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 ...
By Rob Allanson
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...
By Rob Allanson
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 ...
By Rob Allanson
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...
By Rob Allanson
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...
By Rob Allanson
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...
By Rob Allanson
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...
By Rob Allanson
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 ...
By Rob Allanson
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...
By Rob Allanson
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 ...
By Rob Allanson
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...
By Rob Allanson
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 ...
By Rob Allanson
from Issue 59 published on 11/10/2006
Dominic Roskrowis leaving the building. Here he says goodbye after four years as Editor
I’ve spent a great deal of time in recent weeks pondering where whisky might go in the future. Much of this thinking has been prompted by the fact that wherever whisky’s going I need to go too, because I am leaving full time employment as editor of Whisky Magazine, and my future in whisky will lie i...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 58 published on 30/08/2006
Rampaging huntsmen,under-achieving daleks,lots of whisky.Whatever’s going on, asks Dominic Roskrow
I am standing at the edge of a paddock, surrounded by people. In front of me a man in green hunting costume is grappling with a large fox hound.
Other huntsmen in red are running around in panic in the sun, after hunting dogs that having been deprived of foxes for some time now, have gone berserk a...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 57 published on 21/07/2006
The whisky industry seems to be rising to the challenge of attracting new drinkers while keeping the experts happy says
Dominic Roskrow
In the distillery focus in this issue, Ian Buxton describes how Glengoyne has introduced a half day tour which includes a blending class and the chance to make your own blended whisky.
It costs £100 but I bet it’s a big success. Why?
Because it’s just the latest logical progression in a trend that...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 56 published on 01/06/2006
Plans to ban drinking from a glass in pubs and clubs in Scotland are wrong,says Dominic Roskrow
Once upon a time the drinks trade went through a quiet stage just after Christmas until Spring, and again for a month during summer. No more.
Such is the success of whisky at the moment that it’s not just a case of 24/7 but 31/12, too.
Even February seemed to have 31 days. And after a period of se...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 55 published on 14/04/2006
Dominic Roskrow considers what the long term effects of an increased demand for whisky might be
Chuck Cowdery’s feature in this issue raises a very important question: is it possible for at least some whisk(e)y to run out due to an increased demand for it?
It would have been an unthinkable scenario just a few years ago when the industry feared for the future of strong brown spirits. And even ...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 54 published on 03/03/2006
When you think of poker, what is the dominant image before you?
I ask because when we were discussing the cover story, one of the team talked of smoke-filled rooms, male only events where the players wore open-necked shirts and played all night, the stakes rising at the same pace as the tension – a...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 53 published on 12/01/2006
As we enter 2006, China and the environment are going to be key issues for the world of whisky
If 2005 was a roller coaster year for whisky, strap yourself in for the ride of your life in the next 12 months.
It’s shaping up to be a stormer, as a whole host of producers step up their game and we start to feel the fall-out from the Allied Domecq sell off and the race is on among a whole raft o...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 52 published on 30/11/2005
Are whisky drinkers getting the sort of service standards they – and the product – deserves? Not according to Dominic Roskrow they’re not.And enough’s enough
There are a few things that really get my goat, but two of them relate to the way whisky is presented to customers in top hotels, bars and restaurants.
Number one is when a supposedly top establishment has a whisky list which is shorter than the list of strikers at Chelsea football club.
You’ve ha...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 51 published on 07/10/2005
Onwards and upwards,says Dominic Roskrow,as Whisky Magazine gets a new look
There’s always a temptation when you hit a milestone to sit back and participate in some indulgent back-slapping. But it says much about the healthy state of the world of whisky that I have to say that quite frankly we just don’t have the time to.
Fifty issues is an impressive number, given the fac...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 50 published on 09/09/2005
Perhaps it’s because of what we British call the ‘silly season’, but over the summer months I seem to get a larger than normal number of calls from national journalists wanting to write about whisky.
This has always intrigued me because you’d expect the winter months to stir up the urge to write ab...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 49 published on 15/07/2005
Whisper it quietly, but right across the planet a low-key revolution is taking place. Wherever I travel – Havana, New York, London, and er, Cromer, whisky enthusiasts are meeting to share, taste and discuss whisky.
