Weekly Whisky News- 24th January
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 24th January 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Latest Whisky Releases: SMWS 'Supper Sipper' & Highland Park's 56-Year-Old Masterpiece.
- The Scotch Malt Whisky Society released the final bottling in its Winter. Cask No. 88.31 Supper Sipper, is a 15 Year-Old single malt whisky additionally matured in a first-fill Pedro Ximénez hogshead. Read More
- Highland Park Distillery in Orkney unveiled its oldest whisky to date. Highland Park 56 is also one of its rarest whiskies and is created from a never-before tasted sherry-seasoned cask containing whisky first laid down in 1968. Read More
New Whisky Additions: The Glenlivet 40 Year Old & Holyrood Distillery's Re-Rack Series.
- Speyside distillery, The Glenlivet, added to its core range of whiskies with a new 40-year-old single malt. Its oldest permanent expression to date, The Glenlivet 40 Year Old is finished in custom casks seasoned with a bespoke blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherries. Read More
- Edinburgh based Holyrood Distillery unveiled the first expression in a new series of single malt whiskies – The Re-Rack Series – designed to showcase its experimental and flavour-first approach to spirits. Re-Rack #1 is a re-rack from first fill bourbon into a rum barrique. Read More
Isle of Raasay Distillery
Isle of Raasay Distillery
Isle of Raasay Distillery
In this Q&A, Isle of Raasay Distillery shares a glimpse into their whisky-making process, the history behind their unique collection, and what makes their spirits truly special.
Isle of Raasay Distillery is the first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay what inspired you to establish a whisky distillery in this unique location?
I can trace my family connection to whisky back to 1820 when a company called J&A Davidson was established in Coldstream in the Scottish Borders. My Great Grandfather joined the business as an office boy when he left school in 1895. I inherited his “cellar book” from my father in 2009 and recreated one of his blended whiskies called The Tweeddale. By 2013 I had written a business plan for a Borders distillery but required investment. In short that’s how I met Bill Dobbie and we incorporated R&B Distillers in July 2014. Bill’s oldest friend from school Iain Hector Ross had suggested that Borodale House (a disused hotel on Raasay) would make a good location for a distillery (Iain’s wife Marion’s family was from Raasay). I visited Raasay with Bill in May 2014 and looking back at the views of Skye had to agree that it was indeed the ideal location for our distillery.
Your focus on both peated and unpeated spirit sets you apart. Can you explain how you approach blending these styles to create a balanced whisky?
As I mentioned I started in the Scotch whisky industry as a blender and approached designing the distillery process and oak policy as a blender. Also when writing my original business plan for a distillery had looked at other distilleries around the world (particularly in Japan) and realised that we could take a different approach to making single malt scotch whisky as we wouldn’t be constrained by having to have one distillery style required my blenders. Also we knew that we wanted to release whisky at a younger age (3, 4, 5 years old). So how do you produce an excellent whisky at a younger age? We in my opinion an excellent whisky has complexity, depth and balance so we had to created complexity and depth and then marry these elements together to create balance. This is why we produce 6 months of heavily peated spirit using malted barley at 52ppm and 6 months of plain malted barley. This creates two separate spirits that are matured separately in three different cask types (ex Rye American oak, chinkapin oak and ex Bordeaux red wine French oak casks). This creates complexity and depth, 6 different components which after full maturation we marry together to create balance.
Small batch production is at the heart of your operation. How does this scale allow you to experiment and innovate with your whisky?
We produce about 3 casks on each shift, 6 casks a day. We fill these casks every day this allows us to trace everything back to just 6 casks. It means that we can identify every element of the production of these; from fermentation time (3 to 5 days), yeast type, wither the cooling jackets on the washbacks were off or on, whither the cooling jacket on the lyne arm of the wash still was on or off, the cut points used, barley variety, level of phenols of the barley, to the type of casks filled. This gives us more options when it comes to planning our special releases and more transparency on the breakdown and information that we can provide to our customers of The Draam our signature Isle of Raasay Hebridean Single Malt.
Sustainability is a growing focus in whisky production. What steps is Isle of Raasay Distillery taking to minimize its environmental impact on the island and beyond?
