Whisky

There is currently unprecedented demand for whisky, forcing many brands to eschew age statements for brand names, certainly at the entry level. At the same time, releases of age statement whiskies are met with high demand and sell out quickly. Whisky is now produced all over the world with some of the best coming from Japan, Ireland, the USA and, more recently, England and Wales. Scotland’s malt whiskies are fascinating and complex. From the light, ethereal Lowland to the elegant Speyside, through the rich Highland style and the peaty, smoky whiskies of the Islands, there is a whisky to suit all occasions, particularly with the raft of new ‘expressions’ released by the distilleries every year. The Irish style is generally softer, more approachable; look out for Teeling, one of the newer distilleries. Bourbon continues to grow rapidly in interest, the best now rivalling Scotch in terms of complexity, while the fledgling whiskies of England and Wales are beginning to show their quality. Japanese whiskies are very like Scotch, because that is where the Japanese distillers first learnt their craft and there are many superb examples. The subject of Scotch whisky can easily become a fascination: the source of the barley, the way it is malted, the water supply and the shape of the stills all influence the flavour of the spirit, and that is before the type of oak and conditions in which it is matured are determined! There remains strong interest in limited edition bottlings which can come and go quickly so do enquire or keep an eye on our Oddments List.