Suntory Raises Japanese Whisky Prices Ahead of Christmas
Asian whisky distillery, Suntory Holdings, has augmented the prices for Japanese liquors and beverages. The company has increased the price tag on over 19 spirits ahead of the Christmas season. Despite decades of virtually no inflation, Japan has seen rapid consumer price increases over the past two years, but regular cost-of-living wage increases haven’t become […]
Chivas brothers Faces Imminent Workers Strike
A recent workers’ ballot from the Chivas Brothers distillery carried gruesome news for the beverage giant. Late last month the workers union sent the decision to a vote which would order strike action or accept a salary package from their employer. Chivas Brothers Workers Opt for Strike Action According to a press note from the […]
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Bowmore Whisky Marmalade
In the wide range of whisky flavored products available, orange marmalade and mustard must be two of the best known and most sold. So far as marmalade goes, Mackays appears to be the winning brand in Scotland. If you go in to any whisky shop here in the lovely Capital you’ll find their jams on one of the back shelves. So far as I know, they’ve got at least four […]
Balblair 1997
The rolling hills of the highlands seldom disappoint, whether it be their whisky or natural beauty you are after. Located within them is the distillery of Balblair, which is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland –having been officially established in 1790 – yet they do not hold the recognition within the whisky world which you would expect from their history. They are by no means unknown to connoisseurs’ and […]
Whisky Cocktail: Eggnog
Having mainly covered the classic whisky cocktails thus far – Rusty Nail, Whisky Sour, Rob Roy and the like – I thought it was about time that I threw a curveball. While Eggnog is traditionally had in the winter and around Christmas in particular, you can have it any time want, and as it is a favorite of mine, I certainly do. I love the creaminess, and thanks to all […]
Williams Bros Kelpie and Ebulum
Having reviewed Alba and Fraoch already, I couldn’t resist reviewing their other “Historic Ales” as well. After all, they’ve got that authentically Scottish feel to them and that, in many ways, is what this blog is about. The historic range includes another three ales, but I had my heart set on reviewing them in pairs – and so I will. The solution is simple; I’m going to review one of […]
Balvenie 15 Year Old Single Barrel
I can’t quite decide whether I like single barrel expressions or not. The arguments pro single barrel are that it offers a bit of variation without, necessarily, being all too different from what you know and love (assuming you’ve had a sip from one bottle, liked it, and gone on to purchase another). It lets you find an expression you like and offers enough variation for you not to get […]
Balvenie 1993 Port Wood
With the amount of reviews I have written on the blog thus far, I had a rather surprising moment of realization the other day; I still had not reviewed a single Balvenie expression! It is about time, then, that I do so. I doubt Balvenie will be a new name to any of my readers, and as many of you will be well aware they have picked up quite an […]
Williams Bros Alba and Fraoch
The Williams Bros is a Scottish micro brewery that has been around since 1988, famed for their outstanding Heather Ale. While they are mainly known for Fraoch, which is their heather ale, they’ve got several other brews under their belt as well, most of them fantastic. In this post, I thought I’d take a look at two of their expressions; Fraoch itself, and Alba.
Whisky Bread
I originally received this recipe from an American acquaintance of mine, a long time ago, and it used to annoy me how it used “cups” instead of a more sensible measurement such as grams and millilitres. Thanks to the fantastic invention known as the interweb, though, I’ve since managed to convert it. Past annoyances aside, it’s a great recipe and makes for delicious bread, especially if served with whisky butter.
Auchroisk 1993 Connoisseurs Choice
I thought it was about time to put a somewhat less known distillery under the loop, and (quite at random) decided to go for Auchroisk. Never heard of them? Good, good! I tried to find some history on them but came up with an unsatisfying amount; the distillery was founded in 1972 (I believe) and production began in 1974 (I know), with most of their whisky going into J&B and […]
Whisky Region: Islands
Set off the fireworks, treat yourself to a whisky marinated steak and pour yourself a double measure of Jura – we’ve reached our final destination in the small series of the Scottish whisky regions. We’ve climbed the hills of the Highlands to visit the likes of Clynelish and Glenmorangie, we’ve dared go within smelling distance of Glasgow to sample the Lowland distillery of Auchentoshan, we’ve swam across to Islay and […]
Remy Martin V.S.O.P.
Apart from beer and whisky, both of which you may have read reviews of on the site before, I’m also a fan of Cognac, and as such I felt it was time to write a little review of one here on the blog. When choosing which Cognac should go first, there really was no choice – when most people think ‘Cognac’ it is hastily followed by ‘Remy Martin’, and hence […]
Whisky Experience / Amber Restaurant
Recently, upon having visitors who stayed in town for a few days, I ventured into the basement of the Whisky Experience – up by Edinburgh Castle – for a bite to eat. Thankfully it wasn’t quite as gruesome an experience as it may sound, as their basement actually serves as the home of a good restaurant called Amber. It was my first visit to the restaurant, though I have previously […]
Whisky Cocktail: Lingon
If you’ve ever had meatballs in IKEA, you will have been offered “jam and gravy” or more specifically “lingonberry jam and gravy”. Like me, you may not have had a clue what the heck “lingonberry” actually is. One thing is for sure, though, the Swedes absolutely love the stuff – it seems to me that they have it with just about anything! So far I’ve been served it as an […]
Glenlivet 18 Year Old
Glenlivet is one of those distilleries that I’ve never really been able to bond with. They are a big name, and their sale levels indicate that a lot of people have become rather more affectionate with them than have I. As such, I keep thinking that there must be something I’m missing. By all means, the expressions I have tried have all been perfectly fine, good even, but not good […]
Beam, Jack, Cola
I was invited to join a few friends for a picnic in the Meadows (a big park area in central Edinburgh) today – cue the coldest day in 3 weeks – and on the way there I went to a store to pick up some beer, and I happened to spot a can of ready mixed Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon & Cola. I’ve noticed Jack Daniels & Cola popping up […]
Stewart Brewery Pilsen and my pick of the Fringe
It was Tuesday, and I was going out to see a show. Environmentally conscious as I am, and a decent enough evening as it was, I decided to ride my bike to the bar where I was meeting my dear friend before going to a comedy show (the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is the world’s biggest comedy/arts festival, is on at the moment). Inevitably, I ended up having just one […]
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