Whisky Magazine Issue 31

The Miller's Tale

Thank you to everyone who exhibited and attended Whisky Live. And to the Whisky Magazine team who contributed to making it such a fantastic event. It was the biggest ever and a sell out. There were, ...

By Marcin Miller in the section The Miller's Tale

Our Good Friend to the North

Michael Jackson tangles with the border guards at the lands of the lost

Picking up a yellow cab in Detroit seemed a good idea. As my photographer colleague Ian loaded hisequipment into the trunk, the cabbie recalled the time a passenger left an expensive camera on the bac...

By Michael Jackson in the section Musings with Michael Jackson

The long and the short of it

Dave Broomconsiders a request to define how long a ‘long’ finish is

Tell me,� he said, looking at me gravely. �How long is a long finish?� I must have looked bemused. This isn�t unusual. He tried again. �How many seconds is a long finish?� There was a slig...

By Dave Broom in the section A dram with Dave Broom

Whiskies of mass deception

Every day, a game of cat-and-mouse goes on between licensed venues and those protecting the spirits trade. In the middle is the drinker, who is being conned to the tune of millions. Dominic Roskrow reports

If any Trading Standards officer visiting licensed premises wanted a change in career, they could easily give Hans Blix a call and sign up as weapons inspectors. They are in the front line in the bat...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Whisky Fakes

Alive and kicking

Whisky enthusiasts came from far and wide to this year’s sell-out Whisky Live, helping to make it the biggest and best yet. Dominic Roskrow looks back at the event, and over the page, Brigid James reviews some of the Masterclasses

It�s Friday night in London, getting dark, and a queue snakes out from the venue, relaxed, happy and expectant. All that�s missing is a tout wandering along the line saying �Macallan Fine and Ra...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Whisky Live

Class acts

The Masterclasses gave visitors the chance to explore the world of whisky more fully. Brigid James picks some highlights

We were only there for one thing: to meet the �godfather of bourbon�, living legend and third generation master distiller Jimmy Russell. Detailing some of the finer points of production, Jimmy ex...

By Brigid James in the section Whisky Live

In search of the perfect combination

It’s a marriage made in heaven – whisky and cigars. But what are the best combinations? We brought a group of experts together in Cuba to find out. Damian Riley-Smith reports

Extending the boundaries of whisky enjoyment has always been one of the Whisky Magazine crusades. For those who enjoy them, there is no finer accompaniment to whisky than the cigar. And the finest cig...

By Damian Riley-Smith in the section Whisky and Cigars

Islay Whisky Festival, the must for May

Martine Nouet describes the highlights visitors can anticipate at this May’s Islay Whisky Festival

A distillery visit a day keeps the blues away in the merry, merry month of May. For the third year, the Islay Malt and Music Festival is fully ready to welcome crowds of whisky pilgrims from the worl...

By Martine Nouet in the section Islay

Desert Island drams

What do professional tasters drink for pleasure? Richard Jones finds out what the whisky makers’ whiskies are

They have some of the most finelytuned palates in the business. Distillery manager, master blender, production or operations director; their titles might be different, but they all have one thing in c...

By Richard Jones in the section Whisky Interview

It's all in the mix

Ian Wisniewski argues that whisky liqueurs have every right to be taken seriously as a drinks category

I prefer proper whisky,� is the stance of the more militant malt brigade on the subject of whisky liqueurs, as though they�re somehow improper compared to whisky. What kind of an attitude is that?...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Whisky Liqueurs

Keepers of the Faith (Scotch Whisky Association)

Gavin D. Smith looks at the work of the Scotch Whisky Association, fighting the corner for the water of life

We�re all familiar with newspaper statements attributed to the Scotch Whisky Association regarding the disproportionate level of duty imposed on Scotch by the British government. However, while taxa...

By Gavin D. Smith in the section Great whisky clubs

Single malts and black ties at The Savoy

Martine Nouet teamed up with renowned Savoy chef Anton Edelmann to create a stunning Aberlour whisky dinner to kick-start Whisky Live

Whisky Magazine and Aberlour single malt collaborated to concoct a classy appetiser to tasting event Whisky Live in London this March. The black-tie Aberlour Whisky Dinner prepared by world-acclaimed ...

By Martine Nouet in the section Whisky and Food

Apple wrapped in pastry with Aberlour bourbon cask butter - Aberlour chocolate pralines - Aberlour ice cream

Apple wrapped in pastry with Aberlour bourbon cask butter 75g sultanas 25ml Aberlour bourbon cask 4 Reinette apples Ground cinnamon 300g puff pastry 1 egg yolk, beaten 25g icing sugar 50g caster suga...

By in the section Whisky and Food

Natural born swiller

Hunter S. Thompson’s Wild Turkey intake is legendary: and ‘wild’ is definitely the word

In 1970, the now defunct Scanlon�s Monthly sent a young journalist named Hunter S. Thompson to his hometown of Louisville to do a piece on America�s premier horse race, the Kentucky Derby. Thompso...

By Hunter S. Thompson's in the section Whisky Literature

Rise & Shine (Glendronach)

Gavin D. Smith tells the story of Highland distillery Glendronach, which has a happy ending after all

In May 2001, Paul Porter-Smith, managing director of Allied Distillers Ltd, re-opened Glendronach Distillery by ceremonially driving home the bung in the first cask of new spirit to be distilled on th...

By Gavin D. Smith in the section Distillery Focus

Amanti del whisky di qualita

Tom Bruce-Gardyneinvestigates the success of an Italian club for whisky-lovers: the
Single Malt Club of Scotland

Sei un amante del whisky di qualità?� is the opening line on the Single Malt Club of Scotland website. Somehow, it just sounds better in Italian, this invitation to the country�s lovers of fine w...

By Tom Bruce-Gardyne in the section Italian Whisky

The enemy within

Richard Jones reveals the terrible truth: the ‘auld enemy’ may have been involved in the production of your treasured dram

In the beginning, God created the earth. On the second day, while he was making his countries, God discovered a small island off a continent he�d decided to christen �Europe�. �I know,� tho...

By Richard Jones in the section Whisky Production

Arranged marriage

So how do whiskies cope once they have come of age and are ready for single-malt marriage? Ian Wisniewski investigates

Reaching maturity is a major event in the life of a whisky, leaving a cask that has been home for years and preparing for marriage. Various approaches are used to promote marital bliss, depending on ...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Whisky Production

A salt on the senses

Can you taste salt in whisky? Many say of course you can, but the suggestion incenses
others. Peter Woodsputs the case against

Scotch malt whisky has come a long way in the past 25 years, and not just in the all-important aspect of availability. Educated drinkers now have access to a wealth of words about the history, manufac...

By Peter Woods in the section Whisky Debate