I have been reaquainting myself recently with an old literary favourite of mine from many years ago through the joys of the internet, who knew the digital revolution could be so fun?
Garrison Keillor, he of Lake Wobegon fame, now has a podcast of news from Lake Wobegon, and with the little snow we ...
From the Editor
from Issue 70 published on
Faked single malt whisky has once again been making headlines in recent months,we look at what has been going on
The first questionable bottle was an ‘1856, John McWilliam’ bottling of Macallan which was originally part of the Christie’s New York sale (see issue 69). This bottling was one of the allegedly 19th century bottles of Macallan which were subsequently shown to have been faked.
The distiller, which h...
Whisky Fakes
from Issue 70 published on
http://www.whiskyfun.com/war.html
Having been duped, he began to dig a little deeper. On e-Bay he discovered a faker’s paradise where you can buy old bottles, old labels, even capsules and empty cartons, sometimes empty bottles of Macallan Gran Reserva with box. There’s nothing illegal about this, ...
Whisky Fakes
from Issue 70 published on
Following months of scrutiny,much debate and exhaustive rounds of voting, we finally reveal the cream of the crop in the whisky world.
Please see http://www.whiskymag.com/awards/icons_of_whisky/ for full results.
The Icons mark a highlight in the whisky calendar and 2008 is no exception with the quality of companies entering the awards.
The Icons are designed to celebrate the people and places behind the greatest whiskies in the ...
Icons of Whisky 2008
from Issue 70 published on
Once rich in distilleries, Ireland has few left and only one permits visitors. So whisky tourists have to work domainly with museums. Great country to do it though.
No matter how much you might love Irish whiskey, there’s no escaping the fact there is a palpable sadness over the whiskey industry there.
With the exception of Jameson, an increasingly cosmopolitan whiskey and a major world success story, little Irish whiskey crosses its borders.Great Irish brands...
Visitors guide
from Issue 70 published on
For the first time Whisky Magazine decided to honour the Indian whisky industry as part of the Icon awards. We report on the event.
There were an impressive number of entries for the regional Icons from India, announced at a gala event at The ITC Maurya, New Delhi, during the build up to the coveted Icons of Whisky Awards held in London.
Present among the guests were India’s leading industrialists, politicians and society’s ech...
whisky matters
from Issue 70 published on
email the team editorial@whiskymag.com
Star letter - Let’s band together
I particularly liked the article “Loaded” that appeared in Issue 68. Having been a malt enthusiast for a while, I can completely relate to “Kate” who was mentioned in the article. I too started my excursions into malt whisky with a budget of about $40-$50 per bott...
Forum
from Issue 70 published on
The signs are lining up for a good year in 2008 here at Whisky Towers, and in the whisky world at large.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the magazine. Ten years of tasting, whisky facts and fun. I feel quite privileged looking back down the line of illustrious writers who have held the edit...
From the Editor
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
We report from the recent Whisky Live Leiden in the glorious setting of the Pieterskerk
The International Whisky Festival / Whisky Live Leiden which was held for the eighth time already in Holland and for the fourth successive time in the unique surroundings of the Pieterskerk in the heart of Leiden, the oldest university town of Holland,was a great success.
For the second year in a r...
Whisky Live
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
In this issue we decided to focus on the increasing number of premium aged whiskies that are being released and how they are viewed by the drinking public. Who better to give us the answer than Whisky Magazine’s online community at www.whiskymag.com
With the rise in interesting premium aged whiskies, is older necessarily better?
MATTHEW: If I learned one thing at Whisky Live Glasgow, it is that older and more expensive does not always indicate better.
I am referring specifically to one recently released bottling.
At £950 a pop, I was looking...
Round Table
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
Speyside falls in to two halves:that reached by flying in to Inverness,and that reached from Aberdeen.In this issue we take the Aberdeen route.
Approach Speyside from the Aberdeen side of the region and it’s worth making a short detour off to the right and to Old Meldrum.
Here nestled behind an unimpressive housed street is Glen Garioch, a distillery owned by Morrison Bowmore and in something of a no-man’s land.
