Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 596: Ben Nevis 13 Year Old 2012 Hogs & Buds Spirits Festival 2026

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, takes on a heavily sherried Ben Nevis. On Sunday 15 March 2026, the second edition of the Hogs & Buds Spirits Festival will take place in Landen, Belgium. This fun festival is organized by the Whisky Hogs, a Belgian whisky club and the Belgian whisky shop Buds & Barrels. And as is customary, they have a festival bottling ready. It turned out to be a Ben Nevis that spent its entire life in an oloroso sherry cask. ‘Torc Fiadh’ is emblazoned on the label. That’s Celtic for wild boar, nicely depicted on the label. Let’s have a taste!

https://youtu.be/9p8wFRSFS10

The Blending House Opens In Kentucky To Help Distilled Spirits Brands Navigate Turbulent Times

New Kentucky facility provides blending, bottling, and barrel storage infrastructure to help spirits brands scale with confidence amid industry change.

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. – February 23, 2026 – The nature of the distilled spirits industry is changing–there is no question. As brands and craft distilleries consider how to pivot, leading Kentucky-based spirits consulting firm The Spirits Group, in partnership with Indiana-based construction company The Koetter Group, is proud to announce the opening of The Blending House. The newly constructed, 30,000-square-foot blending and bottling facility sits on 108 acres in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and is positioned as essential infrastructure for the next era of disciplined growth. Developed after years of working with third-party bottlers, the operation was designed to incorporate industry best practices while addressing critical gaps. With a dedicated focus on vertically integrating post-distillation needs, The Blending House provides state-of-the-art barrel storage, expert blending, precision bottling, and back-office support — all under one roof and staffed by industry veterans with decades of experience.

CEO Monica Wolf Brown explains: “As the distilled spirits industry evolves, the strategies that built brands over the past decade won’t necessarily sustain them in the decade ahead. We built The Blending House to give brands a reliable base of operations, allowing producers to protect quality, operate efficiently, and grow without the capital burden of building and operating their own facility. Currently, there are no other facilities like it in Kentucky or the United States. We were built to bottle, with no competing priorities. When brands work with us, they know their production isn’t an afterthought; it’s our core mission.”

Bottling services are delivered end-to-end, including filtration, proofing, and packaging. The Blending House features a custom-built bottling line supporting formats from 200 mL to 1.75 L–with both automated and artisanal packaging options–as well as a dedicated secondary line for hand-finished and custom products. The facility has the capacity for up to 250,000 cases annually and operates at speeds of 35–40 bottles per minute.

Director of Operations, Matt King, adds: “Our facility layout, equipment, and overall concept allow us to put our customers first, with flexibility to align our operations around their timelines and standards. Our mission is to be a trusted partner, treating every brand with the same level of care as if it were our own.”

The Blending House meets rigorous QA standards and has the ability to provide expert guidance on labeling and regulatory approval. In addition, clients have the option to select from a menu of back-office support options, such as packaging development, logistics, bookkeeping, graphic design, marketing, and domestic product distribution. Brands including Ten Runner find this, and other aspects of the white-glove service, extremely valuable.

“One of the most important things to have when trying to accomplish something big is to surround yourself with a great team. When I decided to create Ten Runner, I turned to Monica, Ashley, and The Blending House to help craft a truly special blend of the highest quality. They have been excellent to work with and have become a key part of our growing success.” – Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Champion & Founder of Ten Runner Bourbon Whiskey.

For brands interested in blending services, operations are conducted in a dedicated sensory lab and are led by Master Blender Ashley Barnes. Having trained under industry legends, she is recognized for her work developing premium spirits brands. Her expertise includes warehouse profiling, flavor projection, product development, and quality control. Blending services are available to both emerging and established brands seeking precision, consistency, and distinctive flavor development.

