Bushmills Whiskey: An Irish Resurgence.

Words by Colin Hampden-White

I remember when Bushmills was the predominant Irish whiskey in the UK and Ireland. It was a while ago in the 1990s when I was at university and was learning as much as I could about whiskey. Scotch was all dominant, but if you liked Irish whiskey Bushmills was more than likely to be your dram of choice. After this time, other Irish whiskies came to prominence, however, if Proximo, who became Bushmill’s owner in 2014, has anything to do with it, this situation is about to change.

Bushmills has big ambitions to become the biggest Irish whiskey in the world. Now they know this takes time and effort, and that time and effort has to start somewhere. And where better than at home? I recently spoke to Alex Thomas, the master blender at Bushmills. Alex took up the post at the end of last year, and although she said it was a daunting prospect, it was a challenge she relished. Having worked at Bushmills for many years, being given the opportunity to blend Bushmills at a time when the brand was being marketed well for the first time in a long time is exciting. She said “we need to start at home, then one country at a time we have the possibility of becoming the biggest brand in Irish Whiskey”. A big claim, however, she has such conviction I don’t doubt her for a minute.

Bushmills have two great advantages to help them achieve this goal. Alex herself is a great asset, not only with her blending skills but also as an ambassador for the brand, she has an infectious enthusiasm and her knowledge is inexhaustive so to a whisky geek like myself Alex is fascinating to listen to. And secondly, but just as importantly, the whiskies, which are fabulous. I recently tasted three, the 10, 16 and 21 year old expressions and all were very good and exceptional value for money. Especially if one considers the prices of single malt Irish whiskey today.

Bushmills 10 year old

This whisky was the dram I most recognised from the days of old. Smooth and fruity. Melons and peach mix with hints of tropical guava fruit with a floral spicy finish. This whiskey won the best Irish single malt in 2007, and the quality is still there. Found in specialist retailers as well as supermarkets it is great value.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £34.99

Bushmills 16 year old

This 16 year old expression is a big step up from the 10 year old in its depth and breadth of flavour. Starting its life in ex bourbon casks, the whiskey was then extra matured in ex sherry casks, before finally spending a little time in ex Port casks. All these casks give different flavours and all marry very well together. With a nose of honey and stone fruits it develops on the palate with rich summer fruits, dark honey and tropical flavours. The finish is viscous with syrup and red fruits and a touch of spice.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £78

Bushmills 21 year old

This expression moves on nicely from the 16 year old. It has a similar richness, but a great deal more finesse. The nose has similar honey notes but also spiced fruit and dark chocolate. The whisky is matured, like the 16 year old, in ex bourbon and ex sherry casks, but finished for two years in an ex Madeira cask. This gives a tropical mango note on the palate balancing the nutty and dried dark fruit flavours. The finish is sweet with a little damp tobacco and spice.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £160

For more whisky content, such as great fruity whisky,  the best whiskies of 2022 and more, click here!

50 Years of Whisky Making History: Billy Walker’s Favourite Bottles from the GlenAllachie Range

We recently had the greatest pleasure of talking to one of the legends of the whisky industry, Billy Walker. Billy has been in the Scotch Whisky industry for 50 years and throughout his time in it has gained many awards including Master Distiller/Blender of the Year at the World Whisky Awards as well as being inducted into Whisky Magazine’s Hall of Fame in 2020!

Billy grew up in the whisky town of Dumbarton and having developed an interest in making whisky at a young age he went to The University of Glasgow and studied Chemistry gaining a BSc Honours Degree in 1967. It is this chemistry background that Billy has always said stood him in great stead along his whisky making career, and his advice to anyone wanting to make whisky is that having a background in chemistry would be very useful.

Billy’s huge enthusiasm for whisky was evident when he told us “The blending side of the business is unquestionably the most exciting part for me. It encompasses looking at what you have at the start of the journey and using experience to decide what needs to happen to a whisky to get it into that sweet spot such as which casks to place it in, or which casks to finish it in. That’s the most enjoyable side of the business for me”.

As for his favourite thing about the industry, he replied, “There is one thing I will say about this industry, and it may not be my favourite thing, but it is important. While we are competition (for each other), we are friendly competition, we will help each other out. There is no great envy or secrecy about who we are and what we are doing, and we will help each other out in certain circumstances which perhaps wouldn’t happen in other industries”.

We congratulate Billy on his fifty years and can’t wait to see what he produces next. Here are some of his favourite bottles from the GlenAllachie range:

What is the Best Bottle of Whisky for Newbies?

‘If you’re dipping your toe in the water, the 8 year old and the 12 year old are great. These two whiskies give an introduction to the style and the flavour experience that represents the real flavour and personality of GlenAllachie.’