In recent years it has bee...
Visitors guide
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
In an epic tasting we tackle the entire family cask range, Rob Allanson reports.
It was an ambitious undertaking, both for the distillery and Whisky Magazine.
Family owned Glenfarclas Distillery launched The Family Casks, an exclusive collection of 43 vintage dated single cask Highland malts.
The series is unique, there is no other known collection of old and rare whiskies tha...
Tastings
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
Throughout 2007 Diageo has been matching its whiskies with food from countries including Spain and India. For the final event of the year the destination was Milan.
Of all the subjects that can be linked to whisky the one most likely to divide opinion is that of food.While some are adamant that malt whisky will never sit comfortably next to the main course on the dinner table, others argue that the quality of good Scotch and its array of flavours make it an ide...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
email the team editorial@whiskymag.com
Star Letter
While reading some of your articles on Laphroaig I came across Bessie Williamson’s name whom I knew many years ago ( I used to stay in Laphroaig ) but I can’t remember Ian Henderson.
Back in 1966 I believe my grandfather Tom Anderson was acting manager my father also Tom was mashing, ...
Forum
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
Well I am not sure about how the weather is with you, but here at Whisky Towers the faint hopes of any summer, Indian or not, have been dashed by cold, damp days and some startlingly crystal clear, cold night.
Why do I mention this? Well like changing clothes it’s time to shift everything round in ...
From the Editor
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
This edition we present the Icons of Whisky for America.
Where better than to hold an awards lunch to honour our American winners than in bourbon’s heartland,Kentucky.
The venue was the wonderful Bourbon’s Bistro in Louisville,and the staff there went above the call of duty to open the restaurant for Whisky Magazine out of hours.
The Icons mark a highli...
Icons of Whisky
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
New venue,different time of the year and some fresh new features made for another great show in Glasgow.
The world’s premier whisky tasting show,Whisky Live visited Glasgow for the fourth time this weekend and sales boomed at more than 3,000 visitors, a 20 per cent increase on last year.
Held in its great new venue, the SECC, visitors were eager to learn about the secrets of the amber nectar at the on...
Whisky Live
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
The Toronto event goes from strength to strength. We report on the second gathering in Canada’s largest city.
Whisky Live Toronto, held in October in Constitution Hall at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was nothing short of a resounding success.
In only its second year,Whisky Live attracted more than 800 whisky-lovers for an evening of fine food, Highland dancers, Bagpipers, music, and of course more t...
Whisky Live
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
After our Icons of Whisky America lunch we decided not to waste the opportunity of having some of the finest bourbon makers in one place.
PANEL
Greg Davis – Barton Brands
Larry Kass – Heaven Hill
Nick Nelson –Woodford Reserve
Fred Noe – Jim Beam
Dave Pickerell – Maker’s Mark
Jim Rutledge – Four Roses
Julian Van Winkle – Old Rip Van Winkle
Preston Van Winkle – Old Rip Van Winkle
How the industry is shaping up?
JIM
For the f...
Round Table
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
Four years after it opened the Maker's Mark Bourbon House and Lounge is an island of quality in a sea of garish neon. Our man took refuge there.
Louisville’s Fourth Street is a disturbing glance in to a nightmare future. It serves as a reminder as to what might happen if the anti-alcohol lobby across the world gets its way and starts to introduce cultural apartheid in our city centres.
Louisville is, of course, the capital of Kentucky, the ...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
Email the team editorial@whiskymag.com
Star letter - Japanese influence
I recently attended the Whisky Live show in Glasgow where I picked up a copy of your magazine. After having tried and bought a bottle of Suntory’s Yamazaki whisky I was interested to read the article in your magazine (issue 67) “Land of the Rising Sun”.
I was fortu...
Forum
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
Sometimes it’s funny you know. After sitting watching companies sending out their new offerings into the wider world, the shoe is now on the other foot.
I think I now have a greater understanding of the time taken when bringing out a new whisky, relaunching or even repackaging an old favourite. The...