The Blending House showcases The Koetter Group’s innovative K-RAX® Premium Barrel Storage system across seven state-of-the-art rickhouses, each with a 20,000-barrel capacity. Engineered to support optimal maturation, the system promotes consistent airflow around every barrel, helping whiskey age more evenly and develop balanced flavor profiles. Integrated 3D barrel mapping and digital tracking ensure accurate inventory management, while enhanced structural stability and access to every barrel allow for efficient sampling and quality monitoring throughout the aging process. All seven rickhouses are complete, with over 120,000 barrels currently on site.

Brands seeking a dependable contract bottling partner for sustained growth are encouraged to contact The Blending House to explore long-term production solutions at theblendinghouse.com.

About The Blending House

Spanning 108 acres, The Blending House serves as a centralized production hub designed specifically to optimize operations for spirits brands of all sizes. It is home to a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art blending and bottling facility and seven cutting-edge K-RAX® rickhouses. It represents the next chapter for The Spirits Group, a distilled spirits consulting firm founded in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2017 by seasoned industry veterans and co-founders Monica Wolf and Ashley Barnes. Their private, hands-on team offers more than a decade of experience across the industry in the service of helping customers define, hone, and execute their goals.

Campbeltown 8 Year Old 2016 Hogshead Import 48% 70cl

£53.33

A surprisingly vibrant, fruit-forward Campbeltown blended malt from celebrated independent bottler Hogshead Import. Drawn from a first-fill barrel filled back in 2016, it’s understood that this release contains whiskies distilled at both Glen Scotia and Springbank. It’s a fascinating Campbeltown expression that, while still offering all manner of classic regional funk, feels more summery than you might expect. Just 318 bottles have been released at natural colour.

The Act That Changed Scotch Forever?

Few dates loom as large in Scotch whisky history as 1823. The Excise Act of that year is routinely described as the moment whisky became legal, the line in the sand between smuggling chaos and the birth of the modern industry. But, as whisky historian Iain Russell discusses with Dave Broom, that version of events is far too simple.

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The Zodiac Series
Where Stars and Spirit Align

Inspired by the 12 signs of the zodiac, we’ve scoured Scotland in search of casks with the perfect combination of flavours to evoke the character and feel of these ancient archetypes. It’s a striking series, one perfect for adding to your collection, or a birthday gift you won’t find anywhere else.

Our first four bottlings celebrate the star signs of Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini. Each dram embodies the essence of its zodiac, its character as distinctive and singular as the sign it represents. With The Zodiac Series, there’s a whisky for everyone. Discover yours.

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For over 25 years, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival has been opening the doors to distilleries across the region. And for six days each spring, visitors are invited inside.

Step behind the scenes and into warehouses and production areas, with tours led by the people who know these distilleries best, from still operators and distillery managers to the makers and blenders themselves. This year, guests will even step inside distilleries rarely open to the public, including Benrinnes, Dalmunach and Longmorn.

While some of these experiences fill quickly, there are many exclusive tours and tastings taking place across the festival, offering access and insight you can only get at Spirit of Speyside.

Opening the Doors to Cardhu Distillery at #Dram26

Cardhu is one of Speyside’s most welcoming distilleries, open to visitors throughout the year. But during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, the experience goes a little further.

Festival events offer the chance to explore areas not usually included on a standard visit, spend time with the people behind the whisky, and enjoy tastings created especially for the week.

From meeting the makers and drawing drams straight from the cask, to discovering an unexpected whisky pairing, these four Cardhu experiences offer a fresh way to explore the distillery during #Dram26.

Events at Cardhu Distillery

Tamdhu VIP Distillery Tour & Tasting
Tamdhu Distillery
1 – 2 May – Various Times

Normally closed to the public, Tamdhu invites you on an exclusive guided tour of its Speyside distillery, followed by a tasting of the 12, 15 and 18 Year Old expressions. The experience begins and ends at Dalbeallie, Tamdhu’s Victorian railway station, where festival limited releases and other whisky gems will be available..

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Breakfast Tour at Glen Moray
Glen Moray
29 April – 3 May – 9.30am

Start your #Dram26 day with Glen Moray’s popular Breakfast Tour, including a freshly cooked Scottish breakfast and a dram. After breakfast, enjoy a guided tour of the distillery production facilities and warehouse before finishing with two further whiskies back at the bar. A relaxed and delicious way to fuel up before a day of festival exploration.

