The 2024 Online Scotch Whisky Awards are in full swing. The list of nominations is out, and voting is open. So, I decided to celebrate the OSWAs in my own way. That means gamifying things a bit, organising a small competition between the 2021, 2022 and 2023 OSWAs nominees in my favourite category, the Best Value Whisky, face-off against each other.
Travelling to Scotland and not planning some whisky-related shopping would be criminal. My success rate with online suggestions was very mixed. So, before getting back to my usual program, I want to share my top whisky shop picks in the west of Scotland after my recent trip.
All good things must come to an end, and so did my two whisky-laden weeks in Scotland. I couldn’t miss the chance to finish with a bang. My thinking is that good memories will foster future return trips to Islay. The final high point of the trip came with the Bruichladdich Experience.
After Glasgow and Arran my journey took me to Islay for a few days. Time being short, I had to make tough choices regarding which distilleries to visit. My fellow whisky geeks’ top suggestion was Bunnahabhain and their Warehouse 9 tasting.
Being on Arran with a cope days on my hand it would have been criminal only to visit the Lagg distillery, missing Lochranza distillery home of Arran whisky. Instead of the tour, I opted for the select tasting offering samples of Arran’s limited editions.
After Glasgow, and Clydeside Distillery, my next Scotland stop was the Isle of Arran. Often referred to as Scotland in Miniature, it is also a great whisky destination with two distilleries easily reachable from the main port of Brodick. Today am taking you on the Lagg Distillery tour.
Having spent the past weeks in Scotland, I will be sharing some of my whisky experiences. I hope I can provide helpful information for those planning a whisky-themed trip to Scotland, starting today with the Lowlands region and Glasgow’s Clydeside Distillery tour.
Today’s review of the Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton rounds up my short vacation in the world of Irish whiskey. It has been fun and it has left me wanting to explore some more. With tens of new distilleries on the way, the Irish whiskey scene could have lots to say.
As I get to the halfway point of my little Irish “vacation”, I look at the more boutiquey side of Irish whiskey. After the first new distillery in Dublin in years, I am looking at what is currently the best-known artisanal distillery in the Emerald Isle, Dingle Distillery. Today I will review the Dingle Single Malt.
Today’s Teeling Single Pot Still review follows the Redbreast 12 in my short series on entry-level Irish whiskies. Teeling’s logo, a phoenix coming back to lie from a pot still, symbolises the long tradition of the Teeling family in Irish whisky and their rebirth. Will this translate into quality?