This Summer: The Smoke Sessions with Ardbeg Whisky and DJ BBQ

Words by Helena Nicklin

It’s great news for fans of smoked meat and smoky whiskies as world-renowned Islay Distillery Ardbeg teams up with the brilliant master of the grill: Christian Stevenson aka DJ BBQ.

Launching today, The Smoke Sessions is an online series designed to offer the ultimate guide to barbecuing and smoking meat as well as the preparation of smoky whisky cocktail serves. In the sessions, DJ BBQ will explain and demonstrate the fundamental laws of smoke, wood and heat while spinning the decks in his inimitable style. All the while, Brendan McCarron, Ardbeg Distillery’s Head of Maturing Whisky Stocks will help creating spectacular, smoky drinks using Ardbeg Ten, An Oa and Wee Beastie.

“The taste of braided beef fillet alongside an Ardbeg Ten Old Fashioned is just awesome, and a sip of hot Wee Beastie punch with a slow smoked pork shoulder is unrivalled,” says DJ BBQ. “My smoky barbeque recipes share so many characteristics with the flavours of Ardbeg whisky, and they complement each other perfectly. The laws of wood, heat and smoke are so important to barbecue and single malt alike, and once mastered, you’ll become a barbeque boss!”

Watch  DJ BBQ create amazing recipes such as the 18-Hour Whisky-Smoked Pulled Pork, served with Ardbeg Wee Beastie Hot Apple Cider, Coal-Roasted Beef Plait served with Ardbeg Ten Maple & Bacon Old Fashioned, and Whisky Planked, Pit-Smoked Salmon served with Ardbeg An Oa Bloody Mary.

How to Watch

To watch the Ardbeg Smoke Sessions, tune into Ardbeg’s Instagram Live on Friday 24 July at 8pm BST to watch DJ BBQ kick it all off. Keep an eye on all of Ardbeg’s social channels and the videos can be watched at any time on YouTube here: 

Law of Heat 

Law of Smoke 

Law of Wood

How to Taste

Cocktail fans will be able to order DJ BBQ’s Maple and Bacon Old Fashioned for delivery across the UK, via Mothership on the Drinks At Home platform, for a limited period from 21 July 2020.

Like this? Try this piece on the Ardbeg releases ranked by smokiness and What is peated whisky?

One Drink, Three Ways: Aloha 65

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One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

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This brand new style of spirit isn’t quite a gin, a vodka or anything else. It’s a refreshing, all-natural spirit with a tropical vibe, infused with fresh pineapple, ginger and lemon, a few herbs and a wonderful kick from local scotch bonnet chillies. Invented on the west coast of the U.S in a surf bar, it became so popular, the owners decided to bottle it. Delicious as a chilled shot, it's also extremely versatile; a great ingredient for relaxed cocktails at sundown and is vegan to boot, so a great crowd-pleaser. At 27% abv, it's also more social and session-able than other spirits. Here are three ways you can try it this summer at your barbecue. ..

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Helena’s Choice: The Alohan

A refreshing, long summer serve with a burst of flavour and spicy kick. Perfect for batch cocktails and so simple to make. Simply pour 1 part Aloha 65 into a jug or pitcher. Add 2 parts ginger ale, a tonne of ice, lemon slices and sprigs of mint. Serve in highball glasses, jars or a copas.

The Alohan

Recipe

1 part Aloha 65

2 parts Ginger Ale

Ice (lots)

Lemon and mint to garnish

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Aidy’s Choice: The Aloha Colada

The Pina Colada was recently tipped to be the number one cocktail ordered when bars reopen after lockdown, thanks to its celebratory, summery vibe! Here’s a much more interesting version of that, using Aloha 65 and its super simple to make. Just stick everything in a blender and blitz it for a few seconds before pouring into cool, large wine glasses or tiki glasses. Umbrella optional!