When we design the distillery we included two heat recovery steps in the process. We recover the heat from the wort as we cool it prior to adding the yeast. This recovered heat preheats the next water for mashing. We also hold our pot ale & spent less and recover the heat from both to preheat the wash going into the wash still. Both heat recovery steps significantly reduce our energy consumption. We are also working on a third heat recovery step which will be used to heat our accommodation and visitor centre this could potentially create a potential further saving of 60 tonnes of carbon per year. We are working with the Community Hydro Scheme (Raasay Renewables) to use the green electricity produced to power a forklift and maturation warehouses on Raasay. We have also created over 40 careers at our distillery on Raasay, an island that had a recorded population of just 161 people in the 2011 census.
Isle of Raasay Distillery is known for its incredible visitor experience. What can guests expect when they come to visit the distillery and the island?
We currently have 6 ensuite bedrooms in the distillery with a bar, restaurant, residents lounge, shop and visitor centre. It’s just a 25 minute ferry from Sconser on Skye to Raasay, an experience some would say adventure with the best views of Skye. When you arrive you can join a tour, enjoy The Draam or a cocktail, relax in front of the log fire in the residents lounge and enjoy our locally sourced food (all with that view). There’s even a complementary bottle of Isle of Raasay single malt waiting for you in your room. We have also started work on 6 additional “bothies” luxury cabins at the distillery that will be available to book from October this year.
If you’d like to learn more about the Isle of Raasay or are interested in purchasing one of their bottles, you can visit their website here
Weekly Whisky News- 17th January
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 17th January 2025
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Latest Whisky Releases: SMWS Skooshy Stroopwaffel, The Sexton 11 Years Old, and Isle of Tiree's Historic Debut
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society unveiled the 30th release in its experimental small-batch Heresy range. The SMWS Skooshy Stroopwaffel features a 10 Year-Old Speyside single malt matured for 8 years in American Bourbon Hogshead casks then finished for 2 years in four fresh European oak sherry butts from Spain’s renowned Juan Pino cooperage. Read More
Over in Ireland, The Sexton Irish Whiskey has launched its first age-statement expression; The Sexton 11 Years Old . This single malt Irish whiskey has been matured in oloroso sherry-seasoned French oak casks from the Antonio Paez Labato family bodega in Jerez, Spain. It will be available from travel retail outlets. Read more
One of Scotland’s smallest distilleries, The Isle of Tiree Distillery, revealed its inaugural whisky which is the first legal single malt whisky produced on the Hebridean island of Tiree in over two centuries. Only 800 bottles of Isle of Tiree Single Malt Scotch Whisky were available and have already sold out. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 10th January
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 10th January 2025
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Latest Whisky Releases: The Whisky Exchange's Winter Trio, Bob Dylan's Heaven's Door, and October London's Bourbon Collaboration
- The Whisky Exchange has revealed its third Seasons collection capturing the feel and flavours of a cosy winter’s evening. The Seasons: Winter release includes three single cask, single malt Scotch whiskies: Orkney 2013 – 10 Year Old, Laphroaig 2015 – 8 Year Old, and Blair Athol 2007 -16 Year Old. Read more
- In the US, the singer Bob Dylan has added a sixth release to his Heaven’s Door Bootleg Collection of annually released whiskeys in ceramic bottles that feature his own artwork. This latest release blends straight wheated Bourbons aged for 12, 13, and 14 years, finished in Limousin cigar barrels. Read More
- Also in the US, Kentucky-based Mr & Mrs Bourbon has partnered with Grammy-nominated R&B artist October London to create a limited-edition whiskey. October London x Mr & Mrs Bourbon is a wheated Bourbon distilled in Kentucky in 2018 and aged for six years. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 20th December
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 20th December 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Latest Whisky Releases: Glenfiddich's Lunar New Year Artistry, Wild Atlantic's Debut Release, and Isle of Barra's New Distillery.
