The Whisky Exchange Blog Review of 2017

It was a busy year, 2017. Lots of new things to drink, lots of tastings to attend and lots of new posts on the blog. So, before we properly commit to 2018 (it’s only a day old, and we’re not sure of it yet) here’s what happened last year:

Jim Murray…in January?

It’s no secret that our annual posting of Jim Murray’s picks for the whiskies of the year is one of our most popular posts. But last year we got a triple dose of Jim, with an exclusive two-part interview popping up in January. It gave us an insight into Mr Murray’s take on the whisky world as well as what the front cover of the Whisky Bible 2017 was all about – yellow eyes and Jim as Luke Skywalker? Part 1 and part 2.

Despite claims to the contrary, Jim’s eyes do not glow in real life

And then, of course, there were the 2018 picks themselves themselves – Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2018 winners. In usual fashion, the World Whisky of the Year is one that’s not easy to find here in the UK, but with the next two spots going to Redbreast 21yo and Glen Grant 18yo we have a chance of seeing whether we agree with Jim – when they’re back in stock…

People

We met lots of interesting drinks people this year. While we managed to have a chat with a few of them – Buffalo Trace’s Drew Mayville, Benriach and Glendronach’s Stewart Buchanan, Cotswolds’ Dan Szor, Old Pulteney’s Malcolm Waring, and Ardbeg and Glenmorangie’s Brendan McCarron – we also convinced some others to write us guest posts: Sexy Fish’s Jerome Allaguillemette and his love of Japanese whisky and Compass Box’s John Glaser’s on the importance of blended whisky,  We even managed to convince TWE boss Sukhinder Singh to write about whisky investment and his love of Irish whiskey. Hopefully we’ll see more from him in the new year…

The cornerstones of the year

There are a few events that pop up each year that we really like. First was Feis Ile: the Islay Festival of Music and Malt. While we generally see it as a whisky festival, there’s loads going on during the week, and The Whisky Exchange was up on Islay running a pop-up old and rare whisky bar. We’re still working out if we can make it again this year, but in the meantime you can live vicariously through my pictures of the trip.

Port Ellen in the sun. Can you spot the excitable Whisky Exchange events manager?

Next was my favourite launch of the year, the Diageo Special Releases. Ten great whiskies, including the now-obligatory ‘annoy the whisky geeks’ entry: Collectivum XVIII – a blended malt made up of whisky from all 28 of Diageo’s working malt distilleries. I liked it… You can find the remaining bottles from this year’s line-up on our Diageo Special Releases 2017 page.

And not forgetting our Whisky of the Year, as chosen by our customers: Bowmore 15 Year Old. They may have taken the word ‘Darkest’ off the label in the latest rebranding, but it’s still the same great combination of sherry, fruit and gentle smoke that we know and love. A worthy winner.

2018…

We’ve got The Whisky Show: Old & Rare in February and the 10th anniversary edition of The Whisky Show in October already in the calendar. Along with that, we are lining up loads of great tastings in central London – sign up here to be the first to hear about them. We’ve got a load of great new Whisky Exchange exclusives on their way and the ‘save the date’ emails have already started arriving from the producers for new releases, so we certainly won’t be lacking for tasty things to drink.

Happy New Year!

Burns Night in Soho

On Thursday 25th January 2018, Blade Hairclub in Soho will be raising a glass to the famous bard, Rabbie Burns. Celebrating with whisky tastings and cocktails, the evening is sure to attract both Scots and Londoners with a penchant for whisky alike.

Priding itself as stocking some of the best whisky selections in town, Blade’s owner Stroo has stocked his subterranean bar with a fine hand-picked selection of whiskies from across the world. Personal favourites include the Bunnahabhain 26, Springbank 15 and Kilkerran 12.

This Burns Night, Blade is inviting every guest through the door to indulge in whisky tastings coupled with delicious whisky cocktails.

Blade Hairclub is an innovative bar and hair concept, combining great cuts and treatments from a bright young team of talented stylists, with an invitation to indulge in a meticulously curated drinks menu, created in-house and served from a cosy bar.

HOW TO HOST

YOUR OWN BURNS SUPPER

This month we’re giving thanks for the extraordinary life and work of Robert Burns, the ploughman poet whose life and work is remembered on or around 25 January, the anniversary of his birth in 1759.

The Burns Supper is a worldwide event and has grown to include certain key elements. But as a maverick himself, we’re confident Burns would have approved of any form of celebration – as long as it includes a few drams.