The Aloha Colada

Recipe

Ice

60ml Aloha 65

50ml coconut milk

75ml fresh pineapple juice

1 tbsp sugar syrup (2 parts white sugar to 1 part water)

Juice of ½ lime

Slice of pineapple and cocktail umbrella to garnish

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Colin’s Choice: The Aloha Old Fashioned

Those who know me know I love all kinds of Old Fashioned recipes from the classic to the quirky. This is definitely the latter but it really works and is a much better option for sunny evenings. Stir all the ingredients together with ice, then strain into a tumbler and garnish with orange and a cherry, if you have one. Superb!

The Aloha Old Fashioned

Recipe

40ml Aloha 65

20ml Bourbon

2 dashes of bitters

Large ice cubes

Orange peel and a maraschino cherry to garnish.

Like this? Try our other One Drink, Three Ways articles: The Macallan, Tanqueray Gin and Noilly Prat Vermouth.

Drinker Discoveries: CBD Bitters, New Spirits, Great Wine and Gadgets

At The Three Drinkers, we are lucky enough to receive various samples of new drinks and lifestyle products over time. In these Drinker Discovery guides, we pick our absolute favourites as well as entertaining drinks news snippets we’ll think you’ll appreciate. Here are some that I have particularly enjoyed recently.

OTO CBD bitters

Not just good for cocktails, I have this in my morning coffee. OTO’s non-alcoholic, CBD bitters adds a warming, spiced aromatic note and depth of flavour to many types of drinks and none of that acrid, hemp note. The CBD element is a huge added bonus that really does feel like it calms anxiety and assists sleep. I love this. Find it and other luxury CBD products including face creams and roll on oils here. RRP £79 for 100ml (2500mg CBD).

Instagram: @oto_cbd

Winesave Pro

We’re always interested in products that can prevent us wasting wine and recently, I’ve been using the Winesave Pro when I’ve already popped a cork (usually on that extra bottle I probably shouldn’t have opened). Simply stick the thin tube in the bottle and give it a couple of squirts so the Argon gas can replace the oxygen and keep your wine fresh for longer (make sure you replace the cork or screw cap straight away). I tested it on various styles of wine over three weeks and was really impressed. A great, budget wine saving product. Find it here for £29.99.

Instagram @Winesavepro

Aloha 65

This brand new, spirit-based drink blew my minds when I tasted it as it does not fit into any regular drinks box easily. With its vibrant packaging, it promises a taste experience that delivers too. The team infuse spirits at 27% abv with fresh pineapple with lemon, ginger and other herbs and spices as well as local chillies for a fabulous kick. It’s vegan too. Have it as chilled shots or in a plethora of cocktails. They make an epic hot sauce too. Summer barbecues, here we come! Find it here for £26 for 70cl.

Instagram @alohasixtyfive

White Wine: Mar de Frades Albarino 2019

White wine of the week for me is this citrussy, saline Albariño (that’s the grape) made by the winemaking legend that is Paula Fandiño in Rias Baixas in northwestern Spain. This is THE region for world class Albariño and this vintage from Mar de Frades also has peachy, tropical flavours underneath those Atlantic, wet rock and sea spray notes. It’s a must with fish and seafood even on a cloudy day. A little blue ship appears on the bottle when its chilled to perfection too. Lovely touch! Find it here for £18.95.

Instagram @mardefrades

Red Wine: DV Catena Malbec 2018

My red wine of the week punches so far above its price tag, I had to look twice at it. Rich and concentrated with notes of cocoa, coffee bean, grilled meat and violet, this is a serious red wine that will love a barbecue. While it is drinking very well now, you could actually leave this for a couple of years to mellow further. Truly excellent value. Find it here at Sainsbury’s for £10 (down from £12) on offer for July.

Instagram @catenawines

In The News: God Save The Clean!

This tickled me. I love how carpet stain remover company Dr Beckmann commissioned artist Fanny Gough to paint a portrait of the queen in red wine on a carpet to demonstrate how good it was. I’m stocking right up. It’s got my vote! Find it here for £11.26

Like this? Check out some of our other guides : Gift Ideas for Drinks Lovers, Best Gins for a Martini and Must-Know Premium Californian Wine Producers.

