International Beverage ‘Spirit of Our Community’ Awards return for third year

Local community projects across Scotland to share £25k fund

Premium global spirit business, International Beverage, has launched its community charity initiative for a third year, to mark the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting good causes across its whole Scottish network.

Launched in 2022, the International Beverage Spirit of Our Community Awards were founded to celebrate and reward the people and organisations working hard to make a difference to others in the Airdrie and Coatbridge community, where the business’s head office is based. In 2023 the programme was extended to incorporate an additional two regions which surround the company’s distilleries in both the Speyside and Highlands regions.

Now a bi-annual initiative, the 2025 awards will be split into three zones which any local charity or not for profit organisation can enter.

• Zone 1 the ML5 and ML6 Airdrie and Coatbridge region;

• Zone 2 within a 35-mile radius of Aberdeenshire’s Knockdhu Distillery and Speyside-based Speyburn and Balmenach Distilleries;

• Zone 3 within a 35-mile radius of Pulteney Distillery in Wick and Balblair Distillery in Tain.

In Zone 1, there is a £10,000 award on offer for one deserving charity, with two £1,000 runners up awards. Zone’s 2 and 3 will each offer a £5,000 award for the standout entry in their area, plus there will be five runners up across both zones which are set to receive £600 each.

Interested groups and charities now have 8 weeks to submit their entries to meet the deadline – midnight on Friday 28^th November. Every submission will be reviewed by a panel of judges, made up of members of the distillery teams alongside representatives from long standing local charity partners.

Awards organiser, International Beverage Business Support Manager Eileen Rae, is hoping to hear from a wide range of charities across Scotland – with causes that can demonstrate a tangible, positive impact on local lives most likely to stand out with judges.

She commented: ‘Our business has a long-standing commitment to supporting local communities and our Spirit of Our Community awards scheme is testament to this. We are very proud to be back for a third year, and to continue to hear stories from previous award recipents of the difference our support has made to their organisation and to people’s lives. 

‘There are so many fantastic charities and groups that carry out invaluable work in our local communities, and we really want to hear from them. Any organisation that needs a helping hand or has an initiative that needs funding, regardless of their size or cause, is encouraged to apply.’ 

The recipient charity of the 2023 Awards in Zone 1 was Airdrie’s Moira Anderson Foundation, which provides support to children and adults affected by childhood sexual abuse. Funding was used to provide more individual and group therapies and counselling alongside other services and preventative work. Charity Director Gillian Urquhart said:

‘Childhood sexual abuse is happening in our communities every day and it inflicts profound wounds that linger into adulthood and can cast a long shadow over survivors’ lives. This abuse is often hidden but sadly it is not rare. We received 803 new referrals last year, which is a truly daunting statistic, but we continue to rise to the challenge. The invaluable support provided by the Spirit of Our Community Awards has helped the children, young people and adults referred to us to reach their outcomes and not let their abuse define who they are and what they can achieve’. 

Additional recipients of the 2023 Awards included:

• £5000 to The Watermill Foundation, the Nairn-based trust that gives children with physical and developmental disabilities the opportunity to race and ride bikes.
• £5000 to Ormlie Community Hall which provides social services and care to individuals and their families within a deprived area of the Highlands.
• A further £5,000 split amongst seven runners up: St Andrew’s Hospice, Diamonds in the Community, James Support Group, Seaboard Memorial Hall, Culrain and District Hall Committee, Young Enterprise Scotland Highland & Moray and Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.

To learn more about the awards and to download an entry form, please visit HERE

International Beverage is the international arm of Thai Beverage Public Limited Company. The premium spirits company’s portfolio is led by a range of high-quality brands including Old Pulteney single malt Scotch whisky, Hankey Bannister blended Scotch whisky, Caorunn Gin, PRAKAAN single malt whiskies and Phraya Rum from Thailand, Larsen Cognac, and Cardrona spirits and liqueurs.

A certified Great Place to Work, International Beverage’s success is shaped by its 700-strong team based across the business’ network of nine global sites spanning the UK, France, New Zealand, and Greater China following the company’s recent acquisition of Asiaeuro International Beverage (AIB). For more information, please visit www.interbevgroup.com/.

