The Whisky Exchange BLOG

The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show 2012 – Tickets Now On Sale

Tim F — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:21:31 +0000

We’re delighted to announce that The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show (the UK’s greatest whisky tasting event in our thoroughly biased opinion) will be returning to Vinopolis on 6th-7th October 2012 – and tickets are on sale now! As ever, this … Continue reading >>

English Whisky at TWE Vinopolis

Billy — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:43:05 +0000

While we’re busy running around at HQ finishing up some SEKRIT PROJECTS (of which more will be heard shortly…) the folks down at our Vinopolis shop have been continuing running their series of rather excellent tastings, celebrating St George’s Day … Continue reading >>

TWE in Japan – Karuizawa Trip Pt.1

Tim F — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:40:47 +0000

Last month, I was privileged to join Sukhinder on a trip to Japan as guests of Number One Drinks Co., who import some of Japan’s finest whiskies into the UK, including Ichiro Akuto’s Chichibu and his famous Ichiro’s Malt Card Series. Fans … Continue reading >>

I’m Beggin for a Kilbeggan

Chris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:48:00 +0000

[A post today from Chris, shop assistant manager and tastings overlord. What follows is the outcome of allowing him to travel the country by train, giving him all that time to sit and think as the countryside rushes by...] Amidst … Continue reading >>

The Great Speyburn Conundrum

Tim F — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:07:11 +0000

There’s been some curious goings-on around the recent elevation of one of the most unfashionable whiskies ever to walk away with a gong at the World Whisky Awards. The main question is: How on earth did Speyburn 25 year-old manage to scoop … Continue reading >>

Kamm & Sons – The Return!

Billy — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:01:42 +0000

The recent wave of classic cocktail fever making its way around the world has not only reawakened interest in suit tailoring options that allow a bartender to correctly perform a Hard Shake, but also a number of styles of drink … Continue reading >>

Whisky Live London 2012 – The Report

Tim F — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:52:39 +0000

There was a strong TWE presence this year at London’s Whisky Live show, held in the formidable surroundings of the Honorable Artillery Company just a stone’s throw from Shoreditch High Street, home to the majority of the city’s most tragic tryhards … Continue reading >>

Tuthilltown’s Hudson Whiskey

Billy — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:41:52 +0000

Over here in the UK we don’t hear all that much from the burgeoning US craft distilling movement, apart from occasional articles in magazines and on blogs assuring us that it is growing. The problem with a small distiller is … Continue reading >>

Tasting the Single Pot Still range with Barry Crockett

Billy — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:03:00 +0000

We may have been a couple of days late for a proper St Patrick’s day celebration, but we gathered a bunch of Irish whiskey fans at Vinopolis on Monday to have a go anyway. The plan was simple – taste … Continue reading >>

World Whisky Awards 2012

Billy — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:15:15 +0000

Last night was Whisky Magazine’s 6th World Whiskies Awards, the opening event of Whisky Live (which opens today – pop by and say hello if you’re around, we’re the official retailer) and the last of the year’s opening round of … Continue reading >>

Glenfiddich’s ‘New’ Releases

Billy — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:47:09 +0000

The folks at Glenfiddich have been busy recently. Since Christmas we’ve had a couple of new and interesting bottles pop through our warehouse doors, and just this week another new whisky has appeared on our shelves. To celebrate this fact, … Continue reading >>

Ardmore and Littlemill from Single Malts of Scotland

Billy — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:59:48 +0000

When it comes to independent releases from Speciality Drinks we’ve been a bit quiet since The Whisky Show. However, we’re leading off the new year with a pair of bottlings. There was a preview of the first one at The … Continue reading >>

Whisky Live London 2012

Billy — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:45:54 +0000

London has started to pick up two distinct drinks festival ‘seasons’ over the last few years. Autumn has become the home of London Cocktail Week and its bookends, our Whisky Show and Rumfest, and spring the land of the Whisky … Continue reading >>

An evening of Lagavulin with Messrs Dunn, Lafond and Hain.

Billy — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:19:04 +0000

It’s quite scary that other than our Burns Night extravaganza in mid-February we haven’t run any whisky tastings yet this year. We’ve got a rather full schedule for the next few months to make up for our mild hibernation over … Continue reading >>

Vodka Tasting at TWE Vinopolis

Toby — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:28:52 +0000

Time for another guest post – this time a tasting report from TWE Vinopolis‘s resident debonair young charmer, Toby - reporting on the recent Vodka Masterclass hosted at the venue by Pleurat Shabani: We started with a brief history of the spirit, its … Continue reading >>

St. Patrick’s Day Prize Draw – Win Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve!

Tim F — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:00:51 +0000

They say that everyone’s got a bit of Irish in them on St. Paddy’s Day. Statistically, that’s pretty unlikely – despite the diaspora’s best efforts – but it’s a noble ambition nonetheless. Anyway, to celebrate everyone in the world drinking … Continue reading >>

Exploring the Buffalo Trail at TWE Vinopolis

Nic — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:00:37 +0000

A new face on the blog this week, with Nic Vaughn from our trade desk taking the reins. When I was asked to write about this particular tasting by the whisky wizards, Tim and Billy [You may contribute to the … Continue reading >>

More Awards… Whisky Advocate

Billy — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:22:20 +0000

The BAFTAs and Oscars are behind us, the Drinks Retail Awards have come and gone (ahem), and we’ve even given out our own tranche of virtual statuettes – now is the season of the gong. The most recent awards to … Continue reading >>

TWE Blog Awards!

Tim F — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:02:20 +0000

It’s Oscar time again, and even in the whisky world the awards season is in full swing. Basking in the warm glow of our award for Best Online / Direct Mail Retailer of the Year at the recent Drinks Retailing Awards, we thought … Continue reading >>

The Mighty Thor

Billy — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:20:29 +0000

Highland Park are an interesting bunch. Their fans are numerous and (in the nicest possible way) rabid; their detractors are a much smaller group who in recent times have focused on a couple of things that they do, one of … Continue reading >>

Awards Season…

Billy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:41 +0000

It’s well known that we are a humble bunch at TWE, but on occasion we do like to toot on our trumpet of “we’re rather good”. This is now one of those times. On Tuesday night we attended the Drinks … Continue reading >>

Burns Night with TWE & Vinopolis

Billy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:59:00 +0000

For the Scotch whisky lover there’s one event that pops up early in the calendar that gives the perfect excuse for a bit of a special dram or three – Burns Night. On and around the birthday of Robert Burns … Continue reading >>

Balvenie’s Craftsman’s Reserve #1 – The Cooper

Billy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:13:53 +0000

We look forward to new releases at TWE Towers just like everyone else and when Balvenie announced an online unveiling of their newest dram, along with tasting packs for us to follow on at home, me and Tim of this … Continue reading >>

Midleton Distillery Trip: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskeys Pt.2

Tim F — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:32:37 +0000

[Following on the first part of Tim's write-up of his trip to Midleton, we jump straight back in with talk of the new expressions from Irish Distillers.] We’re back in the Distillers Cottage at the Old Midleton distillery, where Irish Distillers’ … Continue reading >>

TWE Blog’s Christmas Whisky: Bowmore Tempest 3

Tim F — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:05:54 +0000

There’s been a few great whiskies this year, many of them Irish and some classics from independent bottlers (including a few zingers from our good selves, I must add immodestly). So this is not my Whisky of the Year – there’s just too … Continue reading >>