Now I know that this is the way it has always been. But the tendency has spread way ...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 48 published on 10/06/2005
Judging by the conversations I’ve been having at Whisky Live London and New York the ‘blended malts’ debate is going to run and run.
In this issue the Scotch Whisky Association has replied to my editorial in issue 46, and our round table debate also addresses the subject. I said pretty much all I w...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 47 published on 05/04/2005
When is a blend, not a blend? When it’s a vatted malt.
When is a blend, not a blend? When it’s a vatted malt. For the Scotch Whisky Association has decided that the best way to end the confusion over definitions of various styles of whisky is to redefine ‘vatted malt Scotch whisky’ as ‘blended malt Scotch whisky’. This is to distinguish them from ‘blend...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 46 published on 10/3/2005
Of all the events that this job involves, the Best of the Best tasting is among my favourites.
Of all the events that this job involves, the Best of the Best tasting is among my favourites.
This is whisky at the coalface: an ambitious and logistically impressive affair that unites the world of whisky – literally – and really does celebrate all that is great about the spirit.
The Best of the...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 45 published on 21/1/2005
Glenmorangie House lies some seven or eight miles from the distillery, and driving up to it on a dark and windy night is like driving back in time.
We arrive late, and already guests are coming down for dinner and meeting for drinks in a spacious and stylish lounge. It is like walking on to the se...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 44 published on 25/11/2004
As low points go, the conversation I had with a senior person at Glenmorangie on the day the sale of the company was announced is up there.
As low points go, the conversation I had with a senior person at Glenmorangie on the day the sale of the company was announced is up there.
It wasn’t the subject matter that was so upsetting. It was when I put my foot in it and said that word about the imminent sale had been out for about a week. A...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 43 published on 23/10/2004
I’m not one for snobbery, pretentiousness or elitism. Can’t stand it. But if I’ve learned anything over the last few years it’s that you get what you pay for and that quality comes at a cost.
I’m not one for snobbery, pretentiousness or elitism. Can’t stand it. But if I’ve learned anything over the last few years it’s that you get what you pay for and that quality comes at a cost.
Let me explain; before I arrived here I spent 10 years working away from home and dragging a travel bag – m...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 42 published on 3/9/2004
Only one thing: they drank my entire bottle of Laphroaig
A colleague of mine recently decided to hold a whisky tasting for some non-whisky drinking friends. He presented them with four whiskies covering a range of tastes, and when he came back to work on the Monday I asked him how it went.
“Great,” he said. “They all said they didn’t like whisky at first...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 41 published on 16/7/2004
Time is relative, and in the whisky industry you are reminded so regularly.
In a world where years and decades define the product, 20 months is no time at all. But even so, I was surprised on a recent trip toIslay to be described as the new editor of this magazine on no less than three occasions.
In fact I have now edited a third of all editions of this magazine, and at Is...
By Dominic Roskrow
from Issue 40 published on 4/6/2004
Nothing lasts forever. Look at the England rugby team’s unbeaten record at Twickenham (fortunately, I couldn’t watch Ireland break England’s
winning streak as I was at Whisky Live). Look at Cardhu Pure Malt.
Well, another constant coming to an end is my tenure at Whisky Magazine. It is with a tear ...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 39 published on 1/5/2004
Spring: the season of fecundity, rebirth and renewal. And, of course, Whisky Live in London. The merry-go-round begins again. Today London and, in two weeks time, whisky events in San Francisco and Copenhagen. Then comes the season of festivals on Speyside and on Islay.
Spring: the season of fecundity, rebirth and renewal. And, of course, Whisky Live in London. The merry-go-round begins again. Today London and, in two weeks time, whisky events in San Francisco and Copenhagen. Then comes the season of festivals on Speyside and on Islay.
Those who read the magazine ...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 38 published on 7/4/2004
Oddly enough, unlike the 1,000 or so visitors, I did not get the opportunity to taste much at Whisky Live in Tokyo (see review pages 16-17). However, those precious few whiskies I did manage to sample were fascinating.
Oddly enough, unlike the 1,000 or so visitors, I did not get the opportunity to taste much at Whisky Live in Tokyo (see review pages 16-17). However, those precious few whiskies I did manage to sample were fascinating.
