Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：‘Major milestone’ as English whisky secures protected status - Diss Express
英格蘭威士忌本月獲英國政府授予受保護的地理標示（GI）認證，正式確立其作為獨特威士忌品類的地位，與蘇格蘭、威爾斯和愛爾蘭威士忌並列。目前英格蘭有70多家蒸餾廠生產威士忌，較2023年的46家大幅增長，產品出口至全球30多國。業界估計英格蘭陳年威士忌庫存價值約10億英鎊。The English Distillery 位於南西諾福克郡，為英格蘭最老的註冊威士忌蒸餾廠。此認證將有助保護產業聲譽，並為當地社區帶來就業和投資機會。
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South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy ‘delighted’ as English whisky - which is produced by The English Distillery at Roudham - secures protected status
An MP has welcomed the protected status and official recognition of English whisky, which has a distillery in the area.
Terry Jermy, South West Norfolk MP, has said he is “delighted” by the new status, particularly as his constituency is home to The English Distillery at Roudham, between Larling and East Harling.
Mr Jermy, who is a Labour MP, said that English whisky securing protected Geographical Indication (GI) status is 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, granted this month by the Labour Government, 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.
Mr Jermy said: “Having campaigned on the need for English whisky to receive protected status since before taking office, I am delighted by the Government’s recognition of this remarkable and pioneering industry.
“Here in South West Norfolk, we are proud to call ourselves home to an English whisky distillery, which draws in thousands of people to the surrounding area each year.
“I speak often about tourism being the biggest economic driver in Norfolk and English whisky is a perfect example of the vital role that food and drink businesses play in this.
“It is also important to note the employment and skilled learning opportunities that English whisky provides to our rural area.
“The sector is supporting our local Norfolk communities by protecting skilled jobs and drawing visitors across the country, helping drive growth in our rural area.”
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 £1billion, underlining the confidence and investment pouring into the sector.
Andrew Nelstrop, owner and founder of The English Distillery, said: “The English Distillery, England’s oldest registered whisky distillery, is delighted that the English whisky category has finally been granted its GI, which was long overdue.
“Our thanks go to Terry Jermy MP for his support in getting it over the line.
“By granting a GI the government have ensured the protection of the industry through a set of rules that allow innovation whilst ensuring ongoing quality.”
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.
Jimsher: creating a new whisky tradition in the cradle of wine
By Tom Bruce-GardyneDistilling an authentic and distinctly Georgian style was the foundation for building the country’s first whisky, Jimsher. Founder Jimsher Chkaidze tells The Spirits Business about what it took to create an award-winning brand.
Georgia lies on the eastern edge of the Black Sea – a beautiful, mountainous country in the Caucasus, where Europe meets Asia. It is said to be the cradle of the wine world with an uninterrupted history stretching back to Neolithic times, 8,000 years ago.
From planting vineyards and making wine, producers progressed to distilling Georgian brandy and their own version of grappa, known as chacha.
Georgian entrepreneur Jimsher Chkhaidze was born into wine. He joined his two brothers to set up one of the country’s leading producers in 1998, and later went on to establish his own winery of Kartveli.
With decades of experience making wine and brandy, he began dreaming of doing something very different involving a spirit he had fallen in love with. In 2017 that dream became reality with the release of Jimsher Whisky – the first of its kind in Georgia.
The story goes back a lot further, however. From early experiments with a small still for making chacha to reading endless books and visiting distilleries in Scotland in the early 2000s, Jimsher began to realise the possibility of making an authentic whisky in his homeland.
An early revelation was discovering how The Macallan uses Spanish Sherry casks to shape the character of its single malt. “I thought, I’m from this incredible winemaking culture with some of the oldest traditions in the world, why not use our wines?” says Jimsher. “Using our barrels, we could give a unique signature to the style of whisky.”
There were more than 10 years of experimenting and learning from mistakes to achieve the quality of whisky he wanted. While Jimsher had plenty of advice and encouragement from whisky experts, including the former Diageo veteran turned consultant, Vic Cameron, he is essentially self-taught. “For me, the best teacher was experience,” he says.
Jimsher pioneered whisky-making in Georgia, and to this day no other distiller is maturing their spirit in Georgian wine casks. The wood and its previous contents have a magical effect on the flavour of Jimsher whisky. They also imbue it with a real sense of provenance, which is enhanced by ageing the whisky in warehouses 600 metres above sea level amid Georgia’s continental climate and temperature fluctuations. This speeds up maturation and leads to an angel’s share of 5%, more twice that of Scotland.
The Saperavi casks used to age Jimsher whisky, are named after the country’s most famous red wine, originally from the Kakheti region in eastern Georgia. As a grape, Saperavi produces a deep, full-bodied wine with black fruits, plums and sometimes earthy, savoury notes. It has been compared to Syrah.
Jimsher is also matured in Tsinandali casks, named after one of the country’s finest dry white wines from a sub-region of Kakheti that is a blend of two indigenous grapes – Rkatsiteli to provide structure and crisp acidity, and Mtsvane to give the wine its aromatic complexity.
Georgian brandy barrels are also used to provide a third expression of the whisky, while all three are blended together to create Jimsher Trio, which is aged for at least eight years and bottled at 47% ABV.
When Cameron visited in June 2023, he found a very modern distillery within the winery that was equipped with a gleaming pot still from Carl in Germany, connected to a column still for making grain whisky for blends. As he discovered, the barley comes from Georgia, Ukraine and Scotland, including peated malt, but the real point of difference lies in the huge variety of wine casks Jimsher has access to.
The winery’s vineyard museum features 427 grape varieties, both local and international. The barrels used to age these wines, together with the traditional Georgian clay qvevri that are similar to amphorae, has led to endless experiments behind the scenes with Jimsher whisky.
Jimsher admits that local reactions to his whisky were mixed at first: “To be honest, they thought I was a little bit crazy.” But he was determined to prove them wrong. “It’s not just about business; for me it is art,” he says, and he clearly loves the creativity involved in whisky making.
That initial scepticism gave way to pride and a feeling of, “wow, it’s cool to have a Georgian whisky”, he recalls. Especially a whisky that has been winning major international competitions. When Jimsher walked away with two Masters and a Gold medal at The Spirits Business‘ World Whisky Masters 2026 – an incredible achievement.
It was a vindication of all the years of trial and error, and proof that a Georgian whisky could compete globally at the very highest level. The first Master was awarded to Jimsher Tsinandali Cask, praised by one of the judges for its “bright and citrus-forward palate, ringed with red fruit and a white pepper lift”.
In the words of another judge, the Jimsher Brandy Cask, which won the other Master award, had “lots of sweet baked apples and pears” with a palate of “baked apple tart with plenty of baking spices and drying tannins that linger on the finish”.
This September, Jimsher will take the next step in this journey with the launch of Symphony — the first single malt whisky. Bottled at cask strength and matured in first-fill Saperavi casks, Symphony represents perhaps the purest expression yet of Jimsher’s original idea: to create a whisky that could only have come from Georgia.
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A Sept. 28 Strike Could Halt Europe’s Largest Grain Whisky Distillery
Unite said about 100 workers will stage walkouts through Oct. 15 at Diageo’s Cameronbridge plant, a key Scotch supplier.
Monday, September 21, 2026
A strike at Diageo’s Cameronbridge distillery in Scotland is set to begin on Sept. 28 and could disrupt production for nearly three weeks at one of the most important sites in the company’s Scotch whisky supply chain.
Unite, the union representing workers at the plant, said about 100 of its members will take part in staggered walkouts from Sept. 28 through Oct. 15. The union said those workers account for half of the distillery’s roughly 200 employees and that it expects the action to bring production to a halt during the period.
The stoppages have not yet started, and the full effect on output remains uncertain. Diageo could still use contingency measures to limit disruption. No estimate has been released for how many liters of grain whisky, how many customer orders, or how much revenue could be affected if the strike goes ahead as planned.
The risk is significant because Cameronbridge is the largest grain whisky distillery in Europe and a key supplier for some of Diageo’s best-known blended Scotch brands, including Johnnie Walker and Bell’s. A prolonged shutdown at the site could affect production schedules, logistics, and inventory planning across parts of the business, even if the immediate effect on retail sales is softened by existing stocks of already matured whisky.
Unite announced the planned industrial action on Sept. 17. Trade publication Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News also reported the planned walkouts. The union described the action as a serious escalation and said it believes production will stop during the strike window.
The planned action covers 18 calendar days, though the stoppages are described as staggered rather than a single continuous shutdown by the entire workforce. That means the exact operational impact will depend on how the strikes are organized across different shifts and functions inside the distillery. Even so, with union members making up about 50% of the workforce, any prolonged absence across core operations could create pressure on output at the site.
Cameronbridge plays a central role in Diageo’s Scotch whisky system. Grain whisky from the distillery is used in blends that are produced and shipped in large volumes in the U.K. and international markets. Because blended Scotch relies on a steady supply of grain spirit as well as malt whisky, disruption at Cameronbridge can affect planning well beyond the distillery itself. The company would have to manage not only production at the site but also transport, warehousing, blending schedules, and stock allocation if the strike interrupts normal operations.
The immediate commercial effect may be less severe than a shutdown in another type of drinks facility because whisky production and sales operate on longer time frames. Mature stock already in warehouses can act as a buffer, especially for products that have already completed aging and are ready for blending or bottling. That could reduce the short-term impact on store shelves and near-term shipments. Still, a stoppage at a large-scale grain whisky plant can create problems further down the line if production losses are not recovered quickly.
The dispute comes as Diageo’s Scottish business remains highly profitable, though its earnings declined year over year. According to the figures cited in the report, Diageo Scotland recorded profit after tax of £595 million in 2025, down from £736 million in 2024. That is a drop of £141 million, or 19.2%. Those figures provide financial context but do not measure the potential effect of the planned strike. No direct link has been made between the decline in profit and the current labor dispute.
At this stage, much remains unknown. Neither Unite nor the published reports have quantified the volume of production that could be lost, the number of delayed shipments that could result, or whether any customer deliveries would be affected. There has also been no public estimate of how quickly the company could restart normal operations if production is interrupted for the full period.
The timing matters for Diageo because Cameronbridge is not a small local facility. It is a major industrial operation in Scotland and an important part of the wider Scotch whisky industry in the U.K. Any disruption at the plant draws attention because of the scale of the site and its place in the supply chain for globally distributed brands. Even when final consumer sales are protected in the short term by inventories, internal planning can become more difficult when a large distillery faces labor action.
The union’s statement has raised the prospect of a near standstill at the site, but that remains a forecast rather than a confirmed outcome. Until the walkouts begin, the practical effect will depend on worker participation, the structure of the stoppages, and any response from Diageo. The company may seek to maintain essential operations or reduce the impact through temporary operational adjustments, though no detailed contingency plan has been made public in the information released so far.
