April 2024

Whisky Magazine

Celebrating the whiskies of the world

Whisky Magazine3 min read
The (over-)analysis Of Whisky
For those who love getting their teeth into some juicy statistics, the start of 2024 has been a veritable buffet. First, to our canapés: the release of financial results from three of the biggest names in drinks. Pernod Ricard’s half-year results for
Whisky Magazine1 min read
Whisky Magazine
Editor – Bethany Brown bethanyb@paragraph.co.uk Editor-at-large – Christopher Coates christopherc@paragraph.co.uk Interim deputy editor – Bradley Weir bradleyw@paragraph.co.uk Content editor – Alec McDonnell alecm@paragraph.co.uk Content editor – Luc
Whisky Magazine1 min read
All Around The World
Whisky fans around the world, pick up your Glencairn glasses and take out your tasting journals as Whisky Live’s 2024 events calendar picks up pace. Following Whisky Live London, the premier tasting event’s flagship show, on 22 and 23 March, the Whis
Whisky Magazine3 min read
Rise Of The Gastro-distillery
As I turn my car northwest at Sligachan, under the shadow of the imposing Glamaig massif, I contemplate the reputation of Scotland’s famous Isle of Skye. Though most widely known for its spectacular landscape, for decades now Skye has also been the p
Whisky Magazine3 min read
Crunching The Numbers
Each February, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), a trade organisation, delivers an economic briefing that offers detailed sales data for each spirits category. Every year for more than a decade, the underlying theme has bee
Whisky Magazine3 min read
Pax Is Back
Before Spain forbade the export of bulk casks in 1986, Scottish distilleries were developing an alternative way to increase the supply of sherry-treated casks solely for whisky maturation: filling virgin casks with sherry for a year or two to absorb
Whisky Magazine7 min read
Reviving Rosebank
There is an old boxing adage that heavyweights never come back. Happily, this does not apply to distilling heavyweights, as three of the most highly regarded silent distilleries in Scotland are once again making their presence felt. The distilleries
Whisky Magazine8 min read
La Bella Vita DI WHISKY
In Italy, 2023 was good year for whisky. Five distilleries unveiled their inaugural releases, and many others are set to hit the market in the coming years. It signals the arrival of a new era for a country that has always been distinguished by a lar
Whisky Magazine7 min read
Where tradition MEETS TOMORROW
Hopefully they have forgiven me, but I had to ask Phil and Simon Thompson what their favourite whisky is. It’s a horrible question to ask, not just because it is such a cliché but because it is generally impossible for the discerning whisky drinker t
Whisky Magazine7 min read
PRESERVING A presidential spirit
When George Washington retired from the American presidency in 1797, he returned to farm life at Mount Vernon, where he was already building a distillery. In 1796 his employee, James Anderson, had written Washington a letter detailing the benefits of
Whisky Magazine3 min read
THE Ultimate WHISKY EXPERIENCE 27 – 30 JUNE 2024
During 2024, Whisky Magazine is partnering with Rothes Glen, The Luxury Castle for Whisky Connoisseurs, to offer all-inclusive whisky experiences in Speyside. The summer weekend takes place on 27–30 June 2024. The owner of Rothes Glen and Whisky Maga
Whisky Magazine8 min read
Reaping What You Sow
When Rob Samuels, managing director of Maker’s Mark Distillery, talks about his grandparents buying Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky in 1952 and building a distillery there, he’s keen to add that his family had been making whisky in the state 160
Whisky Magazine8 min read
Looking Out For The Grain
Don DiMonte is more than a whisky maker with the ‘it’ factor. He’s a community support worker for his Last Straw Distillery’s star ingredient: grain. This is why grains considered too challenging for the world of commodity whisky sometimes appear una
Whisky Magazine6 min read
TURN UP THE heat
How do you like your steak cooked? (Or halloumi or aubergine, for the vegetarians and vegans out there.) From barely warm to thoroughly scorched, it is clear how caramelisation and burning in cooking can transform an ingredient’s taste. The way these
Whisky Magazine6 min read
LOST LORE OF THE foutier
Long before science could explain what happens in fermentation and distillation, people learned that if you set sugary liquid aside somewhere for a while, it would change flavour and make you feel jovial when consumed. Boiling these liquids and colle
Whisky Magazine1 min read
Best In Class
The announcement of the Whisky Magazine Awards global results is upon us once again. While we at Whisky Magazine dedicate ourselves to celebrating the whiskies of the world in every issue, this yearly occasion is our opportunity to give special recog
Whisky Magazine4 min read
Will The Dragon Roar For Duty Free In 2024?
The travel retail business has high hopes the Chinese Year of the Dragon will perform rather better than the Year of the Rabbit, last year’s zodiac sign. Industry watchers expected Chinese travel to rebound quickly in 2023 after the country fully reo
Whisky Magazine13 min read
Tastings Latest
After studying English literature at university, Bethany worked as a journalist for regional newspaper groups before moving to the spirits industry. She was appointed as editor of Whisky Magazine in 2022, having previously edited its sister titles Gi
Whisky Magazine7 min read
The Power Of Diversity
It is a pleasure and a privilege for us at Whisky Magazine to compile our list of inductees for the Hall of Fame each year. To do so is to catch a glimpse into the upper echelons of the whisky world — not in any materialistic sense, but in terms of k
Whisky Magazine2 min read
Icons of Whisky 2024 America, Rest of World, and China
The Icons of Whisky is sponsored by SPONSORED BY GLENCAIRN CRYSTAL Heaven Hill Distillery Highly Commended Nearest Green Distillery Balcones Distilling Highly Commended FEW Spirits Buffalo Trace Distillery Highly Commended Westland Distillery Prohibi
Whisky Magazine8 min read
Icons of Whisky 2024 Global
Sponsored by Blue Box Design Rest of World An international agency spreading its creativity worldwide, JDO’s brand and packaging designs have been seen on big-name brands in the past year. In the whisky world, JDO is behind the rebrand of The Glenliv

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