Given no other knowledge of a scotch distillery, most whisky lovers would choose to know just one thing: Is their whisky smoky or not? The answer isn’t so simple, as more single malt producers play both sides of the fence. Exceptions to the rule are exciting for both fans of a distillery, who get to see a new side of their old favorite, and detractors, who might discover they enjoy a distillery’s whisky after all. Unpeated versions will offer little to no peat smoke, while peated renditions show obvious smoke. So choose a distillery, then have it your way.

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Game of Thrones might be over, but it lives on in Scotland as Johnnie Walker is launching two new limited-edition blends in honor of the series. Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice honors House Stark, while Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire salutes House Targaryen. Both whiskies are available nationwide for $36.

Meanwhile, Glen Moray has debuted a 21 year old single malt finished in port casks. There are 1,200 bottles of the whisky coming to the U.S. this year, priced at $180.

Jameson Caskmates has made two special editions in partnership with Chicago’s Revolution Brewing and Bale Breaker Brewing...

Imagine a country that has everything necessary for making whisky: robust agriculture, pure water, and centuries of distilling know-how—plus, its citizens love to drink the stuff. You probably aren’t thinking of France. Yet from the jagged rocky shores of Brittany to the steep slopes of the Alps, from verdant Alsace-Lorraine to the patchwork fields and vineyards of Cognac, whisky is flowing throughout the Gallic nation.

The French have long been the world leaders in per-capita scotch consumption, gulping down 178 million bottles in 2017, but the country’s homegrown whisky industry emerged in the 1980s, and has taken off only in...

In 1992, the European Union introduced a system of geographical indications (GI) for unique foods and beverages of its member countries. Alongside Roquefort cheese and Beaujolais wine, France received GI status for whiskies from two regions—Brittany and Alsace—whose parameters were later formalized through stringent definitions. These GIs serve to offer consumer assurances, similar to the other existing EU GIs for scotch and Irish whiskey . When developing a proposed definition to cover the entire country’s whisky production, the Fédération du Whisky de France had to make its guidelines broad enough to envelop the existing GIs for Brittany and Alsace. There...

Whether you love or hate peated whisky, there is no doubting the immense industry behind it. Peat itself is densely compressed, decayed vegetation that looks like clumps or bricks of mud. So how does that translate to smoke flavor? The scotch industry has it all figured out, with these four professions playing key roles in delivering peat from the bog to the bottle.

The Peat Cutter

This seasonal position on a remote Hebridean island requires strength and stamina, coupled with a tolerance for dirty, repetitive tasks. Cutting turf from the earth into bricks for drying is accomplished outdoors regardless of...

France has long led the world in per-capita scotch consumption, but the country’s own whisky industry has been gaining traction recently, with production now doubling every year. Many French whisky distilleries are small businesses, selling most of what they make locally, but a handful of bottles are reaching the U.S., with more arriving every year. Start your French education with the nine examples below.

C’est Magnifique! These Whiskies Offer a True Taste of France

Armorik Double Maturation single malt —93 points, $60 Malt and lilacs, pineapple, and orange peel intertwine in a nose that shows the best of sherry finishing....

Whiskey lovers have debated for years, and now it’s time to put the question to rest: is Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniel’s, a bourbon or not?...

It could be a dream come true: all the Van Winkle bourbons and the entire Buffalo Trace Antique Collection for just $100. The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) is raffling off the whiskey haul to raise money for a good cause. A $100 raffle ticket buys one entry to win a bottle of each the following: Old Rip Van Winkle 10 year old, Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 year old, Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 15 year old, 20 year old, and 23 year old, William Larue Weller, George T. Stagg, Eagle Rare 17 year old bourbon, Sazerac 18 year...

Many whiskeys have a good story behind them, but for Rabbit Hole’s newest bourbon, that story takes on particular poignancy. In an exclusive interview with Whisky Advocate, Rabbit Hole founder Kaveh Zamanian revealed why he chose the name Heigold , and what inspired the new names he’s given to the rest of the brand’s whiskeys. Heigold ($70) and the rebranded line roll out next month, first at the distillery and later more widely.

Other new whiskies are coming out as well. Kentucky Owl is releasing the third batch of its rye, this time with a 10 year old age statement....

Just a few weeks after announcing its sale to Pernod Ricard , Rabbit Hole Distillery is unveiling a new whiskey—along with a complete rebranding of its core range—debuting next month. The change is intended to honor influential figures in Louisville and in the life of Rabbit Hole founder Kaveh Zamanian, and the new whiskey—a straight bourbon—ties the spirit of a 19 ^th -century Kentucky immigrant with Zamanian, who emigrated from Iran as a child. “He was a stonecutter who settled here in Louisville, and carved all kinds of ornate symbols of what I consider to be immigrant patriotism, really a...