Introducing The Oak & Maple Whisky Pub

Whisky Folk in Victoria have a brand new place to share drams.

THE VIDEO

Glen Scotia brings Campbeltown folklore to Luss Distillery this Halloween

Multi-award-winning Campbeltown distillery Glen Scotia is bringing the spooky folklore of Scotland’s smallest whisky-making region to Luss Distillery for an exclusive Halloween takeover.

Running on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, the event features two tastings – a journey through Glen Scotia’s limited-edition Icons of Campbeltown series, and a whisky experience exploring its core range.

Attendees at the Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown tasting will experience a line-up of single malts from the series and discover the inspiration behind each expression from the legendary folklore stories surrounding Campbeltown’s medieval market cross.

Located in the centre of Campbeltown, and long shrouded in myth and lore, the carvings on the 14^th century stone have inspired each annual ‘Icon’. Among them are the Dragon, the Wulver and, most recently, the Griffin for Release No.4 in the series – all mythical creatures who are said to have played a key role in Campbeltown’s legendary history.

For newcomers to the brand, or those looking to experience Glen Scotia’s true character, the core range tasting offers the chance to explore a quintessential Glen Scotia trio. From Glen Scotia Double Cask Sherry Finish, a classic Campbeltown malt which serves as a superb introduction to Glen Scotia, to the hero expression, Glen Scotia 12 Year Old, which showcases the distillery’s signature style, and Glen Scotia Victoriana, a modern take on a classic Victorian style single malt and a nod to Campbeltown’s history as the Victorian whisky capital of the world.

Ashley Smith, master blender at Glen Scotia said: “Campbeltown has a wealth of folklore and a rich history to draw on, which inspired the creative concept for the Icons of Campbeltown series. These tales give us a platform to tell the distillery’s story through this limited-edition collection, which are paired with our world-class whiskies for each release. Halloween weekend is the perfect time of year to experience the Icons of Campbeltown series and delve into the legends and bold character of Campbeltown.”

Tony MacLean, brand home manager of Luss Distillery said: “After the success of the Glen Scotia Mini Campbeltown Malts Festival earlier this year, we couldn’t wait to welcome Glen Scotia back for Halloween weekend. Our expert team knows Glen Scotia inside out, so whether you’re a devoted fan of its limited editions or are trying the renowned Campbeltown distillery’s whiskies for the first time, both experiences offer a chance to learn about Glen Scotia’s incredible, award-winning drams.”  

Taking place at Luss Distillery – the state-of-the-art spirits destination by Loch Lomond Group (owner of Glen Scotia, Loch Lomond Whiskies and Ben Lomond Gin) – the tastings offer a unique Halloween weekend activity for whisky fans looking to experience the spirit of Campbeltown, just an hour from Glasgow.

The Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown tasting (£19) is a 45-minute tasting including four drams and will run at 11.15am, 2.15pm and 4pm across the two-day takeover.

The core range tasting (£15) is a 30-minute tasting featuring three drams and will run at 10.30am on 31 October and 10.30am and 3.15pm on 1 November.

To find out more, or to book a Glen Scotia tasting at Luss Distillery during the Halloween takeover, visit: www.lussdistillery.com

About Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia has been crafting single malt whisky in Campbeltown since 1832. The town is the smallest of Scotland’s five whisky-producing regions with a big reputation for once being the Victorian whisky capital of the world when it was home to over 30 distilleries.

Today, Glen Scotia is one of only three surviving distilleries in the coastal town, which has seen a resurgence in recent years. Producing peated and non-peated whiskies, the distillery still maintains much of its original design, including the stillroom and the dunnage warehouse dating from the 1830s. The distillery’s small team is on a mission to put Campbeltown back on the map for its distinctive character, found not only in its fruity, maritime and oily-textured single malts, but also in its traditional whisky-making methods using small stills to create big Campbeltown flavours.

Recognition of Glen Scotia’s style and craftsmanship continues to be acknowledged globally.