For now, the key fact is that a strike involving around 100 Unite members is scheduled to begin at Cameronbridge on Sept. 28 and continue in stages until Oct. 15. If it proceeds and the union’s expectations are met, one of Europe’s most important grain whisky distilleries could see production halted for much of that period, creating operational pressure across Diageo’s Scotch whisky business in Scotland and the wider U.K. market.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：There’s a remarkable idea behind the name of this ultra-rare Macallan TIME: SPACE whisky - Whisky Monkeys
麥卡倫（Macallan）於2024年200週年推出的 TIME: SPACE 系列迎來新作──TIME: SPACE Sherry Cask。這款20年單一麥芽威士忌延續了時間與空間的主題，結合歐洲橡木雪莉桶與西班牙 Valdespino 酒莊首批200桶雪莉調味新桶，象徵品牌過去與未來的對話。首版 TIME: SPACE 僅限200瓶，內含1940年份84年老酒與2018年份5年新酒混調，1940年份創下麥卡倫官方發行最老年份紀錄。
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Over the years,
The Macallan has released many remarkable whiskies, but TIME : SPACE stands out even by this distillery’s standards. Not only does the bottle look like it’s from another world, there’s also a story behind the name that spans decades. Those who uncover what The Macallan intends with it may suddenly see this rare whisky in a whole new light.
The first TIME : SPACE appeared in 2024, when The Macallan celebrated its 200th anniversary. It turns out not to be a one-off, as the series is about to get a new chapter with TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask. This new whisky continues the theme, but does so with a starring role for sherry casks and the Spanish bodega Valdespino.
Where does the name The Macallan TIME: SPACE come from?
The name The Macallan TIME: SPACE refers to a journey through time. With the first release in the series, The Macallan set out to look back at the distillery’s past while also looking ahead to its future.
The past is represented by a whisky distilled in 1940 and finally bottled in 2024 at 84 years of age. That makes it the oldest whisky The Macallan has ever officially released. Set against it is a much younger whisky from 2018. At 5 years old, it carries important symbolic meaning.
It is the first released whisky distilled at The Macallan’s new distillery, which opened its doors in 2018. In this way, two completely different moments in the brand’s history converge. One whisky looks far back in time, while the other stands as a symbol of what’s still to come.
The new TIME : SPACE also embraces a striking duality
In the new
TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask, the idea of two worlds returns, but in a different way. Where the original TIME : SPACE literally brought together two whiskies of different ages in a single decanter, this new release is a 20-year-old single malt. This time, the duality lies in how the whisky was shaped by sherry casks.
The whisky began its journey in a selection of predominantly European oak sherry casks. It was then combined and further influenced by a selection drawn from the first 200 casks seasoned with sherry from Valdespino. Once again, the TIME : SPACE concept connects different moments: the whisky builds on The Macallan’s past, while the new collaboration with Valdespino points firmly toward the future.
FAQ
- Why is this whisky called The Macallan TIME : SPACE?
The name refers to uniting The Macallan’s past and future. A whisky from 1940 and a whisky from 2018 come together in a specially designed decanter.
- How old is the first The Macallan TIME : SPACE whisky?
The first TIME : SPACE contains two whiskies. The 1940 whisky is 84 years old, and the 2018 whisky is 5 years old.
- How many bottles of The Macallan TIME : SPACE were made?
Only 200 were released in the first edition, a number that nods to The Macallan’s 200th anniversary celebrated in 2024. The number for the new release has not been disclosed.
Scotch whisky producers face growing pressure to move faster into canned cocktails.
Diageo says it sold more than 400,000 RTDs at UK festivals this year, underscoring a fast-growing market Scotch has entered slowly.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Scotch whisky producers are facing growing pressure to move faster into canned cocktails and other ready-to-drink products as that part of the spirits market expands, even as broader alcohol demand remains under strain.
Large drinks groups are putting more money and attention into spirit-based RTDs, arguing that the format is gaining ground with consumers who want convenience, lower serving sizes and more variety. For Scotch, the shift presents a difficult question: how to protect its premium image while competing in a category built on speed, portability and quick product turnover.
Diageo said in a recent corporate post that RTD is now one of its biggest strategic priorities. The company said cocktail cans are becoming a preferred option at UK festivals because they offer what it described as high-quality drinks in an accessible format. Diageo said it has sold more than 400,000 RTDs so far this year at 27 major UK festivals, pointing to product innovation as a key driver of demand.
Other global producers are reporting similar momentum. Pernod Ricard said RTD sales rose 17% in its latest fiscal year 2026 results. Conor McQuaid, the company’s U.S. chief, said RTD remains the standout growth category in the United States. He said Pernod Ricard still sees the segment as a way to bring consumers into its wider spirits portfolio while also supporting its convenience strategy and smaller-format products.
At Suntory Global Spirits, Chief Executive Greg Hughes said during a recent results presentation that RTD has become large enough to drive growth across the wider spirits market. Suntory has been building its RTD business in Asia around Jim Beam bourbon and Japanese whisky brands. Ashish Gandham, managing director of Suntory Global Spirits Oceania, said the company is adjusting its product mix to match changing consumer demand, with RTDs and energy-linked drinks aimed at everyday occasions and premium spirits reserved for more special moments.
Market data supports the industry’s focus on the segment. IWSR figures cited by industry executives show canned cocktails posted compound annual growth of 8% from 2019 to 2025. The research group expects growth to slow to 2%-3% over the next four years, but the category is still expanding while beer, wine and total spirits volumes face pressure from health concerns, tighter household budgets and changing drinking habits.
IWSR also found that premium-and-above RTDs, meaning mostly spirit-based products, recorded a 15% rise in volume in 2025, helped mainly by products in the 7%-10% alcohol range. That reflects a broader shift away from the hard seltzer boom that defined the market before the pandemic, especially in the United States. In its place, drinks companies are increasingly betting that consumers who drink less often are still willing to pay more for better-known brands, familiar cocktail serves and single-can convenience.
That change matters beyond Scotch. Across the wider beverage business, producers of spirits, beer and wine are watching the same pattern: consumers are cutting back in some settings but spending more selectively in others. The growth of premium RTDs suggests that format innovation, serving size and speed to market may become more important competitive tools, especially for brands trying to hold younger drinkers and convenience-focused buyers.
Scotch has been slower than American whiskey, Irish whiskey and Japanese whisky to follow that trend. One major reason is structural. Under Scotch whisky rules, the spirit must mature for at least three years before it can be sold as Scotch. That creates a financial hurdle for distillers compared with makers of vodka, tequila or gin, which can be mixed into canned cocktails soon after distillation. For Scotch producers, working capital is tied up for longer, and any RTD product starts with a more expensive liquid.
There is also a brand question. Some executives and industry figures argue that if RTDs are meant to introduce consumers to a whisky label, companies risk weakening their quality message if they rely on younger spirit or overly simple serves. Scotch has long sold itself on age, craft and place. That makes the move into canned cocktails more sensitive than it may be for other spirits categories.
Even so, the commercial case is becoming harder to ignore. If whisky is already widely consumed in mixed drinks, producers see a chance to capture more of that demand in a packaged format. Diageo Chief Executive Sir Dave Lewis has said the company needs to recover lost ground in RTD after allowing others to move ahead. Diageo once held nearly a quarter of the RTD market, according to comments from Lewis, but now has about 10%, though it remains the second-largest player globally.
Lewis has been especially critical of Diageo’s whisky RTD range. He said the company has not put its best foot forward in whiskey RTDs and expressed disappointment with some of the flavor choices, referring mainly to Crown Royal products in Canada. His remarks underscore how seriously large spirits groups now view the segment, not only as a source of incremental sales but as a route to protect relevance with consumers whose drinking habits are changing quickly.
Several whiskey brands outside Scotland already show how large the opportunity can be. Jameson, the leading Irish whiskey label, has made significant gains in the U.S. RTD market. Brown-Forman said Jack and Coke, its joint venture with Coca-Cola, has reached global sales of 1.8 million cases after its rollout over the past three years. In the UK, the product generated more than £55 million in revenue in its first full year on sale.
Scotch producers are beginning to respond, though activity remains limited compared with rivals. Chivas Brothers has launched a Ballantine’s and cola product. Cutty Sark has a Scotch and ginger ale offering. Bruichladdich and Wee Smoky are also among the brands testing more premium pre-mixed serves. Diageo has introduced Johnnie Walker Blonde in a lower-alcohol mix with lemonade and, in Australia, launched Johnnie Walker Black Ruby Blackberry and Cola last year.
Australia is one of the most developed RTD markets in the world, and its importance to global drinks groups has become a testing ground for how whisky-based canned products might work elsewhere. Producers see those markets as evidence that whisky can travel beyond the bottle-and-glass serve without giving up pricing power, provided the flavor, branding and occasion are right.
The debate now is less about whether RTDs matter and more about whether Scotch can move quickly enough to claim a larger share of a category that many rivals already treat as central to growth. For distillers, the answer will depend on whether they can balance aging costs, brand positioning and product innovation at a time when the wider spirits market remains difficult. Diageo’s leadership has made clear it wants to regain momentum, and other producers are likely to face similar pressure as canned cocktails continue to reshape how, where and when consumers buy spirits.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：The Balvenie’s 1931 Collection brings the art of making whisky into dialogue with Daniel Arsham - Hube magazine
蘇格蘭威士忌廠 The Balvenie 攜手藝術家 Daniel Arsham 推出 1931 Collection，以藝術雕塑探討時間、物質與工藝。核心作品是品牌史上最老的 The Balvenie Eighty-Eight-Year-Old（1931 年蒸餾、2019 年裝瓶，全球僅 17 瓶），Arsham 以手工銅雕搭配蒸餾器銅片與 88 層象徵性橡木層呈現。系列另包含使用 100% 自家大麥的 Twelve-Year-Old 和 Fifteen-Year-Old 兩款。該合作首度亮相首爾 Frieze 藝術博覽會，並透過舞蹈、聲音與空間裝置呈現威士忌工藝的當代詮釋。
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The Balvenie marked the release of its 1931 Collection with a collaboration with artist Daniel Arsham, translating decades of whisky-making into a sculptural study of time, material and craftsmanship. The collection made its global debut at Frieze Seoul, where Arsham directed a live performance inspired by the heritage of the Scottish distillery.
A relic shaped by 88 years
At the centre of the collaboration is The Balvenie Eighty-Eight-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, the oldest whisky ever released by the distillery. Distilled in 1931 and bottled in 2019 by Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie, only 17 bottles of the rare expression exist.
Arsham created a sculptural form to house the precious liquid, treating the whisky as a physical record of generations of craftsmanship. Eight flowing layers form the exterior, representing eight decades of maturation. Hand-patinated bronze echoes the textures and natural oxidation of copper found throughout the distillery, while the reverse incorporates 88 symbolic layers of oak.
At its centre sits a copper disc made from a decommissioned distillery still, embedding a fragment of The Balvenie’s own history within the work. The sculpture holds a hand-blown crystal decanter containing the Eighty-Eight-Year-Old whisky, finished with 18ct gold gilding and shaped around The Balvenie Ball, inspired by the distinctive form of the distillery’s copper stills.
The language of time and material
The collaboration reflects themes that run through Arsham’s practice, from the passage of time to material change and the histories carried by objects. His sculptural vocabulary enters into dialogue with The Balvenie’s heritage, design and craftsmanship.
The same material language extends to the packaging of the 1931 Collection’s Twelve-Year-Old and Fifteen-Year-Old expressions. Deeply debossed surfaces shift from copper tones into green, recalling the sculpture’s verdigris patina, while textured copper-coloured interiors reference the industrial character of The Balvenie distillery.
Three expressions, one heritage
The 1931 Collection brings together three limited-edition whiskies. Alongside the Eighty-Eight-Year-Old, it includes a Twelve-Year-Old made from 100% Home Malted Barley and a Fifteen-Year-Old made from 100% Home Grown and Home Malted Barley.
