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. Hurray it's Friday! But not just any Friday, it's Burns Night! Get the haggis in the oven and pour yourself a dram as we take a look at what's been going on in the whisky industry this week!

Visitors To Irish Whiskey Distilleries Grow 13% In 2018

Irish Whiskey continues to be one of the fastest growing contributors to Irish tourism as 923,000 punters visited Irish Distilleries in 2018, an increase of 13% on 2017, according to figures published by the Irish Whiskey Association (IWA). Of the 932,000 visitors 88% were from overseas, 40% being from the US and Canada and 14% being from the UK. This continued growth is promising for the Irish whiskey industry and eight new whiskey distillery centers are due to open in Ireland this year. Whiskey production is a huge part of Irish heritage and the Irish Whiskey Tourism Strategy plans to reach 1.9 million visitors by 2015.  

Suntory Discontinues Six Japanese Whisky Bottles

Suntory confirmed this week that it has pulled sales of 700ml, 1.92l, 2.7l and 4l bottles of blended Shirokaku’s, Single Grain Chita 350ml and 450ml bottles of Kakubin blend. After reviewing its brand portfolio Suntory have decided to focus on a stable supply of their major products. The popularity of Japanese whisky has skyrocketed in recent years and there simply isn’t enough stock to meet demand and this has resulted stock shortages and Hibiki 17 Year Old and Hakushu 12 Year Old being discontinued later this year. For a look at the history of Japanese whisky take a look at our blog here  
Hibiki 17 Year Old £550 - BUY NOW Hakushu 12 Year Old £195 - BUY NOW  Suntory The Chita £58 - BUY NOW
 

Glyph Look To Shake Up The Whiskey Industry

Glyph whiskey is looking to shake up the industry with the first whiskey made from the molecule up. They state that whiskeys get their flavour characteristics from the molecules that develop during the distillation and aging processes. Glyph whiskey is made by sourcing those same molecules directly from plants and yeasts instead of obtaining them through distilling and aging. Glyph say that “Each component is meticulously tested for purity. Glyph is biochemically equivalent to the finest aged whiskies.”. Instead of being distilled and aged Glyph is made overnight. The jury may still be out on this one but we’re eager to taste it.

England Has More Distilleries Than Scotland For The First Time

Figures from HMRC published by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) show that England has overtaken Scotland in distillery numbers for the first time. As of January 2019, England has 166 distilleries whilst Scotland has 160. 31 new distillery licenses were granted in England last year whereas 11 were granted in Scotland. Although Scotland is famed for some of the finest whiskies in the world the growth in English distilleries has came from smaller operations with most coming from gin distilleries.  

Celebrate Chinese New Year With Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year Of The Pig Limited Edition

This Chinese New Year Johnnie Walker are celebrating the Year of The Pig with a limited edition bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, designed by famed illustrator Chrissy Lau. Her signature delicate lines and intricate patterns are instantly recognisable and inspired by Chrissy’s Chinese heritage. This year's release features a beautiful illustration on three of the four faces of the iconic square bottle. Presented at a strength of 40% abv, each bottle is individually numbered. As for the liquid, every bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the pinnacle of Blended Scotch Whisky making from Johnnie Walker. Only 1 out 10,000 casks is deemed to be of sufficient character to deliver its remarkably smooth signature taste, and these casks are drawn from the largest reserves of whisky in the world. Blue Label is a big flavoured whisky that reflects the Walker belief that neither whisky age alone, nor whisky from a single location, is enough to achieve the creation of a masterpiece. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of The Pig is available to pre-order now with orders being dispatched W/C 4th February, the week we celebrate Chinese New Year. Get your bottle here  

Burns Night Celebrations

With it being Burns Night we’re hosting events in our stores up and down the country. To see what’s going on in your area contact your local store.