Contents
p5
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 stockbroker...
By Charles MacLean in the section
From the Editor
p7
In the matter of marketing, Michael Jackson proposes that Scotland take a lesson from Florida
When Florida's orange-growers felt that their juice was not selling sufficiently well, they launched an advertising campaign pointing out that ‘It's not just for breakfast’. American students responde...
By Michael Jackson in the section
The Gospel According to Michael Jackson
p9
Jim Murray, spurred by a reader's letter, considers alleged conflicts of interest
Many years have passed since I first discovered that embracing the whisky cause could be (believe it or not) a painful (both physically and emotionally) and thankless duty. People find it very hard to...
By Jim Murray in the section
The Gospel According to Jim Murray
p18
Might the revival of Ardbeg one day lead to the release of a new 10-year old? If so, would it be like the Ardbeg of old? Neil Wilson looks at the ups and downs of a legend
When I first visited Ardbeg the year was 1984 and the distillery had been closed for three years. By 1990 the distillery was up and running again, but the whisky was intended mostly for blending. By t...
By Neil Wilson in the section
The inside track
p22
When a blonde walks into a sleuth's office the first thing he does is reach for the whisky bottle. Jeff Siegel dons trenchcoat and fedora and heads for the mean streets of detective fiction
Dalziel examined the tray with distaste and beckoned the waiter close. For an incredulous moment Pascoe thought he was going to refuse the drinks on the grounds that police officers must be seen to be...
By Jeff Siegel in the section
Whisky Literature
p28
Benromach Distillery reopened last year, for the sixth time in its hundred-year history. Jim Murray hopes that this time it's for good
It will be a stock trivia question for whisky buffs for years to come: which distillery celebrated its centenary by being reborn?
Answer: the tiny northern Speyside distillery of Benromach, located i...
By Jim Murray in the section
Distillery Focus
p33
In the second of his three-part series on what determines the character of malt whisky, Professor Alan Rutherford looks at the effect mashing, fermentation and distillation have on flavour.
In the last issue of Whisky Magazine I described the contribution made to malt whisky character by the raw materials: water, malt and yeast. Now we move to the distillery.
Mashing
When malted barley...
By Alan Rutherford in the section
Whisky Masterclass
p47
Grouse and the Gloags, part 2: Margaret Rand meets the current Matthew Gloag, who had escaped the corporate rat race and handcuffs to live in France and have a reverse career pattern
Talk to Matthew Gloag about his life and the phrase ‘stabilising influence’ crops up several times. His wife, whom he married when he was just 23, was a stablising influence; having the same advertisi...
By Margaret Rand in the section
Whisky Profile
p50
Alcohol is not only good for you, says Dr Thomas Stutaford; it also used to be available on Britain's National Health Service
My father, who taught me much about life and medicine, wasn’t a drinking man, as the term would be understood in the remoter parts of the Fens or marshes of East Anglia. From an early age I and my bro...
By in the section
Whisky and Health
p60
In part four of his nosing course. Charles Maclean looks at how malts came to be classified by region
Traditionally, malt whiskies were classified geographically by their region of origin – the region itself lending style and character to the whisky made there. With the rediscovery of malt whiskies in...
By Charles MacLean in the section
Whisky Tasting
p74
The story so far: Kevin has been arrested for the theft of a lorryload of Glenweevil. The stolen whisky was passed off by Ruth as a newly-discovered stash of pre-war Glenweevil. After suitable doctoring withother brands it was sold as Glenweevil Limited Release. Kevin's arrest by Sergeant Maclean, however, threatens Andrew with disgrace. Now read on.
Andrew here. Ruth came to work today in a black leather ensemble I don’t remember having seen before. I said, ‘Look, Ruth, about Kevin –’
‘Sergeant MacLean is incorruptible,’ she said. ‘He’s also all...
By in the section
The Last Word
