Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
If you aren’t a big whisky drinker, there’s still plenty of reasons to buy a bottle of Scotch whisky. It might be as a present, to keep the liquor cabinet stocked, or just because you enjoy the odd tipple of something tasty on a regular basis. Sometimes, finding a bottle can be easy. Perhaps you know what brand to buy, or a friendly shop assistant guides you in the right direction.
But wouldn’t it be nice to know what to look for when buying a whisky bottle?
Here’s a brief guide for helping you do just that.
This little primer is aimed at eager beginners who want to know more about finding and purchasing bottles using their own judgement, and to start exploring the wide and wonderful world of scotch whisky. However, it also works for anyone who wants to be able to navigate the sometimes confusing information that can be found on whisky bottle labels. However, I also make the disclaimer that there’s plenty of delicious exceptions to some of the points I make below.
So here’s what to watch out for:
If a whisky doesn’t have an age statement on it, this probably means the liquid is anywhere between 3 to 9 years old. While I have tried many superb young whiskies with no age statement on the bottle (these are called No Age Statement, or NAS whiskies), I also find a lot of NAS bottles are still unremarkable and/or overpriced. Unless you are pretty sure that the bottle of young whisky in front of you is good, I’d tend towards something that’s 10 years or older.
There’s 5 different categories of Scottish whisky, and each category boasts some phenomenal choices. However, some are more consistent in quality than others. Here’s the different types and what that means:
Single Malt: This is whisky made from 100% malted barley from one single distillery. Single malts are feted (with justification) as being the highest quality Scotch whisky compared to the other types.
Blended malt: This is whisky made from 100% malted barley produced in two or more distilleries.
Single Grain: Under scotch whisky law, if a whisky isn’t made from malted barley, it legally is defined as ‘grain’, which 99% of the time means corn (maize) or wheat. I also think this is an underrated category, as grain is typically seen as 'inferior'.
Blended Grain: Like with the blended malt, this is whisky made from wheat or corn that has been produced at two or more distilleries.
Blended: A mix of malt whisky and grain whisky from two or more distilleries, this is probably the most common type of whisky in the world. Where grain whisky is easy to produce in industrial quantities, the quality isn’t necessarily great so adding a little malt whisky softens the nasty bitterness and makes it an easier drink, in theory.
99% of Scotch whisky is matured in casks that came from other drinks industries, and sometimes a bottle will include some information about its maturation history.
‘American oak’ will almost always mean ex-bourbon, and which tends towards a lighter, creamier profile. ‘Sherry casks’, which includes the terms ‘PX’, ‘Fino’, and ‘Oloroso’, is a bit of a nebulous term these days (here’s a great article explaining why), but this will probably mean fruitier and tannic flavors. Sometimes other casks come into play (such as port or wine), these also bring fruity elements.
Also, if you see the words ‘First fill’, this is usually a good thing.
A lot of Scotch whisky bottles include tasting notes describing its contents (usually divided into ‘nose’ and ‘taste’), and serves as a passable guide for what to expect. The more detail on the tasting notes the better in my opinion.
Also, if a whisky is smoky, you’ll often see the words ‘peat’, or ‘smoke’ on the bottle highlighting this quality. The whisky will probably have a meatier, heavier profile, and will include various meat and fish words in the tasting notes, or the word ‘bonfire’.
If a whisky is between 40-50% alcohol by volume (ABV) this means that water was added before the whisky was bottled. 51%+, usually means that the whisky is ‘cask strength’, that it was bottled without adding extra water. Keep in mind that many older cask strength whiskies (25 years+) might still be cask strength even if the ABV dips below 50%.
A higher alcohol strength isn’t an indicator of quality, but I do find that cask strength whisky tends to be consistently good, though I recommend adding water to your glass to counter the strong alcohol content!
I do stress though that alcohol content is not a great indicator of quality. There’s loads of great whisky bottled at 40%!
Most Scotch whiskies, even the best stuff, is artificially colored, and a lot of it is also chill filtered (chill filtering applies to whiskies below 46% ABV). Adding caramel coloring (e150) to the whisky makes it look darker, and therefore more appealing. However, it’s not a great quality indicator (one of my favourite go-to whiskies, Lagavulin 16, is artificially coloured). Here’s an article that covers the issues around coloring nicely and here’s an excellent, if a little geeky, approach on the subject. Chill-filtration is another process that affects cosmetics more than flavor, but I think it's a more contentious subject than coloring (have a look at another great Scotchwhisky.com article on chill filtering here).
Unless a bottle says that there’s no artificial coloring in the contents, it’s probably artificially colored. Don’t worry about this issue too much but when it comes to chill filtering, in my opinion it doesn’t hurt to be a little snooty and to go for a bottle that clearly states that there’s no chill filterering involved.
This isn’t something that is particularly relevant looking at a bottle, but is worth knowing.
Historically, Scotch whisky has been marketed as a product that comes from 4-6 different ‘regions’ (Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbeltown, Islands, etc.), and that each region has its own flavor profile. Often, Scotch whiskies are grouped into these categories in shops.
Quite frankly, speaking about whisky flavors in terms of their region makes no sense these days. Each whisky distillery is different and has different production and maturation methods. Often one single distillery showcases a wide variety of flavors just within their own releases. These differences are far more important than any overall ‘regional’ taste profile. Beware the shop assistant or brand ambassador that talks about whisky in this way. But also forgive them, because they probably don’t know better themselves!
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Last month, it was my pleasure to kick off a new monthly review of whiskies on this blog. So here’s the second edition, covering a whole new bunch of whiskies.
A quick note about my (loosely applied) criteria. In choosing whiskies to review, I don’t have much of a requirement beyond the fact that the whisky ideally should have been released within the last year, and that the bottles are available to buy for the general public, preferably to a global market.
I should also make clear that these reviews reflect my personal views on the whisky and that these are not requested nor considered official by Forbes in any way.
Here’s a guide to my scoring system. I grade whiskies out of 10 to the nearest half-point:
This month, I’m covering relatively new whiskies from the GlenAllachie as well as releases from some newer operations. I recently had a chance to try a few Craigallachies too so I’m throwing them in as well, including their new 51 year old.
Here they are in alphabetical order:
Description: Craigellachie began releasing its own single malts for the first time in 2014. This is their ‘core’ release. The distillery is known for its meaty profile that emerges from its distillation process and a piece of condensing equipment called a worm tub (read all about those here if you want to geek out.)
Nose: A sweet and rich nose, velvet and apples with a hint of struck match sulfur.
Taste: You really feel the beef and leather elements at the back of the tongue, though its deceptively smooth, waxy, and fruity at first.
Score: Big, rich, and leathery, but there’s a hint of sulfur that I don’t like too much here. 6.5
Description: The next step up in the Craigellachie range. This whisky is aged in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks.
Nose: Rich and deep. Spicy (think cloves and ginger), malty, and syrupy.
Taste: First thought I had when I tasted this was ‘this is just like an espresso!’ and I can’t shake it off as I keep sipping. Not that I mind. There’s a sweetness and creaminess in there also that I’ll describe as a dark chocolate profiterole.
Score: If you replace my coffee in the morning with this, I probably won’t notice. Superb. 8.5
Description: You can’t get a bottle of this, but if you’re lucky you can try it for free as part of the ingenious global marketing campaign for this remarkable single cask whisky. It's closed for now (the U.K. promotion is now over) but will re-open again once the new campaigns for other countries kick off.
Nose: When I smell peaches that’s always a sign for me of a high quality whisky, and I’m getting that here. The main thing coming through for me is tropical fruit such as mango and papaya but there’s a lot more. Milk chocolate, toffee, and I’ll go with cooked zucchini to represent the slight vegetal tang.
Taste: Light for its age, yet bursting with flavor. The peaches are definitely in full regalia here. Pineapples, raw chocolate chip cookie dough. A hint of velvet. Vanilla and cream. Coconut and gorse. I could go on.
Score: An old whisky done correctly. What a pleasure. 9.5
Description: Formerly used for blended whisky by ex-owners Chivas Regal, GlenAllachie is now helmed by the legendary Billy Walker, who helped revive GlenDronach and BenRiach. The distillery released a new range of single malts this year, and this is their cask strength offering.
Nose: Pears, vanilla, citrus, cinnamon, and bread dough. Nice and light.
Taste: There’s a slight bitterness reminiscent of a lemon peel, but it’s not getting in the way of lovely vanilla and graham crackers. You can really feel the alcohol on this one though.
Score: This needs a bit of water as it really is quite hot. 7
Description: This 12 year old whisky forms a part of GlenAllachie’s new range of whiskies.
Nose: Buttery and doughy like a croissant. It’s also fruity but light, I’m getting pears and baked apples.
Taste: Lovely. As close to a continental breakfast as you’ll get in a whisky. The buttery croissant is still there, but so is the citrus from your fresh morning orange juice. Throw in some white chocolate and a nice caramel tang at the end too.
Score: I really like the buttery, creamy texture, it’s my favorite thing about this whisky. 7.5
Description: The 18 year old release from GlenAllachie’s new range of whiskies. Aged in American oak, and sherry casks (Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso)
Nose: The buttery element is here too, but it’s brought bigger friends. Dark chocolate, dulce de leche, and peaches.
Taste: There’s a slight bitterness like dark chocolate, but it comes after you enjoy fresh strawberries and raisins.
Score: An excellent rich and full-bodied whisky. 8
Description: Similar maturation as the 18.
Nose: I had a Thai dinner recently and had a tamarind dish that reminds me of the nose here. Passion fruit and a citrus tang, but with an earthiness that reminds me of roasted peanuts.
Taste: There’s a beloved chocolate candy here in the U.K called the ‘chocolate orange’. This whisky tastes like that. Awesome.
Score: Still excited about the chocolate orange. 8
Description: This new distillery, from the remote island of Raasay, isn’t producing its own whisky yet. So while it does, it has bottled this whisky from another highland distillery. It’s a mix of peated and unpeated malt aged in bourbon casks, but then finished in red wine casks, Tuscan Montechiari to be exact.