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £47.95

GlenAllachie 8 Year Old

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £42.44

What is the Best Bottle of Fruity Whisky?

Billy told us ‘From the start we wanted the whisky to be a sherry style whisky which delivers flavour characteristics such as mocha, chocolate, vanilla, Christmas cake and so on, but in terms of a fruity whisky I would say the Port finish or Marsala finish releases. All of these are different styles but they are wonderfully fruity experiences.’

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Ruby Port Wood Finish

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £62.99

What is the Best Bottle of Smoky Whisky?

‘The one I would go for in the range at the moment is the Lum Reek 10 year old Cask Strength. It’s not too peaty and has lots of fruity flavours too. Our journey isn’t finished here as I have been looking at and spending time with these casks and there will be some really, really nice peated expressions coming out in the future.’

Lum Reek 10 Year Old Cask Strength

Size: 700ml
ABV: 55.4%
Find here: £69.99

What is the Best Bottle from the GlenAllachie Range for Those Who Want to Splash Out?

‘The single cask range is always good to look out for, but in the near future, a very nice release with a mizunara cask twist is coming. That would be a good call. Also, If you were lucky enough to be in the visitor centre in the last few weeks, there was a sherry cask release which was transferred into a peated cask which was delicious.’

GlenAllachie Billy Walker 50th Anniversary Mizunara Virgin Oak Finish
Unfortunately, this has now sold out but more single casks are coming soon!

What is the Best Wine Finished Whisky?

‘I’ve done quite a few of these, I have to say, and we’re continuing to do a lot of interesting work with wine casks. It’s a tough choice, but it would be between a Sauternes cask release and a Grattamacco cask release. It’s hard to choose between the two but the Sauternes release has lots of sweet fresh fruits and is wonderfully well balanced.’

GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Sauternes Finish

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £59.95

What is the Best Virgin Oak Whisky?

‘We have used many virgin oak casks. We’ve looked at Ozark, Chinquapin, Japanese Mizunara, French, Spanish and Scottish oak. My initial favourite was Chinquapin, which as well as the usual notes of honey, vanilla and butterscotch has a hint of anise and liquorice in the background. But the one that I really love is the Scottish Virgin Oak. Some was bottled quite recently but it is hard to get your hands on. The wood is difficult to work with, the coopers hate working with it because it is complicated and has lots of knots but once the whisky is in it and it has been given two to three years it’s terrific.’

GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Chinquapin Virgin Oak Finish

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48%
Find here: £61.50

And our final question…

What is your favourite whisky from the whole GlenAllachie Range?

‘That’s difficult to answer. It would have to be the 15 year old, but it would have good competition from the 21 year old. It’s the whisky that I spend a lot of time engaging with... and drinking!’

GlenAllachie 15 Year Old

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £66.95

With those last tempting words from Billy, we leave him to his work of creating some of the most magical drams around and wish him all the best for all the further years of distilling, blending and keeping our palates excited and souls warmed.

For more exciting whisky news, click on this link!

Dram Fruity: The 6 Best Fruity Whiskies For Your Glass

Words by Colin Hampden-White

With all the talk in the whisky world being about the extremes, like heavily peated, big sherry bombs, or very old whisky, I wanted to bring the conversation back to why the majority of us like whisky, which is its fruitiness. Beyond all the extremes of flavour and age and price, there are loads of great fruity whiskies which don’t cost the earth and make for great drinking drams. Fruit is becoming centre stage again. I was recently talking to the Master Blender at Diageo’s Johnny Walker, Emma Walker, and she was saying she wanted to bring the whisky she creates to taste as the tasting notes do, so for example if the main tasting note is apples, then the consumer should be able to taste apples when drinking the whisky. Here I’ve put together a few whiskies I love because of their fruitiness.

Glenfiddich Experimental Series Orchard

This is the 5th in the experimental series from Glenfiddich and it is an unusual combination of Scotch whisky and Somerset Pomona Spirit casks from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company. This all came about during a walk around the orchards when Brian Kinsman, Glenfiddich’s Malt Mast visited the Somerset Cider Brandy Company to meet their Master Distiller Matilda Temperly. The resulting whisky as well as having lovely vanilla and oaky spice has a core of crunchy ripe apples. 

