Whisky News

Both today’s postings are courtesy of TBLFP readers which is great. I really appreciate you taking time to forward stuff. John the lensman in Bonhill contacted me yesterday about the story of whisky from the Shackleton polar expedition being searched for in ice (where it has lain since 1909) and how it is regarded as [...]

Heartening News

In April 2008 I wrote about the news that drinking whisky can protect you from cancer

This morning in this article on the BBC I find that “Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third, a major study suggests.”
I’m waiting for a survey which tries to [...]

Proof

Enjoyed the two-monthly piss up whisky tasting club last night where we had an excellent presentation from Glenfarclas. I wrote about their cask strength Glenfarclas 105 last year. Last night as well as 105 we enjoyed the company’s 10 year old, 15 year old, 21 year old and 30 year old whiskies. The man from [...]

Bigrab’s Whisky Recommendation – Dalwhinnie

On my recent holiday the wife and weans had booked some horse riding at Newtonmore which gave me the opportunity for another distillery tour.
Dalwhinnie is the highest altitude distillery in Scotland and I believe the village (meaning meeting place) is the highest village.
The main product of Dalwhinnie is a fifteen year old malt. It’s unusual [...]

The Real McCoy

This is Captain William McCoy.
Who he?
During the first world war, Distilleries in Scotland were closed to preserve barley stocks for food. In the 1920’s there was a significant temperance movement in Britain, and the government increased the duty on whisky (plus ca change!) and in the USA total prohibition of alcohol was introduced.
Thankfully for [...]

Bigrab’s Whisky Recommendation -Edradour

This isn’t so much a recommendation for a particular whisky (althoughI have recommended one) but rather for a distillery. Edradour started life as a farm distillery. There were many of these in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the highlands, many of them initially illegal. Edradour is the last one of these still in production. [...]

Bigrab’s Whisky Recommendation. Benromach Organic

Benromach is the smallest distillery in Speyside and is widely regarded as one of the best.

“Benromach Organic Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky” is quite a mouthful for the world’s first certified organic whisky. It is brewed in one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries from organic barley and yeast using spring water from the Romach hills, and [...]

Bigrabs Whisky Recommendation – Old Pulteney 12 Year Old

I renewed my acquaintance with this rather excellent dram last week at the Plough in Forfar pre-match. I think I’m right in saying that the Pulteney Distillery is the most northern on mainland Scotland being situated in Wick. It is marketed as the “genuine maritime malt” and an old steam fishing vessel is depicted on [...]

Bigrab’s Whisky Recommendation

Now there’s a heading we haven’t seen for a while.
This recommendation isn’t so much for a whisky as for a chocolate and a combination of flavours.
However it is also for whisky.
All will become clear.
This is Lindt Excellence Noir with chilli. Now I am not a great chocolate fan but I do sometimes enjoy some dark [...]

Bigrab’s Whisky Recommendation – Monkey Shoulder

This is a limited edition bottling from William Grant. Not a single malt but a triple one. It’s mainly an exercise in marketing which is evidenced by clicking here However it is also a very fine dram.
‘Monkey Shoulder uses only malt Scotch whisky from three of Speyside’s finest distilleries. This triple malt is catching the [...]