Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Whisky Magazine

The Orkney Islands to the north of the Scottish mainland have been home to two whisky distilleries for the best part of a century, since the demise of Stromness Distillery during 1928. Now, however, the community of Orkney whisky makers has doubled, and aficionados have twice the locations to explore and ultimately more Orcadian drams to drink. While Highland Park dates back to 1798 and Scapa to 1885, Orkney Distilling was formed in 2016 by local couple Stephen and Aly Kemp, based on the harbour front in the island ‘capital’ of Kirkwall. However, it was only in March 2024 that spirit destined to be whisky flowed from the stills, around the same time that the first whisky was being produced a dozen miles away at Deerness Distillery. The Kemps at…

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, and a world where the number of whisky distilleries continues to climb, it’s not enough for a distillery to simply lean into its heritage and provenance anymore. Intensely smoky? Finished in a rare port cask? So is the whisky down the road. So how does any distillery stand out these days and offer whisky drinkers something different? The answer for many teams now lies in cleverly curated brand partnerships. There’s strength in numbers when it comes to the survival of a distillery, and if a brand can find that magic crossover and sweet spot bringing together different interests from fans, there’s an opportunity to really rise above the noise. But who’s doing this well? And where does one start? The world of whisky is no…

The mountainous Appenzell district is a remote, rural area in Switzerland, close to the border with Austria and Germany. It’s one of the smallest cantons in the country, a place with a smalltown feel where many of the locals have old family ties. Farming and religious traditions continue to shape everyday life. Now, whisky enthusiasts have found their way to this hospitable region for a whisky experience unlike anywhere else. The Appenzell Whisky Trek connects the 26 mountain inns surrounding the famous summits of the Alpstein range. Hikers experience majestic views of the Ebenalp, Kronberg, Hoher Kasten, and Säntis. From the valley floor at the Seealpsee a series of pathways leads past the celebrated Berggasthaus Aescher on Ebenalp, reaching its highest point at 2,502 metres above sea level. For the…

What a difference a year makes. Last year, Irish whiskey producers wore brave faces amid mounting concerns. Today, those concerns are harder to mask. The past 12 months have delivered sharp blows, exposing the pressure points in an industry that has grown rapidly — and, at times, unevenly. Once dominated by giants like Midleton and Bushmills, Ireland has seen a boom in smaller producers over the last decade. These passionate distillers, often backed by loans secured in more optimistic times, now find themselves caught in a squeeze. Their spirits — crafted with care and passion — are often still too young to fully compete, just as global economic pressure makes pricing a battleground. The Waterford Distillery situation remains central. With considerable stock still unsold, the market holds its breath. Meanwhile,…

Whisky has long been a spirit defined by tradition. From barley fields to copper stills, every step has been carefully guarded to preserve the character and legacy of each distillery. Yet, in recent years, a new kind of partnership has quietly emerged within this heritage-rich industry, one that involves sharing more than just stories. It is the rise of cask sharing, a form of collaboration that is changing how whisky is crafted, matured, and enjoyed. At first glance, cask sharing might seem like simply swapping barrels between distilleries. But for those deeply involved in whisky production, it is much more. It represents a meeting of minds, a blending of craft and culture that extends beyond wood and spirit. This collaborative spirit reflects a broader shift in the whisky world, as…

One of the fastest-rising partnerships in the whisky industry today has been that between Formula 1 and whisky. Early in the summer, Glenmorangie was named as the official whisky of F1 as part of the latest in a long line of collaborations between Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) and the motorsport. Also this year, Jack Daniel’s celebrated its continued partnership with McLaren, with the release of a special 2025 edition whisky packaged in the iconic McLaren papaya colours. There’s also the new partnership between Jenson Button’s Coachbuilt whisky and his old team Williams Racing, where a number of special limited-edition whiskies will be released in the name of the collaboration. One partnership standing out over the past few months in the F1 space is that between Ferrari and Chivas Regal.…