The Fifteen-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky becomes available from September through global travel retail outlets, while the Twelve-Year-Old will be released in selected markets. The Eighty-Eight-Year-Old is reserved for private clients and collectors.
The three expressions reflect The Balvenie’s long-standing approach to whisky-making, rooted in its Five Rare Crafts: growing its own barley, traditional floor malting, coopering, copper craftsmanship and the intuitive expertise of the Malt Master.
A sensory performance at Frieze Seoul
The 1931 Collection made its global debut at Frieze Seoul through a live performance directed by Daniel Arsham. Taking place at Space S50 in Seongdong-gu as part of the Official Frieze Week programme, the work translated the collection’s ideas about time and craftsmanship into movement, sound and space.
Across a barley-grain canvas inspired by The Balvenie’s Home Malting Floor, dancers moved through eight fluid acts choreographed by Sukyung Yoo. Arsham occasionally joined the performers, drawing on his own movement practice, while a bespoke soundscape built from ambient recordings of The Balvenie distillery accompanied the performance.
The result took the story of the 1931 Collection beyond the bottle, combining whisky, sculpture, movement and sound to create a shared sensory landscape, and giving The Balvenie’s long history a contemporary twist.
If you would like to know more about Daniel Arsham’s thoughts on beauty and its transcendence of cultural boundaries, read our conversation with the artist here.
Photography courtesy of THE BALVENIE X DANIEL ARSHAM
Special thanks to SUTTON
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：MGP Ingredients launches its first namesake release - The Whisky Wire
美國最大威士忌生產商之一的 MGP Ingredients 宣布推出首支以自家品牌名義發售的威士忌。MGP Chapter One: Out of the Shadows 是 10 年陳直波本威士忌，酒精度 55.5%，採用 60% 玉米、36% 黑麥、4% 麥芽大麥的穀物配方，在歷史悠久的印第安納州勞倫斯堡蒸餾廠的 G 號酒窖熟成。該酒廠長期為數百個知名品牌代工威士忌，此次推出自有品牌標誌著新的里程碑。風味具有太妃糖、焦糖、糖蜜與櫻桃的香氣，口感帶有櫻桃可樂、覆盆莓、巧克力與皮革等複雜層次。秋季起將在美國精選零售商上市，建議零售價 $69.99（約新台幣 2,200 元）。
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MGP Ingredients, one of the largest producers of American whiskey, has announced the launch of its first release under its own name. The launch coincides with the return of the MGP Distillery name to its historic Lawrenceburg, Indiana, operation, marking a new chapter for the distillery.
MGP Chapter One: Out of the Shadows (55.5% ABV) is a 10 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey, produced using a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley. It was matured in American oak barrels which were aged in Rickhouse G, one of the distillery’s most celebrated warehouses.
As one of the largest American whiskey producers, MGP has crafted spirits for hundreds of acclaimed brands and has long been recognised by retailers and distributors as a mark of quality. The company also owns the Luxco portfolio of brands, which includes Remus, Rebel, Ezra Brooks, Blood Oath and Yellowstone Bourbons.
The inaugural namesake release is said to deliver notes of butterscotch, burnt sugar, molasses and cherry on the nose, followed by notes of cherry cola, raspberries, chocolate, sassafras and leather on the palate.
Commenting on the launch, Julie Francis, President and CEO of MGP Ingredients, said: “The MGP name has built incredible equity over generations because of the quality of the products we make and the people behind them. We’ve been making whiskey and spirits that others have proudly put their names on for decades. Bringing the MGP name back to the distillery and launching MGP Chapter One: Out of the Shadows is an exciting opportunity to share that story directly with consumers.”
Limited in quantity, MGP Chapter One: Out of the Shadows will be available from selected retailers across the US this autumn, for a RRP of $69.99.
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The Best Honey Whiskey On The Market Isn't Jack Daniel's Or Jim Beam
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Honey whiskey — which is, quite simply, whiskey that has been infused with natural honey — is popular with both whiskey aficionados keen to try something a little different and whiskey newcomers who may appreciate how the honey's sweetness can soften the harshness of the alcohol. Numerous major brands have produced their own varieties of this spirit, yet when Tasting Table ranked eight honey whiskeys from worst to best, it was not Jack Daniel's or Jim Beam that emerged as the best on the market, but instead Tullamore D.E.W. Honey.
While the honey element of other, lower-ranking whiskeys sampled verged on being too strong, Tullamore D.E.W. won our praise with its more restrained approach. Describing it as "the most well-rounded honey whiskey on the list," our critic said: "The company also managed to strike quite an impressive balance between honey and whiskey. This tastes like a whiskey that had honey added to it, which is exactly what I was looking for. It doesn't lose anything by incorporating honey."
Tasting Table's tester noted that the whiskey's nose was similar to the palate, delivering a distinct whiskey flavor with faint but discernible sweet undertones. "Honey mellowed out what could otherwise be a strong, sharp sip," our critic wrote, "and it added a little bit of sweet character without being cloying ... The honey still makes itself known, but it acts as a sort of backup dancer to the whiskey itself." Suitably impressed, our correspondent confirmed that a bottle of Tullamore D.E.W. Honey would be a part of his collection for some time to come.
This award-winning whiskey can be great in cocktails, thanks to Bohemian honey
Clocking in at a reasonably potent but not mind-blowing 35% ABV (if this means nothing to you, read up on what the proof of alcohol means and how it relates to ABV), Tullamore D.E.W. Honey was launched in the United States in 2024, and our critic isn't the only discerning drinker to be won over by its charms. The whiskey liqueur has been the recipient of numerous awards, including being crowned as the world's best flavored whiskey at the 2023 World Whiskies Awards.
Unlike Tennessee whiskey-based or bourbon-based honey whiskeys, Tullamore D.E.W. Honey utilizes Irish whiskey, which some have argued makes the whiskey liqueur smoother than its competitors. The whiskey itself is a blend of single malt, single pot still, and single grain, which is in turn flavored with natural honey, other natural flavors, and sugar. The honey used comes from hives in the region of Bohemia, in what is today the Czech Republic, and the richness of this forest honey has been attributed to the higher proportion of spruce trees within this region. While it can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks, Tullamore D.E.W. Honey can be a good time-saver in some whiskey cocktail recipes, as it does not necessarily require the addition of further sweetening ingredients. It would also be a great way of upping the honey flavor of a warm and cozy hot toddy.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Smith & Wesson Partners with World Whiskey Society to Unveil 7-Year Classic Edition Bourbon - Outdoor Wire
槍械製造商 Smith & Wesson 與 World Whiskey Society 合作推出首款威士忌——Smith & Wesson 7-Year Classic Edition。此款波本威士忌經7年陳釀，具有溫暖的graham cracker與香草香氣，中段呈現甜奶油與橡木香料風味，尾韻帶有烘焙香料與橡木味。酒標設計靈感源自1852年創立時的古董槍械憑證，並印有創辦人Horace Smith與Daniel Baird Wesson的簽名與肖像，整體包裝融合傳統槍械雕刻工藝的繁花紋樣。此合作象徵兩個美國標誌性傳統——槍械工藝與頂級烈酒的結合。
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Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Select: SWBI), a leader in firearm manufacturing and design, in collaboration with World Whiskey Society, announces the release of the Smith & Wesson 7-Year Classic Edition, an inaugural whiskey release that honors two iconic American traditions: master gunsmithing and premium spirits.
Created as a celebration of craftsmanship and innovation, the Smith & Wesson 7-Year Classic Edition represents the first release in a new spirits collection inspired by the brand's rich history. The partnership combines the heritage of Smith & Wesson with World Whiskey Society's expertise in curating exceptional whiskey, resulting in a distinctive release designed for collectors, enthusiasts, and bourbon lovers alike. "At Smith & Wesson, craftsmanship has been at the heart of everything we do since 1852," said Vince Perreault, Director of Brand Marketing. "The Classic Edition is a tribute to that legacy, honoring the dedication, precision, and pioneering spirit that continue to define our brand. Working alongside World Whiskey Society, we've created a release that celebrates excellence both in American manufacturing and in premium bourbon."
The World Whiskey Society Smith & Wesson 7-Year Classic delivers inviting aromas of warm graham cracker and vanilla, followed by a rich palate of sweet cream and subtle oak spice. A lingering finish of baking spice and seasoned oak creates a timeless bourbon experience. Approachable yet full of character, it is crafted for seasoned whiskey enthusiasts and newcomers alike, displaying the balance, depth, and craftsmanship of exceptional American bourbon.
Aged for seven years, this Straight Bourbon Whiskey is presented in packaging inspired by the company's historic roots. The label evokes the look of a vintage firearm certificate and features the signatures and portraits of Smith & Wesson founders Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson. The design depicts the founders against the backdrop of a gunsmithing shop and incorporates intricate floral scrollwork inspired by traditional firearm engraving. Every element of the presentation serves as a tribute to Smith & Wesson's founding in 1852 and the introduction of its first product, the revolutionary seven-shot Model No. 1 revolver, a milestone that helped establish the company's reputation for innovation and quality.
"We're pleased to partner with Smith & Wesson on a collection that celebrates the heritage of both brands. From the whiskey itself to every detail of the packaging, our goal was to create something authentic that reflects a shared commitment to craftsmanship, quality, and American tradition," said Alex Kogan, Founder and CEO of World Whiskey Society.
The Smith & Wesson 7-Year Classic stands as a tribute to tradition, offering a memorable pour that is equally suited for celebration, reflection, and sharing among friends.
For more information, visit Smith & Wesson™ Classic Edition - Aged 7 Years - World Whiskey Society.
To stay up to date on all the latest news and events, be sure to follow Smith & Wesson on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Find Familiar Spirits Announces Quest’s End Revenant Whiskey - Bleeding Cool News
Find Familiar Spirits 宣布推出 Quest's End Revenant，作為《The Unbound Gods of Dawn》系列第八章暨第二季終章。這款威士忌採用首創的「無限混調」工藝，將過往 Quest's End 系列的精選威士忌融合一體。由首席調酒師 Molly Troupe 精心打造，呈現焦糖、楓糖、烤燕麥、杏仁利口酒和蜂窩蜜等風味層次。定價 $125 美元（約台幣 3,900 元），隨附 50ml 限量「魔藥小瓶」與聯名骰子。由演員 Matthew Lillard 和編劇 Justin Ware 創辦的品牌推出此款兼具收藏與遊戲特色的產品。
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Posted in: Nerd Food, Pop Culture | Tagged: Find Familiar Spirits, Justin Ware, Matthew Lillard, Quest’s End, whiskey
Find Familiar Spirits Announces Quest's End Revenant Whiskey
Find Familiar Spirits has revealed the latest addition to the line of Quest’s End whiskeys, as they delve into the undead with Revenant
Article Summary
- Find Familiar Spirits unveils Quest’s End Revenant, the eighth chapter and Season Two finale of Dawn of the Unbound Gods.
- Revenant is Find Familiar Spirits’ first Infinity Blend, uniting select past Quest’s End whiskeys into one layered spirit.
- Master Blender Molly Troupe crafts notes of caramel, maple, toasted oats, amaretto, and honeycomb in Revenant.
- Find Familiar Spirits pairs the $125 release with a 50ml Potion Vial and a Revenant Rattle Bones dice collab.
