Features - Page 8

Featured news, interviews and articles covering whisky, rum, gin, tequila and mezcal and other drinks and spirits, as well as the drinks industry.
The Port Ellen distilleryPort Ellen Distillery: Rebuilt for a New Century

You’d think that after spending £185 million rebuilding one of whisky’s most storied ghost distilleries, Diageo might be content to stick with the original blueprint. Make some classic-style smoky Scotch,…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Demand from Diageo distilleries like Port Ellen means there's less peaty malt to go roundPort Ellen: Too Big to Die

When Port Ellen Distillery closed in 1983, it seemed like it was for good. Back then, it was another name on the long list of distilleries lost to the whisky…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
The NightcapStop Asking For “No Ice”

“No ice, mate.”  Every bartender has heard this. Every. Single. One. Usually from a certain type of customer. You know the type. You might even be the type. And if you…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Starward Left-FieldHow World Whiskies Are Filling The Hunger For New

Whisky is no longer just the pride of Scotland’s glens, Ireland’s green hills, or Kentucky’s rickhouses. It’s being made in Mexico and Argentina, China and Denmark, South Africa and New…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Mizunara Casks used to mature Scotch whiskyMizunara Oak: The Darling Diva of the Cask World

Ah, Mizunara oak. The whisky world’s high-maintenance muse. This Japanese oak species (Quercus mongolica) is prized in whisky-making for the distinctive flavours it imparts: sandalwood, coconut, delicate incense, spices, and…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
The London Distillery Company – Third Time’s a Charm?The London Distillery Company – Third Time’s a Charm?

The London Distillery Company (TLDC) is back, and it has unfinished business. One of English whisky’s earliest modern pioneers, TLDC helped lay the foundations for the category before quietly fading…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Trossachs Cooperage: rekindling the fire of coopering?Trossachs Cooperage: Rekindling the Fire of Coopering?

It’s no secret that casks are the unsung heroes of Scotch whisky. But behind every great cask, there’s a cooper.  And behind every great cooper, there’s… well, usually another cooper….

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Learn all about the Caol Ila Disitllery hereCaol Ila: A Brand Spotlight

Caol Ila – the Sound of Islay. Perched on Islay’s northeastern shores, the Scotch whisky distillery boasts magnificent views across the narrow sea channel that gives it its name, with…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
The Dalmore Luminary Series EndsThe Dalmore Luminary Series Ends

The Dalmore Luminary Series has sadly ended with the launch of Edition No.3.  The final chapter is a two-part release that includes The Dalmore 17 Year Old Luminary No. 3…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
The Smoke Awakens: InchDairnie Unleashes KinGlassieInchDairnie’s Ian Palmer Talks KinGlassie Whisky

Remember when InchDairnie Distillery teased its follow-up to RyeLaw with two new single malts –  KinGlassie Double Matured and KinGlassie Raw?  Both have now arrived at Master of Malt, and…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Father's Day luxury whiskyA Mini Guide to Nikka Whisky

In the world of Japanese whisky, Nikka sits comfortably on the shortlist of “legends.”  Founded by Masataka Taketsuru, the man who studied distillation in Scotland and then brought that know-how…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
What makes Blanton’s such a cult classic?What Makes Blanton’s Such a Cult Classic?

There’s bourbon, and then there’s Blanton’s.  The first name in single barrel whiskey, this Kentucky-born legend set the template for what premium bourbon could be – and still sets the…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Sherry Bomb 8 Year Old vs Peat Bomb 8 Year OldSherry Bomb 8 Year Old vs Peat Bomb 8 Year Old

When it comes to whisky, some people want mystery and intrigue. Others prefer to know where they stand. To drink whisky that does exactly what it says on the bottle. …

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Havana Club Tributo 2025 and the “Special Relationship” Between Rum and Whiskey
Havana Club Tributo 2025 and the “Special Relationship” Between Rum and Whiskey

Havana Club Tributo 2025 is Cuban rum meets Irish whiskey. Not for some saccharine tale of star-crossed spirits finding each other across a crowded bar. But because it makes sense….

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
Glen Grant whisky is one of the world's best selling single maltsGlen Grant: What is the Secret to this Speysider’s Success?

Glen Grant is a whisky distillery in Rothes, Speyside. It was founded in 1840. It’s one of the world’s best-selling single malt Scotch whiskies. It was a brand before brands…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell
The Singleton’s Gourmand Collection is luxury whisky with a luxury pairingThe Singleton’s New Gourmand Collection Reviewed

Sometimes Mondays aren’t so bad. Yesterday, I headed to a tasting of The Singleton’s new Gourmand Collection at No. 41 Burlington Arcade, Mayfair, upstairs in the boutique and tasting rooms…

Adam O'ConnellAdam O'Connell