Sherry Bombs: The Best Sherry Matured Whiskies in the World

Like Marmite, sherry matured whiskies split whisky drinkers. However, those who like them are some of the most ardent fans in the world, being hugely loyal to their favourite brands. There are the superstars of the sherry whisky world like Macallan and Glenfarclas, but then there are other distilleries producing incredible drams. Their fans will probably not be too pleased I’m putting this list together as some of the whiskies are not made in huge numbers and the more popular, they become, the harder it will be to find them. But for those die-hard fans, they will always find a way.

Macallan

Lets start with the king. Macallan is the undisputed king of sherry matured whiskies. It is the most expensive and the best known brand of sherry whiskies in the world. But this doesn’t mean to say it is the best. There will be many who argue it is, but the rest of this list will show you something to compare it with. But for now, let’s start with a classic.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £1499.95 // US $2499.99

Glendronach

The contender. This whisky is becoming better known. The distillery has a cracking 18 year old which is a big and powerful sherry bomb, fulfilling the most ardent of sherry bomb lover’s desires. Each year the distillery also releases some special single cask expressions. These are less expensive than Macallan and rarer, and some would say even more delicious. They are hard to come by, but the 18 is a great place to start.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £97.94 // US $179.99

Tamdhu

The sleeper. This distillery came under new ownership in the not too distant past, and they pledged to cask all the liquid that will find its way into a Tamdhu bottle will be matured in a sherry cask. They have a batch released cask strength bottle which is epic, and their regular expressions are exceptional with the oldest at the moment being a 15 year old. An 18 year old is on the way we’re told. I can’t wait.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Find here: 18 year old UK £78.95 // 15 year old US $72.99

Glenfarclas

Always good value. Glenfarclas has been under the same family ownership for its entire existence. This means the stock they hold has never been re-valued and sold in a distillery sale. This means that they can sell the whisky at a very reasonable price. Although prices have been creeping up over the years to keep roughly in line with other brands, they have a 15 year old which is fabulous, and the best place to start trying sherry style whiskies if you haven’t already.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £48.95

Kavalan

Kavalan is in Taiwan and has been making excellent whisky since only 2005. Since then they have become a cult name in whisky and even won the best single malt whisky in the world in 2015. I know how good it was, I was one of the judges. They now produce a series called the solist, of which some are sherry matured whiskies and there is certainly the same DNA in these whiskies as the world-beating dram in 2015.

ABV: 56.3%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £340

Glenmorangie

The hybrid. This whisky isn’t purely matured in sherry, is has spent the first ten years of its life in a bourbon barrel and then a further two in a sherry cask. I would say this is another great place to have a go at a sherry style whisky. With soft spices it gives an introduction to the genre without scaring the horses. For those who like bourbon matured whisky, this will still please, but for those about to start their sherry adventure, it will give you a taste of what might come in the future.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £41.75 // US $44.99

The Glenrothes

The little brother. The Glenrothes distillery is owned by the same company as Macallan. For many years another company owned the brand, and they were an old school company called Berry Bros & Rudd founded in 1598. This old school thinking used old school technics and they worked. They used a lot of sherry in their maturation and were not nearly as expensive as Macallan. The Edrington Group, owners of Macallan have now taken the brand back from Berry Brothers & Rudd and are keeping the emphasis on sherry. Still much cheaper than Macallan, but for how long is anyone’s guess. Classic whisky, and deservedly on this list.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £99.79 // US $159.99

The Dalmore

The old timer. The Dalmore has been known for their sherry style whiskies for many years. But they have kept innovation going. Rather than maturing in a single style of sherry cask, like an oloroso cask for example, they mature their whisky in multiple styles of sherry casks. For example with their King Alexander III expression, they mature the whisky in no less than six styles of sherry cask. Including Oloroso, but also Matheusala and Apostoles. The results are divine and although one might pay a premium for premium whisky, it is well worth digging deeper into your wallet for this one.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Find here: UK £159.80 // US $279.99

There really is a sherry whisky for everyone, at every level of sherry from bomb to balanced and at every price point too. If you haven’t tried a sherried style of whisky before, give it a go. What’s the worst that can happen? You find out you don’t like it and can drink the other 90% of whiskies produced. But if you do, you will open up a whole new drinking experience.

