The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a special bottling appropriately named Maverick. The definition of a maverick is an unorthodox or independent-minded person. In 1983, Pip Hills founded The SMWS based on an idea that everyone said wouldn’t work. Pip wanted to bottle whisky straight from the cask, unadulterated, […]
A while back I was on a press trip visiting Glenfiddich distillery when their malt master Brian Kinsman mentioned some dogs that work at the distillery. Of course, I’ve previously heard about famous cats like Towser the Mouser who keep distillery buildings mouse-free, but I never really encountered working dogs at distilleries. That gave me […]
The story of Glenfiddich began in the summer of 1886 when William Grant started building his distillery near to the river Fiddich. It had been a dream of his for some time. He quit his job as the manager of Mortlach and decided to make his dreams come true with the help of his wife […]
It is the season for hot toddies, those warming drinks made with hot water, honey, lemon and a good measure of something stronger. Anything from whisky, rum, brandy or even gin. Alcohol has for a long time been used for medicinal purposes. You often hear people say they are going to have a hot toddy […]
The Glenturret is Scotland’s oldest working distillery – the earliest record of it is from 1763. The recent change of ownership really has improved the distillery’s releases and helped to put The Glenturret back on the whisky map. It is finally getting the recognition it deserves rather than being in the shadow of Famous Grouse, […]
Loch Lomond Distillery may not be the most beautiful of distilleries, but it certainly is one of the most intriguing ones in Scotland. Not only do they have their own cooperage on-site, but they are also producing a number of whiskies using several types of stills. There is a lot going on at Loch Lomond, […]
I’ve been enjoying the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s releases for years now, but for some reason it took me quite some time before I managed to visit their Members’ Room and whisky bar in Leith. Finally, earlier this month I paid a visit to the historic venue and, let me tell you, it really is […]
Puni Distillery is the first whisky distillery in Italy. Located in the far north, in the middle of the Alps in the Venosta valley, the distillery can take advantage of the special climate and the pure alpine water. The water is sourced from the nearby Stelvio National Park and the name Puni comes from the […]
Recently, I’ve come across several intriguing, perhaps even a bit unusual, cask finishes on the scotch whisky scene. By playing around with different cask types and sizes, the Master Blender can create layers of flavours. They can use a range of the same casks, for example, different fills of ex-bourbon, or mix and match a […]