Nose: Melon and serrano ham. Some of that young whisky maltiness is also coming through, but I like it here. Cinnamon and vanilla also present.
Taste: Oranges, wine gums, and bacon. Very few whiskies taste quite like this.
Score: Delicious, well-balanced, and unique. 7.5
Description: There’s not many sherry-matured peated whiskies out there, so Smokehead have stepped into that gap with their latest release, matured in Oloroso casks.
Nose: The nose gives a strong hint of what you're in for. Dirty ashtray smoke, raisins and cherries.
Taste: A s'more being held on a stick on a bonfire. A syrupy texture. Dirty smoke. Delightful.
Score: A playground bully of a whisky, may not be for everyone. 8
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
I recently was trying to find a list of the best-selling whiskies in the world by volume, and to my surprise I was having trouble. Sure, there’s lists of the best-selling Scotch whiskies and bourbons, for example. However, I couldn’t find a list that put global sales for all whisky brands together.
So I figured I would solve that problem and do it myself, with help from information that I received from drinks market analysts IWSR, The Spirits Business, and a few other sources where necessary.
Looking at the list, I’m willing to bet that you’ll be surprised to see so many brands you’ve never heard of near the top, or that a small group of companies control so many different bestselling brands.
Some things to bear in mind. These rankings reflect sales by volume, not by value. The sales figures here are also as up to date as possible, reflecting overall sales for 2017. The number I’ve included below is the number of sales by thousands of 9-liter cases, which is the standard industry sales metric. So for example, sales of ‘1,000’ means 1 million cases were sold, totalling 9 million liters.
So here’s the best-sellers:
Country: India
Owner: Allied Blenders and Distillers
Sales: 31,510.1
Country: India
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 26,338.2
Country: India
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Sales: 18,847.7
Country: India
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Sales: 18,700
Country: Scotand
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 18,300
Country: USA
Owner: Brown Forman Corporation
Sales: 12,900
Country: India
Owner: John Distilleries Pvt Ltd
Sales: 10,300
Country: India
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 8,900
Country: USA
Owner: Beam Suntory
Sales: 8,900 (includes sales of flavored whiskey)
Country: India
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 7,400
Country: India
Owner: Radico Khaitan
Sales: 7,000
Country: Canada
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 7,000 (includes sales of flavored whisky)
Country: Myanmar
Owner: Thai Beverage
Sales: 7,000 (estimate based on the Thai Bev annual report)
Country: Scotland
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Sales: 6,900
Country: Ireland
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Sales: 6,900
Country: India
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Sales: 6,400
Country: India
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 6,000
Country: Canada
Owner: Sazerac
Sales: 4,900 (U.S. sales alone, I couldn't find global sales)
Country: India
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 4,500
Country: Scotland
Owner: William Grant & Sons
Sales: 4,500
Country: India
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 4,200
Country: Scotland
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Sales: 4,200
Country: India
Owner: John Distilleries Pvt Ltd
Sales: 3,500
Country: Japan
Owner: Beam Suntory
Sales: 3,400
Country: Scotland
Owner: Diageo
Sales: 3,400
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Buying a good bottle of whisky is always a pleasure, especially when you have the chance to open and drink it. Over time, you start to become attached to certain favorites (most of mine are on the Scottish island of Islay), and many whisky geeks these days are making pilgrimages to their favorite distilleries to finally be able to visit the source of their favorite drink.
A few distilleries these days are letting you go one step further, however.
You can buy entire casks of whisky that will be stored and matured at the distillery warehouse just for you. Whenever you want (or budget permitting if the cask stays there a while) you can then bottle the cask and enjoy your very own single cask release, often consisting of a few hundred bottles. Whether you want to give them to friends, keep them to yourself, or sell them on is up to you!
Selling casks allows the distillery to collect a large amount of capital quickly to fund its operations, which is why new whisky distilleries often have a cask program in place.
The distilleries that I include in this list are indeed mostly new and smaller operations, though there’s a few established names in here too.
Most importantly, I must make it clear that the price I quote is the price for the cask only! It does not include taxes, bottling, and warehousing costs, amongst other potential charges. As a result, the actual price of buying a cask and bottling your own whisky can be much higher, maybe even more than double the price of the cask itself. Each distillery offers different services at varying prices as well so make sure you consider all these factors when you’re buying your own whisky cask.
With that disclaimer issued, here we go:
Located in the south of Scotland near the English border, new whisky distillery Annandale recently released its first single malt whisky, with a new edition on the way. It offers a wide variety of casks, including bourbon (first fill and refill), sherry (£5,900 for a full sherry butt, which holds 500 liters), and and red wine (£6,380 for 500 liters).
It’s a pricy cask, but this is no ordinary facility. Ardnahoe is the newest whisky distillery on the whisky capital of Islay, and its whisky production design has been overseen by the legendary Jim McEwan, the man behind the renaissance of another Islay distillery, Bruichladdich. This may be one of the few chances anyone will ever have to buy a cask of Islay whisky.
An independent operation, Arran has been around for a while and produces some excellent whiskies. Buying one of its casks of whisky would be a good and safe choice. You’re even allowed to pick between a first fill bourbon or second fill sherry cask (£2,800).
Glasgow’s first whisky distillery in operation since 1902, the Glasgow Distillery recently released its first single malt, the 1770. The opportunity to buy bottles is done only by ballot as the demand outstrips current production. However, buying a cask ensures that you won’t miss out. Aged in bourbon casks, you can pick between an unpeated or peated (£3,125) spirit, or even have the spirit triple distilled (£3,125), in the Irish style.
Inchdairnie recently made headlines as the Scotch whisky distillery experimenting with production of rye whisky, a category not legally recognised in the U.K. (though the distillery is allowed to describe its ‘grain whisky’ as a rye whisky). However, the future whisky you would buy here would eventually become single malt. This operation is in for the long haul; Inchdairnie won’t release a single malt whisky until it is good and ready in 2029.
Lagg is the new whisky distillery being built on the isle of Arran, by the same owners as the Arran Distillery. The big difference between the two will be that Lagg will produce heavily peated whisky. Due to begin production earlier next year, you can reserve your future cask now. Buying a Lagg cask also comes with several unique bonuses, including a stay in a nearby hotel and a few rounds of golf across the island.
A new microdistillery built on the grounds of a historic abbey (which has its own rich history of whisky and distillation), Lindores allows the purchase of either whole casks or cask shares i.e. you buy a quarter of a cask rather than a whole one, starting with a 40 litre red wine firkin cask at £1,100. The actual range of cask options available is too large to list here and is the most extensive out of all the distilleries in this article.
There’s a new mini-boom of whisky distilleries in Israel, with the Tel Aviv-based Milk and Honey Distillery being one of the first. I actually had a chance to try its new make spirit (watered down to 50% ABV) and it was delicious, which bodes well for the whisky as it matures and takes on new flavors.
A new microdistillery located in the western highlands of Scotland, Ncn’ean (pronounced ‘nook-knee-ann’) is offering bourbon casks for its whisky, and also is able to provide a red wine cask (£3,900) as well.
Penderyn is Wales’ first whisky distillery in 100 years, and right now the only one producing single malt whisky. Buying a Penderyn cask, and bottling it after 5-8 years, is a great choice. Its new make spirit is particularly receptive to flavors it absorbs from the cask (it’s to do with the distillery's unique production process) so it’s sure to be tasty. It’s a great price too.
English whisky is currently going through a quiet boom, as more whisky distilleries keep opening and producing whisky south of the Scottish border. So far, many of them seem to be producing quality spirit, and some have started releasing single malts as well. The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery is the first whisky distillery in the northern English area of Yorkshire, and they're offering a few first fill bourbon and sherry casks for your consideration.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
One of the whisky capitals of the world, the island of Islay off Scotland's west coast generates a lot of buzz among the geek community. A gorgeous setting with pristine beaches, unforgettable walks, and eight world-class whisky distilleries, there’s a reason that visiting this remote part of the world is akin to a religious pilgrimage.
Soon, three new distilleries will join their brethren on the island. The distillery of Ardnahoe on the eastern side is almost finished, the company behind online whisky giants The Whisky Exchange will be building a new one and legendary, long-shuttered distillery Port Ellen will be rebuilt and overseen by ex-Lagavulin manager Georgie Crawford.
So, given these exciting developments, together with 20-plus visits to the island, (and having written my Master's thesis on Islay whisky distillation), I want to share a useful guide to drinking your way around the island - and to dispel persistent myths that just won't go away.
For example, the one that bothers me the most is that Islay whiskies are hard for beginners to drink because they're so strong and smoky. While there’s certainly plenty of that kind of whisky, there’s also Islay whisky that's smooth, fruity, rich, unpeated and thoroughly enjoyable.
And...beginners as well are perfectly capable of enjoying a smoky whisky.
I won’t go into how peated whiskies create smoky flavors, but I do recommend taking a look here for an in-depth explanation behind the creation of smoky whisky.
For this guide, I'll classify Islay whiskies into four categoriess: unpeated, medium smoke, super smoky and peated fruity.
I can’t cover every Islay whisky, but these serve as great starters. Prices are sourced from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt, but you may well find something cheaper either online or at your local store.
Islay offers many incredible unpeated whiskies well worth trying. They vary in aroma, flavor, and style. A full 99.9% of unpeated Islay whiskies come from Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain distilleries. The latter, which usually has an almost undetectable amount of peat, tends to strive for a richer, fruity taste profile while Bruichladdich is a bit more robust and creamy and with a higher alcohol strength, although with significant variation among its releases. A selection:
Bruichladdich Islay and Bere Barley - £45-73 ($59-$96): Both the Islay barley and Bere barley releases showcase vanilla, cream, and cookie flavors. Beyond that, the differences are more subtle, and wonderfully showcase the vanilla element.
Bruichladdich Black Art - £288 ($381): Whisky geeks go nuts for the various editions of the Black Art - production and maturation of which remains a secret - but I don’t think I’ve ever tried one that really impressed me, or was worth the money. Many fans disagree with me, though. Maybe you will, too?
