A Sense of Place: Exploring the Diverse Landscapes of Whisky

Historic wine and spirits merchant, Berry Bros & Rudd, has unveiled a new collection of spirits celebrating the diverse landscapes around the world and their effects on distilled spirits. The collection, named ‘A Sense of Place’, will be divided into two parts: Glens & Valleys and Coast & Shores.

Image: A stunning mountain landscape, reminiscent of Scotland’s Glens & Valleys

The first part of the collection, Glens & Valleys, is available now, with bottles distributed amongst Berry Bros. & Rudd, and specialist UK and international retailers. This collection of bottlings from various scotch whisky distilleries is nestled amongst Scotland’s stunning landscape.

Whisky making is inextricably linked to its surroundings, with everything from water sources to mountains, and climate affecting the final character of a whisky. The whiskies in Glens & Valleys explore Scotland’s landscape “from the foothills of the Grampian mountains to the Valley of the Garioch.”

A Tale of Two Batches

Jack Daniel’s is releasing new batches of its 10-year-old and 12-year-old Tennessee whiskeys for 2024. The 10-year debuted a year prior to the 12-year, so we are now enjoying batch three of the 10-year, while the 12-year is celebrating batch two.

Whether you think the reputation is well-deserved or not, Jack Daniel’s flagship Old No. 7 is generally perceived to be closer to a mixing whiskey than a sipping whiskey. The Jack and Coke exists for this very reason. Whether out of love for the craft or due to market pressure to adapt to a burgeoning high-end whiskey market, the move to top-shelf whiskey says a lot about the state of American whiskey today, and the continuation of the project indicates that the move is being well-received.

Image: Whiskey barrels, symbolizing the art of whiskey making

The Art of Whiskey Making

Whiskey fans have a lot of thoughts about Diageo’s Orphan Barrel brand, a series of whiskey releases that supposedly come from forgotten casks discovered slumbering in the darkened corners of warehouses. That unlikely narrative has kind of taken a backseat to the stories behind the individual whiskeys in the series, some of which are very good—if often overpriced.

The new Indigo’s Hour, however, is an 18-year-old bourbon that doesn’t live up to its backstory, and it’s arguably not worth its hefty price tag.

Image: A whiskey connoisseur, savoring a fine dram

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world of whiskey is a complex and fascinating one, with diverse landscapes and stories behind each bottle. From Berry Bros & Rudd’s ‘A Sense of Place’ collection to Jack Daniel’s 10-year-old and 12-year-old Tennessee whiskeys, and Diageo’s Orphan Barrel brand, there’s something for every whiskey enthusiast out there.