From the Traditional Distillery to the Brewstillery – with the Whisk(e)y Atlas through Europe

Hamburg, 6 April 2022: Whisk(e)y, which originates in Scotland and Ireland, is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Whisk(ey) is now being produced all over Europe, as the newly published Whisk(e)y Atlas Europe 2022 shows. It presents the 967 active distilleries in 31 European countries in the form of clearly laid out maps that invite you to discover them. Whisk(e)y lovers will not only find interesting facts about their favourite drink, but also numerous regional and tasty inspirations for journeys into the world of whisk(e)y.

Whether among tradition lovers or trend-conscious connoisseurs – whisk(e)y is a eternal favourite. Whisk(e)y is not only produced in the old-established distilleries in Scotland and Ireland. In recent years, new distilleries have sprung up all over Europe, making the whisk(e)y landscape more diverse and exciting. Preferences have shifted away from industrially produced mass spirits towards high-quality products with genuine origins. In addition to craftsmanship demands, there is also a growing interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly production.

In line with the saying „beer is an unfinished whisky“, numerous „brewstilleries“ have also developed in the recent past, a combination of brewery and distillery under one roof, which are also listed in the Whisk(e)y Atlas Europe 2022 alongside the classic distilleries. Often combined with a gastronomic offer, they are popular destinations for whisk(e)y lovers and make tasting on site an all-round experience.

The Roots of Whisk(e)y: Scotland and Ireland

Scotland and Ireland are still the most important and, measured by production volume, the largest whisk(e)y producers in Europe. Both countries are therefore the focus of the front section of the atlas.

Scotland currently has the largest number of whisk(e)y barrels in storage in the world (various sources estimate between 32 and 36 million casks in Scottish warehouses). All the sites of themaltings, cooperages, central warehouses (bond) and bottling plants in Scotland are listed in the Whisk(e)y Atlas. For even more detail knowledge, the atlas shows which Scottish distilleries still partly malt their own beer.

Regional Maps and Distillery Finder

35 regional maps, a map of Campbeltown (in the past the whisky capital of the world with over 30 local distilleries), six overview maps and two graphics help with orientation and make the success story of whisk(e)y throughout Europe visible.

In addition to the active distilleries, the atlas shows about 90 whisk(e)y distilleries that are planned or under construction as well as about 800 already closed establishments.

All entries are sorted alphabetically by country and region.

The „Distillery Finder“ at the end of the book is divided into seven regions and helps to find a specific distillery, a brand name or the distilleries of a group. For each distillery, the location, year of opening, year of closure, company name, internet address and the type of whisk(e)y produced there are listed.

Last year, the Whisk(e)y Atlas North America was already published by Alba-Collection Verlag.

Original title:              Whisk(e)y Atlas Europe 2022 Publisher:         Alba-Collection Verlag

Date of publication:   2nd April 2022 Edition:                       1st edition (04/2022)

Language:                  English

Pages:                        124

Format:                      Hardcover (30 x 21,5 cm)

ISBN:                       978-3-944148-77-9

Price:                          39 €

Available in whisky and bookshops or directly from the publisher (www.alba-collection.com/atlas-europa).

Arran TWB 15th Anniversary Exclusive

2022 marks the 15th Anniversary of TheWhiskyBarrel.com and what better way to celebrate than a year of single cask distillery exclusives! Opened in 1995 Arran distillery is located at Lochranza on the Isle of Arran just off the west coast of Scotland.

We simply could not pass on the opportunity to bottle a fresh sherry hogshead filled December 2009. This single cask #934 has yielded 245 bottles at cask strength 55.4%. In the interest of fairness, these bottles are limited to 2 bottles per customer.

