Bowmore® Revives the Devil’s Casks Series with Two New Limited-Edition Single Malts
Bowmore® Revives the Devil’s Casks Series with Two New Limited-Edition Single Malts
The sought-after collection, available exclusively from The Whisky Shop, returns with a new 10-Year-Old and never-before-released 22-Year-Old, matured from casks kept back from the original releases
Islay, Scotland, 8th October 2026 - Bowmore, Islay’s oldest licensed distillery, is bringing back The Devil’s Casks series more than a decade after the original limited editions developed a cult following among whisky enthusiasts.
The new series comprises two limited-edition single malts: The Devil’s Casks 10-Year-Old, a 2026 interpretation paying homage to the original three small batch spirits, and The Devil’s Casks 22-Year-Old, crafted using two remaining casks held from the original releases and matured for another decade.
First released between 2013 and 2015, The Devil’s Casks trilogy became known for revealing a darker, richer side of Bowmore through the influence of sherry casks, bringing together intense layers of flavour, including dark fruit, treacle, chocolate, spice, and the distillery’s signature smoke. The name draws on one of Bowmore’s best-known local legends: The devil is said to have entered The Round Church in Bowmore village on Islay, only to discover there were no corners in which to hide. Chased by locals into Bowmore distillery, the devil escaped inside a whisky cask bound for the mainland.
Dr Calum Fraser, master blender, Scotch and Irish at Suntory Global Spirits, comments: “The Devil’s Casks became one of Bowmore’s most memorable modern limited editions, combining Bowmore folklore with an intensely rich, flavour-led expression of the distillery’s character. The robust, sweet, dark-fruit influence of sherry casks melded beautifully with Bowmore’s coastal peat smoke and maritime salinity. Revisiting the series more than a decade later gave us the opportunity to explore what made those original whiskies so distinctive, while offering Bowmore devotees the chance to once again experience these gone, yet far from forgotten, gems.”
BOWMORE THE DEVIL’S CASKS 10-YEAR-OLD
Bold, dark and devilishly indulgent. The Devil’s Casks 10-Year-Old is matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks and finished in first-fill Pedro Ximénez casks, creating an intensely rich and decadent character. Expect layers of dark fruit and fruitcake, wrapped in cocoa and maple syrup, with a signature thread of smoke running throughout.
RSP*: £70 GBP | ABV: 56.6%
BOWMORE THE DEVIL’S CASKS 22-YEAR-OLD
Opulent, intense and deeply complex. Matured for 22 years in first-fill Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, before a final finish in refill Oloroso, this cask-strength expression delivers remarkable depth and richness, with flavours of charred fruit and treacle giving way to savoury notes of salty oak and liquorice.
RSP: £380 GBP | ABV: 59.6%
As a highly anticipated limited-edition, whisky fans can register their interest in the 10-Year-Old at WhiskyShop.com from today, ahead of its release on 16th October. The 22-Year-Old will be available via The Whisky Shop ballot on 31st October for all those who purchase the 10-Year-Old.
John Beard, director of The Whisky Shop, says, "Reviving The Devil's Casks with Bowmore is a thrill and genuine privilege. This is a global exclusive, and we couldn't be prouder to bring it to our customers - old friends and new - both online and in-person across our 22 UK stores. In The Whisky Shop's more than three decades of buying and selling whisky, few releases have excited us the way this has. Having tasted both the 10 and 22-year-old expressions myself, I can't wait for our customers to discover what makes them so special."
The Devil’s Casks marks the beginning of a new chapter delving into Bowmore’s archives. Over the coming years, the distillery will reintroduce some of the most celebrated expressions from its past and reinterpret them through the lens of Bowmore’s whisky-making today.
Kirsteen Beeston, global brand marketing director, Scotch and Irish at Suntory Global Spirits, explains, “The Whisky Shop is the perfect partner to release The Devil’s Casks, with whisky connoisseurs who will likely remember the original trilogy and a new generation of customers now able to experience it. Certain past releases have earned such a devoted following that their appeal endures long after they sell out. Revisiting the archives gives new whisky drinkers and collectors the opportunity to discover these exceptional expressions. With its unmistakable character, mythology and enduring reputation, The Devil’s Casks felt like the natural place to begin.
Following The Whisky Shop release, The Devil’s Casks 10-Year-Old and 22-Year-Old will also be available at the Bowmore distillery from 1st December. Both expressions will launch in additional markets in 2027.
For more information, please visit www.bowmore.com and follow @Bowmore on Instagram and Facebook.
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About Bowmore®
Established over 245 years ago in 1779, Bowmore is Islay’s oldest licensed distillery, and Scotland’s second oldest. This legacy affords the distillery an enviable inventory of maturing stock, iconic releases, and warrants its position as one of the most collectable whiskies in the world.
Bowmore’s premium single malts are crafted with intent and age like no other, to offer exceptional depth and layers of flavour. Its signature style is defined by rich and fruity notes and a delicate peated complexity.
Each stage of Bowmore’s whisky-making process is precise and measured. From its floor maltings and peat smoke to dry the barley, ensuring the smoky and fruity complexity, to the long fermentation and slow distillation, enhancing the signature citrus fruit taste. –
Bowmore’s expressions continue to be globally recognised. Recent accolades include:
• ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ and gold at World Whiskies Awards 2026 for Bowmore 21-Year-Old Sherry Oak Cask
• Double gold for Bowmore 15-Year-Old and Bowmore 18-Year-Old, and gold for Bowmore 12-Year-Old Sherry Oak Cask, at San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2026
• Gold at International Spirits Challenge 2026 for Bowmore 14-Year-Old Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish, Bowmore 18-Year-Old and Bowmore 25-Year-Old
• Gold at International Wine and Spirits Competition 2026 for Bowmore 9-Year-Old
The distillery welcomes visitors to be immersed in the spirit of the whisky and its Islay home. With the shore of Loch Indaal as the backdrop, experiences include sampling small-batch distillery exclusives, access to the ‘Vaults Secrets Tasting Room’ and stepping inside the legendary No.1 Vaults – one of the world’s oldest maturation warehouses – for the rare opportunity to taste whiskies drawn directly from casks. Adjacent to the distillery, Bowmore Cottages offer the perfect place to stay and explore the historic town of Bowmore.
About The Whisky Shop
The Whisky Shop is the UK’s largest specialist whisky retailer, with 22 shops across Scotland, England and Wales, plus two boutiques in France, and an online store. Offering an extensive range of hundreds of whiskies, The Whisky Shop brings together renowned names alongside independent bottlings, exclusive releases, single cask expressions, and other hard-to-find gems.
With expert teams on hand to help customers discover something new and exciting, The Whisky Shop offers an experience designed for both curious newcomers and seasoned whisky enthusiasts. Whether customers are searching for a much-loved favourite or something truly distinctive, The Whisky Shop is a must-visit destination for discovering the world of whisky.
About Suntory Global Spirits
As a world leader in premium spirits, Suntory Global Spirits inspires the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Known for its craftsmanship of premium American whiskeys, including Jim Beam® and Maker's Mark®; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki® an
Bowmore has brought back its cult The Devil’s Casks series more than a decade after the original limited editions, releasing a new 10-year-old and a never-before-seen 22-year-old. The two expressions will be available exclusively through The Whisky Shop, with the 10-year-old launching on 16 October 2026, in time for Halloween.
The series comprises two limited-edition single malts: The Devil’s Casks 10-Year-Old, a 2026 interpretation paying homage to the original three small-batch spirits, and The Devil’s Casks 22-Year-Old, crafted using two remaining casks held back from the original releases and matured for a further decade.
First released between 2013 and 2015, The Devil’s Casks trilogy became known for revealing a darker, richer side of Bowmore through the influence of sherry casks, combining dark fruit, treacle, chocolate, spice, and the distillery’s signature smoke.
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The name draws on a local legend. The devil is said to have entered The Round Church in Bowmore village, found no corners in which to hide, and escaped inside a whisky cask bound for the mainland.
The expression carries added weight given Bowmore’s heritage. The first distillery on Islay to receive a licence, Bowmore was officially founded in 1779, though its founder had likely been distilling since shortly after his arrival on the island in 1766.
Dr Calum Fraser, master blender, Scotch and Irish at Suntory Global Spirits, said: “The Devil’s Casks became one of Bowmore’s most memorable modern limited editions, combining Bowmore folklore with an intensely rich, flavour-led expression of the distillery’s character.”
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYHe added: “Revisiting the series more than a decade later gave us the opportunity to explore what made those original whiskies so distinctive.”
The Devil’s Casks 10-Year-Old is matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks and finished in first-fill Pedro Ximénez casks. Bottled at 56.6% ABV, it carries an RSP of $94 (£70). According to the official notes from the brand, it offers layers of dark fruit and fruitcake, wrapped in cocoa and maple syrup.
Matured for 22 years in first-fill Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks before a final finish in refill Oloroso, the cask-strength 22-Year-Old sits at 59.6% ABV and carries an RSP of $509 (£380). The brand’s official notes cite charred fruit and treacle giving way to salty oak and liquorice.
Whisky fans can register their interest in the 10-year-old at WhiskyShop.com from today. The 22-year-old will be available via a ballot from 31 October for those who purchase the 10-year-old.
John Beard, director of The Whisky Shop, said: “Reviving The Devil’s Casks with Bowmore is a thrill and genuine privilege. This is a global exclusive, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring it to our customers – old friends and new – both online and in-person across our 22 UK stores.”
The release marks the start of a new chapter delving into Bowmore’s archives, with the distillery set to reintroduce celebrated past expressions in the coming years.
Both bottlings will also be available at the Bowmore Distillery from 1 December 2026.
Midleton Very Rare has launched Irish Chestnut Edition, a limited-edition whiskey finished in casks crafted entirely from Irish sweet chestnut sourced from a single Irish estate. The release, unveiled on 8 October 2026, marks the inaugural expression in the brand’s new Rare Wood Collection.
The whiskey draws on Irish sweet chestnut trees grown on the historic Cappoquin Estate in County Waterford, home to the Keane family since 1735.
Nearly a decade in the making, the project began in 2017 when six carefully selected Irish sweet chestnut trees (Castanea sativa) were harvested from the estate’s managed woodland overlooking the Blackwater Valley.
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The timber was then crafted into casks through natural seasoning and traditional coopering in Spain. The casks returned to Ireland, where a marriage of light, medium and heavy style Midleton Single Pot Still whiskeys, originally matured in first-fill and refill bourbon barrels, were finished in the chestnut casks for a further five years.
The brand claims it is the first whiskey in the world to be finished in casks crafted entirely from Irish sweet chestnut wood sourced from a single Irish estate.
Irish sweet chestnut is naturally more porous than traditional oak. This encourages greater interaction between spirit and cask while demanding significantly higher maturation losses.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORY“Wood has always played an essential role in shaping the character of our whiskeys, but with Irish sweet chestnut we saw an opportunity to explore something entirely new,” said Kevin O’Gorman, master distiller at Midleton Distillery. “When we filled these casks, we couldn’t know exactly how Irish sweet chestnut would influence the whiskey, but what we discovered was something genuinely distinctive, a richness, texture and complexity unlike anything we’d experienced before.”
Sir Charles Keane of Cappoquin Estate said: “For generations, our family has cared for these woodlands with the responsibility of passing them on in good health to those who follow.”
Limited to 800 case equivalents globally, the whiskey is released worldwide from 8 October 2026 with an RRP of €440 (£382 / $511). It is bottled at natural cask strength of 56.1% ABV.
According to the official notes from the brand, the whiskey reveals rich layers of honey-drizzled red apple, caramelised orange peel, melted chocolate and toffee fudge, with warming woodland spices and nutty undertones.
Midleton Distillery is part of Irish Distillers, the Pernod Ricard-owned producer that also makes Jameson and Redbreast.
Midleton Very Rare Irish Chestnut Edition is first for whiskey
By Melita KielyMidleton Very Rare is beginning its new Rare Wood Collection with a limited edition whiskey that underwent a secondary maturation in Irish sweet chestnut casks – a first for the category.
Midleton Very Rare Irish Chestnut Edition was aged in first-fill and refill Bourbon barrels before being transferred into bespoke Irish sweet chestnut casks for five years.
The one-of-a-kind release is bottled at its natural cask strength of 56.1% ABV, and has an RRP of €440 (US$490). Approximately 800 cases have been created and will be available worldwide.
Kevin O’Gorman, master distiller at Midleton Distillery, said: “Wood has always played an essential role in shaping the character of our whiskeys, but with Irish sweet chestnut we saw an opportunity to explore something entirely new.
“Moving beyond traditional oak, we wanted to understand how this exceptional wood could bring a new dimension to one of our finest whiskeys.
“That question set us on a journey of discovery spanning nearly a decade, resulting in the world’s first whiskey finished in casks crafted entirely from Irish sweet chestnut.”
The Irish sweet chestnut casks were entirely sourced from the historic Cappoquin Estate in County Waterford, Ireland. The estate has belonged to the Keane family since 1735.
In partnership with Midleton, specially selected trees were felled and shipped to Spain, where they were naturally seasoned and coopered.
The casks then returned to Ireland where they were filled with light, medium and heavy Midleton single pot still whiskeys that had been matured until then in the aforementioned first-fill and refill Bourbon barrels.
“When we filled these casks, we couldn’t know exactly how Irish sweet chestnut would influence the whiskey, but what we discovered was something genuinely distinctive, a richness, texture and complexity unlike anything we’d experienced before,” O’Gorman added.
“The Midleton Very Rare Irish Chestnut Edition is a whiskey that could only have come from Ireland, defined by its landscape, its craftspeople and the patience to allow nature and time to do their work.
“We’re proud that it becomes the inaugural expression in the Rare Wood Collection, which will continue to explore how exceptional woods can shape extraordinary Irish whiskey.”
Irish sweet chestnut is more porous than traditional oak, meaning more interaction between the spirit and the cask. This also means the angel’s share is significantly higher, with around 29% lost over the five-year period.
The final whiskey delivers aromas of honey-drizzled red apple and caramelised orange peel, toffee fudge and spice, leading to flavours of sweet orchard fruits, a hint of citrus, lots of vanilla, chocolate and soft wood tannins, with pot still spices on the palate. On the finish, fruit lingers, fading to leave pot still spices and the influence of the chestnut wood.
Sir Charles Keane, of Cappoquin Estate, added: “For generations, our family has cared for these woodlands with the responsibility of passing them on in good health to those who follow. Seeing a small number of these rare, sweet chestnut trees become part of the story of Midleton Very Rare reflects that same long-term thinking, respecting nature, valuing craftsmanship and allowing time to create something that will endure.”
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Midleton Very Rare launches 2026 edition
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Why do the trade wars keep coming for your whiskey? - Pioneer Press
川普政府對加拿大威士忌祭出50%關稅，甚至宣布完全禁止進口（本月生效）。但禁令有重大漏洞：散裝進口後在美國裝瓶者免除，使 Crown Royal 等主要加拿大品牌得以規避。威士忌之所以在貿易戰中被高度政治化，源於其嚴格的原產地規則與象徵意義——波本威士忌只能在美國生產，加拿大威士忌只能在加拿大生產。加拿大的禁令已使美國對加出口酒精飲料下滑70%，損失約1.5億美元年銷售額，但也傷害加拿大業者。專家指出，大型蒸餾廠可轉移裝瓶地點規避禁令，實際影響可能遠小於政治宣示。
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Every year, more than $870 billion in goods and services move across the United States-Canada border. Whiskey traditionally accounts for less than a third of 1% of that total.
Yet in the 18 months since President Donald Trump started his trade war with Canada, tariffs on whiskey and other alcoholic beverages have played an outsize role in the commercial combat, drawing the kind of headlines you’d expect about aluminum and paper.
In early 2025, eight of Canada’s 10 provinces issued bans on American whiskey. In retaliation, the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Canadian whisky. And this month, it took the extremely rare step of banning it completely.
The announcement of the ban, which will take effect Tuesday, attracted huge attention on news outlets and social media, even as its fine print revealed an enormous carve-out: Whiskey brought from Canada into the United States in bulk, and bottled there, was excluded not only from the ban but also from the 50% tariff, exempting major Canadian whisky brands like Crown Royal.
