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Fiercely independent, daily whisky reviews, news and views.
The results are in… We are now three months in on collating all the data for the Dramface Top 40.
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As the 2024 Campbeltown Malts Festival 2024 draws near, Ramsay and Drummond buddy up for a popular modern malt, fairly priced and tasty, they celebrate ‘the good old days’ of right now.
Ramsay and Fergus buddy up for a wander through the most recent outturn from Watt Whisky. Exploring a grain, a blend, two malts and a Guyana rum, they actually find some consensus!
Another new release has landed, this time a are thing indeed: a brand new Islay. Loaded with anticipation, Wally digs in to Ardnahoe - the latest peat-bomb to blow up the whisky scene.
Like a band that has sold out, Fergus felt abandoned by his favourite distillery. He took a long time to give Balblair another chance. But here it is. A head-to-head. Rebrand vs previous livery.
Very much enjoying the new release from Strathearn, Wally reflects upon the producers and stewards in scotch whisky who actually care about the product and its legacy.
Upon discovering this bottle received a near-perfect 99 points at the IWSC, Nick dives in to see what all the fuss was about. You know what he discovered, don’t you?
In a breakaway move, the Dramface Colonials conspire at their water cooler, setting up their own splinter cell. Happily, it results in a virtual sipping session and collaborative review of this Baker’s 7 Bourbon.
Ainsley wonders three things as he sips the 2023 Festival Blend from J&A Mitchell: is 2024 finally the year of the blend?, isn’t grain whisky basically vodka?, and why are people paying £180 for a cheap sipper?
It’s about addiction, but not the addiction you’re thinking of. Murdo shares some confessions as he reviews an SMWS Craigellachie 17yo. Some of us might find this difficult reading.
In order to stave off the dreaded malt-fatigue and keep things fresh and exciting, Earie has found the perfect strategy, and a banger of a whisky too; Millstone’s Rye 10yo.
In typical Dramface style, Aengus and Broddy team up on a bottle split review to asses the winner of the Toronto Whisky Society’s blind panel competition; a Two Brewers Moscatel Release 36
The say distance makes the heart go fonder. Dougie returns to Ardnamurchan’s fair whisky shores after a long break and discovers what’s inside this 5 year old Unpeated Golden Promise Barley expression.
After finding nothing on the television, Fergus finds nothing in the Whisky Shop. But he’s one of us, so he leaves with 5 bottles including a brand new InchDairnie exclusive. He seems pleased.
We all like intensity and focus, but what about when we just need something functional to ‘get it done’? Drummond makes the case for an under-the-radar Càrn Mòr bottling of Glenburgie he stole at auction.
After some early encouragement into the whisky scene via friends and Macallan, Murdo persists with a bottle of the Night on Earth Seasonal Release, only to discover it’s a stinker.
In an effort to keep his palate and whisky fun as diverse as possible, Broddy tucks into some That-Boutiquey-Whisky-Company releases from Europe, including Austria, Switzerland Sweden and Finland.
Faced with a sea of repetitive, dull, expensive and uninspired Irish whiskey releases, a frustrated Hamish searches for a spark of inspiration to celebrate St Patrick’s and beyond.
A collab is required as Broddy and Drummond both review what we believe to be some of the best value all-natural whiskies about right now. Benromach Peat smoke time.
On a trapse to the Big Smoke to explore some whisky in his favourite bar, Doog catches the lurgy. But not before he discovers a belter of a Ben Nevis form Woodrows - and the concept of a bloodtub.
Another cracking Ogilvie tale of whiskey folks from the South, and a little bottled-in-bond bourbon edyacashun woven in. Heaven Hill’s 7yo Kentucky Straight in the glass.
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Industry news, PR and shares from elsewhere. We share things that are interesting to us in the hope that they will be of interest to you. If we receive news that doesn’t interest us we may…um…not.
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We share our thoughts and insight into whisky, its larger landscape as well as the Dramface environment.
A thought piece from Ramsay, as he considers the expansion in scotch whisky production in the last decade, he decides to try to put a number on it. It’s a lot.
In Arthur’s fascination to understand a little more about industry roles, he’s reaching out to the folk on the front lines. This is Scott Adamson of Tomatin & Cù Bòcan, the second in his series of The Blender Files.
Not for the first time, Doog brings us a breathless and vivid summary of a truly brilliant grass-roots festival and a perfect whisky day, but this time he’s on the inside.
In an examination of what is permitted and what is not when it comes to additives in scotch whisky, Fletcher laments the loss of an old friend; paxarette.
In Arthur’s fascination to understand a little more about industry roles, he’s reaching out to the folk on the front lines. This is Jack Lowrie of Dornoch, the first in his series of The Blender Files. If you like it, let him know, he’s busying up others!
What is it that makes whisky such a blast? Well, Fletcher thinks it’s the very thing that is currently being undervalued and under appreciated and everyone at Dramface agrees. We think you will too.
In a follow-up pice to his “Who Will Buy All This Scotch Whisky?”, Fletch asks “Who Will Buy All This New Whisky?” Every bit as hard-hitting, he shares his concerns for the newborns.
In considering the sheer amount of scotch whisky as we breach 2024, Fletcher crunches the numbers, tastes the wind, senses the trends and discovers things are woefully out of kilter.