Buy – Arran 12 Year Old Single Sherry Hogshead >>

Arran Distillery was commissioned by the Isle of Arran Distillers in 1995 and lies amid stunning scenery just to the south of Lochranza on the northern tip of the Isle of Arran. This distillery has four stills, dunnage warehouses, a visitor centre offering distillery tours and a distillery café. Arran distills both un-peated and peated malt spirit and matures its whisky in sherry, bourbon, port and wine casks in order to produce an ever-evolving and expanding range of whiskies including Arran single malts such as Arran Machrie Moor and The Illicit Stills, and Arran blended scotch.

Fettercairn
46 Year Old

An exceptional malt matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels and finished in tawny port pipes, this incredibly rare Highland dram was distilled on 8th May 1973. Bottled aged 46 years old at a strength of 42.5% abv, only 55 bottles have been produced! 

£8,500.00
BUY NOW

Fettercairn 46 Year Old Description

Badachro Distillery releases limited edition new port cask single malt whisky expression

A Highland distillery has unveiled its latest limited edition single malt – a smooth, velvety whisky finished in ruby port casks.

Badachro Distillery has released a run of Bad na h-Achlaise Port Cask, limited to just 1,200 hand-filled and numbered bottles.

The unpeated Highland single malt is the latest cask expression of the distillery’s popular Bad na h-Achlaise series. Aged in bourbon barrels and refill hogsheads for several years, it has been vatted and filled in handpicked ruby port casks and matured in the Badachro dunnage warehouse for a full year before bottling.

Managing director Gordon Quinn said: “Our new port cask expression reflects the tranquillity and peacefulness of our corner of the Scottish Highlands. We selected ruby port casks for their distinct dark chocolate and vibrant red fruit influence and, once all four finishing casks were married together, we knew we had created a unique single malt.

“Bad na h-Achlaise Port Cask is a smooth, unpeated whisky that we believe is the perfect dram to begin a tasting session with. And, if you’re anything like us, continue with too!”

Tasting notes:

• Nose: sweet with jams, blackberries, vanilla, fresh sawn oak and currants
• Mouth feel: sprightly with powerful black cherry and glazed red cherries, a hint of bitter chocolate and pink jelly baby or strawberry sherbets
• Finish: lively with dried fig then a long lasting stewed mix of red fruits and berries

Bad na h-Achlaise Port Cask is available from www.badachrodistillery.com and selected stockists.

46% ABV, 70cl, £56.95 – limited to 1,200 bottles.

Badachro Distillery in the western Scottish Highlands is home to a range of uniquely handcrafted whiskies, gins and vodkas that have gained a reputation for bold, complex flavours that leave you coming back for more. The distillery is a true family venture – founded by Gordon and Vanessa Quinn who met at the Badachro Inn and married just 12 weeks later. After travelling the world together, the pair returned to Badachro to follow their dream of setting up a craft distillery.

Find out more about Badachro Distillery at www.badachrodistillery.com, or follow the distillery on Instagram (@badachrodistillery), Twitter (@badachrospirits) or Facebook (/badachrodistillery).

There’s some GlenDronach Cask Strength left!

Yesterday we released The Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 10 to our W Club members who had Priority Access, and we have a very limited amount leftover which is now live on general sale – so be quick! Below (via link) is a round-up of some other interesting bottles that have landed recently too.

All new arrivals →

TWO NEW WHISKIES JOIN

GLENALLACHIE DISTILLERS’ PORTFOLIO

The distillers behind the World’s Best Single Malt 2021 add GlenAllachie 8-year-old

 and White Heather 15-year-old to growing core range offering

The GlenAllachie Distillers Company today reveals two new product innovations for its brands’ core ranges: The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky and White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky.

Both products are expertly created by industry stalwart Billy Walker, renowned for his exceptional wood management and blending skills, and who this year celebrates reaching his 50^th year in Scotch whisky.

The GlenAllachie 8-year-old (UK RRSP £42.50) marries together spirit aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons, along with virgin oak casks and red wine barriques, each specially selected by Walker.

The Speyside Single Malt offers up the brand’s classic heather honey character, leading to rich notes of stem ginger, mint chocolate and chewy raisins, achieving 92 points at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2022.

