Introduction In the late 1950s and early 1960s the whisky industry was booming, and William Grant & Sons was selling a lot of their products like the Grant’s blended Scotch and Glenfiddich. Grain whisky for their blended whisky was getting harder to come by though, as demand was higher than the supply. The decision was therefore […]...

Ever fancied winning a 15-litre bottle of Champagne ? A 45-year-old Scotch whisky ? How about eight bottles of bourbon with a combined value of more than £2,500? If you like the sound of that, then you’ll want to enter the latest batch of prize draws at The Whisky Exchange. We have a host of them running at the moment, so we thought we’d give you a quick rundown of what’s on offer and what you can win.

WIN A 15-LITRE BOTTLE OF MOET & CHANDON BRUT IMPERIAL CHAMPAGNE WORTH £1,350

Yes, that’s right – we are giving away a 15-litre bottle of...

As you know, some of my long-time malternatives include sherry , Madeira and vermouth (in summertime). Lately I heard quite a few whisky enthusiasts rave about certain brands of cognac , so I was glad my tasting club Fulldram organised an evening with the owners of Vallein Tercinier , a small but highly regarded cognac house.

The Vallein family owns the Domaine des Forges in the village of Chermignac since the 18th century, where they harvested grapes and produced wines. Around 1850, Georges Vallein started a trading company and created his own blends of cognac. Today, the fifth generation of...

Official bottlings from Highland Park usually carry a trademarked profile of heather peat, spice and sherry notes to some degree, depends on the exact mix of casks in the release. But when you go the indie and single cask route it’s a different game.

Take for example the new Highland Park 16 that G&M has bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. A single cask bottling from a first fill American oak barrel with a lot of sweetness and not a single trace of sherry, delivering a whisky with a twist on the familiar Highland Park profile.

Highland Park 1999 16 Year Old Cask #4260...

“ The more information we can share with our customers about the Scotch whisky we produce, the better ” says Compass Box in the Transparency Campaign which was launched after their debacle with the disclosure of the age of the whiskies used in Flaming Heart.

In response to the absurd regulations, they found inspiration in the writers, philosophers and scientists of the Age of Enlightenment, and decided to call their latest release Compass Box Enlightenment .

It’s a blended malt with the following recipe:

• 48% Clynelish from first-fill American oak barrels
• 37% Glentauchers from first-fill American oak barrels
• 11% Balblair...

BenRiach Latada 18 YO, 46 % The BenRiach Latada 18 YO is a peated whisky from Speyside. It has been matured in American oak casks, then finished in Madeira casks. The name ‘Latada’ is taken from the traditional trellised vine system on the island of Madeira where the vines are laid out horizontally above the ground on low trellises. […]...

We’ve been big fans of  Kavalan  since it first made an appearance on our shores in 2011, so much so that we spent a year to be the first to stock its whiskies in the UK , and it has been winning awards ever since. We welcomed Ian Chang, Kavalan’s master blender to TWE for our latest tasting  to find out more about the major player of Taiwanese whisky .

In their own words – Ian Chang

Ian Chang, master blender at Kavalan

‘I’m head of research and development, global brand ambassador and master blender; in Taiwan it’s normal to be paid one salary for...

A quick look at some of the upcoming releases that were announced the past few days.

Deanston 14 Year Old ‘Organic’ , a limited release bottled at 46,3%. A bit strange because Deanston already launched a 15 Year Old Organic earlier this year. I’m not sure whether this will go to separate markets or will simply replace the former.

Bunnahabhain 13 Year Old marsala finish . A limited edition exclusive to the USA, first filled into ex-bourbon casks and left to mature for 10 years before being transferred to marsala wine casks for a further 3 years.

Redbreast Sherry...

The Whisky Exchange has a new exclusive bottling, an Aberlour 16 Year Old , from a single sherry cask. Looking at its colour, I think it’s safe to expect a single cask version of the distillery’s popular a’Bunadh series (which is said to include casks from around 5 to 25 years, give or take).

Aberlour 16 yo (53,5%, OB for TWE 2016, first-fill sherry cask #4738, 282 btl.)

Nose: very proud sherry. Rich Christmas cake, raisins, figs and prunes, mixed with brown sugar and some sticky toffee pudding. Some raspberry jam and candied orange peel. A bit of...

GlenDronach Cask Strength – Batch 5, NAS, 55,3 % The whisky of the day was release by GlenDronach Distillery towards the end of 2015. The GlenDronach Cask Strength – Batch 5 is a limited release, but I find no details on the number of bottles. Previous batrches have been limited to around 12 000 bottles The GlenDronach Cask Strength […]...

Angels’ Nectar Rich Peat Edition, NAS, 46 % This is the second product from independent bottler Highfern, the company owned by Robert Ransom, formerly of Glenfarclas. The Angels’ Nectar Rich Peat Edition is made from a selection of Highland malts. The distilleries are not disclosed. There is no grain whisky in the mix, so this is a blended malt (formerly known […]...

Buffalo Trace distillery announced the release of their latest bourbon experiment which involved the use of infrared light waves. This is the first release in their 2016 Experimental Collection. Previous experimental collections focused on the effects of wood type, barrel toast, and mashbills.

All of the details, announced today, are included in the press release:

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES  BOURBON EXPERIMENT USING INFRARED LIGHT WAVES

Two Experiments Employing Short and Medium Wave Light  Make Up the First Experimental Collection Release for 2016

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (maj 11, 2016) Buffalo Trace Distillery has engaged in an unconventional way to use infrared light waves for its latest bourbon...

I’ve never tried  Swiss whisky before, and I suspect that quite a few of you reading this are the same. It’s always fascinating to try a whisky from one of the non-traditional whisky countries/regions, so when four bottles from the Langatun distillery arrived at HQ, I was keen to taste them.

The Langatun distillery is housed in a former grain store

Langatun was created in 2007, but the family behind it has a history in brewing and distilling that stretches back more than 100 years. Jakob Baumberger took over a small brewery in the 1860s, acquiring a top-quality spring-water source a...

In the latest Good Vibes series from The Whisky Agency , there is an even older Speyside Region 1973 , a whopping 43 years old. The label says sherry butt without further detail, but I believe the colour indicates it’s not Fino like the 1975.

Speyside Region 43 yo 1973 (49,2%, The Whisky Agency ‘Good Vibes’ 2016, sherry butt, 324 btl.)

Nose: oh so fragrant! I love the overdose of polished furniture – I think sandalwood. Humidor, yes. Also quince jelly, orange skin, dried apricots, as well as light tropical notes and red berries. Hints of cardamom and...