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Tamnavulin Distillery Tour
Tamnavulin Distillery
29 April – 4 May – Various Times

Established over 60 years ago, Speyside Distillery opens its doors to visitors for just one week each year during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. On this in-depth tour you’ll explore the mash house, tun room, stillhouse and warehouses, before enjoying a tasting of four whiskies including a specially selected single cask bottled exclusively for the festival.

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Tomintoul Distillery: Behind the Scenes Tour & Tasting
Tomintoul Distillery
1 – 2 May – 12pm

Join Distillery Manager Robert Nicholson for a behind-the-scenes tour of Tomintoul Distillery, exploring the whisky-making process from mashing to maturation. The experience concludes with a tutored tasting led by Master Blender Iain Forteath, featuring a selection of his favourite Tomintoul single malts.

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Many of Speyside’s distilleries are tucked away in rural locations, just as they have been for generations, so getting from one to another isn’t always as simple as hopping in an Uber – in fact, we don’t have Uber or app-based taxis here at all.

If you’re planning to enjoy a dram or two during your festival adventures (and no one wants to volunteer as designated driver), a local taxi is often the easiest way to travel between distilleries, accommodation and events.

You can find contact details for local taxi providers in our Taxi Listing, and booking ahead is a good idea when planning your festival itinerary.

VIEW TAXIS

These are just a handful of this year’s events – you can explore the full programme here:

VIEW FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Ltd.
PO Box 6783
Elgin, Moray IV30 9AW
United Kingdom

Clock-In at Coleburn: A Hands-On Whisky Warehouse Experience 💪⚒️🥃

This Spirit of Speyside, we’re opening the warehouse doors — and inviting you to step inside.

On Friday 1 May 2026, join our team at the traditional Victorian warehouses of Coleburn Distillery for a rare, hands-on morning shift with Murray McDavid.

This is not a tour.

This is your chance to work alongside our experienced Warehouse Team and discover what it truly takes to care for maturing Scotch whisky.

Under the guidance of our Team, you will:

• Stow and ‘time’ casks
• Re-rack spirit
• Regauge and assess maturing whisky
• Carefully draw samples straight from the cask

You’ll gain practical insight into the precision, skill and dedication that shape every Murray McDavid release — along with a few terrible warehouse jokes along the way!

After your shift, enjoy a well-earned flight of three ‘Warehouseman’s’ drams and receive a special certificate of achievement to mark your experience.

⚒️ Get hands-on in a whisky warehouse!

Friday 1 May | 9:00am-12:00pm

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This immersive experience is designed for true whisky enthusiasts who want to go beyond the tasting table and into the heart of maturation itself.

Driver’s Drams are available to pre-order if required.

Spaces are limited 🎟️

We look forward to welcoming you on shift 💪

Slàinte,

The Murray McDavid Team

A legacy in motion: two American originals unite on the world’s fastest stage in a cinematic celebration of shared heritage, ambition and connection.

Clermont, Kentucky, March 2, 2026: Jim Beam®, the world’s No.1 bourbon and Official Spirits Partner of the Cadillac Formula 1® Team, today unveiled Raised Together—a new global brand film that explores the authentic and unique history of a relationship that began in Kentucky 90 years ago, and how that legacy comes to life today on the world’s fastest stage.

Timed with the highly anticipated debut of the Cadillac Formula 1® Team at the Australian Grand Prix, Raised Together is the first in a series of campaign films set to roll out throughout the 2026 season.

The film tells the story of the great lengths Jim Beam himself went to safeguard his family recipe nearly a century ago—a legacy in which Cadillac played a pivotal role. The Founder, to protect his proprietary yeast—a living, essential ingredient in Jim Beam’s distinct bourbon recipe—would drive a mason jar of it home each night in his Cadillac, shielding it from the threats of fire and prohibition. This ritual ensured the preservation of the key element that still defines Jim Beam’s unmistakable flavor today.