Looking to follow in the footsteps of highly successful younger releases, such as The GlenAllachie 10-year-old which was named World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2021, the 8-year-old will be an ongoing, accessibly priced offering within the brand’s core range.

White Heather 15-year-old (UK RRSP £59.99) is a premium Blended Scotch containing both peated and unpeated malts from Speyside, Islay and the Northern Highlands along with carefully selected grain whiskies.

The White Heather brand sees Walker return to his roots in the Scotch Whisky industry when he earned his stripes as a blender, developing world-leading products for the global market.

To create the new 15-year-old, the whisky underwent a complex dual maturation system, beginning its life in Sherry butts and American oak barrels, before being skilfully blended by Walker and re-racked into Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons as well as American virgin oak casks to spend an additional three years.

With a high malt content of 47 per cent, the amber toned liquid scooped Gold with 95 points at the IWSC 2022, being described as “outstanding” by the expert judging panel.

The new expression joins White Heather 21-year-old, first unveiled in March 2021, to form a core range for the premium Blended Scotch brand.

Both GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are proudly presented at their natural colour, non chill filtered and at a high strength of 46% ABV for maximum flavour.

Commenting on the new products, Walker reveals:

“From the outset, it has been my aim to release quality whiskies at fair and accessible price points. This can be a significant challenge when you also choose to deploy an extensive and costly wood management policy, however, I believe The GlenAllachie 8-year-old fits the bill without any compromises or corner-cutting.

“In terms of White Heather, this has been a real passion project for me. It takes me back to my first forays in the industry and allows me to select and blend whiskies from across Scotland in order to achieve the intended flavour profile. I hold a strong belief that interest in the Premium Blend category is growing, and we very much want to be at the forefront of it with White Heather.”

Both The GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are available on an ongoing basis through global specialist retailers, with UK RRSPs of £42.50 and £59.99 respectively.

ABOUT GLENALLACHIE:

One of Scotland’s few independently owned and managed distilleries, The GlenAllachie is led by industry veteran, Billy Walker, who boasts a 50-year tenure in whisky. With an emphasis on wood policy, The GlenAllachie’s cask budget for 2022 stands at an eye-watering £2m/$2.6m. With 16 on-site warehouses holding over 50,000 casks, we have complete control of the end-to-end maturation process.

The GlenAllachie focusses on quality over quantity, which is why we chose to reduce our production capacity from 4m to 500,000 Litres of Alcohol and increase our fermentation period to 160 hours for an ester rich, fruity spirit.

We believe age and integrity matter, which is why all our whiskies carry an age statement, and are bottled at a minimum of 46% ABV, natural colour and non-chill filtered for maximum flavour experience.

Our other brands are MacNair’s Boutique House of Spirits – encompassing Lum Reek Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and White Heather Blended Scotch Whisky.

Further information on the distillery and company can be found at www.theglenallachie.com

Facebook – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Twitter – @TheGlenAllachie    |    Instagram – @theglenallachie_

TASTING NOTES

The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky – 46% ABV

• Colour: Sunset Bronze.
• Nose: Heather honey, butterscotch and cinnamon, followed by waves of ginger, toasted almonds and mocha.
• Taste: Lashings of treacle, dried sultanas and butterscotch, with cinnamon, peppermint and honeycomb.

White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky – 46% ABV

• Colour: Golden Bronze.
• Nose: Waves of heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, pineapple, mint and a hint of peat.
• Taste: Layers of treacle, heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, grapefruit and almonds, with mocha, ginger and a light whisp of peaty smoke on the finish.

Big Peat Tyndrum Gold Edition

We’ve teamed up with the wonderfully talented Douglas Laing for our latest Tyndrum Exclusive, and there’s still more gold in them there hills, LIQUID GOLD. The good folks at Douglas Laing have created our Indiana Jones-esq label for our latest peated edition of Tyndrum Gold.

