Become a Certified Whisky Ambassador!

Spend the day learning about Scotland’s National Spirit.  Accredited, independent education from Scotland.  Taxes, lunch and exams included in the price. Promo code, WA-EARLY-15 *** The Whisky Ambassador is an accredited training course about scotch whisky, Scotland’s national drink.

Available in over 20 countries, this one-day program covers: The economic impact of whisky How, when and where it all started Where and how it’s made Nosing and tasting Sales and customer service Drink less. Drink better Other world whiskies Practical and written exams Exclusive Content: Your course will include a module on collecting scotch whisky. Lunch will be provided. www.thewhiskyambassador.com

All are welcome!

15% OFF USING PROMO CODE: WA-15OFF

ATTEND 

A BLIND DATE WITH A WHISKY BOTTLE

Take a chance on a new dram and have a Blind Date with a Whisky Bottle. We’ve chosen six delicious whiskies, each with different flavours, lowered the price, and hidden their identities.

These gems hail from Scotland, Japan and Ireland, and are whiskies packed with rich fruit and spice, cherry and chocolate, dried fruit and nut or fresh fruit and vanilla. Or try a dram that is rich and peaty, or another that is filled with fresh fruit and smoke – you might discover a new favourite whisky.

 DISCOVER 

Whisky Words: Floor Maltings

Floor malting is an old-school method of turning barley into malted barley, a key ingredient in the whisky production process. Vic Cameron, one of our whisky lecturers, says: “Floor malting is a traditional method that every distillery used to have back in the old days. It simply means germinating barley on a concrete floor instead of in a pneumatic vessel.” Learn more about the handful of Scotch whisky distilleries that still operate traditional floor maltings on-site in this blog post.

🎬 Watch the Video | 📖 Read the Post

Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada February 2025 Outturn

THE REVIEW

Join Adam as he once again introduces us to another epic set of SMWS releases at The Strath. Check out the SMWS page on The Strath’s webstore, where you can buy bottles and tickets to upcoming events – http://strathliquor.com/smws

KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL® GROWS TO 60 DESTINATIONS 

BUCKET LIST BOURBON ADVENTURE WELCOMES VISITORS 

FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Distillers’ Association is proud to welcome more than a dozen new experiences to its Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour, growing opportunities for visitors worldwide to explore Kentucky Bourbon and benefiting local communities throughout the state.

Since its launch in 1999, the Bourbon Trail™ adventure has seen tremendous growth, elevating tourism for the entire Commonwealth and consistently breaking attendance records with more than 2.5 million visitors annually.

The latest expansion includes new distillery offerings and satellite tasting rooms, bringing the Bourbon Trail™ to 60 total destinations in 27 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. The growth is part of the new KBT® campaign that encourages visitors to “Build Your Own Bourbon Trail®” tour.

“As Bourbon tourism continues to thrive, our members are creating more opportunities for the world to experience the heart and soul of America’s spirit in a variety of ways that meet every visitor’s interests,” said Colleen Thomas, KDA Vice President of Operations.

“What began as a small group of distilleries now has grown into an ever-expanding bucket list destination with global appeal,” she said. “Each new addition is more than a stop on a map – it’s a celebration of Kentucky Bourbon’s rich history and proud heritage.”

More than 80% of all KBT® visitors come from outside Kentucky. Research shows Bourbon Trail™ visitors have a much higher household income than typical Kentucky tourists, trend younger, stay longer, come in larger groups, and spend more money in Kentucky communities.

Bourbon is a $9 billion economic and tourism powerhouse for Kentucky, generating more than 23,100 jobs with $2.2 billion in salaries and benefits. The industry continues to break records in aging Bourbon barrel inventory (14.3 million) and production (3.2 million barrels filled in 2023).

Even as all alcoholic beverages are seeing a slowdown in sales, KDA President Eric Gregory said he does not believe Bourbon tourism will be impacted by headwinds like shifts in consumer trends, snowballing taxes, and the threat of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

“Kentucky is the one, true and authentic home for Bourbon,” he said. “While we keep breaking attendance records, there are plenty of people around the world who have never made the pilgrimage to the Birthplace of Bourbon — and many more who are planning to return.

“Now with 60 different destinations — from small craft distilleries to iconic Bourbon landmarks and urban satellite tasting rooms — there is more for fans to see and taste on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® tour than ever before.

“We’re proud to welcome them to our beloved Commonwealth.”

