Love was in the air, at least for some with Valentines Day, but not so obvious between the English Whisky Guild and the Scotch Whisky Association. The brouhaha or “storm in a teacup” depending on your perspective, was over the draft Geographical Identification (GI) for English whisk(e)y. The issue according to the SWA referring to English single malt whisky is “only requires distillation at the single distillery location and not the creation of the spirit from malted barley at a single site”. Then there was that article discussing this in The Times. The issue seemsto be about malting or maybe allowing casks other than oak? The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain lists nine companies all “headquartered” in England although most have maltings in Scotland. But does that make them English or Scottish? The Edinburgh Whisky Academy lists nine Scottish malt whisky distilleries with their own malting floors, but not all carry out 100% of their own malting. Reading the draft GI fully, did not seem to indicate anymore “fudges” than the Scottish equivalent. The document could have been clearer, but taken as a whole, it defines English whisky and English malt whisky. We still haven’t figured out what the SWA comment,“the creation of the spirit from malted barley at a single site” means. Or are we convinced it devalues Scottish malt whisky, surely consumers can read English and Sottish to determine where it comes from? They then will decide which they want. For those wishing to respond to the consultation the link is here.
The second fascinating discussion was what is a “fair” price for a bottle of whisky? Or in this case, the price of a bottle of new make spirit, and effectively the cost of a cask of new make. There is an economic rule, a seller needs to find a willing buyer. Whisky is all about perceptions – value, exclusiveness, experience etc., so the price will rarely reflect “the true cost.” A blog on The Whisky Broker website discussing the costs of buying a cask, clearly alludes to what sparked this discussion.
Here at The Cask Connoisseur the best part was it provided some further data points to refine our spreadsheet and statistics on the cost of producing a bottle of whisky. Accurate data that is not easy to obtain or to be certain you’re comparing apples with apples. What it does show is a surprisingly wide spread of cost. Currently the statistics indicate a fourfold variation which potentially could explain a large chunk in the variation in the cost of a cask.
ABOV, the whisky App, made a strange comment in it’s February 14th newsletter. Having stated that paying people for five star reviews is unethical, then go on to say, “So let’s make a deal; if you leave us a 5-star review (with this month (February 2025), we’ll clear your queue of submitted whiskies by the end of March. You get your new whiskies quickly added to the database (without paying!) and we get a life-giving review. Win-win! At best that mighty be only an incentive but it still is “manipulating” the data and is a form of payment.
What do we learn from the above stories? Probably not a lot, or maybe it confirms your personal opinion? What all can probably agree with is that consumers want clarity, transparency and truthfulness, to be properly informed to make their decision. Why is that still not happening? Let us know your thoughts.
April sees The Cask Connoisseur begin collecting data for their third Annual Whisky Distillery Index based on distillery’s online reputation. Last year we ranked 298 whisky distilleries in the UK. A great place to look for your next distillery visit, and for distilleries, an overview of how successful your online presence has been. If your distillery has not been included, please let us know. There is only one criterion – you must have started to produce whisky.
Whisky Business
Neil Bulloch becomes distillery manager at Rosebank. Formerly he held the post at Bladnoch. Malcolm Rennie who he replaces at Rosebank stays within Ian Macleod Distillers moving to be distillery manager at their under construction distillery on Islay, Laggan Bay.
The Whiskey Wash held their inaugural awards. The best Scotch award went to Glengoyne 25 with a double gold, whilst Tomatin Distillery’s Sherry Collection received a gold and two silvers. The full list of Scotch medal winners can be found here.
WVA Whisky Auctions follow other auction houses increasing Buyers Commission to 12.5%+VAT.
Loch Lomond Group obtains planning permission for its new distillery at Luss, Dumbartonshire. The multi-million pound distillery is expected to draw thousands of visitors. The distillery will provide a premium food experience and a flagship retail space housing the groups various brands – Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia and Littlemill.
Ardgowan Distillery is gearing up for commissioning in April.
Nickolls and Perks wins Independent Spirits Retail 2025 at the Drinks Retailing Awards. Master of Malt wins Online Drinks Retailer.
The Scotch Whisky Association announces that scotch whisky exports fell 3.7% in 2024 to £5.4 billion although volume actually increased by 3.9%.
Dornoch Distillery company, possibly better recognised as The Thompson Brothers, have announced the name of their new distillery – Struie Distillery.
RareWhisky101 have updated their website to be more user friendly and intuitive. They’ve also indicated that they will be introducing new innovative services during 2025.
White Peak Distillery won gold at the recent World Whisky Awards for their Wireworks Peated Quarter Cask, Rum Cask Finish, and Madeira Finish single malts.
Plans have been submitted to create a new distillery at Ferintosh on Scotland’s Black Isle. Sustainable distilling company Organic Architects application includes a new whisky distillery, visitor centre and warehouse.
A complaint regarding Glenmorangie’s A Tale of Ice Cream appealing to under 18 year olds has not been upheld.
Whisky Releases
Octomore 2013, 11 year old, 59.4% ABV, £440. Exclusive to the UK and malted to 107ppm and matured in first fill bourbon casks.
