Another ghost distillery this week, and this time with a bottle that I will be cracking open right away to explore.
This one is a Signatory Vintage Port Dundas 15 Year Old, distilled 2010 and bottled this year, 46%, natural colour, un-chill-filtered, matured in first-fill sherry hogsheads and first-fill bourbon barrels. Single grain, which is already enough to put a chunk of the single malt crowd off, and from a distillery that ceased to exist fifteen years ago.
In the spring of 1885, Alfred Barnard had a goal to visit every working whisky distillery in Britain and Ireland, a job he reckoned would take two years. It took about that. The book he wrote afterwards is still probably the most important records of the whisky industry ever written. The first distillery he walked into, number one of a hundred and sixty two, was Port Dundas.
He’d originally planned to start in Orkney, but the weather was against him, so Glasgow it was. What struck him when he got there was that the place sat at the top of a hill above the city, with ships’ masts appearing over the rooftops, which is not what you expect from a distillery. The Forth and Clyde Canal ran right past the highest point in Glasgow, and Port Dundas had been built in 1811 beside the canal, granting it easy access to grain and other supplies via the canal boats.
By the time Barnard saw it, it was the biggest distillery in Scotland.
“At this period of our inspection we paused for a short rest and slight refreshment; and resuming our tour at the Still House, a lofty structure forming the main body of the building, we were shown the three Coffey’s Patent Stills. These handsome town-like vessels are 70 feet high; and after a full inspection, we passed on to No. 2 Still House, where are five Pot Stills, one of them having a capacity of 24,000 gallons, and said to be the largest in the kingdom.”
– Excerpt from Barnard’s The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom
Three Coffey stills and five pot stills, using American corn alongside barley and rye — an unusual combination for the time. Almost none of what came off those stills was ever sold as Port Dundas. It went into Johnnie Walker, J&B, Bell’s, Black & White, Vat 69, Haig and White Horse. Port Dundas was one of the founding members of DCL (Distillers Company Limited) in 1877, the grain conglomerate that eventually turned into Diageo. Next door was Dundashill, the largest pot still distillery in the world, with ten spirit stills making both double and triple distilled malt. Port Dundas swallowed it in 1902 and kept the buildings as a cooperage.
The site was then hit by two fires, the first in 1903 put it out of commission for a decade, and then the second fire ravaged it in 1916, requiring another rebuild. Then the stills went cold again for the duration of the Second World War.
The last serious money spent on the place was in the 1970s, when it got a new grain intake, boiler house, dark grains plant and a still house built in 1976 over the old spirit store. Diageo announced the closure on 1 July 2009. Grain production was being concentrated at Cameronbridge in Fife, which was much bigger and much newer. Other distillers reportedly expressed interest in the site, but none of the offers came off. The stills went cold around 2010 and the buildings came down the following year, just as the place was turning two hundred.
My bottle was distilled in 2010, which puts it right at the end of the distillery’s life. Fifteen years in two first-fill cask types is not a subtle choice, and it leaves me with the question: will the Port Dundas DNA still shine through, or are the casks used going to obscure it? It’s probably best to try to track down a few more Port Dundas expressions to explore the distillery’s style. For science, of course!
Tasting notes in this week’s In The Glass.
Sláinte,
Mark
Sources:
- Whiskipedia — Alfred Barnard’s Distillery List
- Whiskipedia — Barnard on Port Dundas
- Scotch Whisky — Whiskypedia: Port Dundas
- Whisky Magazine — Up On The Hill
- Wikipedia — Port Dundas
What’s In Mark’s Glass This Week
Signatory Vintage Port Dundas 15 Year Old, distilled 2010 46% – Single grain lovers are a relatively rare breed in a single malt-dominated world, but I count myself as one of them. Finding this online in SA was uncommon, even more so when considering it’s from a defunct distillery.
Nose: Red apple skin, sherry notes, prunes, cola toffees, baking spices.
Palate: Super-creamy, sweet and juicy thanks to the sherry casks. Blackcurrants, Bakers Strawberry Whirl biscuits, strawberry/raspberry dried fruit roll. The grain is there, refined and elegant.
Finish: Medium to short finish, some lingering spice.
Impressions: Very quaffable, but I couldn’t single out anything that says “Ah, this is a Port Dundas!”. But that’s due to my limited exposure to the distillery. I’m making a note to try to find and taste some other expressions.
The Fellowship Pour
Your whisky. Your glass. Your story. Send us a photo, share the moment, and add your pour to the growing Fellowship community. The submissions keep rolling in, and they’re great.
