Posted in Update on February 10, 2012 by Web Editor
 This month Charles Maclean reviews Glenfiddich 19 year old - Age of Discovery, a new Travel Retail exclusive which is released shortly after the much sought after Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix.
 Tasting Note:
Deep amber in colour, with an initial aroma reminiscent of fruit and nut chocolate, with a mossy note behind. The fruits are both fresh (pears) and caramelised – figs, angelica, sultanas; light fruitcake, gently infused with Madeira (scarcely apparent), with a warm pastry note behind. With a drop of water the nose opens and gains Speyside characteristics (pear drops), and a light meaty note, like roast pork. It has a pleasant smooth texture, and a light body; sweet overall, fresh, spicy and drying in the finish. With water the sweetness is reduced somewhat, but it remains fresh and spicy (stem ginger? Black pepper?), leaving an aftertaste of almonds in the medium length finish.
Occasion: At teatime, with Madeira cake
Comment: A rich and complex expression of the world's favourite malt!
Posted in Update on December 02, 2011 by Web Editor
 The brand new World of Whiskies store is now open at Heathrow Terminal 3.
Pop by next time you are flying to check out our great range, amazing offers and sample your favourites.
Posted in Update on July 11, 2011 by Web Editor
 This month Charles Maclean reviews Glenlivet Master Distiller's Reserve, a Single Speyside Malt which is a worldwide travel retail exclusive.
Posted in News on April 28, 2011 by Web Editor
We are excited to announce that you can now pre-order whisky for collection at our Manchester Terminal 1 store. When browsing the site simply select Manchester Terminal 1 within the pre-order drop-down list, and we will be pleased to pick & pack your whisky ready for you to collect at the airport before you depart. Pre-ordered whiskies will be available for pick-up from the World of Whiskies store located within the main Biza store in the departure lounge after security. Additionally, if you are travelling within the EU, then you can pre-order and collect your whisky on your return to the UK.
Click here for more information about pre-order
The Malt that started it all!
 A gentle nose, with scents of violets and fresh fruits (melon, white grapes, fresh pears) - some sweety malty notes to start, but these disappear. Even fresher with water. a soft mouthfeel and a crisp taste - sweet and slightly acidic, with a trace of milk chocolate in the aftertaste.
A supremely 'accessible' malt - light and easy to drink, simple in structure, friendly and unchallenging. A perfect introduction to malt whisky.
Posted in News on January 19, 2011 by Web Editor
We are excited to announce that you can now pre-order whisky for collection at our Aberdeen Airport store. When browsing the site simply select Aberdeen within the pre-order drop-down list, and we will be pleased to pick & pack your whisky ready for you to collect at the airport before you depart. Pre-ordered whiskies will be available for pick-up from the main World Duty Free store within the departure lounge after security.
Please ensure you pre-order your whisky from Aberdeen 72 hours before departure.
Click here for more information about pre-order
Posted in News on October 29, 2010 by Web Editor
 World of Whiskies are proud to announce the introduction of The Glenfiddich Crystal Stag Gondola within our World Duty Free Stores at Heathrow Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.
Featured within our Contentainment sections of our World Duty Free stores, these stands are well worth visiting next time you are at the airport. Built with the finest crystal glass and supported with an intricate wooden frame, there are only three of these in the world and we are very lucky to be able to display one of these.
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The stand features 65 fine bottles of Glenfiddich Malt Whisky including the very limited Glenfiddich 40 year old - a limited edition of 600 bottles.
Each bottle is signed by Peter Gordon, the great-great grandson of the Glenfiddich distillery founder Wiliam Grant.
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This magnificent stand can be seen at the following locations
13th October 2010 -
December 2010 :
London Heathrow Terminal 5
January 2011:
London Heathrow Terminal 4 |
Posted in News on September 23, 2010 by Web Editor
World of Whiskies are proud to offer a hidden gem from the year of the Velvet Revolution -
Hammer Head Malt whisky from the Czech Republic
Imagine 1989, over 20 years ago, just before the Berlin Wall was torn down and Eastern Europe as we knew it changed forever. It was a year of change, a year of revolution and the year of a very special whisky.
The Pradlo Distillery in western Czechoslovakia had been producing high quality pot-still spirits for many years. Still operating as a nationalized company in the 1980's, the distillery began a project to create a single malt whisky of unparalleled quality.
 With great effort Pradlo distillery (pictured right) was able to acquire and install a traditional cast iron hammer mill. Built in 1928, the mill was the same style and make as those found in most traditional Scottish distilleries at the time.
To create the whisky, the distillery selected only Czech barley and the crisp clean water from the Bohemia region. The whisky was aged in unique oak casks made of 100% Czech oak wood, producing a single malt whisky unique to the world.
