Contents
p5
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 ...
By Rob Allanson in the section
From the Editor
p7
The Benromach name will take to the high seas this year as whisky producer Gordon & MacPhail backs the Glasgow crew competing in this year’s Round the World Yacht Race.
Speaking about its involvement...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Whisky News
p7
Glenrothes loss
Tributes have poured in for John Sutherland distillery manager of Glenrothes who died recently.
Luke Tegner, Glenrothes brand director said: “John was taken into hospital, initially ...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Whisky News
p7
Four Roses Bourbon and Rocky Balboa have a lot in common. They’re both well-aged winners with a lot of fans. And now they’ve crossed paths in the latest Rocky Balboa movie.
Four Roses Yellow Kentucky...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Whisky News
p8
The Jack Daniel’s Distillery, the famed Tennessee Distillery has unveiled a new bottle for its twice mellowed premium whiskey, Gentleman Jack.
But they were quick to point out one thing that has not ...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Whisky News
p8
Kilchoman, Islay’s farm distillery, has launched miniatures of its ‘New Spirit’ which can be bought at the distillery shop or on line at www.kilchomandistillery.com.
Jim Swan, production consultant t...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Whisky News
p8
She blazed a trail that many women in whisky have followed, but a chance discovery has shed more light on a woman who is still a legend in the whisky world.
These previously unseen photographs offer ...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Whisky News
p10
Macallan has unveiled a £1 million development on its estate, Rob Allanson went to investigate
One thing that is impossible to escape from when you stroll up at Macallan is that fact that the place oozes class.
It is everywhere from the sumptuous setting of Easter Elchies House to the immacula...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Visitor Guides
p11
Michael issues a wake up call before the whole of Scotland vanishes...or is re-branded
If I have a date with a plane, here’s how my day starts. I wake up to the sound of prepositions colliding. More of a shunt than a crash. WHACK!!! UP-TO!! UP-to! Upto....SHSHSH
I would transcribe it ...
By Michael Jackson in the section
Musings with Michael Jackson
p12
Dave uses four whiskies,the Washington cityscape and some stunning photography on a Celtic heritage trail
“Ah want to thank you, sir.” He has clearly enjoyed himself. “Ah never enjoyed Scotch before tonight - very much a bourbon man [‘brrrbn’ was barked in the correct American fashion] – but now ah do; an...
By Dave Broom in the section
A dram with Dave Broom
p16
In this issue we wanted to look act the effect of discounting. Who better qualified to pass comment
than drinkers themselves. So we put two questions to members of the WhiskyMag.com forum about how they view brands that had been discounted.
Panel
Leonard Bacha Ohio, USA LB
Michael Medve California, USA MM
Sion Hannuna Bristol, USA SH
Nick Brown Isle of Lewis, UK NB
John Felber Ontario, Canada JF
Q:Does discounting affect how the c...
By in the section
Whisky Debate
p18
With a few changes to previous years' events, the Icons of Whisky 2007 shows what a broad church the whisky community is. Rob Allanson reports
There have been long and exhaustive voting rounds to draw up the Icons of Whisky this year, with much debate over each category.
If truth be told there are only really three things that are important...
By Rob Allanson in the section
Icons of Whisky
p26
Ian Buxton looks at the man behind the iconic pagoda,his contemporaries and his legacy
Stop reading this article now – and draw a distillery. Then come back to this page.
Chances are your sketch, however crude, has a pagoda roof somewhere in the design.
You didn’t have to think about ...
By Ian Buxton in the section
Architecture
p31
Our music guru showcases one of the bright new talents to break out of America. More perfect whisky music
You’ve just got to love a band who start one of their tracks with the lines (and please note the lack of capital letters): I’ve been trying to get people to call me freddy knuckles. people keep callin...
By Dominic Roskrow in the section
Whisky and Music
p32
Jack Daniel's is bucking the trend in many markets and going from strength to strength. Dominic Roskrow went to Lynchburg to find out why
You start to get a sense of just how big Jack Daniel’s has become when you visit the main square of the pretty village of Lynchburg down the road from the distillery.
It’s not that there’s anything s...