WHISKY MAKING COUNTRIES WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT

For lovers of whisky, there’s never been a better time to explore new countries and discover your next favourite bottle. From Ireland to South Korea, these regions are producing whiskies that are capturing our imagination.

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Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 579: Ledaig 27 Year Old 1995 Berry Bros & Rudd

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a rather old Ledaig. Recently, he attended a tasting by Care for Craft Spirits in Ghent, in the coziest tapas bar in the city, Bar Terroir, where none other than Mike Harrison, Sales Development Director of independent bottler Berry Brothers & Rudd, presented some bottles. One of the highlights of the evening for Mark was this 27-year-old Ledaig. Distilled in 1995 and aged for almost three decades in a hogshead, the cask yielded 224 bottles.

https://youtu.be/ozCwepmB7ps

Douglas Laing & Co. Unveil Winter Wonders with Dual Limited-Edition Releases

As temperatures drop and Whisky lovers reach for something warming, Douglas Laing & Co. proudly unveil not one, but two exceptional seasonal bottlings: Scallywag Winter Edition and, for the very first time, Big Peat Winter Edition. These annual expressions of two of the company’s flagship brands invite consumers to embrace winter in all its bold, rich and flavourful glory.

Scallywag Winter Edition: Frosted by Nature

Returning for its annual appearance, the Scallywag Winter Edition has been reimagined in striking new form for 2025. Sporting a frosted glass bottle and cracked ice design effect, the presentation mirrors the Whisky’s indulgent, wintry soul. This Speyside Malt has been expertly finished in rare Ice Wine Casks sourced from Eastern Europe and is said to deliver “a decadent dram brimming with dark chocolate, candied orange and warm festive spices”. Natural in colour, non-chill filtered and bottled at a natural cask strength of 52.4% ABV, it’s an intense, warming Whisky that captures the very essence of the colder months.

Scott Morrison, Scallywag Senior Brand Manager comments:

“As ever, Scallywag’s Winter Edition is a celebration of the season – but this year’s striking new look adds an extra layer of drama to an already flavour-packed Whisky. It’s a bottle designed to be both admired and enjoyed… can you find our Feisty Fox Terrier lurking beneath the ice?” 

Big Peat Winter Edition: A Powerful New Chapter

In an exciting new development, Big Peat – Islay’s distinctive Malt with a cult-like global following – makes “his” first foray into Winter Editions. Hanging up “his” Santa hat in favour of something more curated this year, Big Peat presents a special limited release, carefully finished in hand-selected Madeira Wine Casks sourced directly from the iconic region, adding sunlit sweetness to “his” trademark smoky Islay Malt.

With this winter warmer you can expect “sweet Malt, sea spray and salted caramel on the nose, followed by a molasses-rich palate with burnt orange, coal dust and phenolic firepower.” Bottled at a punchy 53.6% ABV, and as always with no colouring and no chill-filtration, this limited release is an authentic and powerful winter dram for the devoted peat fan.

Chloe Wood, Big Peat Brand Manager comments:

“This isn’t a reinvention, it’s an evolution. Big Peat has always embraced the elements, and our Winter Edition showcases his depth and adaptability in the face of nature’s coldest, wildest season. Prepare yourself for something truly spectacular!”

Both limited editions are available in formats designed to captivate. Big Peat is presented in a striking carton, featuring embossing and gold foil detailing that reflect the Whisky’s bold character. Scallywag, meanwhile, is offered bottle-only to hero its iconic frosted glass bottle and cracked ice design. Each release is destined to appeal to Whisky connoisseurs, collectors, and seasonal gift-buyers alike.

With winter fast approaching, Douglas Laing invites Whisky lovers to embrace the season boldly, whether through Scallywag’s rich, sherried indulgence or Big Peat’s smoky, sun-touched storm.

