Journeys of discovery

Even if we still can’t travel, you can be sure we can still send you on fascinating whisky-related journeys, and that’s exactly what’s in store in this issue of Unfiltered.

Our epic read on the renaissance in the Irish whiskey world comes from Fionnán O’Connor, whose words will transport you to the heart of the island’s fascinating and dynamic whiskey scene. It’s an unmissable deep dive, written with verve and expertise.

Elsewhere, I pay a (virtual) trip to the gloriously isolated distillery of Ardnamurchan on the west coast of Scotland with founder Alex Bruce. Renowned whisky and food chef Ghillie Başan picks up the challenge of exploring how intriguing food and whisky pairings can dramatically influence our experience and appreciation of texture in our whiskies. Tom Bruce-Gardyne reflects on some of the trailblazers who have changed the way we appreciate our whisky over the years. And our latest partner bar profile takes us to South Africa for a dram of ‘liquid sunshine’ in Johannesburg.

Settle down for all that along with our SMWS ambassadors’ nuggets of knowledge about how best to appreciate a Society dram, and find out more about some of the ‘unsung hero’ distilleries where you might not know the names – but you’ll be sure to enjoy the whisky that ends up in our single cask bottlings.

By my count we have about 15,000 words for you to explore, absorb and enjoy through the course of the month.

Enjoy your escape.

Slàinte,