A debut piece by our Friday First writer Mason Mack, who introduces us to his digital native generation and slow-living, through a glass of elegant Dailuaine from Fragrant Drops.

Wally makes an impassioned plea to the owners of Speyburn and AnCnoc to think twice about their decisions to chill filter their malts in upcoming revamps. He also makes a plea to those who care.

Whisky brings solace and escapism in challenging times. After some fatigue, Earie finds his love of whisky geekery sparked once more. A very good indie Islay from Elixir’s Elements helps out.

Cadenhead’s Original Collection and the Enigma Blends are perhaps the most likely of their releases to be found in the wider marketplace. Ainsley dives in to an entire outturn.

After Broddy's Sherrygeddon experience, he continues pull upon the Amontillado Sherry thread. This time its the limited Wood Collection Series from Glenallachie.

Mining solo, Innes suddenly discovers a whisky club in London and everything changes - until Covid-19 changes everything. This 28yo Cadenhead’s Glen Scotia is from the (very recent) hay days.

Today, it’s Broddy’s turn to eat his words. After criticising a lack of single cask Ardnamurchan picks, his local Kensington Wine Market pulls in their very own. It feels like this peated ex-bourbs it’s just for him!

It’s not like our Doog to forget his decorum, but a new year’s faux pas leaves him reeling with shame; has he become a whisky snob? He makes good with a Signatory 100 Proof Maybe-Macallan.

Anyone in for some Dry January? Thought not. Drummond has his own ideas and while he shares them, he does so over a high strength Isle of Arran; their Sherry Cask.

Wally falls into a time-travelling dream where he imagines uncovering something whisky-precious, before waves of full-on 2024’s Springbank 12 Cask Strength snaps him back to the very real present.

As a firm fan of Glenfarclas, Murdo is frustrated by weak and unreliable official bottles - despite good prices. In today’s comparison of two fully natural releases, he makes an enthusiast’s plea.

After being assured by his own previous experiences, Earie never really believed in the positivity behind Arran’s 10yo. Believing it was hyped, he finally relented. Here’s his take.

Never backward about coming forward, Fletcher shares his take on IBs, a popular 100º series as well as Woodrow’s recent reaction to it. All while savouring a cracking James Eadie Mannochmore.

Despite appearances, we don’t put real effort into giving Macallan a hard time at Dramface, the truth is, they’re taking care of things themselves. Nick throws a huff at The Harmony Rich Cacao.

In celebrating a Thompson Brothers creation , Hamish declares his love of Ardmore, a distillery which would be completely ignored if it wasn’t for the Independent Bottlers.

Wally kicks things off for 2025 with Ardnahoe’s core range Infinite Loch & exclusive Society bottling and hopes that they are harbingers of what could follow in whisky’s New Year.

Joining SMWS requires a membership which, as well as some other IB vagaries, was intimidating to Hamish. Now he wholeheartedly embraces indies but he shares why, until now, he’s never signed up.

When is travel retail not actually travel retail? And when should it be everywhere retail? Dougie gets ripped into Bruichladdich’s hidden gem amidst flying angst and acronyms.

If we’re serious about keeping whisky fun; should we really care too much about analysis? Over a Thompson Bros collab with Campervan, Ainsley fights for the case for the blind sofa pour.

After nine years of serious flavour chasing, Innes discusses the typical flavour-arc of a whisky botherer, and hopes this 45yo Signatory can deliver that apparent holy grail of ‘tropical fruit’.