Whisky Focus - Whisky News Reviews Interviews Events New Releases

• 22nd May 2020
  Virtual Ardbeg Day Online Feis Ile 2020
  In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic Ardbeg one of the peatiest Islay whiskies of them all is taking its Feis Ile Ardbeg Day celebrations online and inviting peated malt whisky lovers everywhere to join them as they toast two incredible decades of the Ardbeg Committee with the new limited edition Ardbeg Blaaack..
   
• 20th May 2020
  Waterford Single Farm Origin
  Waterford Distillery today unveiled its first commercial whisky release since it went into production in January 2016, the Waterford Single Farm Origin Ballykilcavan, Bannow Island and Ratheadon Edition 1.1
   
• 18th May 2020
  Glen Scotia Online Campbeltown Malts Festival Experience
  Following the cancellation of the Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020 which had been scheduled to run from 19-21 May 2020, the Glen Scotia Distillery has unveiled plans to offer its programme of events online for the first time.
   
• 17th May 2020
  Bunnahabhain Virtual ‘Feis at Home’ Feis Ile 2020
  Bunnahabhain Virtual ‘Feis at Home’ celebration set to keep the Feis Ile 2020 festival spirit thriving with tasting kits priced at £16.50 now available to allow whisky fans to join in from the comfort of their own home.
   
• 16th May 2020
  #PassTheDram This World Whisky Day
  Raise a glass and #PassTheDram this World Whisky Day to a friend, family member or loved one who you cannot meet up with at the moment or indeed if you would like to raise a toast and #PassTheDram as a Thank You to front line workers such as NHS workers and Care workers.
   
• 16th May 2020
  Redbreast Dream Cask 28 Year Old Ruby Port Edition
  Irish Distillers today announced the release of its third limited edition expression of Redbreast Dream Cask to mark World Whisky Day, this time the creative folks at Midleton have unveiled a Redbreast Dream Cask 28 Year Old Ruby Port Edition, a combination of four whiskeys which were aged for a minimum of 28 years and then vatted together and left to marry in the ruby port pipe cask.
   
• 15th May 2020
  Raise A Glass With Whyte & Mackay On World Whisky Day
  Whilst restrictions remain in place around the world, the annual World Whisky Day will return tomorrow Saturday 16th May, as an online celebration of the whisky community. A series of events will take place online, featuring Jura Single Malt Whisky, and key figures from across the industry including World Whisky Day Founder, Blair Bowman, and special guests.
   
• 14th May 2020
  Jura Red Wine Cask Finish
  Jura launches first whisky in a new Cask Editions series, the Jura Red Wine Cask Finish will be available exclusively from Sainsbury's here in the UK.
   
• 14th May 2020
  Douglas Laing The Epicurean Cognac Cask Finished Limited Edition
  Douglas Laing announce a limited edition Cognac Finished expression of their Epicurean blended malt whisky.
   
• 14th May 2020
  Whisky Leaders Celebrate Industry's Resilient Spirit
  Leading lights across the Scotch sector have come together for World Whisky Day, this coming Saturday 16th May, to affirm their confidence in Scotland’s iconic whisky industry and resilient spirit demonstrated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone from whisky makers to festival organisers and marketeers behind putting Scotch on the map, have rallied together since the start of pandemic. Initiatives have included fundraising drives for the hospitality sector, making hand sanitiser and holding virtual tastings and events.
   
• 13th May 2020
  Bimber Distillery Launch The Bimber Klub
  Bimber Distillery in London today announced the launch of the Bimber Klub, a new membership option that provides a lifetime of whisky experiences for the growing number of Bimber enthusiasts.
   
• 13th May 2020
  Tamdhu Iain Whitecross Single Cask Vintage 2003
  Tamdhu has announced the release of a single cask whisky which has been hand picked by Tamdhu Assistant Distillery Manager, Iain Whitecross. The Tamdhu Iain Whitecross Single Cask 5892 Vintage 2003 expression is a First Fill European sherry butt matured whisky which will be available exclusively from the distillery via their online shop.
   
• 6th May 2020
  Kavalan Distillery Select No. 2
  Kavalan distillery has announced the launch of Kavalan Select No.2, the second release in their entry level Distillery Series, which is described as deeply aromatic with an irresistible floral and herbal complexity, blending woody and spicy notes in rich layers.
   
• 5th May 2020
  Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram 3
  Despite the COVID-19 pandemic Tamdhu distillery has revealed the next instalment of their big sherried cask strength Collectors Journey series, the Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram 3, which was scheduled for release during the Spirit of Speyside festival.
   