The loophole will be welcome news to American fans of Canadian whisky. But it raises a question: Why ban whiskey in the first place? And why does whiskey play a marquee role in so many trade fights?
In 2018, the European Union and Mexico responded to Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum with a 25% tariff on American whiskey. A year later, Trump retaliated with 25% tariffs on Irish and Scotch whiskies, among other goods. Several of those tariffs were rolled back during the Biden administration, but after retaking the White House in 2025, Trump reinstituted many of them.
Steel and whiskey might seem like apples and oranges. Economies rely on steel; whiskey is a luxury item.
But whiskey packs a symbolic punch that sheets of metal never can. It’s hard for most consumers to visualize the impact of a few dollars more on the price of, say, softwood lumber. It’s much easier to see tariffs reflected in the price of a bottle of Crown Royal.
“If you tell your average Joe Schmo that timber tariffs are going up, it doesn’t affect him,” said Matt Baker, owner of the Angry Beaver, a Seattle sports bar that specializes in Canadian beer and spirits. His customers, though, are acutely aware of the trade skirmishes over alcohol, he said, pleading with him to stock up on bottles of Molson beer and Canadian Club whisky. (Yes, Canadian whisky is spelled differently than American whiskey.)
Whiskey is also governed by strict rules of national origin. Bourbon can be made only in the United States; Canadian whisky can be made only in Canada. So raising the price on those products, or banning them outright, means taking a shot at a country’s very sense of identity.
“We’re an industry of distinctive products,” said Chris R. Swonger, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a trade organization.
The fundamentally political nature of the whiskey trade is evident in the Canadian bans on American brands. Because the provinces control the sale of alcohol, whiskey and other drinks are one of the few ways that their elected officials, eager to stand up for their angry constituents, can take a shot at the United States. British Columbia explicitly singled out whiskeys made in Trump-voting states because, as Ravi Kahlon, the provincial housing minister, told reporters: “We want to make sure that we’re not punishing states that have nothing to do with this.”
Likewise, Trump grabbed attention when he announced he was ending tariffs on Scotch after a White House visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla in April — and again during his trip to Ireland this month, when he announced that he was cutting the remaining 10% tariff on Irish whiskey.
As measured in overall dollar value, such concessions are a rounding error, so they’re cheap to make, especially given the goodwill they generate.
“In terms of the whole economy, you can send a signal without doing that much damage to yourself,” said Cal Bricker, CEO of Spirits Canada, a trade organization.
This is not to say they have no impact. Tariffs have had an enormous effect on a liquor industry already reeling from oversupply and declining consumer demand, leading to distillery closings and even bankruptcies, especially in the United States.
The Canadian bans on American spirits have shrunk U.S. alcohol exports to Canada by about 70%, resulting in a loss of about $150 million in annual sales for American distilleries.
But the ban has hurt the Canadian liquor industry as well, said Davin de Kergommeaux, author of “Canadian Whisky: The Essential Portable Expert.” Among those affected are importers, distributors and sales teams, he said. An expected boom in domestic sales for Canadian spirits never materialized.
“In a way I think this backfired on us,” he said. “I don’t think any of these politicians have thought this through.”
A similar problem confronts Trump’s decision to ban Canadian whisky imports. Not only do Canadian whisky sales generate tens of millions of dollars in U.S. tax revenue and support jobs across the industry, but in several cases, the brands are actually owned by American companies.
Canadian whisky is surprisingly multinational. The top 10 brands by volume are all owned by foreign companies, including two by Americans: Black Velvet, owned by Heaven Hill; and Canadian Mist, made by Sazerac.
These companies all distill and age their whiskeys in Canada, and for the most part bottle them there as well. In the short term, the whiskeys will be banned from entering the United States. But selling Canadian whisky that is already in the United States, awaiting distribution, is still legal — another bit of fine print that gives companies some breathing room.
Experts and distillery officials still have questions about the details of the exemption, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not respond to an email seeking clarification. Several companies that own Canadian whisky brands, including Diageo and Heaven Hill, did not respond to an email request for comment.
Still, it seems likely that large distilling companies, which already have bottling facilities in the United States, can easily move bottling there and avoid the ban. Last year, Diageo moved bottling for Crown Royal from Ontario to Illinois within a few months.
In fact, by switching locations, large companies may be able to both avoid the ban and the 50% tariff, coming out ahead of where they stood before the president’s latest announcement. What looks like a draconian move may not result in very much Canadian whisky disappearing from American store shelves at all.
“When they describe these things, they describe them in very broad terms, and they have a political objective or agenda in saying, ‘We’re going to block Canadian products from the U.S. market,’” said John Boscariol, a trade expert and partner at McCarthy Tétrault, a Canadian law firm. “But when it comes down to it, as always, the devil is in the details.”
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Manhattan’s Only Whiskey Distillery, Great Jones, Has Closed - Robb Report
位於紐約曼哈頓的 Great Jones 蒸餾廠宣布關閉其營運五年的訪客中心。該廠由 Proximo Spirits（Bushmills、Jose Cuervo 的母公司）擁有，實際蒸餾工作由上州 Black Dirt 蒸餾廠執行。Great Jones 曾推出直式波本、小麥波本、Empire Rye 等產品，也與 Jean-Michel Basquiat 莊園合作推出限定款。關閉主要因應威士忌市場過剩及整體烈酒產業低迷，將裁員 26 人。Great Jones 威士忌仍可透過線上及特定零售商購得。
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Last week, Great Jones, Manhattan’s only legal whiskey distillery, announced in an Instagram post that it was closing its downtown visitor center five years after it opened. This news arrived amidst a fairly weak market for whiskey overall, as drinks companies have reported lower sales, drops in profit, and weak market forecasts, with some even deciding to pause production at their distilleries both here and abroad.
Great Jones is owned by drinks giant Proximo Spirits, the company that also controls major brands like Bushmills and Jose Cuervo. It opened in 2021 on Broadway in the NoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, just north of Houston Street, and had been making whiskey on a very small scale over the past five years under the direction of head distiller Celina Perez. The whiskey that is actually in the bottles, which are still available according to the Instagram post, is actually distilled and aged in upstate New York at Black Dirt, a craft distillery that Proximo acquired in 2018. The building that the distillery occupied also featured a bar, restaurant, and tasting room, and hosted various whiskey experiences and parties over the years.
Great Jones developed a portfolio that consisted of straight bourbon, wheated bourbon, and Empire Rye, a designation that means the whiskey is produced entirely in New York from a mashbill which includes a minimum of 75 percent rye grain grown in the state. In addition to these, the lineup also included a bourbon finished in Wölffer Estate’s Cabernet Franc wine barrels, a peated scotch cask-matured bourbon, and a couple of whiskeys released in partnership with the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The announcement might not come as a surprise to those following the whiskey industry. Great Jones had not yet made much of an impact upon the greater American whiskey world outside of New York, and even there it had a relatively small footprint. And, as mentioned before, companies are currently scaling back due to what some are describing as a whiskey glut during a rough patch for the spirits industry overall. According to a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice filed with the state posted on October 2, Great Jones was permanently laying off 26 employees as of December 7, with the reason listed as “economic.”
We reached out to the distillery’s parent company, Proximo, and head distiller Celina Perez for comment about the closure, and got the following statement back from the company: “Great Jones Distilling Co. has decided to close the Great Jones Distilling Co. Visitor Center until further notice. The decision followed a thorough review of the current beverage industry trends, market conditions, and overall company business strategy. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of the Great Jones community. Great Jones Whiskey and Black Dirt Distillery products will be available for purchase online and in select retailers.”
The Islay-based Bowmore Distillery has announced the return of The Devil’s Casks series, more than a decade after the original limited editions were released.
The new releases, which will be available exclusively from The Whisky Shop, comprise two single malt Scotch whiskies: Bowmore The Devil’s Casks 10 Year Old (56.6% ABV), a 2026 interpretation paying homage to the original three small-batch releases, and Bowmore The Devil’s Casks 22 Year Old (59.6% ABV), crafted using two remaining casks from the original releases and matured for a further decade.
Bowmore The Devil’s Casks 10 Year Old was matured in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks and finished in first-fill Pedro Ximénez casks, creating what is described as an intensely rich and decadent character. It delivers layers of dark fruit and fruitcake, wrapped in cocoa and maple syrup, with a signature thread of smoke running throughout.
Bowmore The Devil’s Casks 22 Year Old was matured for 22 years in first-fill Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, before a final finish in refill Oloroso. This cask-strength expression is said to deliver remarkable depth and richness, with flavours of charred fruit and treacle giving way to savoury notes of salty oak and liquorice.
First released between 2013 and 2015, The Devil’s Casks trilogy became known for revealing a darker, richer side of Bowmore through the influence of Sherry casks, bringing together intense layers of flavour, including dark fruit, treacle, chocolate, spice and the distillery’s signature smoke.
The Devil’s Casks name draws on one of Bowmore’s best-known local legends. The devil is said to have entered The Round Church in Bowmore village on Islay, only to discover there were no corners in which to hide. Chased by locals into Bowmore Distillery, the devil escaped inside a whisky cask bound for the mainland.
Commenting on the launch, Dr Calum Fraser, Master Blender, Scotch and Irish at Suntory Global Spirits, said: “The Devil’s Casks became one of Bowmore’s most memorable modern limited editions, combining Bowmore folklore with an intensely rich, flavour-led expression of the distillery’s character. The robust, sweet, dark-fruit influence of Sherry casks melded beautifully with Bowmore’s coastal peat smoke and maritime salinity. Revisiting the series more than a decade later gave us the opportunity to explore what made those original whiskies so distinctive, while offering Bowmore devotees the chance to once again experience these gone, yet far from forgotten, gems.”
Kirsteen Beeston, Global Brand Marketing Director, Scotch and Irish at Suntory Global Spirits, added: “The Whisky Shop is the perfect partner to release The Devil’s Casks, with whisky connoisseurs who will likely remember the original trilogy and a new generation of customers now able to experience it. Certain past releases have earned such a devoted following that their appeal endures long after they sell out. Revisiting the archives gives new whisky drinkers and collectors the opportunity to discover these exceptional expressions. With its unmistakable character, mythology and enduring reputation, The Devil’s Casks felt like the natural place to begin.”
Bowmore The Devil’s Casks 10 Year Old and 22 Year Old, will initially be available from October 16th exclusively through The Whisky Shop, for the respective RRPs of £70.00 and £380.00. They will then also be available from the Bowmore distillery from December 1st.
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Scotch producer GlenWyvis Distillery has appointed administrators following what the business described as “a prolonged period of financial pressure”.
In a notice posted on the company’s website on Monday (5 October) GlenWyvis announced it had appointed Geoffrey Isaac Jacobs and Alistair McAlinden of Interpath Limited as joint administrators. The distillery’s total debt upon entering administration has been reported as GBP6m (US$7.9m) by local news outlet Herald Scotland, which also said that all members of staff had been made redundant.
Founded in 2015, GlenWyvis is ‘community owned’ and has more than 3,800 members.
The distillery first filed a notice of its intention to appoint administrators on 23 September. At the time, it said: “The decision follows a prolonged period of substantive commercial, operational and legal issues on the business, driven by challenging conditions across the whisky market, rising operating costs and sustained external pressures.
“In recent months the directors appointed Interpath Advisory to lead an external fundraising process, approaching potential investors and funders to secure the additional capital the business required. While that process generated interest, it did not secure the funding needed for the society to continue trading as a going concern.”
Elsewhere in Scotland, workers at Diageo’s Cameronbridge Distillery in Fife are currently on strike. Last month, Diageo said it it was “disappointed” by the then-proposed action and the subsequent potential for damage to its scotch production.
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Indian distillers are stepping up investments in distillation, maturation and aged inventory as lower import duties on Scotch under the India-UK FTA are set to intensify competition across the country's whisky market.
The duty on UK-origin whisky will move from 150% to 75% initially under the India-UK CETA and will subsequently be reduced in stages to 40% from the 10th year onwards.
The reduction is expected to make Scotch more accessible, particularly in the premium and super-premium segments, while putting Indian distillers under greater pressure to strengthen their products, manufacturing capabilities and premium propositions.
Scotch already has a sizable presence in India. According to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), India was the largest export market for Scotch by volume in 2025, with the equivalent of 220 million 70cl bottles exported to the country, up 15% year-on-year. Scotch accounts for around 3% of India's whisky market.
For Indian distillers, the pressure is likely to be highest in the premium and upper-premium segments that sit closest to imported Scotch on the price ladder. A narrower price difference gives consumers another option when they consider trading up.
The great Indian taste
Addressing the matter, Abhishek Modi, Managing Director, Modi Illva India (makers of the Rockford range) and Board Member, CIABC, said, “The Indian whisky market is large, diverse and increasingly segmented, with consumers making choices based on occasion, quality, provenance and value.”
Following suit, the market is not expected to move uniformly towards Scotch.
According to Modi, mass and mainstream whisky operate on a different consumer proposition, while Indian premium whiskies with strong differentiation can compete through quality, craftsmanship, provenance and Indian character.
The narrowing price gap, however, could put pressure on premium Indian whiskies that are closest to imported Scotch in terms of pricing. However, Modi warned that “competing through discounting is not a sustainable strategy.”
He said Indian brands would need to strengthen the product itself through consistency, manufacturing, maturation and stronger brand narratives.
For Sam Mahandru, Founder, IndoBevs, the house of BroCode, the consumer's willingness to experiment is creating room for both Indian and foreign brands.
“Today's premium consumer is better informed and far more willing to experiment, which creates room for both Indian and foreign brands to grow,” said Mahandru.
He added that Indian brands would have to compete on the liquid, provenance and experience as the price gap with Scotch narrows. Indian blends, he said, also have an opportunity to innovate and differentiate.
Gearing up for the grub
Naturally, Indian distillers have started gearing up. The changing competitive environment has induced Indian producers to build greater control over their whisky-making capabilities.
Modi Illva, for instance, is investing Rs 150-200 crore in a new malt distillery and has already invested around Rs 100-150 crore in its malt plant. The new facility will initially operate at 12 KL, with plans to double capacity to 24 KL.
The company is also awaiting approvals to expand its grain distillery from 32 KL to 85 KL. Its bottling infrastructure has already been upgraded to support approximately six million cases annually.
“We do not want to build premium whisky only through branding. We want greater control over what goes into the bottle,” Modi said.
The investment is also aimed at building the aged inventory required for a premium whisky business.
Premium whisky requires distillers to commit capital to distillation, maturation and inventory years before the corresponding revenue is generated. Modi said companies investing today will be better positioned to participate in the premium whisky market several years from now.
The Indian climate adds another consideration. Warmer conditions can accelerate maturation but also result in higher evaporation or angel's share. Distillers therefore have to account for these losses when planning aged inventory and capacity.
IndoBevs, on the other hand, is investing in malt distillers aggressively. With an investment of roughly Rs 200 crore on a 40-acre land in Muzzaffarnagar, and now, another one being emanated in Sherpur, both in Uttar Pradesh, points at the preparations Indian AlcoBev players are pouring into the market.
Mahandru said whisky's long production cycle requires companies to make investment decisions based on the market expected five or 10 years ahead.
“Whisky is a long-cycle business, so what we distill and lay down there today has to make sense for the market five or ten years out,” he noted. The company sees the FTA as a reason to strengthen its focus on Indian single malt rather than relying on the price difference with Scotch. Scotch, the ingredient
The FTA is also changing the economics for Indian whisky companies that use Scotch in their blends.
Radico Khaitan, manufacturers of brands like Magic Moments, among others, imports Scotch for blending into its premium whiskies and had estimated Scotch requirements of over Rs 250 crore for FY26.
“The reduction in Scotch duties under the UK FTA is a positive development for the Indian spirits industry and will give consumers greater choice within the premium whisky category,” said an official spokesperson of Radico.
The company expects the benefit from lower Scotch input costs to support its premium whisky portfolio.