From the Editor
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
The fourth Whisky Live Paris saw an incredible gathering of rare and exciting drams,we find out more
The theme of Whisky Live Paris 2007 focused on rarity and exception, each stand presenting a ‘collector’ to be sampled by the visitors.
A prestigious gathering indeed: 50 old bottles or very limited releases including blends, single malts and a few bourbons.
The oldest was a blend, a Ballantine’s ...
Whisky Live
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
This issue we decided to focus on and how they are viewed by the drinking public. We put two questions to Whisky Magazine’s online community at www.whiskymag.com to see what they thought.
PANEL
Paul Allison, Edinburgh,UK
Joe Casazza,Bellmore,USA
Tim Hain,Reigate,UK
Are blends making the whisky world more accessible for beginners and why?
PAUL ALLISON Yes, blends are making the whisky world more accessible both in terms of broadening it’s appeal and allowing innovation and exper...
Round Table
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
My father is a whisky collector and we also have a whisky shop.Some time ago I was in touch with you regarding whisky bottles,now I would like your advice again.We have a client who wants to buy whisky as a investment.
He doesn’t intend to be a collector as he does not understand about whisky and h...
Questions and Answers
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
Using his knowledge and passion for wine,whisky maker John Hall is creating one of the most iconic Canadian brands, Rob Allanson went to find out why.
Nestled between the southern shore of Lake Ontario and the majestic backdrop of the Niagara Escarpment, in the town of Grimsby lies the compact and bijoux Kittling Ridge distillery.
When you take a tour with John, it’s a little like stepping into Doctor Who’s Tardis – small on the outside and seemi...
Distillery Focus
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
Change is certainly in the air in deepest Ross-shire, we investigate further
The 16 men of Tain have certainly been busy in their quiet isolation, until with all the pomp and circumstance befitting an elder statesman of the whisky world, Glenmorangie has unveiled its new look.
New bottles, new liquid and a new Pictish inspired logo have been rolled out by this stalwart of a...
Glenmorangie
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
We chat to two of Beam Global’s top men, CEO and President TomFlocco and seventh generation master distiller Fred Noe
How did you get involved in the business?
Tom: I became involved through Fortune Brands and worked with mergers and acquisitions getting to know how brands are built and grown. An opportunity came up to move across to the spirits side and its been as terrific ride since then. I have been Beam CEO s...
Whisky Interview
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
Now in its 16th year, this annual event has become the gathering for bourbon fans. Rob Allanson went to find out more.
Now the crown jewel of the recently titled National Bourbon Heritage Month, It’s a pilgrimage you should make at least once as a bourbon lover.
Once you have made that taxi ride from Louisville airport into Bardstown – the heart of the festival – everything you could imagine is there from vintage b...
Kentucky Bourbon Festival
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
Rob reflects on the events of the last couple of months
Well I had so much to share in this column this time round. The time between my ramblings has been pretty packed.
The summer has been peppered with firsts, not just me but for my daughter as well – her first long haul flight and dip in the pacific.
My string of firsts started with a tasting of the...
From the Editor
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
The whisky world has paid tribute to one of its biggest supporters – Michael Jackson–long time Whisky Magazinecontributor,author,journalist and towering authority on whisky and beer. Here is a selection from the forum and received directly by the Editor
The first memory of Michael? On the (then new) Channel 4. AYorkshireman presenting a series on beer?! It was captivating, not just because of the subject matter, but of how he avoided the pretentiousness which is still the default setting for drinks broadcasting. He couldn’t have done pretentious if...
Musings with Michael Jackson
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
In order to toast their sell out Beat The Drum event held at Loch Ness recently, Scottish super group Runrig got together with award-winning whisky merchant Duncan Taylor of Huntly to create a special commemorative malt.
The day long, Beat The Drum event blended music with a particularly Highland f...
whisky news
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Highland Park is investing morethan £550,000 to replace the two pagoda roofs at its Grade B listed distillery in Kirkwall, Orkney.
A well-known sight synonymous with Scotch whisky distilleries, although few are still used for the production of single malt whisky, the pagoda roofs at Highland Park d...
