It's no secret I'm a big GlenDronach fan, considering them to be one of the few remaining distilleries where value can still be found (even though the older single casks are a bit punchy these days..), and a distillery delivering quality well above some of their peers. Between Hendy and I we've covered plenty of expressions on the blog, but for the most part they've been modern releases. On a few occasions I've been lucky enough to try some vintage bottlings, and they've almost always been spectacular, especially this 18yo dumpy for the Japanese market - one of my most favourite 'dronachs eve ..read more

We recently posted news on Facebook of a new Spirits Awards (hear us out...), the first from Asia, focusing on smaller producers around the world. "Spirit of Craft Awards" was launched in January of this year, and involves a panel of experts from Asia's bar and drinks media community. Over three months, entries from across 15 countries – Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Scotland, Singapore, Thailand, New Zealand, Netherlands, and the U.S. – made their way to Singapore for judging by a panel of 36 judges in early May, with the resul ..read more

I wrote last year about new Scottish-based Independent Bottler Halcyon Spirits, and how their 2000-strong cask inventory probably meant we'd probably see many bottles to come. It wasn't long after their inaugural release (a 30yo Macallan) that I tasted their second release (a 32yo Auchentoshan) and whilst I didn't manage to try their third (a 30yo Clynelish), the team have now released (and kindly sent me a sample of) their fourth - a 27yo Burnside from 1996 (finished in an ex-sherry cask and bottled in 2024). "Burnside", some of you may ask? Basically, a teaspooned whisky, or a blen ..read more

Whisky and art collaborations are nothing new - we've seen everything from Macallan's "Masters of Photography" series, to Glenfiiddich's "Arists in Residence" program, to Glenmorangie's more recent efforts with Azuma Makoto. My view of these has always been the same - they can be fun, sure, and when the collaboration "fits", even great, but fundamentally the underlying whisky has to be good. At the end of the day, you can't drink art! Thankfully, Cask88's latest collaboration with Britain's legendary illustrator Ralph Steadman not only brings the fun & feels like it "f ..read more

Before discovering Starward's latest release, the Botrytis Cask, I had never heard of Botrytis wine. A conversation with Martin revealed it's a type of dessert wine, piquing my interest to learn a bit more about this wine. Some reading into Botrytis wine unveiled fascinating details about this unique wine and how it influences Starward's new project release. Botrytis is a type of fungus that shrivels and decays wine grapes (see below for an image of the fungus on a bunch of riesling grapes), yet is highly coveted in winemaking due to its ability to intensify sweetness and add flavour complexit ..read more

In the world of whisky, few distilleries have carved out such a prominent place as quickly as Archie Rose Distillery in Sydney. Founded in 2014 by Will Edwards, Archie Rose has been known for innovating through all their different releases and for having quite unique proposition such as their Tailored Spirits/Whisky Program. Guided by Master Distiller Dave Withers (one of the most knowledgable whisky folk we know and whom spent some time at the legendary Oak Barrel), Archie Rose has made leaps and bounds over the past decade to make a mark in the Australian whisky scene. When Archie Rose first ..read more

We're kicking off June with another well-aged #malternative - this time in the form of a 63 year old Cask Strength Grande Champagne Cognac from Peyrot, once again from Old Master Spirits. The gents behind OMS have been releasing spirits at a decent cadence lately - not too often, but a handful a year to keep things interesting. This one will be launched on 20th June, bottled at 42.9% (cask strength) and selling for $349AUD. (You can read my thoughts on several of Old Master Spirits' previous releases here, including previous vintage and NAS Brandies. In those posts I c ..read more

To kick off Sydney’s Whisky Month, we joined Iain Allan, Global Ambassador for Glen Moray Distillery, and Judith Zhu, bartender at Door Knock, at Grain Bar for a Glen Moray masterclass. The session featured Glen Moray whiskies from their Cask Explorer range, including the delicious Glen Moray 10yo 'Elgin,' released as part of the Queen’s Jubilee celebration. Two limited-edition Glen Moray releases; Whisky List exclusive, a Glen Moray Rioja Cask Finish and a Peated Glen Moray Rioja Cask Finish, completed the tasting set. It's been a while since we have had a full Glen Moray tasting. Back ..read more

Earlier this week Starward released their second bourbon cask release, officially dubbed, the Starward Bourbon Cask #2. This second release follows the first Bourbon Cask which was released in mid 2018 and only saw an outturn of around 1,200 bottles. For this second bourbon cask release, Starward fans alike can join Starward’s ballot system to secure an allocation. It's not known how many bottles there are in the outturn. I was fortunate enough to join David Vitale, Starward Founder and Charlie Dyer, Starward Blender this week to sample the Bourbon Cask #2. In fact, the tasting also featured t ..read more

It was almost a year ago to the day I tried Gordon & MacPhail's "Mr George Legacy" 3rd Ed, a 63yo Glen Grant from 1959, and the third in the excellent "Mr George Legacy" series. Many thought that was the final release in the series, but here we are 12 months later, and G&M have honoured their second generation "Mr George" Urquhart (arguably the father of single malt whisky's popularity) with another release - this time a 65yo from 1958. Sticking with tradition, this release is again a Glen Grant, bottled from a single cask (a first-fill Sherry butt laid down by "Mr Georg ..read more