THE CRAFT IRISH WHISKEY CO. TAKES BOTH #1 AND #2 SPOTS IN TOP INDUSTRY EXPERT WHISKEY BLIND TASTING

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. takes the top two spots with The Devil’s Keep at #1 and The Taoscán at #2 in a whiskey blind tasting by top industry experts from Whisky Magazine. The two top-scoring whiskies were the only ones from the company included in the tasting, making the results all the more incredible and just the latest in a long line of accolades for the groundbreaking brand.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is a trailblazer in the whiskey industry; a brand that has got plenty of people talking in the UK, Ireland, and beyond. Since launching with The Devil’s Keep in 2020, the company has broken the record for the world’s most expensive whiskey and won prestigious awards for taste and design including World’s Best Irish Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2022.

Whisky Magazine’s Editor, Christopher Coates and Deputy Editor, Phoebe Calver carried out the blind-tasting of 6 Irish whiskies including expressions from Clan Colla, J J Corry Irish Whiskey and Teeling Whiskey as well as The Devil’s Keep and The Taoscán.

The Process

• All samples were blind tasted, with ABV, country/region and style the only information disclosed
• Samples were tasted individually over a two-week period
• Tasters worked to tasting and scoring guidelines in order to assess samples consistently
• The top-scoring sample was awarded Editor’s Choice

Coates remarks, “The Devil’s Keep is delicious,” with Calver adding, “There’s an interesting play with flavour here. I like the sweet and herbal surroundings.”

From the Devil’s Keep winning overall top scorer and winner of Whisky Editor’s Choice award in the tasting to The Taoscán, being the second highest scoring sample. Coates observes, “The Taoscán is like drinking a ready-made Manhattan of Boulevardier. It’s delicious!” with Calver noting, “It’s a sweet lover’s paradise. Nicely balanced and characterful.”

Jay Bradley, Founder and CEO The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. comments, “The Craft Irish Whiskey Co, is on a mission to reinvent Irish whiskey and craft the finest whiskeys in the world. To receive the top two spots for the only two whiskies of ours included in a blind tasting of some great whiskies by industry experts speaks for itself! We are very grateful to Whisky Magazine for this accolade and the ongoing recognition from the editors.”

The full results of the blind-tasting including tasting notes feature in the June 2022 edition of Whisky Magazine.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is on a mission to reinvent Irish whiskey, elevating its potential as a luxury product and restoring Ireland’s reputation for crafting the finest whiskeys in the world.

Formed in 2018 by Irish entrepreneur Jay Bradley, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. was born from a desire to return Irish whiskey to the heights it once enjoyed. To achieve such a goal has taken a complete reimagining of the craft; honouring centuries of tradition but questioning convention and adding scientific understanding to reinvent the maturation of the whiskey. No expense is spared, no corners are cut.

In 2021, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. became the most highly awarded new company of the year amassing a total of seventeen awards across both Taste and Design for four of its ultra-rare whiskey releases. In 2022, the company continued this award-winning streak, adding the world’s Best Irish Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards for The Devil’s Keep, and a perfect score to achieve Platinum at the A’Design Awards for The Emerald Isle.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is the exclusive Michelin Plaque Distribution Partner for The Michelin Guide Star Revelation Great Britain and Ireland 2022.

For more information visit www.craftirishwhiskey.com  or click vimeo.

About Whisky Magazine and the tasters 

Whisky Magazine is an international publication covering whiskies from around the world. It includes distillery focuses, news, and topical features, explores the history and production of the liquid, and includes tastings of new and exciting whiskies. Whisky Magazine is written by world-class drinks writers and is published eight times a year as a print and digital edition, with regular updates and more original content at www.whiskymag.com.

An editor of American Whiskey Magazine and deputy editor of Whisky Magazine, Phoebe splits her focus between the US and global whisky scenes. She is also co-host of Whisky Live TV and a global whisky taster for the title.

