the barley.”
Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers founded barley-to-bottle Aberargie Distillery in 2017 in Perthshire. The distillery launched its first single malt in March 2026.
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Glasgow-based Dingolfi Spirits debuts flagship Highland Single Malt
Glasgow-based independent bottler Dingolfi Spirits Ltd has officially launched its debut expression: Dingolfi Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dingolfi Spirits Ltd. Unveils Dingolfi Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – Glasgow-based independent bottler Dingolfi Spirits Ltd. has officially launched its flagship expression: Dingolfi Premium Rich Reserve . This premium Highland single malt brings a bold, authentic flavor profile to the independent Scotch market, celebrating where traditional Scottish craft meets rugged Norse heritage.
The name Dingolfi comes from the Old Norse word Dingulfr, meaning “The Assembly of the Wolf.” It honors the ancient northern lands where North Sea travelers and Highland clans once crossed paths to trade, share stories, and find kinship.
Liquid Specifications
- Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- ABV: 46% (Bottled at a robust strength to preserve its natural character)
- Maturation: Aged in hand-selected ex-bourbon oak casks
- Filtration: Non-chill filtered to protect its full texture and depth
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Warm and welcoming, featuring vanilla pod, honey, toasted nuts, and orchard fruits.
- Palate: Rich and rounded, layering shortbread biscuits, baked apples, milk chocolate, and Brazil nuts with warm wood spices.
- Finish: A comforting, nutty warmth with lingering notes of cacao, roasted hazelnut, and dark espresso.
"Dingolfi is more than just a premium whisky; it is the liquid history of a place where different cultures merged," says the Dingolfi Spirits team. "By skipping chill-filtration and keeping the strength at a bold 46%, we make sure every single drop carries the untamed, authentic weight of our northern roots."Dingolfi whisky is available to buy now through partner retailers and online
To explore upcoming tasting events or to join the community, visit dingolfi.com.
###
About Dingolfi Spirits Ltd.
Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Dingolfi Spirits Ltd. crafts premium Scotch whisky using traditional methods, inspired by northern resilience and bold, unforgettable flavors.
Media Contact:
- Contact: Dingolfi Spirits Team
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: dingolfi.com, www.dingolfispirits.com
Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of DINGOLFI SPIRITS LTD, on Friday 11 September, 2026. For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Premium Scotch Whisky Highland Single Malt New Scotch Whisky Non-Chill Filtered Scotch 46% ABV Single Malt Food & Drink
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Whisky Advocate / Whisky Magazine（經 Google News）｜原題：News Notes: Beam's New NFL Contest, Johnnie Walker Teams Up With Sabrina Carpenter - Whisky Advocate｜僅標題
（僅標題資訊）Beam Suntory 旗下的 Jim Beam 威士忌推出新的 NFL（美式職業足球聯盟）相關競賽活動。同時，Johnnie Walker 威士忌與美國知名歌手兼演員莎賓娜·卡本特（Sabrina Carpenter）展開合作，進一步拓展品牌在年輕消費群體中的影響力。兩項舉措均顯示威士忌品牌透過體育賽事與娛樂名人進行跨界行銷的趨勢。
“Good news is rare these days, and every glittering ounce of it should be cherished and hoarded and worshipped and fondled like a priceless diamond.” — Hunter S. Thompson
September might be the ninth month of the year, but somehow it always feels like the beginning of a new one. Perhaps it’s because September is all about new beginnings: back-to-school, back-to-work, back to routines, and, for those of us who celebrate, the Jewish New Year.
In the hotel business, September is the busiest month, and yet it’s somehow more relaxed. Perhaps it’s because September welcomes a different clientèle: the families, the sportifs — those who come to the Loire Valley to bike or hike the roads and trails through this lush river region — have all returned home, leaving our French wine country, the châteaux, and the agreeable pre-autumn weather to those who come to savor them. It’s busier, but calmer, slower, maybe a bit more lowkey, even as the hotel work and worries increase with the increased number of guests.
And yet, there is something vibrant happening in town, like the excitement of a first day of school, the new clothes, the sharp pencils, and clean notebooks. A new year as promising as the crisp, pre-autumn weather and fresh with possibility.
For the past year, I’ve been working on a research project that began, as most of my projects do, with food. I’ve been studying the lives and work of three 19th-century Parisian pastry chefs. It’s a wonderfully delicious subject: These three brothers together had an immense and important impact on both the art of pastry and the business behind it. But to understand these three brothers, their pastry and the business they built around it, I knew I had to take a few steps back and learn about the world in which they lived and worked. And what I discovered was a France that had barely emerged from a revolution before it found itself living through one upheaval after another: the First Empire, the First Restoration, the Hundred Days, the Second Restoration, the July Monarchy, the Second Republic, the Second Empire, devastating cholera epidemics, recurring rebellions, a foreign siege, and, finally, a bloody civil war on the streets of Paris. They, along with an entire nation, endured Kings and Emperors and Communards, a city partially destroyed and a city completely torn down and rebuilt.
