Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery Tweet Tasting

As we look forward to what will hopefully be a dramspanker of a New Year, in comparison to the absolute stinker that we’re all very much looking forward to seeing the end of, we’re absolutely thrilled to announce our very first Tweet Tasting of 2021!

Continuing our teeming throng of industry leading events at the home of the Tweet Tasting, we’ll be kicking off our 2021 tasting calendar in fine style on January 27th, when we team up with our friends at the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery (the home of Yorkshire’s first single malt whisky) for an evening of cranked up to 11 dramfotainment!

On the night we’ll be pouring and exploring our way through some of their fabulous Filey Bay single malt whisky range, as well as finding out more about this trailblazing field to bottle distillery.

Full details to follow, but if you fancy sharing, sipping and savouring some of Yorkshire’s finest click here to register your interest by emailing your name, address, phone number (for sample courier), date of birth and Twitter handle. Please remember to mark the subject line of your email: #FileyBayWhisky

The closing date to register is January 3rd 2021, and if you are registering please make sure that you will actually be free on the night of January 27th to take part!

Even if you're not one of the selected Tweet Tasters, it'd be great to have you following the evening’s dramfotainment. So we look forward to seeing you over on Twitter on January 27th from 7pm GMT via #FileyBayWhisky

Registrations open to over 21's only!

For more info on the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, visit: spiritofyorkshire.com

@TheWhiskyWire

@SpiritYorkshire

#FileyBayWhisky

Be part of the Dramfotainment!

106th Whisky Insiders Interview - David Robertson

Company: 

Holyrood Distillery

Job:

Co-Founder

Website:

holyrooddistillery.co.uk

How long have you been working in the whisky industry? 

You could say I have been involved all my life. Born July 1st 1968, when my father was Assistant Manager at Royal Brackla Distillery, I grew up around Aberfeldy (1970 – 1983) and Glendullan (1983 – 1990) distilleries, before going to university to study Brewing & Distilling. Graduating with a 2:1 Hons BSc in 1990, I joined Guinness (now Diageo) in 1990 as a Management Trainee in the malt distilling division based Elgin.

I was lucky In August 1994, to become the youngest Distillery Manager in Scotland joining The Macallan and went on to become its Master Distiller in 1996, and was responsible for the creation of some of the most iconic and I think delicious whiskies ever released during the late 1990s; 1979 – 1982 Gran Reserva releases, Blue Box 30 Year Old, 1946, 1948, Millennium Decanter, which then culminated in the creation and launch of The Macallan’s ‘Fine & Rare’ vintage range in 2002. 

In August 2006 I joined Whyte and Mackay as Innovation Director and led the renaissance and premiumisation of The Dalmore Highland single malt, releasing a range of rare and aged bottlings; Sirius, Eos, Selene, Candela and the worlds first £100,000 bottles – Trinitas. It helped put The Dalmore on the rare whisky map, a position I think it continues to enjoy today.

I then set up my own whisky consultancy in 2012, providing expertise and advice to the wider scotch industry and in 2014 joined forces with Andy Simpson to create the leading analyst, consultancy and brokerage agency Rare Whisky 101. 

The Whisky Wire's 12 Drams of Christmas 2020

Since November 16th, you’ve literally been getting into the festive spirit by nominating in abundance your top three festive favourite drams, as part of our 10th annual 12 Drams of Christmas.

After ploughing through and tallying up all the mountain of nominations, here are our 12 Drams of Christmas 2020, as chosen by you, in ranking order.

Just in case you're thinking of gifting any of this year’s dramspanking festive dozen to yourself or others, we've done all the hard work for you and have included their current and most competitive retail details*

Quick Fire Whisky Tasting Notes

The Sipping Shed Ardmore Batch No. 2

11 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

56% ABV

Nose: An earthy whirlwind of peat smoke, tea steeped prunes, dark fruitcake, Frank Coopers original Oxford marmalade smeared on burnt granary toast, hickory bbq sauce, crispy bacon rinds, coffee grounds, dark chocolate cherry liqueurs, jam mallow biscuits, Toffo original toffees, charred oak, white pepper and a subtle squeeze of Germolene.

Palate: Pleasing protrusions of peat smoke infused bitter orange marmalade, crispy maple cured bacon, bourbon steeped raisins and sultanas, tinned prunes, espresso coffee, Bournville chocolate, Jamaica ginger cake, Longley Farm blueberry yogurt, blackberry jam, sweet oak, white pepper, five spice and tease of something mentholy fresh.

Finish: A full and fabulous smoked, spiced, rounded finish, that lingers well on into the night and beyond!

Summary: It’s not every year that an independent bottler in itself becomes one of our dramming highlight of the year, but in 2020 The Sipping Shed has become just that.

From their inaugural batch of releases that we first poured and explored in our Tweet Tasting back in March, which consisted of a glorious gaggle of Ardmore, Ben Nevis, Caol Ila and Linkwood bottlings, The Sipping Shed is a brand that continues to go from strength to strength, with its ‘when it’s ready, it’s ready’, approach to bottling and releasing whisky.

The Sipping Shed’s first Ardmore release earlier this year, which was a gutsy and glorious 9 Year Old, is still on track to be our dram of the year, but I can tell you that this second offering will most definitely be riding high in our end of year countdown.