I think that the next big thing in sherry whiskies is going to be Tamdhu, and if you’d like to learn a little more about this Macallan beater, read on with a Tamdhu attitude.

The World’s First Peated Tomato Juice

Yep, that’s right. This is the first tomato juice to have been infused with Islay peat smoke. The result? A totally unique flavour that screams “Bloody Mary!”. Not only is it richer and deeper in taste than your standard tomato juice, it’s hand-crafted in Scotland itself by a small team of gastronomic food innovators. 

Quite exciting, given how much we love a bloody mary. Now, they recommend you mix it up with vodka (recipe below), but I would argue for those who love peat as much as we do, drop a wee dram of whisky in there instead for a double whammy peat punch. Don’t forget that mandatory slice of shortbread on the side too.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with peat – it’s an organic material that has decomposed over millions of years. On Islay, it absorbs all of the sea salt from the atmosphere given you’re never far away from the coast, in doing so infusing all of that rich goodness when smoked.

A local smokery is used to extract maximum flavour, with the dried peat being infused into the fresh, seasonal tomatoes. What you get is a super rich batch of sweet, smoky and salty tomatoes and in turn, their juice. Damn. 

Okay, enough talk, let’s get to the good stuff. 

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Tongue In Peat’s Smoky Mary Recipe 

Ingredients: 

50ml vodka (or a peaty whisky!)
6 drops Tabasco
8 drops Worcestershire sauce 1 pinch celery salt
1 tsp horseradish
2 tsp fresh lime juice 

Method: 

Rub a wedge of lemon along the rim of your glass, then coat with black pepper. Add the vodka, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt, horseradish and lime juice before topping up with Tongue in Peat Smoked Tomato Juice. Fill the glass with ice then stir, and garnish with a wedge of lemon and celery stick. 

Tongue in Peat is now available in 250ml or 500ml glass bottles from selected online retailers including directly from Tongueinpeat.com as well as Paisley Drinks Company and Craft56.co.uk 

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Wine Finished Whiskies: Where to Start

Words by Colin Hampden-White

We all know we love whisky, and today 90% of whisky is simply matured in an ex bourbon cask, and they are very nice. But there is a way to excite our palates even more. A small proportion of ex bourbon cask matured whisky is placed in a different type of cask, and these are mostly ex wine, port or sherry casks. This adds extra colour, complexity and flavour to the whisky. The amount of extra flavour depends on the quality of the cask and how long the whisky is left in the cask. The use of these casks at the end of a whiskies maturation, known as finishing, means there are a world of new flavours to experience and variations on our much loved favourites. These are a few of the best examples catering for all pockets, to start your wine finished whisky adventure.

Glen Moray port finish

One of the best value finished whiskies on the market, this Port cask finished whisky was introduced in 2014 and had been a firm favourite of ours. Initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, this whisky is then placed in tawny Port casks for the last eight months of its maturation to give huge amounts of extra flavour and complexity. With flavours of butterscotch, redcurrants, vanilla, raisins and a touch of cinnamon, this is a dram for those who want a big bang for their buck. Trust us, once you have tried this one, you will be going back for more.

 ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £26.95

Glenfiddich Grand Cru

The folks at Glenfiddich clearly enjoy exploring new cask types for their whisky. Whether it's peaty whisky in rum casks, or making good use of icewine casks, the distillery certainly has some experimental flair. And if experimental flair is what you're after, Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old is the perfect thing. This single malt initially ages in American and European oak casks, before being moved over to rare French cuvée oak casks. The influence these casks have had on the whisky is fantastic, lifting the palate with notes of baked goods and fresh fruit.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £220

Glenmorangie lasanta

Glenmorangie are known for their expertise in finished expressions of their whisky. This is the 12 year old, sherry cask finished expression from Glenmorangie, called The Lasanta. It first matures in bourbon casks before being moved over to Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a finishing period. It’s rich and creamy with dark chocolate, dried fruit and fresh honey. The effect of using Pedro Ximénez as well as Oloroso gives a sweetness to balance the spice. For those who like both, this whisky will be right up your street.

 ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £41.75

Glen Scotia 14 Year Old Tawny Port Finish - Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020

This is a limited run of high strength Glen Scotia. I tasted this at the on-line Summerton Whisky Festival and is a belter! The extra ABV is held in check by the rich berry fruit flavours imparted by the tawny port cask, and there is still plenty of the fruity and salty flavours typical of Glen Scotia. There is still enough sweetness given by the fist maturation in first fill ex-bourbon casks. For those who like their whisky big and strong, give this a go.

ABV: 52.8
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £74.95 

Spey Tenné port finish

The Spey Tenné is a single malt from the Speyside Distillery. Owned by Harvey's of Edinburgh, this distillery only started in 1990 and it is producing some incredible whisky. This one is initially aged in bourbon casks before enjoying a 6 month finishing period in Tawny Port casks, giving a subtle ruby hue and a vibrant, fruit-filled flavour profile. Being 46% and bottled in very smart packaging, this is a great whisky for a gift. Although if you taste this one, you won’t want to give it away.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £39.95 

Glenfiddich Winter Storm – Ice Wine Finish

A second whisky from Glenfiddch in the guide, the eagerly-awaited second batch of Glenfiddich's Winter Storm once again sees well-aged whisky from the legendary distillery. It is finished in casks that previously held Canadian icewine (made using grapes harvested while frozen, resulting in a powerfully sweet elixir). Released as part of the Glenfiddich Experimental Series, malt master Brian Kinsman believes that only older whiskies can stand up to the intense influence of icewine, which is why Winter Storm is built around 21 year old single malt. This is one, like the Glenfiddich Grand Cru, is for those who like older whiskies that also have a lovely fresh fruity core.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £199 

Hinch 10 sherry cask finish

A 10 year old whiskey from Hinch, which takes its name from the nearby town of Ballynahinch. The distillery is based just south of Belfast in the grounds of the Killaney Estate. The blend was initially matured in American oak before being treated to a six month finish in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez. It's then bottled at 43% ABV, released as part of the Time Collection. Like most Irish whisky this is very smooth, but has a spicy edge to it because of the sherry cask influence, making this whiskey smooth yet characterful.   

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £43.95

Balvenie 21 Port wood

One of my all-time favourite whiskies. This has all the fruity flavours one expects in Balvenie, and then a big rich dark fruit dollop given by the port casks. It is indulgent and hedonistic. An additional period of maturation in 30 year-old port pipes has given this aged Balvenie an extra level of depth and concentration of flavour, adding potent fruit and smoke notes to the silky-smooth full-bodied palate. Rich, indulgent, after-dinner Speyside at its best. For the epicureans out there, get stuck into a bit of this. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £149.95 

Roe & Co: Irish whiskey at its best

Roe and Co Irish Whiskey - Birth of a brand

There are a plethora of new distilleries either newly opened or opening soon in Ireland. Irish whiskey is supposed to be the next big thing. Having had a terrible time from the mid 1960’s until the opening of the Cooley distillery in the late 1980’s Irish whiskey is now having a resurgence. This resurgence is no flash in the pan. Diageo, the worlds largest spirits company has joined the fray with their own brand of Irish whiskey and a brand new distillery to supply it. Roe and Co is the brand and is built very near the old distillery site of the Thomas Street Distillery, run by the Roe family. It was one of the largest distilleries in Britain at the time with a capacity of over two million litres a year. The distillery closed in 1926.

The new Roe and Co distillery is quite different. The maximum capacity is around 500,000 litres, and there is a small team. Head distiller Lora Hemy, with distiller Fiona Sheridan run the operational side of things with support from Hayley Milner, the global marketing manager and Alan Mulvihill the European brand ambassador. At the moment the whiskey is made from bought in stocks of Irish whiskey, which is then blended, but the plan is to use the whiskey from the distillery in the long term. 

