Woodrow’s of Edinburgh

Glendronach 20 Years Old

ABV: 51.82% 70 cL

Isle of Raasay Distillery

Raasay Hungarian Oak Limited Release

ABV: 50% 70 c

The third installment from Isle of Raasay Distillery’s Oak Species Maturation Series, which places the spotlight firmly on the botanical species of oak. This year’s expression highlights the distinctive character of Hungarian Quercus petraea, sourced from the Zemplén Mountains. Selected not as virgin oak like previous releases, but in the form of seasoned ex-Oloroso sherry barriques. Peated and unpeated spirit, made with 100% Scottish barley, are matured separatley in this distinctive cask type. Hungarian oak is renowned for its slow growth and exceptionally tight grain, allowing for a more controlled interaction between spirit and wood. This results in a whisky of remarkable depth and balance, where spice, sweetness and smoke are intricately layered. 

Raasay Distillery, opened in 2017 on the Isle of Raasay off Scotland’s west coast, is a small, modern craft distillery known for producing lightly peated single malt shaped by the island’s rugged maritime climate. Its whisky is made from local mineral-rich water, long fermentation, and a mix of peated and unpeated spirit matured in a distinctive combination of casks such as rye, Chinkapin oak, and Bordeaux red wine, giving it layers of smoke, spice, and dark fruit. The distillery sits in a restored Victorian house with sweeping views across to Skye, and its visitor experience blends contemporary design with island heritage, making it one of Scotland’s most scenic and characterful new-wave whisky destinations.

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH CONNOISSEURS’ CLUB

Purveyors of “The Water of Life”!

1-2 carefully chosen bottles every quarter

Background information & tasting notes

Total product cost of up to $115 at a savings of up to 40% off SRP (before shipping & taxes)

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The whats and whyfores of grain whisky

Grain whisky is a very broad category indeed and, oddly, the simplest way to explain it is to start by defining what it isn’t. In Scotland, malt whisky must be made from 100% malted barley and distilled in a copper pot still. Any other form of whisky in Scotland is grain whisky. Column stills are vastly more efficient than pot stills, and unmalted wheat or maize is cheaper than malted barley, which has led to a reflexive snobbery about the category.

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The Rebirth of Australian Whisky

Australian whisky has managed that rare trick of having both two centuries of whisky history and of being an exciting arrival in the global whisky scene. Blessed with excellent grain and long traditions of brewing and winemaking, whisky is a natural fit for Australia.

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Deep Dive into Dalmore 17 Year Old

Sherry cask maturation has long been a hallmark of Dalmore’s style, and the distillery’s latest release continues that tradition. The new 17 year old spent 12 years in bourbon casks before a 5-year finish in three different types of sherry casks, marking the first permanent addition to the Principal Collection since 2022. Read our review.

Although we’re now eight months into 2026, the middle of summer always feels like the true annual halfway point. This is the part of the year where people might look back and reflect on what their favourite book has been so far, or favourite film (let’s hear some love for Olivia Wilde’s The Invite). It’s now up to the remaining months of the year to try and top what’s been enjoyed already.

Here at Whisky Magazine, we are now halfway through our six issues of 2026, giving me the perfect moment for my own favourite-so-far reflection. Today, I’m looking back to find out which whiskies have been my top scorers in the Whisky Magazine blind tastings so far this year.

Was I surprised by the results? Well, sort of. I have been championing the increasing globality of the whisky industry, and how whiskies made around the world has never been more accessible. So, I was surprised to find that my six best scoring whiskies thus far are all Scots.

My challenge to the rest of the whisky industry is now clear — can these six Scotch delights be toppled? I can’t wait to find out!

Bradley Weir

Whisky Magazine editor

Living Souls

Ninety-Nine & One Blended Scotch Whisky

ABV: 46.3% 70 cL

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH AFICIONADOS’ CLUB

The Best of the Best!

1-2 carefully chosen bottles every quarter

Background information & tasting notes

Total product cost of up to $175 at a savings of up to 40% off SRP (before shipping & taxes)

Shipped directly or available for store pick-up

To learn more and sign up for any of the clubs, just click HERE