Whiskky News
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
New York bids again
Liquor connoisseurs will soon be able to bid on rare distilled spirits from around the globe at auctions in New York, legalized recently by Governor Eliot Spitzer, according to the Distilled Spirits Council, which lobbied for the bill.
Christie’s, the world’s leading art busine...
Whiskky News
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Glenmorangie has unveiled its new image and liquid marking the biggest change in the brand’s history to date.
The new comtemporary identity includes the introduction of bespoke bottle shapes, new labels and packaging.
However this is not just a repack. Whisky lovers will be pleased to discover the...
Whiskky News
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Kichoman, Islay’s Farm Distillery, is offering individuals the opportunity to secure bottles from the very first release of Kilchoman 5 year old Single Malt.
To find out more about this unique opportunity go to www.kilchomandistillery.com and click on the ‘Futures’ link to download the offer leafle...
Whiskky News
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Buffalo Trace Distillery has another round experimental whiskies ready for release. Two more barrels have been selected and bottled from among the 1,500 experiments currently aging.
Buffalo Trace Distillery has been experimenting for more than 18 years in an attempt to make the perfect whiskey. Som...
Whiskky News
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Andrew Derbidge pulls up a seat at a very prestigious Ardbeg meal
Imagine you’re an Ardbeg fan. Imagine you’d spent years wanting to taste all the rare, highly collectible vintage bottlings but their scarcity and cost put them beyond your reach. Now imagine there was an event where all these ultra-rare bottlings would be set out on the table for you to taste and c...
Whisky Spotlight
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Pulteney takes some getting to but there’s plenty to fall in love with if you make the effort. Dominic Roskrow reports
Welcome to the Badlands. The wild North. So far North in fact that you to get here you have to out-Highland the Highlands, passing along a breath-taking route with mountainous beauty to your left, coastal beauty to your right until the land flattens once more and you cross Scotland’s equivalent of t...
Distillery Focus
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Canada’s whisky industry is a pale imitation of what it once was. But if you’re thinking of visiting its distilleries be prepared for a lot of travel – its few remaining distilleries are spread right across this huge nation.
Canada has probably produced whisky since the 1760s, with early distillati...
Regional Focus
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Rob Allanson talks to Fraser Dunlop,head of liquor,tobacco,food and tax free items for World Duty Free
The airport retail environment is becoming increasingly different from a shopping centre,except of course for the captivity and excitability of its audience.Hence,Fraser Dunlop’s appointment at the end of last year bringing with him a great deal of high street expertise to World Duty Free,BAA’s (Bri...
Whisky conversations
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Seafood and whisky have often been tipped as near perfect partners, but at Jura Lodge this love match is intensified. Rob Allanson takes two planes, a bus and ferry to find out more.
Now it has had an internal make over courtesy of chic French designer Bambi Sloan into an exclusive luxury retreat for true whisky aficionados, Jura Lodge, which sits next to the eponymous distillery, has opened its doors offering the ultimate in seafood weekends.
For the inaurgaral gathering I fou...
Whisky and Food
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
By launching a wood finish bourbon Kentucky’s Labrot & Graham is merely honouring a long tradition of innovation at the distillery. Our man reports
Does whisky have to evolve, change even, to secure a future? The debate is common to all three of the great traditional whisky markets in Scotland, Ireland and America. And it’s one that is regularly reassessed and reconsidered in all three countries.
On one side of the argument are the traditional...
American whiskey
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Whisky and sailing goes well together,as Rob Allanson found out when he took to the high seas with the Bunnahabhain crew
I didn’t really have to be press ganged on to the boat, this big, white, lovely looking thing moored at Rhu on the Firth of Clyde.
Who would not jump at the opportunity to watch the World Centennial 8m Sailing Championships from the comfort of a luxury yacht with some great company and some crackin...
Whisky Spotlight
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Rob takes a quiet night with a jazz legend to reflect on what whisky can mean
For this column I had wanted to return to rambling on about my recent trip to the United States, the various gems I discovered out there and the wisdom gleaned from spending several days in a magnificent tour bus with a great bunch of journalists – but something hijacked my train of thought a few ni...