The economics of the benefit, however, will vary across products depending on the sourcing model, the proportion of imported spirit used, state-level taxation, retail pricing and the architecture of individual blends.
Moving up the whisky ladder
The reduction in Scotch duties is expected to put pressure on Indian premium and upper-premium brands that currently benefit from a price gap with imported whisky. Especially the Indian single malts that are entering the new competitive environment with its own growth momentum.
CIABC data shows Indian-made single malt sales reached approximately 500,000 nine-litre cases in 2025, registering around 22% growth. Indian-owned companies accounted for an estimated 92% of Made-in-India single malt sales.
Modi said the category's growth shows that consumers are willing to pay for Indian whisky when they see genuine quality and character.
“The more important story behind these numbers is consumer confidence. People are increasingly willing to pay a premium for a whisky because of its quality and character, rather than simply because of its provenance,” he said.
This also gives Indian brands an opportunity to develop a distinct proposition around India's raw materials, climate and maturation conditions rather than simply positioning themselves against Scotch.
The competition
The next three to five years will test how Scotch, Indian blends and single malts compete as price gaps narrow. Scotch will gain greater access to premium consumers, while Indian distillers are building capacity, aged inventory and stronger product propositions.
Lower Scotch input costs could also support Indian blends.
With Indian single malts already growing, the market is heading towards a wider choice of premium whiskies, with quality, provenance, maturation and pricing determining where consumers spend.
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Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：English distillers challenge whisky GI - The Spirits Business
英格蘭威士忌新地理標示(GI)於9月11日獲英國政府批准，但Spirit of Birmingham和Circumstance Distillery兩家酒廠提出異議。新規定要求單一麥芽威士忌必須在蒸餾過程中使用銅製壺式蒸餾器，但這兩家酒廠採用不含銅元素的不銹鋼設備生產，無法使用「英格蘭單一麥芽威士忌」名稱。酒廠創辦人認為銅非必需，反而造成環境負擔，並質疑規定過於侷限創新空間。英格蘭威士忌工會表示規定經充分諮詢制定，已反映業界共識。
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English distillers challenge whisky GI
By Joe RogersTwo producers have appealed against the new English whisky GI, claiming they shouldn’t need copper stills to make single malt.
Spirit of Birmingham and Circumstance Distillery in Bristol have both appealed the UK government’s introduction of a geographical indication (GI) for English whisky.
The new regulations were officially approved by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on Friday 11 September of this year.
The English Whisky Guild (EWG) which drafted the GI and represents 50 distilleries across the country welcomed the announcement, but some parties continue to raise objections.
Neither Circumstance or Spirit of Birmingham oppose the GI in principle, but both take issue with wording in the product specification for single malt English whisky that requires copper be present during distillation.
The GI states that single malt “must be batch distilled in a pot still (note it can be in conjunction with a column) with sufficient copper contact in the vapour path (to support the removal of undesirable compounds and promote the formation of esters and other aromatic compounds).”
This is looser than the description of single malt in the Scotch whisky GI, which mandates the use of 100% copper pot stills.
Call for ‘inclusive’ GI
However, Spirit of Birmingham founder and distiller Anthony Dillon has expressed concern that the specification still creates too limited a definition of English single malt.
Under the new regulations, whisky produced at Spirit of Birmingham cannot legally be called single malt English whisky because it is made using a stainless-steel pot still with no copper components.
“Copper is widely used and acts as a catalyst in certain reactions that occur during distillation,” said Dillon. “A catalyst is something that aids reactions, not essential. We innovate on key processes to negate the requirement for copper in the still. This ‘upstream thinking’ leaves us with inert waste, absent of toxic copper compounds formed during distillation.
“We are simply seeking a GI that is inclusive and future facing, not one that ringfences the production choices of a select few, creating a divide in a diverse and innovative marketplace. At no point do we judge the methods of others, that is between the customer and the whisky in the glass.
“We carved our own path, which deserves recognition. It’s just silliness, we use English heritage barley, English oak, have two sellout releases and yet we can’t use the word ‘English’ for our single malt.”
A spokesperson for Defra said: “While Spirit of Birmingham won’t be able to call their product ‘English single malt’ anymore, they can call it ‘English whisky’ or ‘single malt whisky’, just not ‘single malt English whisky’.
“Regarding putting copper into their process: the product specification was put to opposition, updated in light of the objections raised, and was deemed to meet the requirements of the legislation.”
During consultation, the EWG’s draft specifications were altered to remove a proposed requirement for 100% copper pot stills when making English single malt.
The copper question
Circumstance Distillery was an early member of the EWG, but co-founder Liam Hirt left the organisation in 2022 after voicing objections to the initial GI draft, including its wording around the use of copper.
Hirt joined Spirit of Birmingham this week in submitting an appeal to HM Courts & Tribunals Service in the hope of changing the product specification for single malt English whisky.
He claims that the description of copper as essential for the ‘removal of undesirable compounds’ will lead to a narrowing of flavour in English whisky.
“The most worrying aspect is the classification of flavour compounds into desirable and undesirable,” said Hirt. “This, by extension, will determine the character of all single malt English whisky from 1 October onwards and is a more significant overreach by the EWG than the initial requirement for copper stills.”
Hirt further described the use of copper to remove such compounds from spirit during distillation as “environmentally harmful” and suggested that better alternatives are available.
He previously criticised the GI for being too closely informed by the regulations governing Scotch whisky, saying “distilleries that work within the GI will be virtually indistinguishable from Scotch”.
EWG response
Morag Garden, EWG CEO, said: “Developing the English whisky GI required the industry to come together and build consensus across a diverse and growing sector. The Guild consulted extensively with its members, who represent around 90% of English whisky production, throughout the process. While there are differing views on some aspects of the specification, the GI reflects recognised production practices and establishes a clear framework for English whisky.
“Above all, we are pleased to celebrate the approval of the English whisky GI, a landmark moment for our sector. It provides long-term recognition and protection for English whisky and reflects the achievements of producers who have helped build the category into one of the most exciting parts of the UK spirits industry.
“Importantly, its approval means that all four nations of the UK now have protected whisky geographical indications.”
Producers including Spirit of Yorkshire and Cotswolds Distillery have expressed vocal support for the GI, with Cotswolds CEO and EWG chair Dan Szor calling it a “defining moment” for the category.
Conversely, the Scotch Whisky Association has criticised the regulations for allowing English single malt producers to use distil wash that has been mashed and fermented outside their distilleries.
English whisky is exported to around 30 countries, and it is estimated that maturing stocks in casks are worth around £1 billion (US$1.35bn).
Related news
Papers lodged
SWA appeals over English whisky protection
The Scotch Whisky Association has lodged an appeal over the UK Government’s recent move to grant protected status to single malt whisky distilled in England.
It follows a backlash to the decision by the the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to give English whisky the same level of legal protection as Scotch Whisky via a “geographical indication”.
Following the appeal being lodged, the SWA, the Irish Whiskey Association and Welsh Whisky Association released a joint statement calling for a review of the decision.
“We hoped that a mutually beneficial resolution could be found to both protect the integrity of the Single Malt category and allow the English GI to proceed,” said the statement.
“Despite efforts to find an agreement, including offering compromises to the English Whisky Guild, our Associations remain concerned about inconsistencies in approving the English Whisky GI, both in terms of process and future practice.
“The whisk(e)y producers we represent have a proud, long-standing and unrivalled tradition of making world-class whisk(e)y. We want to see high-quality definitions, which underpin a high-quality Single Malt category enjoyed by millions around the world.”
The English Whisky Guild submitted its application for the recognition over six years ago and regards the long-awaited approval a “landmark achievement” for “the quality and innovation across our growing industry.”
There are currently about 70 distilleries with about £1 billion worth of maturing stocks, and English whisky is exported to more than 30 countries.
Scotland has more than 150 distilleries and Scotch whisky is Britain’s most valuable food and drink export with £5.3 billion worth sold last year. The SWA says 1.34 billion bottles are shipped to 163 markets.
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The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has lodged an appeal against the UK government’s decision to award protected ‘geographical indication’ (GI) status to English whisky.
The trade body’s concerns centre around the definition of English single malt whisky under the framework, which it claims is not as stringent as single-malt scotch’s. The UK Government’s department for environment, food & rural affairs (Defra) has until 5 November to respond to the appeal, which has been signed by the SWA as well as the Irish and Welsh whisky associations.
Granted on 11 September, the protected status provides legal protection of the terms ‘English Whisky’ and ‘English Whiskey’ under the UK Spirit Drinks Geographical Indications Scheme, which is managed by Defra. At the time, trade association English Whisky Guild, which submitted the application in 2022, said the move closed “a long-standing gap in UK GI policy”.
An SWA spokesperson told Global Drinks Intel: “We recognise the significance of English whisky securing GI protection, and have been consistently supportive of a GI for English Whisky.
“The scotch whisky industry remains concerned that the GI allows single malt English whisky to be mashed and fermented away from the distillery, breaking the crucial connection with single site and place.
“We have decided to appeal the decision to protect the scotch whisky industry’s huge investment in the high quality and reputation of the single malt whisky category.”
A consultation on GI status last February drew the ire of distillers in Scotland, some of whom argued that the definition of English single malt was “entirely inconsistent” with the existing rules for single malt scotch.
Whisky Advocate / Whisky Magazine（經 Google News）｜原題："It’s the heart of us": Mitchell & Son on Green Spot's colourful century - Whisky Magazine
Green Spot 於 2025 年 10 月慶祝百年誕辰，成為僅有的持續生產超過百年的愛爾蘭單一壺式蒸餾威士忌。由 Mitchell 家族經營六代的 Green Spot，靠著對傳統的堅守——始終使用 100% 壺式蒸餾威士忌——在愛爾蘭威士忌產業衰退期存活下來。該品牌曾是葉慈、喬伊斯等文人墨客的最愛，專注在都柏林上流社交圈的小而忠誠的客戶基礎，加上卓越的人才招聘與品牌故事，使其在 1977 年鄂街蒸餾廠關閉、產業縮水的困境中屹立不搖，成為威士忌世界的「活化石」。
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Turning 100 is the benchmark for a rare and solemn fraternity of whiskies the world over. The stalwart brands we all know are mostly well over 100 years old. The Macallan was founded in 1824, Bushmills in 1784, Glenfiddich in 1887, Glenfarclas 1836, and even Bowmore was founded in 1779. In the US, the Buffalo Trace Distillery has been distilling continuously in some ways since 1775 by pioneers, while the first official distillery structure was built in 1812. Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery, Suntory, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.
In October 2025, Green Spot joined this elite club. Yes, there are many Irish whiskey brands also in the 1700s club. Most famous is Jameson Irish whiskey, which was founded in 1780, but pivoted from being a pot still whiskey to a blend in 1968. Many Irish whiskeys became blends around the same time Irish Distillers phoenixed itself from the ashes of the golden age of Irish whiskey.
But Green Spot was stewarded by the Mitchell family and it refused, steadfastly, to be made from anything but single pot still. In fact, Green Spot is the only Irish single pot still still available today to reach this milestone age while in continuous production. Yes, Green Spot’s age statement changed from 10-years-old to non-age, but it was always 100 per cent pot still, and it has the records to prove it.
So, how did a family-owned and operated wine-merchant-cum-whiskey-bonder make it through the dark ages of Irish whiskey without losing their brand, the clothes on their backs, or their minds?
Single pot still Irish whiskey reigned as Ireland’s signature spirit, outselling even Scotch worldwide. In this golden age, whiskey was ‘the fashionable tipple of Victorian pubs and drawing rooms’ in Dublin.
Mitchell & Son’s Green Spot, in particular, earned an almost legendary reputation among the literati of the time. “Through some of the old ledgers… there’s a lot of known names,” says Jonathan Mitchell, current managing director and the sixth generation of the Mitchell family to helm the company. “There’s WB Yeats. James Joyce, as well. And Sam Beckett.” That’s the Samuel Beckett: the towering 20th-century Irish avant-garde writer whose groundbreaking absurdist works revolutionised modern literature.
“In those days, Green Spot was in small supply,” Mitchell explains, placing the brand within the intimate circuitry of mid-century Dublin. But Mitchell’s did supply Dublin’s network of clubs with Green Spot. “The men’s clubs in St Stephen’s Green, University Club, Clare Street Club, and numerous golf clubs… and Army barracks.” Jonathan pauses, counting on his fingers, then adds: “Collins Barracks, anyway.” So Green Spot was nicely tucked into durable social rooms, when the downturn came. “The relative clubs,” Jonathan says, “were inhabited by professional gentlemen — barristers, doctors, lawyers — who liked our whiskeys, and kept us afloat.”
While bigger brands that courted international distribution and notoriety were drowning in the reality of the trade war with Britain post Irish Independence, Green Spot ticked over by focusing on a small, enduring market. Even as late as the mid-20th century, Green Spot was de rigueur among upper-middle-class Irish whiskey connoisseurs in Dublin. It endured so long after other brands fell to the tides of the century that whiskey writer Ian Buxton later dubbed it “the coelacanth of whiskey”. That taste for Green Spot was handed down, leaving the Mitchell family as custodians of both an intergenerational business and customer relationships.
Robert Mitchell, the seventh-generation Mitchell and heir apparent, explains that what kept Green Spot in business was its strong human connection. “A lot of our customer base is built on the loyalty of local people and generations of their families,” he says. Customers often tell him that their fathers “always used to get Green Spot in Mitchell’s,” so when they came of age, they inherited a fondness for it, and as such came to Mitchell’s to get their own.
Being in the wine business gave Mitchell & Son a leg up when it came to preserving Green Spot these many years. It made them “a complete package,” according to Peter Dunne, a long time employee and director of Mitchell & Son. There were lean years when Green Spot made little commercial sense. The same as some vintage Champagnes, but the pendulum ever swings and those who know wine know that fashion always returns. Patience, learned between the vineyard and the cellar, ensured Green Spot would still be there when the tide turned.
Why did Green endure when Blue, Yellow, and Red Spots receded? Robert, for his part, thinks it was the flavour. “The smoothness of it. The sherry casks and the bourbon — the distinct green apple taste of Green Spot.” Dunne is inclined to agree. “It just tastes great and that’s what people come back for, the taste; it’s still my favourite after all these years,” he says.
Jonathan, however, thinks it came down to the practicalities of ageing stock and available casks. “We were still bottling 15-year-old Red Spot, Yellow Spot 12-year-old, and Blue but less so, when we could get it,” he recalls. “But 10-year-old was easier,” and so it out lasted all the rest. “These days there’s a Spot for everyone,” says Dunne, smiling. “But the green one, it’s the heart of us.”
Green Spot was helped too by the bar industry. Tourists would arrive carrying handwritten notes from bartenders and servers across the city telling them they had to go to Mitchell & Son “and buy the Green Spot because it was the only place you could get [it],” recalls Dunne.
“Mitchell’s went on as before, while everything was shuttering around us,” Jonathan says, but eventually the maths sharpened. “You could programme ahead and say, we’re going to run out of whiskey in three years’ time, five years’ time etc, and so we would place our orders.”
Preserving a tradition is itself a creative act. By concentrating on a market whose demands Mitchell & Son knew to be relatively consistent, and by not trying to over-expand, it were able to ensure Green Spot survived the plague that took out most of Ireland’s industry at the time. This is also how it survived the recession of 2008.
Another better-kept secret to their longevity and success is that the Mitchell family hire extremely well. Dunne himself joined Mitchell & Son “virtually from school” in 1970, and like Jonathan he learned the trade from the ground up. He went on to be such a formidable asset to the company that people of all generations still ask for him by name nearly 50 years later.
Brand myth accretes around characters, and Green Spot has its own folk hero in ‘Mr Green Spot’. “We had a rep who traveled the country, a gentleman by the name of Johnny,” relays Jonathan. “Provincial towns were his hunting ground and Green Spot was what he was selling.” Over 30 years or so he became synonymous with the brand. Dunne adds that he was a larger-than-life character you couldn’t help but remember. “He was rumpled with a big nose and red cheeks. He has been a barrister by profession and used to say he was ‘called to the bar, and he never left’.” In becoming inseparable from the whiskey itself, Mr Green Spot gave the brand a uniquely Irish character, and that familiarity helped it tick over through the 80s and 90s.