In 2019 a visitor centre opened, and it is a visitor centre with a difference. For a start you can take pictures in the still house! With a walkway high above, but open to the stills, it is safe to take pictures and gives one a bird’s eye view of all the equipment and a clear view on the distillation process. There is also lots of fun making cocktails in a dedicated cocktail class area and a sensory room too. All in all, a modern entertaining and informative experience.

The liquid is very good too. The blending is as one would expect from the blenders of the worlds largest selling blended whisky; it is extemporary. I’ve tasted the whiskey from first release to the press in 2017, through to a bottle last weekend for world whiskey day, and the consistency is impeccable. The casks used are predominantly bourbon casks, so there is a lot of sweetness, and power, as the abv is set at 45%. It is incredibly smooth and the 45% doesn’t show as being hot at all. With all this expertise in the bottle it’s a surprise the price is only around £30.  This whiskey has joined my go to Johnnie Walker Black label as a whiskey to go to when I’m not sure what I want, and I frequently find that is it Roe and Co I actually want.  And if you’d like to try it too you can buy it below.

ABV: 45%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £29.49

With Irish whiskey on the rise how about reading about Waterford Distillery? A new distillery on the south coast of Ireland

The Three Best Whiskies To Invest In

Over the last few years whisky investment has become more and more lucrative. But as that whisky investment has evolved, the focus is broader than Macallan, Macallan, Macallan. In fact, there are many people who feel Macallan has reached the top of its investment potential. Like Karuizawa, prices have levelled off for all but the million-pound bottles. The question is what to invest in next.

Sherry cask whiskies still seem to do very well. The Asian markets have shown a preference for sherry cask whiskies and whiskies with a good age statement. Add to this limited bottlings, or even bottles from single casks, and this gives a clear path for investment. Single cask bottles over eighteen years old matured in ex-sherry casks would be a good bet. There are some popular brands already starting to emerge. 

Glendronach produces a run of single cask bottles every year. These increase slowly in value. This is because they may be single cask bottlings, but there are quite a few casks bottled, so they are not as rare as one might think. These would be bottles for the longer-term investor. There is one distillery producing very few single cask bottlings, and they bottle their whisky having only matured it in ex-sherry casks. That distillery is Tamdhu. Their single cask bottles are difficult to find and already have a loyal following.

Single malt whisky might be the mainstay of whisky investors, however there are blends worth considering. Johnnie Walker produces limited editions from time to time, most notably for their Blue Label range. They produce a limited bottle for the Chinese New Year under the animal for that year. They produce whisky for films occasionally, for example Blade Runner 2049 has a Blue Label limited release. Last year there was the Ghost and Rare range producing bottles with a good amount of Brora and Port Ellen in them. These two distilleries are now closed and very rare. 

This brings me onto the third whisky in which to invest: whisky bottles from closed distilleries. By nature, there will be no more of this whisky produced and therefore it will become more limited as time goes by and the bottles drunk. Some closed distilleries are more popular than others. For example, the aforementioned Port Ellen and Brora distilleries already command very high prices and have cult followings. However, lesser-known distilleries such as St Magdalene, which used to be in the lowlands or Caperdonach in the highlands, would be good bottles to look out for.

Finding the odd good bottle in which to invest can be tricky, and it’s not always clear whether it may be a good investment or not. The bottle market can be fickle, even if it is good overall. This brings me back to the subject of casks about which I have written before. I think casks are a good way of investing in whisky. If you can spend £1,500 or more it is possible and easy to manage. I advise a cask company called Cask Trade in London who are a great source of advice on everything to do with casks. The do not broker whisky so all the stock they hold they own, and you can buy direct from them.

Whether it be bottles or casks, I find hunting them down is always fun and exciting. For bottles, I would use two auction houses: Scotchwhiskyauctions.com and Whisky.auction to buy from and to call for advice. For buying new releases both the Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt are reliable and each has extensive stocks of new, and past, releases that find their way back onto the market. Happy hunting!

Here are more details If you are interested in more information on cask investment