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £42.95

Benriach The Original Ten

This was part of the new core range after Brown Forman took over the distillery and Rachel Barrie became the master blender. It was created by using three different types of casks, ex-bourbon barrels giving lots of vanilla and honey, sherry casks giving some light spice and toasty oak and virgin oak casks. The combination gives lots of fruity aromas of apricot, melon and orchard fruits. The palate brings more of the creamy orchard fruits and there is a touch of smoke. The finish brings the apricots back and a little maltiness. It’s a lively fruity whisky with lots of complexity and with that little touch of smoke, the orchard fruits really sing.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £34.99

Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask

Fruity flavours can come in all types with whisky, and one of my favourites is created by finishing whisky in a rum cask. This whisky began life in traditional oak casks and then was finished in Caribbean rum casks. Balvenie even went as far as asking their Malt Master David Stewart to create the blend of rums to go into the casks to season them for the whisky. The nose is very tropical with mangoes and passionfruit as well as the usual vanilla and toffee, the palate brings in apples and a little banana and the finish is very long with the fruity flavours persisting.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £55.99

Tomatin 12 Year Old – 125th Anniversary

Tomatin has always made a fruity style of whisky and this expression is no exception. Using both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks has created a very fruit forward style that is incredibly well balanced. There’s not much more to say about the flavour, it’s simply very good. However it does come with a great anniversary box designed by paper cut artist Emily Hogarth, so makes a great gift, and let’s hope that if you gift it they open it whilst you're there!

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £36.95

Glendronach Port Wood

There has been an upward trend over the last ten years of finishing whisky in Port Pipes. And with this expression from Glendronach, we have a cracker. It’s uncomplicated, very fruity, fabulously rich and the fruit content very deep. There are lots of dried fruits like raisins and dates but also tropical notes too and even darker fruits like blackberry jam. There is some drying oak on the finish, but this is mixed with back grapes and a little charred wood. A little more expensive, but well worth every penny.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £59.85

Johnny Walker 12 Days of Discovery

Fruity whisky doesn’t have to be the domain of the Single Malts, there are many types of blended whisky, but Johnny Walker is known for its fruity style with a wisp of smoke. I think the best way to be able to delve into the world of Johnny Walker is to try the entire core range. And with this set, you can do just that without breaking the bank. It contains 12 50ml miniature bottles, 2 for each expression, spanning the Johnnie Walker range: Red Label, Black Label, 12 year old Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, 18 Year Old and Blue Label. Considering Blue label is nearly £180 a bottle, this is a brilliant way to try some of the more expensive Johnny Walker whiskies and experience their lovely fruitiness.

ABV: 40%
Size: 600ml
Find here: £45.94

To read more about the Johnnie Walker range, have a read of The Colours of Johnnie Walker and for some tasty drams that don’t cost the earth, make sure you check out 10 Cheap Whiskies that Taste Expensive.

The 10 English/Welsh Whiskies you Have to Try!

Words by Colin Hampden-White

For centuries whisky has been dominated by Scotch, however as whisky drinkers seek out new drams and new flavours, whisky is being made all over the world more than ever before. I recently learnt that over the last few years in Québec alone over sixty new distilleries have sprung up, and many of them are making whisky. Much closer to home, on the doorstep of Scotch, there are also some fabulous whiskies being created. In Norfolk in 2006, James Nelstrop and his son Andrew founded the first distillery in 100 years and it has been producing bottles since 2009. Since 2006 many others have built distilleries in England and Wales too. There are so many in fact that I now have the pleasure of having to choose which are my favourites!

Cotswolds

Founded by Daniel Szor in 2014 this distillery has several of my favourite English Whiskies. Using the skills of Dr Jim Swan they had whisky ready for drinking in just three years, and now have several impressive expressions, including some brilliant single casks. As these are so difficult to find, I am listing my three favourites which are easier to find below:

Cotswolds Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky

This is a heavily sherried whisky created using locally grown barley and matured in a mixture of casks. They used a mix of American and Spanish oak hogsheads and butts which were seasoned with both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry. This combination gives a very rich whisky which is toasty with lots of fruitcake flavours but also cooked orchard fruits, orange peel, nuts and lots of dried berries and raisins. Big, rich and utterly delicious.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 57.4%
Find here: £63.95

Cotswolds Reserve Single Malt Whisky

This expression is also made from 100% local barley and has been floor malted. The spirit has then been matured in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and STR red wine casks. STR stands for Shaving, Toasting and Re-charring which gives a particular richness to the whisky at an earlier age. There is no colouring or chill filtering and is bottled at 50%, which for me is my sweet spot for most whisky. This whisky has lots of sweet honey and vanilla, lemon and a touch of spicy heat on the back of the palate. Easy drinking whisky with oodles of flavour.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 50%
Find here: £54.95