Bunnahabhain 12 - £44 ($58): One of the great "core range" whiskies. Rich and deep, you have to try it if you want to sink into single malt Scotch whisky.
Bunnahabhain 18 - £104 ($138): I love Bunnahabhain whisky, and this one shows why. I included the 18 in my Top 10 whiskies of 2016 list. Deep and smooth liquid velvet.
Caol Ila Unpeated (varies): One of the island’s less-known distilleries (though it produces the most whisky, mainly used in blends), Caol Ila releases unpeated whisky fairly regularly that can sometimes be found in specialist shops or online. Definitely worth trying.
Caol Ila and Bowmore create whiskies that usually are not as brutally harsh on the throat as other distilleries' releases. Bottles from both are a great way to start appreciating smoky whiskies.
Bowmore Tempest - £74.95 ($99): A 10-year-old release aged in first fill bourbon casks, this is one glorious stormy whisky. Released in batches, it's a superb cross of bacon, peaches and pepper.
Caol Ila 12 - £43.95 ($58): I tend to prefer Caol Ila as a distillery over Bowmore, and I think the 12 is better than Bowmore 12. A wonderfully balanced dram, oily and herbal but not overwhelmingly so, underpineed by robust smoke that doesn't overpower the taste buds.
Caol Ila 18 - £85.75 ($113): One of the best examples of a truly great herbal whisky, and well worth trying for that alone.
The source of Islay's fame. These super smoky whiskies are the whisky equivalents of the playground bully that shoves your head in the dirt. If you just go with the smoke, you will enjoy some truly sublime flavors. These listed here are just the tip of the proverbial whisky iceberg…
Lagavulin 16 - £55.45 ($73): Robust and meaty. Melon and Spanish ham. A pork cutlet with a dash of apple sauce. Certainly with sweet elements, but mostly umami all over the tongue and throat.
Ardbeg 10 - £41.95 ($56): Where Lagavulin’s smoky element is meaty, and Laphroaig’s more medicinal, Ardbeg’s is earthy. Light and nippy on the tongue but heavy on the throat.
Laphroaig 10 - £38.95 ($51): Famously medicinal due to the cresols that sneak in. I find Laphroaig smoother than the other very smoky whiskies, with the balance at the end tilted towards the smoke. This is a good thing. Older Laphroaigs can really deliver on this like no other whiskies.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask - £41.55 ($55): Far more fiery than the Laphroaig 10. A higher alcohol strength does contribute, though. The whisky is younger, but draws more from the wood from its maturation in smaller casks.
Kilchoman Machir Bay - £45.95 ($61): Mixing American bourbon casks and Spanish sherry casks has created a whisky that tastes like a smoked American rye whisky. Caramel, white chocolate, hints of citrus. And loads of beefy smoke.
Port Charlotte 10 - £48.90 ($65): All the whiskies listed in this section are "core whiskies" that serve as the introductory bottles from a distillery. This is the new one for Port Charlotte, actually the peated range of whiskies from the Bruichladdich distillery. A great mix of ginger, lemon peel and teriyaki sauce.
Anything Octomore (Varies): Some of the most peated whiskies in the world, released by Bruichladdich. Brutally strong and smoky. Some people love them, some hate them. I belong in the former.
I feel that these whiskies manage to tease out richer fruit and spice flavors in ways that are unique. These really do it for me a bit more than the whiskies listed above.
Ardbeg Uigeadail - £56.95 ($75): Known as "the oogie" by geeks, a classic. One of my favorites. Smoke, rich fruits - think raisins or cranberries - and aromatic spices are all cranked up to 11.
Bowmore 15 - £52.95 ($70): Much more refined, the maturation in Spanish sherry casks here is subtle and perfectly balanced. Strawberries and mangoes served on leather.
Kilchoman Loch Gorm - £67.95 ($90): A clumsier version of the oogie but still manages to deliver, and well worth trying.
Though this list doesn't do full justice to the mind-boggling range of Islay whiskies on offer, I’ll add a few significant points:
First, don't count out the neighboring island of Jura, which has just released an entire new range of whiskies and is usually seen as the "little brother" distillery trying to reach the heights of big Islay boys.
Second, keep an eye out for independent releases of Islay whiskies. Independent companies, such as Gordon MacPhail, Hunter Laing, and others release their own Islay whiskies, unlocking flavors you’d never find from the distilleries themselves.
Finally, and most important, is to visit Islay to try all of these and other whiskies, at their point of creation. Whatever your taste preference, I can promise that you won't regret the trip.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Whether it's a gorgeous skyline, the world's best pizza, the city's fascinating (if slightly violent) history, lovely lakeside beaches, or unbeatable live music, it's hard not to be impressed by everything Chicago has to offer.
Here's another fun fact: Chicago is undergoing a spectacular whisky boom. (I'm using "whisky" to describe both Scotch whisky and American/Irish whiskey). It's home to award-winning distilleries, and many, many whisky bars. When you see articles online, presenting the "top 10" or "top 5" whisky bars in Chicago, I can guarantee they're leaving a lot out.
In my last visit there, I did my best to cover as many bars as possible, but there was no way that I was able to visit every single one. Fortunately, I know someone who's come close.
Martin 'Marty' Duffy, a Chicago native, is one of the movers and shakers of Chicago's whisky scene. In addition to his responsibility as a brand ambassador for Glencairn glasses, he's a co-producer of the Chicago Independent Spirits Expo. Everyone I talked to mentioned his name as someone who knows what's going on with whisky in the Windy City, and he's enjoyed a front-row seat observing Chicago's whisky evolution.
"Having been in the whisky biz for over 21 years -with some 12 years additional of bartending overlapping that - it is amazing to see how much whisky has become such a huge part of Chicago’s drink culture," he says with pride.
He kindly provided me with a list of his recommended whisky haunts that you can discover and enjoy for yourself.
These recommendations serve as an insider's primer to Chicago's whisky bars, celebrating the establishments in the city that take the "water of life" extremely seriously.
Here they are, in alphabetical order:
If I've left out a few, please do get in touch with me and I'll happily update the list.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
In the whisky world, peated Scotch whiskies are the bad boys. They are big, meaty, and kick your throat all over with smoky strength. The taste will stay in your mouth for a while afterwards.
Their strong flavors have become quite popular. The de-facto world capital of peated whiskies, the Scottish island of Islay, is in the process of scaling up production, with a new wave of distilleries currently in construction. Many other distilleries that previously haven’t produced peated whisky are now releasing new bottles to keep up with market demands.
So in the middle of this new peat craze, let’s start with a quick geeky primer on peat in whisky before moving on to some recommendations.
Peated aromas (created by a group of compounds called phenols) come from the malted barley used for whisky when it is dried using peat smoke. Peat is plant matter (mostly mosses) that has decomposed for thousands of years in an environment with no oxygen. When peat is burned in a kiln for making whisky, it releases smoke loaded with phenolic compounds that end up in the barley, which eventually becomes the liquid in your glass.
Phenols in whisky are measured by PPM (Phenolic Parts per Million), and it’s the first number any whisky geek wants to know when they drink a smoky whisky, under the assumption that the higher the number means a peatier malt. It’s far from a perfect measurement, however. 99% of the time, this number measures the ‘peat’ level of the barley before it is processed, and many of these smoky phenols are subsequently lost to varying degrees in all stages of whiskymaking and maturation.
So in order for you to learn about these drams, I present the list below not to tell you about the best peated whiskies out there (though all of these are lovely), but because many of these are iconic whiskies that serve as excellent representations of different peated whisky styles. Creating this list is heartbreaking in that I left a few out that arguably should be included, so I also include some ‘honorable mentions’ at the end. From here, it’s up to you to continue the journey into peated whiskies. It’s one of the best you’ll ever take.
Let’s get started, in alphabetical order:
Ardbeg Uigeadail - An Islay whisky that has become a classic. The ‘oogie’, as it’s often called, is a superb mix of ripe fruits and thuggish smoke that is quite unique.
Arran Machrie Moor – A whisky from one of the few independent distilleries out there, Arran’s Machrie Moor is a great example of how a very light peating level can complement the rest of the whisky. It’s incredibly malty and doughy, perfect with that light smoky nudge at the end. There’s also a cask strength version of this which is phenomenal, but start with the standard release first.
Bruichladdich Octomore 8.3 - Bruichladdich’s Octomore series consist of some of the peatiest whiskies in the world, and this particular bottle is possibly the peatiest whisky ever released. It’s phenomenally overwhelming in every way. Meat and smoke beat you up, though there’s a gentle citrus element that can be found amidst the chaos. I love it, but it’s not for everyone.
Bunnahabhain Moine Oloroso – A limited edition from an Islay distillery that doesn’t normally do smoky whiskies, Bunnahabhain sometimes releases peated experiments, and this is one of them. The Moine (pronounced moi-gne, like lasagne) is 100% matured in sherry casks. Smoky sherry matured whiskies are not too easy to find and it’s why I include it in this list. I find it to be a gentler version of the Uigeadail, toffee and chocolate cake shine through with a smoke that doesn’t interfere with the sweetness.
Caol Ila 12 – The understated refined gentleman of this bunch. Caol Ila’s ‘standard’ whisky is wonderfully balanced on all fronts. Light and springy, with a delightful oily balance. Citrus and smoked sausage. What a classy drink.
GlenDronach Peated – There’s been a couple distilleries in Speyside (an area with many distilleries not known for smoky whiskies) that have released a few peated releases. This is one of the easier ones to find, and worth trying. It’s honeyed with a hint of raisins and caramel. The smoke is fairly gentle too.
Laphroaig 10 – Islay distillery Laphroaig is known for absurdly smoky whiskies, and this is possibly the best known drink on this list (Donald Glover orders one in the Atlanta TV series). Laphroaig 10 is medicinal, salty, and heavily peated with a long graceful smoky finish that doesn’t go away for a long time. That’s a good thing.
Lagavulin 16 – Lagavulin is a rough bully. Meaty, leathery, fruity, rich, and very smoky indeed. There’s nothing like it out there. This is one of my favourite whiskies.