From the Editor
from Issue 65 published on 20/07/2007
With the whisky industry becoming increasing part of large global corporations we decided to look at
how ownership is viewed by the drinkers. We put two questions to Whisky Magazine’s online community at www.whiskymag.com. The first looked at whether the size of the company influenced a whisky’s flavour,availability and price;and whether the nationality of that company had any influence on the whisky
PANEL
BA Bruce D Allen,Massachusetts,USA
NB Nick Brown,Isle of Lewis,UK
KG Kenneth Graham, Perthshire,UK
SH Adrian Phelan,Galway,Ireland
1. Does the size of the company that owns your favourite whisky influence its flavour, availability and price?
AP: I would have to say yes of course it does...
Round Table
from Issue 65 published on 20/07/2007
Rob Allanson takes an educational trip through America’s whiskey heartland
There seems to be something built in to the human condition that predisposes us to explore, seek out more knowledge and discover what is over the horizon.
I think this is why you find all sorts of trails across the world, whether it be just a simple walking tour of a particularly nice or historic n...
Whisky Journeys
from Issue 65 published on 20/07/2007
The weeks have been just packed with liquid treasures and some great memories since I last sat down to write my column.
A string of airport lounges, hotel rooms and copy filed from foreign climes has all filled the last few months.
Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington, New York, Glasgow, Campbeltown, S...
From the Editor
from Issue 64 published on 01/06/2007
With so much discussion going on at the moment about innovation,we decided to ask members of the whiskymag.com forum for their views
PANEL
PA Paul Allison,Edinburgh,UK
NB Nick Brown,Isle of Lewis,UK
PH Peter Hall,Kenora,Canada
SH Sion Hannuna,Bristol,UK
SL Simon Lewis,Penticton,Canada
CW Christopher Watkin,Grantham,UK
1. Where do you think whisky will go next?
SH: There has already been so much innovation in single malts of lat...
Round Table
from Issue 64 published on 01/06/2007
There is a revolution happening and whisky is at the cutting edge. We find out more
The revival of the cocktail scene has really taken hold in the trendy bars and clubs across the world, and whisky and bourbon have fast become the premier ingredient for many bartenders – or mixologists as they are known.
A cocktail is essentially a mix of two or more ingredients, one of which must...
Whisky Cocktails
from Issue 64 published on 01/06/2007
You don't tend to think of Glasgow and Edinburgh when it comes to whisky. But if you dig about a bit and travel over to Campbeltown to the west there is plenty to enjoy
We have a map hanging up at home that shows Scotland’s distilleries, but it is hopelessly out of date. It is one of malt whisky’s greatest ironies that while the liquid requires a great investment in time, the distilleries open, close and change hands faster than a poker player changes cards.
So th...
Visitor Guides
from Issue 64 published on 01/06/2007
America’s east coast metropolis braced itself for the greatest whisky show on earth
New York’s annual celebration of the world’s finest whiskies rolled in to town recently complete with a smart new venue.
The prestigious Pier Sixty, jutting out in the Hudson River, hosted this gathering of malts, blends, bourbons and whiskeys.
Held during Tartan Week, with this most iconic of cit...
Whisky Live
from Issue 64 published on 01/06/2007
Rob Allanson ponders that eternal question:what’s your favourite?
Well I am not sure what the weather is like where you are reading this, but here in Norfolk the seasons are turning again.
Gone is that gloomy, damp, slightly chilly winter that never really amounted to much, apart from a few days snow.
I know some of you in the States had some pretty drastic ice ...
From the Editor
from Issue 63 published on 20/04/2007
There have been several high profile repackaging of famous brands recently. We are beginning to see
more attention paid to bottle shapes and presentation boxes. We decided to ask members of the
WhiskyMag.com what was catching their eye on the shelves and why.
Panel
KW Keith Wood, Markt Schwaben,Germany
KG Kenneth Graham Crieff, UK
MM Michael Medve Emeryville, USA
PM Pierre Mullin Fredericton, Canada
Does packaging affect how the customer views a brand?
KW: At the moment the whisky industry is enjoying a real boom period which is forecast to not on...
