Whisky Kingdom | Blog

It’s hilarious: unlike Coca Cola who claims to have brought about world ‘harmony’ and ‘peace throughout the land’ – according to their famous syrupy advert – vodka has caused two wars. In 1977, a trade war broke out between Poland and Russia. Poland claimed that only they could use the word ‘vodka’ because ‘vodka’ originally came from Poland. They explained that the word ‘vodka’ did not come from the word ‘water’ in Russian but from the word ‘gorzalka’ which means ‘burning’ ‘bitter’ or ‘spicy water’. The Russians reacted furiously and... Read More

Laphroaig holds a special place in the hearts of whisky admirers: they find its flavours to be iconic and absolutely unique. Its Distillery Manager, Barry MacAffer, has gone so far as to say that Laphroaig is constantly searching for iconic flavours, and that ‘with the Laphroaig 10 Year Old that pursuit almost seems as if you’ve made it. It hits all the right notes.’ In this article, we aim to examine the factors in the production of Laphroaig’s whiskies that give it its signature flavours. By the end of this... Read More

Some may sniff, but Jura Distillery and its whiskies are truly remarkable. This short article promises to give you a complete understanding of the distillery and the philosophy underlying its whole range. By the time you get to the final sentence, you’ll understand what Jura is really all about, and why you should be paying attention to its range. Jura is a distillery that evokes strong views. The critics can be quite scathing. Their criticism lies in what they claim it could be. Consider the following: this is a distant,... Read More

In recent years, rum has experienced a renaissance, riding the wave of growing interest in unique and diverse spirits. While gin is for now the UK’s favourite spirit, rum is making a spirited comeback. According to a report from The Whisky Exchange, rum sales surged by an astounding 165% in the third quarter of 2019, marking the first time in half a decade that rum outpaced gin in sales growth. Before talking about the award-winning and iconic Dead Man’s Fingers, it’s worth considering some of the things which have held... Read More

At first glance, Tomatin seems alienating. Nestled in the Monadhliath Mountains just south of Inverness, the snowy, seemingly barren ranges and moors seem distant, inhospitable and even inhuman. Beware! Appearances are misleading. Tomatin is a place of much warmth, beauty and human history. Most of all, Tomatin is a story of surviving with much heart. Let’s tell the story from the beginning. It starts with illicit distilling. It is surprising to know this, but the story starts with gin. Tomatin means ‘juniper hill’ the main ingredient in gin and was... Read More