Paul John Peated Select Cask – A whisky from India, Paul John is one of my favorite whisky distilleries outside of Scotland. This cask strength whisky is packed full of flavors. Rich tropical fruits, a soft dose of vanilla from bourbon cask maturation, and a delightful punchy smoke reminiscent of beef jerky are all present here.
Honorable mentions: Ardbeg 10, BenRiach 10 Curiositas, Bowmore 15 Darkest, Compass Box Peat Monster, Old Ballantruan, Talisker 10.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
To celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s appropriate to raise a healthy dram to the women that have made the industry what it is today. Women have always been instrumental to the development of alcohol, whether pioneering brewing for the first time in history in Mesopotamia or setting up some of the greatest whisky distilleries.
The influence and legacy of women who managed to succeed in what has traditionally been a man’s world has left a lasting impression in the whisky we get to drink. So here are some of their stories, showing why their legacy is so significant.
The only woman in history to own and manage a distillery in the 20th century, there was no indication that Bessie Williamson would become such an important whisky figure. The daughter of a clerk who was killed fighting in World War 1, she was on holiday for the summer on Islay in 1934 with a friend and applied for a summer job working as a shorthand typist at the Laphroaig whisky distillery. She stuck around for a while.
She rapidly rose through the ranks, first by managing the office at Laphroaig, then taking on additional management responsibilities when owner Ian Hunter suffered a stroke in 1938. When he died in 1954, he left her £5,000, ownership of the distillery business, and the tiny islet of Texa to her.
Under her watch, she increased production, and eventually sold the distillery to American company Long John Distillers in order to receive funding to modernise the facilities. Beloved on the island, she provided plenty of work for the local men, kept Laphroaig’s high reputation intact, and successfully guided the distillery through tricky economic periods.
A young Japanese man, Masatake Taketsuru, came to Scotland to learn how to make whisky. He ended up falling in love and marrying the daughter of his landlords, Jessie ‘Rita’ Roberta Cowan, in 1920 (to the displeasure of both families). Taking her back to Japan, he began to work on his dream of building a whisky distillery.
Masatake would go on to build Kotobukiya’s (later to become Suntory) first whisky plant (he eventually left the company, disgusted that they were not planning on producing ‘real’ whisky), and established his own distillery in the Japanese ‘highlands’ of Yoichi, setting up the Nikka distilling company. During this time, Rita provided both moral and financial support, as she gave English classes to both children and housewives while learning Japanese herself. Eventually, the business began to find success during World War II as Japanese navy began drinking the whisky (though Rita was ostracized as a ‘spy’ by the local community), and it continued to prosper afterwards. She became known as 'The Mother of Japanese Whisky'.
Rita and Masatake eventually adopted their nephew Takeshi (after his father died in WWII), who went on to take over the company and rapidly expanded its operations around the world.
Nowadays, she is celebrated figure in Japan, and a recent TV series based on her life and relationship with Masatake was an enormous success. There's also been a Manga comic drawn about her too.
Until recently, Helen Cumming was the only woman to ever be a founder of a Scotch whisky distillery. Though John Cumming, her husband, was the official founder, it’s recognized now it was Helen’s business acumen and creative ways of avoiding alcohol taxes that kept the distillery going.
There’s a story that says that she once managed to disguise the distillery as a bakery while serving tea to the auditors (while signalling other distilleries with a red flag that they were in town). Another recounts a time when she walked 20 miles loaded with bladders of whisky in her skirts, knowing that authorities wouldn’t be so undignified as to search her.
Though she passed Cardhu on to her son Lewis (and stayed involved in running the distillery into her mid-90s), it was his wife Elizabeth that took over after Lewis died unexpectedly. Under her watch, Cardhu greatly expanded production, and then she made a lot of money for the family by selling the distillery off to Johnnie Walker.
Ethel Greig Robertson’s grandfather, William Alexander Robertson, had founded the Robertson and Baxter firm of brokers and blenders, the Clyde Bonding Company, and Highland Distillers over the course of his career. Many hugely influential whisky figures, such as Sir Alexander Walker, and John Dewar Jr., were apprentices under him.
Her father James inherited the family business, which in turn was passed down to her and her sisters (who deputed Ethel to represent them in all whisky business matters) on his death in 1944.
An avid stag hunter and race car driver, she promptly managed not only to soundly steer the company, but to also ward off continuous aggressive takeover attempts by the enormous American firm Seagram. In order to protect their business interests, and to avoid the impact of extremely high inheritance taxes, she created a holding company and charitable trust.
The holding company was named after one of the Robertson family farms, Edrington, and the company shares were passed on to the Robertson Trust. Today, Edrington owns the Highland Park and Macallan distilleries (amongst others), as well as the Famous Grouse blended whisky. The Robertson Trust is now the largest charitable trust in Scotland, distributing £20m to over 500 causes a year.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
While there are plenty of whiskies easy to drink, for various reasons you might be considering something a little less strong. Maybe a cocktail or a mixed drink - or maybe you just feel like a taste on the sweet side.
Enter whisky liqueurs, and the healthy market driving their popularity. Often much sweeter in taste and infused with ingredients that cancel some of the harshness in whisky, creating a liqueur is an opportunity for whisky companies and distilleries to find a different consumer who normally wouldn’t drink whisky.
The four listed here in alphabetical order are my favourite liqueurs with Scotch whisky in them (or at least spirit from malt whisky distilleries). They provide more complexity than the typical sugary sweetness that can infect some whisky liqueurs. I've added a cocktail suggestion so you can can them to good use.
Edinburgh chefs Rupert Waites and Tom Chisholm decided to craft a liqueur to accompany the meals at their boutique pop-up restaurant Buck and Birch, and this is the result. It was such a wild success that they’ve started distributing it across Scotland. Thanks to Royal Mile Whiskies, you can get it shipped anywhere. Made from a mix of whisky and foraged elderberries, the result tastes like a really nice rich fruit juice, making it a little dangerous to drink. It’s a delight.
Suggested Cocktail: Aelder Royale
Mix a dash or two of Aelder and then top it off with Champagne or Prosecco as an aperitif.
Arran is the only distillery on the island of the same name. In addition to whiskies, though, it's also in the liqueur business. Arran Gold is a cream liqueur that serves as an upgrade on Bailey’s or anything of that ilk. It keeps the same agreeable thick creaminess but it’s just a classier drink. Fresh, sweet and thick, it’s got chocolate and toffee elements all over the smell and taste.
Suggested cocktail: Toasted Almond
Mix everything into a shaker with ice, then shake. Pour through a strainer.
Compass Box is the cheeky rogue of the Scotch whisky world. It creates high-end blended whiskies that stand up to the best single malts. Founded by American John Glaser and based in London, Compass Box is also behind the Orangerie, which it calls an "infusion." It's not officially a liqueur as no sugar has been added. Made with both malt and grain whisky, orange peel, cloves from Sri Lanka and cassia bark from Indonesia, its name makes sense. The orange is overwhelming and both sweetness and bitterness are present. It’s not for everyone, but it’s a truly interesting tipple. It’s also 40%, the same strength as plenty of whiskies.
Suggested cocktail: Blood and Sand
Mix all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a cherry.
One of the first of the new wave of Scottish microdistilleries, Islay-based Kilchoman creates a delicious and meaty smoky whisky. Its Bramble mixes both malt whisky and "new make spirit" - whisky that hasn’t been matured in a cask - with honey and blackberries. It’s remarkable, with a full, sweet, fruity experience undergirded by Kilchoman smoke - making it one of the only smoked liqueurs you can find.
Suggested cocktail: Smoked Summer Spritz (As created by celebrity bartender Mr. Lyan)
Stir over ice in a hi-ball and top with soda, add blackberries and a grapefruit twist for garnish.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Ghost are scary. Witches are scary. Little kids asking for candy nonstop is scary. With Halloween now upon us, there's no better way to tell a good scary story, or to soothe any rattled nerves, than with a whisky in hand.
As it so happens, whisky distilleries in Scotland have their fair share of spooky ghost stories. Thrill to this selection, along with a recommended whisky that’s worth trying from the haunted distillery.
If you visit the Glenrothes distillery in Speyside, it's customary to "toast to the ghost." In this case, you're celebrating the memory of Biawe ‘Byeway’ Makalaga. He was rescued from famine-plagued Matabeleland (that’s in Zimbabwe) by Major James Grant, owner of the Glen Grant Distillery, and taken to Scotland where he served as the Major’s page boy and then butler.
Byeway ended up outliving the major by 40 years, and had a quiet life until his death in 1972. He was known as an avid fan of the local football club, Rothes FC, and was awarded a complimentary seat for life, as well as a cup of tea at halftime.
A few years later, in 1979, reports came from the Glenrothes distillery of an old man with dark skin and a scraggly beard emerging during the evening and night shifts. As a result, Cedric Wilson, a professor of pharmacology and amateur paranormal investigator, came over to examine the situation and declared that Byeway’s spirit was disturbed by the installation of new whisky stills.
Wilson then managed to locate Byeway’s grave and ‘speak’ with him, claiming that the issue had been settled amicably.
Byeway’s ghost hasn’t been seen since.
Whisky of choice: The Glenrothes 1995. A smooth, rich whisky that is more than classy enough to give a toast to Byeway’s ghost.
The remote island of Jura, off Scotland's west coast and literally a few feet from Islay, has not one but two whisky-related ghosts. The first was responsible for the construction of a new distillery on the island. Laird Archibald Campbell owned the island and its band distillation. Nearly 30 years later, he was awakened in the middle of the night by the ghost of an angry old woman hovering over his head.
She was furious that he had outlawed the production of whisky, and thoroughly berated him. The laird was so terrified that he built a new distillery in 1810. Apparently to this day, a bottle of whisky is buried at the old distillery site to appease the old woman’s ghostly wrath.
Jura’s second ghost story is more recent. Elvis the cat, a local feline, caught a picture of a ghostly woman on his cat cam that was being used as a promotional tool for the distillery. An actual (or so she says) psychic, Joan Charles, was then called to the island to investigate.