Now, as the Cadillac Formula 1® Team prepares to make its debut in the 2026 season, the two iconic brands reunite to welcome a fast-growing global fanbase into their storied legacy.

“Raised Together tells the story of our shared heritage and where we’re headed,” said KK Hall, global brand vice president, Jim Beam. “Jim Beam and Cadillac embody a uniquely American spirit—rooted in tradition but never constrained by it. Our partnership is about people—the teams, fans and community that make this sport extraordinary.”

The hero film will premiere in Australia and New Zealand on March 2 ahead of the Australian Grand Prix before rolling out globally across North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, India, Brazil, Mexico and other key markets throughout the 2026 season. The campaign will be supported by integrated activations across broadcast, digital and social channels.

A second version featuring Cadillac Formula 1® Team drivers Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas will be coming soon on Jim Beam owned social media channels. The content reflects their unique personalities and sets the tone for the type of storytelling fans can expect to see throughout the partnership.

Beyond the Track
Jim Beam’s presence in Formula 1® extends beyond traditional branding. As the fastest growing sport with a global fanbase of 827 million, and the U.S. representing one of the fastest growth markets—including the next generation of racing fans — Jim Beam aims to capitalize on the momentum building a community of new, legal drinking age fans as they come along for the ride.

Guided by the belief that nothing great happens in isolation, Jim Beam enters the grid as a transformative force, with a desire to help reshape how fans experience the sport.

Throughout 2026, the partnership will come to life with immersive experiences, citywide activations, retail initiatives and on-trade programs. These efforts are designed to deepen fans’ connection to the sport and to one another, building a vibrant community that brings together lifelong motorsport enthusiasts and a new generation discovering the race for the first time. They also create an important platform for Jim Beam to reinforce its commitment to responsible alcohol consumption and to remind consumers never to drink and drive. Responsibility will remain central to all messaging and experiences.

This engagement strategy kicks off at the season opener in Melbourne, where Jim Beam will extend race week beyond the track with dedicated events celebrating sport, culture, and community. By creating inclusive, energetic, and responsibly enjoyed spaces, the brand seeks to help shape a new era for Formula 1®—one that emphasizes not just speed but also shared moments and human connection.

“As we enter the grid for the first time, we want to build a community around this new American team, inviting fans to join us on this journey,” added Hall. “As the people’s bourbon, Jim Beam has always been about the collective and fostering connection. Together with the Cadillac Formula 1® Team, we aim to make the sport more accessible—bringing fans closer to the action, beyond the grid, to celebrate the stories and shared experiences that make Formula 1® so compelling. This is about creating connections—on and off the track.”

Best Enjoyed Together. Best Enjoyed Responsibly.
To learn more about Jim Beam and Cadillac F1 Racing, visit www.jimbeam.com or follow @jimbeamofficial on Instagram @cadillacf1

Jim Beam® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% Alc./Vol. ©2026 James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY

About Jim Beam®: Jim Beam is the world’s best-selling bourbon, crafted by eight generations of family distillers since 1795. Fred Noe, Jim Beam’s seventh Generation Master Distiller, and Freddie Noe, Jim Beam’s eighth Generation Master Distiller, have stayed true to the family recipe that’s been passed down through generations. The Jim Beam portfolio of products includes Jim Beam Bourbon, Jim Beam Black®, and Jim Beam Flavors, among other offerings. For more information, go to www.jimbeam.com @jimbeamofficial on Instagram and @jimbeam on Twitter.

About Cadillac Formula 1® Team: The Cadillac Formula 1® Team is a specialist motor racing team competing in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, the team has operations in Fishers, Indiana (USA); Charlotte, North Carolina (USA); and Silverstone, Northamptonshire (UK). With the confidence to dream big and the passion to deliver, the Cadillac Formula 1® Team is building everything from the ground up – from high-performance race cars to an inclusive, values-driven culture. The team will make its Formula 1® debut in 2026.

About GM: General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

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