Category: Reviews

Reviews of whiskies

Whisky Advent Calendar

For those wanting to expand their whisky experience and explore a diverse range of whiskies without spending a fortune on full bottles, the advice for many years was to find a bar with a good selection and buy yourself a few drams over several sessions.  Such an approach is affordable, but not always convenient, and not particularly possible if you live a long way from a well-stocked whisky bar.

A far more popular and convenient alternative has been the recent availability of whisky Advent Calendars.  And one of the better offerings out this year is the “Whisky Selection Box” by The Really Good Whisky Company.

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Ardbeg 8yo – For Discussion

If there’s one distillery on Islay that is guaranteed to invoke discussion, it’s Ardbeg.  From its unfortunate history in the 1980’s and ‘90’s; to the brand’s vibrant, fun and cheeky personality of today; to the Ardbeg Committee and the special members-only Committee Releases, Ardbeg is a whisky that every drinker has something to say about.  The new Ardbeg 8yo For Discussion, which is available via https://ardbegcommittee.com.au, has been released to trigger discussion amongst Ardbeg Committee members, and it’s a discussion worth having.  So what is it that we’re talking about?

The Ardbeg 8yo For Discussion is a new members-only Committee Release, and it remains to be seen if it will join the core-range in Ardbeg’s gradually expanding portfolio.   So, apart from the age statement of 8 years old, what is it that’s up for discussion?  The answer is pretty interesting and prompts some exploration into Ardbeg’s flavour spectrum….

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The Malt Whisky Yearbook 2022

With the whisky industry being possibly the most dynamic it’s ever been – for example, new distilleries being established; existing distilleries changing ownership; defunct distilleries being resurrected; distillery upgrades and refurbishments; new brands appearing; new releases and new expressions entering the market; personnel changing companies; etc, etc – it’s a tough job trying to stay on top of every update and development.   Fortunately for all of us, one man takes on the task each year and does all the research and reporting for us.  For the avid whisky enthusiasts among us who want a one-stop-shop for all the latest data and information, there’s really only one resource: Ingvar Ronde’s “Malt Whisky Yearbook”.

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Iniquity whisky and Tin Shed Distillers

Looking for information about Iniquity whisky?  Read on…

In the busy, buzzing, and bulging world of the Australian whisky industry, it would be fair to say that the distilleries of South Australia tend to get overlooked.   At the very least, they don’t get the share of the limelight they deserve.

The reasons for this are fairly straightforward: (i) South Australia is not in Tasmania, where most punters perceive all the action to be.  (ii) The distilleries are generally small operations (with one exception), and the higher profile or “big brand” distilleries are in other states. (iii) The distillers behind the distilleries are modest folks who focus on making good whisky, rather than focusing on their social media and playing the popularity game.  (On that note, and as an aside:  I would not be the first commentator to observe that, in some cases, a whisky brand’s social media profile and volume are inversely proportional to the quality and quantity of its whisky).

The irony of this situation is the reality that, by and large, the distilleries of South Australia consistently make good whisky and are genuinely amongst the most lauded in the land.   All distilleries will generally have hits and misses over their journeys; the trick is obviously to have the ledger filled with more of the former than the latter.  One distillery that has excelled at achieving a consistent DNA; a reliable house style; and churning out a string of hits is Tin Shed Distilling Co through its Iniquity whisky label.

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Morris Whisky – Rutherglen shows its Signature

The Australian whisky industry continues to keep its fans both delighted and curious as the list of new and emerging distilleries grows – seemingly unabated.  It almost seems like a new distillery lifts its head above the parapet every month, and the latest to do so is the previously unheralded Morris. 

That much, in itself, is a story.  Many distilleries elect to announce their establishment through social media channels, and then drip feed news, pictures, and work-in-progress releases or similar teasers as they build brand awareness whilst waiting for their spirit to mature.  In contrast to this, Morris went about its business with almost ninja-like stealth, before suddenly announcing its arrival with the launch of its first two initial releases.