She stayed in the distillery lodge and sensed the presence of someone who was strong, authoritative and kind. She claimed the ghost’s name was Elizabeth Quinn. As it turns out, then-distillery manager Willie Cochrane confirmed that there had been a schoolteacher named Elizabeth who once lived on the island.
On another occasion, Jura brand ambassador Willie Tait once heard a disembodied voice late at night in the lodge telling him "the children are alright." So at least it seems to be a friendly ghost.
Whisky of choice: The appropriately named Jura Superstition is the ideal Halloween tipple. Slightly smoked, caramel thickness, and a lot of malty goodness that shines through on the tongue.
Another Speyside distillery, Glendronach imported a large amount of Spanish Oloroso sherry casks in the 1970s. Apparently, while one of the cask shipments was being unloaded, a stowaway was spotted escaping from an empty cask, dressed in scarlet and black, wearing a full mantilla.
She was described as small and dark. Since then, there have been numerous sightings of a beautiful, exotic woman around different parts of the distillery, with rustling skirts hinting her presence. Her favourite location, however, is rumoured to be the nearby Glen House, specifically the GlenDronach room, where she can take shelter from the Scottish cold. It’s said that it’s easier to sense her after a few whiskies, especially if you are a single man...
Whisky of choice: Glendronach has cemented itself as one of the great sherry-matured whiskies. Its Glendronach Cask Strength batches are always excellent. The sixth batch is punchy, fruity, rich, and so strong that you may very well start seeing things.
For more spooky stories, have a look at this collection from Scotchwhisky.com which includes these and a few more, and some other juicy ones in this article from The Scotsman.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
The Bruichladdich distillery, off the west coast of Islay, produces a wide variety of whiskies. Some are soft, light and creamy. Others are rich and fruity. And some will have more smoke than an enormous bonfire. Bruichladdich’s Octomore line of whiskies belongs in the latter category.
Only those who truly love smoky whiskies can truly appreciate them. Their wallop is that hard. They're certainly not for everyone, and many serious whisky lovers aren't fans.
And now Bruichladdich has released what it claims is the peatiest whisky in the world, the Octomore 8.3. It's among a new series of Octomores, The Masterclass Editions, from Bruichladdich’s distillery manager, Adam Hannett. The whisky itself is five years old - which is quite young - with over half matured in American bourbon casks, while the rest is aged in a variety of European wine casks.
This new release is the perfect excuse to geek out on you. I deeply love peated whisky, and want to pass along my tips about peat to help you begin to navigate this rich and complex world of smoky flavors.
Peat in whisky is often the main cause of its smoky, meaty elements. It's literally decomposed plant matter - mainly ancient sphagnum moss - that's been densely packed together in oxygen-deprived bogs that converts it into carbon-rich soil. It burns well, and has been a source of fuel since ancient Celtic tribes discovered that in fact it could be burned.
Normally to create that smoky flavor, distilleries burn peat to help dry the malting barley that will first be brewed into a beer, and then distilled into whisky. In a process called adsorption, burning peat creates smoke containing molecules called phenols that attach themselves to the barley. These phenols provide many of the smoky and meaty aromas that eventually emerge from your glass.
Maltsters and distillers can control the amount of smoke used. The traditional measure of peatiness in a whisky is Phenol Parts per Million, known as ppm. The two processes to measure ppm are Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy or High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) - the latter considered more accurate.
Now that you know the basics, this will make sense: A very peated whisky is usually 40-60 ppm. The Octomore? A staggering 309 ppm.
So how does this monster taste? First, it's truly delicious and, in my view, well worth the £165 it demands.
The nose is sweet - think maple syrup with a bitter smoke not unlike that of burning car tires. Beneath, there's a more subtle layer of bananas and cream.
Tasted, this subtlety gives way to a charcoal punch. The cream and bitterness come to the fore. There's vanilla, espresso coffee...and a very well done steak. I'm not kidding.
I also can’t stress enough just how smoky this whisky is.
However, here’s where I introduce a word of caution on using PPM to measure the smoky elements in whisky. It's not an accurate representation of the phenol concentration on your palate.
PPM almost always measures the levels of the malted barley rather than of the spirit itself. Throughout the process of brewing, and especially distillation, phenols are continuously lost to varying degrees after the initial PPM measure is taken. Plus there's evaporation while the whisky matures in its cask.
So a whisky that might be 50 ppm with its barley may very well be half that by the time it’s bottled - although it would be nearly impossible for you, the consumer, to know that.
Have a look at this excellent story by Scotchwhisky.com that offers more detail.
To my knowledge, there are two distilleries that state the PPM of the actual spirit itself: Ailsa Bay, a lowlands distillery owned by William Grant and Sons (owner as well of Glenfiddich and Balvenie, among others), and AnCnoc distillery in the Scottish highlands, with its peated range.
Also worth bearing in mind: There's a new way of peating whisky that’s becoming a thing. Rather than introducing smoky flavors through peating the barley, some new releases are aged in casks that previously held smoky whisky. In these cases, the cask introduces the smoke into the spirit. Glenlivet has done this with a new release, as has the Welsh distillery Penderyn.
I'm willing to bet there are others I haven't heard of, and I look forward to hunting them down.
My advice, though, is to ignore the numbers and enjoy that smoke, no matter how strong or soft it may be - or at least give peated whisky a chance if you're not yet a fan. You may fall in love. Honest, it can happen.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Did you raise a glass and enjoy a whisky on National Scotch Day on Friday?
I hope you also did the same on National Bourbon Day before that, and World Whisky Day before that. And there are others, too. If you’ve been keeping track of your holidays correctly, you may have realized that there seem to be multiple dates in the year dedicated to enjoying whisky (and whiskey).
So to help you mark your calendar for when you need to have a glass and tipple ready for a toast, here’s a quick guide, in calendar order, to the different whisky holidays, their history, and what exactly they commemorate.
International Scotch Day was unveiled this year by drinks corporate giant Diageo, which owns the largest Scotch whisky portfolio in the world including blends Johnny Walker and single malts Lagavulin and Talisker, among many others. The day was launched with a bang. Supermodel Coco Rocha served as the face of the campaign. The hashtag #lovescotch became a thing. And all 30,000 Diageo staff were encouraged to spread the word and share generously with friends. The day served as a way to proselytize to a millennial market, which the whisky industry is pushing hard to attract.
Announced in 2008 by top whisky writers and then officially launched at the Whisky Festival Northern Netherlands, International Whisk(e)y Day honors the man considered to be the best and one of the most influential whisky (and beer) writers ever, Michael Jackson. The initiative encourages you to enjoy a glass or few of lovely whiskies and to donate to charity, with an emphasis on those that fight Parkinson’s disease, which Jackson suffered from.
It was also described on the whisky humor website Whiskysponge - yes, this excellent site actually exists and is extremely popular with whisky geeks - as being "the one for people who actually like whisky."
World Whisky Day is probably the best known and biggest of this bunch. It started innocently, founded in 2012 by Aberdeen University student Blair Bowman (he's now a whisky writer and consultant). The idea was simply to mark a day when anyone who loves whisky, anywhere in the world, creates an event that encourages anyone to try whisky. He launched a website that helped coordinate events around the world and it took off from there. The day has been continuously recognized by the Scottish Parliament, and a tasting was held in Antarctica in 2016, meaning that all seven continents have been covered.
This one is still gathering steam, with promises of event listings, merchandise and more. From what I can tell through extensive research (ok, a little googling), the day was started by the website partyexcuses.com, which literally picks random days, assigns a "holiday," makes a quick, easy website for the particular day, and creates the excuse for anyone to create a themed party. August 15th, for example, is "relaxation day." And today, July 30th, is National Cheesecake Day, apparently.
The most recent of the whisky holidays, I couldn’t really find an origin to National Scotch Day despite my hard in-depth research (a little more googling). What seems clear is that it’s American, though I’m willing to bet that it’s OK if I were to celebrate it here in Scotland as well. The earliest mention I found was a brief listing on a food website in 2005. Not much else until after 2013 or so, and now it seems to have gained some traction. However, it has no website and no one coordinating any events or branding, unlike some of the others. It simply has mysteriously appeared, and given us an excuse to drink.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Northern Irish whiskey distillery Bushmills, one of the world's oldest distilleries, has just teamed up with Lowden Guitars, one of the world’s top acoustic guitar makers - Richard Thompson, Ed Sheeran, and Eric Clapton have all played or play Lowdens - to release a limited edition guitar built with wood recycled from whiskey barrels.
The Bushmills x Lowden F-50 is made from whiskey barrels, bog oak, and sinker redwood. In this case, Bushmills’ contribution to the guitar is used for the 12th fret and back inlays, the bindings, rosette and head facings.
Lowden guitars is a family operation, run by George Lowden and his sons, and it took more than 40 hours to design and build the first guitar in the range. Some artisan features of the guitar include a cross symbol formed of a cooper’s hammer and luthier’s chisel, representing the melding of the luthier and distilling crafts.
On the back, two lines echo the staves found in a Bushmills Irish Whiskey barrel, representing the passing of skills from one generation to the next.
This incredible craftsmanship doesn't come cheap, though. There's an £8,500 ($10,750) price tag on the guitar, of which only eight are available.
Bushmills has released a couple videos showcasing the guitar. One is a promo video extolling the guitar’s virtues, and the other features the instrument in action in the hands of singer-songwriter Ciaran Lavery.
This isn’t the first time guitars have been made out of whisky barrels, or even from a Bushmills barrel. Justin Vernon, better known by his stage name Bon Iver, previously crafted a guitar from a Bushmills barrel with the help of luthier Gordy Bischoff. The single guitar was auctioned for charity on eBay for $9,400.
There's also a gorgeous guitar available from Fylde in England, the Single Malt Ariel. It’s made with a mix of oak from Scotch whisky casks and Oregon pine from whisky washbacks, the huge containers for brewing beer that eventually becomes whisky. At £3,950 ($5,000) per guitar, it's a bit more budget friendly than the Bushmills edition.
