Whisky Focus - Whisky News Reviews Interviews Events New Releases

• 21st October 2021
  The Glencairn Glass Short Story Competition 'A Crystal Clear Crime'
  Calling all you budding crime short story writers, the Glencairn Glass has launched its first ever crime short story competition with the theme: 'A Crystal Clear Crime'. Is there a William McIlvanney short story crime writer amongst you. They say that a dram or two has inspired many of the best writers over the years, perhaps you are one of them!
   
• 20th October 2021
  Emma Walker Named As The New Master Blender For Johnnie Walker
  Johnnie Walker, the world’s best-selling Scotch Whisky, has announced that Dr Emma Walker will take over from Dr Jim Beveridge OBE as Johnnie Walker Master Blender. Jim is set to retire at the end of this year after more than 40 years at Diageo, the last 20 of which as Master Blender. Jim will remain with the business until the end of the year when he will hand over the reins to Emma who will officially hold the title of Master Blender from 1 January 2022.
   
• 20th October 2021
  Diageo Opens Carbon Neutral Lebanon (Bulleit) Whiskey Distillery
  Diageo has opened its first carbon neutral whiskey distillery in North America, located at Lebanon, Kentucky, the new distillery will produce Bulleit bourbon whiskey as its first and lead brand using 100% renewable electricity, zero fossil fuels for production and virtual metering technology
   
• 15th October 2021
  Malt Whisky Yearbook 2022 Review
  Review of the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2022, a book which focuses on the facts & figures, history, recent events and the latest bottlings from the malt whisky distilleries around the world but focuses in more detail on the distilleries of Scotland. This 17th annual edition of the whisky facts packed book has been fully revised and updated by Yearbook editor Ingvar Ronde.
   
• 13th October 2021
  Glen Moray 1998 Barolo Finish Warehouse 1 Review
  Review of the Glen Moray 1998 Barolo Finish, the second of three whiskies from Glen Moray's Warehouse 1 Collection scheduled for 2021. Another deliciously rich sweet Glen Moray Warehouse 1 dram and the flavour pleasure experience it offers is no doubt helped by bottling it at cask strength, the best in the series so far.
   
• 8th October 2021
  Jura 18 Year Old Review
  Review of the Jura 18 Year Old, matured in American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux red wine barriques, undoubtedly Jura, with very subtle Jura peat smoke present from nose to finish, it is a wee bit shy on the nose but the juicy palate and long finish more than makes up for it, the 44% ABV bottling strength simply adds to the flavour pleasure.
   
• 7th October 2021
  Jura 12 Year Old Review
  Review of the ex-bourbon cask matured and Oloroso sherry cask finished Jura 12 Year Old. It has a wee touch of saltiness which is a nod to Jura's coastal home and a subtle thread of Jura's unique peat smoke which runs from nose to finish along side the the balance of sherry and bourbon cask influences has made this a very enjoyable dram.
   
• 6th October 2021
  Highland Park Cask Strength Release No.2 Review
  Review of Highland Park Cask Strength Release No.2 a marriage of whisky of various ages which has been matured predominantly in sherry seasoned European and American oak casks and a small quantity of ex-bourbon casks. Smooth and delicious, a perfect balance of gentle honey smoked sherry and bourbon cask Highland Park and the cask strength simply adds to the flavour pleasure, an outstanding Highland Park. Highly recommend!
   
• 6th October 2021
  Tullamore D.E.W Rouge 13 Year Old Travel Retail Exclusive
  Perhaps a sign that we are returning to some kind of normality, William Grant & Sons has announced the launch of a new limited-edition, travel retail exclusive expression, Tullamore D.E.W Rouge, a 13 Year Old Irish Single malt whiskey which has been finished in French Bordeaux Red Wine casks.
   
• 4th October 2021
  Distell Malt Collection 2021
  The Distell Malt Collection 2021 is a rather reduced collection this year but it still offers whisky drinkers something which hopefully should be rather special, there is only four limited edition whiskies in this year line-up a Deanston 2008 Oloroso Cask Matured, Tobermory 2004 Oloroso Cask Matured 17 Year Old, Ledaig 1999 Pedro Ximenez Cask Matured and Bunnahabhain 2011 Aonadh.
   
• 1st October 2021
  Diageo Special Releases 2021
  Diageo has unveiled its Special Releases 2021 line-up, this years highlights includes a Lagavulin 26 year Old, a young fiery, full-on peppery Talisker 8 year old and of course the Diageo Special Release stalwart Lagavulin 12 year old, said to be a perfect expression of this Islay distillery’s character.
   
• 1st October 2021
  Scallywag Winter Edition Cask Strength 2021
  Douglas Laing unveil the second seasonal cask strength winter warmer from their Scallywag Speyside blended malt whisky range, Scallywag Winter Edition Cask Strength 2021 which has matured exclusively in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximinéz Sherry butts and offered at a flavoursome natural cask strength of 53.1% ABV.
   
