Isle of Raasay Distillery’s Burns and Whisky Weekend package – £339

The Isle of Raasay Distillery is hosting a Burns and Whisky Weekend a stone’s throw away from where the bard, Sorley Maclean, was born.

The offering includes a two-night stay for two including all meals, checking in Friday 25th January, checking out Sunday 27th January 2019. Guests will dine at the distillery on Friday evening and enjoy a hearty lunch on Saturday before an exclusive whisky tasting and warehouse tour with the distillery’s co-founder, Alasdair Day.

The weekend will finish in style with a traditional Burns supper on the Saturday evening, priced at £25, featuring traditional Scottish dishes, from Cock a Leekie soup and traditional haggis to rhubarb cranachan with homemade shortbread.

Rooms will be allocated on a first come first served basis, early bookings are advised to secure an idyllic Cuillin view.

One can book by contacting: info@raasaydistillery.com or +44 (0) 1478 470178

HOLIDAY 2018 SPECIAL: HIBIKI JAPANESE HARMONY ANNIVERSARY GIFT PACK                           ***NEW

The House of Suntory has released a limited-edition, specially-designed bottle of Hibiki Japanese Harmony just in time for the 2018 holiday gifting season. Designed to represent both celebration and shared happiness in honor of the 30th anniversary of Suntory’s celebrated Hibiki brand, the bottle design is inspired by a traditional kimono pattern. It is embellished with the tabane-noshi, a traditional Japanese symbol of celebration that has adorned precious gifts since ancient times.

SRP: $100 | ABV: 43%

TRENDING: SUNTORY WHISKY TOKI HIGHBALL                                                                                                 

Suntory Whisky Toki is the perfect gift for the Japanese whisky lover on your list, and, unlike most Japanese whiskies, it won’t break the bank. Add some high-quality soda water and the recipe for the Toki Highball (available in link below), and you’ve got yourself a complete, authentic gift. Better yet, take your friends out to enjoy one of the country’s best Highballs from the fancy new Toki Highball Machine – which dispenses the perfect Highball at the pull of a lever and is now available in more than 25 cities across the country, including hot spots such as Prairie in San Francisco, Katana Kitten in NYC and Little Trouble in Atlanta. Please inquire and we will be happy to tell you about the establishments in your city that carry the Highball Machine.

SRP: $34.99 | ABV: 43%

Benromach whisky lovers can look forward to a little Christmas magic this year as the Forres distillery gets ready to launch its own online advent calendar as it counts down to the big day.

With weekly opportunities to win prizes ranging from a bottle of the flagship Benromach 10 Years Old to a limited edition Benromach 20^th Anniversary Bottling, worth £299, there’ll be an extra gift under the tree for a lucky few.

Packed with fun facts, helpful tips including opening times for tours over the festive season and insights into how Benromach is handcrafted; the countdown starts on 1^st December across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with the #BenromachChristmasMagic.

Keith Cruickshank, Distillery Manager, explains: “We wanted to give something back to our loyal social media followers this Christmas who have supported us throughout the year and shared their Benromach moments. I am looking forward to spreading a little Christmas magic and sending out some early Christmas presents during our weekly competitions.

“The countdown is the final celebration in what has been an incredible 20^th anniversary year for us all, celebrating two decades since the Urquhart family reopened Benromach Distillery in 1998.

“This year, we’ve hosted a record number of visitors, received 5-Star visitor attraction status from VisitScotland, released our first ever cask in aid of charitable causes and hosted the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival opening gala dinner to name just a few highlights. I’ve even learned how many reindeer would have to stand on top of each other to reach the height of our iconic 90 foot high chimney!”

To be in with a chance of winning a prize and to enjoy the Benromach countdown to Christmas, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (@Benromach) and use #BenromachChristmasMagic.

TINCUP Whiskey is a bourbon style whiskey with a bold and spicy finish, made in honour of Colorado¹s first whiskey drinkers. Running for a limited time only, the TINCUP limited edition lantern pack, will allow your wild one to drink on the go ­ perfect for campers, hikers, or even festival goers. If you’re after a regular bottle of this American whiskey, head to selected nationwide Marks & Spencer stores.

RRP: ￡32, (70cl, 42% ABV).

Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch 

Based in Kirby, Wyoming, Wyoming Whiskey has a simple goal: to create America’s next great bourbon. The Mead family first came to Wyoming as ranchers in 1890 and the state defines them, and their whiskey. They use the finest non-GMO corn, wheat, barley, and water from the Big Horn Basin and promote Wyoming’s natural and human resources.

A traditional bourbon from a nontraditional place, their original flagship and identifying product is the award-winning Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey. Dark amber in color, this whiskey is floral with a hint of vanilla bean and caramel pudding. Finished with notes of toffee and vanilla fade, the spirit is 68% corn, 20% wheat and 12% malted barley.

Serge Valentin of Whisky Fun fame has been inducted into the illustrious Keepers of the Quaich

In support of the launch of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye, the brand has introduced new television creative which begins airing today across premium cable television networks such at AMC, Discovery, FS1 and TBS.

Every drop of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye is made in Lynchburg, Tennessee, charcoal mellowed and then matured in new American oak barrels crafted by its own coopers. Master Distiller Jeff Arnett and his team of whiskey makers have created a distinctive taste profile for a new rye whiskey like no other. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye has a grain bill of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley and is carefully charcoal mellowed for a finish that’s distinctly Jack.

The two new spots are linked below.

The More Things Change :30

Not All That Different :15

Woodinville Whiskey Company

STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY

Surprise them with one of the only 100% straight rye whiskies produced: a whiskey with all the traditional rye spice and flavor that rye whiskey drinkers love. And then some…This 100% rye starts with pure, traditionally-grown rye cultivated exclusively for us on the Omlin family farm in Quincy, Washington. The grain is mashed, distilled & barreled in our Woodinville distillery – then trucked back over the Cascade Mountains to our private barrel houses, where Central Washington’s extreme temperature cycles promote the extraction of natural flavors from the oak.

Prior to being coopered, the barrel wood is seasoned in open air, rain, wind, sun and snow for eighteen months softening the wood’s harsh tannins. They are then slowly toasted and heavily charred to further enrich the wood’s desirable flavors. The result of this meticulous process yields a truly hand-crafted whiskey with aromas of cinnamon, clove, and fruit leather, and notes of caramel, wood spice, and honey on the palate with a long, memorable finish that will leave you anticipating your next sip.

Opening of Raasay Distillery’s accommodation

With the Raasay Distillery now producing the island’s first legal spirit, R&B Distillers is looking forward to welcoming visitors to Raasay to witness whisky making in action. The island’s former hotel, Borodale House, has been beautifully converted from a derelict Victorian building into luxurious accommodation possessing some of the finest views from any Scottish distillery. Usually only available as part of a 10-year membership to Raasay Distillery’s Na Tùsairean Club members, there is now a unique opportunity to enjoy an overnight stay at the distillery at just £250. As part of the room price, guests will enjoy a complimentary one-year membership, which comes with a bottle of Raasay While We Wait single malt whisky as well as many other perks. The accommodation will open on 8th January 2018.