Ainsley has tried enough decent Clynelish to know he loves that waxy character it can possess, so he determines to land a bottle. But that’s harder said than done. Did he manage with this 1992 18yo?

Ainsley recounts the splendour of the recent Independent Spirits Festival held in Leith. This is just the kind of recap to make sure we see another year of this, and a perfect Fib Whisky Whitlaw to match up.

Ainsley waves a flag for Japanese whisky, suggesting we place it on our radars once more, just don’t overpay & perhaps don’t start with this Tsunuki from Mars.

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.

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.

Ainsley returns from his first visit to Glasgow, low on health and finances, but high on life. He shares why; but needs to pull Wally in for a review of a special Glasgow oloroso single cask.

How to convey the breathless experience of the world’s Largest Whisky Show? We send in Ainsley. Who seems to drink the time of his life. Oh, and a lesser-seen Balmenach review, for value.

Following up on his epic wine cask cheat-sheet feature, Ainsley treats us to a super-interesting French bargain banger matured in a - you guessed it - French wine cask.

After a sublime whisky-fuelled tasting event hosted by J&A Mitchell in Paris, Ainsley is inspired to crack open his smoky Kilkerran and usher in cooler evenings. Nice insider info here.

Held up as an example in how to do things right, Ainsley reviews a Hazelburn 10 while sending an open letter to Ardbeg all about how they're doing it wrong. Very wrong.

Some things turn out better than we expect, as Ainsley discovers with the recent Olympics. So, after smuggling some back from a trip, how about this rum finished Cù Bòcan?

Ainsley brings a Glen Ord banger to a 90+ points whisky night and ends up contemplating what’s different about ‘older’ whiskies that are, in whisky terms, actually pretty young.

Our Linkwood exploration continues, this time heading back to the 1990s with a Signatory and a Cadenhead’s head-to-head, which also gives Ainsley pause to consider the role of ABV.

The mule network kicks in to share mature Union Distillery malt with Ainsley in Paris and Wally in Scotland. Both tear into a surprising and well-priced 16yo cracker from Brazil.

There’s not only some whisky and casks up for sale, but an entire distillery too. It’s been making malt for 20 years and there’s little interest. Ainsley and Earie investigate.

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?

In trying to understand why Ben Nevis is such a ‘connoisseur’s malt’ Ainsley assembles a trio of indies and pours them alongside each other for a cosy night hiding from the Parisian rain.

When we love whisky so much, it’s hard to be brutal about some of the obvious negatives. Yet sometimes, when things are clearly wrong, we just have to call it out. This decision was not taken lightly.

Dove-tailing Doog’s review of the mass-market Aberfeldy 12yo, Ainsley finds an all-too-rare alternative, one more tailored for those of a geeky bent. Inexpensive too!

Pragmatism and reflection are the themes as Ainsley happens upon a bargain ghost at auction. Shy at first, he eventually locks this beauty away for as long as possible. Special people only.