The Dave Broom Suntory Masterclass was extraordinary for many reasons: I was a P...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 37 published on 23/2/2004
Welcome to a landmark issue. A milestone. When Whisky Magazine was launched there were many blinkered sceptics – you know who you are – who asked “what on earth will you find to write about? Is there enough to regularly fill a magazine?”
Welcome to a landmark issue. A milestone. When Whisky Magazine was launched there were many blinkered sceptics – you know who you are – who asked “what on earth will you find to write about? Is there enough to regularly fill a magazine?”
Well, with the combined support of our loyal readers and the ...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 36 published on 28/12/2003
As I write, the football season in the UK has just come to a close. Which prompts me to ask a question. Is Highland Distillers to whisky what
Manchester United are to European football’s Champions League? Diageo is Real Madrid. Its attacking heart comprises Raul (Cragganmore: great all-rounder with ...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 32 published on 13/7/2003
The best way to sell booze is, in my opinion, to let people try it. However, because of the potency of our chosen spirit, sampling needs to take place under controlled circumstances. And let’s not forget that the current vogue for whisky events would never have been possible without the
great whisky...
By Mairi MacDonald
from Issue 27 published on 16/11/2002
At last this year’s worst kept secret in whisky can be revealed. Andrew Symington has purchased Edradour Distillery from Chivas Brothers. The major frustration of publishing is that of schedules and deadlines. At the risk of sounding smug, Whisky Magazine was closer to this deal than
anyone else (as...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 26 published on 16/10/2002
Regular readers of this magazine are no doubt aware that, if they have the cash to hand, there are distilleries out there simply waiting for a decent offer.
This has manifested itself in several well-documented distillery purchases, of which Ardbeg and Bruichladdich are but two. At the time of wr...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 25 published on 16/8/2002
Should you be scanning the illustration on the cover of this issue looking for your home country, please don’t take offence if it is not there. It’s a cartoon and does not, therefore, bear excessive geographical examination. Similarly, don’t take offence if the caricature is unjust – that’s the whol...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 24 published on 16/7/2002
Spring is here. It must be as the various Distillery Managers, Master Distillers and Master Blenders have been dusted down after their winter hibernation in preparation for the first round of festivals and events. First stop was Whisky Live, London in March (see pages 22 to 27). Thence a migration t...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 23 published on 16/6/2002
In Issue 20, Pip Hills argued, with some passion, the case for Scotch being a cultural product. Surely the government will be doing whatever it can to support and energise the industry? At the time of writing, The Scottish Affairs Select Committee has issued a report calling for ‘the end of tax disc...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 22 published on 16/5/2002
You are male, in your early 40s. You are married with two children and have a household income of over £50,000 ($80,000) per year. You have visited distilleries in Scotland. You always read Michael Jackson’s column, the news section, distillery pieces and the tastings. You would like to see more cov...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 20 published on 16/12/2001
As has been mentioned before in the pages of Whisky Magazine, the appreciation of whisky is a convivial pursuit. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than on adventures such as the Classic Malts Cruise. Take a hundred yachts of all shapes and sizes, fill them with four to five crew and a skipper, ens...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 19 published on 16/11/2001
For us whisky enthusiasts, there are few places we'd rather be than on Islay during the whisky festival (see Dave Broom's diary, pages 20-22).
I had the good fortune to stay on the island as a guest of Society. This on-line organisation encourages and enables members to visit the island. Cruciall...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 18 published on 16/9/2001
The Keepers promote the goodwill of the industry and honour those who have made a significant contribution to it
On the last day of April, the Spring banquet of The Keepers Of The Quaich took place at Blair Castle, hereditary seat of the Duke of Atholl. This bi-annual shindig is the opportunity for the Scotch whisky industry to honour those who have been actively involved in the promotion of Scotch on the worl...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 17 published on 16/7/2001
Why the best of the best? We have tasted our way through over 300 whiskies in the last couple of years. However, we have relied almost exclusively on two very authoritative palates. I felt it would be of enormous interest to take a selection of the highest scoring of these whiskies, divide them into...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 16 published on 16/6/2001
You’ll notice a small change in the leader column this issue: the picture next to it is not of The Walrus of Whisky, Charles MacLean, though he continues in his capacity as Editor-at-Large.