A member of the team since 2013 and a keen whisky drinker long before that, Christopher Coates was appointed as editor of Whisky Magazine in 2020. Beyond this, he is a keen photographer and chair of judges for the World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky.

Mossburn Distillers established in 2017 

Mossburn has a fast-growing whisky brand portfolio from across Scotland. Their first bottling under the Mossburn name was released in 2017 as a range of classic Independently Bottled Single Malts.

The family behind the brand have over 100 years heritage in the whisky industry today they are using the experience and passion gained over time to offer some outstanding whiskies bottled from across Scotland to the distilleries they own and run.

Mossburn Distillers it is a young company with a growing whisky brand portfolio of single malts and now with two distilleries, one is located on the Isle of Skye, established in 2017 making it the second legal licenced distillery on the Island.

The Second Distillery they run is in the Scottish Borders region

The whiskies made at this distillery is going to be a contrasting style to the Skye distillery, not only in taste, they will be more experimental and free flowing with ideas at the Reivers distillery.

Join us in this tasting event as we delve into the range of tastes and flavours they have to offer all whisky fans.

Bruce Perry is the Global Brand Manager of the Mossburn Distillers, he will be guiding us through the line-up below:

Caisteal Chamuis

Caisteal Chamuis 12yo

Torabhaig Allt Gleann

Torabhaig 2017

Mossburn Island

Mossburn Speyside

Mossburn Vintage N’28

Buy Now

We are running a Yamazaki ballot!

We are sure you’ve heard all about this super-popular release. And we have our hands on some! But we are running a ballot so you have a fairer shot at having a chance to purchase a set. Sign up below to receive any updates on this one coming up in the next wee while.

Interested? Sign up! →

Yamazaki Tsukuriwake 2022

This limited edition collection from the House of Suntory’s Yamazaki distillery consists of four cask-finished expressions showcasing the diversity in whisky making in just four bottles – Puncheon, Spanish Oak, Mizunara, and Peated Malt.

Puncheon is at the heart of Yamazaki. Spanish Oak is matured in some of the finest sherry casks Spain has to offer. Peated Malt highlights the gentle smoky notes. Mizunara (Japanese oak) celebrates the wood that gives Yamazaki its distinctively Japanese character.

REGISTER INTEREST NOW

Hard Truth Distilling Co. Announces Significant Expansion Plans 

New Rack House, Fermenters and Blending Room Expansion Planned to Manage Increased Product Demand

Nashville, IN – Hard Truth Distilling Co., Indiana’s largest destination craft distillery, today announced a major expansion that will include several projects, beginning with the construction of its second rackhouse.

Rackhouse No. 2 will be twice the size of Hard Truth’s current rackhouse, tripling storage capacity from 4,000 to 12,000 barrels for its critically acclaimed Sweet Mash Rye and other whiskies.

Hard Truth will also be installing three, new 5,000-gallon fermenters in addition to its current 2,500-gallon fermenters, allowing the distillery to increase its current production rate by more than 800 percent. Along with this expansion, the distillery is transitioning to 24/7 production to keep up with demand.

Work began in late June with projected completion within six months.

Hard Truth Distilling Co., located in the heart of Indiana’s famous Brown County artists’ colony, was founded in 2015. Sales have grown steadily year over year. Then, from 2020 to 2021, sales nearly doubled thanks to increases from existing brands and the introduction of three new products, including Hard Truth Maple Bourbon Cream.

In addition to ongoing sales gains, Hard Truth continues to add new markets. Already in the major markets of Illinois and Florida, Hard Truth products are now available in Texas, including the cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin.

The distillery’s portfolio of award-winning spirits can now be enjoyed in 16 states and in the Bahamas, and according to Jeff McCabe, Hard Truth Co-Founder, market expansion is a priority. “We expect to see our brands in 28 states by 2023,” said McCabe.

