Blog

The 14^th annual Victoria Whisky Festival takes place 17^th January and runs until Sunday 20^th January at the stunning 5-Star Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia.

In what is sure to be a fantastic event there’s going to be a whole host of grand tastings and masterclasses from some of the best distilleries in the world. Take a look at some of our favourite distilleries appearing across the weekend.

Whisky is coming!

With the final season of Game of Thrones coming in April this year, HBO & Diageo have brought together eight single malts, one for each of the iconic Houses of Westeros as well as one for the Night’s Watch.

Each of the eight whiskies from the limited edition collection are from a different distiller and four expressions in the collection feature completely new liquid bottled especially for the series with the Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old and Cardhu Gold Reserve rebottled and available in the US for the first time. Take a look at the full collection below:

Stay tuned as every Friday we’ll be bringing you the news that matters in the whisky world as well as what’s being going on in our stores nationwide and this week’s brand new releases.

In a week where a notable high street bakery bucked the trend and released a vegan sausage roll, getting a certain TV personality irate, there’s been a whole lot going on in the whisky industry.

Harrow Whisky Festival is right around the corner and if last year is anything to go by, this year’s edition is going to be spectacular.

Change is something that many brands fear, however, the brands that thrive are ones that embrace change.

Jura has never been a brand to shy away from change. Early in 2018 the core range of Jura single malts was re-blended and re-packaged to combine Highland and Island styles looking to balance smoke and sweet characteristics. Whyte & Mackay said this was “the biggest launch in [the brand’s] history”.

The result is the Signature Series, a range of five brilliant whiskies including the 12 Year Old, 18 Year Old and Seven Wood which were pre-released via The Whisky Shop last year.

Whisky is perhaps Scotland’s finest export. However, in the Far East, whisky of the Japanese variety has been making a name for itself. At first these whiskies were murmuring in the background, then the ripples gradually became larger and now today, Japanese whiskies are highly sought after and revered worldwide.

The history of Japanese whisky is one of fascination and charm, beginning in 1854. Commodore Matthew Perry was sent to Japan by command of US President Millard Fillmore. The aim of Perry’s mission was to reverse Japan’s 220-Year-old policy of national isolation under the Tokugawa shogunate and to secure new trading routes. After concluding the Japan-U.S. Treaty of Peace and Amity, Commodore Perry held a banquet on the deck of his flagship, USS Powhatan. Many of those in attendance were invited Japanese guests and this is where these guests first tasted the water of life.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY THIS WEEK

We have lots of exciting tastings going on up and down the country this week. Take a look at the next few days schedule below!

'…so succulent! Never before seen spice like it, or such sublime balance with the fruity malt…'

- Jim Murray, Whisky Bible 2017

Double Gold Winner at the World Spirits Competition, Gold Winner at the Berlin International Spirits Competition and winner in the International Spirits Challenge, this sublime bottle would make a fine addition to any whisky fan’s collection.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY THIS WEEK

We have lots of exciting tastings going on up and down the country this week. Take a look at the next few days schedule below!

If you’re looking for the perfect bottle to open this Christmas Day, we have just the ticket!

Hailing from R&B Distillers “The Tweeddale: The Evolution” is their oldest Tweeddale expression yet. Made up of a blend of classic Speyside single malts and a Lowland single grain and the youngest component whisky being 28 years old, this whisky oozes quality.