Drinks writer, @WhiskyExchange ambassador, @WhiskySquad minion, blogger at @SpiritedMatters and ex-coder. I also wrote a book called The Philosophy of Whisky.
Articles by Billy Abbott
The Whisky Trail: a new old name from Elixir Distillers – Spirited Matters
In the years since separating from The Whisky Exchange (supplier of my day job), the team at Elixir Distillers have been busy. From tinkering with the Black Tot range to continuing to release Single Malts of Scotland bottlings, to say nothing of building Portintruan distillery on Islay and running Tormore, they’ve not had much time to create new things. However, despite all that, they have done so, repurposing an old name with a new idea: introducing The Whisky Trail.
The Whisky Exchange reveals its limited edition Black Friday whisky
The Whisky Exchange has announced its highly anticipated annual Black Friday limited-edition single malt whisky. This year, the brand will be selling a one-off, fruity 15-year-old Lowland whisky from Glenkinchie distillery, priced at £84.95. The team say its profile is classically elegant, with orchard fruit and blossom complemented by a touch of sweetness and spice.
Scapa 2007 19 Year Old – Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Continuing our look into The Whisky Exchange’s latest exclusive releases, we move on to my most anticipated whisky of last year. It’s a release from one of Scotland’s most northerly distilleries and one which we very seldom see new whisky from – Scapa 2007 19 Year Old. Orkney – almost as far north as you can go Scapa is one of the Orkney islands’ pair of distilleries.
Strathisla 2003 15 Year Old – Exclusive to The Whisky Exchange – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
The past few months have seen a whole host of new exclusive whiskies hit the shelves at The Whisky Exchange. Now that the combined whirlwind of Whisky Show and Christmas has calmed down, we’re going to take a bit of time to look at our new acquisitions, and give you a bit more background on them. Today, we’re starting off with the first of a pair of very exciting small-batch whiskies – Strathisla 2007 15 Year Old.
Black Friday Whisky 2022 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
It’s Black Friday, yet again. The strange, American-exported shopping holiday, packed with deals and occasional scrums in department stores. We’re not fans of fighting over whisky, so have again – for a 6th year – selected a great dram to pop up on our website at an excellent price, released at 6am GMT to give everyone around the world a chance to grab a bottle. This year’s dram is…drum roll please…a 16-year-old whisky from Caol Ila distillery.
Diageo Special Releases 2022 - Elusive Expressions
It’s that time of year again: Whisky Show is days away, the year-end acceleration of new whisky releases is upon us and I’m already pining for a holiday. All of this means that that we are ready for the latest edition of a much-anticipated yearly release – the Diageo Special Releases 2022: Elusive Expressions. What are the Diageo Special Editions?
The Glenturret – more than just a distillery – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
We’re currently running a competition to win a fantastic trip to visit Glenturret, so I decided to head up to Scotland to see what all the fuss was about, and make sure that the prize is as excellent as it seemed. In short: it is. Glenturret has two quite different sides. At its heart, it’s one of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland, with new research suggesting that it might even be the oldest.
Liberté, égalité, Lillet: Three Ways to drink Bordeaux’s favourite Aperitif – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Sweet, aromatic Lillet Blanc has been a fixture on bars and dinner tables across France for more than a century. While this icon of bon vivant-ery is also exported around the world there is some confusion about how best to drink the classic Bordelais aperitif. Being a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux, fortified with sweet and bitter orange liqueurs, Lillet is an aromatised wine a little like vermouth – perfect for stimulating the appetite and rounding out a good cocktail.
Laphroaig Càirdeas - with a little help from our friends
Laphroaig, despite being the biggest-selling Islay whisky, doesn’t mess around with many special edition bottlings. The distillery has a solid core range, an occasional selection of older and more expensive bottlings, and a few travel retail exclusives, but it focuses almost all of its special-edition efforts on a single bottle each year: Laphroaig Càirdeas. Care Chase?
