In one word? Awesome.

You want more than that you say?

It’s kind of hard to know where to begin. The events of the weekend before last have all converged into a bit of a blur. Not so much because of the alcohol, but rather the simply dizzying array of tastings, masterclasses, quizzes, meals and world-class whiskies which were thrust upon us over the course of the weekend… yet with all the activity, we came away feeling really rather impressed at just how relaxed and informal the weekend managed to be. More...

A bit of Blighty…

Most whisky drinkers don’t just drink whisky. A lot of us enjoy a G&T, or a good cocktail, or a glass of wine, and everyone loves our nation’s faithful, honest quaff… beer.

After a hard day’s toil wondering why they didn’t make Microsoft Office work properly, nothing beats a good pint at your local, or an icy cold bottle of beer on the couch.

The only thing is a glass of single malt is great too. But which do you choose? - a glorious pint or a warming glass of whisky? More...

Kilchoman’s Summer 2010 release is in at last! This sprightly 3 year old was matured entirely in fresh bourbon barrels (which is a first for Kilchoman; the previous trio were all at least partially matured in sherry).

We’ve already reviewed the Autumn 2009 Release and Spring 2010 Release and we loved them both, so we’ve got high expectations for this one.

Here are our thoughts… More...

Okay, so just a teaser at this stage, but you all remember the Glengoyne ‘Scottish Merchants’ Choice’ that was released last year?

Yep – you’ve got it - the English Merchants’ Choice is coming soon!!!

A full report will follow, but suffice it to say that Master of Malt were sequestered in the Glengoyne sample room with four of England’s greatest (other) whisky merchants earlier this year, and at great, great length selected a cask of which we are all supremely proud. More...

The Scotch whisky export figures for 2009 are in, and they make for very interesting viewing!

In the ultimate battle for supremacy, the pole position didn’t go to the UK, the Japanese or even the Americans. No, 2009’s greatest Scotch importers were the French. On average, each adult imported 2.45 litres of Scotch whisky… that’s 3 ½ bottles a year, which isn’t bad going for a country that makes some of the world’s very best brandies. More...

I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen a delivery driver so amused.

Literally the second the new bottling of the Noh Karuizawa Whisky walked through the door, the office broke out into a frenzy – photographers snapping, directors grabbing tasting glasses and falling upon the beautiful decanters like they contained the elixir of eternal life.

Such is the sense of anticipation and wonderment that surround all whiskies bottled by the Number one drinks company. This particular release is a 32yo Karuizawa from 1977 (Karuizawas before 1981 are revered as somewhat special because of their intense Umami-rich flavour), and it’s spectacular. It’s by no means a gentle giant at 32 years of age – we’d describe it more like being kicked in the face by an angry bosozoku than the peaceful tranquillity brought by Hanami (ed - d’you like that? Bit of Kulcha and that)…

Anywhoo, enough rambling, here are our tasting notes:

Nose: This dram opens with an olfactory delight of walnuts, chestnuts roasting in New York, pineapple and maple syrup. As it sits in the glass the nose develops stewed fruits in mulled wine, a slight note of autumnal bonfire and orange peel element and finishes on glacé cherries

More...

We’ve added some incredibly exciting spirits to our Drinks by the Dram sample service.

These include a brace of classic Speyside distilleries, some beautiful Bajan rums and a trio of cognacs.

Here’s a rundown of the new selection of samples, kicking off with William Grant’s legendary Balvenie and Glenfiddich distilleries.

Having their entire range in dram form is quite a coup, we’re sure you’ll agree… More...

All you small batch bourbon fanatics are going to be in whiskey heaven with the hellz-a-poppin’ fun we have in store for you today...

We’ve just added some extraordinary whiskey samples to our Drinks by the Dram range, including a corking selection of American classics.

We thought we’d give you a quick rundown of highlights from the new additions...More...

Good morning one and all! This week we’ve got an exciting competition for you to take part in, and the prize is dram of the incredible Parker’s Heritage 27 Year Old bourbon - Malt Advocate’s 2008 American Whisky of the Year. Its nose is rich with rum, nougat, butter scotch and pepper, and its glorious palate offers vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, juicy oak and caramel – sounds good huh! More...

Right, our fantastic Cooley Competition is officially over. We’ve drawn a close to the prize draw that some critics have described as "the greatest competition since the Ancient Greeks first started running around and lobbing objects in Olympia." The prize shone like a beacon on our site, attracting the myriad Irish whiskey lovers with promises of a trip to Ireland, personalised bottles of whiskey, wining and dining, two nights in a luxurious hotel and more!More...