- Speyside distillery Glenfiddich has teamed up with contemporary ink artist Zhang Yu for its Lunar New Year 2025 limited-edition releases. The eye-catching design features an imagined encounter between the Glenfiddich stag and a mythical nine-coloured deer king. Read More
- Irish distillery Wild Atlantic has revealed it will launch its inaugural whiskey on 21 December (the winter solstice). Islandmen Single Malt Irish Whiskey is matured in a first fill American Bourbon cask for two years and then finished for one year in a Pedro Ximénez Spinola Solera 1918 cask. Read More
- Isle of Barra Distillery breaks ground: Construction has officially started on Isle of Barra Distillers’ new production site located on the Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 12th December
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 12th December 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Latest Whisky Releases: Bimber's Santa’s Edition, SMWS Creators Collection, and Glendronach Master’s Anthology
- London based Bimber Distillery revealed its Christmas annual whisky. Santa’s Edition 2024 is the second festival bottle of its London single malt whisky, additionally matured in a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask. Read More
- The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) unveiled the first instalment of a new series called The Creators Collection with Peat Plants, a set of four premium, limited-edition aged peated single malt whiskies. Read More
- Highlands distillery, Glendronach, launched a new collection of whiskies capturing the breadth and depth of Sherry cask maturation. The Glendronach Master’s Anthology Collection features three non-age statement single malts: Ode to The Valley , Ode to The Embers and Ode to The Dark. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 6th December
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 6th December 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Glengoyne Launches Second Russell Family Cask, Ballantine’s Adds to Masterclass Collection, and Douglas Laing Expands Red Wine Cask Range
- The Scotch Malt Whisky Society released the final bottling in its Winter Series just in time for Burns Night this weekend. Cask No. 88.31 Supper Sipper, is a 15 Year-Old single malt whisky additionally matured in a first-fill Pedro Ximénez hogshead. Read More
- Highland Park Distillery in Orkney unveiled its oldest whisky to date. Highland Park 56 is also one of its rarest whiskies and is created from a never-before tasted sherry-seasoned cask containing whisky first laid down in 1968. Read More
Bimber Unveils First Age Statement Whiskies, Johnnie Walker Releases 52-Year-Old Blend, and Duncan Taylor Supports MND Research with Special Edition
- Speyside distillery, The Glenlivet, added to its core range of whiskies with a new 40-year-old single malt. Its oldest permanent expression to date, The Glenlivet 40 Year Old is finished in custom casks seasoned with a bespoke blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherries. Read More
- Edinburgh based Holyrood Distillery unveiled the first expression in a new series of single malt whiskies – The Re-Rack Series – designed to showcase its experimental and flavour-first approach to spirits. Re-Rack #1 is a re-rack from first fill bourbon into a rum barrique. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 29th November
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 29th November 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Exclusive Whisky Releases: Derbyshire’s Wire Works English Oak, Annandale’s 10-Year-Old Man O’Sword, and Chivas Regal Extra Smoky Cask.
- Derbyshire Distillery White Peak is encouraging support for local high streets and communities with the launch of Wire Works Whisky English Oak this Black Friday weekend. Instead of being available online there will only be a limited number of bottles on the shelves of their bricks-and-mortar retail partners across the UK, as well as at the Distillery shop. Read More
- Annandale Distillery announced it’s first ever 10 Year Old Man O’Sword single malt whisky. Ten years in the making, Cask 85 was filled in December 2014 from one of the Distillery’s first ever peated spirit runs, just one month after the revival of whisky production at Annandale. Read More
- Chivas Regal has unveiled the latest expression in its Extra range, Chivas Regal Extra Smoky Cask Selection. It has been selectively finished in ex-peated whisky casks to bring a smooth and smoky twist to the series. Read More
Exclusive Whisky Releases: Johnnie Walker’s Lunar New Year Blue Label, Murray McDavid’s Coastal Embrace Collection, and Bushmills’ 26-Year-Old Crystal Malt
- Johnnie Walker is celebrating the Year of the Snake with the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year limited edition design bottle created by Asian-American visual artist, James Jean. Read More
- To celebrate 30 years of whisky innovation, Murray McDavid launched the Coastal Embrace Collection – a limited edition series of 28 Year Old blended malt Scotch whiskies. It has five chapters, each combining acclaimed spirit from distinguished coastal distilleries including Highland Park, Laphroaig, and Bunnahabhain. Read More
- Irish Whiskey Distillery Bushmills added a 26 Year Old Crystal Malt to its luxury Prestige Single Malt Collection. It is produced using crystal malt barley, where the barley has undergone a special malting process in which the sugars within the grain of the whiskey are crystallised. Read more
Weekly Whisky News- 22th November
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 22th November 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
New Whisky Releases: Lochlea's Stout Cask Finish, The Dalmore Vintage Collection 2024 edition, and GlenAllachie's Year of the Snake.