• 1st May 2020
  International Beverage Holdings Ambitious US Growth Plan
  In whisky business news International Beverage announce ambitious US growth plan for the future with the announcement of a new US partnership with artisanal spirits importer and distiller Hotaling & Co.
   
• 29th April 2020
  Glencairn Crystal Marks 20 Years Of The Glencairn Whisky Glass
  The iconic Glencairn whisky glass celebrates 20 years as the world's favourite whisky glass and the Glencairn team is set to mark this momentous anniversary in 2020 with a number of milestone moments.
   
• 17th April 2020
  The Glenlivet Spectra A Trio Of Mystery No Age Statement Malts
  The Glenlivet Spectra is the latest release in the mysterious and so far highly rated single malt whisky series from the Speyside distillery. This time though as its name suggests, 'Spectra', the distillery hasn't released just one single malt whisky but a trio of mysterious single malts without any tasting notes, age statement or information on the casks the Spectra trio of whiskies were matured in.
   
• 17th April 2020
  Glenmorangie Partners With Delayed Drinks Initiative
  The Glenmorangie Company is partnering with some iconic Edinburgh venues to launch a Delayed Drinks initiative to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the Scottish capital’s bar scene. Any bars interested in the Delayed Drinks initiative should contact DelayedDrinks@Glenmorangie.co.uk
   
• 16th April 2020
  Glencairn Sponsors Scottish International Crime Writing Awards
  Award winning Scottish family business Glencairn Crystal will sponsor the 2020 McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year and the Bloody Scotland Debut Crime Novel of the Year, with its famous Glencairn Glass – the World’s Favourite Whisky Glass.
   
• 15th April 2020
  Jameson Hosts Online Bartender Programme
  Jameson Hosts, Jameson’s trade engagement platform launches online giving the bar community a platform to come together to connect, learn and share in the wake of the pandemic.
   
• 8th April 2020
  BenRiach & GlenDronach Launch Online Conversation Series
  BenRiach & GlenDronach launch online conversation series which starts tonight at 8pm on Instagram Live. The masters behind BenRiach and The GlenDronach are inviting whisky fans worldwide to embrace their extra time at home with an online conversation series exploring the many possibilities of Single Malt whisky.
   
• 8th April 2020
  Stay Indoors With Smokehead TV Launching This Sunday
  Tune in to Smokehead TV which will launch this Sunday 12th April at 5pm hosted by Smokehead Brand Ambassador, Mikey Sim and custom Ducati aficionado, Tyler Lunceford, tasting the original Smokehead expression.
   
• 8th April 2020
  £1 Million Whisky Collection Auction Part 2
  Although some of the big whisky auctions have closed down during the Covid 19 coronavirus pandemic, Perth based specialist online whisky auction, Whisky Auctioneer, continues with its scheduled online auctions and what an auction they have kicking off on the 10th April. As previously scheduled they will kick off Part 2 of the auction of the World's Largest Private Whisky Collection which will run until 20th April.
   
• 7th April 2020
  Loch Lomond Group Whiskies Go Platinum At San Francisco Comp
  If you are one of the many whisky lovers who is currently locked down at home and you are on the lookout for something new to try to perk you up during this time then why not check out the range of single malts which the Loch Lomond Group has to offer, the groups portfolio of single malts has recently enjoyed one of its most impressive sets of results at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, receiving twelve separate awards, including two coveted platinum medals for its Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Single Malt and Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt.
   
• 7th April 2020
  Ian Macleod Distillers Lighten Lockdown With Podcast & Tasting
  Ian Macleod Distillers are lightening up the COVID-19 lockdown for their whisky fans with the launch of a new podcast titled Whisky Unscripted, as well as a live Facebook tasting of Tamdhu’s finest range with Distillery Manager, Sandy McIntyre.
   
• 31st March 2020
  Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old
  Ardbeg has announced the launch of a new permanent addition to their core range, Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old which has been matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks.
   
• 31st March 2020
  WWA Best Single Cask - Tamdhu Distillery Manager's Single Cask
  Offering some light relief to whisky fans and the drinks community in these uncertain times the folks at the World Whiskies Awards ploughed on with the 2020 competition via their official social channels last week were they crowned the Tamdhu Distillery Manager’s Single Cask the ‘World’s Best Single Cask, Single Malt Whisky’.
   
