Whisky Magazine Aug/Sep 2019

The Islay Festival is always a special time of the year, there is just something about that jewel of an island, its distilleries, the people, the remoteness… the list just goes on. Let’s not forget the whiskies of course. One thing that Islay does best, and I guess it goes with most island travel, is thwart the best laid plans of mice and men, and this year it was my turn to be caught up by Mother Nature. There are only a few things worse than standing in the departure lounge waiting for a flight to board, then to see the word ‘delayed’ spring up in luminous green on the board. One of these is when, and for those of you that know Islay’s very small and intimate airport I’m sure can…

Researchers are hoping to dig up evidence of Scotland’s whisky-making past with an archaeological excavation at one of the earliest legal whisky distilleries in Scotland. The dig is thought to be the first excavation of a traditional small-scale farm distillery, and it’s underway at Blackmiddens, a ruined steading in the Cabrach on the border between Moray and Aberdeenshire. This was one of the first farms to be granted a licence to produce whisky following the Excise Act of 1823 which effectively formalised the small-scale distilling of whisky (previously an illicit black market activity), leading to the global success story we know today. The archaeological dig is being led by the Cabrach Trust, established to preserve the history of an area notorious for illegal whisky distillation and smuggling. The excavation is especially exciting for…

The rules governing the legal description of Scotch whisky have been amended, in order to give distillers clarity on the types of oak casks that can and cannot be used to mature Scotch whisky. The change was delivered in response to ‘a growing number of enquiries as to the type of oak casks that can be used.’ Following a public consultation by the Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the amendment was made to the technical file governing the Geographical Indication (GI) for Scotch whisky held by the European Commission and, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), ‘is now law.’ Karen Betts, chief executive of the SWA, said: “This amendment provides clarity and some additional flexibility on the range of casks in which Scotch Whisky can be matured.…

Whisky Live Perth & Adelaide Friday 26 to Saturday 27 July 2019 Friday 16 to Saturday 17 August 2019 Whisky Live is the whisky and spirits sampling event of the year, and takes place in Perth and Adelaide. Come along to enjoy a great line up of whiskies, plus vodka, gin, rum and Cognac, all under one roof. • Get to know a vast array of top-shelf whiskies and spirits from distilleries across the world.• Graze on an assortment of gourmet food while tasting, all included.• Surround yourself with people who share your passion for whisky and spirits.• Cultivate your whisky and fine spirits knowledge with expert instruction.• Sample a great range of whiskies, along with vodka, gin, rum and Cognac. Whisky Live is an event for adults 18 and older. Whisky Live and Fine Spirits…

This is a story about love at first sight and, like all such stories, this one might not have turned out the same if the timing or the light had been different. But things are what they were, so here it goes. On a sunny June afternoon in Dublin, I fell in love with a pub. Google Maps told me it was Dame Court – a more modest way, I presumed, than the boisterous Dame Lane it turns off from. The patio was energetic just the same, but the narrow road, with fewer distractions than a denser strip, encouraged me to notice details like two small stag heads perched outside above the door like sentinels, one missing an antler, a charming imperfection. I was struck by the quirky font above the…

Whisky is an agricultural product, borne of the necessity to preserve excess crops and make them easier for storage, transport and trade. The distilled spirits industry as we know it today grew from this necessity, but thanks to the farm-to-table movement there has been a push to honour these agricultural roots. Some of the larger distilleries are experimenting with agricultural programmes of their own, while craft distillery operations are starting from the grain up. “I always tell people that it’s easier to get corn across the country in a conestoga wagon in jugs, than it is in a bushel basket,” says Whiskey Acres co-founder Nick Nagele. Nagele, a farmer before all else, partnered with neighbours Jim and Jamie Walter to start Whiskey Acres on the Walter family farm, which the Walters have…