Summary of the April may have brought its showers, but it also delivered a quiet pause in the whisky world following the storm of recent debates and headlines. While the industry caught its breath, we took the chance to explore some indulgent pairings for Easter – namely, whisky and chocolate – digging into their surprising similarities and how best to enjoy them together. From reflections on whisky tasting rituals to the underwhelming buzz of English Whisky Week, April offered a moment to recalibrate and reflect on what makes whisky appreciation so personal. We’ve rounded up the latest industry moves, new releases spanning the budget to the bonkers, and a look ahead to the upcoming festival season.
Whisky Highlights
After the excitement of the previous couple of months discussing several contentious issues in the whisky world, April felt a bit of a damp squib. Well, it is “April showers”.
Easter was obviously the big event and an excuse to talk about whisky and chocolate pairings. The simple take home message is, if its sherry matured then it will pair with dark chocolate. Delving a bit deeper and a surprising number of whiskies pair well with the various types of chocolate. So here at The Cask Connoisseur we decided to delve deeper into pairing the two, their similarities and whether there were any health benefits.
On the similarities we’re talking two things – appreciation and health benefits. Both are appreciated in a similar way – nose, palate and finish and both are best appreciated at room temperature (18 – 22oC, 64-72oF). Both have claimed health benefits although this is much disputed. But in moderation there may possibly be positive health benefits overall. If you want to know more go to our Whisky, chocolate and health article where we’ve also compiled three separate lists: a short list of malts that we feel pair really well with specific types of chocolate, malts with dominant chocolate notes, and a selection of budget malts with chocolate notes.
Of course, there are many more whiskies which you may feel pair better or have more chocolate notes, which brings us on to tasting. Try a bit of chocolate before sipping that whisky. The keyto choosing the right chocolate is balancing the flavours – matching the whisky’s notes with the right kind of chocolate. Invariably you’ll detect more chocolate notes on the palate, or if a whisky you already associate with chocolate, then the chocolate notes will be enhanced. But if you fail to match with the right type of chocolate then the result could be disaster. The point is that taste is affected by what you ate or drank beforehand. What you actually taste has very little to do with the “actual palate”. There is a plethora of factors that will affect your experience and ultimately what you can identify on the palate. This is why blind tastings can be so interesting, do not be surprised if you fail to even identify your favourite distillery. How many times has someone else mentioned a flavour and on the very next sip you detect it? If you want to experience the whisky “as it is” then always ensure a clean palate and try it before reading the tasting notes. Think what flavours you can identify and then read the tasting notes. Try the whisky again. What flavours do you identify?
By the time you read this, the first great whisky festival of the year will likely be over – The Spirit of Speyside. What a week of events there has been and rather like The Campbeltown Whisky Festival (19th – 24th May) or Fèis Ìle (23rd to 30th May), an event any whisky enthusiast should visit at least once. Compare that to the first ever English Whisky Week (19th – 27thApril). Did it pass you by? Okay The Spirit of Speyside has been going for 25 years, longer than the current revival in English Whisky, but beyond the odd “half price” whisky tour not a lot appeared to happen during English Whisky Week, certainly it seemed a very subdued celebration. The Cask Connoisseur didn’t spot much activity, or for that matter were we aware of the week, until mentioned by the English Whisky Guild in an email one week prior. Let’s look forward to next years event.
Keeping to English Whisky, there are now 61 distilleries in England producing whisky according to the latest map produced by Cooper King Distillery. This all sounds pretty rosy at first sight,but a quick check of the distillery websites tells a slightly different story. Some do not mention whisky on their website, others quite literally have produced one cask and others are contract distillers. Only 26 of them are members of The English Whisky Guild. What is clear is the diversity of “whisky” produced and how it is produced. Yes, there is a lot to look forward to in the next few years but the path to “success” certainly is not clear.
Whisky Business
A 2004 agreement between the EU and Canada means that EU producers of Rye whisky can no longer call it Rye Whisky. Previously this has not been enforced and came about to help protect Canadian rye whisky. Strangely, Canadian rye does not need to be made from rye. Make of that what you will.
Murray MacDavid open their first whisky shop. Situated in the heart of Forres at 102 High St, Forres IV36 1PA. It does look a rather spectacular place with two interesting features – “a whisky exchange, where those with whisky collections can sell or swap bottles. Plus, a retro whisky corner selling bottles of whisky from a bygone era.”
Dewar’s Aberfeldy distillery introduces a new tour – The Whisky Explorer Experience – booked through the distilleries website the tour includes access to the whisky making process, a tutored whisky tasting where you can experience aged and limited edition whiskies (5 drams) as well as explore their double ageing process. Cost – £60.
Eden Mill distillery started production on the 7th April at their new distillery. The distillery can produce up to one million litres of pure alcohol per year.