Build Your Own Bourbon Trail® at www.kybourbontrail.com.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail® now offers more ways to experience Bourbon. By region, the new experiences include:

Bardstown

Chicken Cock Distilling

Central

Bluegrass Distillers, Elkwood Farm — Midway (coming soon)

Heaven’s Door Distillery — Pleasureville (coming soon)

Larrikin Bourbon Co. — Lawrenceburg

Lexington

Bespoken Spirits, Inc. (coming soon)

Garrard County Distilling Co. — Lancaster

RD1 Spirits – The Commons (new location coming soon)

Louisville

Buzzard’s Roost Spirits

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Tasting Room

Monk’s Road Boiler House Tasting Room

Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. Tasting Room

Northern

Becker & Bird Winery & Distillery— Augusta

Wenzel Distilling Co. — Covington

Western 

B.H. James Distillers — Adairville

Southern Kentucky Distillery — Burkesville

FEBRUARY 2025 AUCTION NOW LIVE!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! We are loving this gorgeous bottle of Macallan 1983 18 Years Old, one of many little delights in this month’s auction. This is one of only six annual releases presented in tubes with the watercolour artwork of renowned artist Sara Midda, depicting Eater Elchies House -the world-renowned home of the Macallan.

What’s not to love about thi rare expression, from iconic Highland distillery Brora. Released in 2017, this is bottle 275 of only 3,000 produced.

Our hearts are fluttering over this little beauty! Distilled at the Glen Moray Distillery in 1962, aged 42 years then bottled at Cask strength in 2005. The whisky was specially selected  by the Distillery Manager at that time, Ed Dodson, who held the position from 1987 till 2005. This rare example of the well-aged Speysider is accompanied with a 5cl miniature of the same whisky.

Another bottle to steal your heart is this stunning limited edition bottle of 1977 Ardbeg. What a cracker!

These are only a few of the old, limited and collectable bottles featured in our February 2025 Auction, to view more wee gems visit clickwhiskyauctions.com. Register to bid. Remember, you’ve got to be in it to win it! Auction ends Sunday 23^rd February from 8pm GMT.

Unveil the Richness of Old Perth Vintage Collection 2009 – Limited Edition Release

On 13th February, Old Perth unveils the Vintage Collection 2009—a bold and rich whisky, meticulously crafted to showcase the artistry of sherry cask maturation. With only 1,482 bottles available worldwide, this exclusive release is a must-have for whisky lovers and collectors.

Bottled at a robust 53.6% ABV and priced at £98, the Vintage Collection 2009 features an exceptional vatting of First Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask, Second Fill Oloroso Sherry Cask, and First Fill PX Sherry Cask. The result is a whisky that’s indulgent, layered, and unforgettable.

Nose: Sandalwood, dried tobacco, sun-dried fruits, raisins, and sultanas
Palate: Dried fruits, rich brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves
Finish: Rich nuttiness with a lingering, waxy texture

Find a Retailer & Secure Your Bottle

Old Perth Vintage Collection 2009 – A Limited Release for True Whisky Connoisseurs.

GET TO KNOW: JAPANESE WHISKY

Japan has been a hotbed of whisky production for more than a century. Now the home of some of the most sought-after names in whisky, it has a long and complex history and a rapidly expanding modern distilling industry.

Nikka and Suntory have both been in production since the 1920s, but an influx of new distilleries has breathed new life into the country’s whisky scene. Collectors’ favourite Chichibu, Led by master blender Ichiro Akuto, makes distinctive single malts and blends of both Japanese and world whiskies, which are highly prized by lovers of Japanese whisky.

DISCOVER

SHOP NOW

Our Outturn podcast video now has its own dedicated YouTube channel, Whisky Talk. Ready for the February Outturn podcast? Head over to the new channel to watch and subscribe.

WHISKY TALK ON YOUTUBE

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

The Good Dram Show – Episode 582 ‘European Whisky’

Welcome to this week’s episode of the show in which I’ll be taking a look at a selection of european whiskies from Italy, Norway, Denmark and Slovenia.

The Good Dram Show with Chris Goodrum

Episode 582 The Weird And Wonderful World Of European Whisky..!

Filmed in The Study Nottingham

Featuring

Il Signor Camillo Moonshine Italiano dei Monte Liguri 40% https://www.mulinodisassello.it

Søgaards Distillery Borglum Kloster Stygge Krumpen A 71%

Søgaards Distillery Borglum Kloster Stygge Krumpen b 71% https://soegaardsbryghus.dk/

Thy Whisky No19 – Pedro Ximenez 59.1% https://thy-whisky.com/

Bivrost Muspelheim Arctic Single Malt 46% https://www.bivrost.com/

Broken Bones 3 year old Peated Slovenian Whisky 46% https://www.brokenbones.si