Hard Truth’s portfolio of award-winning premium spirits includes Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum, Toasted Coconut Rum Cream, Maple Bourbon Cream and Cinnamon Vodka — which has become the best-selling cinnamon vodka in the U.S. Whiskey brands in addition to Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye, include Indiana Straight Rye Whiskey, the Sipes’ family of bourbon and rye whiskeys, and the Schoonover family of bourbons.

Hard Truth: A Leading Midwest Tourist Destination

Many distilleries offer tours and tastings, but few sit among 325, explorable, wooded acres in some of the most beautiful countryside in the Midwest. Visitors to Hard Truth can tour the distillery, dine at its 250-seat restaurant, and hop on an ATV with a tour guide to explore the property while learning about the history of distilling.

Hard Truth hosts festivals, health and wellness adventures, mixology classes, and more. The forest-framed Hard Truth on the Rocks terrace and stage area offers live music and special events, a unique terrace food menu, and drinks.

“A key component of our mission at Hard Truth is offering visitors an opportunity to experience this place and our brands, and by doing so, become part of the Hard Truth family,” said McCabe. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in just eight years, and there’s so much more to come.”

About Hard Truth Distilling Co.

Headquartered in Nashville, Indiana, Hard Truth Distilling Co. produces more than 20 premium spirits, including critically acclaimed Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey and top-selling Hard Truth Cinnamon Vodka, Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum, and Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum Cream.

Hard Truth’s spirits are distributed throughout Indiana and Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine with several new states coming on board in 2022.

Founded in 2015, Hard Truth Distilling Co. quickly outgrew its original production facility, and, by 2017, construction had begun on its current facility, a distillery housed in a 50,000-square-foot building equipped with a state-of-the-art Vendome Copper & Brass distilling system. Hard Truth’s destination campus spans 325 wooded acres in Brown County, Indiana — an artists’ colony and tourist destination known for its natural beauty.

Visit hardtruth.com for the complete Hard Truth experience.

July 2022 Auction  29 July – 8 August

Now Live: July Auction

A warm welcome to our July Auction. Featuring over 9,500 rare whiskies and fine spirits, this is a unique opportunity to bid on some of the world’s most sought-after bottles.

We have legendary vintages from pioneering independent bottlers, grandeur aplenty from established distilleries and unique and experimental drams from the hottest names in the whisky industry right now.

Browse the auction in its entirety and you may just discover one of your favourites, that elusive bottle you’ve been searching for or an amazing gift for someone special.

Prima and Ultima | First and Second Release

Exceptional Kingsbury Independent Bottlings

The Macallan Raffles Hotel Singapore

Rare and Collectible Glenfiddich

Cadenhead’s Curiosities

Interested in selling in our next auction? Fill out our Seller Form today.

While the weather here in Uist has had a bit of a wintery feel over the last month, the plants and wildlife of the islands seem to know to keep doing their summery thing all the same. Blustery walks along the beach are extra special when the machair flowers are in bloom, their sweet honey scent attracting rare species of bees and more common appreciative humans alike.

If you’re in the Outer Hebrides (or near to one of the very lucky bits of the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland that are also home to machair, one of the world’s rarest habitats) we highly recommend a visit over the next couple of weeks to catch the joy of the wildflowers at their peak.

And if you’re not, then you might like to hop over to our blog and spend a little time learning more about this unique and fascinating habitat, and enjoy some of the photos that the team have snapped as we crawl carefully through the beautiful low-lying landscape on hands and knees

Summer in Uist, machair flowers

Bere(ly) Here.
Whisky There.

Speaking of the machair, all of you whisky fans out there will be pleased to hear that our bere barley is coming along nicely. After careful sorting and sowing, it’s very exciting to see it growing and developing into beautiful heads of grain. Watching it nodding in the wind, we can’t help but picture a field of tiny drams swaying side to side, waiting to be raised as the Nunton bell rings.

In further exciting news helping us along our whisky journey – we have placed our order for Nunton’s whisky making equipment and are counting the days (it will be a fair few) until it arrives and meets our first crop of bere, it will be a match made in heaven.