Caperdonich - a lost Speysider with a smoky secret
Posted on 13 July 2022 by Billy The history of whisky in Scotland is littered with the names of closed distilleries. While some of them have risen in fame since their closing, some have continued in obscurity, and a few have done so undeservedly. One that falls most definitely into that final category is Glen Grant #2, aka Caperdonich. Caperdonich: The Beginnings Caperdonich, then called Glen Grant #2, was built in 1898 in the town of Rothes – the heart of Speyside.
Talisker x Parley: Rewilding the sea with Forests of the Deep
Talisker distillery is not only maritime in character but in location, with every drop of whisky distilled by the sea. It’s not surprising that when it comes to charitable endeavours, the oceans are its focus, and its most recent release dives – literally – into an unseen world that needs our help: marine forests. The whisky to back up the project revitalising them has a fitting name – Talisker 44 Year Old: Forests of the Deep.
The Independent Whisky Market
After a bit of a holiday – if you can call telling people about a distillery on Islay and about whiskey in Dublin a holiday, which I worryingly do – I’m back on the road to talk about The Philosophy of Whisky. Next stop: Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter for the Independent Whisky Market.
Tormore distillery bought by Elixir Distillers – Spirited Matters
Elixir Distillers has been in the news recently, first getting planning permission for and then finally revealing the name of its Islay distillery: Portintruan. The company is now making what maybe its biggest announcement yet: Elixir Distillers is buying Tormore distillery. From Elixir co-founder Sukhinder Singh: “Tormore is one of the most visually stunning distilleries in Speyside.
Islay Festival – Fèis Ìle - The Philosophy of Whisky
Very excitingly, I will be up on Islay during this year’s Fèis Ìle, the festival of malt and music. Not only will I be up there drinking whisky and eating my bodyweight in tablet, but I’ll also be joining my friend Rachel McCormack for a book event at Bowmore’s The Celtic House. The Islay Festival is a fixture of the yearly whisky calendar, and 2022 marks its return to being an real-life festival after a couple of years of virtual events.
Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2022
I am very proud to announce that The Philosophy of Whisky has been shortlisted for the Best Debut Drink Book at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2022. I’m up against fellow Circle of Wine Writers member Amanda Barnes and her excellent The South America Wine Guide, and the winner will be announced on 12 May 2022.
The Philosophy of WhiskyCast
A very quick update to announce that I’ll be a guest on WhiskyCast this Friday, 14 January 2022, at 10pm UK time. Mark Gillespie is the original whisky podcaster, and I’ve been listening to and learning from him since the early days of WhiskyCast. Over the years he’s expanded WhiskyCast into a multimedia enterprise and his Friday Night Happy Hour is returning this week after a few-months with only a couple of shows.
The Philosophy of Whisky
The books I read and recommend you read to learn more about whisky: Whisk(e)y The World Atlas of Whisky – Dave Broom (Amazon / The Book Depository / Waterstones / Foyles / WH Smith) Whisky: A Tasting Course – Eddie Ludlow (Amazon / The Book Depository / Waterstones / Foyles / WH Smith) The Malt Whisky Yearbook 2022 – Ingvar Ronde (Amazon / The Book Depository / Waterstones / Foyles / WH Smith) The Knowledge: Whisky – Dave Waddell (Amazon / The Book Depository / Waterstones / Foyles) American...
The Lakes Whiskymaker's Editions: Liberty – Spirited Matters
I’ve tried to write about The Lakes a few times. I visited shortly after they opened and returned again a couple of years back, during which time it had changed to be almost recognisable. It’s a distillery that my opinion has changed about more than any other and with this latest release my opinion has shifted once again. Time to have a look at The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Editions: Liberty.
Upcoming signings and tastings
I’ve got a busy few weeks ahead of me, with a pair of festivals and a book signing – if you are around in Kendal, Edinburgh or Brighton it’d be great to say hello in person. First up we have the Kendal Whisky Festival on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 December 2021, as mentioned previously.