My three pastry chefs lived and worked in a country that, over the course of a century, could barely seem to decide what it wanted to be. And while the world around them churned and shifted, while governments rose and fell, regimes changed and their fellow citizens sometimes erupted on the streets of their city, they baked, created, experimented, and wooed their clients with elegant, pretty, tasty treats — the Savarin and the Trois-Frères, the Saint Honoré, and the Soleil among so many others. They took the world of French pastry by storm and left a legacy of extraordinary innovation, elevating a modest craft into an art, reinventing the pastry shop, and laying the foundations of modern French pâtisserie. Even Alexandre Dumas was said to have called them les Géants de la pâtisserie (the Giants of pastry).
Oh, their lives were so much more than just pastry: They spent immeasurable time and resources helping those in need, founding and running the Société de Secours Saint-Michel, a mutual-aid society in which members supported one another — as well as their workers, employees, apprentices, and families of pastry chefs and bakers — in times of illness, unemployment, hardship, etc. And, at the end of each day, they gave away cakes to those less fortunate than their wealthy clients. They understood from the earliest days of their success that giving to others was a measure of that success, and both an obligation and a privilege.
The moral of the story is that we can innovate and create, we can enjoy the beauty of our surroundings, and we can care for one another through even the worst political and social upheaval. These uncertain times might even call for more calm and creativity than less turbulent circumstances. September is a moment of renewal, a new year, a month of joy and celebration. It is tradition for Jews to welcome the New Year, Rosh Hashanah, with round, sweet foods that represent the wish for a round, sweet year to follow — apples dipped in honey, honey-sweetened round challah, and pastries rich with fruit, spices, and nectar.
“Behave so the aroma of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere.” — Henry David Thoreau
I know I sound corny, but maybe there is a lesson to be learned from my three Parisian pastry chefs. They didn’t bend under the weight of historical chaos; they met upheaval and calamity with even more sweetness and with gestures of benevolence. They understood that baking wasn’t a frivolous escape from reality but hard work and industry and a way to sustain the people through unstable as well as peaceful times. Sweet pastries couldn’t calm a revolution or change a government, but it could make a great number of people happy.
As September settles over the Loire Valley and Chinon allows me the breathing room to forget everything happening in the world for minutes, sometimes hours, at a time, I realize the privilege I have to be able to do just that. I try to meet the world’s insanity, the uncontrollable brouhaha, with cake and kindness.
Honey Whiskey Bundt Cake with Honey Whiskey Butter Glaze
This is an amazing cake, moist, dense, and buttery with just the right hint of whiskey. Honey with the addition of butter and a pinch of salt create a syrup with the splendid taste of salted butter caramel or those buttery caramel candies with the added kick of the whiskey. Don’t be shy about bathing the cake in the syrup; spoon or brush a good amount of it on several times, beginning when it is still warm and just turned out of the pan, until you have used most or all of the syrup. The cake won’t become soggy, but simply moister and really infused with the whiskey, buttery flavor. Magnifique.
Makes one 8 ½ inch (21 ½ cm) Bundt cake.
For the cake:
1 to 2 tablespoons of softened butter for buttering the pan
½ to ¾ cup (50 to 90 grams) chopped pecans
2 cups less 1 tablespoon (250 grams) flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (60 ml) good-quality liquid/runny honey
⅔ cup (155 ml) milk at room temperature
⅓ cup (80 ml) whiskey or bourbon
6 tablespoons (90 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
2 large eggs
For the syrup/glaze:
4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup (60 ml) good-quality liquid/runny honey
¼ cup (50 grams) sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) whiskey or bourbon
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare an 8 ½ inch (21 ½ cm) Bundt pan by using a pastry brush to paint the inside and around the edges liberally with butter. Don’t be shy.
Sprinkle the chopped pecans into the bottom of the buttered Bundt pan.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside. Combine the milk, whiskey or bourbon, and honey for the batter in a measuring cup and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between them. Now add half of the flour mixture and half of the liquid mixture and beat well. Add the rest of the flour and the liquid mixture and beat well again. Gently scoop or spoon the batter into your prepared pan, on top of the pecans and smooth to even.
Bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven or until set and a tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning the Bundt cake out of the pan. Turn the cake right side up (nut side up) and prepare the syrup glaze.
Put all the ingredients for the syrup in a small pot and heat it until boiling. Allow to boil for a few minutes, until it reduces slightly. Remove from the heat and allow t
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Street closures planned in Kirksville for Saturday’s Whiskey and Turkey Festival - KTVO
美國密蘇里州Kirksville市將於週六下午5點至晚間11點舉辦Main Street Whiskey and Turkey Festival。期間Elson Street（Harrison至McPherson路段）和Washington Street（Franklin至Elson路段）將從週六中午至週日凌晨1點禁止停車，McPherson與Elson街交叉口也將封閉。市政府提醒居民配合交通管制。
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KIRKSVILLE, Mo.— Main Street Kirksville’s Whiskey and Turkey Festival will take place from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday.
That means a few streets will be closed during its festivities.
The City of Kirksville is reminding residents that Elson Street, from Harrison Street to McPherson Street and Washington Street, from Franklin Street to Elson Street, will not have parking available from noon Saturday until 1 a.m. Sunday.
Also, the intersection of McPherson and Elson streets will be closed for the event.