• In 2023, a single cask bottling, distilled in 2009 and aged for 13 years in a first-fill bourbon barrel, won Best Single Cask Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards.
• Later that year, Glen Scotia 25 Year Old earned a Platinum award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, given only to entries that have won Double Gold for three consecutive years.
• In 2024, Glen Scotia 25 Year Old and Glen Scotia Victoriana both won Platinum at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• In 2025, Glen Scotia Double Cask Rum Finish was named the best Campbeltown no-age-statement whisky, Glen Scotia 15 Year Old and Glen Scotia 25 Year Old won Platinum at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Glen Scotia Victoriana took gold at the same event.
• That same year, Glen Scotia 15 Year Old also won gold at the International World Spirits Competition.
• In 2026, the brand’s hero expression Glen Scotia 12 Year Old won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Gold at the International Spirits Challenge.
• Also in 2026, the limited-edition Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival Release 2026 was named Taste Master in its category at the Spirits Business Scotch Whisky Masters.
• Glen Scotia 25 Year Old also added a further Platinum at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2026, its eighth consecutive year of recognition at the event.

DIGESTIF — Inside Iron Gate’s September Whisky Auction

Iron Gate’s Fine Spirits Auction closed as a perfect, white glove sale. 100% of lots sold! September was the first white glove sale of 2026 and the largest catalogue to date, indicating the appetite for fine whisky in the Canadian market is strong. The programme featured exceptional rarities, including a 1964 Black Bowmore, 1966 Gordon & McPhail Rare Old from Banff Distillery, Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and Pappy’s 23 Year Old Family Reserve.

View the results here: Iron Gate September Fine Spirits Auction

Key Facts & Figures:

• 100% sell through rate. A genuine white-glove sale.
• Across lots, 21% hammered above the high estimate, 59% within the estimate range, and 20% below the low estimate.
• Canada-wide bidder participation, from eight provinces and one territory.
• Number of auction registrants up 10% and number of active bidders up 20% from the June 2026 auction.
• Top performing lots include:
  • Lot 223 – Laphroaig 10 Year Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky, which hammered 247% above the high estimate;
  • Lot 95 – 1974 Scott’s Selection Glenglassaugh Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Natural Cask Strength, hammering 175% above the high estimate;
  • Lot 284 – 1968 Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged over 30 Years has the most bids with 23.
• Older vintage bottlings of Macallan, Highland Park, and Bowmore also performed well, indicating that classic distilleries are still very much the focus of collectors.
• Lots with the lowest number of bids coincided with lots with the lowest value. This indicates a general preference towards more premium whiskies. However, it also reveals that it may be a good place to look for value or for beginners looking to sample a wide variety of single malt scotches and vintage blended whiskies.

Lot 35 – 1969 Celtic Trilogy 32 Year Old Celtic Football Club

From Ajay and the entire Iron Gate team, we’d like to extend a huge thank you to our consignors, bidders, and all participants in the auction. The success in the September sale makes us extremely optimistic for the November’s auction. The consignment window is now open for the February and April’s 2027 sale. If you are looking to consign spirits in a future, we recommend reaching out to ajay@irongate.wine at your earliest opportunity.

Since 1926, the Scottish poppy, with its four petals and no leaf, has been a quiet, enduring symbol of remembrance. What began with two ex-servicemen, tissue paper and a pair of scissors is now a national legacy. Today, 34 disabled ex-servicemen and women at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh make millions of poppies for the Scottish Poppy Appeal, plus 25,000 wreaths for the Royal British Legion, Poppyscotland’s parent charity. Their work turns remembrance into lifelong support for Scotland’s veterans, service personnel and their families.

To mark the centenary, we’re proud to launch our third charity partnership with Poppyscotland: a Wolfburn 12 Year Old Single Malt. Lightly peated and bottled at 46% ABV, it’s limited to just 1,926 bottles, a tribute to the year the factory was founded.

£15 from every bottle goes to Poppyscotland, so the legacy that began in 1926 keeps caring for today’s Armed Forces community. Join us in marking a century of dedication and the people who keep Lady Haig’s legacy alive.