While the family was focused on the day-to-day survival of the whiskey, a cataclysmic event threatened it: the closure of Bow Street Distillery in 1977. It fell to a young Jonathan Mitchell, sixth-generation company scion, to save Green Spot from the fate of so many other Irish whiskeys. “One of the main things they [the newly formed Irish Distillers] decided first was to stop bondings,” Jonathan says. It wasn’t a bloodless transition, but the die was cast.
The Mitchells let the dust settle a little, invoking the Irish business axiom of “don’t do today what you can put off till tomorrow,” until the family’s remaining whiskey stocks began running low. Bolstered by sheer belief
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Buffalo Trace Night at the Distillery Returns for Halloween - The Whiskey Wash
美國肯塔基州Buffalo Trace蒸餾廠將在10月舉辦第二屆「Night at the Distillery」萬聖節限定活動，擴大規模推出新故事與新地點。遊客在夜間探索被點亮的酒桶倉庫，聆聽講述員分享超過200年的蒸餾廠歷史、民間傳說與神祕故事。21歲以上訪客可品嚐Eagle Rare 12 Year等威士忌及季節性調酒。活動於10月8-10日、15-17日、22-24日、29-31日（週四至週六）舉辦，門票25美元（約新台幣800元）。
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Buffalo Trace Distillery will host the second annual Night at the Distillery, an after-dark Halloween experience running across the historic Frankfort, Kentucky grounds this October. The event has been expanded for the 2026 spooky season with additional dates, new stories, and new locations.
The immersive experience brings more than two centuries of history, folklore and mystery to life after dark. Guests wander through illuminated warehouses, trees, pumpkins and barrels as seasonal soundscapes set the scene.
Storytellers share tales inspired by documented distillery history, local folklore and stories passed down through generations.
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These include the unexplained voices said to echo through Warehouse C, the story behind the Buffalo Trace name, and hidden love letters discovered beneath the floorboards of the Blanton family home.
“Seeing how guests embraced Night at the Distillery last year was incredibly special, and we knew right away we wanted to make the experience even bigger and better for its second year,” said Tyler Adams, general manager, Buffalo Trace Distillery. “Buffalo Trace Distillery has more than 200 years of incredible stories, traditions and memories within these grounds, and there’s something truly special about watching them come to life after dark.”
He continued: “This year, we’re giving guests even more to discover with new stories, new locations and more opportunities to enjoy our award-winning whiskeys along the way. We’re excited to open our doors after dark once again and share a side of Buffalo Trace that guests don’t get to experience every day.”
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READ THE STORYGuests aged 21 and over will receive a neat pour of Eagle Rare 12 Year Bourbon, alongside seasonal cocktail tastings.
The cocktail menu features Buffalo Trace Bourbon, E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon, Blanton’s Single Barrel and Wheatley Vodka. Attendees can choose a tasting of three specialty cocktails, including Pearanormal Activity, the Albert Bacon Bloody Mary, Maple After Midnight, The Old Frightened and The Witching Sour.
The experience also includes a seasonal treat from the John G. Carlisle Cafe and a commemorative tote bag.
Night at the Distillery runs Thursdays through Saturdays on October 8-10, 15-17, 22-24 and 29-31.
Reservations are on sale now for $25 (£18) per person. Tickets are available via the Buffalo Trace Distillery website.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：The Last Drop Distillers Unveils 22 Year Old Foursquare Barbados Rum - The Whiskey Wash
The Last Drop Distillers推出第43號作品：The Last Drop 22 Year Old Barbados Rum，這是該廠首款蘭姆酒署名創作，也是Foursquare蒸餾廠迄今最高齡蘭姆酒。酒款由Foursquare創辦人暨蒸餾師Richard Seale親自創作，2026年4月於巴貝多St. Philip廠房手工裝瓶。以2004年蘭姆為基酒，經ex-bourbon桶熟化後再入老Port桶3年。限量566瓶，酒精度106 proof（53% ABV），建議零售價$1,700（約新台幣$54,400），2026年10月起透過Sazerac全球網絡販售。
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The Last Drop Distillers has released Release No. 43: The Last Drop 22 Year Old Barbados Rum, its first rum Signature Creation and the oldest rum ever released by Foursquare Distillery. The expression was created by Foursquare owner and distiller Richard Seale, a founding member of The Last Drop Assembly, and was bottled by hand at Foursquare in St. Philip, Barbados, in April 2026.
The release unites one of rum’s most revered producers with The Last Drop’s focus on exceptional aged spirits.
Since its inception, The Last Drop has selected its spirits by a balance of age, character and vitality. Each release must stand on the quality of the liquid itself.
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Release No. 43 marks a new chapter for The Last Drop Assembly, the collective of leading spirits makers established to champion collaboration and innovation across the global spirits landscape. A fourth-generation rum producer, Seale has helped establish Foursquare as a global benchmark for authentic Barbados rum.
Seale said he had the 2004 blend in mind for The Last Drop from his earliest involvement with the Assembly. “It was a rum we believed would reward time, moving through a second ex-bourbon cask before a final three years in very old Port pipes. By 2025, it had become something exceptional,” he said.
The rum reflects Foursquare’s approach to maturation. “The Assembly is about bringing individual makers’ perspectives into The Last Drop, and for me that meant sharing a rum that reflects how we think about maturation at Foursquare: deliberately, patiently and with the cask always serving the spirit,” Seale added.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYFoursquare sits on a historic estate in St. Philip, Barbados, with centuries of sugar, molasses and rum-making history. Under Seale’s stewardship, traditional methods have been paired with modern precision, including adapting the classic double-retort pot still to operate under vacuum.
Kizito Owusu-Sarfo, brand director of world aged spirits, praised the collaboration. “Richard represents exactly what we hoped The Assembly would make possible: giving great spirits makers the freedom to create something singular, regardless of category,” he said.
He added: “For collectors, it is exactly what The Last Drop should represent: extraordinary liquid, true provenance and a story that could only come from the maker behind it.”
According to the official notes from the brand, the deep mahogany rum opens with marzipan, grapefruit zest, ripe plum and guava, with the palate moving through dried mint, pineapple, treacle and baking spice before a finish of dry tobacco leaf and clove.
Bottled at 106 proof (53.0% ABV), Release No. 43 is limited to 566 bottles worldwide. Each 700ml bottle is individually numbered, signed by Seale and presented in a handcrafted wooden case with a certificate of bottling, a 50ml miniature and a tasting book.
The rum will be distributed through Sazerac’s US and global networks from October 2026 at a suggested retail price of $1,700 (£1,270 / ₹150,500), with local taxes and fees applying. A limited supply will also be available through Legacy de Forge, a global platform powered by Blockbar.
American Whiskey Association chief visits Poland and Germany to oppose proposed alcohol tax increases
The trade group says a 15% excise hike in Poland and a 20% increase in Germany could curb exports.
Thursday, October 8, 2026
The head of the American Whiskey Association is traveling to Poland and Germany this week as the U.S. trade group presses for export growth and pushes back against planned tax increases and other policy changes that it says could make two important European markets harder to navigate for American spirits producers.
Michael Bilello, the association’s president and chief executive, left for Warsaw and Berlin for a week of meetings with importers, distributors, diplomats, hospitality businesses and trade media, according to the Washington-based group. The trip will include events in Warsaw with a broader U.S. spirits delegation and a stop in Berlin for Bar Convent Berlin, a major international bar and beverage trade show that runs from Oct. 12 through Oct. 14.
The visit comes as both countries consider alcohol policy changes that could raise costs for spirits and other beverage categories beginning in 2027. In Poland, the government has proposed increasing the excise rate on ethyl alcohol from PLN 8,811 to PLN 10,109 per hectoliter of pure alcohol, an increase of about 15%, the association said. In Germany, the government’s 2027 Budget Accompanying Act would raise taxes on spirits, sparkling wine, intermediate products and certain low-alcohol ready-to-drink mixed beverages by 20% starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Those proposals matter beyond American whiskey. If enacted, they could lift shelf prices, tighten margins for importers and distributors, and add pressure on bars, restaurants and retailers in two significant European markets for international beverage companies. That could also affect competition among wine, beer, spirits and ready-to-drink products as businesses adjust pricing and product mix.
Bilello said the trip is aimed at strengthening commercial ties while making the case for what the group calls “fair and predictable” market access. “If our mission is to make American whiskey the world’s whiskey, we have to show up in markets where demand is growing and where the rules that shape future access are being written,” he said in a statement released by the association.
Poland has become a focus because of its recent growth for American whiskey. According to the association, U.S. whiskey is now the second-largest whiskey category in Poland by volume, behind Scotch, and the third-largest spirits category overall, behind vodka and Scotch. The group said volume rose at a 5.7% compound annual rate from 2020 through 2025, reaching about 1.36 million nine-liter cases last year.
In Warsaw, Bilello is scheduled to take part in a trade tasting that will connect American producers with Polish and Eastern European importers, distributors, retailers, bartenders, hospitality professionals and trade media. He is also expected to attend a reception at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Poland with diplomats and executives from Poland’s premium spirits market. The program includes a market briefing involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service office in Warsaw, as well as retail visits in the city.
The association said Poland’s tax proposal is not the only issue it is following there. Separate measures under consideration could widen restrictions on alcohol promotion and routine commercial practices, and could also require pictograph warnings on alcohol products. The group argued that public health goals should be pursued without creating what it described as unnecessary barriers for imported brands entering the Polish market.
“American whiskey is not asking for special treatment,” Bilello said. “We want American producers to have a fair opportunity to enter the market, work with local partners and compete for Polish consumers.”
Germany is a more established market for American whiskey and carries even more weight by volume. The association said U.S. whiskey sales in Germany totaled about 2.26 million nine-liter cases in 2025, representing nearly 40% of the country’s whisky market and ranking second only to Scotch. It also said that, despite recent pressure across Germany’s broader beverage alcohol market, forecasts still point to renewed growth for American whiskey through 2030 if market conditions remain competitive.
The Berlin leg of the trip will place the association at one of the industry’s highest-profile annual events. Bar Convent Berlin, now marking its 20th anniversary, draws bartenders, bar owners, manufacturers and distributors from nearly 90 countries. The association said Bilello will take part in trade meetings at a presence sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and will join an international media breakfast on Oct. 13 focused on U.S. spirits and the European market.
His stop in Germany also comes as domestic spirits groups there are lobbying against the proposed tax increases. The American Whiskey Association said it supports those efforts and wants German policymakers to weigh the economic and competitive effects of the plan before moving ahead.
“A 20% increase in the spirits tax would raise costs across the category at precisely the moment producers, importers and hospitality businesses are working to strengthen the market,” Bilello said. He added that Germany remains an important market for American whiskey and said the industry wants “a predictable environment in which businesses can invest” and consumers “have choice.”
The American Whiskey Association, which represents producers and supply-chain businesses tied to U.S. whiskey, framed the trip as part of a broader international campaign to expand exports and reduce barriers in overseas markets. The organization says its members include major producers as well as businesses linked to grain farming, oak forestry, cooperages, distilling, tourism and hospitality.
The trip reflects how closely spirits trade groups are now following tax and regulatory debates in Europe, where changes in excise policy can alter the competitive balance among imported and domestic brands. For American whiskey producers, Poland offers growth potential while Germany remains one of the category’s core European markets. For the wider beverage sector, the outcome of those debates could shape pricing, market access and investment decisions across multiple alcohol categories in the years ahead.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Lofted Spirits Promotes Nick Smith to Master Distiller - The Whiskey Wash
Lofted Spirits 宣布 Nick Smith 升任首席蒸餾師，監督 Bardstown Bourbon Company、Green River Whiskey 及 Lofted Custom Spirits 的生產。Smith 接替波本威士忌名人堂成員 Steve Nally，Nally 轉任首席蒸餾師榮譽職。Smith 自 2016 年加入 Bardstown，協助公司從零建立，現已成為美威最大供應商之一。他開發了 Bardstown 招牌的 High Wheat 波本，並推動創新蒸餾。此外，Bardstown 已填滿自 2016 年 9 月開始蒸餾以來的百萬桶威士忌，再次確認其產能在肯塔基州領先。
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Lofted Spirits has announced that Nick Smith has stepped into the role of master distiller, overseeing production at Bardstown Bourbon Company, Green River Whiskey and Lofted Custom Spirits. Smith succeeds Bourbon Hall of Famer Steve Nally, who steps into the role of master distiller emeritus at the Louisville, Kentucky-based company.
Smith joined Bardstown Bourbon Company in 2016 and has helped build the operation from the ground up. The company today ranks as one of the largest suppliers of American whiskey.
A Bardstown native and University of Kentucky graduate, Smith began his distilling career at Jim Beam, working through multiple production roles before joining Bardstown Bourbon Company.
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During his tenure, he developed Bardstown’s signature High Wheat bourbon, pioneered small-batch experiments and drove distilling innovation for Lofted Custom Spirits clients. That work included expanding beyond American whiskey to distill a range of spirits, including rum.
Smith takes the reins from Nally, with whom he has worked closely for the past decade.
“Nick’s background, including his tutelage under Steve, makes him perfectly suited for his new role as master distiller. Nick played a crucial role in taking Lofted Spirits to the largest distiller of contract spirits in Kentucky,” said Mark Erwin, CEO of Lofted Spirits.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORY“He brings equal parts operational precision and creative experimentation to this role, and we’re excited to see where Nick takes us as we continue to think differently about what’s possible in this space,” Erwin added.
In his new role, Nally will continue to serve as an ambassador of Lofted Spirits and Kentucky bourbon across the US alongside his wife Donna, who is also a Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame member.
“Nick and I have worked closely together for the past decade, and I have no doubt he can take on this role and expand upon the work we did together while continuing our hallmarks of transparency, trust, and partnership,” said Nally, master distiller emeritus.
Nally has spent more than 50 years in the distilled spirits industry. He previously held a long tenure at Maker’s Mark, where he rose to master distiller before leaving to help launch Wyoming Whiskey.
When Nally returned to Kentucky, he joined Bardstown Bourbon Company as employee number one.
The leadership change coincides with another milestone. The distillery has now filled its one millionth barrel since beginning distillation in September 2016.
Bruichladdich has launched the 2026 edition of The Laddie Rye, an Islay-grown rye whisky available exclusively in the United States. The release follows the expression’s US debut in 2025 and coincides with the distillery’s 25th anniversary.
The whisky is distilled using locally grown rye and Islay malting barley, harvested within an 11-mile radius of the Hebridean distillery. Aged for six years, the rye was harvested, distilled, matured and bottled on Islay.
As a rotational crop, rye helps diversify the soil and reduce the need for agrochemicals, supporting regenerative agriculture and long-term soil health. Bruichladdich has worked with local farming partner Andrew Jones of Coull Farm since 2017 and is currently the only distillery on Islay producing a rye whisky.
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Distilled from a single-farm 2019 harvest and bottled at 50% ABV, the whisky was matured in a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels and second-fill American virgin oak casks. A selection of Bourbon barrels was returned to the cooperage to be de-charred and re-charred.
“We really leaned into experimentation and interesting wood types when it came to this release,” said Bruichladdich master blender Adam Hannett. “The de-char/re-char of the ex-Bourbon barrels adds depth and complexity, bringing immense wood spice and a robust leathery oak character that beautifully complements the earthiness of the Islay-grown rye.”
Hannett added: “Armed with knowledge from the inaugural rye expression, our mashmen were able to extract even more from the grain this time around. It’s a whisky about place, authenticity and a true celebration of our raw ingredients.”
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYAccording to the official notes from the brand, the nose offers crushed cloves, aniseed and licorice balanced with vanilla, caramel and toasted coconut. The palate delivers peppery spice, clove, nutmeg, soft caramel, orchard fruits and smoldering oak, with a finish of earthy rye, warm oak spice, honeyed fruit and bright citrus.
Today, the distillery works with 19 farming partners across Islay to cultivate more than 50% of the malting barley used in its total production.