Win our biggest-ever tasting set – The Perfect Measure giveaway – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 26 November 2021 by Billy You may have noticed that Christmas is approaching. While we’ve got loads of great things happening on our website – and you can find them through our Christmas page – we also have lots going on in our London shops, including one of our biggest giveaways ever: three lucky winners will start the new year with hundreds of tasty things things to drink… The Perfect Measure…to share?
Awamori with The Shochu Lounge at ROKA – Spirited Matters
If you’ve spoken to me in person in the past couple of years, I’ve almost certainly started rambling about Japan. I’ve been obsessed with the country for most of my life and, in more recent years, its drinks. Back at the beginning of 2020 I got to visit and explore the world of shochu and awamori, and my discovery of the latter continued through 2020’s lockdown.
Oli Klimek's Super Happy Halloween Fun – Spirited Matters
It is Halloween. Rather than skipping through the streets helping children acquire diabetes, I am locked up in my flat with all the lights off, ignoring knocks on the door and drinking weird spirits. The first part of that sentence is expected – I’ve been scared of trick or treaters ever since my university flatmates stole my strawberry Milky Ways to feed to some while I hid in my room (I’m still not entirely sure why, but dress kids up as skeletons, and I’m hiding).
Halloween approaches - spooky shops and (non) gruesome gifts
Posted on 27 October 2021 by Billy Halloween is almost here, and this year, after 18 months of intermittent lockdowns and closures, our shop teams want to do some celebrating. If you head down to see them this weekend they might have a treat for you… Treats with no tricks Each of our three shops – Covent Garden, Great Portland Street and London Bridge – has a pile of presents to give out on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 October 2021.
Diageo Special Releases 2021 – Legends Untold – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
While the past year has been a strange one, there are some things that have rolled on barely affected. One of those is the yearly Diageo Special Releases. They popped up on time in 2020 and now they’re here again. While the make-up of this year’s eight-bottle range has been known since early in the year, we can now finally reveal more about the whiskies, the range and what it’s all about. Presenting the Diageo Special Releases 2021 – Legends Untold.
Whisky Show Bottlings 2021 – Adventures in Flavour – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Whisky Show is almost upon us again. It’s our lucky 13th show – 12th in person – and the first year where we are combining our traditional weekend of whisky at Old Billingsgate with a whole host of online virtual sessions. We’ll be mixing up online and real life from 1-3 October and then going fully virtual from 4-6 October. You can find full details on the Whisky Show website. But enough show shenanigans – what about the special Whisky Show bottlings?
Everything You Need To Know About Whisky (but are too afraid to ask) – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 9 August 2021 by Billy After more than a year of planning, months of writing and weeks of proofreading, we are very proud to announce the launch of a very special project: our first-ever book – Everything You Need To Know About Whisky (but are too afraid to ask), by Nicholas Morgan. At The Whisky Exchange, we’ve been talking about writing a book about whisky for years, but could never find the right person to take up the mantle of actually writing it.
Virtual Tastings – August 2021 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 29 July 2021 by Billy We’ve had a bit of time off our virtual tastings recently – with bars reopening we want to encourage folks to (safely) get back out there. However, in August we’ve got a tasting that we could only ever do virtually – a gathering of rye whisk(e)y people from Kentucky to Melbourne. August’s Line-up 25 August 2021, 7-8.30pm – Rye so Serious?
Fèis Ìle 2021 – Lagavulin 13yo and Caol Ila 12yo – Spirited Matters
It’s Fèis Ìle – The Islay Festival of Music and Malt – and, for the second year in a row, it’s not the normal island-population-doubling week of in-person shenanigans. While you can now go and play on Islay, the festival has stayed online, and this week sees a host of virtual events, from quizzes and dances to whisky tastings.
Singleton of Glen Ord 38 Year Old and The Singleton range – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
The Singleton range of single malt whiskies is available around the world, but is often misunderstood. With the recent arrival of the Singleton of Glen Ord 38 Year Old at The Whisky Exchange, we thought we’d break it down and explain how it all fits together. Three in one While the name suggest singleness, The Singleton range is actually made up of whiskies from three different distilleries – Dufftown, Glendullan and Glen Ord.