Woodinville “K&L Exclusive” Cask #7039 Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $69.99 View

Westward K&L Exclusive Single Barrel #277 Cask Strength Single Barrel American Single Malt Whiskey (750ml) (Previously $100) $70.00 View

Westward has long been producing some of the finest American single malts available due to a few very intentional choices and Scottish-like climate. We’ve selected one of their oldest available casks and it’s a classic. Westward only uses Pacific Northwest grown barley and it’s all malted just 10 miles from the distillery at Great Western Maltings. This two-row barley is malted to spec—high color pale malt—which would be something akin to a medium or medium + coffee roast. This brings out an array of beautiful toasted flavors ranging from filberts, almonds, and coffee to chocolate nibs and cereals. Perhaps the biggest flavor differentiator is in the yeast choice. The vast majority of distillers use an highly efficient distiller’s yeast, not so here. Westward employs the Chico Strain ale yeast—the very same yeast that accounts for Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale’s famous flavor. Combine that with a low and slow 5-day ferment and the tropical fruit esters in the whiskey are off the charts. Sweet mash leads to a little extra variation from barrel to barrel making the selection that much more special. Our barrel was aged in brand new #2 char 100% American oak for over 5 years in Clackamas, OR. The predominantly cool and wet climate with a short hot summer isn’t all that different from Scotland allowing for that ester development combined with barrel extraction that makes great single malt so special. Distilled 4-21-16. Bottled 6-10-21.

Woodinville “K&L Exclusive” Cask #7918 Cask Strength Straight 100% Rye Whiskey (750ml ) $74.99 View

The first Woodinville single barrel of Rye outside of Washington State is here! Bold, spicy and bringing the heat at 57.61% ABV, this is a worthy first cask of what is hopefully many more to come. Woodinville sources all of their grain from a single farm in Quincy, Washington which is also where the barrels age – the large climatic swings of Eastern Washington are perfect for aging whiskey.

ralfy review 937 Extras – ‘Product’ and ‘Brand’.

SPRINGBANK AND MALT MILL CAUSE A STIR AT ONLINE AUCTION

LONDON, 21^st JULY 2022 : The appetite for rare whisky miniatures shows no signs of slowing as 5cl bottles of collector’s favourite Springbank 1919 and the elusive Malt Mill sell for £7,360 and £6,670* respectively at online auction house Whisky.Auction, setting records for these drams.

Malt Mill is the world’s rarest single malt and at £6,670 for a miniature of Malt Mill 10 Year Old, it just became one of the most valuable. Produced at a tiny distillery in the grounds of Lagavulin on Islay, and only produced between 1908 and 1962, this much sought-after spirit is shrouded in a little mystery and a lot of intrigue, for it was never bottled as a single malt, but rather used for blends. The only way to be sure of the authenticity of a bottle of Malt Mill is with almost impossible levels of research into its ownership, origins and provenance; something that the Whisky.Auction team has done plenty of. Each bottle that appears from the depths of the industry, likely samples from an ex-employee or, in reality a bottle acquired by a local pub landlord, is so desired by many around the world for its elusiveness. Find out more from this piece written by whisky expert and historian Nicholas Morgan: https://magazine.whisky.auction/articles/malt-mill-the-rarest-single-malt-whisky/

In the piece he comments “Is this the rarest bottle of whisky in the world? A genuine taste of antiquity? An insight into what whisky tasted like not just fifty years ago, or a hundred years ago, but in the style of the mid nineteenth century that made, as Peter Mackie said in 1908, ‘highland whisky famous.’ A taste of something that only a handful of other people have enjoyed. And something that will never, ever, be repeated. That’s not as common as muck. That’s real rare.”

The purchaser of this valuable Malt Mill miniature however, isn’t sure it’ll be opened for tasting: “It is exciting! I’m not sure I’ll ever drink it though. The description from Serge [Valentin of WhiskyFun.com] et al is good enough for me. Rather I’ll hang onto it for a few years and feel proud to own it.”