Glasgow Whisky gains planning permission to modernise The Speyside Distillery near Kingussie. The aim is to upgrade the distillery to a low-carbon operation and provide a sustainable future.
LVMH spirit sales decline 17% in first quarter mainly due to soft demand for cognac in the Chinese and USA markets. However the company claims Glenmorangie has benefited from their Triple Cask Reserve and the advertising campaign fronted by Harrison Ford.
Whitchmark Distillery based in Wiltshire achieves B-Corp certification. The producer of “premium whisky, gin and vodka achieved the highest score for any English spirits producer.
Isle of Harris Distillery to cut jobs and restructure. Yet anther casualty of the current economic climate? It only released its first whisky in 2023.
Whisky Hammer auctions refresh its policy on Reserve Prices. Perhaps the key message is “No reserve price should exceed 80% of the most recent hammer price achieved (within 12 months) for the same lot.” There has been a lot of debate lately over the number of bottles failing to make their reserve at auction.
Whisky Releases
Reflecting the variation in whisky prices, this month’s new releases start at around £30 going up to £71,000. If you talk to most whisky drinkers, they’ll say that the “sweet spot” for a single cask bottle is between £50 and £150 with around £80 giving the “best bang for the buck”. Here at The Cask Connoisseur, we’re pretty much in agreement with that. Fortunately for us consumers, the price increases of recent years seem to have slowed and, in many respects, started to reverse.
The Macallan Distil Your World Hong Kong (£3600, 46.8% ABV). Said to capture the complexity and energy of Hong Kong with a palate “of rich intensity from ginger, spice and antique oak, balanced by the tropical vibrancy of mango and grapefruit”.
Ardnamurchan AD/Mezcal Cask Release (£70, 55% ABV, 1 of 4968 bottles). Made from 20 bourbon barrels laid down in 2017 with spirit peated at 30ppm it spent the last 20 months of maturation in Mezcal casks. The nose, palate and finish are best described by Ardnamurchan. It sounds a really complex dram.
The GlenAllachie 2013 PX Hogshead Single Cask – Spirit of Speyside Online Exclusive(£104.99, 60.6% ABV, 1 of 351 bottles, Cask No 9322). Distilled in 2013 and bottled this year, the 11 year old spent its life in a PX Hogshead. Said to have layers of chocolate-covered orange, mixed nuts and ginger biscuits. One to get whilst you still can.
Bowmore ARC-54 (£71,000, 44.3% ABV, 54 years old, 1 of 130 decanters) – Distilled in 1968 and part of Bowmore’s collaboration with Aston Martin with the decanter “inspired by the ‘cutting-edge’ design of Aston Martin’s Valkyrie hypercar.”
Elevenses Whisky – part of Fragrant Drops, this range of single cask and small batch whiskies are all priced at sub- £50 and at 50% ABV. The most interesting one for us is the 6yo Strathenry from InchDarnie distillery priced at £47.50.
Rare Find release four new bottles in their Spring release marking their 10th anniversary.
Glen Scotia release their Campbelltown Malts Festival Edition 2025 (£68, 54.3% ABV, 9 year old). This limited edition peated whisky spent 5 months finishing in Ribera del Duero red wine casks. Said to have a distinctive maritime character which “unfolds with notes of creamy vanilla overlaid with rich peat smoke. The finish in Ribera del Duero red wine casks transforms the once tropical notes into red ripe fruit, juicy blackberry with a whisper of liquorice.”
Loch Lomond continuing their collaboration with the Open Championship release Open Course Collection Royal Portrush (£250, 46.7% ABV). Said to be “an elegant single malt with notes of toffee, pineapple, warming oak spice and soft smoke.” Or you can try the Open Special Edition Royal Portrush (£48, 46% ABV).
Wire Works Whisky Special Waters (£90, 57.3%, 1 of 393 bottles). Sold out in a flash but a really intriguing experimental whisky. Using low strength spirit (waters) extracts different flavours from the wood. You then combine this low strength spirit with your actual spirit.
Claxtons release their new Warehouse No.1 & No.8 bottles. Ranging in price from £79 for a heavily peated 3yo Holyrood to a £599 24yo Springbank. Our pick would likely be the Springbank (already sold out) or the 52yo Invergordon at £450. You can view full information at House of Carrick.
Chorlton Whisky release three new bottles, ignore the date at the top of the webpage. A 16yo Balblair (£95, 55.8% ABV, 1 of 271 bottles), a 13yo Glen Garioch (£69.50, 50.2% ABV, 1 of 248 bottles), 13yo Tullibardine (£72.50, 52.2% ABV, 1 of 213 bottles). All should be wonderful and all with the rather unique Chorlton Whisky label.
Talisker releases The Wild Blue (unfortunately with no specific details) but £3 per bottle is donated to the Blue Marine foundation.
