Contents
p5
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, becaus...
By Dominic Roskrow in the section
From the Editor
p11
Michael Jacksonponders the age old question of what’s your favourite
What was the best dram you ever enjoyed? I am not turning on you the question I most often dismiss.
When people ask, as they constantly do, what is my favourite malt, I tell them there is no such cre...
By Michael Jackson in the section
Musings with Michael Jackson
p12
Dave finds a high flying attitude to malt whisky at altitude
He was about to walk past me when he paused and offered me some bread. “And may I have some wine as well please?” I asked. He was holding the very bottle I wanted to try.
“This is from the Languedoc...
By Dave Broom in the section
A dram with Dave Broom
p16
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. Ar...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Whisky Debate
p24
Whisky ambassadors travel the world promoting whisky. The ideal job? Martine Nouet went to find out
Seen from the public point of view, their life is an antidote against monotony.
Many a whisky lover would like to share the brand ambassadors’ diary, envying their continuous travelling round the glo...
By Martine Nouet in the section
Independent Bottlers
p27
Just when you thought you’d heard the end of whisky investment scams, Ian Buxton says the true story will be in the drinking
Iwas reminded of this old adage when browsing around eBay recently. There I saw what looked like a real bargain – a hogshead of 10 year old single malt starting at offers of more than £200!
Out came...
By Ian Buxton in the section
Whisky Spotlight
p28
There are numerous financial risks involved in establishing a new malt whisky distillery. But how do you make sure the whisky you produce is any good? Richard Jones reports
It’s not the most expensive mistake you could make in life, but it certainly doesn’t come cheap.
The economics of setting up a new malt whisky distillery alone are pretty terrifying.
About £800,000 ...
By Richard Jones in the section
Whisky Trends
p32
Royal Lochnagar is an iconic distillery that ticks all the whisky lovers’ boxes. Ian Buxton visited it
Imagine one of those ‘50 things to do before you die’ lists. ‘Visit a distillery’ would have to be right up there (even for non whisky drinkers). But which one?
Well, we will all have our favourites...
By Ian Buxton in the section
Distillery Focus
p35
On his last day as Editor of Whisky Magazine,we sat Dominic Roskrow with a special whisky and let him speak to one of his sporting heroes, All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick
As one of the greatest rugby union players of all time, former Auckland and All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick has faced some intimidating situations.
But nothing – not the South African front row, t...
By Dominic Roskrow in the section
Whisky Interview
p37
Ireland doesn’t have a lot of distilleries but what it has are all worth a visit. Iorwerth Griffiths reports
From the sunny south coast of Cork to the rugged cliffs of north Antrim, the search for Irish whiskey will take the visitor the length of the island.
You can fly in from most countries to Dublin Airp...
By Iorwerth Griffiths in the section
Visitor Guides
p42
Is whisky really suited to food? Ontario-based writer Andrew Coppolino finds out
The ties that bind are reluctantly torn asunder.
Old established alliances are relied on; they’re second nature: a cacciatore and a chianti, a duck paté and a muscat, oysters and Champagne, a chunk ...
By Andrew Coppolino in the section
Whisky and Food
p45
Jefferson Chase on how drink can bring the animal out
Among the more telling phenomena in the universe – and an argument for humorous, if not intelligent design – is that the more highly developed an organism’s brain, the greater the enthusiasm with whic...
By Jefferson Chase in the section
Whisky Literature
p46
Canada’s blends are respected across the world,William M.Dowd found out why they’re so good.
Collingwood, Ontario -- The 800- pound gorilla swirled the amber concoction around, sniffed it, tasted it, then delivered the verdict. "Well, Terry, this is ...uh ... crap," he said.
If that's the wa...
By William M. Dowd in the section
Canadian Whisky
p48
Ian Wisniewski saddles up for a challenging cocktail
Preparing a Horse’s Neck, by topping up a measure of bourbon with ginger ale (some recipes include an optional dash of Angostura Bitters) sounds simple enough. But then combining the ingredients is no...
By Ian Wisniewski in the section
Whisky Cocktails
p50
Ghosts are a common feature in whisky distilleries. Robin Laing goes in search of some of the most famous onces
Scotland is a land of story tellers; maybe it’s the whisky.
Certainly in the Highlands (the spiritual home of Uisge Beatha) folk would gather together to share a dram and make music, sing songs and...
By Robin Laing in the section
Distillery ghosts
p53
John Rose answers another selection of our readers’ letters
Q. I am trying to find information on a bottle of whisky I have had for many years, it was given to me by a friend. Made of brown glass it has a tartan ribbon running down the outside of the neck wit...
By John Rose in the section
Whisky Questions
p54
Dave Broom is writing a book on distillery-related walks. Here he confronts Goat Fell
Arran is a compression of an already compressed country.
Scotland distilled.
Its northern hills are the equal of the best of the Highlands, its southern grasslands as gentle as those of the Ayrshire...
By Dave Broom in the section
Distillery Focus
p59
Joe Bates looks at Kiev airport and brings the latest news from travel retail
The Irish have always had a close connection with duty-free. The first duty-free shop opened in Shannon in 1947, providing a welcome diversion for bored transatlantic passengers waiting for their flig...
By Joe Bates in the section
Travel retail
p61
The quality of a new make spirit is crucial to making good whisky. Ian Wisniewski delves deeper into the process
With various single malts offering a broader choice of ages, comparing a 12, 15, 18 or 21 year old from the same distillery shows how the balance between the distillery character, and the influence of...
By Ian Wisniewski in the section
Whisky Production