“A special dram, made even more special by the fact that my mate Ilan helped get it into my hands — some whiskies have a story before you even pull the cork.
Out here, with the bushveld quiet and a storm rolling in, it’s a moment to slow down, take a breath, and appreciate the people and moments that got you here.
Here’s to good whisky, good mates, and the rare privilege of having a moment worth being quiet for.” — Russell H. | Cadenheads Longrow 9 Year Old Oloroso Cask Matured
“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, and that somewhere is here.” — Shaun H. | Kilchoman Loch Gorm
Whisky Wit
Every now and then, someone in the whisky community says something that is too good — or too painfully familiar — not to share. If you hear or see a whisky-related quote that deserves its 15 seconds of fame, send it through.
“I thought my greatest challenge in whisky would be to develop & educate my palate. However, that is (mostly) the easy part.
The (far greater) challenge is to relax my trigger finger and not swipe my credit card so eagerly.”
— @liquid.traveler
Industry News
Edinburgh’s Scotch Whisky Experience now tells its story in 21 languages — including sign language
The Royal Mile attraction, where over 70% of visitors come from abroad, has grown from six languages at its 1988 opening to 21, with Vietnamese the newest addition and British, American and International Sign guides developed with Deaf Action. A welcome Scotch-tourism bright spot against the year’s gloomier sales headlines — American visitors alone make up 24% of its audience. (Mark: I visited it back in 2018, and it was brilliant back then. Time for a revisit!)
— The Whiskey Wash
“Efficiency is the enemy of character”: Kythe fires its wood-burning stills for the first time
Perthshire’s most romantic new distillery project is officially making whisky. Kythe — founded by whisky maker Angus MacRaild (yes, Whisky Fun’s Angus), distillery manager Jonny McMillan and chairman Aaron Chan, with shareholders from over ten countries — has begun production in two converted barns at Hills of Bendochy Farm near Blairgowrie, reviving 1950s–60s Highland methods: a direct wood-fired wash still running past 800°C, mostly farm-grown floor-malted Maris Otter barley, two-week fermentations in wooden washbacks, and heritage M-strain yeast co-pitched with brewer’s yeast from Belhaven. Target output is a tiny 60,000 LPA into refill bourbon and sherry casks, with a first release pencilled around 2034. “Don’t expect a gift shop any time soon,” says McMillan.
— The Whisky Wire
Full circle on Islay: Bruichladdich appoints its first female distiller
Lisa Matthews, 33, who grew up in Bowmore and began her whisky career as an 18-year-old tour guide at Bruichladdich, has returned as the distillery’s first female assistant blender, working alongside master blender Adam Hannett. Her route home ran through Heriot-Watt’s brewing and distilling degree, a stint as Scotland’s youngest female brewer at Harviestoun, distilling roles at Stirling and Ardgowan, and helping produce the first new spirit at the revived Port Ellen. The appointment lands as Bruichladdich marks 25 years since its revival — now over 100 staff, making it Islay’s largest private employer.
— The Scotsman
A decade of community ownership ends in court: GlenWyvis files to appoint administrators
The “world’s first” community-owned distillery — 2,443 shareholders and £2.5m crowdfunded back in 2016 — filed a Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators at the Court of Session on 23 September after failing to secure fresh funding, despite a £500,000 Catalyst injection as recently as February. Chairman Dr Jock Ramsay called it “a very sad day”, while ousted founder John McKenzie is already talking rescue plans alongside proposed administrators Interpath Advisory. Production at the Dingwall distillery was paused in August; private cask owners will be contacted once administrators are formally appointed.
— The Spirits Business
A contaminated oil depot becomes Argyll’s next distillery: £8.75m Ardrishaig plans approved
Argyll and Bute Council granted planning permission on 25 September for John Moore’s craft distillery and visitor destination on Ardrishaig’s long-disused waterfront oil depot — production plus tours, tastings, courtyard, terrace and greenhouse, designed by Organic Architects as the next phase of the village’s waterfront redevelopment at the southern entrance to the Crinan Canal.
— The Whiskey Wash
New Releases
Compass Box marks ten years of its transparency fight with ‘This is a 10-Year-Old Whisky’
A fully disclosed super blend — 66.5% Clynelish, 20.2% peated Ardnamurchan and 13.3% unpeated Ardnamurchan, every component exactly ten years in first-fill bourbon — bottled at 50.5%, with 3,610 bottles worldwide (600 for the US at $84.99). It lands ten years after the SWA told Compass Box that publishing full recipes broke the rules; CEO Nishat Gupte promises “full transparency, no compromises.”