Cotswolds Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky

This does exactly what you’d expect. It gives lots of vanilla and honey with orchard fruits. There’s a touch of toasty oak and a creamy mouthfeel. What I like about this expression the most though is that by using just ex bourbon casks the spirit shines through the wood, so as well as all the sweet flavours, the orchard fruits really sing. A lighter style of whisky, this is perfect for summer. Careful of the abv though, it’s pretty high and I love this whisky reduced in a classic highball.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 59.1%
Find here: £64.95

The English Whisky Company

St George’s distillery is the one which started it all in England after a hiatus of whisky making for more than 100 years. Being first out of the blocks wasn’t easy and the first few expressions, although good, still had to compete with Scotch, and that took a while to do. Now, however, the whiskies are brilliant! I have quite a few I like, but my two favourites lately have been these:

The English Gently Smoked Sherry Hogshead

“The English” was launched in 2016 with two expressions, but now they have several more. This as it says is gently smoked. The smoke is sweet and well balanced with the sherry flavours. There is lots of rich oak and dried fruits with soft smoke and anise. Sweetness comes from toffee flavours and there are nuts and vanilla that come through at the end. There were only 1800 bottles produced, so grab one whilst you can!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £63.94

The English Wine Cask Matured

This is a very fruity whisky. There is some spice, but it is all about the fruit really. Second fill Cabernet Sauvignon casks were used to great effect giving lots of red fruits and toasty oak. With rich flavour and with lots of complexity in the fruit profile, this is an excellent after-dinner dram. Added to the fruit there are notes of ginger and there is also a chocolatey note in the background. One for cold nights when winter is drawing in.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £55.95

White Peak

One of the newest distilleries in England, White Peak is in Derbyshire and had some direction from Dr Jim Swan. Whiskies which have been made with his help tend to be ready to drink earlier than many others, and this is no exception with the White Peak whiskies. They have only had two releases so far, and the first one was a blinder, but impossible to find anymore. This lightly peated expression however can be found at our good friends Master of Malt, but do hurry, you can only buy one each and it’ll run out soon!

Wire Works Whisky Small Batch

This whisky has been matured in a mix of American and French oak and most of those casks in Dr Jim Swan style have been shaved toasted and re-charred. They previously held bourbon. With warming buttery flavours including some ginger, vanilla and a little tropical fruit there are wafts of sweet smoke running in the background. This is fulfilling, very moreish and is one of my English drams of the year so far.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.2%
Find here: £59.94

Aber Falls

Aber Falls distillery is in one of the most beautiful parts of Wales situated in Abergwyngregyn in the shadow of mount Snowdon. It might be a bit of a trek to get to but if you can make the journey, it’s well worth it. The distillery started production in 2017, and because of a little thing called COVID 19, only released its first whisky, the inaugural release in late 2021. But it was well worth waiting for. There were only 200 bottles of the first release, and it was delicious. Luckily, they had another release shortly afterwards:

Aber Falls Autumn release 2021 

This has to be the best value for money whisky in England. It was matured in a mixture of Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, bourbon and virgin oak casks giving loads of rich fruit and touches of spice in the background. They work with local farmers so they can use local welsh barley and have a keen eye on sustainability overall. This is a very easy-to-drink, tasty whisky.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £26

Aber Falls Single Malt Whisky Distillers Cut 2021

This is a slightly unusual whisky. The casks used in the maturation previously held wine which had been made from oranges. Understandably therefore there are lots of citrus flavours which range from fleshy sweet citrus to dried and pithy and also a little zesty peel. The flavours are carried well with an abv a little higher than normal. Something a little different, but no less tasty for it.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.1%
Find here: £49.95

Copper Rivet

This distillery is situated in an old pumphouse at Chatham Maritime in Medway. It took three years to renovate the pumphouse and the distillery began distilling in 2016. It is the only spirit producer in Kent, owned and run by Rob Russell and his two sons. They make a few different spirits, including whisky for which they only use grain grown in the county and they use a few different types of grain too, not only barley. Here are two of my favourites:

Masthouse Column Malt Whisky 

It is very rare to have a malt whisky created on a column still and it gives a great deal of smoothness to the whisky. The flavours are precise with lots of sweetness and have a great balance with the wood integration from maturation not overpowering the spirit at all, allowing the fruity estery flavours to shine through. The grain comes from a single Kentish field less than 15 miles from the distillery keeping the Kent provenance.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £45

Masthouse Grain

This whisky was produced to champion the use of grain in whisky making. They use three different grains; wheat, barley and rye which come together to give lots of sweet complex flavours with a little spicy, peppery kick from the rye. The whisky is not only distilled in a column still like most grain whiskies but also in a pot still giving plenty of fruity flavours too. Something a little different, but something very tasty too.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 42%
Find here: £42

Enjoyed this but want to read some Scotch whisky recommendations? Then, make sure you head over to From Budget to Blowout: The Best Scotch of 2022.

