Barley culture: Alice Lascelles
Our favourite people on the things they like, that you might like too: this month, the award-winning drinks writer and columnist on an epic novel, her favourite blended whisky and the special place she retreats to
A vine romance: Whisky and Port’s joyful union
The Dalmore’s epic new Port Edition is forged in Scotland and finessed in the feted Douro valley wine region. For Anna Lou Larkin, a Glaswegian with a Portuguese grandfather, this was a magical marriage too good to resist
English whisky’s field of dreams
The centuries old Christian and Pagan tradition of Lammas Day has been resurrected by Fielden whisky to honour the harvest and sow a new way of making whisky – with heritage grains once used by the Vikings. Tom Pattinson joins the happy throng
Libations in Laugharne on the trail of Dylan Thomas
Drink, poetry and solitude. Chris Moss toasts the Welsh writer on a walk around the author’s favourite home town – and final resting place
Mellow fellow: meet Japan’s genius of distilling
Kanosuke is an astonishing young whisky matured in rice wine barrels and produced on Japan’s ‘Mellow Coast.’ Barley gets a taste of the future
Spirited away: A pilgrimage to Norway’s Whisky Cathedral
Beyond the Arctic Circle lies the most remote distillery in the world. Heather Storgaard makes the epic journey to pay homage
Sip advisor: Tamdhu 43-Year-Old Single Malt
Tamdhu’s latest exclusive release is a show-stopping raising of the stakes for the Speyside whisky makers. Barley succumbs to its exquisite sherry-drenched charms
Scotch is striding to disaster
Johnnie Walker and other pioneers made Scotch distinctive, so why does it seem hellbent on becoming something else?
My eco manifesto for future-proofing whisky
The boss of a groundbreaking 100% organic distillery on her vision for a net zero future
Is this a dram which I see before me?
Max Bennett is fresh from an acclaimed run as Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Alexis Burgess is the pioneer behind a dazzling whisky collection featuring every character from the play. The two Macbeths sat down for Barley
Making a strong Impression
Johnson Reserve’s new Renoir Edition single malt whisky is a work of art, both inside the bottle and on it. Barley gets an exclusive taste and hears MD Alexander Johnson explain his masterful vision
‘They’re playing with people’s lives’: Rye whisky under siege as Scandi makers hit by ‘new’ law
European whisky producers are ensnared in a regulatory quagmire as a old trade agreement between the EU and Canada – enforced with sudden rigour earlier this year – prohibits the use of the term ‘rye whisky’ on their labels. Tom Pattinson reports
Video: In a Lalique Of Their Own
Watch the Michelin-starred chef from Glenturret distillery in Perthshire prepare a stunning langoustine dish from his tasting menu
Hip flask hikes: Pendle Hill
Lancashire’s famous “witches’ mountain” marks the natural frontier of the true north. Our local lad walks diagonally into the mists and mires
Where Buffalo roam
Kentucky Kings of Bourbon Buffalo Trace is on a mission: to convert Londoners to the delights of its world famous whiskeys. Barley heads to their new British outpost to get a sneak peek of what lies in store
The £37,000 whisky you have to smash open
Tucked inside a handcrafted Jesmonite column, the Glenrothes 51-Year-Old is a whisky shrouded in mystery - one that can only be unlocked with a hammer, writes Tom Pattinson
Welcome to Whisky Rocks - our new Substack newsletter
Whisky Rocks is our new guide for the whisky curious to help you discover more about the magic and wonder of the world’s most exciting spirit
Land of golden promise: the China whisky boom
A rapidly growing demand for whisky in China, primarily among the young, has seen exports rise substantially and the industry’s biggest players move in with serious intent. Tom Pattinson reports on the dramatic race to create the first Chinese whisky…
10 hot takeaways from the China Whisky Outlook 2024
After the success of Barley’s recent China Whisky Outlook 2024 summit in Edinburgh, Tom Pattinson reveals the 10 key learnings for the future, as revealed by our panel of industry experts…
Tales from the city, tales from the sea
From the Cairngorms to the Caribbean (with a brief detour to the Liverpool docks), the new collection from The Last Drop is an exquisite historical journey of discovery. Gordon Thomson gets spirited away
-
![Scenic landscape of a valley with a small white house, a flowing river, green grassy fields, and tall mountains in the background during sunrise or sunset.]()
In A Special Place: Glencoe
By Alastair Campbell
-
![A woman with long blonde hair smiling and squinting in front of a textured beige wall, wearing a black sweatshirt.]()
Video: Queens of cashmere
By Barley staff
-
![A collection of five men's dress socks with a tartan pattern, stacked in a pile, and a hip flask with a matching tartan fabric sleeve, on a white background.]()
Whisky cabinet must-haves
By Olly Smith
-
![A modern black building with large windows and vertical panels, with]()
5 distilleries opening soon
By Barley staff
-
![A bottle of Ardbeg Uigeadail scotch whisky standing in front of its green and gold box against a black background.]()
Islay whisky starter for six
By Dave Broom
-
![Empty bar with wooden counter, chairs, and sports memorabilia, illuminated by natural light through a window with shamrocks and food condiment bottles on the counter.]()
Three classic Detroit speakeasies
By Nina Caplan
-
![A bartender standing behind a bar with numerous bottles of whiskey and liquor on shelves, glasses hanging upside down above, and a clock on the wall.]()
Video: Japan's best dram?
By Tatsuya Minagawa
-
![Bottle of Glen Scotia Campbeltown Harbour single malt Scotch whisky beside its packaging box.]()
Four supermarket whiskies we rate
By Olly Smith
Get the best of Barley, distilled and delivered to your inbox
The Last Sipper
Hollywood legend Brian Cox invites Barley’s Tom Pattinson into his home to talk about the drams that changed his life - and what he really thinks about tasting notes…
Video produced by Emir Eralp