- Johnnie Walker officially launched Black Ruby worldwide – the latest edition to its core range of blended whiskies. It features Roseisle whiskies aged in first-fill red wine casks and other casks used include oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry-seasoned casks, as well as ex-Bourbon barrels. Read More
- Blended Scotch whisky Royal Salute announced Rio de Janeiro Polo Edition – the seventh edition in its annual Polo Series limited collection. Read More
Whisky Releases: Tomintoul’s 50th Anniversary Edition, Ballantine’s First Single Grain, Irish Distillers Forêt de Tronçais 2, and Eden Mill’s New Single Cask Series
- Woven Whisky blending studio created the world’s first 100% English blend. Experience N.22 Pastures New is made with liquid from six English distilleries; Cotswolds Distillery, White Peak Distillery, Cooper King Distillery, Copper Rivet, Fieldenand Adnams Distilleries. Read More
- The Lakes Distillery launched Signature – the distillery’s first permanent sherry-led single malt whisky. Matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks, it brings together discoveries made from over a decade of exploration by the distillery’s whiskymakers using the art of élevage – a technique traditionally associated with fine wines and cognacs. Read More Read More
New Whisky Releases: Lochlea's Stout Cask Finish, The Dalmore Vintage Collection 2024 edition, and GlenAllachie's Year of the Snake.
- Bowmore Distillery based in Islay revealed the second whisky in its ARC series with Aston Martin. One of its oldest launches, ARC-54 was distilled in 1968 and comes in a handblown decanter inspired by the design of Aston Martin’s Valkyrie hypercar. 130 decanters are available at £71,000 each. Read More
- Tomatin released a Double Cask 13 Year Old travel retail exclusive single malt in a 1 litre bottle. Matured in bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks, it will be available from April in major UK and international airports. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 15th November
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 15th November 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
New Releases in Whisky: Big Peat’s Cask-Aged Boulevardier, Kilchoman Sanaig Cask Strength, and Milroy’s 13-Year-Old Heavily Peated
- Glasgow Scotch Whisky Blender, Douglas Laing, revealed Big Peat’s Cask Aged Boulevardier. This new handcrafted ready-made cocktail drink combines distinctive Islay peat smoke and sweet Malt with a classic bitter palate. Read More
- Kilchoman, the independent Islay farm distillery, unveiled it’s new limited-edition bottling of Kilchoman Sanaig Cask Strength. Sanaig is a combination of both oloroso sherry hogshead finishes and fully matured casks. Read More
- To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the Independent retailer and bottler, Milroy’s, launched its Heavily Peated 13 Years Old, a smoky single malt finished in first-fill Jamaican rum casks from Monymusk Distillery. Read More
New Whisky Releases: The Glenrothes 15-Year-Old Joins Core Range, Glasgow Distillery’s Cask Strength Batch 02, and Bruichladdich’s Octomore 15 Series
- Speyside Distillery, The Glenrothes, announced a new 15 Year Old to its core range, to join its existing 18 and 25 Year Old whiskies. It’s aged exclusively in European oak sherry-seasoned casks. Read More
- The Glasgow Distillery introduced a second batch of cask strength editions of two of its most celebrated single malts; Glasgow 1770 The Original Cask Strength Batch 02 and Glasgow 1770 Peated Cask Strength Batch 02. Read More
- Bruichladdich Distillery added a new super-heavily peated whisky to its latest Octomore 15 Series – Ten Aged Years has been distilled from 100% Scottish Concerto barley. Read More