Decadent Drinks April release consists of four new bottles. An Imperial 26yo, a Miltonduff 22yo, a Spirit of Yorkshire 6yo and an Inchmurrin 12yo (Loch Lomond).
Tobermory distillery announces their first Ledaig 10yo cask strength whisky. This marks the first aged bottling from the distillery’s new stills installed in 2014. Called Ledaig Hebridean Moon(£85, 58.8% ABV, 1 of 7000 bottles). “Peat-packed and salt-laced, you’ll also find layers of candied fruit, toasted oak, warm spice and a touch of double cream.” The bottle will not be released till 12th May.
Upcoming Whisky Events
Those without full dates (at the end of the list), have occurred in 2023/24 without releasing 2025 dates at present. For full details just type the name into Google.
10th May 2025 – Stirling Whisky Festival
17th May 2025 – Summerton Whisky Festival St Albans
16th – 17th May 2025 – Whiskey Live Dublin
18th May 2025 – The Whisky Event, London
19th – 24th May 2025 – Campbeltown Whisky Festival
23rd – 31 May 2025 – Fèis Ìle, Islay
30th May – 3rd June – Spirit of Speyside
14th – 15th June 2025 – Bladnoch Wave Weekend
27th – 29th June 2025 – Arran Whisky Festival, Arran
28th June 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Bristol Whisky Festival
4th July 2025 – Southport Summer Whisky Festival, Churchtown & Southport
5th July 2025 – National Whisky Festival, Inverness
18th – 26th July 2025 – Belfast Whisky Week, Belfast
6th August 2025 – Spirit of Alba Festival, Kirkintilloch
8th – 10th August 2025 – Whisky Fringe Edinburgh
16th August 2025 – Linlithgow Whisky Festival (Falkirk Whisky Club)
30th August 2025 – Spirit of Alba, Kirkintilloch
5th September 2025 – Cadenhead’s in the Courtyard, Campbeltown
4th – 14th September 2025 – Hebridean Whisky Festival
12th – 13th September 2025 – Whisky Indy Love Fest, Newcastle upon Tyne
13th September 2025 – National Whisky Festival, Aberdeen
13th – 14th September 2025 – Midland Whisky Festival, Birmingham
19th -22nd 2025 – Lagavulin Islay Jazz Festival
20th September 2025 – Lomond & Clyde Whisky Festival, Helensburgh
27th September 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Liverpool Whisky Festival
3-5th October 2025 – Whisky Show, London
11th October 2025 – Edinburgh’s Whisky Festival
18th October 2025 – Wee Dram Whisky Festival, Dram Fest, Bakewell
18th October 2025 – Seven Hills Whisky Festival, Sheffield
24- 26th October 2025 – Dornoch Whisky Festival
25th October 2025 – The Whisky Lounge, York Whisky Festival
25th October 2025 – National Whisky Festival, Edinburgh
31st October to 2nd November 2025 – Wales Whisky Fest, Llandudno
8th November 2025 – Glasgow’s Whisky Festival
21st November 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Manchester Whisky Festival
22nd November 2025 – English Whisky Festival, Birmingham
29th November 2025 – T B Watson (Drambusters) Whisky Festival, Dumfries
5th – 6th December 2025 – Kendal Whisky Festival
27th March 2026 – Whisky Fair – Cambridge
28th March 2026 – The Whisky Lounge: Newcastle Whisky Festival
June
- The Whisky Lounge: Edinburgh Whisky Festival
- Stoke Whisky Festival – Stoke on Trent – possibly in 2026
August
- The Dram Good Whisky Festival, Edinburgh
October
- Borderlands Whisky Festival, Lockerbie
November
- Leeds Whisky Festival
- The World Whisky Experience, Spitalfields, London
January
- Harrow Whisky Festival
- Southport Whisky Festival (Winter)
- Scottish National Whisky Festival, Glasgow
February
- Exploring Whisky: Bristol
- Fife Whisky Festival, various locations in Fife.
March
Whisky Birmingham, Birmingham
- Croydon Whisky Festival
- Independent Spirits Whisky Festival, Leith, Edinburgh
- Whisky Live London
April
- National Whisky Festival, Glasgow
- Welcome to Whisky Show, London
- Clackmannanshire’s Whisky Festival, Alloa
- Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast
- Spirit of Speyside
Background – Here at The Cask Connoisseur, even though we’re not subscribed to every potential newsletter or source of information, we receive around four hundred emails over the course of a month with various promotions, new release information, distillery newsletter,updates etc. Add on social media posts and that amounts to somewhere well over 1000 pieces of information being reviewed per month. The aim of this monthly round up is to provide a summary of the most interesting bits along with upcoming events that can be gleaned from them. The downside to a monthly review is a lot of “special offers” will have come and gone.