Bruichladdich was the first Scotch whisky company to achieve B Corp certification in 2020. After periods of closure in the 20th century, the distillery was revived in 2001 with a renewed emphasis on transparency, terroir and innovation.
The Laddie Rye is priced at $59.99 and is available at us.bruichladdich.com and selected specialist retailers.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：Isle of Skye Releases Magma Stone Toasted Blended Scotch - The Whiskey Wash
艾雷島威士忌(Isle of Skye)推出限量版調和蘇格蘭威士忌Magma Stone Toasted，採用火山岩石烘烤桶技術完成。酒款酒精度46% ABV，建議零售價$47美元，限時在美國Total Wine & More門市販售。該技術以艾雷島的火山地質歷史為靈感，利用加熱的火山石在桶內均勻散熱，溫和緩慢地激活橡木，創造出更絲滑、豐富的風味層次，融合水果、煙燻和深色果香，伴隨巧克力橘香、檀香及泥煤香。這是Isle of Skye系列中酒精度最高的表現。
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Isle of Skye Whisky has launched Magma Stone Toasted, a limited-edition blended Scotch finished using a volcanic magma stone toasting technique. The expression is bottled at 46% ABV, carries a suggested retail price of $47, and will be available for a limited time at Total Wine & More stores across the US.
The release draws on the volcanic origins of the Isle of Skye, where ancient volcanic activity shaped the island’s mountains and rock formations over millions of years. Magma stone is a volcanic rock formed as molten rock cools and solidifies, offering a direct link to Skye’s dramatic landscape.
That geological heritage informs the whisky’s cask finishing. Rather than relying on conventional direct-fire toasting, heated volcanic stone radiates heat evenly inside the cask, activating the oak more slowly and gently.
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The controlled process seasons the casks to create a smoother, richer whisky with a velvety texture and layers of flavor.
According to the brand, the technique builds on Isle of Skye’s signature balance of fruit and smoke.
“Magma Stone Toasted gave us an opportunity to do something we have never done before with Isle of Skye, while still staying true to the character of the whisky,” said John Glass, master blender for Isle of Skye. “Using heated volcanic stone to toast the casks allows the oak to develop more gently, creating exceptional silkiness, depth and layers of flavor while drawing a direct line back to the landscape of Skye.”
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYAt 46% ABV, the expression is the highest-ABV release in the Isle of Skye range, adding flavor intensity while preserving the smoothness central to the whisky.
The official notes from the brand describe dark fruit sweetness and toasted oak, giving way to chocolate orange, sandalwood and rich peat, before a long finish of vanilla, peat and oak.
The launch continues a period of exploration for Isle of Skye, following expressions such as Double Smoke, Cigar Reserve and Rum Cask Finish.
The brand positions Magma Stone Toasted as both a distinctive drinking experience and a collectible release, citing its limited availability and connection to Skye’s volcanic history.
Isle of Skye Whisky is owned by Edinburgh-based Ian Macleod Distillers, whose portfolio also includes Glengoyne, Tamdhu and Rosebank single malts.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：The 10 Best Rye Whiskeys to Buy Right Now - Robb Report
美國威士忌媒體 Robb Report 推薦十款裸麥威士忌佳作。綜合評選包括：Old Overholt Cask Strength（整體最佳）、Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye（桶證版本）、WhistlePig Boss Hog（桶陳風味最佳）、Knob Creek Rye（調酒首選）、Hard Truth Dark Roast Rye（工藝精品）、Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Rye（單桶典範）、Sazerac 18（奢侈之選）、Frey Ranch Straight Rye（百分百裸麥）、New Riff Rye（瓶中聯盟標準）、Wild Turkey Rye（50美元內精選）。報導詳細介紹各酒款的風味特色與製程特色。
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If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission.
If you’re looking for the best rye whiskey to sip or use in cocktails, there are some factors to consider. Even though the category is rigidly defined, there are differences in style, cask finishes, alcohol content, and even mashbill to take into account when searching for this quintessentially American whiskey. The good news is that there are many excellent choices of rye brands to choose from, so we’ve put together this list to help steer you towards some of the best rye whiskeys to buy in different categories. Happy hunting, and cheers.
Our Best Rye Whiskey Picks
- Best Overall: Old Overholt Cask Strength
- Best Barrel-Proof: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Rye
- Best Cask-Finished: WhistlePig Boss Hog
- Best for Cocktails: Knob Creek Rye
- Best Craft: Hard Truth Dark Roast Rye
Best Single-Barrel: Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Rye
- Best Splurge: Sazerac 18
- Best 100 Percent Rye: Frey Ranch Straight Rye
- Best Bottled in Bond: New Riff Rye
- Best Under $50: Wild Turkey Rye
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Best Overall Rye Whiskey: Old Overholt Cask StrengthFor years, Old Overholt was known as a cheap-but-dependable rye whiskey produced at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Kentucky, the home of Jim Beam bourbon. But starting in 2022, the distillery began to upgrade the brand, and cask-strength, age-statement expressions started to show up not long afterwards. The latest release arrived last summer, an 11-year-old rye whiskey made from Beam’s Kentucky-style rye mashbill of somewhere around the 51 percent required rye grain, bottled at a sturdy 125.6 proof—the highest to date in this series. This whiskey is superb, with notes of vanilla, black pepper, tobacco, oak, and fruit on the palate, making this one of the very best rye whiskeys you can buy.
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Best Barrel-Proof Rye Whiskey: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof RyeElijah Craig, a whiskey brand produced by Heaven Hill, has been releasing barrel-proof versions of its bourbon a few times per year since 2013. In 2025, it added a barrel-proof rye to the lineup, and it has become one of the best high-proof rye whiskeys that you can find. Like the bourbon, it’s released in batches and each varies in age and proof. The third edition arrived last spring, a nearly 11-year-old rye bottled at 115.6 proof, which is not too strong but still very assertive. There are plenty of near-hazmat bottles out there, but give this a try if you’re looking for something that is barrel proof but still full of delicate notes of fruit, spice, and oak.
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Best Cask-Finished Rye Whiskey: WhistlePig Boss HogWhistlePig has been a leader in the premium rye whiskey category since it was founded nearly 20 years ago, sourcing barrels of rye from Canada and Indiana and further aging them at its farm in Vermont. The distillery has also become well known for its innovative and often weird cask finishes, particularly when it comes to the Boss Hog lineup. This annual release consists of mature rye whiskey given experimental secondary maturations, sometimes marking a first for the industry. Last year’s release was influenced by Mexican cuisine with a pulque finish, while this year looked to Ancient Egypt by giving the whiskey a finish in barrels seasoned with liqueur made from tiger nuts and black honey. If you’re looking for cask-finished rye whiskey, and are willing to splurge, Boss Hog is your best bet.
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Best Rye Whiskey for Cocktails: Knob Creek RyeThis rye whiskey from Knob Creek, part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection, got a seven-year-old age statement added to the label a few years ago, and now there’s also a 10-year-old version available. For cocktails, however, stick to the more affordable, younger version. At 100 proof, it’s assertive enough to mix with any other ingredients you throw at it, and the Kentucky style mashbill of somewhere just above the legally required 51 percent rye grain means there’s a bit of spice on the palate, but also loads of sweet vanilla, tannic oak, and buttery caramel. Try this in a Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Old Pal, or any other drink that requires rye whiskey.
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Best Craft Rye Whiskey: Hard Truth Dark Roast RyeMGP isn’t the only distillery making rye whiskey in Indiana. Craft distillery Hard Truth is also making some great rye, as well as bourbon, including this whiskey which is the third 2026 Master Distiller’s Reserve whiskey. Dark Roast Rye is made from a mashbill that is a 50-50 blend of two chocolate malt recipes: RW-3 Chocolate Malt Rye and RW-4 Caramel Malt Rye (each containing 51 percent rye grain). That refers to the level to which the grain is roasted, which in this case brings out deep coffee and chocolate notes that play well against the rye’s intrinsic fruit and spice flavors in this 100-proof, bottled-in-bond whiskey.
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Best Single-Barrel Rye Whiskey: Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel RyeMichter’s 10 Year Rye, which comes out once a year, is one of the best single-barrel ryes that you can find from this admittedly small category. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, that means that this whiskey is bottled from just one single barrel instead of blending together many casks. The rye is made from a mashbill that includes somewhere around the legally required 51 percent rye grain, and it’s aged for a minimum of 10 years to give it rich flavors of oak, fruit, sweet vanilla, and rye spice on the palate. The 2026 edition was bottled at 92.8 proof, so expect just a touch of heat on the finish as you sip.
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Best Splurge Rye Whiskey: Sazerac 18Every fall, Buffalo Trace releases its annual Antique Collection, which consists of six whiskeys (a new member was added last year): Eagle Rare 17, George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Thomas H. Handy, Colonel E.H. Taylor, and Sazerac 18. Because it’s part of this collection, the latter whiskey qualifies as a splurge—despite its suggested retail price, it’s hard to find for less than a grand. But it’s worth it, because this 90-proof rye whiskey is usually one of best of the collection, with notes of rye spice, oak, herbs, vanilla, leather, and a slight menthol bitterness (though this varies from year to year).
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Best 100 Percent Rye Whiskey: Frey Ranch Straight RyeFrey Ranch is a grain-to-glass craft distillery in Nevada that is making excellent whiskey, including this bottled-in-bond rye that is made from a mashbill of 100 percent rye grain. Specifically, it’s made from 100 percent cereal winter rye that is grown onsite, aged for five years, and bottled at 100 proof. 100 percent ryes are less common than the Kentucky-style ryes or the 95/5 rye that MGP makes, but the use of just one single grain reveals flavors of intense spice, sweet wood, maple, ginger, and a touch of licorice on the palate.
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Best Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey: New Riff RyeNew Riff has been making bottled-in-bond whiskey for more than a decade, as well as some of the best American single malt and other more experimental releases. As a reminder, bottled in bond means the whiskey is the product of one distillery and one distillation season, aged for at least four years, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. This rye fits all of those requirements, and is made from a mashbill of 95 percent rye and five percent malted rye, kind of twist on MGP’s classic recipe. The result is a solid sipping or mixing whiskey that you will want to keep on your home bar.
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Best Rye Whiskey Under $50: Wild Turkey RyeWild Turkey is much better known for its bourbon, particularly its classic 101-proof expression, but the Kentucky distillery also makes some really good rye that is both affordable and versatile. The core rye whiskey is also bottled at 101 proof, meaning it’s got some heat and heft that makes it equally good sipped on its own or used in a cocktail. It’s made from a mashbill that is similar to other rye whiskeys made in the state, with a “just legal” 51
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Alcobrew Expands Gamber Valley Indian Single Malt Whisky to Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh - Aabkari Times
印度酒廠 Alcobrew 將旗下高級印度單一麥芽威士忌 Gamber Valley 擴展至喜馬偕爾邦和昌迪加爾市，與哈里亞納州一起形成北印度銷售網絡。Gamber Valley 全部在 Alcobrew 位於索蘭（Solan）的蒸餾廠進行蒸餾、熟陳和裝瓶，利用喜馬拉雅地區日夜溫差大的獨特氣候加速橡木酒桶交互作用。品牌目前提供 Gamber Valley Private 1 Edition 與 The Vault Series 兩款，並計畫逐步擴展至拉賈斯坦邦、奧里薩邦、馬哈拉施特拉邦、卡納塔克邦和德里。Gamber Valley 在 2026 年國際葡萄酒烈酒競賽（IWSC）獲得 92 分，躋身印度威士忌高評價之列。
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Chandigarh, October 8, 2026: Alcobrew Distilleries India Limited has expanded the availability of its luxury Indian single malt whisky brand Gamber Valley to Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, strengthening the brand’s presence in North India. The two markets were identified as priority markets when Gamber Valley was launched in May 2026, alongside Haryana. With the latest rollout, the brand’s expressions are now available across Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.
Gamber Valley is distilled, matured and bottled entirely at Alcobrew’s facility in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, giving the Indian single malt a strong connection with its Himalayan origins. The brand’s positioning is built around the region’s distinctive climatic conditions, particularly the sharp variations between daytime and nighttime temperatures. According to Alcobrew, these conditions are believed to accelerate the interaction between the whisky and oak casks, helping extract wood sugars, tannins and other flavour compounds during maturation.
The initial Gamber Valley portfolio comprises two expressions — Gamber Valley Private 1 Edition and Gamber Valley The Vault Series. Both expressions are now available to consumers in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, while Alcobrew plans to expand the brand to additional markets including Rajasthan, Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi NCR through a phased rollout.
The expansion comes as Indian single malt whisky continues to gain recognition among premium spirits consumers, with domestic brands increasingly competing in the luxury whisky segment. Gamber Valley aims to leverage its Himalayan provenance and local production credentials as it builds its presence among consumers looking for premium Indian whisky.
Commenting on the Chandigarh launch, Romesh Pandita, Chairman and Managing Director of Alcobrew Distilleries India Limited, said the brand’s connection with Solan and Chandigarh makes the market particularly significant for the company. He highlighted that Gamber Valley is distilled, matured and bottled in Solan, while Alcobrew also operates another facility in Dera Bassi, making the region an important part of the company’s operations.
Ashutosh Rajput, Chief Operating Officer, Alcobrew Distilleries India Limited, said Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh offer an attractive consumer base for a luxury spirits brand, with young and cosmopolitan consumers increasingly willing to explore premium whisky categories. He said Gamber Valley is aimed at consumers who approach whisky with greater intent and curiosity, adding that the company expects discerning whisky drinkers to increasingly consider Indian single malts alongside established international whisky-producing regions.
Gamber Valley has also received international recognition. Earlier in 2026, the brand scored 92 points at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2026, placing it among the higher-rated Indian single malts recognised by the competition during the year. The recognition adds to Alcobrew’s efforts to establish Gamber Valley as a premium Indian single malt whisky brand in both domestic and international markets.
Alongside the launch of Gamber Valley, Alcobrew has also joined the Indian Malt Whisky Association (IMWA), further strengthening its engagement with India’s growing single malt whisky ecosystem. With its phased expansion into major states and metropolitan markets, the company is positioning Gamber Valley as a new entrant in India’s rapidly developing premium and luxury whisky segment.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Johnnie Walker’s new Rahul Mishra Blue Label changes the whisky, not just its festive wardrobe - Firstpost
Johnnie Walker 與印度設計師 Rahul Mishra 合作推出 Blue Label Indian Festive Blend，延續去年合作的精美包裝設計，但今年更進一步——首席調酒師 Dr Emma Walker 特別為印度節慶季節調製了全新配方威士忌。新酒款採用 Port Dundas、Clynelish、Blair Athol 和 Talisker 等威士忌調配，酒精度 40.8%，風味檔案包含小豆蔻、番紅花、玫瑰水、蜂蜜和輕微煙燻，特別設計搭配印度美食而非單純裝飾性禮物。Mishra 的包裝設計將辣椒、小豆蔻豆莢、無花果等圖案以粉紅、藍綠和金色呈現於深藍瓶身上，體現印度節慶美學。這不只是換新衣的節慶版本，而是真正具飲用價值的獨特調配。
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Johnnie Walker Blue Label Indian Festive Blend arrives with fresh Rahul Mishra artwork, but Master Blender Dr Emma Walker has also created a different whisky specifically for India’s festive season. It is intended not merely to sit beside mithai in a gift hamper.
Festive-edition spirits often amount to familiar liquid wearing a louder jacket. Last year’s Johnnie Walker Blue Label collaboration with Rahul Mishra largely followed that formula: the celebrated couturier covered the bottle and box with blooming flowers, animals, and night sky, while the whisky remained the classic Blue Label.
The second act is considerably more interesting. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Indian Festive Blend arrives with fresh Mishra artwork, but Master Blender Dr Emma Walker has also created a different whisky specifically for India’s festive season. It is intended not merely to sit beside mithai in a gift hamper, but to work alongside the spice, sweetness, and aromatic complexity of an Indian meal. Finally, a Diwali bottle with more than a costume change.
