By Richard Thomas If you are a whisk(e)y enthusiast of any stripe, and have been for any substantial length of time, you’ve already encountered at least one Scotch snob. Perhaps it was virtually, in a whisky forum, or perhaps it was in the flesh at a bar or a convention. However it happened, you already know, dear reader, exactly what ...

By Richard Thomas The independent, Broxburn-based Scotch whisky company Ian Macleod Distillers has received £60 million in bank loans for expansion projects. The loan comes from a group of banks led by the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Bank of Scotland, and is secured against Ian Macleod’s whisky stock. Ian Macleod is the tenth largest whisky company in Scotland, ...

By Richard Thomas Although not formally opened, the new InchDairnie Distillery is reported operational and producing spirit. Ground was broken on the outskirts of Kinglassie in Fife a year and a half ago, and is among the most modern distilleries in Scotland. Projected to produce 2 million liters of spirit a year, InchDairnie will produce stock malt whisky for sale ...

By Kurt Maitland Rating: B Bowmore is one of the most iconic distilleries on Islay, which says a lot considering that Islay also includes the likes of Lagavulin and Laphroaig, and it dates back to 1779. To put that into perspective, in the same year Bowmore opened its doors, the settlement that would become Chicago was founded. An institution that ...

By Kurt Maitland Rating: B Aultmore is a Speyside distillery in Keith, Banffshire. founded in 1895 by Alexander Edward, the then owner of the Benrinnes distillery.  The distillery has had a tumultuous early history, changing owners repeatedly and shutting down on several occasions. Since 1998 things have been more stable, and the distillery has been owned by Dewars. Recently Bacardi, parent ...