• 1st October 2021
  Glenmorangie Transforms Its Boutique Highland Hotel
  If you ever fancied spoiling yourself with a luxury few days away from it all Whisky Break then Glenmorangie have just the thing for you, the Highland whisky maker has transformed its boutique Highland hotel into a sensory playground, where guests can immerse themselves in its delicious and wonderful world.
   
• 30th September 2021
  Oxford Rye Whisky Batch 4
  These Oxford Rye batch releases seem to be coming thick and fast since the inaugural release back in April this year, the Oxford Artisan Distillery has just announced the release of The Graduate, the fourth batch of Oxford Rye Whisky and its largest bottling run to date.
   
• 29th September 2021
  Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Bourbon
  Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Bourbon is the first Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced and distilled by Kentucky Owl in collaboration with the Bardstown Bourbon Company, both located in The Bourbon Capital of the World — Bardstown, Kentucky.
   
• 28th September 2021
  The GlenAllachie Wood Finish Range Batch 3
  The GlenAllachie today unveiled the third batch of limited release single malt whiskies in their Wood Finish Range, this latest instalment in the ongoing range consists of 3 single malt whiskies - The GlenAllachie 11 Year Old Pedro Ximénez Wood Finish, The GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Ruby Port Wood Finish The GlenAllachie 13 Year Old Madeira Wood Finish.
   
• 24th September 2021
  Method And Madness Rye and Malt Review
  Method And Madness Rye and Malt is the first release of Irish whiskey distilled at the Midleton Micro Distillery, the innovative experimental distillery located within the Midleton Distillery in County Cork and I loved it, will this 60% rye to 40% malt mash bill go into full production at Midleton, I certainly hope so.
   
• 23rd September 2021
  Big Peat Christmas 2021
  Well here it is, the annual sign to whisky drinkers that summer is coming to an end and Christmas is now on the way, Santa's helpers at Douglas Laing's Glasgow workshop have been busy vatting and bottling and have now unveiled this years peaty festive offering, Big Peat Christmas 2021 Edition.
   
• 22nd September 2021
  Kilchoman 100% Islay 11th Edition Review
  Review of the Kilchoman 100% Islay 11th Edition which this year is a combination of 26 bourbon barrels and 7 Oloroso sherry butts which have been matured for a minimum of 9 years, the delicious sugary sweet peat is the star of this show and the touch of sherried fruit simply adds to the delicious peaty pleasure.
   
• 21st September 2021
  Loch Lomond Becomes Official Spirit Sponsor Of Super League
  The rugby fans amongst can expect to be seeing more of Loch Lomond whisky as the Loch Lomond Group have announced that they are the new spirit partner of the Betfred Super League, a partnership that will run until the end of the 2024 Super League season.
   
• 20th September 2021
  Rare Whisky Making A Strong Recovery
  Following a subdued Rare Whisky Market during 2020 due to Covid the Rare Whisky Market is set to break all previous records in 2021 according to whisky analyst, broker and investment experts Rare Whisky 101.
   
• 17th September 2021
  Aberfeldy 18 Year Old Finished In French Red Wine Casks Review
  Aberfeldy 18 Year Old Batch 2921 finished in French Red Wine Casks from the Côte Rôtie appellation is the third limited edition in the distillery's French Red Wine Cask Collection.
   
• 15th September 2021
  Tamdhu Cigar Malt
  Tamdhu celebrates the launch of First Fill European Oak Oloroso Sherry Cask matured Cigar Malt with a unique sherry cask inspired humidor. The big sherried dram is said to mirror the spice, aroma and mouthfeel of aged tobacco leaves used in only the best cigars.
   
• 14th September 2021
  The GlenAllachie 14 Year Old Oloroso Wood Finish
  The latest addition to The GlenAllachie Wood Series is The GlenAllachie 14 Year Old Oloroso Wood Finish, a combination of first and second fill American oak barrels, finished for over two years finishing in Oloroso puncheons.
   
• 13th September August 2021
  Tamdhu Batch Strength 6 Review
  Tamdhu has released the next instalment of their Cask Strength series, Tamdhu Batch Strength 6, and it is an absolutely delicious big Oloroso sherried dram, a pleasure from nose to finish, some quality sherry casks at play here and the cask strength simply adds to the flavour and pleasure experience. Tamdhu is becoming one to watch for fans of a big sherried dram going by the quality of this, highly recommended.
   
• 10th September 2021
  Glenmorangie Lighthouse Onsite Innovation Distillery
  The innovative and creative folks at Glenmorangie, led by Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden, have been busy once again, today Dr Bill and his team opened the doors to a new home for Glenmorangie whisky creation where they can let their imaginations run wild, a ground-breaking innovation distillery within the Glenmorangie distillery site which they have named the Glenmorangie Lighthouse.
   
