January 27, 2023
Pinot, manuka and swamp forest – the world of Kiwi whisky
The last time I headed to New Zealand, things didn’t go exactly as planned. What was intended as…
January 16, 2023
AMMoment
One of the highlights of last year was a gig by AMM, the improvising group/collective/cluster which has been…
January 12, 2023
When is Karuizawa not Karuizawa? When it’s Karuizawa
‘Resurrected’ , ‘revived’, ‘doors to reopen’. The excited headlines said it all. The return of Karuizawa from beyond…
January 4, 2023
Dyspepsia, apples and the problem with tasting notes
Up to Lexington/94 which, while not quite having the same ring as Lou Reed’s paen to heroin dealers,…
December 30, 2022
Snow business like whisky business
Even when there it had the quality of a dream. White Christmases only exist on cards and in…
September 8, 2022
Extreme distilling: Arctic barley
Two casks sat close to the entrance of the turf-covered warehouse. Outside a fresh fall of snow had…
August 23, 2022
What Price Whisky?
£16 million for a cask of Ardbeg? Whether the declared price included 40% import taxes has yet to…
March 7, 2022
Scotch in Russia, Russia in Scotch
The unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has resulted in Western companies pulling out of Russia. How is the Scotch…
September 30, 2021
On The Edge
Into the fjord’s great maw. Cliffs like dragon teeth, streaming with rain, looking as if they had just…
September 19, 2021
Weaving A Story
It had been a long day. A highball was called for. Something refreshing, cooling. That reset which comes…