Whisky Debate
from Issue 63 published on 20/04/2007
More than 150 whiskies, three rounds of judging and there can be only five...we reveal the winners
See our main awards page at http://www.whiskymag.com/awards/wwa/
Whisky Magazine Panel
Rob Allanson
Thierry Benitah
Dave Broom
Charles Maclean
Annabel Meikle
Martine Nouet
Dominic Roskrow
Keir Sword
The quest is a theme often found in literature and when we set off on our whisky quest the...
Whisky Awards
from Issue 63 published on 20/04/2007
Inspired by a 4,000 year old Pictish standing stone overlooking the distillery,the new Balblair range is bound to
set pulses racing. We find out what’s been going on
It takes a lot of guts to change direction, even if your instincts tell you it is the right decision.
For years whisky connoisseurs had been bowled over by Balblair’s venerable offerings, such as the 38 Years Old. But overnight all has changed and now the emperor has new clothes and new liquid to b...
Whisky Tasting
from Issue 63 published on 20/04/2007
The greatest shows on earth. We provide an overview of Whisky Live in London and Tokyo
The historic city of London, birthplace of a nation, bathed in the most glorious sunshine, was the backdrop for this year’s Whisky Live event.
The world’s premier whisky tasting show, held in the Royal Horticultural Halls, was packed with enthusiasts eager to sample the latest and greatest offering...
Whisky Live
from Issue 63 published on 20/04/2007
Rob Allanson dips his toe in the world whisky waters.
There have been several things recently that have brought home just how vast the whisky fraternity is, as well as how passionate and friendly connoisseurs, recent devotees and the industry can be.
I helped unload and prepare the samples for the first round of our World Whiskies Awards, and surround...
From the Editor
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
The Benromach name will take to the high seas this year as whisky producer Gordon & MacPhail backs the Glasgow crew competing in this year’s Round the World Yacht Race.
Speaking about its involvement with the Clipper 07-08, Gordon & MacPhail director Michael Urquhart said: “We are delighted to be i...
Whisky News
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
Four Roses Bourbon and Rocky Balboa have a lot in common. They’re both well-aged winners with a lot of fans. And now they’ve crossed paths in the latest Rocky Balboa movie.
Four Roses Yellow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is used in the movie during a scene between Rocky, the retired heavyweight...
Whisky News
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
Glenrothes loss
Tributes have poured in for John Sutherland distillery manager of Glenrothes who died recently.
Luke Tegner, Glenrothes brand director said: “John was taken into hospital, initially to Elgin then to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. He went home at the end of the week, apparently never reall...
Whisky News
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
She blazed a trail that many women in whisky have followed, but a chance discovery has shed more light on a woman who is still a legend in the whisky world.
These previously unseen photographs offer a unique window in to the life and times of one of the first ladies of Scotland’s whisky industry - ...
Whisky News
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
The Jack Daniel’s Distillery, the famed Tennessee Distillery has unveiled a new bottle for its twice mellowed premium whiskey, Gentleman Jack.
But they were quick to point out one thing that has not and will not change: the whiskey.
The redesigned Gentleman Jack glass bottle features a slimmer pro...
Whisky News
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
Kilchoman, Islay’s farm distillery, has launched miniatures of its ‘New Spirit’ which can be bought at the distillery shop or on line at www.kilchomandistillery.com.
Jim Swan, production consultant to Kilchoman comments: “This is the best new spirit I have ever tasted. It has a strong but not overp...
Whisky News
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
Macallan has unveiled a £1 million development on its estate, Rob Allanson went to investigate
One thing that is impossible to escape from when you stroll up at Macallan is that fact that the place oozes class.
It is everywhere from the sumptuous setting of Easter Elchies House to the immaculate still house. But most importantly with the spirit itself.
However all this aside there is one gu...
Visitor Guides
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
With a few changes to previous years' events, the Icons of Whisky 2007 shows what a broad church the whisky community is. Rob Allanson reports
There have been long and exhaustive voting rounds to draw up the Icons of Whisky this year, with much debate over each category.