Our festive diary is now open for gatherings of all shapes and sizes.

Expect exceptional food and whisky across our Edinburgh city centre, Leith, Glasgow and London Members’ Rooms. And if you can’t come to us, we can bring the Society to you with a whisky tasting experience wherever you are. No membership required.

You bring the people, we’ll bring the good stuff.

EARLY BOOKING OFFER
Book by 31st October and enjoy a Premium Malt of the Moment for all guests

BOOK A TICKET

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

Cu Bocan Creation 9, 46% – Whisky Wednesday.

THE VIDEO

Cù Bòcan #9, 46% – Haunted, Tasty Tomatin. The smell of peat at Tomatin; it means winter is coming! Launched in 2005 and utilising just two weeks of production per year at Tomatin. The barley is peated to 15ppm using mainland peat for a less iodine and more BBQ! 17 year old whiskies with some potent cask maturation! Full term virgin oak maturation makes up 80% of the contents and 20% is the Manzanilla (13 years ex-bourbon and four years in the sherry).

Only 3600 bottles for this year’s release and something that reminds me of toasted cinnamon French toast being eaten by an open fire. The Manzanilla provides this softly salty, nutty profile while the American virgin oak is loaded with coconut and butter. A truly creative process that allows unlimited creativity of cask maturation, combination and delicate peated flavours.

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday
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GORDON & MACPHAIL APPOINTS NEW GLOBAL MARKETING DIRECTOR

Gordon & MacPhail, the Elgin-based, family-owned whisky specialist, is welcoming Jo Coomber as its new Global Marketing Director.

Jo brings more than 25 years’ experience in UK and international marketing, with a career spanning luxury, consumer brands and creative industries. She joins Gordon & MacPhail with extensive experience in board level Marketing and Leadership roles and with deep expertise in brand strategy, development and execution, alongside a strong track record of delivering commercially focused marketing programmes.

In recent years, Jo, who is a Fellow of the Marketing Society, has been a consultant, advising on brand development and marketing strategy for companies such as Suntory Global Spirits and Scottish design house Timorous Beasties. Her breadth of experience across both global organisations and distinctive luxury brands will bring valuable expertise to Gordon & MacPhail as it continues to build the strength and reach of its whisky brands.

Commenting on her appointment, Jo said:

“Gordon & MacPhail has a rich heritage, exceptional whiskies and an ambitious brand-led vision for the future. It is a personal privilege for me to be joining the business at such an exciting time. I look forward to working with the team and partners to deliver the next phase of our brand growth ambitions – both at home and internationally.”

This latest appointment reflects Gordon & MacPhail’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its senior team as the company accelerates brand development and international expansion.

Mark Geary, Chief Executive of Gordon & MacPhail, added:

“We are delighted to welcome Jo to the Gordon & MacPhail team. She will bring a wealth of experience to our Executive team and business as we deliver our ambitious growth plan.”

“Her proven track record in brand development and insight-driven marketing makes Jo the perfect fit as we continue to invest in our brands in key markets around the world.”

Jo’s appointment comes at an important time for Gordon & MacPhail, which continues to build on its long-standing reputation for quality, craftsmanship and expertise within the Scotch whisky industry. Her appointment will support the business as it looks to maximise the potential of its brands, including Gordon & MacPhail, Benromach Distillery and The Cairn, in both established and international markets.

Gordon and MacPhail is a family-owned premium spirits company based in Elgin. Established in 1895, it evolved from a local grocer to a globally respected name in the whisky industry.

For more information on Gordon & MacPhail visit www.gordonandmacphail.com.

