Whisky Magazine Issue 72

Welcome to Whisky Magazine

Well I don’t know about you, but occasionally I look at the world and think “why?� And the last few weeks have been packed with those moments. The most recent came with the announcement of a hu...

By Rob Allanson in the section From the Editor

Heading Downtown

America’s most famous city hosts the greatest whisky show on earth,we find out more

New York’s annual celebration of the world’s finest whiskies rolled in to town recently complete with a smart new venue. The prestigious Puck Building, close to New York’s chic Soho district, h...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky Live

Feeling positive

Davereflects on recent column inches about the World Whisky Awards and
other announcements

Whisky and WAGs, who would have thought it? There I am, flicking through the United Kingdom’s topselling red top, The Sun, (I didn’t buy it you understand, someone had discarded it on the train) a...

By Dave Broom in the section A dram with Dave Broom

Forest to flask

William M. Dowd heads to the Ozark mountains to investigate Glenmorangie's impressive wood policy.

In most of life’s undertakings, patience is a virtue. In whisky making, it is a requirement. And, in this era of worldwide efforts to improve the sustainability of the environment, it is becoming an...

By William M. Dowd in the section Whisky Production

What's in a box

Packaging can convey various messages about a whisky, but how we respond to a particular design also says something about us, and the way we see ourselves, write Ian Wisniewski.

Whether a bottle of whisky is perceived as appealing and interesting, or not, reflects our own personal sense of aesthetics. For some of us less can be more. But less can also be less, while more can ...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Whisky issues

Splitting Wick

For a quarter of a century the Northern port of Wick had no licensed premises. Dominic Roskrowreports on the
bitter feud that divided the town.

The 28th of May has a special significance in Wick. It was on that date in 1922 that every pub shut its doors and every off licence removed alcohol from its shelves. And it was that date in 1945 that...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Whisky History

Signature craft

Ian Buxton meets the man behind Balvenie's style

With more than 45 years in the whisky industry, remarkably with just one company, you’d expect David Stewart to think carefully before putting his signature on a bottle. And you’d be entitled to ...

By Ian Buxton in the section Whisky People

Talking stills

In the first of two articles on stills, Ian Wisniewskilooks at the role of the wash still,and what happens
during the first distillation process

It’s easy to dismiss the wash still as entirely pragmatic, like a manual labourer that repeats a basic task, while the spirit still tends to be hailed as an artist performing a creative role.But the...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Production

The dynasty of Dallas

Gavin D Smithlooks at the fascinating history behind Dallas Dhu

In the last issue we featured a ‘lost’ distillery that could still be revived, in the shape of Caperdonich, and this time around we are focusing on the story of a unique ‘lost’ distillery that...

By Gavin D. Smith in the section Lost distilleries

Two Rs of education

In the latest in our series looking at whisky terms we look at the letters Q and R,and in
particular rye whiskey and reflux.

RYE WHISKEY If there is any confusion as to exactly what rye whiskey is, it is probably because it’s a term used to describe two very different products. Canadian whisky, which still enjoys a high ...

By Rob Allanson in the section Glossary

Forget the headlines

Joe Batesbraves the crowds and keeps an eye on his bags as he checks out
the offerings at Heathrow’s flagship terminal

An auspicious opening it certainly wasn’t.Seething passengers, hundreds of flights cancelled and up to 20,000 bags lost from a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled luggage system in total meltdown....

By Joe Bates in the section Travel retail

Under the hammer

Now you can find both of John Rose’s superb articles about collecting whisky in one place. In collections,he looks at some of the latest bottles to come up at auction. In questions,he fields your enquiries

BOWMORE 1968 Distillation Bowmore Distillery,Bowmore, Isle of Islay,Argyll. 1968. Edition of 1,860 bottled by the proprietor. 700 ml Strength 45.5 % Vol Presentation Embossed gold and wine coloured fo...

By John Rose in the section Collector's corner

Ask the expert

I want to ask you a question concerning the certification of whisky, of which you spoke in issue 70.Let’s say I want to buy a bottle of expensive whisky I have seen in a specialist whisky shop, or o...

By John Rose in the section Questions and Answers

Emerging Europe

We look at some whisky producing nations outside the big players.

It’s a well established fact that whisky tourism in Scotland, Ireland,Kentucky and Japan has reached such a level of sophistication and advancement that it has become an integral and important part ...

By Rob Allanson in the section Visitors guide

Stalking the stag

The Dalmore is a sleeping giant but it's starting to stir. Dominic Roskriw visited one of Scotland's strangest distilleries.

Early summer in the Highlands, and the scene outside the distillery is one of utter tranquillity. The tide’s out so Cromarty Firth is a mass of sand dune and rivulets. A watery sun casts shadows a...

By Dominic Roskrow in the section Distillery Focus

A matter of taste

It seemed like a good idea, and in the end the event turned into a great evening's tasting with some interesting company, cracking spirits and one belter of a cigar. Rob Allanson Reports

There are some moments in a journalist’s life when you realise that you are doing the hard work so your readers don’t have to. Fortunately in this mammoth tasting I had a little help because tast...

By Rob Allanson in the section Whisky Matters

Expansion demands

Charles K.Cowdery looks at what the US distilling community is doing to
meet the growing demand for their products

It’s been 40 years. Right after the Second World War, American whiskey sales boomed. Existing distilleries expanded and many new distilleries were built, as the industry rushed to regain production ...

By Charles K. Cowdery in the section Whisky issues

History in a glass

Berry Bros & Rudd organised the ultimate tasting of The Glenrothes,we found out more.

Some events are so special that you know they will never be repeated again, and the tasting of 16 different Vintages, 12 of which are no longer available, or extinct from the award-winning Speyside di...

By Martine Nouet in the section The Glenrothes

I should cocoa

Writer Kate Ennis goes on a mouth watering exploration with a London chocolatier.

List all the complimentary flavours that naturally go with chocolate – orange, nuts, dried fruit, caramel, vanilla – and you have something that’s also starting to sound a lot like a whisky tast...

By Kate Ennis in the section Food

Difficult second album

Jefferson Chase looks at the battle between the secular and religious.

Critics didn’t much care for Hanif Kureishi’s second novel The Black Album when it appeared in 1995. The story of a British-Pakistani university student torn between secular pleasures and Muslim ...

By Jefferson Chase in the section Literature

“I don’t know if anyone else sells The Dalmore 50 by the glass�

Ian Wisniewskitalks to Giuseppe Ruo of The Library Bar at The Lanesborough Hotel in London

IANWhen did your interest in Scotch whisky begin? GIUSEPPE When I was in Italy, but the problem in Italy was that the market for Scotch whisky was very small, this was in the 1980s and 1990s. When I...

By Ian Wisniewski in the section Chat

Join the debate

email the team editorial@whiskymag.com

Star letter - Casks galore I’ve just read John Rose’s letters page in issue 71 and in the last letter he advises a reader on where to buy a cask of whisky. If he had read Whisky Mag’s own onlin...

By Rob Allanson in the section Forum