New Exclusive: Caol Ila 2005 15yo Refill Sherry Cask #301507 Connoisseurs Choice – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 26 April 2021 by Billy We’ve spent the past year lining up great exclusive releases to appear over the coming months, and the latest bottle has just landed: a specially selected refill-sherry cask, bottled for us by the team at Gordon & MacPhail – Caol Ila 2005 15yo Cask #301507. Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & MacPhail is one of Scotland’s oldest independent bottlers.
Virtual Tastings – May 2021 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 23 April 2021 by Billy It’s almost May and we have more virtual tastings on the cards. We’re still putting together one of them, but our first is ready to announce – a tasting of Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore with header distiller Adam Hannett.
Virtual Tastings – April 2021 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 24 March 2021 by Billy We’re almost done with March, so it’s time to announce our April virtual tastings.
Virtual Tastings – March 2021 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 24 February 2021 by Billy March rapidly approaches, and with it a pair of excellent virtual tastings – a deep dive into the world of fortified wine with our tame MW, and some very sought-after whiskies from the Macallan… March’s Line-up 10 March 2021 2021, 7-8.30pm – Discover Fortified Wine with Dawn Davies MW: We love fortified wine at The Whisky Exchange, but always get a lot of questions about the different types and styles.
The Negroni Variations: Boulevardier – Spirited Matters
There are waves in the drinks world. Ideas that roll around and smash together to create rolling peaks where everyone seems to talk about the same thing for a short time. I really like negronis, and having seen a bunch of mentions of them and the negroni family over the past week, I better jump on before my metaphor breaks. Negroni variation #1: the Boulevardier. Negroani I blame Stanley Tucci.
New Japanese Whisky Labelling Standards – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Whisky has been made in Japan for almost 100 years, but until recently it has been relatively unknown. The huge growth outside of Japan in the past few years has started to show cracks in the way that it is regulated and led to calls from both in and outside of the Japanese whisky community to have stricter rules on its production and labelling.
Clynelish 1999 21 Years of Friendship - Sukhinder Singh & Toru Suzuki
While we finished celebrating our 20th birthday at the end of last year, it’s not the only anniversary that deserves some attention. Over the past couple of decades, we’ve met many whisky people from around the world, and this year marks the 21st anniversary of one of them not only discovering TWE, but also the start of a long-standing friendship between him and our co-founder.
New Exclusives: Edradour and Ballechin sherry casks
Posted on 9 February 2021 by Billy We’ve been working with the team at Edradour to release excellent exclusive single cask bottlings of whisky for years, and our latest pair of whiskies has arrived – an 11-year-old Edradour and a 14-year-old Ballechin, both matured in ex-sherry casks.
Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2021 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
It’s that time again. As February rolls around, whisky fans from around the globe usually get ready to head to the UK to find some of the finest drams ever bottled from across whisky history at Whisky Show: Old & Rare. While that’s not going to be possible this year, we’re not going to let the year go unmarked. It’s time for Virtual Whisky Show: Old & Rare 2021. How does that work? Whisky Show: Old & Rare is very different to other whisky shows.
Virtual Tastings – February 2021 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 21 January 2021 by Billy It’s only a week since our January Virtual Tastings post, but February is almost here and with it our next couple of tastings – a chocolate-laden Valentine’s treat, an evening of fabulous fizz, and a long-awaited appearance for Privateer rum and their head distiller, Maggie Campbell.
Up-cycling your Christmas drinks part 3 – liqueurs – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
There are certain Christmas bottles that have a bad habit of slowly migrating backwards through the drinks cabinet. They’re excitedly bought and placed at the front of the shelf, ready for a spot of festive cheer, but the cold-light of January doesn’t quite give them the same appealing glow. Back they go, ready to be found during a booze-spelunking mission sometime around Easter. The type of drink that most often seems to fall into this trap is the humble liqueur.