• 3rd September August 2021
  Royal Lochnagar Scottish Ballet's 'The Sleeping Beauty Cask'
  A unique single cask of Royal Lochnagar whisky, laid down in 1994, has now been bottled ready for auction as part of Diageo’s prestigious Casks of Distinction range. Every pound raised at auction will go to the Scottish Ballet Endowment Fund. All bottling and auction costs have been generously donated by Diageo and Whisky Auctioneer in support of Scottish Ballet.
   
• 25th August 2021
  Karuizawa 1981 The Legend of Asama Only 30 Sets Available
  30 sets of Karuizawa Distillery’s incredibly rare 1981 vintage single cask malt whiskies is being released in exclusive ‘Legend of Asama’ sets encased in bespoke Glencairn Crystal glassware.
   
• 25th August 2021
  The Oxford Artisan Distillery Heritage Corn Whisky
  The Oxford Artisan Distillery has unveiled a new series of experimental whiskies titled Grain Stories which launches with the release of Heritage Corn Whisky.
   
• 24th August 2021
  Tales of The Macallan Volume I
  Tales of The Macallan Volume I, a rare 1950 single malt whisky, is the first edition in a new series of single malt whiskies which tells the story of The Macallan pioneers and their whisky-making legacy.
   
• 23rd August 2021
  Aberfeldy Barrels & Bees In London, Glasgow & Edinburgh
  Leading venues across London, Glasgow and Edinburgh create limited edition Aberfeldy honey laced cocktails to raise awareness of the importance of the honey bee.
   
• 20th August 2021
  Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch No.002 Review
  Fettercairn announce the release of the 2nd instalment of their Warehouse Collection, Fettercairn Warehouse 2 Batch No.002, a combination of 38% First Fill ex-American Rye barrels and 62% First Fill ex-Bourbon barrels, and it is outstanding.
   
• 18th August 2021
  Aberlour A’bunadh Collection Of 66 Bottles Goes On Sale
  A rarely seen vertical collection of Aberlour A’bunadh, one of the largest ongoing whisky series of all time, has gone on sale but you will need deep pockets if you want to get your hands on it as it has a price tag of £15,884.
   
• 17th August 2021
  The GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Batch 6
  The GlenAllachie has announced the launch of the launch of the latest batch of their GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Cask Strength Batch 6. Matured in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry puncheons along with a small quantity of Virgin Oak and Rioja casks, all personally selected by Master Distiller, Billy Walker.
   
• 17th August 2021
  Imbibe Live Line-Up For September Event
  Imbibe Live, the UK’s leading drinks industry event, has unveiled an action-packed masterclass schedule for this year’s event. Taking place from 13th-14th September at Olympia London, Imbibe Live will reunite the industry with a fantastic line-up of tutored tastings, insightful panel sessions and world class cocktail demonstrations, all curated in partnership with Imbibe Live’s ambassadors and leading drinks industry experts.
   
• 16th August 2021
  Bushmills Supports New Evening Standard Stories Festival
  Bushmills Irish whiskey announced as poetry partner and lead spirit sponsor for new Evening Standard stories festival in association with Netflix.
   
• 16th August 2021
  Tamdhu 12, 15 and Batch Strength Miniature Gift Pack Unveiled
  Just a quick one which may be of interest to those of you who may want to explore the Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky range or those who are looking for a whisky gift for a whisky loving friend or relative, Tamdhu has unveiled a new miniature gift pack featuring the Tamdhu 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, and Batch Strength No. 005.
   
• 16th August 2021
  Jameson Orange
  As the popularity of 'Ready To Drink' spirit drinks and cocktails continues to soar Jameson Irish whiskey has unveiled their new zesty orange flavoured spirit drink entry into this new marketplace, the Jameson Orange.
   
• 16th August 2021
  Glengoyne Unveils Artwork That Will Reveal Itself Over 50 Years
  Michelin-starred restaurant City Social in London has unveiled a one-of-a-kind literary artwork by conceptual artist Jonathon Keats which will reveal itself over the next 50 years. Commissioned by Glengoyne, Scotland’s slowest distilled single malt whisky, the one-of-a-kind piece has been created to slowly reveal the words of a new poem by renowned poet, Cat Hepburn, all around the concept of time.
   
• 16th August 2021
  The Oxford Artisan Distillery Celebrates Fourth Anniversary
  The Oxford Artisan Distillery is celebrating its 4th anniversary and the release of its Oxford Rye Whisky Batch #3 to commemorate the occasion. The whisky was initially matured in American oak casks and then underwent a second maturation in Moscatel wine casks, sourced directly from Portugal.
   
•  16th August 2021
  Smokehead Rulebook Made To Be Ripped Up
  Smokehead has created the world’s first rulebook that’s literally made to be ripped up – and burned! The mystery smoky Islay single malt has brought together some of the UK’s most exciting visionaries, entrepreneurs, and business rebels, including Professor Green and Steven Bartlett, to create the rulebook.
   

See earlier Whisky News from 2020 >>>

• Whisky News 2021
   
• Whisky News 2020
   
• 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