Walker drew from Johnnie Walker’s inventory of more than 10 million maturing whiskies, of which the company says only one cask in 10,000 possesses the character required for Blue Label. The full recipe remains secret, although product listings identify Port Dundas, Clynelish, Blair Athol, and Talisker among its components. That is a shrewd cast rather than a random tour of Scotland.
Whisky from the closed Port Dundas grain distillery supplies rounded sweetness; Clynelish brings its characteristically silky texture and brightness; Blair Athol contributes warm spice; and Talisker adds a restrained maritime smoke. The point is balance, not peat-powered machismo. At 40.8 per cent ABV, it is only slightly stronger than regular Blue Label, suggesting polish still matters more than chest-thumping intensity.
The official tasting notes read like an ambitious festive menu: cardamom, saffron, rosewater, and citrus lead into honey, chocolate-dipped fruit, caramel, warm spice, and a faint curl of smoke. These are tasting impressions, not evidence that somebody tipped a spice box into the vat.
More importantly, the profile sounds built to engage with food rather than surrender to it. Cardamom and clove should mirror aromatic gravies and biryanis, sweetness can calm chilli, and Talisker’s smoke has enough presence for grilled meat without behaving like a bonfire at the table.
The danger with any “India-inspired” luxury release is reducing an enormous cuisine to saffron, spice, and decorative elephants. The blend avoids the worst of that cliché by starting with the mechanics of an Indian meal: several assertive flavours expected to coexist without one shouting down the rest.
Mishra’s new design makes that idea visible. Leaves, chillies, cardamom pods, and figs radiate across the deep-blue bottle in pink, teal and gold, forming something between botanical embroidery and a festive mandala. The Striding Man sits at its centre, almost hidden inside the abundance. Mishra is an unusually credible partner for this exercise.
The first Indian designer invited to show at Paris Haute Couture Week, he built his reputation on elaborate handwork, slow fashion, and sustaining artisan communities rather than simply applying an Indian motif to a European silhouette. His packaging is inevitably more industrial than his couture, but it carries the same instinct for detail. It looks celebratory without descending into the gold-on-red visual shorthand that makes too many Diwali releases resemble wedding invitations.
Johnnie Walker has not announced how many bottles will be produced, so availability may prove as carefully controlled as the liquid itself. That uncertainty does not diminish the central achievement.
This is not merely Blue Label in collectable packaging; it is a distinct blend with a reason to exist and a clear place at the table. Purists may roll their eyes at whisky designed around cuisine, although Blue Label’s rounded, blended style is arguably better suited to pairing than a ferociously smoky single malt. The smartest way to own it is also the least collector-like: open the Mishra box, pour the whisky, and serve dinner.
Beautiful bottles are plentiful. Festive editions worth drinking are rarer.
Could a single malt born under Goa’s tropical sun compete with a Scotch shaped by Scotland’s cold, mist-laden climes? When Paul John entered international markets, it set out to challenge a hierarchy, claiming shelf space alongside Scotch while establishing Indian single malt on its own terms, in composition, character and craftsmanship.
“When we launched internationally in 2012, people were surprised to know that India was making a single malt,” recalls Paul P John, chairman of the Goa-based whisky maker John Distilleries. “They all had the impression that if it’s a whisky from India, it’s mainly made of molasses alcohol,” he adds.
For the first five years, the brand sold exclusively in international markets, Paul says. Much of the effort went into explaining its production methods and reassuring consumers about its standards. Today, he believes the perception has changed dramatically. Paul John says its portfolio has won more than 400 international awards.
After more than 14 years, Paul John Whisky’s packaging refresh retains its signature elephant motif while adopting a contemporary luxury aesthetic, with expression-specific illustrations inspired by flavour and provenance.
The new identity is already visible across Nirvana, Brilliance and Bold, with the Select Casks range set to transition in phases. The liquid remains unchanged, Paul says, while the broader ambition is to foreground Indian craft. The brand exports to 44 countries, with exports accounting for 30–35% of volumes and the domestic market making up the rest. Key overseas markets include the US, France, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the UK and Germany. The rebrand comes as the company pursues premiumisation and portfolio expansion over the next five years.
The prices of Paul John’s 750 ml expressions vary across states. In West Bengal, Bold and Brilliance are priced at ₹4,120 each, while Nirvana costs ₹2,820. In Karnataka, Bold and Brilliance cost ₹3,600 each, and Nirvana is priced at ₹2,600. In Goa, Bold and Brilliance are priced at ₹4,200 each, while Nirvana costs ₹1,850. In Maharashtra, Bold and Brilliance are priced at ₹6,200 each and Nirvana is priced at ₹3,275. Haryana has the lowest prices, with Bold and Brilliance costing ₹3,200 each and Nirvana priced at ₹1,800.
Beyond the elephant
But, how does an Indian whisky brand express its cultural identity without reducing it to familiar symbols?
Paul traces the elephant motif to India’s historical imagery, including its association with the maharajas. Asa Abraham, head of public relations, digital marketing and communications, Paul John Indian Single Malt Whisky, describes a broader ambition to work with musicians, traditional artists and textile artisans, giving them platforms to showcase their work.
“We want to be known not just for being one of the best Indian single malts in the world, but also for being representatives of Indian craft,” Asa says.
It is an expansive proposition, but its success will depend on execution. Indian craft encompasses inherited techniques and contemporary practices; it cannot be established through packaging alone. The collaborations Asa describes will need to give audiences a tangible connection to the people and processes behind them.
Paul, meanwhile, makes a distinction between cultural influences on the brand and those on the whisky itself. The visitor centre draws on Portuguese architecture, reflecting Goa’s history. The spirit, he insists, is “completely Indian”, from its ingredients and water to its production methods. The exception is peat, imported from Scotland for the peated expressions because the company has not found a suitable Indian source.
Would a younger drinker choose it over Scotch?
I put a more pointed question to Paul: if the packaging were removed from a bottle of Paul John, would a younger drinker choose it over a Scotch?
Paul argues that Indian single malt has made significant strides in the past decade. Awards have helped establish credibility, but their influence has limits.
“They create awareness,” he says, explaining that an award gives consumers a reason to try a whisky they might otherwise overlook. Whether they return to it depends on the experience itself.
“Every single malt is different,” Paul says. Some drinkers prefer one style, others another. Asa argues that international recognition lends credibility and points to the range of expressions available, from cask-strength and peated whiskies to unpeated variants and different cask finishes.
Recognition can secure a place on the shelf, but it cannot guarantee a place in a consumer’s preferences. The more interesting test of Indian single malt’s progress may be whether drinkers begin choosing individual expressions for their character, rather than approaching them primarily as alternatives to Scotch.
That also means resisting the temptation to treat Indian single malt as a uniform category. Asa explains that whiskies made in different parts of India develop distinct flavour profiles because of regional differences in maturation conditions and production.
The industry is working towards a collective identity. Paul says major producers have come together to form the Indian Malt Whiskey Association, which is developing common standards and an emblem for members to use on their packaging. Such recognition could help consumers identify Indian single malt, while leaving room for the differences between producers.
Is tropical maturation an advantage or an industry myth?
The question of geography becomes more complicated when the discussion turns to climate. India’s heat and humidity are frequently presented as advantages for whisky maturation. But does a tropical climate simply accelerate the process? Does it alter the interaction between spirit and wood? And has the industry romanticised the advantage?
Paul calls it a matter of fact. In Goa, he says, maturation happens “almost four times than what happens in Scotland”. He estimates annual evaporation at around 10%, compared with approximately 2% in Scotland.
These are the distiller’s estimates, rather than universal measures of maturation. Temperature, humidity, cask characteristics and warehouse conditions all influence how a whisky develops; faster maturation does not automatically mean better whisky.
Paul’s central argument is that “age does not determine quality”. He cites Paul John’s Mithuna, which he says matured for six-to-eight years before being recognised Third Finest Whisky in the World (2021) and Asian Whisky of the Year 2021 by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. His point is that a younger whisky can compete with expressions matured for considerably longer.
There is also a cost to the tropical climate. Paul says a 200-litre cask may yield only 150 to 160 litres after six years, depending on the conditions and duration of maturation. Evaporation affects the quantity available for bottling, adding to production costs.
But if climate is part of the argument for Indian single malt, the industry must explain how it shapes the whisky in each case. Tropical maturation is a condition of production, not a guarantee of quality. The spirit still has to deliver.
What does premiumisation actually mean?
Paul John’s plans include more exclusive expressions, raising another question: does premiumisation mean higher prices?
Paul says some releases will cost more because of the inputs involved. Certain casks can cost around ₹50,000 each, he says, while maturation and elaborate packaging add to the final price. The company is also considering an older whisky in a more exclusive presentation.
Yet he insists that accessibility remains central to the business, pointing to Nirvana, a four-year-matured single malt he describes as aggressively priced.
The tension is clear. Craft can justify a premium when consumers understand what they are paying for: cask selection, maturation, the character of the spirit and the decisions behind its production. But a more expensive bottle or elaborate packagi
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris - The Whiskey Wash
儘管威士忌產業面臨困境，五大酒類公司持有創紀錄的220億美元陳年庫存，但Whisky Live Paris等歐洲大型威士忌節銷售火爆。業界領袖分析，產業過度生產導致庫存過剩，消費者對高品質、公平價格的威士忌需求不減，但變得更挑剔。未來趨勢包括：聚焦「讓威士忌被品嚐」的品牌體驗、滿足亞洲新消費族群（女性、Z世代）對互動式體驗的渴望、核心酒款轉向更高年份、價格回歸理性。產業將透過重新定位策略，吸引更多新消費者。
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If the whisky industry is going through a difficult period, the Grande Halle de la Villette gave little sign of it in the last weekend of September. Whisky Live Paris, one of Europe’s largest whisky festivals, sold out three of its four days and the hall was full of fans tasting whiskies from around the world. The continued success of this festival, and of others in the October season such as Whisky Show London and Whisky Live Germany, shows that demand for great whisky remains.
But geopolitical conditions and changing consumer habits have still produced a slump across the wider industry. The Financial Times reports that five of the largest publicly listed alcohol companies are holding a record $22 billion of maturing stock. Whisky companies are laying off staff, distilleries are pausing production, and some are closing altogether.
Changing conditions also create opportunities, and agile companies offering distinctive, high-quality bottles are taking advantage. They are finding consumers who remain deeply interested and emotionally invested in whisky, but who are more selective about what they buy. At Whisky Live Paris, I asked several people working in different parts of the industry, and in different parts of the world, what they expect from whisky in 2027 and how the industry needs to adapt. This is an anecdotal sample and far from comprehensive, and the views were not always in agreement, but a few themes emerged.
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Living with the Whisky Loch
First, everyone is reacting to the whisky loch. Sukhinder Singh, widely regarded as one of the elder statesmen of whisky, is the founder of Elixir Distillers and holds one of the largest personal collections of whisky bottles in the world. He believes the industry badly miscalculated demand, assuming that the growth that had survived a recession and the pandemic would keep climbing:
“Everyone overproduced. Everyone had big forecasts for the next three years. So for me the biggest issue now is too much stock, and sadly too much expensive stock, so that’s hitting hard.”
He also thinks many distillers, especially larger producers, sacrificed quality to meet demand that has not materialised:
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORY“They’re running the stills too fast. They’re reducing the fermentation times just to get more liquid out. And I can taste it in liquid today. It’s not tasting as good as what I like from certain distilleries and age profiles.”
Simon Thompson, co-founder of Dornoch Distillery and independent bottler Thompson Bros with his brother Phil, sees an opportunity for smaller companies like his:
“As an industry, we’ve taken a little bit of a drop off in sales, but the big factor is this wave of overproduction relative to sales coming behind. So there’s an increasing average age of inventory, and with just greater availability. So we can get our hands on so much stuff at great prices.”
Getting Whisky on Lips
Singh, Thompson and everyone else I spoke with agreed that consumers now want high-quality spirit without being overcharged for it. There is also a phrase I am hearing more than ever in my whisky career: ‘liquor on lips’. Stewart Buchanan, global brand ambassador for BenRiach, Glenglassaugh and GlenDronach, believes it will be key to whisky’s success:
“It’s just about making sure you’re putting the whisky in front of the right people. Get whisky on lips. That’s the win, when people can taste the quality. And you can’t be greedy anymore.”
That suggests brands will increasingly focus on impressing consumers at festivals like Whisky Live Paris, or reorient towards experiences that can hook new drinkers. Hil Ying Tse, founder of Hong Kong importer Whisky & More, says her younger customers are less interested in buying bottles than in enjoying a moment:
“In the Asian market, people are really valuing interaction, especially new groups of people like women and Gen-Z. They are looking more for experiences. They are not drinking less, as a lot of media is reporting, but they are more picky in what they are drinking. So, if you have like a more interactive experience with them, they are very happy to learn about whisky and whether it’s world whisky, Scotch whisky, bourbon, any of it! They really do want to know more.”
As a result, Hil regularly runs blending classes, quizzes and other events that depart from the usual tasting format, and is particularly interested in the ‘gamification of things’.
Fewer Drinks, Better Drinks
That appetite for something new has benefited Bryan Do, founder of Three Societies, South Korea’s first malt whisky distillery. It has been a domestic success and is winning international awards for a distinctive whisky shaped by the unusual maturation climate in the mountains outside Seoul. He reports that while less whisky is being consumed overall, the total amount spent in South Korea is higher:
“More people are now not drinking whisky or not drinking alcohol to get drunk, but they’re drinking to enjoy the drink. So whatever category it is, they’re buying more premium in that category. That’s lucky for us because we’re selling single malt.”
At the Kyrö stall, Miko Heinilä and his team are wearing bathrobes branded with the logo of the Finnish rye distillery he co-founded (Kyrö is pronounced roughly like ‘kiddo’). The uniform is deliberate: the idea for the distillery famously came from a sauna conversation between friends. Its whisky, made from 100% malted Finnish rye, has proven a success:
“It seems like we are touching the nerve of the new connoisseurs and new consumers, especially where people are looking for something more relaxed. We’ve got a vibe that seems to be translating well. The Finnish sauna thing is a bit weird, so is the 100% malted rye, but with the easygoing approach we’re taking, it seems like it’s working across all our international markets.”
Older Whisky, Fairer Prices
Back in Scotland, oversupply means more whisky will spend longer in cask, so what is eventually bottled is likely to be older, and potentially better. Thompson expects core ranges to shift accordingly:
“You might see some of the big boys readjust to a core 10, 15, 18 structure, and then start planning towards that. But currently many core ranges feature a lot of no age statement, maybe a 10-year-old, and then small releases of very expensive older stuff.”
Those I spoke with expect consumers to gravitate towards quality at fair prices and authentic stories rather than marketing spin. Despite the challenges, Buchanan remains bullish about the future of whisky:
“I know that in the media there’s a lot of negativity, but I’m physically not seeing that on the ground. I’ve never seen such a thirst for masterclasses and tastings. There’s more whisky shows across the world. I think we just need to put it in a different perspective and maybe reach new consumers in a different way without disregarding our old loyal consumers too.”
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Pit Stops And Pours: Glenfiddich And The Aston Martin Formula One Team Launch A New Limited Edition Whisky - Grazia Singapore
For a union to occur, there needs to be a common denominator between two parties. And there’s nothing stronger than belief. It’s not immediately evident about what Glenfiddich and the Aston Martin Formula One Team have in common. One’s the producer of the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky, the other is a British-based racing constructor. A world-class single malt and a Formula One car may have little in common on the surface, but both are the product of meticulous work that happens long before the final result is revealed.
Glenfiddich’s malt master, Brian Kinsman and the Aston Martin Formula One Team’s managing technical partner, Adrian Newey, were inspired by the invisible machinations that bubble beneath the surface. Nothing happens in a vacuum. For every zip past the finish line is a well-oiled pit crew; the engine’s horsepower; the driver’s intuitiveness from years on the track. For every dram of whisky comes years of oversight, and deft maturation that shapes it into what it is today.
For its second year of the collaboration between Glenfiddich and the Aston Martin Formula One Team, comes a 16 Year Old Limited Edition Release No.2. Matured across five cask types—two more than the last edition—the whisky’s complexity drew from first-fill bourbon barrels; Oloroso sherry casks; wine casks; Port pipes; before finishing in Fino sherry butts.