If truth be told there are only really three things that are important in the whisky business, people, product and place.
When you blend these things together you get th...
Icons of Whisky
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
Mid terms,football games and musicians, Rob Allanson takes a voyage of discovery in to bourbon country
I recently took my first trip out to Kentucky.
Bourbon is having such a good run with sales rocketing and the industry straining to keep up with increased demand.
My visit coincided with several big events, and as a writer it is always interesting to be in a different country when something major ...
From the Editor
from Issue 61 published on 19/01/2007
The Blue Grass Cooperage is one of the major barrel making companies in the United States, Rob Allanson took a tour
Opening the door to the work floor and you get hit with this wall of noise and a great smell of oak.
The Blue Grass cooperage is an exceptionally busy place churning out high quality American white oak barrels which end up filled with Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels among other spirits.
The 185 ...
Whisky Production
from Issue 61 published on 19/01/2007
Cigar whiskies to go with a good smoke have become popular,we have a look at some of the best.
It is one of those classic silver screen moments. The bar doors flap closed behind him and the dusty clothed baddie enters the bar ready to pick his fight.
A chiselled jawed and weather beaten Eastwood squints over his hand of cards at the stranger, puts his drink down and quietly readies his gun.
...
Whisky and Cigars
from Issue 61 published on 19/01/2007
We look at the region of Speyside round about Inverness
Every whisky enthusiast knows the importance of the Speyside region to the production of Scotch single malt whisky. And even quite casual whisky drinkers know of the iconic distilleries at The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and The Macallan.
But Speyside can be a funny place. It’s served by different airpo...
Visitor Guides
from Issue 61 published on 19/01/2007
Are we getting old or is it really the case that most of the great album music is coming from older guys? Our man looks at Golden Smog’s Another Fine Day
Well what the hell was all that about? 2006 – a year when British bands produced some of the best power pop singles you’re ever likely to hear but the great albums all came from the American pensioner party.
Peruse just about any music magazine’s albums of the year and you’ll find a posse of old fo...
Whisky and Music
from Issue 61 published on 19/01/2007
Every year Whisky Magazine holds the Icons of Whisky, the international awards recognising the very best in the whisky industry
There are only really three things that are important in the whisky business,people, product and place.
With these things you get the passion,craft and history behind every drop of the good stuff.
To celebrate the people and places behind the whiskies you enjoy,the Icons of Whisky was launched six...
Icons of Whisky
from Issue 61 published on 19/01/2007
Some months are just packed with events you just want to savour,says Rob Allanson
Well an incredible amount has happened since the last issue of Whisky Magazine hit the stands.
There has been a lot of what you could call ‘malt moments’.
The first, and most life changing, has to be that I have joined the great fatherhood club.
Not the only birth in the whisky world as Scott Dav...
From the Editor
from Issue 60 published on 10/11/2006
Friday 13th October proved lucky for the Master Distillers and exhibitors who poured in to Via Allegro Restaurant in the heart of Toronto. Via Allegro, awarded the Whisky Magazine ‘Great Whisky of the World’ accolade, became
home to the official launch of the first Whisky Live Toronto. With more than 650 whiskies , no finer whisky shrine could have been chosen to open the show. With a magnificent eight course meal, hosted by owner Phil
Sabatino and presented by Joesph Cassidy, Whisky Live Toronto got off to the very best of starts.
Heritage Court in Exhibition Place was transformed in to a whisky lovers paradise on Saturday 14 October.
Whisky Live came to Toronto for its first visit and presented an international array of whiskies to more than 750 visitors.
Any country that can have 70 degree Fahrenheit temperatures on one d...
Whisky Live
from Issue 60 published on 10/11/2006
Recently we launched a new scheme to honour the world’s best whisky bars. As this exciting scheme has grown form strength to strength Whisky Magazine has been inundated with more suggestions.
Here are the latest recipients of these prestigious awards – congratulations to all of them.
Allen’s, Toronto, Canada
Ballygrant Inn & Restaurant,
Isle of Islay, Scotland
Bar & Cigar, Oslo, Norway
Brasserie del Camaleonte, Paratico, Italy
Brooks Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
Buchanan’s, Calgary, Canada
En...
