Whisky Magazine Issue 73

Welcome to Whisky Magazine

It has been a busy few weeks here at Whisky Towers with some wonderful whiskies coming into the office and plottings happening for the various Whisky Lives around the world. One great event I had the...

By Rob Allanson in the section From the Editor

A tale of two distillers

Dave reflects on recent changes announced in the whisky industry.

Amazing the difference a decent spin doctor can make. I open the Sunday papers to find Springbank being castigated for having to lay off seven employees amid talk of the distillery having to close dow...

By Dave Broom in the section A dram with Dave Broom

4 Roses blooming

As most American whiskeys look overseas for new drinkers, Four Roses finds its growth back home. Charles Cowdery investigates.

Some whiskey snobs criticise American producers for being too industrial. They call our distilleries “whiskey refineries.” This particular snobbery, like most, is born of ignorance. But if anyone ...

By Charles K. Cowdery in the section Four Roses

New Jack in town

Dominic Roskrow fires 20 of the best latest in the line of Jack Daniel's master distiller's, Jeff Arnett

DOMINIC When did you hear that you had got the job and was it expected? JEFF It was first discussed with me about two years ago, but the job offer wasn’t made until Jimmy Bedford announced his inte...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Tennessee whiskey

Growing old gracefully

Rob Allanson gets an exclusive peek behind the scenes to see how you launch a mature whisky.

There are some occasions where being a journalist can be so frustrating. You have a story to tell but have been told it’s ‘off the record for now’, and this story is definitely one of those mome...

By Rob Allanson in the section Highland Park

That’s the spirit

In the second of two articles on stills,Ian Wisniewskilooks at the critical role of the spirit still during the second distillation

There are essentially two ways of explaining distillation, either in detail, or not.The latter approach was traditionally preferred by some stillmen, which explains why eager young recruits asking the...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Production

Giant killers

Gavin D Smithdelves intothe history of Dunville & Co’s Royal Irish Distilleries

While researching his 1887 volume The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom,Alfred Barnard visited 28 working distilleries in Ireland, but today that number is just four, with only Bushmills opera...

By Gavin D. Smith in the section Lost distilleries

Relationships

In the latest in our series on whisky terms we reach the letter S.In the first of two parts,we look at American whiskey’s use of the letter.

Describing Scottish and American whisk(e)y as the same product is to argue that squash and golf are the same game because they both involve two players and a little ball. Beyond the fact that both st...

By Rob Allanson in the section Glossary

Border store

Joe Bates heads across the American border

The US and Canada share the longest common border anywhere in the world. It stretches an astonishing 5,522 miles and dotted along its length at major crossings are numerous duty-free shops,many of the...

By Joe Bates in the section Travel retail

Ask the expert

I have a bottle of Usher’s Old Vatted Glenlivet intact and in very good condition and good level just above the neck of the bottle,dated 1907. Is it possible to tell me what it might beworth? C.Br...

By John Rose in the section Questions and Answers

Crossing the lines

If you fancy visiting some unusual distilleries,why not base yourself in a town and take in the tourist sites too? Here we pick four base camps

WIGTOWN THE DISTILLERY Bladnoch Bladnoch is Scotland’s most southerly distillery and one of its most sedate and prettiest. In addition to standard tours and a distillery shop that is open all year...

By Rob Allanson in the section Visitor's guide

Flying the flag

Sweden has always been serious about its whisky but now it has a distillery of its own that it can be truly proud of Dominic Roskrow visited Mackmyra.

It’s like something you might see in James Bond films. We travel north of Stockholm on a surreal journey on straight fir treelined roads where the light pierces only intermittently. A combination o...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Distillery Focus

Whisky’s future

We look at some of the pressing issues affecting whisky

Ask most people what the three most important factors are when looking to purchase whisky and chances are they’ll say price, choice and quality, with the Holy Grail being a great choice of top quali...

By Rob Allanson in the section Analysis

Strengthening Royal ties

We report on HRH Prince Charles’ visits to two distilleries

For distillery staff the visit of the managing director would usually herald a quick spruce up round the place and a lick of paint here and there, but when the VIP is royalty the pressure is ratcheted...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky Visits

Irish giant

Dave Broom concludes his indepth investigation of the Irish whiskey industry

For once in his life, Colum Egan is looking disappointed. “The waves are usually breaking right over the rocks,” he says, looking hopefully out at the sea for an oncoming squall. Not today. The wa...

By Dave Broom in the section Irish Whiskey

Roll up for the bbq

Charles Cowdery lights for the fires for a perfect day out.

Kentucky is a magical place for me, especially if I time it just right. I live in Chicago. In late April,we still worry about snow. In Kentucky, the dogwoods and redbuds are nearly in leaf, their whi...

By Charles K. Cowdery in the section Whisky and Food

Bangkok bound

Jefferson Chase looks at a classic tale of Buddhist vengeance.

Thailand was never the sort of place where I would have imagined people drinking much whisky, but I was forced to think again when I read John Burdett’s imaginative 2003 novel Bangkok Eight. The bo...

By Jefferson Chase in the section Literature

“It’s a very physical job. You’re using shoulders, forearms and your back”

Ian Wisniewski talks with Michael Jamieson,the longest serving cooper at The Edrington Group’s Clyde Cooperage.

IAN How did you get into the profession ? MICHAEL I followed my dad into it, my brother was a cooper as well, I left school on a Friday and the following Tuesday I started at the cooperage. IAN Did ...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Chat

Join the debate

email the team editorial@whiskymag.com

Star letter - Good to see him For me it was great to see the article about Giuseppe in the last edition. I have known Giuseppe all the time he has been at the Library Bar. As an avid malt whisky dr...

By Rob Allanson in the section Forum