#hebridean-whisky-trail

#hebridean-whisky-trail

The bothy on the Ben Damph estate, constructed from the ruins of an old black house, features two rooms warmed by log burners and stunning views over Loch Torridon.

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Achaphubuil, a tiny hamlet, is surrounded by mountains and ancient forest, making it an ideal location for artists seeking beauty, privacy, and peace.

Mizunara is the third release in the distillery's Oak Masters' Series, which also includes White Oak and White Oak 24-Year-Old expressions. Mizunara is native to Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. It's an extremely rare oak and quite difficult to work with because it's very porous, making it difficult to craft into casks. But the effort is almost always worth it, as the oak brings out sandalwood, incense, floral and even tropical notes.

After getting engaged in 2013, we started kicking around a wild idea: What if we moved back and revived the prohibition-era distillery his family had owned three generations back? The family business had been passed down for decades until it closed in 1919 due to prohibition. In particular, we had on our hearts Andy's dad, who died of cancer in 2010, but had always said, 'Don't move home unless you have a real good reason to.' This felt like it just might be that real good reason.

Along with the challenges of operating any new business, making good bourbon takes time and expert craftsmanship. It's for this reason that many new "distilleries" aren't distilleries at all (non-distilling producers, blenders, rectifiers). Instead, they source bourbon and then sell it as their own. That's not inherently a bad thing, as some expertly blend whiskey or add extra maturation to create a genuinely impressive bourbon, but there is a clear difference.

I thought I did it because I liked coffee. But really, what I did it for is the conversation that happened at the start of the day.

"I liked our last holiday house better," announces my niece on arrival at Gairnsheil Lodge's Laggan Cottage in the Scottish Highlands. The thing about six-year-olds is that they famously have very little taste, and this isn't the first thing we've disagreed on (other topics include bedtimes, what constitutes 'dinner' and how often you should brush your hair). You'd think for someone who was being treated to a bucket list holiday she'd have a little more respect.

The Irish government will give 2,000 artists unrestricted weekly stipends in a program officials described as a "recognition, at government level, of the important role of the arts in Irish society." After a successful three-year pilot, the Irish government made its basic income program for artists permanent. Similar pilots have been launched here in the United States, but they're supported primarily by the nonprofit sector.

We had a plan [to only use Islay barley], but as we grew, we moved beyond being able to do that,

Matured for 16 years in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, the finish is equal parts spicy and smooth, offering rich notes of honey, fruitcake, and dark chocolate. Since this whisky has extra time maturing in the Oloroso sherry casks, some of the honeyed, fruity notes step to the foreground. The nose delivers caramel and brown sugar plus subtle whiffs of green apple and dried fruits.

Growing numbers of Scottish spirits producers are showing signs of financial strain as weakening export demand, rising costs and trade barriers squeeze margins across the sector. Research by restructuring specialist BTG Begbies Traynor found that 69 Scottish distillers were facing "significant" or "critical" financial distress at the end of the year, up from 49 in the previous quarter. According to the Scotch Whisky Association,

If you are new to whiskey, the barrel a whiskey ages in matters almost as much as the liquid itself. Black Cask whisky is aged only in American oak barrels that previously held bourbon, a choice that tends to create flavors many U.S. drinkers already recognize, such as vanilla and caramel, characterized by a gentle sweetness.

The best places to visit in May take advantage of that elusive window of perfect weather as spring turns to summer, when it's not too hot and it's not too cold-all you need is a light jacket. That frees up essential space in our carry-ons (big puffy jackets and thermal leggings can stay home, finally), creating more room for souvenirs from wherever we may go.

Scotland's Knoydart peninsula is sometimes called Britain's "last wilderness." The land juts out between Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn-that's "Loch Heaven" and "Loch Hell," respectively-and has no through roads, no connections to the U.K.'s road network. What few locals live here, in the craggy Highlands of the west coast, get around on foot, by boat, or drive between their tiny communities down narrow lanes. They help each other with whatever resources they have.

With Bruichladdich, we've built it up over the years by experimenting with barley and grains and being unpeated. And with Octomore, you've got extreme heat and a concept that shouldn't work. But Port Charlotte was actually us getting back into peated whiskey when we reopened in 2001. Everyone was keen to make peated whiskey again, because if you go back to our history, around the 1950s and early '60s, it would have been heavily peated.

I'm learning to go slowly, not too fast too soon. It's probably the reason I got the fracture in the first place.

The U.S. spirits landscape has evolved far beyond the recognition of simply being the birthplace of bourbon. In recent years, we've seen a transformation in both the quality and individuality that the country's craft distilleries have been able to produce. While previous decades were dominated by the big-name distilleries, far more awards are going to craft distillers who have mastered the art of producing high-quality whiskeys, rums, gins, and more.