Scotland: Land Of Whisky AND Gin (And Haggis, But I Haven't Written About That)

From the rocky shores of Islay… Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength. (Photo courtesy Ardbeg/LVMH)

Scotland is known for, among other things, its fabulous kilts and delicious salmon. I’ve written about the other things, namely terrific new whiskies and a gin that, to be perfectly honest, I haven’t tasted yet, so I can’t vouch for it personally. But Hendrick’s makes some pretty cool (if untraditional) gins, and Another Hendrick’s, as it’s known, sounds delicious. In addition to its classic 11-botanical lineup, it’s added… well, I’m not going to tell you here, you have to go to my writeup at Food & Wine! It’s not a review, which is a good thing since I didn’t taste it. But I do more newsy stuff for F & W, so I’m merely reporting the existence of Another Hendrick’s and not judging it. It’s a really cool story, though. Link is -> HERE <-.

As for those whiskies… one of my favorite recent assignments from Food & Wine was the new release from the Macallan, Diamonds Are Forever 55th Anniversary Release. It’s the first time, I think, that I’ve had to watch a James Bond film as part of my research for writing about a whisky (though not the first time the Macallan and the 007 franchise have paired up). Great movie, by the way — and while not a drop of whisky is consumed or even mentioned therein, sherry and wine both play a notable part in the plot, and this particular expression is aged in both sherry and red wine casks. The latter is pretty uncommon for the Macallan, and it tastes quite different from your typical sherried malt. How, exactly? Read the damn article and find out! Link is -> HERE <-.

And last but certainly not least, a honest-to-goodness review (for the good folks at Forbes) about a single malt much anticipated and clamored for by the peated whisky crowd — a cask strength version of the flagship Ardbeg expression, Ardbeg Ten. Is it good? Oh, you betcha. Will it replace standard, 46% ABV Ardbeg Ten? Of course not! Do you need both in your booze collection? I’d say so. Why? Read my thoughts! I mean, read the article. Don’t try to read my mind, please. Link is -> HERE <-.