We’ve got three outstanding American whiskeys you won’t find anywhere else in the UK. If you’re on the search for a new favourite bourbon or rye then look no further.
PHOTO CREDIT The Really Good Whisky Company
Convalmore
The Convalmore-Glenlivet Distillery Company was formed on 24.6.1893 with full production commencing on 19th February 1894. It was the fourth distillery to be built in Dufftown, Speyside. The buildings are to an extent still intact and were built close to the railway station which would have been a great benefit for reducing cartage fees. Dufftown architect Donald Mackay designed the distillery. Thanks to the use of gradient gravitation meant only one pump was required within the whole building. Originally power was mainly via a steam engine although, as was quite typical, the wash still rummager was powered by a small water wheel fed by the overflow from the worm tank. Process water came from the Conval Hills as did the distillery name whilst cooling water was from the river Fiddich. Initial shares in the business were mainly taken up by Glasgow brokers and merchants. Peter Dawson, a local from Glenrinnnes, was the managing director. He was formerly a grain and seed merchant in Dufftown learning distilling at Tullymet distillery in Perthshire. Peter Dawson Ltd were established in 1882 and were incorporated into DCL in 1925. Dawson built Towiemore distillery between Dufftown and Keith in 1896. This was a short lived venture, closing in 1930. In 1923 Dawson took over Balmenach in association with James Watson & Co. Ltd. of Dundee as well as MacDonald, Greenlees & Williams. Peter Dawson was also a director in SMD, he is buried at St Ninian’s, Enzie near Buckie.
In 1904 Convalmore Distillery Company went in to voluntary liquidation as a result of the down turn in the industry. March 1905 saw W. P. Lowrie & Co., a Glasgow based warehousing, blending and bottling firm that supplied merchants without such facilities, purchase the company for £6,000. Lowrie also owned Lochruan distillery in Campbeltown where experiments into continuous distillation with malted barley were carried out in 1910. Lochruan closed in 1925.
Lowrie was formerly manager at Port Ellen distillery and had in 1869 set himself up as a whisky broker. There are disputed claims that he was the first to blend malt and grain. It is also said his company was the first to bottle under bond.
After financial difficulties experienced in 1906 by the company Lowrie’s best customer, James Buchanan who got all his stock from Lowrie, bought the business. Lowrie was ready to retired being 75 years old and “invited Buchanan to succeed him as the chairman” of Lowrie’s. The offer meant Buchanan avoided potential supply issues. They had already acquired Bankier distillery in 1903.
A fire devastated Convalmore distillery on 29.10.1909. It seems due to the intensity of the flames and the position of equipment the hoses were unable to be connected to their water sources. As a result locals assisted the fire fight with buckets of water. Between £5,000 and £8,000 of damage was done but the distillery was back operating the following year. Luckily the business was Insured against this eventuality. It is thought the fire may have started due to an electrical fault. Malt barns, the malt mill, mash-house, kiln and tun room were all lost. The stillroom was however saved and the warehousing was also spared the flames. “At its height the flames rose to between 30 and 40 feet. Snow also began to fall, providing a never to be forgotten spectacle.”. It was the worst distillery fire in the area up to that point. Rebuilding of the distillery started promptly after the devastation.
During the post-fire rebuild the single pair of stills were joined by a column still, similarly to the trial at Lochruan, but the experiment was abandoned in 1916 after 6 years due to the resulting poor quality of spirit. It seems the scheme was to make malt rather than grain whisky.
After Buchanan’s became a part of DCL in 1925 Convalmore was transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers (SMD) in 1930. William Smith, a Campbeltown man was transferred from managing Lochindaal distillery on Islay to taking charge at Convalmore in 1931.
Like many distilleries no production was seen during the Second World War. From Brian Spiller’s profile of Convalmore: “The distillery accommodated a signals detachment of the 51st (Highland) Division from 1940 to 1942 and then gunners of the 52nd (Lowland) Division until 1944.” The use of offices and malting floors at distilleries by the military during hostilities was not uncommon.
The distillery was connected to the electric grid in the late 1940s although electric light had for some decades been powered via a dynamo driven by a steam engine.
Photo credit https://www.lost-distilleries.ch/
In 1964 the number of stills were doubled to 4, the number of wash backs were also increased at this point from 4 to 6. A new boiler joined the earlier one during these improvements. Another development was that the direct firing of the stills was replaced by steam coil heating around this time. Cooling was via worms in a cast iron tank, unlike many other sites shell and tube condensers never replaced this traditional method. All the stills were onion shaped and roughly held the same capacity. Output did not exceed 1mlpa.
