While the Islands are not officially designated as a Whisky Region (they are included with the Highlands), the five whisky producing islands of Arran, Jura, Mull, Orkney, and Skye are often considered the sixth region. No doubt because of their uniqueness. And they are. Not only to the other regions, but to each other.Let's start … Continue reading The Islands – Each One Unique →

Do you remember the first drink of whisky that you ever had? Horrible, right? And it took a while to gain an 'appreciation' for the taste. The bottle sat among the other bottles in your liquor cabinet, or your father's cabinet, depending on how old you were when you got started. The nectar of the … Continue reading – Analysis of a Whisky Room – →

For many of us, Islay (pronounced eye-lah) is synonymous with whisky. A tiny island, less than 250 square miles, it has a population just north of 3,000. With nine active distilleries, it produces a lot of whisky. But we'll talk about that in a moment, because Islay is much more than whisky.The first known visitors … Continue reading Islay – Small in Size, Big in Whisky →

Three of the Classic Lowlands Brands Sometimes, Lowlands whisky gets a bad rap. Or no rap at all. But there's more to Lowlands whisky than meets the eye. Or the palate. Much more.Let's start with the grain whisky industry. What's grain whisky, you ask? As you probably know, blended scotch whisky has always dominated the … Continue reading The Lowlands – Smooth and Subtle →

Some of Scotland's best known brands are from Speyside Even if you are new to the whisky world, you would certainly recognize some of the iconic brands of Speyside. Glenfiddich, McCallan, Glenlivet, Mortlach, Glenfarclas. Quite a lineup, indeed. About 50% of all Scottish Whisky is produced in the fifty or so distilleries located in the … Continue reading Speyside – Where Whisky is King →

When we think of Scotland, we immediately think of the Highlands. Rugged mountains, mysterious lakes, tartans, clans, and.... whisky. Lots of whisky. About one quarter of Scotland's whisky is produced in this vast, sparsely populated region. Rob Roy hailed from the Highlands. So did William Wallace. And, of course, James Bond. What fascinates me about … Continue reading Highlands – Romance and Mystery →

Indian Whisky Brands - Not Household Names Outside of India It's time to take stock of just where we are. Christmas? Check. Got five bottles of whisky under the tree. New Years? Broke into three of them. January? Cold. Big snowstorm. Then really cold. No body is going anywhere. Hunkered down for the season.I think … Continue reading India – A Different Kind of Whisky →

Whisky Ideas to Make your Christmas Bright If you want to be a real whisky enthusiast, , then you need to take advantage of every opportunity. Like Christmas, when the giving spirit abounds. So ,if you're looking for ideas on what cool stuff to get this year, or if you are trying to shop for … Continue reading – Have a Holly Jolly Christmas – →

Fawn Weaver of Uncle Nearest Whisky In the 1860's, When former slave, Nathan 'Nearest' Green, became the first head distiller at the Jack Daniels Distillery and the first African American head distiller in the United States, I doubt if he envisioned that Fawn Weaver, 150 years later, would name her distillery after him. And that … Continue reading – It’s a Women’s Whisky World – →

Bessie Williamson of Laphroaig As we saw in the last article, the Robertson sisters were definitely icons in the world of whisky. But there have been others. Like Elizabeth "Bessie" Williamson. Born in 1910 in Glasgow, her family had no connection to the whisky business until Bessie got a summer job as a typist at … Continue reading – The Great Women of Whisky – →