If you can’t make it to one of the Society’s official events, why not organise a Burns Supper of your own?

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The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ

Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information

This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!

Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video

24-25 FEBRUARY 2018, 11.30AM 6.30PM
THE GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL, GLASGOW

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

BOOK YOUR TICKET

GORDON & MACPHAIL CONNOISSEURS CHOICE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
MASTERCLASS ON SALE NOW
SUNDAY 24 FEBRUARY, 11AM 12.30

Gordon & MacPhail is one of the best-known names in the world of independent bottling. Founded in 1895, it is one of the oldest bottlers, with more than 100 years of selecting and bottling great whisky. Among them is the Connoisseurs Choice range, a landmark in the whisky world, now 50 years old. In this tasting we will try whiskies from across the years, finding out what has made the series so successful.

Here’s the incredible line-up:

Ardbeg 1974 bottled 2003

Laphroaig 1969 bottled 1986

Ledaig 1972 bottled 1989

Glenburgie 1968 bottled 1989

Benromach 1965 bottled 1979

Mortlach 1936 36yo (Black Label)

BOOK NOW

THE WORLD PREPARES FOR CELEBRATIONS TO MARK INTERNATIONAL SCOTCH DAY ON FEBRUARY 8^th 2018 

LONDON, JANUARY 8 2018: Scotch, the world’s favourite whisky, will be celebrated across the globe on Thursday 8^th February with a series of events to mark International Scotch Day.

Now in its second year, the day is a true celebration of Scotland’s greatest gift, cementing Scotch’s status as both the world’s favourite whisky and the perfect drink to be shared with good company, wherever, whenever.

Celebrations will take place in homes, bars, clubs and events across the world, as Scotch aficionados, enthusiasts and fans alike raise a glass to their favourite whisky.

Ronan Beirne, Global Brand Marketing Director at Diageo said: “Last year we launched International Scotch Day and its huge success proved what we at Diageo already knew – the world loves Scotch. This year is going to be even bigger, with celebrations taking place globally, from Scotch Whisky tastings to opening the doors to Diageo’s archive in Scotland, free passes to distillery visitor centres and celebrity events in cities from Manila to Johannesburg”.

International Scotch Day is an opportunity to celebrate the world’s favourite whisky and to shine a spotlight on the entire Scotch Whisky category. The popularity of Scotch has been built through its integrity, quality and authenticity, and no other spirit can offer as diverse a range of tastes, textures and flavours.

Ewan Gunn, Global Scotch Whisky Master from Diageo commented: “Scotch is made all the way across Scotland – from the romantic west coast, through the whisky heartland of Speyside, to the vibrant urban central belt of Scotland, and though it is made here, it belongs to the world and is truly the world’s favourite whisky.  Hosting International Scotch Day for a second year shows how confident we are about the popularity of this truly international drink.”

2018 celebrity ambassadors and global locations will be revealed in February.

Join the celebration and get involved by using #LoveScotch #InternationalScotchDay and #jointhecelebration. For more information visit facebook.com/LoveofScotch

Please drink responsibly.

NOTES

People interested in visiting the Diageo archive on February 8^th should email archive.menstrie@diageo.com to secure a ticket.  There is no charge, but places are limited.

Diageo distillery Visitor Centres will be open free of charge on February 8^th, 10^th and 11^th. The Visitor Centres are at Blair Athol, Caol Ila, Cardhu, Clynelish, Cragganmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenkinchie, Glen Ord, Lagavulin, Oban, Royal Lochnagar and Talisker. Places are limited. Details will be announced in due course.

About #LoveScotch:

LoveScotch is about getting the world talking, thinking and trying the world’s favourite whisky and celebrates all that gives scotch its unique character, flavour and personality. The LoveScotch annual event, International Scotch Day on February 8^th, is a day for people everywhere to join in and celebrate during the week of the birthday one of the world’s most influential Master Blenders – Alexander Walker the son of John ‘Johnnie’ Walker. 

About Diageo:  Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.  Diageo is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.

Burns Night: A celebration of the best Scotland has to offer…

‘Bring me a pint o’ wine’

– Robert Burns

This year Milroys will be joining forces with Douglas Laing to celebrate Burn’s night. There will be whisky, there will be haggis, there may be bagpipes. Come and join us for some tipsy singing, fantastic, rare whiskies and frivolities.