By Dominic Roskrow in the section
Distillery Focus
p37
Iorwerth Griffiths finds a comfortable seat at one of Dublin’s great whisky havens
Ayoung Scotsman learns about whisky in the Channel Islands, establishes a whisky collection in a plush Dublin bar in the face of an initially sceptical management and the bar becomes the first Irish e...
By Iorweth Griffiths in the section
Whisky Spotlight
p38
Is the Emerald Isle worth a visit for whiskey fans? You bet – and particularly in 2007
Don’t shout it too loudly, but 2007 might just be the year when Irish whiskey becomes a contender again.
Metaphorically speaking the stars are in alignment. The spotlight’s been turned on.
The cash ...
By Dominic Roskrow in the section
Visitor Guides
p43
Diageo is making a fresh assault on our taste buds with a new approach to pairing whisky and food. Dominic Roskrow reports
During the last six years no company has done more than Diageo to promote the concept of serving whisky with food.
It has been an uphill struggle and one that has been dismissed contemptuously in som...
By Dominic Roskrow in the section
Whisky and Food
p45
Jefferson Chase unearths a gem of whisky writing
Strange coincidences. Last autumn I was in London having a drink with an old friend, Michael Jackson, who mentioned an unusual memoir he had read.
The book was called The Tender Bar, Michael remember...
By Jefferson Chase in the section
Whisky Literature
p46
Barley is one of the vital ingredients in whisky,but with shortages and price increases is there going to be a knock on effect?
It is the cornerstone the industry is built on, indeed the core of a good whisky and yet barley remains possibly one of the most under discussed issues.
Let’s face it barley tends to be sidelined dur...
By in the section
Whisky Production
p50
Gordon & McPhail is something of a ‘one stop shop’f or whisky enthusiasts. As it celebrates 10 years as
a distillery owner our man looks at why it continues to surprise and delight
The old saying about familiarity breeding contempt has a resonance in the world of whisky.
While some iconic names enjoy adulation at every turn, others such as Glenfiddich and Glenmorangie are dismi...
By in the section
Whisky Spotlight
p52
In the first of a new series Gavin D. Smithgoes in search of whisky’s lost heritage
The Scotch whisky industry has always been prone to periods of ‘boom’ and ‘bust.’ During the boom times new distilleries have been constructed, while bust has inevitably meant plant closures.
The luc...
By Gavin D. Smith in the section
Lost distilleries
p53
John Rose fields more of your questions
Q. I am trying to find out information about a decanter I have, for instance when it was produced, value etc. It is brown and white in colour made by Royal Doulton.
It is called Castle Grant and is f...
By John Rose in the section
Whisky Questions
p54
Roddy Martine shares a dram with Ian Rankin as he celebrates 20 years of his most famous creation,Inspector Rebus
Having to date immersed myself in 12 of his 17 crime scene investigations, I reckon I recognise the role model for the fictional Inspector John Rebus of Edinburgh’s Oxford Bar. In fact, I know him wel...
By Roddy Martine in the section
Whisky Interview
p56
Ian Wisniewski goes in search of Bobby Burns
It’s surprising that so few cocktails are named after people, whether it’s the person who inspired the recipe, or whoever created it .
So, it’s even more surprising that although Scotch whisky only h...
By Ian Wisniewski in the section
Whisky Cocktails
p59
Joe Bates checks out the latest offers
Glasgow, the gateway to the Lowlands, narrowly pips Edinburgh as the busiest airport in Scotland and is rapidly expanding its route network to include long-haul destinations.
Owner BAAhas pumped a lo...
By Joe Bates in the section
Travel retail
p60
The tradition of high strength bottlings was a natural launch pad for cask strength malts,which have gathered momentum since the late 1980s. Ian Wisniewski finds out more.
Cask strength bottlings vary from around 65% ABV, to just above the legal minimum of 40% ABV. Being bottled at the strength they reach in the cask (rather than being diluted with water to reach a part...
By Ian Wisniewski in the section
Whisky Production
p78
In the latest in the series Dominic Roskrow looks at the letter ‘D’
That’s the spirit. Distilling is, of course, the core part of the whisky-making process. We can – and I’m sure we do – sink many a glass of whisky and while away plenty of happy hours debating how imp...
By Dominic Roskrow in the section
Understanding whisky
