Category Archives: Breaking News!

Breaking News!

“One Nation Under Whisky” is my fancy new podcast. I hope you’ll listen!

 

Observant readers of Jewmalt Whisky Reviews will note that the number of blog posts I do has now shrunken to nearly none per month and only a few per year. Such is the life of a blogger turned Independent Bottler, Whisky Festival coordinator, and Tour Operator.

On the upside, I’ve found a new medium to reach out to y’all — One Nation Under Whisky podcast!

One Nation Under Whisky is actually a podcast that I run with my friend and business partner, Jason Johnstone-Yellin.

“What is the podcast all about?,” you might ask (and I’m glad you did).

Well, our website states: “One Nation Under Whisky Podcast is your audio source for all things related to Single Cask Nation, Whisky Jewbilee, and WhiskyGeek Tours. Also, dick jokes.”

So, One Nation Under Whisky is an whisk(e)y industry insider podcast where we get into the nitty-gritty of independent bottling, what it’s like to run and plan a festival and a tour company. But wait, there’s more! We also interview industry insiders, as well as company and brand owners, too! On top of this, Jason and I tend to crack one another up and do a lot of laughing that I hope you’ll join in on.

Want to listen in and subscribe? Follow THIS LINK RIGHT HERE.

As of the date of this blog post we’ve posted interviews with:

  • David Stirk (Creative Whisky Company)
  • Bryan Davis (Lost Spirits Distillery)
  • Mark Watt (Cadenhead’s)
  • Matt Hofmann (Westland Distillery)
  • Jessica Lomas (Scotch Whisky Auctions)
  • Jeff Kanof (Copperworks Distilling Company)
  • Eddie Russell (Wild Turkey)
  • Richard Urquhart (Gordon & MacPhail/Benromach Distillery)
  • Lukasz Dynowiak (anCnoc, Old Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn)
  • Denny Potter (Haven Hill Distillery)
  • Ajay Bhoja (Paul John, John Distilleries)
  • Raj Sabharwal (US importer for Amrut, Blackadder, Five Lions, English Whisky Co)
  • and more…

So, as you can see, I’ve been keeping myself busy. I hope you’ll come and join me on this new podcast (ad)venture!

See you in podcast land!

Ardbeg, Bowmore, Breaking News!, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Laphroaig

It’s not everyday that I get a mention on Islay’s “The Ileach” newspaper…

 

Special thanks to my good friend Andy for pointing this one out to me and sending the pic (as blurry as it is)!

Oh, and in other news, Bruichladdich just sold to Remy Cointreau…

In case you missed my Islay Distillery/Rock Band comparison posts, here is a link to each one:

  1. Part one:Bruichladdich as The Sex Pistols
  2. Part two: Ardbeg as Slayer
  3. Part three: Caol Ila as The 80′s (They get their very own decade!)
  4. Part four:Bowmore as David Bowie
  5. Part five: Kilchoman as the Jackson Five (somewhat fitting, in retrospect, with them both bearing the number five).
  6. Part six: Bunnahabhain as R.E.M.
  7. Part seven: Lagavulin as Led Zeppelin
  8. Part eight: Laphroaig as Iggy Pop
Breaking News!

Gordon & MacPhail’s Connoisseurs Choice gets a make over (and it’s more than just new bottles and packaging)!

If you don’t own a bottle or six from the Connoisseurs Choice range of Independently Bottled whisky then, at the very least, I’m sure you’ve seen them on the whisky shelves.

Rather than me blather on about the good news from Gordon MacPhail, here’s the info I was given:

“The Connoisseurs Choice range was developed in the 1960’s by George Urquhart the second generation of Urquhart’s that have run G&M.  It made a number of distilleries whiskies available as a single malt for the first time ever.  It has become wildly popular and gone through a number of slight enhancements to the label over the years.

This most recent change however also deals with the whisky in the bottle.

Ongoing, all whiskies bottled for the Connoisseurs Choice range will be NON-CHILL FILTERED, NATURAL COLOR & bottled at 46% abv.  

This will ensure the highest quality whisky is made available for future generations. ”

Now THAT’S news!!  Yet another bottler that’s listened to consumer demand for higher ABV, natural color and no chill filtration.

Kudos to G&M for making this strong move!

Here’s a link to the PDF that was sent to me which gives you more details on this gutsy move from Gordon MacPhail

Breaking News!

Forwhiskeylovers.com is looking to expand. Can you help a brotha out?

 

Have you ever shopped at forwhiskeylovers.com or perhaps you’re part of the FWL community?  If so, then you’d know that Doug Stone’s website/community is a wonderful and thriving place that is about one thing we all know and love: WHISK(E)Y!

Due to the success of the website model, Doug is looking to launch a whole new set of For-Lovers communities and to do so, he needs your help, OUR help.  (Yes, I did the good Jewish boy thing and chipped in.)

Why am I talking about Doug Stone’s website(s) on this blog?  Well, Doug and those on the For-Lovers/contributing editors team (Ian Buxton, Kevin Erskine, Charles MacLean to name a few) do a whole heck of a lot for the world of whisk(e)y.  That and Doug is a friend that I think should be supported.

Here’s a video of Doug explaining the venture:

If you want to learn how you can help, click here.