We have these Tyndrum Gold releases to celebrate the success of Scotland’s only GOLD Mine based in the hills on the outskirts of Tyndrum. Just remember there is no TIN in Tyndrum, it’s GOLD, and this is Liquid Gold, Tyndrum Gold Whisky.

Featuring the whiskies from Islay, including Port Ellen, Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig and more!

From Douglas Laing & TyndrumWhisky

Order NOW >>>

Introducing Jura Islanders’ Expressions Collection No.1

The Islanders’ Expressions Collection, exclusive to global travellers, is a series of whiskies inspired by some of the creative collective among our tiny island community. Each whisky showcases the resourcefulness and originality of our islanders’ craftsmanship.  The first is a collaboration with Amy Dunnachie, aka Amy Finds, a Jura native, Amy is a story-telling jeweller who forages for objects across the island, creating new treasures with everything she finds, each telling their own unique story. This first whisky in the collection is a product of two islands – Jura and Barbados. Outside the bottle, we showcase a handmade pin made by Amy, formed from copper and rope washed up from afar on Jura’s shores. Inside the bottle, the whisky reflects the vibrancy of Amy’s work, combining our bright and lively character with the tropical fruit, warming sweet spice and richness from a finish in ex-rum casks from Barbados.

Golden bronze in colour, this whisky has vibrant aromas of rich tropical fruit, citrus and vanilla. On the palate you’re met with enticing sweet notes, balanced with a creamy finish with warm spice and a lingering richness. We can’t wait for you to give it a try.

Click here to find out more

Jura Whisky
St Vincent Plaza, 319 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5LP
www.jurawhisky.com

One of Dufftown’s finest is love at first sip!

‘Rome was built on seven hills and Dufftown stands on seven stills.’ The Singleton was the last of seven distilleries built in the famous Speyside whisky location. The core range celebrates a harmony of delicate flavours with a spirit profile of green apple, and their highly skilled art of cask maturation imparting rich nuttiness from predominantly American oak. Drink it how you like it!

Discover more →

The Singleton 25 Year Old
Trinity Cask Harmony

Matured in European oak and refill ex-bourbon, harmonised together in American oak casks to create a deep and resonant harmony of flavour.

£330.00
BUY NOW

The Singleton 39 Year Old

An exceptional dram from the Glen Ord distillery matured for almost four decades with notes of succulent blackberries and muscovado crumble.

£2,295.00
BUY NOW

The Singleton 54 Year Old

The Paragon of Time series showcases the oldest and rarest expressions ever released by The Singleton, spending over half a decade in European oak barrels since its creation in 1966, before being treated to an extra maturation in a single Pedro Ximénez-seasoned cask to finish.

£28,850.00
Pre-Order Now

Fettercairn 14 Year Old Infrequent Flyers

Fettercairn 14 year Old 2007 Oloroso Sherry

From the first batch off 2022 and Alistair Walker’s wonderful Infrequent Flyers series.  Bottled from a single Oloroso Sherry puncheon at 55.2% yielding 622 bottles. The sherry monster from the batch! Fettercairn 14 Year Old 2007 vintage Highland single malt Scotch whisky. Single Oloroso Sherry Puncheon #1823 bottled 2022 by The Alistair Walker Whisky Co. for the Infrequent Flyers series. 622 bottles.

Nose: Super sweet – muscovado sugar, heavily stewed fruits and salted caramel.
Taste: Rich and full flavoured. Cinnabons and maple syrup. Well-integrated flavours of cocoa, mocha, sultana and figs. A well-sherried dram indeed!

Buy – Fettercairn 14 years >>

Fettercairn Distillery was founded by Alexander Ramsay in 1824 on the edge of Fettercairn village at the foot of the Grampian Mountains within the Highland whisky region. The site was originally a corn mill. This is a malt whisky distillery equipped with four stills and operates a unique system whereby cold water tumbles down the exterior of its two spirit stills contributing to the lighter floral character in Fettercairn malt whisky. Fetercairn malt whisky is available through a number of independent bottlers including Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice and Signatory Vintage.