Find Familiar Spirits has formally unveiled the latest official addition to the Class Collection of Quest's End, as Revenant has been revealed. Serving as the eighth chapter and Season Two finale of the Dawn of the Unbound Gods saga, this is their first-ever Infinity Blend, in which they have combined select whiskeys from past Quest's End releases into a singular spirit. Paying homage to the name in a way by bringing back the blends of the past to form a new one that's more than the sum of its parts. We have more details below from the company, as it's currently on sale for $125.
Find Familiar Spirits Brings Out The Dead With Revenant
Crafted under the direction of Master Blender Molly Troupe, Revenant brings together distinct elements from the Quest's End catalog to deliver a complex, layered flavor profile featuring notes of caramel and maple on the nose alongside toasted oats, amaretto, and a hint of honeycomb on the palate. New for this release, every box of Quest's End Revenant includes a standard 750ml bottle accompanied by an additional 50ml collectible "Potion Vial."
Revenant brings Dawn of the Unbound Gods Season Two to its narrative conclusion. Written by fantasy author Andrea Stewart with custom artwork by Tyler Jacobson, Chapter 8 sees the saga's adventuring party unite in an all-out battle against the warlock-turned-revenant, Haig the Heartless.
Exclusive Dispel Dice Collaboration
To mark the occasion, Quest's End Whiskey is also launching Revenant Rattle Bones, its second dice set collaboration with Dispel Dice. Designed to elevate tabletop game nights alongside a glass of Revenant, the custom set captures the dark depths of stormy seas with a purple resin core, swirling tentacles, metallic silver inking, and the Revenant motif depicted on each die.
About Find Familiar Spirits
Founded in 2022 by actor Matthew Lillard and screenwriter/producer Justin Ware, Find Familiar Spirits is a fandom-centric spirits company dedicated to providing passionate genre enthusiasts with bespoke spirits. The company takes its name from the well-known gaming spell, reflecting the joy people find when discovering kindred spirits, both in life and over a drink.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Cotswolds Distillery Releases 5th Harvest Series English Whisky - The Whiskey Wash
英國Cotswolds Distillery推出Harvest系列第五款酒款Round Hill Harvest，酒精度55% ABV，限量1,200瓶，於9月25日發售，售價£110（約台幣3,800元）。該系列每款酒都以當地藝術作品為靈感，本款靈感來自藝術家Jeffrey Pratt的畫作《Near Traitor's Ford》。調酒師Alice Pearson混合了楓糖漿桶、泥煤威士忌四分之一桶及Oloroso雪莉桶，打造兼具甜感與煙燻香氣的風味。Pearson是英國最年輕的女性蒸餾師之一，在2024年The Spirits Business Awards獲年度新秀獎。
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English producer Cotswolds Distillery has released Round Hill Harvest, the fifth expression in its Harvest Series celebrating the local countryside, as reported by The Spirits Business. The 55% ABV whisky launches on September 25 and is limited to 1,200 bottles, priced at £110 ($147) for a 700ml bottle.
Each whisky in the series draws inspiration from a piece of art.
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For this edition, the team selected Near Traitor’s Ford by local artist Jeffrey Pratt. The painting depicts Round Hill, near Traitor’s Ford. This location holds special meaning for Cotswolds. Founder and CEO Dan Szor was inspired to establish the distillery after seeing fields of golden barley growing near his house.
Whisky maker Alice Pearson created the blend using a mix of casks. She combined ex-maple syrup casks, ex-peated whisky quarter casks, and a single oloroso sherry hogshead. The maple syrup casks, around four and a half years old, formed the core of the whisky.
Pearson chose the peated casks, aged about six or seven years, to balance the sweetness of the maple with herbal, savory notes. A sherry cask filled a gap in the middle of the palate.
Pearson explained her creative approach at the launch event. As reported, Pearson said: “What really inspired the taste of this whisky was the use of colour in the painting. The painting has a lot of bright colour. I wanted to make a whisky that felt free and fun, and not too technical and uptight. And if you’re looking for fun, maple syrup’s a pretty good place to start.”
Every Kirkland Bourbon Ranked, From Worst to Best
READ THE STORYPearson believes the higher strength preserves the “zippy, fun feeling” from Pratt’s painting.
Round Hill Harvest follows previous editions Golden Wold, Flaxen Vale, Amber Meadow, and Wychwood Harvest.
Pearson has created every whisky in the series. She is one of the UK’s youngest female distillers and was named Young Achiever of the Year at The Spirits Business Awards 2024. She created her first Harvest whisky, Golden Wold, in 2021 when she was just 21 years old.
The whisky will be available from the Cotswolds Distillery website and its three shops.
If you’re looking for a fall activity with a little history and whiskey, George Washington’s Mount Vernon is hosting a special tasting event this weekend.
The George Washington Whiskey Tasting gives visitors the chance to sample spirits produced at the reconstructed distillery at Mount Vernon.
The experience also includes a tour of the distillery and gristmill, along with general admission to the Mount Vernon estate on the same day.
Here’s what to know about the upcoming tasting, including what’s on the tasting menu and how much tickets cost.
When and where is the George Washington Whiskey Tasting taking place?
The next George Washington Whiskey Tasting takes place Saturday, September 26th, from 2 pm to 5 pm at George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill in Mount Vernon, Virginia.
The distillery is located 2.7 miles from the main estate entrance, so visitors should plan additional time to travel between the two locations.
The event is held outdoors, and guests can also arrive directly at the Distillery & Gristmill, where free parking is available on-site.
Tickets for the tasting also include general admission to Mount Vernon on the day of the event, which Mount Vernon lists as a $30 value.
What to expect at the George Washington whiskey tasting
The experience begins with a distillery and gristmill tour one hour before the scheduled tasting.
During the tour, Mount Vernon’s Historic Trades team explains the history of George Washington’s whiskey operation and how spirits are distilled at the reconstructed facility today.
Washington’s original distillery was producing nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey in 1799, when it was one of the largest whiskey distilleries in America. The reconstructed working distillery now produces small-batch spirits on-site.
During the tasting, guests can sample three distilled spirits made using 18th-century distilling methods and techniques:
- George Washington’s Rye Whiskey — unaged
- George Washington’s Straight Rye Whiskey® — aged 2 to 4 years
- George Washington Straight Rye Premium Whiskey® — aged a minimum of 4 years, currently up to 8 years
Bottled older ryes aged between six and seven years will also be available.
The tasting takes place outdoors because Virginia law prohibits tasting events in the same building where the whiskey is stored.
Guests also receive a commemorative glass to take home as a souvenir of the experience.
How much are tickets?
General admission tickets for the George Washington Whiskey Tasting cost $60 per person, while Mount Vernon members pay $50.
The ticket includes the whiskey tasting, the distillery and gristmill tour, and general admission to Mount Vernon on the day of the event.
For anyone interested in Washington’s connection to whiskey, the event offers a chance to experience the reconstructed distillery while learning about the methods used to produce spirits during the 18th century.
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Review: I Don't Know Why Skrewball Waited So Long To Do A PB&J Whiskey, But I'm Glad It's Here
Sometimes an alcohol brand launches a wide variety of flavors — think High Noon vodka seltzers, which come in everything from lime to passionfruit. But sometimes, a brand gives its legacy time to build, like Skrewball. The brand launched the first successful peanut butter-flavored whiskey on the market in 2018 and has been steadily building its popularity since. Now, the brand is growing quickly in the whiskey category, even garnering some accolades, like winning the Best Flavored Whiskey Award at the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition.
Now, eight years after it first launched, the brand has finally decided to innovate. Building on the peanut butter flavor profile, Skrewball introduced Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey in September 2026, a rather sensible flavor derivation of the iconic spirit. The beverage is meant to bring nostalgia to consumers by taking them back in time to that classic sandwich they ate when they were kids — and maybe to bring some whimsy back into their evenings.
Will Skrewball's Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey live up to the flavors of the sandwich it emulates? Has the brand's first flavor innovation proven itself worth the wait? I was able to taste-test it, and here are my thoughts.
Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.
Methodology
I did not eat a ton of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches growing up, but I ate enough to know what they are supposed to taste like. And if this spirit is marketed as being a peanut butter and jelly whiskey, its flavor needed to live up to that hype. I wanted the flavors to be very clear. I expected the strawberry jelly flavor to elevate the experience of drinking Skrewball, but I also wanted the classic peanut butter Skrewball flavor to remain distinct and intact.
When a brand waits this long to make a change to its beverage lineup, people are going to expect something good to come out of it. When taste-testing this product, I considered one important question: Does this flavor enhance the original peanut butter whiskey enough to make it worth the wait?
Taste test
The Skrewball Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey can is small but mighty. A vague strawberry aroma wafted from the can when I opened it, but for the most part, the smell was not distinct. The liquid looked thick and syrupy, and that is reflected in the mouthfeel initially as well. However, the more I sipped, the more that mouthfeel evened out and became more pleasant.
On my initial sip, I was surprised because it was actually quite palatable. The whiskey also had a nice balance of flavors; I could taste each aspect of the PB&J separately, though subtly, on the first few sips. The longer I sipped, the more the strawberry took over, which is typical for strawberry-flavored foods and drinks. At that point, the drink tasted sweet and syrupy, like those foil-wrapped strawberry candies I can never remember the name of. Though there is a slight burn on the backend of the sip, it mostly goes down easy, which is a testament to the effectiveness of the flavors.
The strawberry flavor tends to shine more on the palate, but there is a vague sense of peanut butter in the drink for sure. It is nutty and slightly roasted, which complements the smokiness of whiskey. As you drink the can, every flavor has its own moment to shine, leading to a balanced drink by the end. Overall, I found Skrewball's Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey really enjoyable.
Final thoughts
If you tried this whiskey with your eyes closed, you could guess that it was peanut butter and jelly-flavored. This flavor variation is sure to bring drinkers back to the nostalgia of their childhoods while reminding them that they are, in fact, all grown up now. The flavors were mostly clear, though there were times when the strawberry shone more than anything else. Still, I did not mind that as much. The peanut butter flavors have had eight years as the sole focal point of Skrewball's branding; I think it is okay to let the strawberry shine for a little while.
Overall, this is a drink that is approachable and easy to sip. It is sweet and smooth, making it approachable for non-whiskey drinkers. This is a very smart brand pivot for Skrewball, especially since it was released in the early days of fall. This can could be consumed on its own or mixed into a fall-inspired cocktail. It would be best served chilled.
Skrewball's Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Flavored Whiskey is dangerously good. It is a great variation on a classically good whiskey, and I think it was certainly worth the eight-year wait.