— The Whiskey Wash
Glenmorangie bottles its oldest whisky ever: a 50 Years Old in hand-made porcelain, £25,800
149 numbered bottles at 45.7% cask strength, distilled in the mid-1970s from some of the last barley malted on Glenmorangie’s own floors (decommissioned in 1977), married by Dr Bill Lumsden into a single refill hogshead in 1999 and left to sleep another quarter-century. Each bottle sits in a bespoke porcelain vessel by ceramic artist Peter Pincus — three years in the making.
— Dramface
Aberlour’s oldest permanent expressions yet: 21 and 25 Year Old join the core range
Debuting at Whisky Live Paris (26–28 September) before a worldwide specialist rollout as annual small-batch releases. Both are double-cask matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso, the 21 at 48% (around €270) and the 25 at 50.8% cask strength (around €650) — both natural colour and non-chill-filtered. These are the first age-statement additions to Aberlour’s core range since the 18 Year Old arrived in 2008.
— The Spirits Business
Highland Park’s ‘Between You and I’ returns: two 17-year-olds shaped around artist Laila Gohar
The second edition of the Orkney distillery’s collaboration series — a global release inspired by Gohar’s Egyptian heritage (11 years in refill casks, then finished in unseasoned American oak) and a travel-retail ‘Journeys’ edition built on new Spanish oak. On sale from 24 September at around $160 each, with tasting booklets of Gohar’s food vignettes replacing conventional notes.
— The Whiskey Wash
Gordon & MacPhail’s Anniversary Releases: four single casks spanning 1966–1996
Longmorn 1966 (just 30 bottles from a first-fill sherry butt), Glen Grant 1976, Miltonduff 1986 and Linkwood 1996 — all cask strength, 30–100 bottles each, priced £496–£6,966 and pitched squarely at milestone-year gifting, with director of prestige Stephen Rankin fronting the campaign.
— The Spirits Business
SMWS October 2026 Outturn
The Bros worked through this month’s outturn — 23 new bottlings, including the first Tamnavulin in a long time and the Society’s first-ever blended Scotch. A solid rather than spectacular month: most of the field clusters at 6–6.5/10, and for once the ex-bourbon casks beat the big sherry names.
Top Picks (7.5/10)
9.318 Glen Grant 18yo — “Auld Acquaintances” | £105 | 53.5% | 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead
Tango, red berries, honeycomb and milky chocolate on a rich, deep nose; orangeade, gingerbread, beeswax and a real citrusy zing on the palate before a chalky finish. “Really quite tasty, there’s more going on and we’d like to spend some more time with this dram.”
55.102 Royal Brackla 13yo — “First Light Amid the Casks” | £68 | 54.3% | 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel
Instantly more balanced than most of the outturn: marshmallow, buttercream frosting and sponge cake, then lemon sponge, orange essence, a drizzle of honey and buttery biscuits. “This might be the best Royal Brackla we’ve had from SMWS ever” — and at £68, the value pick of the month.
Good Drams (7/10)
- 4.406 Highland Park 14yo — “Sweetly Soothing Smoke” | £92 | 64.4% | 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel — Toffee pops, honeycomb and a very light heathery smoke; syrupy vanilla and runny honey with lemon and mango on the finish. “Very Highland Park — but in a well done way.”
- Batch 44 Heresy 18yo — “The Blenders Notebook” | £80 | 50% | Ex-Bourbon, Oloroso & PX — The Society’s first-ever blended Scotch: white chocolate, cherry jam and apricot on a lovely nose, though the grain pushes forward on the palate. A promising debut all the same.
One for SA members to study while we wait for Outturn No. 38 to land locally — if any of these casks make the trip, the Glen Grant and the Royal Brackla are the ones to watch.
Two WhiskyBros — SMWS October 2026 Outturn Review
The Society goes to the movies: ‘Scotch & Smoke’ documentary tours the UK in October
Announced 30 September: the SMWS is backing a new documentary on peat’s role in whisky — its history, its flavour and the sustainability questions around it — with screenings at six UK venues through October. No South African screening yet, but one to watch for streaming availability.