• 31st March 2020
  Old Particular Invergordon 22 Year Old Easter Edition
  After much deliberation given the current climate, Glasgow based whisky specialists Douglas Laing has launched their first ever Old Particular Easter Edition, a Single Cask, Invergordon 22 Year Old Single Grain whisky which was distilled in May 2020 and bottled this month, March 2020, at its natural cask strength of 48.9% ABV.
   
• 23rd March 2020
  Diageo Pledges 8 Million Bottles Of Sanitiser For Frontline Workers
  In an unprecedented global response Diageo, maker of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky and Smirnoff vodka, has pledged to enable the creation of more than eight million bottles of hand sanitiser, by donating up to two million litres of alcohol to manufacturing partners, to help protect frontline healthcare workers in the fight against COVID-19.
   
• 20th March 2020
  Bimber Announces Virtual Tours & Tastings
  In light of the Coronavirus pandemic and similar to other whisky distilleries London's Bimber Distillery has ceased distillery tours but they tell me that they will be 'keeping the spirit alive' as part of the industry’s wider response to the COVID-19 crisis by significantly broadening their digital offerings. Bimber will be producing a range of virtual tours and online tasting events so that enthusiast communities can continue to enjoy the Bimber experience from the comfort of their own homes.
   
• 18th March 2020
  Islay’s Feis Ile 2020 Cancelled
  This will come as no surprise as many distilleries have already suspended tours in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, following a meeting of Islay’s Feis Ile committee yesterday to discuss the Coronavirus pandemic and the implications for this year’s Malt and Music Festival in the midst of the global crisis the committee has made the decision to cancel the Feis Ile 2020 inline with the Scottish governments guidelines.
   
• 17th March 2020
  Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2020 Cancelled
  Given the current worldwide Coronavirus pandemic I think by this stage it could have been assumed by now that the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2020 would not be going ahead and today the organisers at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival have officially announced this year’s Festival will be cancelled in light of social restriction guidelines in response to the global Coronavirus pandemic.
   
• 13th March 2020
  Situation Vacant Ardbeg Begins Search For New Distillery Manager
  Ardbeg today announced the end of an era at the Islay distillery with the announcement that after 13 years overseeing whisky production the Distillery Manager Mickey Heads will retire at the end of October 2020.
   
• 12th March 2020
  Glenmorangie Forges Conservation Partnership To Save The Giraffe
  Glenmorangie distillery, home to to Scotland's tallest stills has long celebrated the giraffe as a symbol of the distillery. With its extraordinary height, the animal perfectly illustrates the stature of the single malt whisky’s towering stills. Today, the Highland Distillery demonstrates its commitment to this endangered animal by forging a global conservation partnership to help safeguard its future.
   
• 10th March 2020
  Ardbeg The Shortie Smoky Porter Beer
  Ardbeg have teamed up with craft beer company Brewgooder to release their first ever beer - Ardbeg The Shortie Smoky Porter with all profits from its sales being donated to support clean water projects in Malawi.
   
• 5th March 2020
  Redbreast Adds 27 Year Old To Core Range
  Irish Distillers today unveiled a new permanent addition to their Redbreast Irish single pot still whiskey range, the Redbreast 27 Year Old, a cask strength combination of American Bourbon, sherry and port cask matured Irish pot still whiskey.
   
• 5th March 2020
  Glenfarclas Pagoda Ruby Reserve
  Glenfarclas has just released their oldest whisky to date, Glenfarclas Pagoda Ruby Reserve 62 Year Old which was distilled in 1954 and bottled in 2017 although they are only now releasing the whisky for sale as the next instalment in the Pagoda Series. It is a limited edition release which is rather uniquely presented in a Glencairn decanter featuring hand-mounted precious rubies.
   
• 4th March 2020
  Goldfinch Macallan 26 Year Old
  Goldfinch whisky merchants launch a a Macallan 26 Year Old single cask bottling, matured for 25 years in an American oak bourbon barrel, then finished for a year in an Oloroso sherry oak hogshead cask.
   
• 4th March 2020
  The 'End Of The Line' Distillery Set To Open In John O’Groats
  A new micro Scotch whisky distillery is set to open in John O’Groats in 2021, following planning permission secured for a distillery, visitor centre and bonded warehouse. The ‘end of the line’ distillery will have the capacity to produce up to 60,000 litres of whisky each year and will be the first Scotch whisky distillery in John O’Groats since 1837.
   