As a whisky-loving guitarist, I like knowing there are guitars out there made exactly to my needs. I suspect I’m not alone drooling for the chance to play one.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Blended Scotch whisky tends to get a bad rap these days as single malt whisky becomes ever more popular. However, there are plenty of great blends out there that deserve a sip...or 10. For example, London-based blender Compass Box has created some truly hip and tasty blended whiskies that rank with the best single malts.
Then again, this post isn’t about the really nice high-end boutique blends looking to compete in the luxury market. That’s a story for another day.
This is about the cheap stuff. And I'm telling you that some of the cheap blended Scotch is surprisingly decent.
No, not all are good. Yes, most are probably best when drowned in Coca-Cola.
But I ask you to believe me when I say that the five whiskies I’ve selected here are worth trying, neat.
All can be found for under £25 pounds in the U.K. (and under $30 in the U.S.) - most, in fact, under £20 ($25).
Even though they won’t knock your socks off - let's be reasonable - they're definitely enjoyable and worth their prices.
I stand by these choices. For added pleasure, serve them to whisky-snob friends. Don’t tell them what they're drinking. Then sit back and enjoy their surprise at something they may have previously sneered at.
I first encountered this little piggy a few years back when I worked at a whisky store in Edinburgh. A customer asked for our best cheap whisky. There was a tasting stock that had a stash of whiskies next to the cash register for customers to try (and for the staff to sip on the sly). So I pulled a little bottle of this out, poured us both a small measure, and shared a toast. "It’s as smooth as a pig’s nose," the bottle boasts, and I’m inclined to agree. This is a creation of Richard Paterson (his Twitter handle: @the_nose), Whyte and Mackay’s master distiller, a revered personality in the whisky world.
This is a bonafide award-winning whisky, taking silver at the 2014 International Wine and Spirits Competition - and it costs less than £20 ($25). It’s a good one, relatively full bodied with a sweet caramel tang coming through nicely. It’s said to be made up mostly of Laphroaig, and certainly there's a whole lot of smoke on it that doesn’t invite disagreement.
Considered by whisky geeks to be one of the best cheaper blends, it's made by William Grant & Sons, owner of the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries. Smooth, sweet, creamy, and malty, it's being marketed widely, and with good reason, as a perfect whisky for cocktails. It's high-quality enough to make a great cocktail, but not so good you wouldn't want to waste it in one. Very nice to drink neat as well, though. ‘Monkey Shoulder’ is the historical term for distillery workers who had to turn malt with a shovel to help dry it, and as a result developed a posture where an arm and shoulder that would hang lower than the other, giving a simian-like appearance.
Someone bought me this at one of my favorite live music venues and I didn't recognize it on tasting. I asked him what he ordered. "House whisky from the bar," he answered. And so I discovered Black Bottle. I then had two whisky-loving friends try it and they were also impressed. It’s rich, fruity, surprisingly full-bodied, and has a hint of smoke.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Romance is in the air as Valentine’s Day looms. But of course, even more romance will be in the air after a few whiskies. And wouldn’t it be nice to use romance as an excuse to drink whisky in some of the nicest locations in Scotland?
Yes, it would.
So in the name of love, romance, and the water of life, here’s a short list of the best luxury whisky getaways anywhere. These are excellent hotels featuring not only amazing whiskies at their bars, but also access to whisky that will be hard to find anywhere else.
Aside from being a phenomenal building and hotel, all of the eight (soon to be nine) world-class distilleries on the hebridean island of Islay off Scotland's west coast are within easy distances. Additionally, the grounds of the hotel itself have a small but lovely forest park, a large community garden, and a square where various local businesses (including the only brewery on the island) are based.
Perhaps most importantly, the hotel’s lovely whisky bar features malts from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), my favorite independent bottler in the world (you have to become a member to get easy access to their excellent whiskies), and probably has one of the best selections of these whiskies outside of the SMWS clubhouses.
I should also mention that Islay itself is a truly stunning location, with beautiful views, hikes, celtic ruins, and beaches.
St. Andrews is a high-profile location, a gorgeous seaside town on Scotland's east coast. Prince William went to college there (where he famously met Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge. Romance!). It's one of the world capitals of golf. There’s the beach where they filmed that running scene with the music. And the Old Course Hotel is known for being the fanciest joint in town. I admit that you may have to wait to get a room though, as it's currently closed for remodeling until April.
The hotel itself is, as you may guess, situated right next to one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world, the Old Course. Aside from an impressive bar and the offer of bespoke guided tastings, there's nearby access to two microdistilleries. Oh, and a spa.
The Eden Mill brewery and distillery is in Guardsbridge, the town next door. It produces its own gin and beer, but it also blends its own whisky under the ‘Art of the Blend’ brand. Also close by is Kingsbarns Distillery, launching its first whisky next year. But you don’t have to wait: it's owned by Wemyss Malts, an excellent blender and independent bottler, and there’s plenty of that whisky already available. You can also have a taste of its malted barley spirit that will eventually become its single malt whisky once it ages for the necessary three-years-and-one-day for it to be called a "whisky."
There's a reason the Craigallachie is considered one of the best whisky hotels in the world, with a whopping selection of 900 whiskies. There's a foodie bonus. The restaurant, The Copper Dog, sources all its ingredients within a 40-mile radius of the hotel.
And you have many reasons to venture beyond the bar as well. The Speyside region has one of the highest, if not the highest, concentration of whisky distilleries in the world. Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Macallan, and many more are all within easy reach.
And if for some insane reason you want to do something else beyond drinking whisky, you can go salmon fishing, clay pigeon shooting, explore the many hiking and biking trails, drive around the Speyside Valley in vintage cars, and plenty more.
Scotland’s capital sure is romantic.
And the Balmoral Hotel is one of the nicest hotels in one of the city's most iconic buildings. It boasts the mandatory impressive whisky bar, and a Michelin-star restaurant, Number One. Although Edinburgh isn't generally considered a particularly special or important whisky location, I’m on a personal campaign to prove otherwise. (I admit I’m biased because I live here.)
From the Balmoral, you're less than a five-minute stroll from some phenomenal whisky locations. If you take the romantic walk along the Royal Mile next to the hotel, from the castle to Arthur's Seat there are various shops that also double as independent bottlers, selling whisky that you can’t find anywhere else.
Jeffrey St. Whisky and Tobacco, in particular, not only hosts tastings in the shop with its own whiskies (be sure to ask for its excellent Miltonduff), but have one of the best cigar selections in the U.K. Cadenheads and Robert Graham around the corner also has its own bottles, as well as Royal Mile Whiskies, one of Scotland’s best-known whisky shops.
Another Speyside hotel, Dowans Hotel, opened a new bar recently with a collection of 500+ whiskies. With rooms named after Speyside distilleries, the hotel also houses two restaurants, 57 and Spe, which specializes in working with seasonal local ingredients. Like the Craigallachie, the world of Speyside whiskies is within easy reach. Located next to the lovely River Spey (in which you can canoe and fish), the hotel is a short walk from the Aberlour Distillery (be sure to try the A’bunadh, my favorite whisky from there), and a short drive to many other ones.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Raise a glass. Today is the very first International Scotch Day. Sláinte! That means ‘health’ in both Irish and Scottish gaelic (yes, there’s a difference).
International Scotch Day is an initiative from drinks titan Diageo, which owns the most Scotch whisky distilleries in the world as well as the Johnnie Walker brand of blended whiskies (and Guinness beer, and Smirnoff vodka, Captain Morgan rum, and plenty more. But anyways…). In fact, February 10th marks the birthday of Alexander Walker, the creator of the famous blend.
With activities taking place in both Scotland and around the world, Diageo is also opening up its famous archive of whisky artifacts, some dating back more than 200 years, in Menstrie, Scotland. Distillery visitor centers will offer free tours. Diageo’s 30,000 staff have also been mobilized and encouraged to spread the good word about Scotch whisky and to share generously with friends.
The whole program is aimed at bringing in new Scotch drinkers, appealing to that ever-valuable millennials market, and to ‘re-recruit’ anyone who may have recently fallen out of love with whisky but may be open to getting back into it again.
So in the spirit (pun intended) of International Scotch Day, here are five Diageo whiskies worth having a sniff and a dram. As always when I write whisky lists, prices come from The Whisky Exchange, though these will vary by country and shop.
No! Don’t click away! Come back! Yes, cheap grain whiskies can be worthwhile. And after the disappointment that was the original Haig Club (launched to great fanfare with David Beckham), the Clubman is a worthwhile missionary for the Scotch whisky cause.
You can drink it neat, or it works as a great cocktail ingredient (meaning that you save your nicer whiskies). This one was launched with a specific goal of reaching out to those pesky millennial kids, with David Beckham reprising his role as the face of the Haig. As a pesky millennial myself, I’m pretty happy with it. It’s got cream; it’s got vanilla; it’s clean and enjoyable. It won’t knock your socks off, but it’s definitely enjoyable.
Linkwood is usually found in specialist shops as a limited edition release from one or another independent bottler. However, the standard 12-year-old that Diageo has released is very nice indeed. The design of the label specifically refers to Diageo’s Flora and Fauna series from the early '90s (when it was still called United Distillers), the original bottles of this bunch are greatly prized by collectors. Today’s Linkwood is a wonderfully well-rounded whisky. Apples, pears, cloves, cinnamon, complemented by a citrus tang. It’s hard not to like this one.
A terrific whisky. Rich and deep. The reason for this comes from whisky that has been finished (passed from one cask to a second) in port casks, which always adds dry, fruity, and cake-like flavors. Cragganmore is one of the distilleries Diageo gives a lot of publicity, and it deserves it. I’ve never tried one I haven’t liked.