Virtual Tastings – January 2021 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 15 January 2021 by Billy It’s the new year and we’re back with a whole new program of virtual tastings and more. We’re kicking things off with a pair of events you won’t want to miss… New year, new drinks With 2021 stretching ahead of us, we’ve already started planning in tastings for the upcoming months.
The Whisky Exchange Single Casks Batch 3 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Back in 2019, quite quietly, we launched a new range of whiskies. In the middle of last year, we released a second batch, also quite quietly. But now, with the launch of our latest whiskies, we want to make a bit of noise – please welcome The Whisky Exchange Single Casks Batch 3. Where did these come from? A bit of history. Back in the olden dayes – the early 2000s – The Whisky Exchange launched its first independent bottlings.
The Whisky Exchange Blog Review of 2020 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Well. That was definitely a year. But hidden in among the various trials and tribulations of 2020 there were a load of excellent drink-related things, and, optimists that we are here at The Whisky Exchange, it’s time to celebrate them. So, without further ado, it’s time for the now-traditional (even if we did miss last year) TWE Blog Review of the Year – 2020 edition.
Loch Lomond 2010 Cask #349 – a fruity new exclusive – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
The past few years have seen Loch Lomond recreate itself, going from being a maker of anonymous blends to an award-winning single malt producer with a wide range of whiskies on the shelves. We’ve had a few exclusive single casks from Loch Lomond since the reinvention, and our newest has just arrived. It’s a dram that shows off the fruity side of the distillery’s range: Loch Lomond 2010 Cask #349. What makes Loch Lomond special?
Karuizawa Distillers and Komoro Distillery
Posted on 12 December 2020 by Billy Karuizawa is a hefty name in Japanese whisky. A town with an eponymous distillery whose whiskies now change hands for many thousands of pounds a bottle. A distillery which is not only closed but has also been demolished, removing any hope of it reopening despite its booming popularity. However, there will soon be whisky in Karuizawa again – get ready for Karuizawa Distillers and Komoro Distillery.
Ben Bracken 16 Year Old and Lagavulin 16 Year Old - are they siblings?
It’s almost Christmas and that means it’s time to be on the look out for booze bargains. On the whisky front, there is a lot of discussion about one particular deal – a good whisky, at a good price, with a hidden origin: Lidl Ben Bracken 16 Year Old. But could it secretly be Lagavulin 16 Year Old? What’s a Ben Bracken? The big discounters – Aldi and Lidl, especially – are both well known for having decent drinks selections.
Whisky of the Year – and the winner is... – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 1 December 2020 by Billy It is the first day of December, so, as promised, we would like to announce The Whisky Exchange Whisky of the Year. Drumroll please… Port Charlotte 10 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky of the Year It’s a well-deserved win for the team at Bruichladdich. We’ve been big fans of Port Charlotte 10 since it came out back in 2018, and we’re very pleased to see that you are fans as well.
Black Tot 50th Anniversary – remembering naval rum – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
This year has been ‘special’ for many reasons, but one that we have especially enjoyed marking here at The Whisky Exchange has been the 50th anniversary of Black Tot Day – it’s been 50 years since the Royal Navy last issued sailors with a daily ration of rum. And now, in celebration of that, comes a new rum from our friends at Black Tot – Black Tot 50th Anniversary.
Virtual Tastings – December 2020 – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
Posted on 18 November 2020 by Billy After a couple of month away, The Whisky Exchange’s Virtual Tastings are back! Join us for a fantastic pair of December tastings with our friends at Diageo – proper festive treats. A couple of months off… Well, we weren’t really ‘away’ as such.
The History of Johnnie Walker with Dr Nick Morgan – The Whisky Exchange Whisky Blog
For those in the drinks industry and numerous whisky fans around the world, Dr Nicholas Morgan is a well known figure. With a thirty-year career working for Diageo – starting there even before they company took that name – he’s been most recently known as the public spokesman for the world’s largest whisky maker.
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