From Budget to Blow Out: The Best Scotch of 2022

Words by Colin Hampden-White

I know we are only really halfway through the year, however, I have come across some blindingly good whiskies and wanted to share them with you. As with most great things, they are not all easy to find. However, this little selection covers some which are, some which you will have to find at auction or somewhere on the secondary market, and some I am afraid you will never find, but do show how private bottlers of whisky someone owns in cask can be absolutely brilliant. The one thing they all have in common is that they are uncommonly good whiskies! I am starting off with one that can be found fairly easily, and if the second half of this year is as good as the first, my Christmas round-up of 2022 is going to be a belter.

Thompson Bros SRV5 8-year-old Blended Malt

The Thompson Bros are both independent bottlers and distillers. The independent bottling side of their business has been lauded with praise. They manage to find extraordinary expressions of whiskies and sell them for a reasonable price. They had maintained the idea that they would in time have a regular expression they would be able to create with consistency, and this is that expression. The balance of the malts is superb and the resulting whisky is very moreish and easy to drink. The SRV5 stands for Station Road VAT 5, as the whisky is created in a solera vat which is never emptied more than 2/3 for any bottling run. The flavours are complex with green apples and lemon. A little char and grassiness. There is gentle smoke in the background and lots of citrus on the finish. An incredibly affordable blended malt, and if you haven’t got into smoky whisky yet and want a good opener, then this is a good bet.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 48.5%
Find here: £34.95

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 year old

From the stable of the biggest brand in Scotch Whisky, Johnnie Walker sells more whisky than any other brand globally, which is a testament to the consistency of the whisky they produce. This 15 year old blended malt is one of the greatest value whiskies of all time. It is rich and incredibly well balanced with orchard fruit flavours and a deep maltiness and honey sweetness. With vanilla and toffee ice cream and a touch of spice, this is a great dram.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: UK £37.95 // US $58.99

Glen Moray 18 year old

This has to be the best value 18 year old whisky on the market. It is from their heritage range that gives approachable and easy to drink whiskies. This was matured in first-fill American oak barrels giving lots of vanilla with apricot and honey. There are some dried fruits on the palate and a touch of florality and the finish includes a little spicy ginger and dark honey. It’s an impressive dram for the money.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 47.2%
Find here: UK £62.90 // US $121.19

Fettercairn 16 2nd release

This is the second release of the Fettercairn 16 year old, and it is quite different from the first but is certainly not a lesser whisky. This is very sherried in style, using three different sherry cask types in the maturation: first fill Oloroso, refill Oloroso and first fill Palo Cortada butts. This is a complex whisky which is very impressive. The bottling strength might put off purists, but I think they have got it just right. Smooth, yet spicy and brilliantly balanced, with lots of dried fruits and toasty oak too. This won’t be around for long, so grab it whilst you can.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.4%
Find here: £64.95

Lagavulin 12 year old Fèis ìle 2022

This is the first bottling under the new distillery manager Jordan Paisley and is very rich for a Lagavulin. It is sweet and spicy with a full body and lots of spice as well as well integrated smoke and oak. It was matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in virgin American oak casks. One of the other things I liked about this year’s Fèis ìle release is that it came with no outer packaging. Diageo is reducing the number of products that have packaging and that makes environmental sense to me.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 57.7%
Find here: £165

GlenAllachie 2006 Single Cask 3292 Oloroso Sherry Butt

Exclusively bottled for The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 2022, this is a 15-year-old single cask expression. It has a great colour and the flavours are intense and rich. It was initially matured in an ex-bourbon cask, and then re-racked into a first fill Oloroso puncheon, and left to rest in a very old Sherry butt which had been part of a solera system for 55 years. It’s got lots of spice and Christmas cake characteristics, as well as fine oak, chocolate, and damp tobacco and on the finish, there are fine tannins and touches of sweetness.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 59.4%
Find here: At auction for around £200 - £250

Benromach 40 2022

This 2022 40 year old recently won best in show at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and it was well deserved. Having spent a full maturation in sherry casks the result is complex and elegant. With nutty flavours and cooked orchard fruits, mixed with ginger and chocolate, cedar wood and dark honey with touches of orange zest in the background it’s an absolute delight. There are only 1132 bottles, so be quick when it is released!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 57.6%
Find here: Coming soon 