• 26th February 2020
  Tamdhu Scoops 4 World Whiskies Awards
  Tamdhu has scooped four World Whiskies Awards for its exclusively sherry cask matured Speyside single malt whisky. The Speyside distillery had two Category Winners in the Single Cask, Single Malt Scotch Category with its Edinburgh Airport European Sherry Oak Single Cask coming out on top of the ‘13 to 20 Years’ grouping and Sandy McIntyre’s Single Cask clinching the win in the ‘No Age Statement’ section.
   
• 26th February 2020
  Waterford Inaugural Release - 1st Cuvee: Pilgrimage
  Waterford Distillery has announced its inaugural release which will only be available at a distillery Open Day on 25th April. As you can imagine the inaugural Waterford 1ST CUVÉE: PILGRIMAGE is a limited release with a total of 1,500 bottles available, 1,000 of which will be labelled 'I Was There'.
   
• 21st February 2020
  Kilmarnock Museum Hosts Rare Johnnie Walker Artefacts Exhibition
  Treasured historical artefacts from the roots of the world’s number one Scotch whisky, Johnnie Walker, are to go on public display for the first time in Kilmarnock - the town where the story began 200 years ago.
   
• 21st February 2020
  Diageo Reserve World Class GB Bartender Competition 2020
  Calling all bartenders, Diageo Reserve World Class GB Bartender Competition 2020 is now open for entries but don't hang around as the closing date for entries is the 9th March.
   
• 20th February 2020
  Ardbeg Blaaack - Committee 20th Anniversary Limited Editon
  Ardbeg to mark the 20th anniversary of the Ardbeg Committee with the release of Ardbeg Blaaack which has been matured in New Zealand Pinot Noir casks. Ardbeg Blaaack Committee 20th Anniversary Limited Edition bottled at 50.7% ABV will be available to buy on 4th March.
   
• 20th February 2020
  Douglas Laing XOP The Black Series, Port Ellen Vintage 1979
  Douglas Laing announce the release of XOP The Black Series, Port Ellen Vintage 1979, the oldest expression of Port Ellen from the Glasgow whisky company to date and as you can imagine you will need very deep pockets if you want to taste this one with an expected retail price of £3500.
   
• 20th February 2020
  Four New Bimber Distillery Exclusive Whiskies
  Bimber unveil three single cask distillery exclusive bottling's as well as a filling strength new make spirit distillery exclusive bottling.
   
• 20th February 2020
  The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Unveils 2020 Programme
  The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has announced its 2020 programme of events, which will bring the best of the iconic whisky region to the public this spring. This year’s Festival will be the biggest yet and is expected to bring thousands of visitors to Speyside in celebration of all things Scotch.
   
• 14th February 2020
  The Dalmore Unveils Rare 51 Year Old
  If you are looking for a last minute Valentine's whisky gift idea for that special someone in your life then how about this rare single malt whisky which The Dalmore unveiled yesterday, but bare in mind you will need deep pockets to express your love with this one. It is The Dalmore Aged 51 Years, which is a very limited edition release of only 51 bottles worldwide and as you can imagine it has a eye watering price tag of £55,000, but can you really put a price on love.
   
• 11th February 2020
  Glenkinchie 19 YO To Be Bottled For My Name’5 Doddie Foundation
  Doddie Weir has visited the Glenkinchie distillery and selected a 19 Year Old single sherry cask to be bottled for his 'My Name’5 Doddie Foundation' which raises money to support research into finding a cure for Motor Neuron Disease.
   
• 10th February 2020
  Rosebank Set To Release Two 1993 Single Cask Whiskies
  Ian Macleod Distillers announce the release of two single cask 1993 vintage Rosebank single malt whiskies, each has been matured in a refill Bourbon Hogshead cask but are said to have their own completely distinct and unique character. Only 100 bottles of whisky from each cask will initially be released and will be available to purchase via ballot.
   
• 7th February 2020
  £1 Million Whisky Collection Goes Under The Hammer
  Bidding gets underway for the worlds largest private whisky collection which is estimated to fetch £1 Million. Consisting primarily of single malt Scotch whisky, the collection of over 3,900 bottles will be sold across two auctions, the first part of which gets underway at 12:00pm GMT today.
   
• 4th February 2020
  Jameson's St. Patrick’s Day 2020 Limited Edition
  Jameson has unveiled their St. Patrick’s Day 2020 Limited Edition bottle which this year inspires Jameson fans to get creative themselves and create their own label.
   