Great whisky bars
from Issue 60 published on 10/11/2006
It ‘s a big world out there,new Editor Rob Allanson ponders the view
So here it is, my first column at the helm of Whisky Magazine and what a time to take the reins.
The industry is incredibly buoyant with some cracking whiskies being released, so a very exciting time to step up to the plate.
I intend to use this column to share some of the excitement as I make my ...
From the Editor
from Issue 59 published on 11/10/2006
Blending is about combining ingredients that stand the test of time,Rob Allanson finds out more
They say it’s a little like conducting a symphony orchestra, when it all comes together you can be swept off your feet.
The art of the blender has always been a fascinating one, how you keep some of the world’s most recognisable brands tasting the same time after time.
With a blend consisting of a...
Whisky Blends
from Issue 59 published on 11/10/2006
In this issue we look at how other spirits have far more flexibility to experiment and are therefore able to reinvent themselves to appeal to new drinkers,and ask is this damaging the future of whisky?
Panel
Alex Turner, Woodford Reserve (AT)
John Glaser, Compass Box (JG)
Richard Paterson, Whyte and Mackay (RP)
Q:Scotch whisky is bound by some pretty tough rules when it comes to production. Are these in essence right, or should there be scope for more flexibility?
AT: As with all things con...
Whisky Debate
from Issue 58 published on 30/08/2006
Hayseed Dixie mix heavy metal with bluegrass music to novel effect.And as his name implies,the band’s frontman Barleycorn Scotch enjoys a whisk(e)y too.Rob Allanson joined him for a tipple
For many the twin poles of malt whisky and bourbon are about as far apart as you can get.
Taste, ingredients, climate for maturing, and water chemistry all make for two different drinks, and there are some people in each camp that cannot stomach the other side’s chosen beverage.
Yet, as often happ...
American Whiskey
from Issue 57 published on 21/07/2006
Whisky Live London attracted a new audience this year. Rob Allanson reports
Whisky Live London moved to a larger venue this year and attracted more people than ever before.
With more than 2,000 people passing through the doors, it has become the biggest show of its type held in the country.
Following the Icons of Whisky awards, the show opened its doors in the Horticultur...
Whisky Live
from Issue 56 published on 01/06/2006
In the latest in our series,Rob Allanson looks to bourbon country
From the hills and hollows of eastern Kentucky through the rolling bluegrass of its heartland to the massive lakes and flatlands of the west, Kentucky has much to offer, although for the bourbon aficionado it is truly Mecca.
Most of the mouth watering brands are based in this pretty county, and tak...
Visitor Guides
from Issue 55 published on 14/04/2006
Glengorm Castle is becoming a remote whisky paradise. Rob Allanson visited it
There are several elements that go in to making a memorable night in a whisky bar – but Glengorm Castle is just a little bit more special.
Whether it is the romantic, windswept landscape, the dramatic castle, log fire and comfy leather armchair surroundings or just the owners’ down to earth hospita...
Whisky Spotlight
from Issue 54 published on 03/03/2006
Social poker nights both at home or at style bars and clubs have been the fad trend of 2005 – and whisky has been the drink of choice. Rob Allanson reports
Think of poker and it stirs up images of either suave casinos or dirty smokefilled back rooms: the tuxedoed Monte Carlo high life of James Bond, or seedy, salacious danger-tinged impromptu card schools.
Both images of the game are as valid as each other as they have played integral parts in the dev...
Whisky Trends
from Issue 53 published on 12/01/2006
Jamie Forbes is Albannach’s young, gifted and enthusiastic bar manager, and he’s bringing malt whisky to a younger audience. Rob Allanson spoke to him
As he settles into one of Albannach’s comfortable sofas, and talks to you about his passion for whisky, you realise that the future of whisky is safe in this 22-year-old Scotman’s hands.
Jamie Forbes is fast becoming whisky’s crusader with his innovative cocktails and enthusiasm for the spirit.
Cu...
Whisky Profile
from Issue 53 published on 12/01/2006