The Octave Cask Glenglassaugh Whisky for Everyone  

A bit of a leftfield whisky here as it isn’t for sale. It was bottled by my friends Matt and Karen from Whisky for everyone from a quarter cask. Normally I am not too keen on quarter casks as the wood quite often overtakes the spirit and distillery character, giving a rich whisky, but taking away its essence. This whisky has been bottled with near perfect balance. The distillery character is still there, even though the flavours are rich and warming. Expect cooked and dried fruits and manuka honey with soft spices and a touch of umami. If you ever come across a bottle. Enjoy. It was one of my favourites this year.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.7%

Royal Lochnagar 1994 26year old Casks of Distinction

This was bottled within Diageo’s Casks of Distinction range and was sold at auction with the proceeds going to the Scottish Ballet Endowment Fund to support the future of scotland’s national dance company. There were only 470 bottles, and occasionally they come up again at auction. Expect to pay upward of £600. The whisky was incredibly elegant and refined with dried apricots and touches of fresh red apple. The spices were soft and there was a layer of honey running throughout the dram. With a little water, floral notes come through and the finish is not dry at all. A satisfying whisky.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 56.3%
Find here: At auction upward of £600

Brora Tryptic

To mark the reopening of the Brora distillery 36 years after it closed, this set of very special bottles is incredibly rare. Selling originally for £30,000 these can usually only be found at auction. The expressions show off three eras of Brora flavour each giving waxy, peated and earthy flavour. The 1972 Elusive Legacy at 42.8% gives an earthy background, the 1977 Age of Peat gives a peaty flavour and the 1982 Timeless Original shows off the typical Brora waxy flavour. In their own ways, each of these whiskies is incredible to taste and is worth savouring. At the time of writing, I could find one of the 300 sets available at retail in the Netherlands.

Size: 1500ml
ABV: 42.8%, 46.8%, 47.5%
Find here: €53,500

Are you interested in investing in whisky? Then why not have a read of How to Invest in Whisky? If you’re looking for more whisky recommendations, this is a great place to start: The World’s Best Value Whisky.

Spotlight on Bushmills: The Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask Whiskey

My grandfather and generations of his family were born and raised in Northern Ireland, a stone’s throw from the Giant’s Causeway on the North Antrim coast, the river Bush and its namesake distillery, Bushmills. Bushmills Irish Whiskey was therefore a mainstay in my grandparent’s house. ‘Poppa’ George would always have his evening glass or ‘taoscán’ and when we came up to visit, he’d share one with my dad. The aroma is an early memory of the two of them that I will carry happily forever. 

This year, I am toasting them both with a very special whiskey from Bushmills: The Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask. 

Bushmills & The Causeway Collection 

Bushmills is the world’s oldest licensed distillery with an incredible 400 year history of producing single malt, Irish whiskies with expertise passed down through many generations. It won the only gold medal for whiskey at the famous Paris Expo in 1889 and survived Prohibition, the barley taxes of the 1850’s and even a devastating fire around the same time. Today, it is still a world class distillery with a range of whiskies sought out all over the globe.

The Causeway Collection represents an exceptional range, where whiskeys are left to finish in special casks for a particularly long length of time. The result  is an assortment of concentrated and complex whiskies, each offering multiple layers of delicious flavour as dramatic, they say, as their beloved Giant’s Causeway and the County Antrim coastline on their doorstep.

The Causeway Collection 1991 Madeira Cask

Initially launched in November 2021, only 738 bottles of this limited-edition, thirty year old Madeira cask whiskey are available in Great Britain. It has seen more than thirteen years of maturation in oloroso sherry butts and ex-bourbon casks before enjoying an unrivalled maturation period of fifteen years in first-fill Madeira casks. The result is a deeply flavoured, silky smooth single malt whiskey with a sweet and saline character, notes of stone fruit and moch with a touch of creamy praline.

Find it exclusively at The Whisky Shop

Don’t forget, you can see the Giant’s Causeway in all its glory at the start of episode one of The Three Drinkers in Ireland, now streaming in Amazon Prime!

The Most Luxurious Whisky in the World

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There are a lot of very expensive bottles of whisky on the market these days. Although nearly all of it is good, as one would expect, there are some that are extraordinary. Over the last few months, I have come across a few of those bottles and wanted to share them with you here. A lot of them may not be on the market, so will have to be found at auction, but they are all worth hunting down if you have quite a lot more to spend on a bottle or have a special occasion when splashing out is appropriate. I’ll start off in the hundreds to give a couple of more affordable bottles but will end up in the thousands. At whatever price point you’re looking at they are all incredible whiskies.