— WhiskyIntelligence
Reviews Roundup
Decadent Drinks goes to Skye (and Raasay): Talisker 14yo 2011 ‘Old Skye’ (56.8%) — 9.0, “a certain je ne sais quoi that’s rare”
A head-to-head-to-head of the upcoming Decadent Drinks outturn: the sherry-butt-finished Talisker (120 bottles) at 9.0, a Champagne-yeast Raasay 8yo at a surprised 8.8 (“a Clynelish-like quality — colour me impressed”), and a textbook Torabhaig 8yo at 8.7.
— Words of Whisky
Maltbarn’s new quintet — Caol Ila 19yo 2007 (52.9%) tops at 90, “pristine smoke and the right balance”
Five new Maltbarns in one session: a sherried Blended Malt 33yo 1993 (49.3%, 98 bottles) at 89, an Orkney 20yo and Glen Garioch 16yo both on 87, a divisive Glen Spey 24yo at 83 (“bitter lemon soda… for grown-ups only”), and the bourbon-cask Caol Ila 19yo (131 bottles) leading at 90.
— WhiskyNotes
The Zodiac closes: TWE’s final quartet — two 88-point sherry bombs
The last four of The Whisky Exchange’s twelve-bottle Zodiac series: a PX-dark undisclosed Speyside 15yo 2009 (“coming close to an old Brandy de Jerez”, 88), an unpeated first-fill Oloroso Bunnahabhain 4yo 2020 (88, “very cask-driven but already nicely balanced”), a rounded Campbeltown blended malt 10yo at 85, and a creamy re-charred-barrel Macduff 11yo.
— WhiskyNotes
Official vs Indy: Balvenie — Cadenhead’s Burnside 29yo runs away with it at 8/10
Charlie’s official-versus-indie series reaches Balvenie: the bourbon-hogshead Burnside 29yo (53.4%, 258 bottles) takes an 8, the 1931 Collection Home Malted Barley 12yo a “cruelly snatched away” 6 (a 9/10 nose the palate can’t match), and the core Caribbean Cask 14yo just a 4 — with a bonus 7 for the triple-distilled Kininvie KVSM001 experiment.
— Dramface
Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection: Benrinnes 19yo 2006 (46.8%, £90) — 8/10, “good age, refill bourbon, letting time and spirit do the talking”
The 102-bottle bourbon hogshead — reportedly the remaining liquid from the 2026 Malts Festival Barrel Royale Benrinnes — brings mango, pineapple and stroopwafel; skip the water. Its stablemate Glen Garioch 15yo 2011 (53.8%, £75) lands a dessert-like 7/10.
— Two WhiskyBros
Arran 14 Years (2026) (46%) — 8.5, “a fine Arran, though the 10yo stays fresher”
The 14yo returns as a core expression after being discontinued in 2018, now ex-bourbon-led with a proportion of rare Palo Cortado sherry casks. Roasted hazelnuts, honey and stewed fruit; Thijs finds the oak “ever so slightly too present” but the distillery character intact — and still prefers the brighter 10.
— Words of Whisky
Craigellachie 31yo 1994 (53.1%, The Antelope, 98 bottles) — 89, “one of the finest Craigellachies of recent times”
A Little Duos session: the Macau-bottled 31yo — all Trappist beer, milk chocolate and candied fruit — at 89, outpacing an Artful Dodger 18yo 2005 at a still-solid 85.
— Whisky Fun
Holyrood Pitch (49.4%) — 6/10, a young Edinburgh peated malt meets some old tasting notes
Fergus stumbles over his early-days tasting notes and measures how far he — and Holyrood’s heavily-roasted-malt Pitch — have come. Above average, not essential.
— Dramface
Glen Spey two ways — Maltbarn 24yo 2001 (53.8%) — 87, “excellent, entirely natural”
Serge chases his hundredth Glen Spey with the very same Maltbarn sherry cask Ruben scored 83 six days later — a rare case of the two great Belgians-at-heart disagreeing — set against a red-Pineau-finished Lady of the Glen 12yo.
— Whisky Fun
Bourbon Corner
Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon 2026 (141 proof, $250) — 4/5
The 12th edition of the Texas HAZMAT-proof flagship: 250 barrels of 6yo plus 205 of 8yo, 16,104 bottles (up 6,000 on last year), “unapologetically bold” and less oak-dry than previous editions.
— Breaking Bourbon
Old Elk 10-Year-Old Collection (103–105 proof, $69.99 each) — “flavorful and easy to drink”, all three worth a pour
The first major release since Middle West Spirits’ acquisition: a high-malt Straight Bourbon, a 96%-wheat Straight Wheat Whiskey and a Wheated Bourbon, all decade-old MGP stock through Old Elk’s Slow Cut proofing — youthful, fruity and pot-still-like despite the age statement.