To celebrate 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee, Ardbeg Eureka! 52.2% ABV £72 is released. Created from a mix of PX and bourbon casks. The nose is said to be “heather bonfire and hand-rolled sweet tobacco leaves meet cedar and fennel. Whilst the palate consists of salted crispy seaweed and sweet cinnamon jostle with dark chocolate-coated raisins and burning embers.”
Mac-Talla releases Mac-Talla Virgin Oak £74 53.6% ABV. This limited edition is said to combine “Islay’s signature smoky peat with the bold sweetness of virgin oak maturation providing indulgent layers of smoked oak, sticky toffee pudding, and creamy butterscotch.”
Cotswolds releases Banyuls #1742 Single Cask 50% ABV £125. One of 299 bottles and aged full term in French oak casks seasoned with Banyuls, a Southern French red dessert wine made from Grenache grapes. They also one gold at the World Whisky Awards for their Sherry Cask single malt whisky in the Rest of the World category for whiskies aged 12 Years and Under.
Kilchoman releases its first 13 year old 50% ABV £89.95. A limited release “showcasing the depth and complexity of the distillery’s Islay spirit. The spirit has been matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels, Bourbon octaves, and Calvados casks.”
Ardnamurchan Madeira Cask Release 2025. A 6 year old, 52.0% ABV, £65, 1 of 19500 bottles.
Compass Box releases their Hedonism 2025 limited annual release 46% ABV, £85.
Glen Scotia release there Campbeltown Malts Festival Edition 2025, 54.3% ABV, £68. An “exceptional heavily peated 9 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, with a 5 month finish in the finest Ribera del Duero red wine casks” which “transforms the once tropical notes into red ripe fruit, juicy blackberry with a whisper of liquorice. The smoke intertwines with the fruit, wrapping each sip in a luxurious, velvety finish that lingers on the palate.”
Decadent Drinks release an Arran 10 year old, 57.1% ABV £95 fully matured in a 1st fill sherry hogshead. Said to be” a big, darkly fruity, spicy and robust wee sporran-warmer of a dram.”They also released a 25 year old, the fourth bottling in their Old Orkney series. The Old Orkney 25 year old, 50.3% ABV £350. It is said to be” deeply earthy, gamey and rich, with gentle peat smoke, waxes, hessian and nicely savoury, salty notes.”
Macallan release the latest in their Archival series Folio 8, NAS, 43% ABV £350.
Ardnahoe release their second core edition Ardnahoe Bholsa, 50% ABV £60. Matured predominantly in oloroso sherry casks you can expect “red fruits, walnuts, orange zest and peat smoke on the nose. Raisins, dates and ripe plums on the palate underpinned by Islay peat lead into a long, peppery finish.”
Inchaffray Distillery celebrates reaching 5 years with the release of three individual casks, Bourbon cask 20-14 Bourbon first fill ¼ cask, 54.7% ABV, £ 90.00 One of 118 bottles, Bourbon cask 20-15 Bourbon first fill ¼ cask 57.9% ABV, £90 one of 110 bottles, and Bourbon cask 20-17 Bourbon first fill ¼ cask, 57.9% ABV, £90 one of 118 bottles.
Yorkshire distillery Cooper King releases the next bottle in their Explorer Series, Pioneer 50% ABV £85 one of 1046 bottles. Said to, “brings together notes of rich, dried fruit and vanilla from premium wine and sherry casks, interwoven with layers of ginger and toasted oak from Kentucky rye whiskey casks.”
Bruichladdich Distillery releases the 2025 edition of Port Charlotte 18 Year Old 51.5% ABV £175 one of 8000 bottles.
Isle of Raasay releases their third annual cask strength expression, The Draam 61.5% ABV £65. It contains whiskies distilled between 2019 and 2021 and is said to, “feature rich dark fruit notes with spice, smoke, and sweetness.”
Upcoming Whisky Events
Those without full dates, have occurred in 2024 without releasing 2025 dates at present.
- 1st March 2025 – Whisky Birmingham, Birmingham
- 15th March 2025 – Croydon Whisky Festival
- 15th March 2025 – Independent Spirits Whisky Festival, Leith, Edinburgh
- 21st – 22nd 2025 – Whisky Live London
- 28th March 2025 – Whisky Fair – Cambridge
- 29th March 2025 – The Whisky Lounge: Newcastle Whisky Festival
- 5th April 2025 – National Whisky Festival, Glasgow
- 11th – 12th April 2025 – Welcome to Whisky Show, London
- 12th April 2025 – Clackmannanshire’s Whisky Festival, Alloa
- 26th April 2025 – Whisky Social Belfast, Belfast
- 30th April – 5th May 2025 – Spirit of Speyside
- 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
- 16th August 2025 – Linlithgow Whisky Festival (Falkirk Whisky Club)
- 5th September 2025 – Cadenhead’s in the Courtyard, Campbeltown
- 8th – 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
- 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
June
- The Whisky Lounge: Edinburgh Whisky Festival
- Stoke Whisky Festival – Stoke on Trent
August
- The Dram Good Whisky Festival, Edinburgh
- Whisky Fringe, Edinburgh
- Falkirk Whisky Social, Larbert
October
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.
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.