Now available at select retailers and online with a suggested RRP of: 

Scallywag Winter Edition: £60.00 / €68.00

Big Peat Winter Edition: £65.00 / €74.00

Scallywag: scott.morrison@douglaslaing.com / @scallywagwhisky

Big Peat: chloe.wood@douglaslaing.com / @bigpeatwhisky

Website: www.douglaslaing.com

J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery Invites Fall Partygoers to Customize Their Own Whiskey for Halloween

Be the Life of the Party with a Personalized Halloween Bottle 

FRANKFORT, KY (Sept 25, 2025) – This Halloween, even your bottles can be dressed up for the occasion, with J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery’s craft your bottle program. Whiskey fans can go online to www.jmattingly1845.com/crafting/make-your-own and choose between three different double staved™ mashbills (or recipes), including two bourbons and one rye whiskey.  Next, users select their bottle shape, customize their own label and even choose their own wax color from every color of the rainbow. Bottles can be shipped to 46 states.  This program is available online and in person at the Distillery in Kentucky and can result in some frighteningly fun labels and Halloween-themed wax colors. ​​

With Halloween spending projected to be at an all-time high this year, and nearly three-quarters of Americans intending to celebrate Halloween in 2025, according to the National Retail Federation, taking a bourbon with a custom label to your next Halloween party, or creating one yourself to display with your Halloween décor and enjoy as you hand out candy is a spell-binding way to spend All Hallows’ Eve.

“We really get into the Halloween spirit here at J. Mattingly 1845, and have seen some creative plays on words for labels, and wax bottle toppers that range from what you’d think of as traditional Halloween colors of orange and black, to even tri-color wax that looks like candy corn,” said Cameron Mattingly, Master Blender and Vice President of Production. “Since all of our whiskey is double-staved, the product inside the bottle looks and tastes just as good as it looks on the outside.”

Double-staving is a proprietary method developed by founder Jeff Mattingly over a decade ago and is the process of adding additional charred oak staves to each barrel at just the right moment in its aging cycle to coax out additional flavor. Pricing for the custom bottles starts at $99.50 for a 750 mL bottle, and shipping is available to 46 states.  Visit www.jmattingly1845.com to create your custom bottle today.

About J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery

The Mattingly family has been synonymous with distilling in Kentucky for more than two centuries, having a hand in the development of at least nine separate distilleries in the Commonwealth, and with connections to some of the most illustrious names in the distilling industry, including George Garvin Brown, the Willetts and the Samuels.

It all started in 1845, with John Graves Mattingly’s first distillery in Marion County, Kentucky, Registered Distillery #2.  Many historians today believe his distillery was the first registered distillery in Kentucky.

        In 2010, Jeff Mattingly took up the family mantle and started his own craft bourbon business.  Today, Jeff’s son Cameron continues the legacy into the latest generation for J. Mattingly Distillery 1845 in Frankfort, Kentucky, serving as Vice President of Production.  J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery continues to innovate, with their proprietary double-staving process and custom bourbon blending experience unparalleled in the spirits industry, available on-site in Frankfort or online at https://jmattingly1845.com/build-a-bottle/.

For more information about J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery visit www.JMattingly1845.com.

Our collection schedule for September 2025 has now been finalised. Please click HERE to see the list of dates, locations and to register your interest in the collection service.

The deadline for collection requests is 12noon on Monday 13th October 2025.

Home collections are available for those customers sending 10+ bottles or bottles to the value of £1000. Lots can be split over the next three auctions.

Unfortunately this service is not available in London. Although we do have four collection points in London. Collections are limited and offered on a first come first served basis.

It is essential that a submission sheet is completed, you can find the link to do so under the selling section on your ‘My SWA’ page.

It would be appreciated if bottles could be packed for uplift with your name clearly marked on the front of the box.

A winner in our auction? We are now offering a delivery service to customers who are dropping bottles off for a future auction. This service is charged at £12 (inc. VAT), optional loss and breakage cover is available.

A GUIDE TO CHICHIBU

For lovers of Japanese whisky, Chichibu needs no introduction. The distillery was founded by Ichiro Akuto in 2008 and has since become a benchmark for the next generation of Japanese distilling. Chichibu traces back to the Akuto family’s sake brewery, founded in 1625, combining centuries of experience with a modern approach. Ichiro carefully selects barley, experiments with fermentation, and ages the spirit in a range of casks – from bourbon and sherry to IPA and mizunara oak – producing releases with distinct flavours while keeping the distillery’s signature balance and precision.  Ichiro is known for his love of mizunara oak, giving his whiskies their distinctive flavours of incense and spice. He bids at auctions each year to source the wood and even makes washbacks from mizunara.

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THE REVIEW

I’m back from holiday and it’s time to get opening all of the new stocks! I managed to secure a really fun bottle from a much loved release from the folks at The Thompson Brothers, I’ve also renewed my membership with a particularly excellent and well established indie bottler.