In late 1989 the wall fell and the whisky was forgotten, left to sleep in the cellars in its unique casks for 20 years. Although the whisky was maintained it was only recently that the true quality of the whisky was rediscovered.
Named after the noisy mill's nickname, Hammer Head Single Malt Whisky available at World of Whiskies. Limited in volume, this once-in-a lifetime find will never be reproduced or rediscovered.
Posted in Charles Maclean's Reviews on September 01, 2010 by Web Editor
In the latest of his monthly instalments, Charles Maclean gives his thoughts on the Malt of the Month: Aberfeldy 12 Year Old. The key single Malt Whisky at the heart of all Dewars Blended whiskies
Charles also explores the evolution of the Aberfeldy Distillery.
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 Tasting Note: The colour of golden syrup, with a thick and distinctly waxy nose (which increases when a little water is added) beeswax, although the honeyed scent is more of heather pollen than heather honey. Behind this there is a rich fruity complex: pear and pineapple chunks in syrup, with traces of smoked orange. A pleasant soft and waxy texture slightly teeth-coating and a taste that starts sweet and ends dryish. A perfect example of a Highland malt.
Occasion: Any time of day, in cheerful company.
Comment: Well made and easy to drink. A perfect introduction to malt whisky.
John Dewar, founder of the famous whisky dynasty, was born on a small farm two miles from the pretty village of Aberfeldy in 1805, deep in highland Perthshire and close to the mighty River Tay. At the age of twenty-three he walked to Perth, the county-town some thirty miles away, to work with a relation who was a wine merchant. In time he became a partner in the firm, and soon set up in business on his own account, trading in spirits and beers as well as wine. During the 1860's he began to offer his own blended whisky.
Blended Scotch was in its infancy, but rapidly beginning to win supporters first locally, then throughout the United Kingdom, especially after the devastation of the vineyards of Cognac by the louse Phylloxera vastetrix made brandy all but unobtainable. Brandy and soda was the drink of the English middle-classes in those days; Scotch and soda was ready to
replace it.
 John Dewar died in 1880 leaving an estate worth around £2 million in today's money. The business passed to his son John Alexander, who was joined by his brother, Tommy, six years later. The former was 24, the latter 16 years old when their father died; they were to become a formidable team and would build a world brand.
Tommy was sent to London in 1885 to develop the trade. He had two contacts: one turned out to be dead and the other had gone bankrupt. He persevered, however, helped by his whisky winning the first of many awards at the Edinburgh International Exhibition the following year, and in 1890 an office was opened in the City of London.
In 1892 he set off on a trip round the world, visiting 26 countries and appointing 32 agents. He was away for two years, and by the time he returned the family business was worth ten times what it had been in 1880 and had been granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria. Tommy bought the third motorcar in Britain, and was elected High Sheriff of London; J.A. Dewar became Lord Provost (i.e. mayor) of Perth.
The brothers had taken a long lease of Tullymet distillery, at Ballinluig, near Perth, in 1890 so could now proudly describe themselves as ˜Distillers & Blender's“ but this was soon too small, and in 1896 they appointed the leading distillery architect of the day, Charles Doig of Elgin, to build a brand new distillery at Aberfeldy. The site was chosen for two reasons: it was well supplied with excellent water from the Pittlie Burn indeed there had been a licensed distillery up-stream, as well as several illicit stills and it was adjacent to the railway line connecting Aberfeldy to Perth, where John Dewar & Sons head office was situated.
Built from local stone and featuring every modern convenience, including a steam engine and water turbine to provide power, and a pagoda-topped kiln this had been invented by Charles Doig, and soon became the key architectural feature of malt whisky distilleries the distillery produced around 2,200 gallons of spirit a week (current production is five times this). Barley was sourced from local farms or carried in from Perthshire by train. It was malted on site until the 1970's, and the former malting now houses the splendid Dewar's World of Whisky brand home - opened in 2000 and probably the best distillery visitor centre in all Scotland.
Aberfeldy was first bottled as a single malt in 1991 (at 15 years old). Prior to this the entire production went for blending, and still today only around 5% is bottled as a single. As I have said in my tasting notes, it is a classic example of a Highland malt.
Posted in News on July 01, 2010 by Web Editor
 Renowned throughout Islay as a bon viveur, peat digger, sweater knitter extraordinaire and general Malt savant, BIG PEAT has been chosen as Douglas Laing's latest ambassador in Travel Retail/Duty Free.
PEAT is seldom seen off the Island of Islay on the West coast of Scotland but has been granted permission and will shortly land in WDF's World of Whiskies stores,
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