• 31st January 2020
  The Spirit of Speyside Festivals 2020
  The popular Spirit of Speyside Festivals are set to return in 2020 and will feature over 700 ticketed whisky themed activities. The Spring Speyside Festival kicks off on 29 April - 4 May at venues across Speyside tickets and tickets will go on sale at noon on 12th February.
   
• 29th January 2020
  Old Particular Elements Series Jura 12 Years Old Water Edition
  Douglas Laing concludes the Old Particular Elements series with the release of the final element, 'Water', a Jura 12 Year Old single cask, cask strength whisky which was finished in a Pedro Ximénez Sherry butt.
   
• 27th January 2020
  Big Peat The Black Edition Completes Limited Edition Trilogy
  Douglas Laing has announced the release of the Big Peat The Black Edition 27 Year Old, the third and final release in their Big Peat Limited Edition Trilogy collection.
   
• 27th January 2020
  An Evening of Scottish Virtuosity 2020 by Murray Cohen
  This years annual Vintages/LCBO sponsored 'An Evening of Scottish Virtuosity' event in Toronto, Canada saw Stuart Brown, the first Canadian whisky ambassador for Johnnie Walker and Diageo whisky present the Diageo Special Releases 2019 line-up as well as the premium John Walker & Sons King George V blend and once again our guest writer, Murray Cohen was there to review the event and of course, the whiskies.
   
• 24th January 2020
  Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Knockrath Forest
  Irish Distillers has unveiled the third release in their so far very highly rated Dair Ghaelach collection, the new release is Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Knockrath Forest which has been finished in barrels made from virgin Irish oak grown in Knockrath Forest, County Wicklow. The virgin oak casks were filled with Irish pot still whiskeys ranging in age from 13-26 years and further matured for another two years.
   
• 24th January 2020
  The SMWS Edinburgh Burns Night Cocktail Menu
  The Scotch Malt Whisky Society venue at Queen Street, Edinburgh are celebrating Burns Night with a huge menu of Bobby Burns cocktails, using some of the rarest single malt whisky in their collection.
   
• 22nd January 2020
  The SMWS Glasgow Burns Night Haggis Hunt
  In celebration of their forthcoming new venue opening in Glasgow The Scotch Malt Whisky Society are offering you the chance to win an annual membership in their Burns Night Haggis Hunt in Glasgow.
   
• 21st January 2020
  Diageo Donates Glenkinchie Cask To My Name’5 Doddie Foundation
  Rugby legend and inspirational Motor Neuron Disease campaigner Doddie Weir visited Diageo’s new Scottish headquarters in Edinburgh yesterday (Monday 20 January) to accept the donation of a cask of Scotch whisky to raise money for his My Name’5 Doddie Foundation to find a cure for Motor Neuron Disease.
   
• 17th January 2020
  Highland Park 2020 The New Year Ahead
  An insight into what's new at the Highland Park distillery on the Orkney Islands and what new bottlings we can expect to see in the coming year ahead including a new Highland Park Cask Strength permanent expression which is scheduled for early summer.
   
• 17th January 2020
  Burns Night With BenRiach Painting By Tasting Notes
  With Burns Night fast approaching I am certain that a few of you will be looking for a good dram to celebrate the occasion whether you will be dancing the night away, tucking into a plate of Haggis & Neeps at a Burns supper, or simply sitting by the fire and raising a glass of Scotland's finest whisky to celebrate Scotland's national bard, Rabbie Burns birthday. But if you are in or around London do you fancy toasting Scotland's national bard at a Burns Night tasting event with a artistic BenRiach twist.
   
• 15th January 2020
  Diageo Promotes Inclusion and Diversity As Part Of INC Week
  Over 2000 Diageo employees are taking part in series of events across Scotland this week to champion inclusion and diversity as part of INC Week. During the week Gail Porter will be amongst the inspiring voices leading sessions.
   
• 4th January 2020
  Restoration Of Binns Clock At Johnnie Walker Visitor Experience
  The famous cantilever clock on the corner of Edinburgh’s Princes Street and Hope Street is to be lovingly restored as part of the project to create the Johnnie Walker Princes Street global visitor attraction in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
   

See earlier Whisky News from 2019 >>>
 

• Whisky News 2019
   
• Whisky News 2018
   
• Whisky News 2017
   
• Whisky News 2016
   
• Whisky News 2015
   
• Whisky News 2014
   
• Whisky News 2013
   
• Whisky News 2012
   
• Whisky News 2011
   
• Whisky News 2010
   
• Whisky News 2009