Adam O'Connell
Adam O'Connell has been writing for Master of Malt for over eight years now. He’s visited distilleries, wineries, and breweries across the world, reviewed a variety of whiskies, gins, rums, Tequilas, mezcals, brandies, vodkas, wines, beers, and cocktails, and contributed all kinds of words in all sorts of places, including over 1,000 articles to its award-winning online blog, The Whisk(e)y Wash, and many of the handy guides you might have enjoyed. He’s even jammed with Kiefer Sutherland AND dined with Ainsley Harriott. Not at the same time.
Taking Tormore into the Spotlight: Light and Fruity Does ItThe first-ever official permanent line-up from Tormore is here! Limited editions Blueprint and Legacy in 2025 gave us a hint of what was to come. Now the Speyside distillery is…
Tamnavulin at 60: The Single Malt People Actually DrinkTamnavulin is the UK’s fastest growing single malt whisky. It’s the second biggest in the UK off-trade (supermarkets), behind Jura, and the number one single malt in Sweden. In 2022…
Darkness Whisky Returns with 10 New Limited Edition BottlingsDarkness Whisky is back, bringing with it 10 (ten!) new limited edition Scotch whiskies and a tasting set containing the entire collection. The independent bottler has built its reputation on…
Toast The Odyssey with New Collection From Berry BrosHave you ever had a dram of whisky at the cinema? It’s a thing of beauty. A great picture deserves a great pairing, after all. The Odyssey arrives to the…
The Master of Malt Mystery Drop Returns!You all loved Master of Malt’s Mystery Drop the first time. But many missed out. Here’s your opportunity to correct that. Or to roll the dice again if you enjoyed…
Zacal Mezcal: Beyond OaxacaZacal is a mezcal brand founded by four friends, Phil Clayton, Ian McCaig, Cri Osborne and Andrew Maidment, in partnership with third-generation mezcalero Milton Román Ochoa Corona. Two bottlings have…
What Is A Teaspooned Whisky?Are you familiar with teaspooned whisky? No, not a cocktail recipe, but one of Scotch whisky’s most delightfully petty secrets. What is a teaspooned whisky? It goes like this: take…
Lancaster Spirits Co. Steps Into Peat Before It’s Released WhiskyLancaster Spirits Co. has not released its first single malt whisky yet. It’s not expected to reach the market until 2027. That is not stopping it from planning the next…
The Master of Malt Trade Blog Is HereWe’ve launched the Master of Malt Trade Blog today. And yes, you’re allowed to read it too. Before anybody panics, this blog, the one you are reading now, is staying…
Top 10: Best New Releases in JuneJune has been busy. And hot. The best new releases this month are pretty scorching too. You’ve probably seen a few already. But there’s so much to get stuck into…
Win a Golf Bag Full of Loch Lomond WhiskyWho wants to win a golf bag full of Loch Lomond whisky? UPDATE: We have a winner! Congratulations to Sarah Thompson! That’s right, Loch Lomond Whiskies returns for another year…
Win a Trip to Finland with Kyrö Game of Thrones WhiskyKyrö Game of Thrones whisky has arrived at Master of Malt, and for two weeks, you’ll only find these new limited edition whiskies here. To celebrate the launch of Kyrö…
When to Shake or Stir CocktailsTo shake or stir cocktails, that is the question. Each choice changes the temperature, dilution, texture, appearance, aroma, and overall balance of the drink. When to shake or stir cocktails…
Old Pulteney at 200: The Whisky That Belongs to WickOld Pulteney is now 200 years old. I recently went to Wick, Caithness to see the whisky distillery and take in the local sights. Because you can’t understand Pulteney without…
Brother’s Bond Bourbon: Can Celebrity Whiskey Earn Respect?It was National Bourbon Day yesterday. Fine, technically in the US, but they can’t have all the fun, and the occasion gives us a good excuse to take a closer…
Distilleries We Really Bloody Like: Thomson DistilleryWe got a couple of new arrivals from Thomson Distillery recently and it reminded me that I wanted to talk about this whisky maker for a while now. Partly because…