Springbank 1919 50 Year Old is a firm collectors favourite, and broke its own record for a miniature this month with a price of £7,360, having achieved £6,440 back in August 2021. This particular bottle is labelled as bottle ‘No. 2’ and features a Certificate of Authenticity, serving as extra proof of its provenance. The Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown, where traditional hands-on production results in a smaller output than most, has built a global reputation for quality whisky much revered by whisky lovers, in particular these rare early releases.

Whisky.Auction director Isabel Graham-Yooll comments “The prices achieved on these two very rare miniatures is exciting but perhaps not unexpected given the rarity of these whiskies. Much of the liquid we see coming to auction in miniatures is simply unavailable in full bottles, having been consumed many years before. Miniatures often outlive their full-size counterparts in ‘souvenir’ style. And sometimes, the liquid is so scarce that only miniatures ever existed.”

© Whisky.Auction Magazine – Source: https://magazine.whisky.auction/articles/malt-mill-the-rarest-single-malt-whisky/

* prices quoted include commission

Notes

Whisky.Auction is an auction website that offers the finest whiskies, spirits and wines from all around the world. Based in London, Whisky.Auction is run by a team of knowledgeable industry experts, including auction director Isabel Graham-Yooll. The platform runs a monthly auction for full spirits and memorabilia with all lots being received, checked and catalogued by the team, as well as a popular quarterly miniatures auction.

We hope you are enjoying the summer.

Please see below for our August 2022 collection schedule. This month we have included dates for collection in Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire & Inverclyde. Bottles collected will be included in our 135th auction which begins on 2nd September 2022. To register your interest in a collection please complete the form which can be found HERE. Please ensure collection requests are received by the deadline for your area.

Scotland

Collection Points

Inverness – Tuesday 16th August 2022 – From 11am by appointment
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Elgin –  Tuesday 16th August 2022 – From 11am by appointment
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Aberdeen – Wednesday 17th August  2022  – from 11am by appointment only
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Home Collections – for those customers sending 10 or more bottles or bottles to the value of £1000 and above.

Glasgow/Motherwell  includes all G & ML postcode areas – Tuesday 9th August 2022
*Request deadline Friday 5th August 2022

Inverclyde & Renfrewshire – Thursday 11th August 2022
*Request deadline Tuesday 9th August 2022
Dundee – Wednesday 17th August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Perth  –  Wednesday 17th August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Ayrshire – Monday 22nd August/Tuesday 23rd August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Dumfries –  Monday 22nd August/Tuesday 23rd August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Fife & Kinross – Thursday 25th August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 22nd August 2022 at 12 noon

Stirlingshire –   Thursday 25th August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 22nd August 2022 at 12 noon

Islay –  Thursday 25th August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 22nd August 2022 at 12 noon

Campbeltown/Oban – Friday 26th August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 22nd August 2022 at 12 noon

Edinburgh – Monday 29th August 2022
* Request deadline Wednesday 24th August 2022 at 12 noon

England

England – Home Collections – Thursday 18th August 2022 – Monday 22nd August 2022
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Collection Points

Manchester – M21 – Sunday 21st August 2022 From 6pm *** New Location ***
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

London AM – NW2, SW16, E6 – Sunday 21st August 2022 – from 10am by appointment only
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon
*** New East London Location ***

London Evening – W14 – Sunday 21st August 2022  – from 6pm by appointment only
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Wales

Newport – NP18 – Saturday 20th August 2022 from 9am
* Request deadline Monday 15th August 2022 at 12 noon

Collections are limited and by appointment only. If you would like to attend please complete the form which can be found here. Please note deadlines apply for collection requests. It would be appreciated if bottles could be packed for uplift. In addition a submission form and label should be completed. Submission forms can now be completed via your main accounts page. A winner in our auction? We are now offering a delivery (to collection point) service to customers who are dropping bottles off for a future auction. This service is charged at £12 (inc VAT), optional loss and breakage cover is available.

Submission Form & Label