Outside of all of this, we’ve been sent loads of great bottles from the folks at The Whiskey Wash who I do some other work for. You can check out the written reviews at the link below, or you can wait for me to get them on here. Either way, whatever in this video you really want to see, do let me know below. That’s what this is all about.

Whisky Reviews every Wednesday
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Youtube.com/whiskywednesday

1792 BOURBON WELCOMES COGNAC CASK FINISH

TO ITS PORTFOLIO

The brand’s first permanent cask-finished expression brings new flavor dimensions to its Award-Winning Small Batch Bourbon

BARDSTOWN, kY (September 18, 2025) – 1792 Bourbon, crafted at Barton 1792 Distillery, proudly introduces 1792 Cognac Cask Finish, the first cask-finished expression in its permanent portfolio. Building on the foundation of its Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, this release offers whiskey drinkers an opportunity to explore new dimensions of flavor through extended finishing in Cognac casks.

As the oldest fully operating distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky—the Bourbon Capital of the World—Barton 1792 draws on nearly 150 years of whiskey-making experience. 1792 Cognac Cask Finish builds on this tradition, using the same mashbill, fermentation, and distillation process as 1792 Small Batch Bourbon, which was recently named “Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon” at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards.

“We’ve experimented with a range of premium cask finishes, but Cognac immediately stood out for how naturally it complements our Small Batch Bourbon,” says Ross Cornelissen, Barton 1792 Master Distiller. “Extended finishing in Cognac casks reveals dessert-like notes and layered complexity, while showcasing the full-bodied character of the Small Batch Bourbon and its signature high-rye recipe.”

The distillery’s journey into finishing began with 1792 Port Cask Finish, an acclaimed early experiment. This experience laid the foundation for the milestone release of Cognac Cask Finish. The latest release from 1792 transfers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from charred American White Oak barrels into hand-selected ex-Cognac casks for its final maturation. These barrels are placed on the top floors of the rickhouses, where rising heat intensifies aging and interaction with the wood. After resting for a minimum of six months in Cognac casks, the bourbon develops soft fruit notes and a refined sweetness.

Bottled at 95 proof, 1792 Cognac Cask Finish opens with a deep, luxurious nose of dark cocoa and rich caramel. On the palate, ripe stone fruit—plum, apricot, and cherry—emerges alongside notes of Bananas Foster and creamy vanilla, finishing with sweet oak.

“1792 Cognac Cask Finish represents a new flavor chapter in this brand’s story,” says Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director, 1792 Whiskey. “We’re pleased to offer a whiskey that invites both new and experienced spirits fans to enjoy premium cask-finished bourbon. It’s already becoming a favorite among bourbon connoisseurs.”

1792 Cognac Cask Finish is available now at a suggested retail price of $37.99 (750ml) through Sazerac’s United States distributor network, reaching retailers, bars, and restaurants nationwide.

About 1792 Whiskey

1792 Whiskey is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery and is named for the year Kentucky became a state. The 1792 portfolio includes Small Batch, Single Barrel, Bottled in Bond, Full Proof, Aged Twelve Years, Sweet Wheat, and more—each offering a sophisticated and complex flavor profile. Through flawless distillation, distinct recipes, patient maturation, and precise proofing, 1792 whiskeys have earned acclaim from novices and connoisseurs around the world. Recently, 1792 Small Batch was named Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards, while 1792 Aged 12 Years, Full Proof, and Small Batch each received Double Gold at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. To learn more, visit www.1792bourbon.com.

About Barton 1792 Distillery

Barton 1792 Distillery is an American family-owned company located in Bardstown, Kentucky. Named for the year Kentucky became a state, the Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest fully-operating Distillery in the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” The Distillery is part of Barton Brands, which is owned by the Sazerac Company, one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies with over 400 years of history. Situated in the heart of bourbon country on 196 acres, the Distillery boasts 29 barrel aging warehouses, 22 other buildings including an impressive still house, and the legendary Tom Moore Spring. 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey, as well as seven limited edition expressions, are produced at Barton 1792 Distillery. The Distillery has garnered a number of prestigious awards for its whiskies, including its 1792 Small Batch winning Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards. To learn more about Barton 1792 Distillery, visit www.1792bourbon.com.