Price and availability
Skrewball's peanut butter and strawberry jelly whiskey is sold in 100-milliliter cans and 50-milliliter bottles. The 100-milliliter can retails for $3.99, and the 50-milliliter bottle retails for $1.99 per unit. Both products are 35% ABV, or 70 proof. The PB&J whiskey is available in the United States starting in September.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Old Elk 10 Year Wheat Whiskey Review - Breaking Bourbon
Old Elk 10 Year Wheat Whiskey 是由中西部烈酒公司（Middle West Spirits）於2026年7月推出的直式小麥威士忌，源自MGP蒸餾廠。酒款採用96%小麥與4%麥芽大麥的獨特配方，酒精度103，陳年10年，建議售價僅$70。品酒筆記顯示豐富的肉桂卷、聖誕香料、蜂蜜與焦糖風味，後段則呈現烤橡木與葡萄乾的複雜度。這個價位點相當於Heaven Hill的Elijah Craig Barrel Proof等級，對於小麥威士忌愛好者而言是CP值極高的選擇。
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Classification: Straight Wheat Whiskey
Company: Middle West Spirits
Distillery: Sourced from MGP Distillery
Release Date: July 2026
Proof: 103
Age: 10 Years
Mashbill: 96% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley
Color: Dark Amber
SRP: $70 / 750mL (2026)
Cinnamon bun | Christmas spices | Brown sugar | Honey | Pie crust
Sweet pretzel dough | Stewed apple | Dark cherry | Sugar-coated raisin
Christmas spices | Brown sugar | Graham cracker | Toasted oak
Capitalizing on Old Elk’s custom 96% wheat, 4% malted barley mashbill, contract-distilled by Greg Metze at MGP, this 103 proof wheat whiskey makes a splash with a rich flavor profile and accessible price point.
Acquired by Middle West Spirits out of Ohio in 2025, Old Elk is making a splash with the release of their 10 Year Collection, which featured a straight bourbon, straight wheated bourbon, and this straight wheat whiskey. Aged for 10 years, this release comes from the days when Greg Metze contract-distilled Old Elk’s custom mashbills at MGP. Wheat whiskeys remain an American whiskey niche, and Old Elk has been a pioneer on that front, releasing wheat whiskeys periodically at various ages and proofs, wheat whiskey single barrels, and wheat whiskey heavy blends.
The latest edition follows the path Old Elk has laid out for its ever-evolving wheat whiskey line. It’s the second 10 year old released after their 2023 release, though it is not the same whiskey, as that release had a 95% wheat, 5% malted barley mashbill and was bottled at a higher 110 proof.
What remains constant across Old Elk’s wheated whiskeys is the overall richness that permeates the sip. Warm cinnamon bun, Christmas spices, brown sugar, honey, and pie crust on the nose give way to sweet pretzel dough, stewed apple, dark cherry, and sugar-coated raisin at the midpoint. Christmas spices, persistent brown sugar, graham cracker, and toasted oak wrap things up. The overall sip has a slight astringency, as many wheat whiskeys do, and while it has plenty of flavor, it’s not overly complex; the flavors are fairly front and center. However, it’s the richness and that warm, sweet undertone that permeates through, making it a really tasty, full-flavored sip.
What is also notable is the whiskey’s price point, set at only $70. This is clearly an indicator of Middle West Spirits making a splash with the brand, as the set of decade-old releases for $70 and relatively accessible is on par with the value play Heaven Hill offers for their Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon lineup. For fans of wheat whiskey, Old Elk 10 Year Wheat Whiskey is an easy buy recommendation.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Setting the Pace for a New Generation of Single Malt Drinkers - PML Daily
The Singleton 透過在烏干達坎帕拉舉辦的社交活動，打破單一麥芽威士忌過去嚴肅、高不可攀的形象。品牌於月度聚會「The Big Meeting」、Chef's Table 餐飲體驗等活動中，邀請年輕消費者透過調酒實驗、美食配對等生活化方式認識威士忌，而非傳統的威士忌品飲儀式。此策略反映 The Singleton 全球定位——以風味探索和參與體驗取代威懾感，吸引新世代飲者發現威士忌的魅力。
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For a long time, single malt whisky was presented as something to be approached with a certain seriousness. There were rules about how it should be served, conversations about age statements and an assumption that the category belonged primarily to seasoned whisky drinkers.
That conversation is changing.
In Kampala, The Singleton has increasingly found its place in a generation of drinkers discovering whisky through food, music, cocktails, travel and social experiences rather than through traditional whisky rituals.
It is a direction that mirrors the brand’s wider global positioning. Internationally, The Singleton has been associated with efforts to make single malt more accessible to younger and newer whisky drinkers, with flavour and discovery taking precedence over intimidation. A 2025 Spirits Business feature described the brand as playing a role in shaping the future direction of Scotch, particularly as younger consumers encounter whisky through lifestyle-led experiences.
Uganda provides an interesting local expression of that strategy.
The Singleton’s presence at The Big Meeting has placed the whisky in the middle of Kampala’s social calendar. The monthly daytime gathering at Thrones Bar and Lounge has evolved into a space where guests do more than order drinks. They experiment behind the bar, work with mixologists and create cocktails inspired by The Singleton, turning whisky consumption into participation.
At one edition, guests experimented with berries, herbs, unusual pairings and different flavour combinations.
“The Singleton is crafted for occasions where people come together to savour their wins, express themselves, and enjoy experiences that feel a little more special. That’s why we’re here, to heighten these moments and make them unforgettable,” says Simon Lapyem, The Singleton Brand Manager.
The brand’s local story has also moved beyond nightlife.
Its Chef’s Table experiences have brought whisky into conversations around food and culture, with chefs such as April Charlotte and Marcelino Dgedge using Ugandan ingredients and personal stories to create intimate dining experiences around The Singleton.
This is important because the new whisky drinker is not necessarily looking for a textbook introduction to single malt. They are looking for an experience that gives them a reason to explore it.
That philosophy has been evident in The Singleton’s global marketing for years. In 2014, the brand launched colourful expressions specifically as part of an effort to demystify single malt and attract younger consumers. More recently, its Gardens of Abundance campaign has used multisensory experiences to introduce less familiar drinkers to the category.
In Kampala, that same idea is taking on a distinctly social character.
The result is a whisky conversation that feels less about who already understands single malt and more about who is willing to discover it.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：The Glendronach Unveils Boynsmill House Edition - One More Dram
蘇格蘭威士忌Glendronach為慶祝創立200週年推出限量版Boynsmill House Edition。此款14年單一麥芽威士忌，主要在Oloroso與Pedro Ximénez雪莉桶中熟成，並加入少量Claret紅酒桶，酒精度46.8%。風味描述具有果乾堅果、太妃糖、莓果和榛果的香氣，口感則展現飽滿麥芽與巧克力焦糖的柔順質地。建議零售價£90（約台幣3,200元）。
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The Glendronach Unveils Boynsmill House Edition
The Glendronach Distillery has unveiled The Glendronach Boynsmill House Edition, a limited edition single malt created to marks its 200th anniversary.
The Glendronach Boynsmill House Edition has been matured for 14 years in primarily a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, with a small number of Claret red wine casks added to the mix, and is bottled at 46.8% ABV.
The Glendronach Boynsmill House Edition is described as having aromas of “a delightful fruit and nut medley, Highland toffee, bramble, stone fruit, hazelnut, and raisin.” The palate exhibits notes of “plush, ripe malt character with a richness of dried fruits and nuts, rising to a crescendo of velvety smooth and mellow chocolate caramel notes.”
The Glendronach Boynsmill House Edition is available now for a recommended retail price of £90.
Source: The Glendronach.
Bruichladdich Launches Octomore 17 Series
Bruichladdich Distillery has launched the 17th series in it’s super heavily peated Octomore brand with a line-up consisting of Octomore 17.1, 17.2, 17.3, and 17.4.
Octomore 17.1:
- Matured entirely on Islay for five years.
- Distilled in 2020 from the 2019 harvest of 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto barley.
- Full term maturation in first-fill Bourbon barrels.
- Peated to 81.0 PPM (Parts Per Million).
- Bottled at 59.7% ABV.
Octomore 17.2:
- Matured entirely on Islay for five years.
- Distilled in 2020 from the 2019 harvest of 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto barley.
- Matured four years in second-fill French oak that previously held Californian red wine, then bourbon before Octomore. The spirit was then finished in first-fill Port barriques.
- Peated to 81.0 PPM.
- Bottled at 59.5% ABV.
Octomore 17.3:
- Matured entirely on Islay for five years.
- Distilled in 2020 from the 2019 harvest of 100% Islay Concerto Barley from Irene’s Field, Octomore Farm.
- Full-term maturation in first-fill Bourbon barrels and second-fill European oak that includes Ribera Del Duero, Sauternes, Eiswein, and Syrah.
- Peated to 132.1 PPM.
- Bottled at 60.9% ABV.
Octomore 17.4:
- Matured entirely on Islay for seven years.
- Distilled in 2020 from the 2019 harvest of 100% Scottish Mainland Concerto barley.
- Matured in first-fill Oloroso and finished in French Virgin Oak.
- Peated to 108.2 PPM.
- Bottled at 62.6% ABV.
All four Octomores are bottled un-chill filtered and coloring free. Octomore 17.1, 17.2, and 17.3 are available now at select retailers and online at bruichladdich.com. Octomore 17.4 will launch on October 1st, 2026 to complete the series.
Source: remy-cointreau.com.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：The Glasgow Distillery Debuts First 10 Year Old Peated Single Malt - The Whiskey Wash
Glasgow Distillery（格拉斯哥蒸餾廠）推出Glasgow 1770 10 Year Old泥煤單一麥芽蘇格蘭威士忌，限量550瓶。該廠從2016年開始泥煤威士忌生產，今年為首度推出達10年熟成的泥煤威士忌。酒款採用三個前波本桶（2個refill、1個first-fill）混釀，酒精度54% ABV，採天然色澤且未冷凝過濾。格拉斯哥蒸餾廠是逾百年來格拉斯哥首家獨立單一麥芽威士忌蒸餾廠，目前泥煤生產占年產量五個月，對廠區發展意義重大。
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The Glasgow Distillery has released its first Glasgow 1770 10 Year Old Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The limited edition celebrates a decade of peated whisky production at the independent Glasgow site.
Limited to just 550 bottles, the milestone release is a marriage of three ex-bourbon casks. It combines two refill ex-bourbon barrels and one first-fill ex-bourbon barrel.
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The whisky is bottled at 54% ABV. It is natural in color and non-chill filtered.
Peated single malt production at the distillery began in 2016. That was one year after the launch of the distillery’s core single malt program, which marked its own tenth anniversary in 2025.
Peated production now accounts for five months of output each year. The 10 Year Old is the first release to reach a full decade of maturation from those original 2016 runs.
For this release, the team deliberately chose ex-Bourbon cask maturation. The aim was to allow the spirit and its decade of maturation to take center stage, creating what the distillery describes as an “honest spirit-forward profile.”
Every Kirkland Bourbon Ranked, From Worst to Best
READ THE STORY“Reaching ten years with our peated single malt feels like a really significant moment for us,” said Sebastian Bunford-Jones, head of sales and marketing. “Peated production has become an important part of what we do at The Glasgow Distillery, so for this release we wanted to keep things deliberately simple and let the spirit speak for itself.”
Bunford-Jones added: “Ex-Bourbon cask maturation have given us a whisky that really shows how our peated spirit has developed over a decade, while retaining the character we’ve been building since those first runs in 2016.”
According to the official notes from the brand, expect “roasted pineapple, soft smoke, gentle vanilla, waxy lemon and dried orange peel.”
“With only 550 bottles, it’s a small release, but an important one for the distillery,” Bunford-Jones said.
The whisky is presented in a gift carton. It is now available through the distillery’s website and select UK retailers.
The release will also reach Germany and Finland later this year.