The result is a refined and assured whisky. Bottled at 43 per cent ABV, it opens with aromas of rich fruit and marzipan, followed by a palate of cream, orchard fruit and toffee before a lingering woody sweetness on the finish. On the palate, a swirl of cream, orchard fruit, and toffee, before finishing with a lingering woody sweetness.
The Local Cocktail Circuit
Commemorating this release, Glenfiddich places the focus on the Singapore bar scene. Six iconic drinking holes (Anti:Dote, High House, Temper, Tess Bar, Writers Bar, and Vue) will host their two original Glenfiddich creations each alongside the signature Speyside Spritz.
Our local bars will parlay their creativity with several Glenfiddich whiskies for F1-sounding cocktails that will only be available for this occasion. Cocktails include the ear-catching “Box, Box, Box!” from Anti:Dote, which has a Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, Pedro Ximénez, smoked oak, and chocolate; the creamy-tasting Silverstone 16 from Writers Bar that’s made from a Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, IPA beer, lemon, raspberry, and egg white; Apex Fizz from Temper, which comprises of a Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, grapefruit, and soda—simple ingredients, but the taste is far layered than that.
The Glenfiddich Speyside Spritz will also be available across participating bars, with each venue offering its own interpretation of the serve. Expect a refreshing blend of Glenfiddich 12 Year Old, pear liqueur, fresh lime juice and a splash of soda.
Time is a great equaliser, but what you make with it is what determines the fruit of your labour. Whether it’s years of precision, or the experience of craftsmanship, the majority will not witness the unseen work poured into the endeavour. But the effort will be keenly felt in the result.
Patrons can partake in the limited-time cocktail programme, with exclusive serves available at the following bars—Anti:Dote, High House, Temper, Tess Bar, Writers Bar and Vue. This programme will run until the end of October.
Consumers aged 25 and above can also stand a chance to win an exclusive signed helmet. Receive three chances with every bottle of Glenfiddich 15-Year-Old or above purchased, or one chance with every three Glenfiddich cocktails or qualifying whisky flight purchased at participating bars. Find out more and enter the giveaway.
Skillfully crafted. Enjoy responsibly. Never drink and drive.
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Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish celebrates his key life moments with release of rare Scotch whiskies - Strathspey Herald
Sir Kenny Dalglish celebrates his key life moments with release of rare Gordon & MacPhail Scotch whiskies
Whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail has revealed the inaugural release of its unique series ‘Vintage Moments’ - celebrating five personal landmark moments selected by Scottish football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish.
It offers 15 box sets of five ultra-rare single malt Scotch whiskies distilled in years that correspond to Sir Kenny’s key life and remarkable career milestones.
Born in 1951 and regarded as one of the greatest strikers in post-war British football, Sir Kenny is one of Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland’s most admired figures, with a huge number of fans all around the world.
As curators and custodians of the oldest and rarest single malt Scotch whiskies, Gordon & MacPhail’s unique and irreplaceable stocks feature single malts from more than 100 Scottish distilleries matured in their own casks.
It is the only company in the world to possess single malts from every vintage from 1948 to the present day.
These whiskies are time capsules; liquid treasures of profound rarity, each shaped by decades of quiet maturation and the unwavering dedication of the family-owned business over four generations.
Sir Kenny was invited to choose five years over his lifetime that he wished to single out as landmark moments to be celebrated alongside the values that have shaped his life and career.
Each of these has been brought to life with a Gordon & MacPhail single malt distilled in the same year.
He said: “Selecting these single malts was a real privilege. I've been fortunate to experience some wonderful moments throughout my life and choosing just five years that meant the most wasn't easy.
“I'm looking forward to sharing the stories behind those choices and hope people enjoy discovering them as much as I enjoyed making the selection.”
His final selection included the following moments:
1951 - Everything starts with Dalmarnock and his parents. He said: “Everything has to start somewhere, and for me it started in Dalmarnock on March 4, 1951. I was lucky to grow up in a close family with parents who worked hard and gave us every opportunity. Looking back now, those early years shaped the values that stayed with me throughout my life, both in football and away from it.”
1967 - The Lisbon Lions showed a young player what was possible. Sir Kenny said: “Watching Celtic win the European Cup made every young player at the club believe anything was possible. I was fortunate enough to begin pre season with the first team that summer, and before long I had signed professionally. It felt like the beginning of a journey, although at the time I couldn’t have imagined where football would eventually take me.”
1974 - Marina and the most important decision of his life. He said: “I was lucky enough to win a few doubles during my football career, but the best double of all was marrying Marina on her birthday. It certainly made remembering our anniversary a bit easier. People often say that behind every successful man there’s a good woman. I don’t think that’s right. Marina has never been behind me. She’s always been beside me. Whatever football brought our way, we faced it together, and I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate.”
1977 - Leaving the comfort of Celtic to challenge himself. He said: “Leaving Celtic was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. The club had given me everything and I owed so much to Jock Stein, my teammates and the supporters. But football doesn’t wait for anyone and I felt it was the right time to challenge myself. Looking back now, joining Liverpool changed my life in ways I could never have imagined.”
1995 - Jack Walker’s belief in people and what a united group could achieve together. Sir Kenny said: “Winning the Premier League with Blackburn will always be a special memory. Jack Walker believed in the club, believed in the people around him and gave us every opportunity to succeed. We had a fantastic group of players and staff who worked tirelessly for one another. To win the title was an incredible achievement, and doing it at Anfield made for one of football’s more unusual stories.”
Sir Kenny visited Elgin in May 2026 for a personal tasting of various vintage single malt Scotch whiskies associated with his chosen years, selected and hand-drawn from Gordon & MacPhail’s cask library.
Each of Sir Kenny’s Vintage Moments single malts were bottled at cask strength and will only ever be tasted by a very small number of people in the world.
Those who secure one of the 15 sets for sale will also have an opportunity to meet Sir Kenny at a Vintage Moments event in November 2026.
Sir Kenny added: “It was fascinating to learn that spirit made at the same distillery during the same year, but put into two different types of casks, creates whiskies that can taste completely different.”
Following this tasting of his choice of favoured vintages resulted in the following selection: Gordon & MacPhail 1951 from Glen Grant Distillery; Gordon & MacPhail 1967 from Longmorn Distillery; Gordon & MacPhail 1974 from Strathisla Distillery; Gordon & MacPhail 1977 from Benromach Distillery and Gordon & MacPhail 1995 from Glentauchers Distillery
Stephen Rankin, Gordon & MacPhail director of prestige and fourth generation family member said: “It is a source of immense pride to be the only Scotch whisky company in the world to have stocks from every vintage going back as far as 1948.
“Many of these whiskies were laid down by grandfather, George Urquhart, who has been called ‘the father of single malt’.”
Sir Kenny Dalglish’s Vintage Moments by Gordon & MacPhail Whiskies box sets, each featuring five 70cl bottles of ultra-rare vintage single malts of exceptional quality brought to life from Gordon & MacPhail’s portfolio, are available for sale now.
Housed in a specially produced wooden box, these releases come with a book signed by Sir Kenny sharing his stories behind each personal Vintage Moment chosen.
Each of the 15 box sets will be numbered 1-15 and will have a unique fact about Sir Kenny making each box different.
Each of the bottles will be age statemented and individually named as follows: 1951: Debut Appearance; 1967: Into The Lion's Den; 1974: Teammates for Life; 1977: It's Not a Rehearsal and 1995: The Fairytale.
English whisky gets a boost from the UK, and Scots are not amused
A lesser standard could drag down Scotch’s prestige
EACH of the United Kingdom’s four nations has its own capital and its own flag. And as of last week, each has its own official whisky.
Whisky has long been the UK’s top food and drink export, raking in £5.5 billion (about US$7.26 billion) in 2025, with the overwhelming majority of it made in Scotland. But over the past 20 years, dozens of distilleries to the south – that is, England – have opened, creating what they say is a new style of whisky worthy of the same protections conferred on Scotch and its Irish and Welsh cousins.
On Thursday, that new status went into effect: a designation, known as a “protected geographical indication”, by the kingdom’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, setting out specifications for how English single malt and grain whisky can be produced. (They spell it “whisky,” as Scotch and Welsh producers do.)
Supporters say the recognition is long overdue for a spirit that has not been well known or defined.
“If Scotch, Welsh and Irish have set out their standards, then that logical step is for the newly categorised English whisky – we’re 20 years into our making – also gets a geographical indication standard and can sit alongside the other three,” said Morag Garden, CEO of the English Whisky Guild, which led the effort to formalise the rules.
Wales received a geographical indication for its whisky in 2023, while Scotland and Ireland, including Northern Ireland, had their existing European Union protections recognised by the UK after Brexit in 2020.
But the new recognition for English whisky has drawn the ire of the Scotch Whisky Association, a trade group whose members produce 97 per cent of all Scotch. The group warns that it sets a lesser standard that could drag down Scotch’s prestige.
“The text as approved undermines the established definition of ‘single malt,’ creates confusion for consumers and jeopardises the category which the Scotch whisky industry established and built the reputation of around the world,” the association said in a statement.
Although England was home to several whisky distilleries in the 1800s, when tax reforms prompted a boom in distilling across the UK, all had closed by the turn of the 20th century.
The nation’s modern whisky movement began in 2003 with Hicks & Healey distillery in Cornwall, which bills itself somewhat cheekily as “England’s Oldest Whiskey Distillery – 22 Years in the Making, Centuries in the Spirit.”
Since then, more than 70 more have cropped up, most of them making whisky from malted barley and some using other grains, such as rye, wheat and oats.
The new designation outlines how such ingredients may be processed into whisky. It also imposes a few other rules, including using only grain grown in the UK, and allowing maturation in casks made of non-oak woods, something that is also allowed in Irish whiskey but not Scotch.
Other guidelines more closely follow those in place for Scotch, such as mandating the use of pot stills and requiring at least two distillations for single malt.
But it’s what the rules don’t say that has drawn objections from the Scotch Whisky Association, as well as Scottish members of Parliament.
While single malt Scotch’s predistillation steps of grain cooking and fermentation – essentially, brewing – must take place inside the distillery, the new regulations allow those processes to occur off-site for single malt English whisky.
That difference was a concession to distilleries that work with local brewers, as Hicks & Healey does, or that operate both a brewery and a separate still house, as Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery does.
During a session of the UK Parliament last month, that provision came under fire from Wendy Chamberlain, the member for the North East Fife district in Scotland and leader of a parliamentary coalition that promotes the interests of the Scotch whisky industry.
“The term ‘single malt whisky’ carries a long-established reputation and meaning for consumers,” she said. The new designation for English whisky, she added, “risks disadvantaging Scotch producers, who have invested heavily to comply with the traditional single-site production model”.
The decision, she said, “creates an uneven playing field across the UK.”
English distillers aren’t buying the claim that their whiskies threaten Scotch. “I don’t think it’s relevant,” said David Thompson, co-founder of Spirit of Yorkshire, noting that the assumption that most consumers know the definition of single malt whisky is flawed. “There’s a lot of misunderstanding on that terminology.”
Daniel Szor, founder of Cotswolds Distillery and current chair of the English Whisky Guild, said the Scotch association had actually helped the guild as it drafted the new standards, only registering its objections when the public comment period opened in February 2025. Szor characterised the backlash as a “tempest in a teapot”.
“I think the only confusion is people wondering what the heck is this all about,” Szor said.
For now, the guild anticipates that the geographical indication will not only make it easier for whisky drinkers to understand what makes the category distinct from Scotch, but could help English whisky win international protections in trade agreements.
The United States – the biggest export market for Scotch – is a key target for many brands, and is currently accessible tariff-free since President Donald Trump lifted the 10 per cent levy on whisky from the UK in July.
Scotch whisky, including single malt Scotch, is formally recognised as a distinct class of spirit by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Someday, English whisky could gain a similar status in US regulations.
A few English whiskies have already made their way to the US, including Cotswolds, Spirit of Yorkshire’s Filey Bay brand, Adnams and Bimber.
Although they tend to be younger than most Scotch whiskies, the single malts share many similar flavours with their Scottish counterparts. They often emphasise warm, spiced and sweet wood notes created during cask aging.
Ryan Maloney, owner of Julio’s Liquors in Westborough, Massachusetts, known for its whisky selection, said English whisky is comparable in quality to more established whiskies like Scotch.
“The products coming out now are top-notch,” he said, adding that some “punch above” their price. Their new status, he noted, should help with consumer education, which he sees as the biggest obstacle for English whisky in the US market. To that end, Julio’s recently hosted a tasting of Cotswolds whisky that sold out.
The promise of English whisky is strong enough that it’s even attracting experts from Scotland to the industry.
“There’s a great opportunity for English whisky right now, and there’s some really incredible stuff being made,” said Brendan McCarron, a master distiller and blender based in Stirling, Scotland, who serves as whisky maker for the Lakes Distillery.
“Does English whisky need to be the biggest whisky industry in the world? I don’t think it does,” he said, adding, “It’s small, it can move quite quickly, and it can change things up, can try and fail, and try and succeed.” NYTIMES
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Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Glengoyne launches its latest Teapot Dram release - The Whisky Wire
蘇格蘭高地酒廠Glengoyne推出Teapot Dram Batch No. 12限量版單一麥芽威士忌，酒精度59.2%，使用歐洲橡木Oloroso桶和Sherry桶熟成。此系列致敬酒廠傳統——過去員工每天可領3次三指份量的威士忌，年輕員工會將未喝完的酒倒入銅茶壺，日久成為同事共享的調和佳釀。本批限量3,300瓶，售價£125（約台幣4,200元），於酒廠直銷管道獨家販售。
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The Highlands-based Glengoyne Distillery has announced the launch of its latest limited-edition Teapot Dram release.
Glengoyne Teapot Dram Batch No. 12 (59.2% ABV) is a non-age-stated, single malt Scotch whisky, matured in a combination of European oak Oloroso butts, European oak Oloroso hogsheads and Sherry hogshead casks.
The Teapot Dram series pays tribute to a long-standing Glengoyne tradition. Until the 1970s, distillery workers were given three fingers of whisky three times a day. While most distilleries offered new-make spirit, Glengoyne set itself apart by providing fully matured whisky.
Some of the younger workers chose not to drink their full allocation during the working day, instead pouring their share into a copper teapot. Over time, the vessel filled with a blend of Sherry-matured whiskies, sitting in full view on the canteen windowsill for older, more seasoned colleagues to enjoy during what became known as the “dramming days”.
Glengoyne Teapot Dram Batch No. 12, is said to deliver notes of toasted marshmallow, cinnamon, toffee popcorn, demerara sugar, strawberry bonbons and a hint of spearmint on the nose, followed by notes of raspberry compote, blackcurrants, baked apples, Medjool dates and sticky Sherry notes on the palate.
Limited to 3,300 bottles, Glengoyne Teapot Dram Batch No. 12, is now available exclusively from the Glengoyne distillery shop and website, for a RRP of £125.00.
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Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：TODD SNYDER AND LAGAVULIN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY RELEASE TIME & CRAFT, A COLLECTION INSPIRED BY SCOTLAND - PR Newswire
The menswear and lifestyle capsule brings Scottish patterns and textiles to Todd Snyder's Americana signatures, with a campaign starring Ben Ahlers shot at the Lagavulin Distillery on Islay.
NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Todd Snyder and Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch Whisky release Time & Craft, a limited-edition menswear and lifestyle collection rooted in a shared appreciation for character developed through patience and process. Arriving as Todd Snyder New York marks its 15th anniversary, the collaboration brings together a designer known for giving new life to classic styles with a whisky shaped by more than two centuries of history on Islay, Scotland.
The collection takes its name and inspiration from the Time & Craft that is central to both houses, with Lagavulin 16-Year-Old serving as a core reference. This signature expression is made at the Lagavulin Distillery on Islay through a notably slow distillation before spending at least 16 years maturing in oak barrels. For Snyder, that commitment to perfecting craft through time offered a reflection upon his own design process: start with enduring forms and materials, then find new ways to make them relevant. The colors, textures, and atmosphere surrounding Lagavulin's Islay home became a starting point for Time & Craft.
