Scalasaig Tweet Tasting

Continuing our teeming throng of industry leading Twitter trending Tweet Tastings, we’re thrilled and delighted to announce that we’re teaming up with the Scalasaig Blended malt Scotch whisky brand, as part of their launch, to share sip and savour their inaugural, or should we say set sail on the maiden voyage of their Island Hopper bottling.

Evoking the spirit of the islands, Scalasaig’s voyage of discovery has taken them from the Orkney Isles, down to the Hebridean islands of Mull and Islay, to source the best island malts that they could find, giving them the warming, smoky backbone of their whisky.

The inaugural Scalasaig Island Hopper release, which is limited to 3,000 bottles, has been produced using ten unique casks of single malt whisky with a distinctly maritime style, which were vatted by and re-racked into first-fill European sherry oak casks to finish their maturation.

To take part in what promise to be an evening that will have you shouting "Lets Hear if for the Blends!" from your rooftops click here to register your details by emailing your name, postal address, Twitter handle and date of birth. Please also remember to mark the subject line of your email: #ScalasaigWhisky

The closing date to register is March 18th, and if you are registering to take part, please make sure that you will actually be free on the evening of April 1st to take part!

Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following all the evening’s dramfotainment. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter, on April 1st from 19:00 BST via #ScalasaigWhisky

Registration open to over 21's only!

@TheWhiskyWire

#ScalasaigWhisky

Be part of the Dramfotainment!

101st Whisky Insiders Interview - David Zibell

Company:

Golani Distillery (Israel)

Job:

Master Distiller

Website:

golanispirit.com

How long have you been working in the whisky industry?
I started in September 2014, so it's going on six years now. After learning so much about whisky making through studying and mentors, I finally realised my dream to make whisky and founded the Golani Distillery, two months after immigrating to Israel. After firing my first distillation in August just a couple of weeks earlier, I decided I would dedicate myself to making the best whisky I can and forever work on improving it.

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
That would have to be releasing Israel’s first whisky on Israel independence day in 2016.

Can you remember your first dram, and indeed what it was?
My first dram ever was a J&B Rare blended Scotch whisky, but I was 17 and didn’t really care what I was drinking at the time. My first 'wow' whisky was Caol Ila 12 Year Old.

What does whisky mean to you?
Whisky is patience and diversity, from the grain, yeast, water, wood and maturation, to the community it’s created across the globe.

Where would you like to see yourself in five years’ time?
A leading brand in my home market and a sought-after brand in the international market.

What was your last dram?
My last dram was an Ardbeg Corryvreckan.

Do you have a favourite whisky and food pairing combination?
Salty and smoked fish work best with whisky for me.

What’s your favourite time and place to enjoy a dram?
On Fridays after a long week, I sit in our sunroom with a dram and usually with an accompanying cigar.

What do you think is going to be the next big thing on the whisky horizon?
Malted rye whisky, micro distilleries and wide range of wood experiments are all big things that are in the beginning phases right now.

What’s the one dram you couldn’t live without? 
That would have to be my first 'wow' whisky, Caol Ila 12 Year Old!

Many thanks to David Zibell. Who will be our next Whisky Insider? Click back soon to find out!

Quick Fire Rum Tasting Notes

Thameside Rum Signature Blend

Blended Caribbean Rum

40% ABV

Nose: A fresh and finessed Jamaican funk led tropical tease of ripe bananas, grilled pineapple rings, mango, lime zest and coconut ice. Followed by notes of cream soda, demerara sugar, cinnamon sticks, anise, white pepper, spiced oak and a bag of warm and sticky Werther's Originals.

Palate: A bounty of banana bread, Jamaica ginger cake, rum raisin ice cream, ready rolled cake icing and demerara caramel. Followed by notes of vanilla fudge, tinned pineapple rings, cream soda, anise, white pepper, mixed spice, sweet dried oak, a tease of coconut rum and more of that finessed Jamaican funk.

Finish: A sweet and spiced, refined and rewarding finish, that lingers and lasts as long as a Caribbean sunset!

Summary: This is one smooth operator of a blended belter, which is comprised of aged pot and column still rums from Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana. It was inspired by the English style of Caribbean rums which were imported, blended and aged in dockyards along the Thames river in London, since the 18th century.

Although this would make for a marvellous mixer or cocktail component, we would urge you to try this one neat first, as its refined balance makes it one superb solo sipper!

Cù Bòcan Tweet Tasting

Even more industry leading social media based dramfotainment you say? Well as ever you've come to the right place!

Continuing our teeming throng of Twitter trending Tweet Tastings, we’re thrilled to announce that on March 25th, we’ll be teaming up with the fabulous Highland whisky brand Cù Bòcan, to pour and explore a trio of their whisky creations.

Produced at the Tomatin Distillery, every winter lightly peated Scottish barley is used to distill limited batches of a subtly smoky and surprisingly sweet spirit, which is then matured in a variety of casks to become Cù Bòcan single malt.

Full details to follow, but if you fancy taking part in what promises to be a Highland hootendrammy of an evening, click here to register your details by emailing your name, postal address, Twitter handle and date of birth. Please also remember to mark the subject line of your email: #CuBocanWhisky

The closing date to register is March 2nd, and if you are registering to take part, please make sure that you will actually be free on the evening of March 25th to take part!

Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following all the evening’s dramfotainment. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter, on March 25th at 19:00 GMT via #CuBocanWhisky

Registration open to over 21's only!

For more info on Cù Bòcan, visit: cu-bocan.com

@TheWhiskyWire

@cubocanwhisky

#CuBocanWhisky

Be part of the Dramfotainment!