About Gordon & MacPhail

Gordon & MacPhail is a family-owned Scotch whisky specialist. Based in Elgin and operating on an international level, Gordon & MacPhail is owned by the third and fourth generation of the Urquhart family. Bringing together over 130 years of expertise in Scotch whisky production with a passion for building a business that will continue for generations to come, Gordon & MacPhail owns both Benromach Distillery in Forres and The Cairn Distillery in Grantown-on-Spey, as well as maturing and bottling some of the world’s rarest Single Malt Scotch Whiskies under its Gordon & MacPhail brand.
http://www.gordonandmacphail.com

Weekend Packages Announced for 2027 at Luxury Castle

Rothes Glen, the luxurious exclusive-use castle in the heart of Speyside, Scotland has announced its highly anticipated programme of Ultimate Weekends for 2027 – a collection of all-inclusive luxury escapes celebrating the very best of Scotland’s heritage, whisky, food and culture.

Experiences include private distillery tours, unforgettable falconry displays, guided foraging, and a range of bespoke experiences that showcase Scotland’s rich traditions and breathtaking landscapes. New for 2027 is the Ultimate Castle Conspiracy, where guests will spend a thrilling Traitors-inspired murder mystery weekend at Rothes Glen.

FIND OUT MORE

The Ultimate Weekend Collection 2027

Ultimate Burns Weekend with ‘Andy the Highlander’ | 22–24 January 2027

Ultimate Scottish Weekend with ‘Andy the Highlander’ | 13–20 June 2027

NEW FOR 2027 – Ultimate Castle Conspiracy | 26–29 August 2027

Ultimate Whisky Weekend | 12–14 November 2027

Ultimate Christmas Weekend | 3–5 December 2027

In addition to the themed Ultimate Weekends, Rothes Glen offer the following individual room packages:

Speyside Whisky Festival | 28 April – 3 May 2027

Easter at Rothes Glen | 26–30 March 2027

Hogmanay at Rothes Glen | 29 December 2027 – 2 January 2028

Whether celebrating Scotland’s national poet, immersing themselves in the country’s renowned whisky heritage, enjoying festive traditions or simply escaping to one of Scotland’s most spectacular private castles, Rothes Glen’s guests can expect an unforgettable luxury experience.

“Our Ultimate Weekends have been carefully created to offer guests far more than a luxury stay,” said Damian Riley-Smith, owner of Rothes Glen. “They’re an opportunity to experience Scotland at its most authentic and memorable, with exceptional hospitality, remarkable food and drink, exclusive access to Speyside’s finest attractions and experiences that simply can’t be replicated elsewhere.”

Cask KD#203
Rye Irish Whiskey – Column Still – Cab Sav Full Term

The micro batch experimental journey continues with the next edition to the Contours of Killowen and this time it’s a whiskey – but not just any kind of whiskey!

This is the first whiskey that went through our hybrid column still – Columbanus. Fully matured in a Cab Sav it showcases the wonderful balance that can be struck between spirit and cask.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE:
Blueberry & Strawberry Tart/pie. A slight lemon zest over almond paste

PALLET:
Mixed berry Jam. Cherry Bakewell especially the almond and glazed cherry part.

FINISH:
Shortbread with raspberry & blueberry compote.

RELEASE DATE

Wednesday 21st October 4pm (Killowen Time)
Price: £65

Purchase Here

Sláinte

The Killowen Distillery Team

New and Exclusive: Laphroaig 2007

An exclusive bottling for The Whisky Exchange, we are extremely excited to be able to present this rare taste of a fully sherry cask-matured Laphroaig. After 19 long years in the cask, this is a single malt luxuriating in the marriage of the distillery’s distinctively coastal peat and brine with the rich fruitcake of sherry influence.

SHOP NOW

Nose

Coastal peat smoke to start, packed with brine, tar and iodine. Sweet toffee follows, along with barbecued apples and pears, hints of roasted pineapple, creosoted fences, singed raisins and ashy coal stoves.

Palate

A burst of ashy smoke fades to reveal classic, rich Laphroaig character: the sweet coastal peat from the nose is joined by dark-chocolate-covered ginger, raisin jam and damp ferns. A core of dark liquorice is surrounded by earthy and mulching grassy notes with a tingle of anise. Tarry notes build alongside fruit: apple, pear and pineapple.

Finish

Iodine, coastal smoke and menthol freshness linger, with polished oak and roasted apples slowly fading.