Bushmills 2000 The Causeway Collection

This comes from a collection of vintage Bushmills and is my favourite dram outside of Scotland this year so far. This one was completely matured in first fill ruby Port casks and bottled in 2021. It was also bottled at cask strength with no colouring or chill filtering allowing the whisky to express itself without any hindrance. This is a decadent whiskey with lots of jam on the nose with some dry tobacco and rich manuka honey. The palate has lots of confected red fruits and the jam then turns to marmalade. There are hints of tropical fruit in the background too. The finish is very long, and the red fruits continue with a little cigar and spice in the background.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 54.1%
Find here: £239.95

Whistlepig 13 The Boss Hog edition 2018

My favourite whiskey I’ve tasted in the North Americas this year has been This Boss Hog. It is an annual release from Whistlepig and is very sought after by those who like rye whiskey. This expression has been finished in Calvados casks making the 2018 edition stand out. The core flavour of the whiskey is apples, and the Calvados casks bring out the cooked apple flavours balancing the fresh red apple. Other flavours include Maple syrup, bitter chocolate, and spice. The typical rye peppery and oily aromas and flavours are still there so the rye fans aren’t going to be disappointed, but the fruit is rich and complex making this one of the best Whistlepig whiskies I’ve tried.

Size: UK 750ml // US 700ml  
ABV: 57.9%
Find here: UK £574.95 // US $1,199.99

Caperdonich 30 Secret Speyside Collection

We now come into the world of Scotch, and this is a rare whisky which I think is undervalued considering the distillery no longer exists, so as time goes on there is less and less Caperdonich in the world. This 30 year old is an unpeated Caperdonich and was matured in first fill bourbon casks which I think allow the whisky to show itself at its best. The nose gives of dark stone fruit aromas as well as dark honey and some confected orchard fruits leading to rich apricots and tropical fruits on the palate and some spice. The finish is very smooth and goes on for a long while.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 51.1%
Find here: £820

Balvenie 30

The Balvenie 30 is released in batches. Once one batch has run out, they find some more exceptional casks to blend another batch. The one I tasted recently and is in the link below is from 2014. All the releases are very consistent, and I’ve never tasted one that hasn’t been brilliant. This won best Speyside Single Malt at the World Whisky Awards, and Gold Outstanding at the IWSC in 2013, both of which I am a judge on. It is a rich and very well-balanced whisky with lots of heather honey and nuttiness. There is plenty of spice, which is a Balvenie trait, and the palate shows a hint of smoke as well as vanilla, honey and damp tobacco leaves.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 44.2%
Find here: UK £1800 // US $1999.99

Mosstowie 45 Year Old 1973 Cask 7622

Mosstowie was a whisky produced for a short time at the Miltonduff distillery when it had a Lomond still, so effectively is a ghost whisky never to return. Bottled by Signatory this is a great expression. It has lots of sweet honey and some gorse flower aromas leading to a grassy style of whisky on the palate but still retaining soft stone fruits at its core. The finish is fine with woody notes and a little citrus. A refined whisky which has held its abv well over the 45 years it has spent in a cask. Only 410 bottles of this were produced and when it’s gone it’s gone.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 51.6%
Find here: £1494.99 

Dallas Dhu 50 Year old 1969 (Gordon and MacPhail)

This is possibly the most astonishing whisky I have tasted over the last year. It is incredibly rich and complex, yet the tannin is so well balanced the whisky remains smooth with a great mouth feel and weight to it. The distillery closed in 1983 so Dallas Dhu is becoming rarer and rarer. This expression was matured in a refill sherry hogshead and only yielded 176 bottles when Gordon and MacPhail bottled it in 2019. My tasting notes for this were very long and as I left the whisky in the glass more and more aromas and flavours developed. The main ones being fruit cake with all the complexity that cake as, zesty orange and ginger spice, marzipan and toffee apples mix with a tiny bit of smoke. The tannins slowly build up bringing in wood flavours, and by the finish coffee, chocolate and heather flowers can be found.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43.1%
Find here: £6,913.72

Strathisla 65 Year Old 1953 (Gordon and MacPhail)

Another release from the oldest independent bottler in the world, Gordon and MacPhail. Gordon and MacPhail are well known for releasing very well aged whisky, and with this release they have excelled themselves. Matured in a first fill sherry butt and bottled in 2019 there were only 143 bottled produced. There are lots of dried fruits and sherry aromas and flavours all the way through this whisky with older flavours like antique furniture polish and cloves and pencil box aromas. The palate opens with berry flavours and complex spices and dark chocolate. Fruity coffee, dark berries and oak make up the finish with a little cigar box in the background.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43.5%
Find here: £12,500

Glenfarclas Family Cask Trunk

For any Glenfarclas fan, this is the ultimate collection and at the time of writing of the 60 made I found one left. I wish I could say I have tasted the entire collection from 1954 to 2003, but I haven’t, I have however tasted enough of them to experience the huge range of flavours, from delicate, fruity drams matured in a refill bourbon cask, like 1979 to massive sherry bombs with lots of tannin that are almost black in colour like 1971. Within the collection, there is just about every flavour imaginable, and even touches of smoke in some of the older expressions. The trunk comes with other accoutrements, such as a replica of the oldest painting of the distillery, the original, from 1791 hangs at the distillery, four coasters and three hand-painted leather-bound books which give tasting notes and distillery history. There are also four tumblers and four nosing glasses, and a water jug made by Glencairn Crystal. All in all, a marvellous collection which can be enjoyed over many World Whisky Days to come.

