WELCOME Welcome to Explore WHISKY magazine
Our cover shot highlights our American friends and the collaboration between Wild Turkey and actor
It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the 2018
Matthew McConaughey. One of Hollywood's A-list,
launch edition of Australia's WHISKY magazine. Though it
McConaughey has himself been very hands-on in the
is not entirely new.
development of the new expression - Longbranch.
Explore WHISKY was, in fact, the first book in the Explore DRINKS series, released in 2012 before being republished in 2013 and updated again in 2014. It was a coffee table book that went through the distillation process, how to taste, glassware, whisky vocabulary and a general whisky 101. In 2018 Explore WHISKY returns as an annual whisky magazine for Australia, released each September perfect for Father's Day, Jack Daniel's 'official' birthday and Christmas. The pages of Explore WHISKY are bursting with the latest
Wild Turkey's master distiller, Eddie Russell, is touring Australia in September (as this magazine is released) so Explore WHISKY reached out to bring you both Russell and McConaughey's view on the all things whisky, and it's one we like a whole lot. Of course, we now have our own whisky offering with some seriously good Australian drops. Tasmania has become the spiritual home of Australian whisky, but producers on the mainland are also making their mark. Jump to page 174 to start your tour around the whisky isle - or over to page 76 to catch our chat with David Vitalie of Starward Distillery in Melbourne.
releases from around the world and the stories behind them, and when working through this publication, it was those stories that captivated our imagination and made this such a fantastic project to work on. We hope you will agree, it is the people and the stories behind the drinks that contribute so much to their appeal.
Just to make sure we know what we're talking about, our tasting panel examined 87 whiskies; all blind. Our panel was made up of professional tasters, industry experts, educators and writers. After the tasting was complete, we fielded some guesses from the panellists as to the identity of their highest rated drops, and the
This edition also features a focus on Dufftown - the 'malt capital of the world' and the heart of Speyside. Four days travelling the hills and glens around this region was never enough, but a wonderful experience none-the-less and a teaser to ensure a hasty return. I visited the new distillery at The Macallan which was quite literally breathtaking. A sizeable investment from Edrington, the owners of The Macallan, has given the master distillers and all who work there the Grand Designs of distilleries. Environmentally sensitive yet quite enormous, the distillery sits against the backdrop of the river Spey and surrounds and can almost go unnoticed.
results were eye-opening. Enjoying a great whisky is as much about the people you're with and the place you have it as the liquid itself. The overall experience is richer for the people and stories that go into every bottle. Travelling the world of whisky brings more enjoyment from every drop - so I encourage you to get out there and visit the distilleries, chat with the makers and breathe in the air. The range and innovation on show in the whisky world are both impressive and exciting as a whisky lover. The choice is there; it's just a matter of exploration.
The quality of the liquid coming from The Macallan has been uninterrupted, and the distillery came online earlier this year. Check it out on pages 102. Jumping across the Irish sea we've visited the land of the triple distillation and warm Irish hospitality - and plenty more stories - visiting castles and cutting-edge visitor centres.
~L Ash
exploredrinks.com
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