Buy Tickets Now

 Milroy’s of Soho
3 Greek Street
London, England W1D 4NX
United Kingdom

Friday, January 12th 5-7PM:

Bourbon Tasting: Four Roses

Handcrafted since 1888, Four Roses Bourbon survived Prohibition, The Great Depression, Two World Wars, and 40 years of exile from the US, only to be named American Whisky Distiller of the Year for 2011, 2012 and 2013 – three years in a row – by Whisky Magazine.  This tasting will feature our exclusive

The Whisky Shop bottling of Four Roses, plus more limited edition and award-winning releases presented by whisky experts.

 Click Here to RSVP

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018! 

When Allura and I started on this journey in 1986, we didn’t know where we’d end up, but here we are 31 years later with one of the largest whisky selections in the world. It’s been an amazing journey and along the way we’ve made countless friends from near and far. We know we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you and all of the people we’ve employed throughout the years. On behalf of Allura, myself and our hard-working team we’d like to thank you all and wish everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.

With the largest selection in the country we have over 1300 whiskies from 11 countries and whisky from more than 100 Scottish distilleries, more importantly we’ve collected hundreds of whisky loving friends from all over the world.

How should we celebrate? How about a whisky pairing dinner?

To celebrate the new year and all things Fets and Whisky, we’re hosting a whisky pairing dinner on Tuesday January 23rd. The UK’s John McCheyne, the top whisky ambassador from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, will be in town to share 6 of the Society’s rare, cask strength, single barrel whiskies with us. Chef Thien and his team will be creating 6 very special dishes to pair with The Society’s Uisge Beatha (the water of life). Tickets are available here

We still have a couple of copies available of  The East Van Foodie book on sale at The Kitchen for only $45, add this to a Whisky Kitchen Gift Card and you’ve got a great whisky and food lovers gift!

The monthly Hand Crafted Spirits Radio Show with Joe Leary and Darryl Lamb is still being hosted at The Kitchen. Tune in to TSN Radio 1410 at noon on the first Saturday of each month. you can click here to listen to past broadcasts

We still have the largest whisky selection in the country with nearly 800 different whiskies on our shelves, including 200, cask strength single barrel bottlings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We also have representation from over 100 Scottish distilleries. Life is good here at The Kitchen.

Our Partner Scotch Malt Whisky Society retailer is Legacy Liquor Store in the Olympic Village and host to our monthly Society Outturns on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of the month. Allura and I present on the Tuesday.

Whisky Dinner Tuesday January 23rd

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is the world’s foremost whisky club with over 27,000 members world wide. The society bottles about 300 casks per year that are only available to members. Fets became the 19th bar in the world to partner with the society and we have the largest selection of society whiskies in the world.

The society’s award winning whiskies are packaged in their iconic green bottles without the distillery name but rather using a mysterious numbering system. As the whiskies are single barrel and cask strength they don’t always depict the distillery’s typical flavour profile. These are some of the best and rarest whiskies in the world. As they are single barrel whiskies the outturn of each release is dictated by the size and contents of the cask, we have some bottlings with as few as 72 bottles for all the world to share.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s top UK ambassador, John McCheyne will be in town for his first visit to The Kitchen. Along with tales from afar, John will be bringing with him 6 of the society’s rare cask strength single barrel whiskies.

Chef Thien and his team are creating 6 stunning dishes to pair with these great whiskies. This will be a most memorable night.

This is sure to be another great night of food, whisky and distillery tales.

Why not grab one of our limited tickets and join us on Tuesday January 23rd for some great whisky and food.

Tickets are limited and I can assure you, as always, they sell out fast.

Be sure to plan for a safe ride home!

The cost for this event is only $115 plus GST taxes

click here to register

Thursday, January 11th, 5-7 PM:

Aberlour 

Founded in the heart of Speyside in 1879, Aberlour is reknowned as one of the world’s great malt whiskies. A variety of Aberlour’s new and award-winning drams will be presented, with distillery representatives and whisky experts available throughout for all your whisky questions. 

Click Here to RSVP 

This is one of two Aberlour tastings in January. Our second is:

Saturday, January 20th, 

2:30-5:30 PM.

Click Here to RSVP

Ring in the New Year with WhiskyFest Tickets

What’s on your 2018 bucket list? Attending WhiskyFest in one of four great cities (Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York) should definitely be on it! Don’t miss out of this one-of-a-kind experience to taste fantastic whiskies, chat with the best in the business, attend unique seminars, and enjoy a fabulous buffet. Early bird pricing is in effect, while supplies last.

Buy your tickets today at WhiskyFest.com.

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