After a long day, there’s no finer feeling than kicking back, putting your feet up, watching the big match on the TV, and pouring yourself a nice cold beer. Beer is a beverage steeped in history, that has been enjoyed for centuries, all over the globe. Here in the UK particularly, it is a universal language. It’s something that brings us together and brings great joy to so many of our lives. But hold on, we’re called Great Drams and we deal in whisky. So why on earth are we talking about beer? Well, because thanks to Innis & Gunn, we now have all the deliciousness of whisky, in ..read more

No visit to the Highlands, or any other region renowned for its whisky production, would be complete without a tour of a working distillery. Whisky distilleries are fascinating places. They’re typically, but not always, buildings centuries old, that are steeped in history and are responsible for some of the most popular whisky on the planet. While touring the facilities, you get to see where the whisky’s made, how it’s made, and will hopefully get to learn about it too. If you’re especially lucky, you’ll get to enjoy a wee dram or two in the process. Because of their popularity, you’ll often ..read more

While we may specialise in Scotch whisky here at Great Drams, that certainly doesn’t mean that we aren’t huge fans of the many other types of whisky/whiskey currently available. Bourbon in particular, is one of our favourites, and offers a wonderful alternative to single-malt and blended whiskies commonly consumed here in the UK. In fact, bourbon is becoming increasingly popular every single year, and with brands such as Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and Woodford Reserve all very popular on our shores, that isn’t going to change anytime soon. Now, before we go any further ..read more

Situated  in the heart of the undisturbed Scottish highlands, in the heart of the Ardnamurchan peninsula, you will find one of the most rugged and unspoiled distilleries in all of Scotland – Ardnamurchan distillery. We’ve a real soft spot for this particular distillery, and not just because of the fact that they provide such amazing drams of whisky either. The distillery uses renewable energy to keep their carbon footprint down. Using a bio-mass boiler, along with hydro-electric power. The bio-mass boiler uses sustainable, regenerative timber from the Ardnamurchan forest to provide ..read more

Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has announced a partnership with Argentinian Winery, Finca Ambrosia for the most recent edition to its Wine Cask Collection*. ABERFELDY 21 Year Old Malbec Cask Finish is a celebration of two crafts coming together and two like-minded master craftspeople: a Malt Master and a Winemaker. This is the first partnership of its kind for ABERFELDY. Located at the foothills of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 1250m, the Finca Ambrosia estate uses organic practices and observes moon cycles for optimum harvest, to produce terroir-driven wines with ..read more

If you’re familiar with whisky, or indeed, pretty much any kind of alcoholic drink for that matter, chances are you’ll have enjoyed a beverage associated with Diageo in some way. Diageo Plc are an alcoholic beverage company based in the UK, who are a major distributer of spirits, particularly Scotch whisky. In fact, distilleries which are owned by Diageo produce around 40% of all Scotch here in the UK. With more than 24 brands, including Johnnie Walker, Old Parr, and J&B, we’re very familiar with their work here at Great Drams. We’re also big fans. Put simply, Diageo are a drinks giant ..read more

A sinister story involving a Scottish recipe for ‘stovies’ and a grisly tale about the strange sheep of Greshornish have been chosen as the winning and runner-up stories in The Glencairn Glass crime short story competition this year. The world’s favourite whisky glass – the Glencairn Glass – produced by Scottish glassware company Glencairn Crystal, has announced the winning author as Philip Wilson, and the runner-up author as Elisabeth Ingram Wallace, in its annual Scottish themed crime fiction competition, now in its third year. Having supported and celebrated Scottish crime writing talent ..read more

‘It sets you ill, Wi’ bitter, dearthfu’ wines to mell, Or foreign gill. May gravels round his blather wrench, An’ gouts torment him, inch by inch, What twists his gruntle wi’ a glunch O’ sour disdain, Out owre a glass o’ whisky-punch Wi’ honest men! O Whisky’! Robert Burns – Scotch Drink Fewer poets can conjure up such powerful images of their homeland than the late, great, Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns. A truly iconic figure in Scotland’s history, Burns is engrained in the heart of many-a Scot and is celebrated every single year on Burns Night. Burns, despite the fact that he briefly worked as an E ..read more

A popular local artist has created an exclusive bottle design and unique whisky and painting experience for Isle of Skye distillery Talisker, the oldest distillery on Skye, has named local artist Katie Tunn as its first ever artist in residence. To celebrate the partnership, Katie, a Skye resident who has called the island home for nearly a decade, has created an exclusive label design for one of the distillery’s best loved whiskies ‘Talisker Skye’. Katie’s Talisker Skye bottle is available now, exclusively from the Talisker Distillery. The release is strictly limited to 2004 bottles ..read more

The UK’s first vertical distillery, Port of Leith, has officially started production in a milestone moment for the more than £12m,  decade-long project officially marking the return of whisky distilling to Leith. Port of Leith’s first new make spirit was distilled this week, and will be experimented with over the coming months to develop a desired profile for its future whisky reflective of its pioneering approach at the vanguard of the new wave of Scotch. The distillery has invited Scotch fans to be part of its whisky making journey from new make spirit to single malt Scotch whisk ..read more