The Glasgow Distillery began producing single malt in 2015. It became the first independent single malt whisky distillery in Glasgow in over 100 years.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Arbikie Distillery Launches The Signature - One More Dram
蘇格蘭 Arbikie Distillery 推出首款 Single Estate Single Malt 威士忌「The Signature」，採用該蒸餾廠莊園自種的 Odyssey 大麥，從種植、蒸餾、熟成到裝瓶全程在家族農場完成。酒款經 10 年波本桶熟成，酒精度 48%，限量 1,000 瓶全球發售，風味特徵為熟桃、檸檬雪泡與柑橘香氣，建議零售價 £250（約台幣 9,000 元），目前可透過官網與全球精選零售商購得。
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Arbikie Distillery Launches The Signature
Arbikie Distillery has announced the launch of The Signature, its first-ever Single Estate Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Produced from Odyssey barley grown on the Arbikie Estate in Angus, The Signature was grown, distilled, matured and bottled entirely on the family-owned farm. Matured for 10 years in six bourbon casks and bottled at 48% ABV, The Signature is limited to 1,000 bottles worldwide.
The Signature is described as opening with aromas of “ripe peach, banana bread, and lemon sherbet.” The palate exhibits notes of “brioche, apricot marmalade, and citrus.” It finishes with “creamy vanilla, orange blossom, and lingering spice.”
Arbikie The Signature is available at thearbikie.com and at select retailers worldwide for a suggested retail price of £250.
SourcE: Arbikie Distillery.
New Glenlivet whisky takes cues from France
By Rupert HohwielerChivas Brothers-owned The Glenlivet has released its second Beyond Speyside whisky, inspired by France’s Provence region.
The 12-year-old single malt Scotch whisky, titled Provence Edition, was finished in three types of French casks: Château Sainte Marguerite white wine casks, Rivesaltes, and Sauternes casks.
The rare cru classé casks from Château Sainte Marguerite in Provence are said to add bright citrus and elegant floral notes to the whisky. Rivesaltes casks then bring nuttiness and warming spices to the profile, while Sauternes casks deliver rich marmalade and crème brûlée flavours.
Additional notes of white peach, nectar and pear add a ‘sun-ripened’ character to the distillery’s signature Speyside style.
The expression is recommended in serves such as a signature Provençal Spritz, which showcases the whisky’s orchard fruit and citrus notes while highlighting its versatility.
The Glenlivet cask master, Kevin Balmforth, said: “With the Provence Edition, we wanted to take The Glenlivet somewhere unexpected. The challenge was introducing new layers of flavour inspired by Provence while remaining unmistakably The Glenlivet.
“By actively monitoring the finishing process and carefully balancing the influence of Château Sainte Marguerite, Rivesaltes, and Sauternes wine casks, we have created a whisky that delivers vibrant orchard fruit, elegant floral notes and exceptional complexity, capturing the vibrancy and elegance that inspired this release.”
The whisky’s packaging is inspired by the landscapes and elegance of Provence, with lavender hues, golden tones and other design details that evoke the region’s vineyards and fields.
Its launch is being supported by an immersive pop-up titled Le Café du Whisky.
Bringing a ‘Wee Taste of Provence’ to select markets, the brand said the experience invites guests to explore the new release through the sights, sounds, flavours, and energy that define Provence.
Le Café du Whisky pop-up debuted in New York last week (17 September) in collaboration with Michelle Palazzo of Frenchette Bakery.
The pastry chef reimagined the classic French pastry, Tarte aux Pêches, through a ‘Provençal and Scottish lens’. It featured a vanilla bean custard infused with the Provence Edition and topped with a rosette of juicy peaches.
Kristen Colonna, vice-president of marketing for The Glenlivet, added: “From its distinctive cask finishing to the immersive activations and culinary partnerships surrounding the launch, every element of this expression reflects the care, creativity, and expertise that define The Glenlivet.”
The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Provence Edition retails in select global markets for US$54.99 and has an ABV of 40%.
The brand kicked off the Beyond Speyside series last year with a single malt finished in a Jamaican rum cask. The series looks to capture the essence of various international destinations.
The Glenlivet also claimed 17 medals at the Scotch Whisky Masters 2026 blind tasting competition.
Earlier this month, the brand and its parent company Pernod Ricard were urged to provide a transparent explanation for a South Africa Women’s Month advert that was taken down after widespread outrage.
You can watch the campaign for The Glenlivet’s latest whisky below:
Related news
Glenlivet apology 'completely misses the mark' after ad backlash
Walk into a typical liquor store and chances are you’ll spot Cragganmore 12 Year Old among the familiar Scottish single malts. Yet this Speyside whisky doesn’t always get the same spotlight as other regional heavyweights. That’s a bit odd, really, because behind that classic bottle is a distillery with some rather intriguing secrets. Discover a few of Cragganmore’s flavorful hidden stories here.
Cragganmore 12 has been a Speyside staple for years. The whisky is malty, floral, lightly smoky, and distinctly complex. Just as fascinating as the flavor is the way this single malt is made. From unusual stills to a railway that played a pivotal role in the distillery’s birth: here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about Cragganmore 12 Year Old.
Cragganmore was built here because of a railway
Back in 1869, anyone planning a distillery looked for good water and access to raw materials. Founder John Smith also focused on something else: the railroad. His reasoning was purely strategic.
Smith chose a site at Ballindalloch, close to the River Spey and the Craggan Burn. But virtually on the doorstep ran the Strathspey Railway. That was no accident. The location made it far easier to bring in coal and casks to the distillery and to ship whisky out to the rest of the country.
Cragganmore was even the first Scottish distillery whose location was specifically chosen to benefit from a nearby railway. John Smith clearly knew his craft. Before founding Cragganmore, he had already earned his stripes at several big names in whisky, including The Macallan, The Glenlivet, and Glenfarclas.
Cragganmore’s stills look decidedly unusual
One of the things that truly sets Cragganmore apart can be found in the stillhouse. Walk into most Scottish distilleries and you’ll see large copper stills with elegant, swan-like necks. At Cragganmore, things look a little different.
The spirit stills stand out for their unconventional shape. They have a relatively flat top and use T-shaped lyne arms rather than the classic swan neck you’ll see elsewhere.
The shape of a still influences how alcohol vapors behave during distillation and ultimately shapes the character of the spirit. Cragganmore also sticks with traditional worm tubs for condensing the vapors. In this setup, the vapor travels through a long copper coil that spirals through cold water. It’s an old-school technique that’s far from universal today.
Together, these choices help
Cragganmore achieve its rich, robust character.
There isn’t one perfect fermentation time at Cragganmore
Long before the whisky reaches a copper still, a crucial step has taken place: fermentation. And here, too, Cragganmore does something interesting. The distillery doesn’t simply rely on a single fixed fermentation length; it uses both shorter and longer fermentations of roughly 60 and 90 hours.
There’s a clear idea behind that. Different fermentation times lead to different flavor profiles, which ultimately combine to create the complexity for which Cragganmore is known.
The production water, meanwhile, comes from the Craggan Burn, the stream that runs past the distillery. Details like these show how a whisky’s character is built long before a single drop of spirit ever touches wood.
Cragganmore 12 stands for all of Speyside
Cragganmore 12 may not be the first bottle that springs to mind when you think of Speyside. Yet the whisky once took on a rather important role.
Cragganmore was selected for the original Classic Malts of
Scotland, a series created to represent Scotland’s different whisky regions. Cragganmore stood for Speyside. The other names in the original lineup were
Glenkinchie,
Dalwhinnie,
Oban,
Talisker and
Lagavulin.
The fact that Cragganmore joined that company is telling. Speyside is packed with famous distilleries. Yet this was the whisky chosen to represent the region within the Classic Malts.
Cragganmore 12 is much smokier than its nose suggests
And that brings us to the heart of the matter: the whisky itself. Cragganmore 12 Year Old isn’t a heavy, smoky dram that makes you think of a campfire the moment you crack the bottle. In fact, the nose opens gently with florals, herbs, honey, and vanilla.
Only then do you discover more of this Speyside single malt’s backbone. The palate offers a generous wave of malt, alongside sweet oak and sandalwood. Beneath it all lingers a delicate wisp of smoke that carries into the finish.
Here are the tasting notes for Cragganmore 12:
- Nose: Sweet and floral, with herbs, blossoms, and meadow plants evoking a riverbank, followed by honey and vanilla.
- Palate: Firm and malty with subtle smoke, sweet oak, and sandalwood.
- Finish: Long and malty with a touch of sweetness and a very delicate smokiness.
A Speyside whisky that’s easy to overlook
The Cragganmore 12 bottle doesn’t shout for attention, and the name pops up less often than some of Speyside’s bigger stars. Yet you’re getting a 12-year-old single malt from a distillery that’s been making whisky since 1869, complete with a great story to share at tastings.
There are those unusual stills, the traditional worm tubs, varied fermentation times, and the tale of a distillery deliberately built alongside the railway. Cragganmore 12 proves that a classic bottle doesn’t have to be dull.
Next time you spot it on the shelf, you’ll probably look at that label a little differently.
Made possible by Diageo. Nix18.
FAQ
- Is Cragganmore 12 a smoky whisky?
A little. It carries subtle smoky notes, but don’t expect the heavy peat you find in some Islay whiskies. Malt, florals, honey, vanilla, and oak play a much bigger role.
- Where does Cragganmore whisky come from?
Cragganmore is made at Ballindalloch in Speyside, Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith and uses water from the Craggan Burn.
- Why is Cragganmore 12 special?
The distillery employs unusually shaped spirit stills, traditional worm tubs, and varied fermentation times. Cragganmore was also the Speyside representative in the original Classic Malts of Scotland.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Uile-bheist Distillery upgrades as tour demand soars - The Spirits Business
英國蘇格蘭因弗內斯（Inverness）的Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery於2023年開幕，成為該地130多年來首座新蒸餾廠。由於威士忌導覽參訪需求近三年近乎倍增，酒廠完成歷時8個月的翻新工程。升級後的品酒空間容量約100人，首次支援連續導覽安排。酒廠預計近期訪客數將達2萬人次。營運方表示，導覽需求遠超預期，尤其來自國際遊客，新品酒空間改善了賓客體驗與營運效率，訪客停留時間也更久。
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Uile-bheist Distillery upgrades as tour demand soars
By Melita KielyScotch producer Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery has completed an eight-month refurbishment after seeing demand for its whisky tours nearly double in three years.
Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery opened in 2023, becoming the first new distillery in Inverness, Scotland, in more than 130 years.
As the site waits for its first whiskies to come of age, demand for tours at the facility ‘have defied expectations’, particularly from international visitors, the distillery said.
As a result, the company has upgraded its tasting spaces, increasing capacity and allowing back-to-back tours for the first time. The tasting room can now seat approximately 100 guests.
The distillery and brewery expects its total visitor numbers to date to reach 20,000 in the next few weeks.
Jonathan Martin, revenue and rooms manager for Uile-bheist’s umbrella group, Turas Hotels, said: “When we opened, there were elements of the unknown. It is a long time since Inverness had a working distillery, but each year the tours have grown beyond expectation.
“The way we ran the tours before, we were annexing bar space in our tap room, and tastings were done upstairs, where the whisky and beer-making operations were.
“We wanted to elevate the levels for our tour guests, and this redevelopment has done that. Crucially, it also means we can now run consecutive tours for the first time without having to move the ‘set’ around.
“The success of the taproom is crucial to Uile-bheist as a brand. It was a lot of work but it’s easily the best change we’ve made, both for the comfort of guests and operationally.