Many Scotch whisky distilleries have a ‘flagship’ whisky, a whisky that's sold en masse as a continuous release that defines the character and flavor of the distillery. Anything else released serves as a comparison point to the ‘base’ whisky. Examples include Springbank 10, Laphroaig 10, Kilchoman Machir Bay, Aberlour 10, and plenty more. To me, Lagavulin 16 is the best flagship whisky you can find. There’s a reason Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson character goes nuts for it in the TV show Parks and Recreation (and Nick Offerman has now become the famous face of Lagavulin). Smoked meat and salted caramel invade the nose and palate. It’s a wonderful thug of a whisky.
Like Lagavulin, Caol Ila hails from the Hebridean island of Islay, one of Scotland’s whisky capitals. Many of my favorite distilleries are based there, and it's one of my favorite places in the world so I recognize my bias.
However, there's no denying Caol Ila is a great smoky whisky. Where Lagavulin bullies you with smoke, Caol Ila is more likely to sneakily pick your pocket while having a nice chat with you. The smoke is gentle and complementary rather than overwhelming. Caol Ila 18, in particular, is one of the most herbal and grassy whiskies I’ve ever tried. Vegetal sweetness like peppers, or sweet potatoes, combined with a saltiness that Caol Ila specializes in. Hay, grass, and beef jerky meat and smoke are all involved. It's classy stuff.
All of these are fine choices to celebrate with. Diageo’s head of outreach, Nick Morgan, has said that they plan on making this an annual global event. I’m more than happy to join the party.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
The team of gentlemen behind award-winning Portobello Road Gin, a boutique gin distillery located in London’s iconic Notting Hill neighborhood, has branched into territory where few others have ventured before: luxury accommodation and dining.
The Distillery, located on Portobello Road, has three double-rooms available, and four floors dedicated to creating a gin drinker’s paradise.
Here’s what they offer:
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Did you know that almost all the whisky (and whiskey) that you drink is diluted with water before it gets bottled? This includes everything from Jack Daniels to Glenfiddich 18.
If you see a whisky that's 40-49% alcohol by volume (ABV), then it's likely that water was added (although there are exceptions). It makes the whisky taste smoother, can often add flavors, and also means that by diluting the alcohol, more bottles can be sold.
A good cask strength whisky is a beautiful thing. You're guaranteed an intense flavor experience. Also important is that you can decide how much water you want to add to your whisky (or ice if you must, you blasphemer), instead of a distillery company deciding for you at the time of the bottling. Water will loosen up the oils that provide flavors in the whisky, and you have full control over getting the balance just right.
Or just drink it neat if you’re feeling tough.
So what are some of the cask strength whiskies out there? The ones I’ve listed below are superb examples, and not too much of a dent in the wallet, either. They cover a wide range of the incredible variety of flavors to be discovered in Scotch whisky, and they also make excellent presents for whisky-loving friends and family.
The whiskies are listed in alphabetical order, and their prices are from The Whisky Exchange, one of the top online shops for whisky. It's likely that a few of these will probably be pricier in the U.S. and other countries.
1. Aberlour A’bunadh - £46.95 (US$58)
I’ve written before about the A’bunadh, and for good reason. This Speyside (in Northeast Scotland's highlands) is one of the best sherry-matured whiskies around, and also happens to be one of the best cask strength whiskies as well. It’s rich, velvety, and fruity. It’s well known among whisky geeks, and none of us would ever turn our nose up at this superb tipple. This whisky gets released in batches, and each new one is eagerly awaited.
2. Auchentoshan Valinch – £40.45 (US$50)
I loved this lowland (in whisky terms, that means everything, more or less, south of the city of Stirling) whisky when I first tried it a few years ago. It’s got everything a good, punchy, bourbon cask-matured whisky should. It has a thick creamy consistency with flavors that blend vanilla, cookies, and buttery pastries.
3. Ardbeg Uigeadail - £53.75 (US$66.75)
Ardbeg is one of Islay’s iconic distilleries (all the Islay distilleries are pretty iconic), and its Uigeadail is a smoky monster. But then again, so are almost all the whiskies that come from there. Meaty, leathery, fruity, delicious. Get this whisky if you like the idea of being punched in the face by your drink.
4. Kilchoman Original Cask Strength - £72.95 (US$90.50)
A recent release from one of the first of the modern Scotch whisky microdistilleries, the latest edition of the Kilchoman Original Cask Strength is matured entirely in small casks called quarter casks. It’s a great whisky, and probably a little harder to find than the other ones. You can read my full review of it here.
5. Springbank 12 year old cask strength - £47.95 (US$59.50)
This one is getting bought up quickly. It was a smash hit when it was released and Springbank is a popular distillery as one of the few independents left in Scotland and family owned for generations. The 12-year-old cask strength has the thick oiliness typical of Springbank, and a whole lot of nutty and toffee/caramel richness, as some of it (about 40%) was matured in sherry casks.
Enjoy these beasts.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. For his work, he has been named the Whisky Magazine's 2022 Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year, and the 2021 Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
It's a well-known fact that almost all Scotch whisky is aged in used casks. While virgin oak casks are legally required for bourbon, most casks in Scotland were first used to age American bourbon whiskey before they were shipped over the Atlantic.
However, a considerable proportion of whiskies, especially single malts, are also aged in Spanish sherry casks - in high demand these days because not enough sherry is being produced to match the demand for sherry-aged whiskies.
So most sherry casks are actually built specifically for the whisky industry. Many single malts mix both bourbon and sherry matured casks together. However, whiskies entirely matured in sherry casks are bit harder to find.
These whiskies can be quite special. They're richer, fruitier, and often with more depth than their bourbon counterparts. But don’t take it from me. Here are five worth trying in order to become familiar with the flavors generally to be had in these whiskies.
I’m a huge GlenDronach fan. Its incredible 15-year-old Revival is among the best examples of sherry-matured whisky out there and was much mourned by us whisky geeks when it was discontinued. However, its 12-year-old is also lovely - gentler than most sherry whiskies, sweet and light on both nose and palate. Apples, honey, and fresh grapes all come through, versus the heavier flavors of caramel, toffee, and raisins more typical of sherry-matured whiskies.
I've written about Kilchoman before. It's one of the forerunners of the new wave of Scottish microdistilleries, and everything released so far is extremely enjoyable. Its latest release of Loch Gorm is no exception, and one of the few whiskies you can find that's both peated and entirely matured in sherry casks. As it’s a young whisky (around 5-6 years old), some of that sherry depth is there but not too strong. Smoke and citrus on the nose give way to a strange but excellent mix of ginger with a hint of smoked fish on the palate.
Released as one of Highland Park's core expressions about two years ago, the excellent Dark Origins is a great example of what sherry whiskies can do. Roasted hazelnuts, dark chocolate, raisins, cloves, and toffee are all involved here. Especially nice is the little nip of smoke at the end of it.
One of Scotland’s few remaining independent distilleries (run by the Grant family since 1865) all Glenfarclas whisky involves sherry casks to a degree. The Glenfarclas 17 is all sherry, and a regal drink indeed. Rich and full of depth, there’s plenty of good stuff to find here, including fruity sweetness reminiscent of blackberries and cherries, orange peel dryness, and chocolate.
The A'bunadh sets the standard for sherry whiskies. Photo: allthingswhisky,com
The A’bunadh sets the standard for excellent sherry whiskies and is beloved by whisky snobs worldwide. Not only is it one of the more budget-friendly whiskies on this list, it's also one of the best - far better than many whiskies quadruple the price. Released in batches, this is a cask-strength whisky, so it’s a bit of a beast, with most batches coming close, if not greater, than 60% ABV (alcohol by volume).
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
Did you know that only a quarter of Scotch whisky distilleries are owned by Scottish companies? In fact, there are only a few large companies behind most of the whisky that you drink (although an increasing number of independent businesses own small distilleries).
Here are a few that may come as a surprise, listed in order of market share value based on 2015 figures:
Formed in 1997 from the merger of Guiness and Grand Metropolitan, the company that owns Guinness beer and Smirnoff vodka also controls the most Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. That Diageo is the biggest player in Scotch whisky is not really a secret, especially as it's also behind one of the world’s best known whisky brands: the Johnnie Walker blends. It's responsible for more than one-third of the total whisky produced in Scotland. There's significant quality within the quantity, though. Some of its distilleries include the superb Lagavulin, Mortlach, Talisker, and many many others.
Market share: 36%
After Diageo, Pernod Ricard of France own the most Scotch distilleries thanks to their purchase of American company Seagram’s distilled beverages division as holdings of that enormous company were being sold off in 2000 - including all the distilleries owned by Chivas Brothers. In fact, between them, Diageo and Pernod Ricard control 55% of the Scotch Whisky market. Pernod Ricard owns quite a few ubiquitous alcohol products such as Jacob’s Creek wine, Absolut vodka, and Havana Club rum. Some of their whiskies include Glenlivet, Aberlour, the Chivas Regal blended whiskies, and the Jamesons Irish whiskey giant as well.
Market share: 19%
The only independent, Scottish and family-owned company on this list, William Grant and Sons have been around since 1887. It's the distiller and entrepreneur William Grant who established the world’s first distillery dedicated to producing single-malt whisky, Glenfiddich, which is now the best-selling single malt in the world. Beyond Glenfiddich, the company also own a few other Scotch (as well as gin, vodka, and American whiskey) distilleries. These are Balvenie and the grain distillery Girvan, and the newer distilleries Kininvie and Ailsa Bay. However, it's also dipped into the blended whisky market, with products such as Grant’s, Monkey Shoulder, and others.
Market Share: 7%
You may have heard of the white rum, but Bacardi became a heftier Scotch whisky player in 1998 when it purchased John Dewar and Sons from Diageo. It now owns five distilleries including Aberfeldy and Royal Brackla, and a range of blended malts as well.
Market Share: 6%
Other players in the whisky industry
Beginning with humble origins in 1899, when Shinjiro Torii began to produce and sell wine in Japan, his company then built the Yamazaki distillery in 1924 and has since grown into one of the world’s largest drinks companies. Renamed as Suntory in 1963, its empire was further expanded when it bought Jim Beam in 2014. It produces a lot of whisk(e)y around the world. Its range of global production includes Japanese (Hakushu, Yamazaki), Canadian (Canadian Club), Ireland (Kilbeggan), and American (Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark) whiskies. It also produces Scotch, with a portfolio consisting of Islay malts Bowmore and Laphroaig, as well as the distilleries of Ardmore, Glen Garioch, and Auchentoshan. You may have also encountered its blended Scotch brand Teacher’s.