As was common at the time the boilers were converted to oil firing in 1970.
A dark grains plant was built in 1972 but closed in 1983. The plant also handled waste from Craigellachie, Glendullan and Mortlach. There were 32 staff employed when both dark grains and distillery were working.
In 1975 the warehousing was expanded whilst a new stainless steel mash tun was added to the newly built mash house replacing the cast iron original. 6 worker’s houses were located at the distillery.
Production ended in 1985 with output being reduced in the lead up to the closure.
The dormant facility was sold to William Grant, owner of neighbouring Glenfiddich and Balvenie Distilleries, in the early 1990s for use as a maturation and storage facility there being space for 17,000 casks. The dark grains plant was dismantled in 1995. Convalmore’s last manager was a J. Marshall.
Diageo own the rights to the brand.
Among official bottlings there has been a 24yo Rare Malt from 1978 released in 2003. Also a 28yo was bottled in 2005 then a 36yo from 1977 came out in 2013.
Mark Davidson, aka The Jolly Toper Profile
Adam introduces us to the brand new Spirit Of The Deep whisky – a collaboration between Fathom and Driftwood in Victoria BC. But not before revisiting the original Spirit Of The Deep by Devine. Discover what makes both of these expressions incredibly unique in this tell-all video.
Buy a bottle: https://www.strathliquor.com/product/… Go to the launch event: https://www.strathliquor.com/product/…
Knob Creek® Bold Picks returns with a new season of Manning’s expert fantasy football advice and a limited-edition cask strength bourbon, arriving in time for post-season
CLERMONT, Ky., Aug. 19, 2025 — As fans gear up for the 2025-2026 football season, Knob Creek®, a founding spirit of the James B. Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection™ and a leader in American Whiskey, proudly reunites with legendary quarterback and two-time champion Eli Manning for the next evolution of Knob Creek® Bold Picks—a season-long recognition of the bold selections fantasy football fans are making in pursuit of victory.
To commemorate the season, Knob Creek® and Eli Manning are reuniting for a new limited time offering: Knob Creek® Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon, Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch, available nationwide just in time for the post-season.
“As football fans and bourbon makers, we respect the confidence it takes to win – on the field and at our distillery,” said Freddie Noe, Eighth Generation Master Distiller. “Welcoming Eli back to the distillery, we knew we wanted this year’s release to be bold. The Knob Creek® Eli Manning’s Bold Pick: 2026 Batch is bottled at cask strength; unfiltered, unapologetic, and made for those who stand by their convictions. It’s the kind of whiskey that speaks to the intensity of game day and the high standards we’ve upheld at Knob Creek®.”
As the season heats up, Manning will return with his own picks offering fearless predictions and his own advice to help fans stand out on gameday. All season, fans can follow along on Instagram @KnobCreek for Eli’s bold picks and enjoy ‘Eli’s Gameday Old Fashioned’ with Knob Creek® 9 Year Bourbon – a pour to enjoy from draft day to the big game.
The Bold Picks campaign’s social and digital media plan centers on places where fans go to live and breathe fantasy football. Whether it’s through the social influencers and YouTube channels they follow for lineup advice, their Reddit fantasy football communities, or the sites like Instacart and Fanatics where they go to shop, Knob Creek® will be present to add value and entertainment to their fan experience.
“I appreciate a bourbon that delivers full, bold flavor – that’s why Knob Creek® is my go-to pour and a great partner for another round of bold picks,” said Manning. “To kick off the fantasy football season, I’ll be sharing advice for fans’ fantasy drafts and raising a glass to those who stand by their convictions.”
Fans are also invited to make their own picks and payoff this season by entering the Bold Picks Sweepstakes for a chance to win the ultimate watch party at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, KY. One lucky winner and their fantasy league – or 11 friends – will be treated to an exclusive Knob Creek® experience for the Big Game. Daily Instant Win prizes, including Knob Creek® Old Fashioned Kits, will also be awarded throughout the pre-season to help prepare fans for their fantasy draft parties. Fans can enter by going to www.TheBoldPicksSweepstakes.com. No purchase necessary. Must be 21+ to participate. Sweepstakes ends November 1, 2025.
