Connemara is said to be the only Irish whiskey produced using peat smoke. It is also double-distilled, whereas triple distillation is typical for Irish whiskeys. Connemara is produced by the Kilbeggan Distillery, which I had the opportunity to visit during my own trip to Ireland in 2018. A 70 cl bottle…
The Benriach distillery is not very well-known in this northeastern corner of Europe where I live. Heart of Speyside is BerRiach's "entry-level" product, it has no age statement, it is an affordable and in that sense a malt whisky that is certainly very suitable for beginners. The manufacturer must have had…
Blender's Batches, special batches sold at an affordable price, were added to the Johnnie Walker catalog in 2016. The first of these special batches was Red Rye Finish, where distillate matured for three years in usual oak barrels was further matured for six months in barrels that had previously contained rye…
Located on the Isle of Jura, on the west coast of Scotland, the island's only distillery is operated by Whyte&Mackay, which is part of the Philippine Alliance Global Group. The history of the distillery dates back to 1810, but its operations have been on a hold several times over the years.…
Evan Williams is produced by Heaven Hill in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to Evan Williams, Heaven Hill also produces Elijag Graig, Larceny and Old Fitzgerald brands. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, which is also called "White Label" is apparently the same stuff as the company's better known Kentucky Straight "Black Label".…
Glenfiddich is a malt whisky familiar to everyone who knows even something about Scotch whiskies. It is the best-selling single malt in the world and a familiar sight in bars everywhere. It must also have found its way into the bar cabinet of quite a few homes. There are dozens of…
Teeling Small Batch is a good example of name-playing in the marketing. "Small Batch" can't really be a "small", when it is the manufacturer's flagship product and is sold in several different retail chains, even in small Estonia. Teeling is made at the Cooley Distillery in Dublin. The brand is now…
Famous Grouse is one of the most famous Scotch blended whiskys and according to some sources it is the most popular whiskey in Scotland. It is sold all over the world, at least in almost 100 countries. Famous Grouse has been produced since 1896. Today it is owned by The Edgington…
The Kilbeggan Distillery is said to be one of the first licensed distilleries in Ireland. Its history stretches back as far as 1757, when Matthew Macmanus founded a distillery in the town of Kilbeggan. The distillery operation remained on a small level for almost a hundred years, until John Locke came…
Paddy is produced by Irish Distillers, at the Midleton Distillery in Cork city. In 1868, Midleton Distillery joined the Cork Distillers Company, a group of four other Irish distilleries. In 1882 the company hired a young Cork man, Paddy Flaherty, as a traveling salesman. Flaherty traveled around the pubs of southern…