Contents
p5
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 ab...
By Charles MacLean in the section
From the Editor
p7
inspired in the two Gravediggers, Michael Jackson seeks a provocative pint and a combative ball of malt
The most famously well-kept Scottish ale was for decades the McEwan’s 80/- in an Edinburgh pub officially called The Athletic Arms but universally known (because it was between two cemeteries) as ‘The...
By Michael Jackson in the section
The Gospel According to Michael Jackson
p8
It is time for Irish whiskey to abolish the blamey and stand on its own three feet, says Jim Murray
It is nearing midnight. A glass of local whiskey sits by my laptop, the bottle half drained. Outside, the wind is howling; if I were daft enough to open the window, even supposing I could in the face ...
By Jim Murray in the section
The Gospel According to Jim Murray
p16
Charles Maclean meets the chairman or Ireland's newest distillery, Cooley, and finds that his story can only be told in epic form
Did you see my brown bull, when you were up at the distillery?’ asks John
Teeling, chairman of Cooley Distillery.
‘I did’, I replied. ‘What’s its significance?’
‘The Bull of Cooley; The Donn Cualng...
By Charles MacLean in the section
Whisky Hero
p21
Irish whiskey is an aesthetic discipline, says Kevin Pilley so get a grip
Wise man that he was, JB Priestley knew that ‘Man, the creature who knows he must die, who has dreams larger than his destiny, which is for ever working a confidence trick on him, needs an ally.’ His ...
By Kevin Pilley in the section
Irish Whiskey
p24
Michael Collins laid plans at the Palace Bar in Dublin, and Mary Robinson launched her bid for the presidency in the snug. Tom Atkin just went for a drink
You’ll never come across a stag night or a hen party in The Palace Bar. Like jukeboxes and slot machines, such things are banned from this famous Dublin haunt. ‘This is a conversation pub,’ says its f...
By Michael Collins in the section
Great whisky bars
p26
Like a fine malt, a good cigar will sooth the savage breast, says James Leavey.
Soothed or not, there are times when even the mildest of us are sorely tested. Take, for example, the cigar freaks who insist on extolling the merits of Cohiba Lanceros while pooh-poohing the underrat...
By James Leavey in the section
Whisky and Cigars
p28
Neil Wilson vistis Loch Lomond Distillery, where four pot stills and a continuous still add up to seven single malts and a soon-to-be-released single blend. And it's done with technology, not mirrors
On one of my trips north to Speyside some years ago I recall an American visitor asking the be-kilted Australian tour guide at Glenfiddich what a ‘double malt’ was. Her confusion had been prompted by ...
By Neil Wilson in the section
Whisky Production
p32
Tim Atkin follows Jameson's from Dublin to the palm trees of County Cork and finds a whiskey tht lightened up on the way
A visit to the Old Jameson Distillery in Bow Street, Dublin, with its heritage tour, audio-visual presentation and Irish coffee toffees, is bound to promote feelings of nostalgia and even sadness. At ...
By Tim Atkin in the section
The inside track
p38
Without Ireland, there would be no whisky in Scotland. Giles Macdonagh traces Scotch back to its Irish roots.
Though it will make me unpopular in some parts of Glasgow to say so, whisky, like Christianity, reached Scotland from Ireland, possibly in a coracle. Whiskey (as the Irish now insist on spelling it), ...
By Giles Macdonagh in the section
Irish Whiskey
p42
Whisky is not just whisky, says Claire Macdonald, proprietor of Kinloch Lodge on Skye. What's great with smoked fish might not work with pudding.
Until 15 years ago I had seldom used whisky in cooking. Brandy, yes; wine, of course; rum, calvados – all these and frequently. But not whisky. What kick-started me into using whisky in the kitchen wa...
By Clare Mcdonald in the section
Whisky and Food
p47
Whiskies, like people, mature at different rates. Andrew Jefford (himself in his prime) wonders why
Sitting on the table in front of me, as I write this, is my most treasured bottle of whisky. It’s a Glenlivet; still largely full, I’m pleased to say. This Speyside is not necessarily my favourite mal...
By Andrew Jefford in the section
Whisky Production
p50
Eighty-five bottles of Scotch are sold every minute in duty-free shops around the world. Martin Moodie looks at where the best ranges can be found, and where it's worth missing your fight for a special bottling.
Early on a Wednesday morning and malt whisky sales are already doing a roaring trade in one west London liquor store. But this isn’t any corner shop trying to defy local licensing laws. The venue is L...
By Martin Moodie in the section
Travel retail
p54
Part one: the raw materials What determines the characte of a malt whisky? In the first of a three-part series Professor Alan Rutherford looks at the effect water, barley and yeast have on flavour.
At any one time, over recent decades, there have been between about 80 and 100 malt distilleries operational in Scotland. The fortune and reputation of each of these is dependent on the consistency an...
By Alan Rutherford in the section
Whisky Masterclass
p58
Charles Maclean continues his course by reinventing the wheel.
The first two pieces in this series have stressed the importance of smell in the evaluation and enjoyment of Scotch whisky – hence the use of the rather ponderous ‘sensory evaluation’ rather than simp...
By Charles MacLean in the section
Whisky Tasting
p74
The story so far at our fictional distillery: the theft of a lorryload of Glenweevil was closely followed by the discovery by Ruth of several casks of (allegedly) pre-war Glenweevil in an old warehouse. The distillery's new owners are thrilled with the 'Limited Release' Glenweevil. Only Kevin is unhappy. Now read on...
Andrew here. Your Company Personality of the Year. How about that? There I am in the company magazine, smiling away, with a glass of our new whisky. The caption says, ‘Andrew McVie, recently promoted ...
By Andrew Mcvie in the section
The Last Word