"Lagavulin has been my favorite whisky for years, so I came into this partnership with a connection to the brand," said Todd Snyder, founder of Todd Snyder New York. "As I learned more about how Lagavulin 16-Year-Old is made, I found a lot that felt familiar: the care that goes into choosing materials, knowledge built over generations, and a necessary patience for the process. I wanted the collection to reflect that approach, as well as the character of Islay, in pieces people could wear and live with."
Textiles from Scotland's Lovat Mill anchor the collection's two hero pieces: an Italian suede Stable Jacket lined in the Lagavulin Islay Tartan, originally developed by Simon Goldman and Myles Kusaba, and Todd Snyder's signature Chore Coat, made from another Lovat wool that draws on the tartan's deep greens, peat browns, and copper tones. Introduced in 2025 and officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, the tartan pattern also appears in printed interpretations across a tie, blanket, and neckwear. The capsule is rounded out by a cardigan and beanie knit from superfine merino wool in a custom pattern inspired by the colors of the Scottish moors.
To introduce the collection, the brands traveled to Islay, home to the Lagavulin Distillery, to shoot the Time & Craft campaign. Photography by Boo George and film by Michael Casker place the collection within the island's landscape and working distillery, alongside the people who make the whisky. Actor Ben Ahlers stars as the face of the campaign, bringing his own perspective to a story about how traditions can both endure and evolve.
"Being at Lagavulin, you see what it takes to carry more than 200 years of craft forward," said Ahlers. "I met people who've spent decades at the distillery, passing their knowledge on to the next generation. That experience shapes the whisky, and you can feel the pride people take in making it. Wearing Todd's collection there, I could see how he'd translated that same care into the clothes. It gave me a real appreciation for the time and skill that go into both."
Those people are as much a part of Lagavulin's story as the landscape itself, bringing the knowledge and connection to Islay that inspired the collection into the campaign. Featured alongside Ahlers are former Lagavulin Warehouse Manager Iain "Pinky" McArthur, whose more than 50 years in Scotch have made him an Islay legend; Donnie MacKinnon, who spent 42 years at Lagavulin, and his grandson Shane, who continues the family connection; current Senior Operators Grant Addison and Robert Shaw; and Karen Robertson, an Islay native who grew up overlooking Lagavulin Bay and now works as the Distillery's Events & Experiences Manager.
"As someone who genuinely loves Lagavulin 16-Year-Old, we were excited to immerse Todd in the place behind the whisky - our distillery on the island of Islay - as well as the generations of people who have crafted our spirit for more than 200 years" said Jamie Young, VP Scotch Diageo. "Todd was eager to interpret our principles of tradition and craftsmanship through his own point of view and design process, resulting in a lineup of quality, weatherable pieces that perfectly complement the Scotch that inspired them."
The capsule marks the first chapter of the Todd Snyder New York x Lagavulin partnership, which will continue through in-store experiences and storytelling from Islay. The campaign shoot also produced a larger body of work that will unfold beyond launch, offering a deeper look at the Lagavulin Distillery and the people, places and rituals shaped by time.
The Time & Craft collection is available as of October 8 at toddsnyder.com/lagavulin and select Todd Snyder stores across the U.S. Consumers of legal drinking age can also visit ReserveBar to purchase Lagavulin 16-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
Todd Snyder New York x Lagavulin Time & Craft Collection Product SpecificationsTodd Snyder x Lagavulin Suede Stable Jacket
Made from Italian calf suede produced by Pellemoda in Tuscany, the jacket is lined in the Lagavulin Islay Tartan woven by Lovat Mill in Scotland As suede is a natural material, color may transfer onto other garments or textiles. Avoid wearing with light colors for the first few wears. To care for the jacket, gently brush in one direction with a suede brush to remove debris and blot stains with a dry cloth.
Made from 100% wool tweed woven at Lovat Mill in Scotland. The 500-gram fabric combines smoky, earthy colors inspired by the Lagavulin Islay Tartan in a substantial, marled cloth with a soft but rustic feel.
Woven at Lovat Mill in Scotland from pure lambswool, this blanket is soft but sturdy, with a classic, old-school look and feel. The Lagavulin tartan pattern features gentle colors inspired by the distillery and moor — soft coppers, muted heathers, peat and sedge. It comes with a handy carrier, made from Portuguese suede, that secures around the rolled blanket; the single handle is adjustable, so it can be carried by hand or worn over the shoulder. Toss it across your bed or couch, take it to the park, or pack it up for your next weekend away.
Style number: AC303
Retail price: $498
Images: Not yet available. Launching late-October.
Todd Snyder x Lagavulin Wool Tie
Made in Italy from Italian wool printed with the Lagavulin Islay Tartan pattern. The tie is hand-stitched and untipped, with a 3½-inch width, soft interlining and curtain-back construction.
Made from Italian lambswool printed with the Lagavulin Islay Tartan pattern, with a soft, lightly fuzzy feel. The fabric is lightweight, naturally warm and drapes easily.
Knit from superfine merino wool in a custom Fair Isle pattern colored to evoke the Scottish moors. Features an engineered pattern and a foldover 2x2 ribbed cuff. Fair Isle takes its name from the Scottish island where the knitting tradition originated.
A modern take on the traditional Fair Isle sweater jacket, knit from superfine merino wool in a custom pattern inspired by the colors of the Scottish moors. Features a double-layered ribbed mock neck, two-way metal zipper, patch pockets and 2x2 ribbed waist and cuffs.
ABOUT TODD SNYDER Todd Snyder is an American fashion designer based in New York City. Since launching his eponymous label in 2011, he has redefined how modern Americans can present themselves to the world in stylish, unexpected ways. From luxurious takes on essential items to bespoke tailoring, Todd's creations show that good style can be attainable and even playful.
Before launching his label, Todd held leading roles at Ralph Lauren, The Gap, and J.Crew. He has been recognized four times by the Council of Fashion Designers of America as a
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Craig Martin of Suntory Global Spirits inducted as Keeper of the Quaich - DRAM Scotland
三得利全球烈酒公司全球製造副總Craig Martin因對蘇格蘭威士忌產業的卓越貢獻，獲選為Keeper of the Quaich，成為威士忌業界最高殊榮的得主。Martin在蘇格蘭威士忌業工作逾18年，曾任英愛及印度製造營運總經理，統管包括Laphroaig、Bowmore、Auchentoshan、Ardmore及Glen Garioch等多家蒸餾廠。他表示這項榮譽象徵對蘇格蘭威士忌工藝與傳統的敬重，並將在新的全球角色中推廣業界價值。
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Craig Martin, Vice President, Global Manufacturing at Suntory Global Spirits, has been inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich in recognition of his contribution to the Scotch whisky industry.
Martin was inducted at the Autumn 2026 Banquet at Blair Castle in Perthshire, following 18 years in the spirits industry. Before taking on his current global role, he was General Manager, Manufacturing Operations UK & Ireland and India, where he was responsible for overseeing operations across the company’s whisky distilleries and production sites, including Laphroaig and Bowmore on Islay, Auchentoshan near Glasgow, and Ardmore and Glen Garioch in Aberdeenshire.
Craig said, “It is a huge honour to be inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich. Scotch Whisky has been an important part of my career, and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work alongside people with extraordinary expertise, passion and respect for the craft.
“This recognition belongs as much to the teams across our distilleries and operations as it does to me. As I move into my new global role, I’m proud to take everything I have learned from my time working in Scotch Whisky with me, while remaining a passionate advocate for the industry, its people and its heritage.”
Chris Richardson, VP Scotch, Irish and International Marketing at Suntory Global Spirits, added, “Craig’s induction as a Keeper of the Quaich is a fitting recognition of the contributions he has made to Scotch Whisky and to Suntory Global Spirits.
“Craig has always understood that producing exceptional whisky is about much more than the liquid itself. It is about protecting generations of craftsmanship, investing responsibly for the future and, above all, supporting the people and communities that make our Scotch whiskies what they are.
“As Craig takes on his new global manufacturing role, he will bring that deep respect for craftsmanship and quality to our manufacturing operations around the world. We are delighted to see his contribution to Scotch Whisky recognised in this way.”
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Where has Britney been…actually, never mind.
I’m not going to get into everything that Britney Spears has been through since becoming the biggest pop star in the world back in the late ’90s. It’s actually a pretty sad story, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of fame and the people you surround yourself with. But that’s not why we’re here.
Apparently the Louisiana native recently took a family trip to Tennessee, where she discovered an “adorable” little hidden attraction nestled in the hills of Pigeon Forge: Dollywood.
The pop star shared photos from her family vacation, while praising Dolly Parton’s theme park:
“Wow wow!!! I didn’t know this place existed, so incredibly cool and exciting… but extremely hot and my skirt is too big for me… family outings!!! DOLLYWOOD IS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!”
Of course Britney’s had a lot going on in her life, so I’ll forgive her for missing out on Dollywood. But the Pigeon Forge theme park is one of Dolly’s most visible contributions to her hometown. Dolly bought the amusement park, that was previously known as Silver Dollar City, in 1986 as a way of helping her community, previously reflecting on her decision to open a theme park:
“I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, that I wanted to come back to my part of the country and do something great, something that would bring a lot of jobs into this area. Sure enough, I was lucky, and God was good to me and things happened good.”
The park has created more than 23,000 jobs in the region, and has an estimated economic impact of $1.8 billion. In addition, Dollywood employees receive 100% free college tuition as soon as they’re hired, and the park also pays a portion of childcare costs for all employees.
In the wake of her passing on August 25, Dollywood issued a lengthy statement honoring their “Dreamer-in-Chief.”
“With heavy hearts, the Dollywood family mourns the passing of our beloved Dreamer-in-Chief, Dolly Parton. Everyone at Dollywood shares the sorrow of countless people around the world touched by Dolly’s warmth, wisdom and generous spirit.
Dolly’s heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness—a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams.
‘The greatest privilege of my life has been helping Dolly bring her dreams to life at Dollywood,’ said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. ‘Dolly’s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply. While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates.’
Dolly’s enduring legacy extends beyond her music and generosity to her remarkable work ethic—an inspiration to people everywhere. In her spirit, Dollywood will be open Wednesday as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle — “the show must go on.” Together, we honor her by carrying forward her message of love, perseverance, and hope.
Those wishing to give in honor of Dolly may consider making a gift to the organization she was so deeply passionate about, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”
And Dollywood’s president, Eugene Naughton, announced several additions to honor their legendary founder, including a waterfall that will be added near Robert F. Thomas Chapel, becoming the centerpiece of the tributes added to the park.
According to Yes Weekly, the chapel will also receive new stained-glass windows commissioned to reflect Ecclesiastes 3:1, one of her favorite Bible verses.
Naughton explained that the waterfall next to the chapel was the perfect choice, given Dolly’s long history of wearing her faith on her sleeve throughout her career.
“Water represents life, and I never want people to forget her life. And the chapel’s a perfect place because she wore her heart on her sleeve. So, it made perfect sense to me to make that a permanent tribute area.
Additionally, Dollywood will add another character to the park, the Dream Maker, which will encourage guests to live like Dolly did — dreaming big and lifting others up in the process. Of course, this is an extension/reference to her Imagination Library, which has donated well over 300 million books to children under five years old since its inception in 1995.
Finally, a new entrance will be built for the Dolly Parton Experience museum, and special kiosks will also be located throughout Wildwood Grove, the largest extension of the park, which will allow guests a place to share notes on the impact Dolly made on them throughout their lives.
The additions are set to be finished when Dollywood reopens for the 2027 season in early March.
Hopefully Britney’s able to make another trip to see the new additions soon.
Google News（Whisky 綜合）｜原題：How Did Hank Williams Jr. Get The Nickname “Bocephus?” - Whiskey Riff
美國鄉村音樂巨星Hank Williams Jr.（昵稱Bocephus）的綽號來自其父親Hank Williams。老威廉斯在Grand Ole Opry看到喜劇演員Rod Brasfield的腹語術表演，被其木偶Bocephus所吸引，便用這個名字稱呼年幼的兒子。年幼的Hank Jr.在父親於1953年去世時只有3歲，但這個昵稱一直伴隨他終身，並在其音樂生涯中被廣為人知。
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His name is Bocephus…but why?
Whether you call him Hank Williams Jr., Hank Jr., or an Icon, there’s no denying the impact Bocephus has had on country music.
The son of country music royalty, Hank Jr. got his start at an early age and recorded his first song, his own version of his father’s “Long Gone Lonesome Blues,” when he was just 15 years old. But early on in his career, Hank Jr. struggled to get out from his father’s shadow and blaze his own trail with his own sound, rather than simply singing his father’s songs.
When speaking about this struggle during a 1982 interview, Hank admitted that it was fun for him as a child to follow in his dad’s footsteps, but described it as “hell” when he got older:
“It was fun for the little boy to do Hank Williams, but it was hell for the man.”
In fact it got so bad that he admitted that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to keep going.
Discussing the mental toll that the pressure to follow in the footsteps of his father took on him, Bocephus said that while going through a divorce at the same time, it finally got to be too much:
“My mother, my wife, my manager, everybody was, ‘He’s nuts. Because he’s not gonna be his daddy, he’s nuts.’”
Hank Jr. eventually found the freedom to become his own artist – and his own man – cultivating the outlaw reputation that he’s known for through songs like “Family Tradition,” “Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound,” and of course, “A Country Boy Can Survive.”
He’s also embraced his legendary father though, recording his own versions of some of the biggest Hank Williams songs like “There’s A Tear In My Beer,” “Move It On Over” and “Kaw-Liga.”
But that’s not the only thing he’s embraced from his legendary father: It’s also where he got the nickname “Bocephus” that’s followed him throughout his life.
Many may not even know how Hank Jr. came to be known as Bocephus, but it actually came from his father when he was just a little boy.
Hank Jr. was just 3 years old when his father died on January 1, 1953. But in the time that they had together, the elder Hank called his son “Bocephus” after a ventriloquist dummy used by comedian Rod Brasfield.
Brasfield was a Mississippi native who often poked fun at country life, and was eventually recruited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry by the radio show’s founder, George D. Hay. And it was there that Hank Williams saw his act, and his dummy Bocephus, and adopted the name for his son.
In the late 1940s, Brasfield began performing alongside another Grand Ole Opry star, Minnie Pearl, and also performed with names like June Carter and Elvis Presley.
Here’s one of his routines with Minnie Pearl from the 1950s:
Well obviously the nickname stuck, and has been embraced by Hank Williams Jr. throughout his life and career. In 1975 he released an album simply titled Bocephus, and his 1986 album Montana Cafe featured a song called “My Name Is Bocephus.”
It’s one of the most well-known nicknames in a genre that’s featured artists like The Possum, Shotgun Willie, The Man In Black. And it all started because his father saw a ventriloquist dummy at the Grand Ole Opry.
11th Annual Whiskey Festival
Published: Oct. 8, 2026 at 3:20 PM EDT|Updated: 4 hours ago
ATLANTA, Ga. (ATL Live) -
Atlanta Magazine is hosting its annual Whiskey Festival Saturday, October 17 at Pullman Yards!
Jefferson’s Bourbon shares a sneak peek at what to expect!
Use the promo code: WHISKEYFESTTEN for 10% off tickets.
ATL Live is your home for food, fun and entertainment in Atlanta. As a product of Atlanta News First, ATL Live features live and taped segments with guests, some of which may be sponsored. If you or someone you know is interested in appearing on the show, please email us at info@atlliveshow.com.
Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Golf star Robert MacIntyre risks the wrath of fellow Scots with controversial request about whisky - The Scottish Sun｜僅標題
Google News（Scotch/Distillery）｜原題：Isle of Skye Cigar Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky Review - The Whiskey Wash
（僅標題資訊）The Whiskey Wash 對 Isle of Skye Cigar Reserve 調和蘇格蘭威士忌進行品評。該酒款結合雪莉桶風味特徵，適合尋求經典調和威士忌的消費者。
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Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.
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