Size: 10000ml
ABV: 50.5%
Find here: £105,000

If you enjoyed this but are looking for an exceptional dram at a lower price point, have a read of The World’s Best Whisky or New and Exciting Whiskies to Try.

The World's Best Value Whisky

Words by Colin Hampden-White

With so many whiskies being released each year it is hard to tell which are the ones that really punch above their price point. With the explosion of non-age statement expressions over the last ten years, the value proposition of whisky has never been better. Whisky fans the world over have come to realise that quality and flavour aren’t always about age.

There are of course countries where the whisky matures so quickly, that to have one which is older than the statutory three years is quite an accomplishment. I am thinking in particular about Paul John in India and Rochfort in Australia. Both are fabulous whiskies and I will write more on them later. This article is all about finding that incredible quality at a great price point. I’ve chosen six of my favourites, other people I am sure could add to this list, but I don’t think you’d go wrong if you picked up one of these in the shops.

Glen Moray Classic

Now, I accept this 1.75l bottle is not easy to find as you have to go to the distillery in Elgin to buy it, although some shops have stocked the odd one having first bought it at the distillery.

Once you take into consideration the size of the bottle, this works out at just £20 per standard 700ml, and it is amazing value. Full of orchard fruits, vanilla and honey, this is a classic Speyside. They say that with the microclimate at the distillery where the warehouses are, the whisky matures that little bit quicker than the rest of Speyside, which means this non-age statement whisky certainly tastes mature. This is a great gateway whisky into all things Glen Moray, and if you liked this I’d try the 12 and 18 year olds which are great value for their age.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £21.85 // $34.99
Large sized bottle: 1750ml // £50

Filey Bay

This is the flagship expression from Filey Bay. Distilled in Yorkshire, this whisky is made using only homegrown barely at the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery. The whisky has intense apricot and peach flavours mixed with lots of ex bourbon-cask characteristics of vanilla and honey. This is very easy going for 46% and is one of the new breeds of English whiskies which are full of flavour.

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

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon

This is a big step up from the standard Four Roses, and is well worth spending the extra on. It has a mixture of mashbills and is made in Lawrenceburg Tennessee. The skill is bringing all the different mashbills together and creating a whiskey with huge amounts of well balanced flavour. There are ten mashbill recipes at Four roses, and they use four of them to make this whiskey. It’s fabulous value for money with flavours of dark honey, spices, toasted oak and a little vanilla.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: UK £29.90 // US $47.99

Wild Turkey 101

The 101 in Wild Turkey pertains to its alcohol strength. In the USA they have Proof rather than abv which is double whatever the European abv is. Hence 55.% abv and 101 proof. With the higher proof, this whiskey packs a punch, yet manages to remain smooth and balanced. The whiskey is at least six years old before it comes out of the barrel for bottling, adding to the extra punch of flavour. A great value bourbon with good age.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 55.5%
Find here: UK £29.95 // US £32.99

Nikka Coffey Malt Whisky

Over the last decade, we have seen the rise and rise of Japanese whisky, and we have also seen the prices rise at an astonishing rate. A less expensive way of making whisky which is usually reserved for making grain whisky is to use a Coffey still which has a continuous distillation. Here Nikka use a Coffey for their malted barley and the result is a rich, fruity and typically Japanese whisky and is a great place to start a journey into Japanese whisky. It’s still not the cheapest malt whisky in the world, but it isn’t expensive for Japanese whisky and is certainly worth it.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: UK £54.90 // US $99.99

J.P Wiser 18 year old

I tried this whisky a few weeks ago whilst in Ontario Canada where the whisky has been made since 1857 and started selling bottles in 1893. They sold only casks before that! It is a super smooth blended whisky with plenty of orchard fruits and a little cracked black pepper. A little fine oak comes through in the background and finish. If this were an 18 year old Scotch it would be at least 50% more expensive and therefore I think it is a great bang for your buck!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £40.95

If you enjoyed this, then why not have a read of The Best Whisky for Beginners or The Most Luxurious Whisky in the World