“The space feels natural, and people are staying longer with us. We’ve removed some harder seating for softer seating and, beside each space, there are chargers so people can even work here, if they want.”
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Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Scotch Malt Whisky Society marks autumn equinox with new releases and events - The Whisky Wire
蘇格蘭麥芽威士忌協會（SMWS）發起全新「威士忌秋分」(Whisky Equinox)活動，於9月23日秋分當日推出兩款特別限量35cl半瓶威士忌：Spice It Up After Dark（11年Highland，60.9% ABV）及Riesling Spritz in the Sun（12年Speyside，57.7% ABV），各售£39（約台幣1,560元）。該協會將在愛丁堡會所舉辦秋分慶祝活動與品酒會，邀請全球威士忌愛好者在秋分當晚舉杯慶祝，標誌威士忌的傳統旺季開始。
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The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has announced the release of two special half-size whiskies to mark the start of its new Whisky Equinox initiative, as it prepares for its busiest time of year, with almost 100 limited-edition whiskies being released.
While beer has Oktoberfest and wine has Beaujolais Nouveau Day in November, whisky has never had a major annual moment to mark the start of the colder season, when the spirit is traditionally more popular. That changes this September with the launch of Whisky Equinox, a new occasion for whisky drinkers everywhere to raise a dram as whisky season begins.
The autumn equinox falls at 1.06am on September 23rd, the moment when day and night stand in equal measure and the year turns towards cooler evenings and warming drams. The Society is calling on whisky fans everywhere to raise a dram to welcome the new whisky season on the evening of September 23rd and share the moment with friends and on social media using hashtag #WhiskyEquinox.
To mark the occasion, the Society is releasing two special 35cl bottlings:
Spice It Up After Dark (60.9% ABV) is an 11 Year Old Highland single malt Scotch whisky, matured in a first-fill Spanish oak ex-PX Sherry hogshead.
The whisky is said to deliver notes of caramel and dark chocolate, cheroots, leather, nutmeg, and a spicy, citrus, earthy aftershave. The palate’s deep sweetness of marmalade, manuka, currants, raisins and chocolate mousse precedes a finish of dry oak, black coffee, goatskin wine, cinnamon and ginger.
Riesling Spritz in the Sun (57.7% ABV) is a 12 Year Old Speyside single malt Scotch whisky, matured in a first-fill ex-Bourbon hogshead.
This release is described as delivering notes of cedar, sandalwood and blood orange zest on the nose, followed by notes of buttered scones, clotted cream, vanilla, orange fondant, a pinch of mace and lemon verbena on the palate.
The Society will also hold a special launch event on the evening of September 23rd at its Members’ Room at 28 Queen Street in Edinburgh, the city where the club was first established in 1983. The evening will start with a meditative gong sound bath experience provided by Jo McCoy of Blissness, followed by a short ceremony including the reading of a special poem to mark the change of season, before a guided whisky tasting.
On October 15th, it will stage another tasting event at the same venue, called Light Side, Dark Side: An Autumn Equinox Whisky Journey, featuring a six-dram tasting and dinner.
Commenting on the news, Madeleine Schmoll, European Content Manager at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “Whisky is a drink for all year round, but it is in autumn and winter that people reach for it most. We wanted to mark that moment properly, and the autumn equinox is where it happens, the day the year tips towards its darker half. The Society has always been about bringing people together over a shared dram. On 23 September we will mark it here in Edinburgh, and we hope that all whisky fans will join in wherever they are.”
The SMWS Spice It Up After Dark and Riesling Spritz in the Sun are now available in limited quantities from the society website to members and non-members, for a RRP of £39.00 each or £75.00 for the pair.
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John Swinney urges the Treasury to cut Scotch whisky duty in the Autumn Budget
His intervention adds political weight to an industry campaign after spirits duty rose 17% in three years, with no cut announced yet.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has urged the UK government to cut excise duty on Scotch whisky in the upcoming Autumn Budget, aligning himself with a push from the Scotch Whisky Association that argues higher taxes have put sustained pressure on distillers, pubs and the wider supply chain.
Swinney’s backing followed a meeting on Sept. 11 with the trade group’s council of member companies. After that meeting, he said repeated duty increases had placed “undue pressure” on the industry and said he supported calls for the UK government to address the issue. The appeal is directed at HM Treasury and Chancellor John Healey, who will decide whether any change is included in the Budget. No cut has been announced, and the Treasury has not said it will act.
The Scotch Whisky Association, in its Budget submission, says spirits duty in the UK has risen 17% over the past three years. It also argues that spirits, including Scotch, are taxed at up to four times the rate applied to beer, cider and wine. The group says that despite those increases, Treasury revenue from spirits duty fell over the same period rather than rising.
The industry body says a lower duty rate would ease pressure on producers and on hospitality businesses that depend heavily on spirits sales. According to the association, Scotland produces around 70% of UK spirits, and spirits account for more than a third, or 38%, of total profits in hospitality venues. Mark Kent, the association’s chief executive, said a cut would give producers more room to invest in innovation, expansion and jobs.
The debate has drawn attention beyond Scotland because Scotch remains one of the UK’s most important export products and a major part of the country’s drinks industry. Any change in excise duty could affect producer margins, pricing and demand in bars, restaurants and hotels. It could also influence investment decisions across the broader beverage sector, since the current tax structure is often cited by the industry as a factor in competitiveness between spirits and other alcoholic drinks.
Swinney’s intervention adds political weight, but it does not change the legal position. Excise duty policy is set by the UK government, not the Scottish government, and the proposal remains an industry request. Trade publications including SLTN and The Highland Times also reported Swinney’s support in the days after the meeting.
The tax issue comes at a time when the Scotch industry is also watching export conditions. In its submission, the Scotch Whisky Association pointed to improved market access in the United States and India during 2026, describing those countries as important growth markets. That has sharpened the argument from producers that domestic tax policy should not undercut export gains by squeezing margins at home.
The issue is also being followed by international buyers and investors, especially in Asia, though the immediate effect on whisky casks held in bond would be limited. Under current rules, excise duty is charged when whisky is released from bond for bottling and sale, not while it is maturing in cask. That means a duty cut would not directly change the tax status of bonded casks already held by investors. Even so, market participants often track duty policy because it can affect distillery profitability, new-make spirit pricing, future cask supply and the general financial health of producers.
That distinction matters because some of the discussion around whisky investment has extended beyond consumer prices and into the economics of distilling. A lower duty burden, if approved, could improve domestic sales conditions for producers and hospitality operators. For the drinks trade, that could support cash flow and investment at a time when costs and tax levels remain a major concern. For investors in casks or distillery-linked assets, the policy debate is being treated more as a signal about industry conditions than as a direct change in asset values.
The request is also emerging against a backdrop of wider scrutiny in the cask investment market. While that is separate from the Budget decision, it has reinforced the need to distinguish between tax policy that affects spirits sold in the UK and the risks attached to private cask ownership. Whisky cask investment remains an unregulated asset class in the UK, and a change in duty would not alter that status.
For now, the central point is that Swinney has publicly backed the industry’s call, but the decision rests with the Treasury. Until the Autumn Budget is delivered, the proposed duty cut remains a political and commercial campaign rather than a confirmed policy change.
One of Glasgow’s independent whisky distilleries has reached another milestone, releasing its first ever 10 Year Old Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
The Glasgow Distillery’s new Glasgow 1770 10 Year Old Peated celebrates a decade since the team first began producing peated single malt at the Hillington-based distillery in 2016.
Today, peated whisky accounts for around five months of the distillery’s annual production.
Only 550 bottles of the new whisky have been produced, making it one of the distillery’s most limited releases.
The release brings together whisky matured in three ex-Bourbon casks – two refill and one first-fill – which have been married together and bottled at 54% ABV. The decision to mature the whisky solely in ex-Bourbon casks was intentional, allowing the character of the peated spirit and its ten years of maturation to shine through.
Sebastian Bunford-Jones, Head of Sales & Marketing, commented: “There’s something particularly special about releasing a whisky that represents ten years of what we’ve been building here in Glasgow.
“When we first began producing our peated spirit in 2016, this whisky was quite literally at the beginning of that journey. Ten years later, peated whisky is now an important part of our annual production. Our peated releases are some of our most popular whiskies around the world, so opening these casks and seeing how that spirit has developed after a decade of maturation has been incredibly rewarding.”
The whisky has notes of delicate bonfire smoke, honeyed sweetness, tropical fruit and citrus, with a gentle waxy texture and lingering oak spice. It is natural in colour and non-chill filtered.
Presented in a gift carton and limited to just 550 bottles, the Glasgow 1770 10 Year Old Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky is set to make a standout gift for whisky lovers this festive season.
RRP: £69
Available from: The Glasgow Distillery’s website, and a handful of select UK whisky retailers
Release date: 10am, Friday the 18th of September. Limited to one bottle per person.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：That Gander whiskey bar sounded familiar - Hoptown Chronicle
美國肯塔基州《Hoptown Chronicle》編輯Jennifer Brown觀看在地劇團Campanile Productions演出的音樂劇《Come From Away》時，被劇中提到「愛爾蘭威士忌酒吧」的台詞觸發回憶。該劇以2001年9月11日恐怖攻擊後，加拿大紐芬蘭省甘德鎮收容7000名滯留旅客的故事為背景。Brown在2005年曾到訪甘德報導另一起空難事件，並在當地居民Derm Flynn的家中享用過晚餐和該地下室威士忌吧的飲品，與劇中虛構角色的經歷完全吻合，成為一次令人驚喜的藝術與現實交匯。
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Every live theater production relies on two main groups. The actors. And the audience.
The best of us know our roles and stick to them.
For example, I excel as an audience member who buys a ticket and takes a seat. I know my place, and it is not on the stage.
Once, I was coaxed into a small part at the Alhambra Theatre for a skit to kick off one of The Big Read programs. It was a bad idea having me on stage. I spent my brief time in front of the audience trying to tamp down a panic attack. Lesson learned.
But for a split second Thursday evening at the Alhambra, I almost forgot my place when my husband and I went to see “Come From Away” by Hopkinsville’s community theater group, Campanile Productions.
It was a line about whiskey that briefly threw me off. Hold on. I’ll explain.
The musical “Come From Away” tells the true story of Gander, Newfoundland, in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. North American airspace was shut down and 7,000 passengers aboard 38 planes were diverted to Gander. Over the next several days, townspeople in Gander and a few surrounding communities took in the stranded travelers. It is a remarkable story of generosity and hospitality.
I was especially eager to see “Come From Away” because in 2005, I spent a week in Newfoundland reporting stories about another major world event — the Dec. 12, 1985, air crash at Gander that killed 248 soldiers who were returning to Fort Campbell from a six-month deployment to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
As I described in a column several weeks ago, the people I interviewed in Gander helped me understand that they were capable of mobilizing an extraordinary response to feed and house 7,000 strangers.
So back to the local theater … I settled into my seat Thursday evening, ready to be entertained by the cast of “Come From Away.”
I was hooked from the opening scene. It all made sense. These Gander people. Their accents. Their easygoing authenticity. Their can-do attitude. Who wouldn’t love them?
And then one of the cast members playing a man named Derm, the mayor of neighboring town Appleton, started trying to convince a hesitant passenger named Bob, from New York, to come stay at his house. The New Yorker thought there must be a catch. No one was that generous.