I’ve just organised a whisky tasting in three continents. For all three events we ended up using wine glasses...
By Marcin Miller
from Issue 15 published on 16/4/2001
A thrill ran through the press shortly before Christmas, summed up by The Scotsman’s headline: "Cheaper Whisky As Good As Fine Malts Say Experts" and inspired by a Which? report which had completed a tasting of 32 Scotch and Irish whiskies from supermarkets.
The tasting was of 16 malts and 16 blend...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 14 published on 16/2/2001
The fires of summer have been extinguished, the clocks have gone back and the winter solstice approaches. The season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ it may be, but today a chill, damp wind cuts to the bone and the depressing prospect of months of short, dark days looms large in one’s mind. What’s...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 13 published on 16/12/2000
Today a new malt whisky distillery opened in Wales - the first for over a hundred years. Last week, Tomintoul Distillery was bought by a company of blenders and bottlers whom nobody has ever heard of, although they have been around for decades. A couple of months ago the giant Canadian corporation, ...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 12 published on 16/11/2000
I was lunching with my publisher recently in a trendy London restaurant, as one does. It was the kind of place which is favoured by advertising account executives and merchant bankers; my publisher was hoping to persuade the chef/owner to write a book. While we were waiting for him at the end of the...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 11 published on 16/9/2000
New madness from the European Commission about controls on water, and even its taxation, threatens the long standing water rights of Scottish distilleries. This is being vigorously opposed by the Scotch Whisky Association. Appropriately, news of it arrived on our desk shortly after we had received M...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 10 published on 16/6/2000
The price of whisky in British shops comes tumbling down at Christmas every year. Five pounds off a bottle of malt is common; £1.50 off a blend.
“Great,” is our reaction to such a situation. Then we might ask ourselves, “If prices can be cut to this extent are we being ripped off the rest of the ye...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 9 published on 16/4/2000
Is it possible to compile an objective hierarchy of malts?
In the last issue of Whisky Magazine, we revealed the results of a survey which asked you to tell us your favourite malts. By chance, the results of a similar survey conducted by Highland Distillers were published on their website at the same time.
Interestingly, the top 10 malts were identical on ...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 8 published on 16/2/2000
As they tell you at every bus stop in Scotland come late afternoon at this time of year, “the nights are fair drawing in”. For some of us this is a legitimate excuse for pouring our evening drams earlier than usual, following the example of Sir Winston Churchill, who used to eschew
tea in favour of...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 7 published on 16/12/1999
With this issue Whisky Magazine celebrates its first anniversary. The birthday party will be held in New York because this issue also marks our arrival in the US, the largest consumer of whisky and whiskey in the world.
Who better then to be our celebrity interviewee than Ralph Steadman, a man tota...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 6 published on 16/10/1999
It is always instructive to place matters in their historial perspective, and this is as true for whisky as for other matters.
The whisky trade has always been good at reinventing or forgetting its past. In this issue of Whisky Magazine we learn how Clan Campbell (the brand) has cleverly exploited...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 5 published on 4/8/1999
These are stirring times for Scotland, with the arrival of the first parliament for 192 years, and stirring times for the Scotch whisky industry, which seems to be losing the confidence of stockbrokers. Perhaps ‘shaking’ not ‘stirring’ is more appropriate for the latter.
Stock market nerves are jan...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 4 published on 13/6/1999
From the outset it was the intention of Whisky Magazine to embrace whiskies and whiskeys other than Scotch, and this issue sets the ball rolling with pieces by Tim Atkin, Giles Macdonagh and myself about Irish whiskey, tastings of Irish by Jim Murray and Michael Jackson, and useful comment by others...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 3 published on 13/5/1999
The week before Christmas we received official confirmation from the Scotch Whisky Association – the Scotch whisky trade’s governing body – that drinking whisky is good for you. Good news indeed. The research, which was carried out by the famous Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen in conjunction w...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 2 published on 16/3/1999
Welcome to our very first issue of Whisky Magazine. We have been working on this launch issue for many months now, and hope you have as much fun reading it as we had putting it together. We haven’t managed to include everything we wanted, and we look forward to
hearing what you would like more of, ...
By Charles MacLean
from Issue 1 published on 12/1/1999