The nation which gave the world pilsner has quietly built something overlooked by many ‘world whisky’ overviews. Czechia, known better in English as Czech Republic, is not starting this whisky industry from scratch. There are centuries of experience in malting and brewing here, not to mention coopers, fruit distillers, and excellent sources of local materials: grain, wood, and even peat. Czech Republic has all the geographic and cultural foundations needed to make whisky comparable to Scotland (in quality, if not quantity). As in Scotland, geography underpins Czech whisky’s development. Czech Republic is a land of two halves, or more specifically, two principal historical provinces: Bohemia and Moravia. Bohemia is larger, and home to the national capital of Prague. Bohemia has a population of around seven million to Moravia’s three, neatly…

Recently, I was told a story about the men at Powers, John’s Lane. Matthew Smyth, from Irish Distillers, told me he’d spoken with a retired worker who had spent his career in the maturation houses. Most of the lads carried a ‘Baby Power’, the colloquial name for a miniature bottle, strung on a cord in their pockets for siphoning. Dip it into a cask, take a cheeky nip, and get on with the shift. Years later, when the man’s closest friend from the distillery died, he carried both a full bottle of Powers and his old Baby Power, refilled, to the funeral. At the wake, the miniature was passed around the family, each mourner taking a swig in memory of the dead. A dram transformed into ritual memory. The story…

“The strength of fashion is to be the witness of your time.” This quote from Olivier Rousteing during a 2024 SXSW interview titled ‘Melding Heritage and Innovation’ sat with me as I boarded my flight to JFK in May of this year. I was on my way to New York City for the launch of Couture Expressions, a collection of four limited-edition blends created by Johnnie Walker’s master blender Dr Emma Walker alongside Rousteing, based on the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. I’d spent the week or so before my trip mining social media, magazine articles, and YouTube videos about the eminent creative director of the luxury French fashion house, Balmain (the youngest person to hold such a title since Yves Saint Laurent, when he took on the…

The Nordic region is famed for placing a great value on communities and cooperation — whether through societies, strong industry bodies, or simple volunteering. With a whisky scene that has developed rapidly in the last few decades, multi-level collaboration is fast becoming a key cornerstone of the region’s whisky industry. Among sceptics of so-called ‘New World Whisky’, the accusation of copying a product deeply rooted in the Celtic nations has long been brandished. Contrary to that misconception, producers in the Nordics are very keen to make the spirit a local one. Their approach to whisky has been inspired by prevailing attitudes to food and drink in the region, driven by the New Nordic Cuisine movement. This draws on quality local, seasonal produce and heritage techniques, while also taking cooking to…

When Waterford Distillery entered receivership in late 2024, the news sent a tremor through the global whisky world. This wasn’t just another distillery closure. This was Waterford — a project that had declared its ambition to change not just Irish whiskey, but the very terms on which whisky was made, discussed, and understood. For many, its failure felt personal. Neil Conway, former head brewer and production manager at Waterford, speaks for the first time about the project’s early promise, its relentless ambition, and the emotional cost of watching it all slip away. “It could have been, it should have been,” he says quietly. “We weren’t just making whisky. We were trying to prove something.” Conway isn’t your typical brand figurehead. He speaks without polish, but with sincerity. Raised in Kilkenny,…

Airport pubs and bars tend to get a bad rap. Compared to the feelgood vibes and community atmosphere of their high-street counterparts, airport bars can be loud, crowded and impersonal, staffed by inexperienced bartenders working long hours and catering to a transient crowd. They can be expensive too, as airport rents are high. The line-up of spirits they serve is invariably nothing to get excited about. Yet the picture at some airports is gradually improving. In the States, for instance, one of the country’s biggest travel catering players, HMSHost, has just unveiled a new curated selection of premium spirits at nearly 50 of its restaurants and bars at 20 US airports. The list includes major hubs such as Dallas Forth Worth, George Bush Intercontinental (Houston), Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, New York JFK,…