So our friendly Newfoundlander Derm says, “Come on in, son. The Irish Whiskey’s in the bar downstairs.”
And as soon as I heard that line, I remembered Derm Flynn and his wife, Dianne. They invited me to dinner in their home in 2005. I ate moose roast and potatoes from their kitchen. And I had a drink in that bar in their basement!
The same Derm. The same whiskey. The same hospitality.
I almost forgot my place and jumped out of my Alhambra seat to holler at the reluctant New Yorker on the stage.
I came close to shouting, “Bob, don’t be crazy. Get yourself down to Derm’s whiskey bar! It’s a real place.”
But I didn’t. I remembered my place. The Campanile cast had things moving along just fine.
It was a great performance. If you’ve never seen a Campanile show, you’ll have a chance later this year when they stage “A Christmas Carol” in December. We’ll share more information closer to the performance.
(Watch a recent Canadian news interview with Derm and Dianne Flynn here.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
Whiskey, Wine & Blues Festival returning to the Midlands
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– The Whiskey, Wine & Blues Festival is returning to the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in November.
On Saturday, November 14, 2026, there will be a full day of live blues, whiskey, wine and beer tastings, chef-curated food, and artisan vendors, all benefiting the Jayln Rachel Foundation.
VIP entry is at 11 a.m., and general admission is from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For tickets and ticket prices, click here.
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Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：The Bothy In Glasgow’s West End Awarded AA Rosette - DRAM Scotland
位於格拉斯哥 Ruthven Lane 的蘇格蘭餐廳 The Bothy 獲得英國 AA 美食指南頒發的 Rosette 星級獎，是該市少數獲此殊榮的餐廳。餐廳以當地農產及野生食材烹飪著稱，主廚 James McDonald 領導廚房四年，菜單融合蘇格蘭本地食材如謝德蘭干貝、Stornoway 黑布丁、威士忌醬等，搭配國際風味。評審讚許其為「城市中心的蘇格蘭高地風味」，肯定了廚房對蘇格蘭食材的執著。自 2007 年開業至今，The Bothy 已營運近二十年，此獎項標誌著餐廳的新里程碑。
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The Bothy, the Ruthven Lane restaurant known for its farmed-and-foraged approach to Scottish cooking, has been awarded an AA Rosette, joining a handful of restaurants in Glasgow to hold the prestigious accolade.
Following an AA inspection, the restaurant was praised as “a taste of the Scottish highlands in the heart of the city” – a fitting tribute to a kitchen that puts Scotland’s finest produce at the heart of everything it serves.
The award is a milestone for Head Chef James McDonald, who has led The Bothy’s kitchen for the past four years.
McDonald’s career includes time at Royal Dornoch in the Highlands, alongside senior chef
roles in Dubai – experience reflected in a menu rooted firmly in the Scottish larder while drawing
confidently on flavours from further afield.
The current summer menu showcases that philosophy. Hand-dived Shetland scallops are served with a Stornoway black pudding XO relish; Ramsey’s haggis arrives with neeps, skirlie and whisky sauce; and roe venison is paired with tender-stem broccoli, fermented radish and chimichurri.
Heather honey runs through the menu, from whipped goats’ cheese with fermented radish and basil oil to lamb shoulder with caramelised heather honey, lavender and rose harissa butter bean hummus. For special occasions, the grill offers a 35-day dry-aged Scotch sirloin with bone marrow jus, a dry-aged pork tomahawk with black pudding jam, and a 500g Scotch sirloin on the bone.
Vegetarian and vegan diners are equally well considered, with dishes such as textures of cauliflower with pink pickle and tarragon oil, a courgette and ricotta tart with grapefruit, hazelnut and mint, and a vegan version of the haggis available on request.
Front of house, General Manager Jaimi Mullen has been quietly carving out a strong reputation for The Bothy’s seasonal menus, matched by a smartly selected wine list – ensuring the experience in the dining room is every bit as considered as the food on the plate.
“To receive an AA Rosette is a huge honour for the whole team. Everything we do starts with the
incredible produce Scotland has to offer –and to have the inspector recognise that sense of place in
our cooking means a great deal. James and the team work incredibly hard to create menus that
change with the seasons, and we’re delighted to see that effort acknowledged. We can’t wait to
welcome regulars and new guests alike to experience it for themselves.”
Having first opened its doors in 2007, The Bothy is approaching two decades on Ruthven Lane. The AA Rosette marks a new chapter for the restaurant and cements its place among Glasgow’s most exciting places to eat.
The Bothy is open 7 days a week from noon, and reservations can be made at bothyglasgow.co.uk
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：How To Drink Glenfiddich 12 Year Old - The Whiskey Wash
Glenfiddich 12 Year Old 是全球暢銷的單一麥芽蘇格蘭威士忌，但許多購買者不知道如何正確品飲。本文詳細介紹多種享受方式：純飲是基礎選擇，可彰顯青蘋果和梨子的清爽果香；加少量水可平衡酒精感並提升甜感；冰塊適合溫暖天氣；高球雞尾酒（威士忌配蘇打水）則是酒廠官方在 2018 年推薦的做法。文章強調無需拘泥於「純飲才是唯一正確方式」的教條，建議搭配輕盈海鮮食物。UK 售價約 £35-45，US 約 $45-55。
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Glenfiddich 12 is, historically, one of the best-selling single malt Scotch whiskies in the world. A great many bottles are bought as gifts, for parties, and for everyday drinking. But how should you actually enjoy Glenfiddich 12 Year Old? As is the case with a lot of best-selling whisky, people buy without any idea as to how to drink it.
Pouring it neat is a perfectly good starting point, but water, ice, and soda all have their merits too, and the argument for soda came from the distillery itself, which promoted a Glenfiddich Highball built on the 12 Year Old back in 2018.
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So, let’s take a look at all of the ways you can enjoy Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, and which one will suit you best.
What Is Glenfiddich 12 Year Old?
Glenfiddich is made in Dufftown, in the Speyside region of Scotland, at a distillery William Grant and his family built by hand in 1886. The first spirit ran the following year, and the company is still one of the few single malt distilleries in Scotland to remain entirely family-owned.
The 12 Year Old is bottled at 40% ABV. According to the distillery’s own description, it spends at least twelve years in a combination of American oak and European oak sherry casks before being mellowed in oak marrying tuns for consistency.
Glenfiddich describes it as “the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky,” a claim based on its record since 2000 at the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the International Spirits Challenge.
Every Kirkland Bourbon Ranked, From Worst to Best
READ THE STORYAs for how it actually tastes, Serge Valentin of Whiskyfun reviewed the current bottling in July 2025 and scored it 83 points, finding green apples, pears, melon rind, buttery pastry and a little young oak. He called it a “fresh and chirpy little malt.” This is a light, fruity whisky rather than a heavy sherried or peated one, so the aim is to keep that freshness when deciding how to drink the whisky.
Expect to pay somewhere around £35 to £45 in the UK, often closer to £30 when supermarkets run a promotion, and roughly $45 to $55 for a 750ml bottle in the US, though state-by-state variation is wide. Our live price tracker follows the current deals.
Neat, Water, or On The Rocks?
As with most whiskies that I drink, I recommend that neat is where to start, even if you plan to add something later. Pour a dram in a tulip-shaped glass and give it a little time to settle. You will find the green apple and pear character at full strength, and at 40% ABV it goes down very easily.
Water is the most common addition that helps bring out the flavours in the whisky. The thing to keep in mind is how little you need. Bottled at 40% ABV, this whisky has far less room to move than a cask strength single malt, and a heavy splash will thin out the very fruitiness you are trying to reach.
A pipette is genuinely useful here, or the tip of a teaspoon if you do not have one. Add two or three drops, swirl the glass, and taste. Repeat if you want more. What you are looking for is the point where the alcohol settles down and the sweetness and orchard fruit come forward.
Ice works well in warm weather, particularly with a whisky this light and fresh. Use one large cube or a sphere rather than a handful of small pieces, since a single large piece melts far more slowly and keeps the whisky cold without diluting it much along the way. A 40% whisky gets watery fairly quickly, so this is a drink to enjoy at a reasonable pace rather than nurse for an hour.
The Glenfiddich Highball — And Why Purists Are Wrong
There is a widely held view (that we have repeatedly discouraged) that mixing a single malt with anything is a waste of good whisky. It runs into a problem straight away, which is that Glenfiddich has actively encouraged people to do it. In 2018, the distillery built a summer campaign around the Glenfiddich Highball, pairing the 12 Year Old with soda and a lemon twist over ice.
The serve was created by Glenfiddich malt master Brian Kinsman, and the company recommended using a “high-quality soft-spring carbonated water,” describing the soda as “the perfect foil for the whisky’s fruity notes.” A custom machine dispensing the drink was installed at a London bar and toured the city that summer.
Whisky writer Dave Broom has been making the broader case for years. Writing in 2017, he pointed out that drinkers have long been told whisky should never be altered, when a highball asks for nothing more than a glass, whisky, ice and a mixer.
Two years later, he described being in a bar where staff refused to make him a Caol Ila highball because, as his friend reported back, “they never allow malt whisky to be mixed.” The friend bought a dram and a soda water and put the drink together himself. Broom’s view was that insisting there is only one acceptable way to drink whisky “will not help whisky’s cause.”
Japan is where the technique was refined. The House of Suntory, which introduced highballs there in the 1950s, sets out a method of chilling the glass, the whisky, and the soda, adding three to four parts soda to one part whisky, and giving it a single stir from the bottom of the glass.
For Glenfiddich 12, that translates to 50ml (1.7oz) of whisky and around 150ml (5oz) of well chilled soda in a tall glass packed with ice, finished with a twist of lemon. Pour the soda gently down the side, stir once, and leave it alone.
Mixers Beyond Soda
Ginger ale is the obvious next step and a popular one, though it is worth being clear about the trade off. Ginger brings noticeable sweetness and spice, so you end up with something closer to a mixed drink than a lengthened malt.
Cloudy apple juice is a gentler option and follows the whisky’s own character, picking up the green apple and pear already there. Tonic is worth trying if you like the bitterness, but quinine is a much stronger flavor than soda.
Plenty of people mix Glenfiddich with cola, and it makes a perfectly pleasant drink, but the sweetness covers up most of what you paid for.
What To Eat With Glenfiddich 12 Year Old?
For food, Glenfiddich’s own pairing guidance gives a rule worth following: “Do try to match weights.” A lighter whisky works better with a lighter dish, and a heavier sherry cask whisky with something richer, so that neither one overwhelms the other. The distillery pairs the 12 with scampi sashimi, noting that “the pear and oak notes of the whisky complement the scampi sashimi, while both are similarly delicate.”
That points toward light seafood. Sashimi, prawns, and simply cooked white fish all work, as do mild cheeses and apple or pear desserts, which pick up the fruit and butterscotch in the whisky.
A highball alongside a meal is also worth trying, since that is how the whisky is commonly drunk in Japan.
Enjoy Glenfiddich 12 However You Like
Glenfiddich 12 rewards a bit of experimenting. Try it neat first so you know what you are working with, add water a few drops at a time if you want to soften it, use one large cube when the weather is warm, and make a highball without feeling you have done something wrong. For more on the range, see our guide to the Glenfiddich core range and our guide to the whisky highball.