Distillery & Whisky News January 2026
Hello whisky lovers, and welcome to our January edition of Distillery and Whisky News.
Happy New Year to all our loyal readers, we hope you've had a great festive break and are now looking forward to whatever 2026 may bring. Hopefully lots of distillery trips, and some new malts to try...
If you like to kick off a new year by getting lots of 'dates in the diary' let us help you, visit DistilleryTours.scot and choose one of our bespoke tours with destinations like Islay and Speyside all well covered.
Sláinte and Lang May Your Lum Reek!
Distillery Of The Month: The Macallan
The Macallan
One of Scotland’s first legally licensed distilleries, The Macallan has grown to become one of the world’s most respected single malt whiskies. Its character is shaped by a unique combination of influences from Spain, North America and Scotland, bringing together exceptional natural raw materials, time honoured techniques and meticulous craftsmanship.
The Macallan’s global reputation is founded on quality and distinctive style, guided by its celebrated Six Pillars. These principles reflect everything from place and process to people and passion, forming the foundation of the distillery’s unmistakable spirit.
Available to book until the end of March, The Macallan’s A Night on Earth Experience is a limited edition winter tasting that explores the evocative A Night on Earth series. Hosted within the distillery, the experience blends storytelling with tradition, offering insight into production and The Macallan’s renowned wood story. Guests will enjoy hand selected serves and sample whiskies in unexpected ways, culminating in a shared toast to New Year rituals and new beginnings, including the newest release in the A Night on Earth series, revealed through three specially curated serves.
The Macallan
Find out more about The Macallan at its dedicated pages on the DistilleryTours.scot website.
Venue of the Month: The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant
Glenturret Lalique
Our venue of the month is Glenturret Lalique, a truly exceptional two Michelin starred dining destination set within The Glenturret, Scotland’s oldest working distillery.
At the helm is Executive Chef Mark Donald, whose cuisine is inspired by the distillery itself, Scotland’s dramatic landscapes and the richness of its natural larder. The result is a refined yet deeply rooted culinary experience that celebrates place, season and craft.
There are several ways to enjoy a visit. Following a distillery tour, guests can opt for a relaxed but elegant three course lunch in the Lalique Bar, where seasonal menus showcase the finest local ingredients in a beautifully atmospheric setting.
For a truly memorable occasion, the two Michelin starred multi course dining experience offers a deeper immersion into Chef Mark Donald’s vision. Meticulously crafted and ever evolving with the seasons, it brings the artistry of world class gastronomy to life.
While you are there, whisky lovers can also explore the magical world of fine and rare drams with a bespoke whisky flight tasting in the Lalique Bar. Choose from a curated selection of seven exclusive flights, each offering privileged access to some of The Glenturret’s most coveted and rare expressions.
Glenturret Lalique
Find out more about The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant on its dedicated page at the DistilleryTours website.
Experience of the Month: A Taste of Imagination Tour
Taste of Imagination Tour
Fettercairn Distillery’s A Taste of Imagination tour is this month’s featured experience, offering an engaging insight into one of Scotland’s most innovative whisky makers.
Guests are taken on a guided journey through the distillery, hearing stories from Fettercairn’s past and present while gaining an understanding of its vision for the future. The tour explores the production area, explains the distillery’s unique distillation process and includes a visit to one of its warehouses.
The experience concludes in Fettercairn’s modern visitor centre with a five-dram tasting, showcasing a range of flavour-led expressions that highlight the distillery’s imaginative approach to whisky making.
Taste of Imagination Tour
Find out more about all of Fettercairn Distillery's tours on their dedicated page at the DistilleryTours website.
Date With A Dram: Balblair 12 Year Old
Balblair 12 Year Old
For January's Date With A Dram competition we've teamed up with Balblair Distillery to offer you the chance to win a bottle of 12 Year Old Single Malt.
Competition Time
To be in with a chance of winning a bottle of Balblair Distillery's 12 Year Old Single Malt simply follow DistilleryTours.scot on Facebook or Instagram and share our 'Date with a Dram' post dated 1 January. The lucky winner will be chosen at random and announced in our February newsletter!
Congratulations to Anna Martin from Scotland who won December's competition - a bottle of Holyrood Distillery's Noir Burgundy Yeast Single Malt.
You must be 18 years old or over to enter. Please note, will never approach you for your credit card details or personal information, send you friend requests or ask you to click on a link. Please stay safe online and remember to drink responsibly.
Malt of the Month: Strathisla 12 Year Old
Strathisla 12 Year Old
This exceptional rare whisky is a distillery exclusive and is the first Strathisla to have ever been finished in Madeira Hogsheads giving the whisky a unique flavour and style.
Perfect Serve: Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year Old-Fashioned
Dewar's Double Double 21 Year Old Fashioned
The Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year Old-Fashioned reimagines the classic cocktail with a rare, meticulously aged whisky at its core.
Podcast: Springbank Distillery
Springbank Podcast
In the latest episode of the distillerytours.scot podcast, we sit down with David Allen, Director of Sales and Marketing at Springbank Distillers.
David shares the rich history of distilling in Campbeltown and explains why Springbank is often described as a working museum. Family owned for many years and still fiercely traditional, the distillery continues to do almost everything by hand, from floor malting onwards.
ooking for inspiration for your next Distillery Tour? Follow us on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to hear more, and subscribe to this newsletter at DISTILLERYTOURS.SCOT/SIGNUP.