— Bourbon Obsessed
Baker’s 13 Year Old Limited Edition Single Barrel (107 proof, $150) — 3.5/5, “traditional in the best of ways”
Honours Baker Beam’s 90th birthday; leather-and-oak Beam classicism pitched as a complement to Weller 12.
— Breaking Bourbon
Four Roses Bourbon 100 Proof (min. 5 years, $29.99) — “built for cocktails”, not a neat pour
The new bartender-driven step-up from the 80-proof standard: dry, spicy and tannic neat, but “absolutely perfect” in an old fashioned, per Ed Escott’s testing.
— Bourbon Obsessed
Ghostwood Blended Bourbon (90 proof, $57) — B-
A Montana company’s sourced four-grain blend (52/30/10/8) arriving “just in time for Spooky Season”; light, cookie-spiced and peppermint-tinged.
— The Whiskey Reviewer
Garrison Brothers Lady Bird 2026 (114 proof, $179.99) — 9/10, a honey-and-Cognac “coup d’état”
Texas straight bourbon infused with Burleson’s wildflower honey and finished 8–9 months in a Cognac XO cask — the feared sugar bomb never arrives; instead lavender, apricot and cacao in surprising balance.
— The Whiskey Wash
Available Now — Local Online Retailers
A bit of action on the SA shelves this week, with highlights selected below:
WhiskyBrother & Co
- Ardnahoe, two ways: Infinite Loch — R1,295 · Bholsa — R1,395
- Benromach in depth: Peat Smoke — R1,490 · 15 Year Old — R2,290 · 21 Year Old — R4,390
- Glen Scotia 12 Year Old — R1,000, a lot of Campbeltown for the money
- The Hinch single malts from County Down — standard and peated, R815 each
- Loch Lomond at both ends: Original Triple Oak — R495 and Peated Rioja Finish — R595, up to the 22 Year Old Open Course Collection — R4,800
- Still on the shelf and still a cracker: Bruichladdich 14 Year Old Single & Single — R2,650 · Kavalan Solist Oloroso — R2,900 · the Isle of Raasay single-cask trio (R1,790–R1,890) · Metanoia Single Cask exclusive (SA) — R1,590
Navigate World Whisky
- Japan’s coastal cult distillery lands in force — the Akkeshi blended quartet: Usui — R3,695 · Shoman — R3,595 · Taisho — R3,995 · Daikan — R4,125 (all 48%)
- Ardbeg 23 Year Old Darkness! (49.1%) — R9,980
- Balvenie Triple Cask, travel-retail refugees: 16 Year Old — R5,680 · 25 Year Old — R19,500
- Michter’s US?1 Straight Rye and Straight Bourbon are back in stock — R1,395 each.
- German wildcard: Aurem 1865 Grave Digger Edition (43%) — R1,100
Bottega
- Macallan Timeless Collection 18 Year Old Sherry Cask (2026) — R7,360
- Four of the Diageo Special Releases 2025 still in one place: Singleton of Glen Ord 17 (55.5%) — R3,995 · Talisker 14 (53.9%) — R3,395 · Oban 12 (54.7%) — R2,895 · Lagavulin 12 (56.5%) — R1,995
- Knob Creek 7 Year Rye 100 Proof — R1,145, handy while the Four Roses 100 Proof reviewed in Bourbon Corner above is still US-only
- Glenturret’s 2023 releases as a set: Triple Wood — R1,495 · 12 Year Old — R1,965 · 15 Year Old — R3,175
- Everyday sanity: Kilkerran 12 (2026 release) — R1,145 · Highland Park 12 — R940
Wild About Whisky
A GlenAllachie moment up on the escarpment:
- GlenAllachie 18 — R2,695 · 10 Cask Strength Batch 13 — R1,295 · 12 Sauternes Wine Cask Finish — R865 (the 9 Douro Valley is already gone)
- Aberlour A’bunadh Batch 80 — R1,999
- Campbeltown consolation: Kilkerran 8 Cask Strength (2025 release) — R1,365 · Kilkerran 12 — R1,195 on sale (Heavily Peated Batch 14 sold out)
- Bowmore 12, new presentation — R795
Mother City Liquor
- Kilchoman 100% Islay 15th Edition — R1,899.99
- Boulder Tawny Port Cask American Single Malt — R1,799.99
- Linkwood 14yo 2011 Signatory 100 Proof (Edition 72) — R1,999.99
- Glenfarclas bookends: 2010 Distillery Exclusive — R7,999.99 · 10 Year Old — R999.99
- Local pride: Metanoia Signature Single Malt and Rye still R949.99 each
The Whisky Library
Highlights largely unchanged — Old Pulteney 18yo 1982 Single Sherry Cask #1498 (R6,999), Ardbeg Hypernova Committee Release (R4,999), Lagavulin 12 Special Release 2020 (R3,999), Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Batch 16 (R2,699) — with two additions:
- In: Kavalan Bourbon Cask — R1,999, joining the Oloroso (R2,399) · Virginia Black — Drake’s “decadent” American whiskey, R1,499, for the curious
Decanter
- Glenmorangie 16 Year Old The Vindima (travel exclusive, 1L) — R2,899.99
- Highland Park Harald — R1,599.99
- Johnnie Walker Ruby 1L — R1,499.99
- Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey — R1,199.99, the peated take on the blending-desk staple
Upcoming Events
Be sure to bookmark the Whisky Events page, and check back regularly for new events, dinners and festivals happening in your area.