For more information about Knob Creek® Bold Picks campaign and Knob Creek’s® award-winning* bourbon and rye portfolios, visit https://www.knobcreek.com/news/bold-picks or follow along on Instagram and Facebook @KnobCreek.
About Knob Creek® Bourbon
Knob Creek® has set the standard for super-premium whiskey for three decades by crafting extraordinary full-flavored bourbon with a rich taste. Knob Creek® bourbons and ryes are patiently aged to perfection in new, maximum charred American Oak barrels to impart the biggest and fullest flavor on their whiskey. No matter the expression, Knob Creek® is crafted without shortcuts and embodies the pre-Prohibition style that founding distiller Booker Noe created in 1992. Since then, Knob Creek® has lived up to such standards with the introduction of Knob Creek® Straight Rye Whiskey in 2012, and later on, Knob Creek® Single Barrel Select Rye Whiskey. In recent years, Knob Creek® announced the permanent addition of Knob Creek® 12 Year Old Bourbon and launched three limited releases, Knob Creek® 15 Year Old Bourbon, Knob Creek® 18 Year Old Bourbon, and Knob Creek® Bourbon x Rye. Knob Creek has continued to build out its rye portfolio; the brand announced the addition of an age statement to its flagship rye whiskey, Knob Creek® 7 Year Old Rye Whiskey, and released Knob Creek® 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey.
About Suntory Global Spirits
As a world leader in premium spirits, Suntory Global Spirits inspires the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Known for its craftsmanship of premium whiskies, including Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark®; Japanese whiskies, including Yamazaki®, Hakushu®, Hibiki® and Toki™; and leading Scotch brands including Laphroaig® and Bowmore®, Suntory Global Spirits also produces leading brands such as Tres Generaciones® and El Tesoro® tequila, Roku™ and Sipsmith® gin, and is a world leader in Ready-To-Drink cocktails, with brands like -196™ (minus one-nine-six) and On The Rocks™ Premium Cocktails.
A global company with approximately 6,000 employees in nearly 30 countries, Suntory Global Spirits is driven by its core values of Growing for Good, Yatte Minahare and Giving Back to Society. The company’s Proof Positive sustainability strategy includes ambitious goals and investments to drive sustainable change and have a positive impact on the planet, consumers and communities. Headquartered in New York City, Suntory Global Spirits is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information, visit www.suntoryglobalspirits.com
Blended Malt 30 Year Old Woodrow’s of Edinburgh #10 53.5% 70cl
A stunningly aged amalgam of single malts from renowned independent bottler, Woodrow’s of Edinburgh. Each component has been aged for a minimum of three decades, and we understand it comprises sherry cask-matured Glenmorangie, Glenturret, Clynelish and The Dalmore. They were all vatted together for a first-fill bourbon barrel finish, ahead of bottling in November 2024. The result? A silky, buttery expression bursting with almond, raisins, aniseed and citrus peel notes. Only 252 bottles of this extraordinary liquid will ever be released, each at natural colour and without chill-filtration.
When we were thinking of ways to celebrate this special milestone, a 10-year-old single malt bottling felt like a fitting way to both mark our journey so far and to share a dram with the many candidates and friends who have been part of it. So, we’ve purchased a cask (Founder Kirsty McKerrow & Lecturer Dr Gordon Steele, pictured above, sampling the whisky), and we’re now working through the exciting process of bringing this celebratory release to market.
We’ll be able to share more details soon, but for now we’d like to invite you to register your interest. By joining our ‘Expression of Interest list’, you’ll be the first to hear updates and have the opportunity to secure a bottle of this limited release.
Monthly Tasting Events
in our Whisky Shop
Join us in our Tasting Room for an exclusive Tasting Experience for only £10 per person.
Our monthly events give you the chance to experience and sample A. D. Rattray Whiskies and other guest brands.
Plus your £10 ticket price is redeemable against a purchase on the day.
SPRINGBANK 100° PROOF
An exciting new addition to the Springbank core range, the new 5 year old 100° Proof will be bottled and released quarterly, with a consistent 100% Bourbon cask maturation.
NOSE A bright and vibrant start to this dram, there are notes of green apples, gorse bush, wine gums and a mineral note.
PALATE The palate is well balanced with a touch of peat smoke, and sweet notes of icing sugar and white chocolate. Notes of tomato plant, sunflower seeds and linseed oil develop.
FINISH The finish brings notes of honey and gooseberries.
57.1% ABV | UK RRP £48 – £52