Market share: 3%
Brown Forman is one of the largest American companies in the spirit and wine business. If you’ve not heard the name, you’ve seen its products. It owns Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve whiskeys, Finlandia vodka, Herradura tequila, and much more. It's recently stepped into the Scotch Whisky industry by acquiring the BenRiach Distillery Company for £281 million. As a result, it now owns the Ben Riach, Glen Dronach, and Glenglassaugh distilleries as well.
Market share: <0.5%
It’s true! It doesn't just do purses, you know. Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton owns two well-known Scotch distilleries, namely Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, both delicious top-level whiskies that produce only single malt Scotch (in 2014, Glenmorangie discontinued the delicious Bailie Nichol Jarvie blend because it was getting too popular and the firm wanted to use its malt for other products). It would make sense that LVMH would dip into the whisky market given it's behind most luxury products that you can think of, including all kinds of drink brands, particularly champagne, wine, and cognac.
Market share: 0.5%
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
I talk a lot about whisky. How it smells and tastes, where it comes from, how it's produced. But I've never really talked about whisky bottles.
That's why I couldn't resist when my younger brother challenged me to explore the fanciest whisky bottles available (and in a few cases worth more than the liquid inside). So here I offer some of the crazy designs for whisky bottles, almost all of them higher-end luxury or collectors’ whiskies.
In 2012, Japanese whisky company Suntory released a series of whisky bottles commemorating the Rolling Stones. The first in the series celebrates the band's 50th anniversary. Consisting of a mix of Yamazaki malts, it also has a little bit of malt that was distilled the year the band began strutting in 1962. The bottle itself has been modelled around the Stones' iconic tongue and lips logo (originally designed by John Pasche). With only 150 bottles available at $6,300 each, it’s a proper collector’s item.
This is the oldest Islay whisky ever released - and there are only 12 bottles in existence. The first failed to meet the reserve auction price at Bonham’s when it went on sale in October 2012, but eventually met the minimum price of $160,000 in December, which went to Scottish charities. The bottles themselves were handblown and sculpted by glass artists Brodie Nairn and Nichola Burnsinto, and the bottle is meant to evoke the waves that crash against the distillery. The bottle also features a platinum neck collar and stopper engraved with information about the whisky inside the bottle.
Winner of the 2012 World Whiskies Design Award, this $15,000 bottle of whisky was designed by Scottish jeweler and silversmith Maeve Gillies. There are only 275 bottles, intended to celebrate the island of the whisky's production, and has numerous Orcadian features, including a disk of pink Orcadian sandstone carved with the Highland Park logo.
This whisky so far holds the record as the most expensive whisky bottle in the world, sold in 2010 in a Sotheby’s auction in New York for a whopping $460,000 , with all proceeds going to charity. This 64-year-old whisky and the Lalique Cire Perdue decanter bearing it represents a collaboration between Macallan and Lalique, the world’s foremost crystal artisans, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lalique founder Rene Lalique.
Celebrating 60 years of Elizabeth II’s reign as Queen of England, this 2012 release by John Walker & Sons (the company behind Johnnie Walker) blends malt and grain whiskies that were all distilled and maturing since 1952, the first year of her reign.
To add a little poetry, the final blend then matured in a cask of English oak from the Queen’s Sandringham estate, and bottled on February 6th 2012, exactly 60 years after her coronation. Appropriately, only 60 bottles exist. The diamond-shaped crystal decanter is produced by Baccarat and includes a pair of engraved crystal glasses. At £120,000, it’s not cheap. The profits from the sales went to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
I’m happy to admit that while I know my Scotch whisky, American whiskey is somewhat of a black hole to me.
Though I’ve tried a few here and there, I’m fairly ignorant of the differences between Scotch and American whiskey in taste and their production processes, as well as the kinds of flavors found in American whiskeys compared to Scotch. Never mind the intricacies and differences between rye whiskeys, bourbons, and other varieties out there.
So while on the St. Louis leg of an American tour with my blues band earlier this month, I decided to close this knowledge gap and get educated on American whiskeys with the help of John Joern, all-around whiskey connoisseur and owner of the best whiskey bar in the city, The Whiskey Ring.
As ryes seem to be reaching new heights of popularity, I asked John if he could give me a primer on rye in American whiskey to provide more of a focus for the tasting and for understanding this important aspect of the whiskey world. He happily obliged.
Before we get to the tasting list, here’s some useful information: First, there's a difference between a ‘rye whiskey’ and a ‘high rye whiskey’. A rye whiskey requires the mash bill (the recipe of grains in an American whiskey) to be a minimum of 51% rye, much in the same way a bourbon needs to be a minimum 51% corn. A high-rye whiskey will contain between 16-20% rye. So take note of these delicious whiskeys incorporating rye.
This high rye bourbon from a classic bourbon distillery was a perfect place to start the tasting. It helped get me used to the fact that rye whiskeys and high-ryes, compared to Scotch whiskeys, have a lot of wood, toffee, and vanilla flavors that you have to fight through (in a good way) in order to discover more subtle aromas. This one had a bit of cinnamon and butter besides the big wood/toffee/vanilla thing, but not much else for me. It might be that my taste buds weren’t quite sure what to handle, but John didn’t scowl when I registered my views. I take that as an encouraging sign for my entry into this brave new world.
Whiskey, with a hint of sherry Photo: Felipe Schrieberg
Another high-rye bourbon, the Rieger’s website informs me that this thing has a minimum age of seven years, and even boasts a dollop of aged sherry from Jerez. You won’t get that in Scotch. This Kansas company is typical of many American bourbon companies - they source their spirit for mixing and bottling from a different distillery to create their own unique product. From what John tells me, many of these companies operate like Compass Box
For this whiskey, I suspect my taste buds were warming up as orchard fruits (cherries on the nose) and licorice came through in the taste.
Upper echelon jackalope Photo: Felipe Schrieberg
A product of the High West distillery of Utah, John tells me Bourye is considered to be in the ‘upper echelons of blended bourbon’. By ‘blended’ he means there's been a mix of rye whiskeys and bourbons thrown together into proportions that are kept secret. The bottle doesn’t even reveal if this classifies as either a bourbon or a rye. It sure is tasty, though. This is the most complex of the lot so far. Dark fruits combined with bakery butteriness on the nose give way to a kind of sweet tartness that is definitely comparable to... Warheads candy.
A mix of beets and graham crackers. Yum. Photo: Felipe Schrieberg
Our first proper rye whiskey of the night, this release from Kentucky's Michter’s distillery (named after a shuttered Pennsylvania distillery) showcases the mix of vanilla, caramel, toffee, graham crackers and bitterness that can be typical of a rye whiskey. There’s also a slight vegetal edge that I can’t quite identify. Beets? Carrots? Maybe you can find something closer to the mark. Let me know, please.
Bottled from barrels picked by the master himself Photo: Felipe Schrieberg
Wild Turkey's master distiller, Jimmy Russell, is revered in the American whiskey world and one of the most important figures in American whiskey. This release from Wild Turkey bears his name, which makes sense as Jimmy and his son, Eddie, selected the barrels that go into this six-year-old release. They picked them well - this is the best whiskey of the night, and I suspect John knew what he had created. The rye bitterness is missing, happily, from this one. Citrus, mango, and butter on the nose lead you into a peach crumble on the mouth, with that classic American background of toffee and caramel.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. |
In the many whisky tastings I’ve been to, I’ve often heard certain whiskies described as ‘one that women might like’ or ‘a ladies’ whisky’. The assumption is that said ladies will not know their whisky, and they can't possibly handle such a strong drink.
Certainly, whisky is often marketed as a manly drink, for men. Examples include Javier Bardem’s baddie in Skyfall informing us that Macallan is James Bond’s favorite drink, David Beckham as the face of Haig Club, and plenty more.
However, the fact is that women probably make better whisky tasters than men. Science says so.
Simply put, women generally have a better sense of smell than men. Various studies prove this, but probably the most famous - ‘the sweaty t-shirt experiment’ - was conducted by Dr. Claus Wedekind in Swizerland in 1995.
By smelling sweaty t-shirts worn by men for two days straight without knowing who they were or what they looked like, women preferred the smell of men whose genetic makeup was further from their own. This experiment dealt with a set of genes called the major histocompatability complex, or MHC, which is an important part of our immune system.
MHC genes also determine our “odor imprint,” an odor signature unique to each person caused by a mix of chemicals that we secrete throughout our bodies, most notably through our armpits.
So what do smelly t-shirts have to do with whisky?
Well, our sense of smell is overwhelmingly important, and accounts for as much as 90% in determining what we taste. A simple experiment that you can do at home proves it.
All you need is a cheap, low-quality, generic supermarket whisky and something really lovely - say, a Glenlivet 18 (one of my dad’s favorites), or one of these five delicious choices. If you pinch your nose and have a sip of each of these whiskies - no cheating; you’re not allowed to know which is which - it’s pretty much certain you won’t be able to tell them apart. Science!
A Brazilian study found strong biological evidence that women are far better equipped than men for nosing. The study examined the number of cells in the olfactory bulbs - the first region of the brain to receive signals from the nose - in post-mortem brains of both women and men. The researchers discovered that women have on average 43% more cells in this structure and 50% more neurons than men.
All this science is pretty well in line with my own personal experiences. If I’m leading a tasting with whisky newbies, it's often the women who first identify the richer, fruity flavours of a sherry cask-aged whisky like the Aberlour A’bunadh, or the creaminess of a single bourbon cask Ben Nevis.
This doesn’t mean that guys can’t have sensitive noses. However, most men do have to play catch up and train their senses in order to keep up with women. It means men probably need to smell and drink more whisky.
And that’s just fine by me.
By Felipe Schrieberg
Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.
He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.
He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.
His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com
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