Loch Lomond Tasting at The Whisky Shop
Thursday, 8 October 2026 | The Whisky Shop, Fourways | R750pp
A guided tasting featuring five Loch Lomond expressions: Original Triple Cask, Oloroso Sherry Cask, Rioja Peated Cask, Open Edition 2022 150th and Open Edition 2026. The R750 ticket includes a bottle of Loch Lomond Original, food and a welcome drink. Call 065 933 7646 or book via their website.
Book via WhiskyShop
WhiskyBrother’s Helden Distillery Day Trip
Saturday, 17 October 2026 | Parys Free State | R1,490pp
A full-day experience at South Africa’s Helden Distillery with an in-depth tour led by founder and owner Dr Pieter van Helden — ideal for anyone who hasn’t visited a working distillery before.
Book via WhiskyBrother
The Only Spirits Show 2026
Friday, 30 October 2026 | Hyde Park Corner Mall, Joburg | R250pp
A celebration of spirits beyond whisky, featuring tequila, mezcal, cognac, brandy, gin, rum and liqueurs, with more than 50 products available to sample. Each exhibitor will offer complimentary tastings, with selected products also available by the glass.
Whisky Live South Africa
Thursday, 5 – Saturday, 7 November 2026 | The Galleria | From R695pp
South Africa’s largest whisky festival, with General Access (R695) for the tasting hall, Combo (R1,095) for tasting hall + Master Class + 18 tokens, or VIP (R2,495) for the VIP Lounge, tasting hall, dinner, private bar and 20 tokens.
Book via Ticketpro
Worth Reading
The Master Blender who fell into whisky: Julieann Fernandez on the art of whisky
A long Q&A with the CVH Spirits master blender behind Bunnahabhain, Deanston and Tobermory/Ledaig — from a forensic-science start to Master Blender at 27, conducted at Bottega Café in Johannesburg during the brands’ South African relaunch. (Mark: A great piece by Damian, a friend of the Fellowship.)
— Wanted Online
Sensory blending: meet the experts bringing flavour to life
A thoughtful triple-profile of blenders Stephanie Macleod (Dewar’s), Angela D’Orazio (Compass Box) and Lora Hemy — how each imagines a flavour that doesn’t yet exist, from Macleod’s sensory-science rigour to Hemy thinking of whisky like tracks in a digital audio workstation. The best pure craft-of-whisky writing we found this week.
— Whisky Magazine
The Hollywood expansion: Chris Hemsworth is taking Archie Rose global
A proper feature — not a launch blurb — on the Thor actor joining Sydney’s Archie Rose as co-owner ahead of a US rollout in late 2026 and EU/UK in 2027, with quotes from Hemsworth and founder Will Edwards, plus the distillery’s own-grown-malt, B Corp backstory.
— Whisky Magazine
The big interview: Steven Kersley, Eden Mill Distillery
A chat with the man who built BrewDog’s spirits arm and now leads Eden Mill’s rebuild after its November 2025 administration — the “phoenix from the ashes” reset year, why 70–80% of stock is being re-racked into first-fill sherry, and why the RTDs and liqueurs are being killed off: “In our heart of hearts, we’re a whisky brand.”
— The Spirits Business
And That’s a Wrap!
Thanks for all the support, comments, suggestions and inspiration that helped shape this issue of the Digest. What other community-related content would you like to see here?
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Until next week, DRAM on!