Of course, Morris is anything but a new name in Australian drinks circles, with Morris of Rutherglen being one of the most famous and respected producers of fortified wines in the world.  With such a long and celebrated history of making some of this country’s greatest muscats, sherries, ports, and tokays (okay, aperas, tawnys, and topaques), it was perhaps only a matter of time until they turned their attention to whisky.  Little wonder, also, that they turned to their ex-wine cask inventory to mature their spirit!

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Teeling Blackpitts

It’s now more than six years since Whisky & Wisdom wrote its first article about Teeling whiskey, and there’s been three or four further articles along the way with subsequent reviews of their excellent whiskies.  With the release of Teeling Blackpitts whiskey, the brand has put peated Irish whiskey back on the radar and it’s excited fans of the category worldwide.  But before we dive into the specifics on the Blackpitts rekease, it’s worth recapping on the basics….

The Teeling Distillery was completed in Dublin in 2015 and became the first new distillery to be built in Dublin in over 120 years.  It also became the first operating distillery in Dublin since the closure of the old Powers distillery in the mid 1970’s.   While the distillery’s new spirit was quietly slumbering and maturing, the brand established itself by bottling older whiskey that had been distilled at Cooley.  (Cooley had been founded by John Teeling in 1987, hence the connection.)  The distillery’s first release of their own home-made spirit was the Single Pot Still release in September, 2018, and there have now been several batches of that bottled since.  However, the new Teeling Blackpitts release is the next exciting home-made chapter…

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23rd Street Distillery – XXIII Batch 01

23rd Street Distillery joins the growing list of distilleries established in the last 5-6 years that are now bringing their single malt to market.  23rd Street has released a small range of whiskies in the recent past with varied provenance (such as the evocative Hybrid, which was a blend of Scotch whisky and American Bourbon!) but the release of XXIII (Batch 01) heralds in a new era for their home-grown, signature style.

The site at 23rd Street Distillery – located conveniently on 23rd Street in Renmark, South Australia (about a three hour drive north-east of Adelaide) – has a long history in the drinks industry that dates back to 1914, although that was chiefly in the wine industry.  The site was acquired by Bickford’s in 2014, and a reported $6.6M (including a government grant of $2.3M) was injected into the project over two years to bring 23rd Street Distillery to life.   The distillery launched in 2016 and produces gin, vodka, rum, brandy, and whisky. 

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That Boutique-y Whisky Company – Australia Series

The global whisky community continues to grow, particularly as interest and awareness develops around the “new world” distillers outside of Scotland.  The craft whisky scene is nothing new to Australia which, it must be said, is exploding with over 65 established whisky distilleries now bringing their matured product to market.  In spite of the thriving local scene, few have sought or established international distributorship (mostly due to the small volumes being produced), and so whisky lovers outside of Australia usually have to go to significant lengths to find and try Australian whisky.  Having said that, the situation is slowly changing, and one big leap forward occurring this month is the launch of the “Australia Series” range by That Boutique-y Whisky Company.

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Diageo Special Releases 2020

The Diageo “Special Releases” range is keenly awaited each year, and the latest collection (2020) is now being made available to markets around the world.

[Update: If you’re looking for info on the Diageo Special Releases for 2021, see our more recent post here.]

Whisky & Wisdom has attended the launch events for the Special Releases range in previous years, but with COVID still largely preventing such public events, a special media kit was prepared for this year’s range.  The box – a very attractive and well-presented affair, it must be said – contained samples of the eight releases.

Diageo Special Releases - the media box

The idea behind the Diageo Special Releases range is to present and showcase whiskies from selected distilleries that differ significantly from the usual or familiar form that we associate with those distilleries.   We thus see things like unpeated releases from Islay distilleries; or releases with significant age statements that aren’t normally available; or releases given special cask treatments or finishes; or simply releases from closed or rarely seen distilleries.   There’s always something for everyone, and each year’s Special Releases range showcases a diverse spectrum of flavours and also price points.

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