11 minute read
The Whisky Job Most Visitors Miss: Turning Barley by Hand
Floor malting prepares barley for whisky. Discover why it is turned by hand, what Laphroaig and Springbank do, and what to ask before booking a tour.
Read articleStories from the stillhouse
Whisky has always travelled by story.
The Cask-It Journal combines practical whisky guides with new research from Stewart Hunt and Kevin White, family members who explore Scotland’s whisky places from two complementary perspectives.
Featured journal
Balblair 15: The Whisky From a Distillery That Moved
Balblair 15 comes from a Highland distillery that moved for the railway. Explore its bourbon and sherry casks, vintage history and what to ask on a visit.
11 minute read · Stewart Hunt & Kevin White
Read the story
12 minute read
Scottish Distillery Closures in 2026: Which Whisky Tours Are Still Open?
Scottish distillery closures do not always mean cancelled tours. Check our dated 2026 guide to production pauses, visitor access and official booking pages.
Read article
13 minute read
Before You Buy a Whisky Cask, Prove You Own It
Whisky cask investment risks begin with ownership. Learn how to verify the cask, warehouse, contract, costs and exit terms before paying a seller.
Read article
12 minute read
Why a Campbeltown Whisky Trip Is More Than a Bottle Hunt
Plan a Campbeltown whisky trip for access, history and time, not a rare bottle. Compare tours, tastings and a realistic stay on the Kintyre coast.
Read article
12 minute read
The Second Cask Changed Scotch Whisky. Here Is What Your Label Leaves Out.
A Scotch whisky cask finish can transform a dram, but the label rarely reveals the full timeline. Here is how to read what happened in the wood.
Read article
10 minute read
Port Ellen Distillery Reopened: How to Book a Visit on Islay
Yes, Port Ellen Distillery is open again. The famous Islay ghost distillery reopened in March 2024, but it is not a casual walk-in stop. Here is how to book, what to expect, and how to fit Port Ellen into a proper Islay whisky trip.
Read article
12 minute read
Is Scotch Whisky in Crisis? What the Numbers Actually Tell Us
The headlines have been brutal. One in five Scottish distilleries in financial distress. Diageo cutting 743 million pounds. Jobs at risk across the Highlands and Islands. Parliament launching a formal inquiry. Before you panic, here is what is actually happening and what it means for the industry you love.
Read article
11 minute read
Beyond Lockerbie: The Remarkable Whisky Distilleries of Dumfries and Galloway
Most people know Lockerbie for one reason. But there is another story in this part of Scotland that almost nobody talks about. Dumfries and Galloway is home to three distilleries with histories that are, in their own way, just as extraordinary.
Read article
10 minute read
Highland Park: Why Scotland's Most Northerly Distillery Makes One of Its Greatest Whiskies
Perched on a hill above Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Highland Park has been making whisky since 1798. It is the most northerly single malt distillery in Scotland, and in the opinion of Stewart and me, one of the most underrated. Here is why it deserves your full attention.
Read article
9 minute read
US Tariffs on Scotch Whisky Are Gone: What It Means for Scotland and for You
On 24 July 2026, the United States removed all tariffs on Scotch whisky. It is the biggest trade win for the industry in years, and it comes on top of the India FTA that came into force earlier this month. Here is what happened, why it matters, and what comes next.
Read article
12 minute read
Islay Distillery Self-Drive Tour: The Complete Guide
Islay is the most concentrated whisky island on earth. Eleven working distilleries on one island, each with its own character, its own story, and its own dram. This is how to visit them in one trip.
Read article
7 minute read
Ardnahoe Bholsa: Islay's Newest Distillery and the Whisky Named After a Cave
Ardnahoe is the youngest distillery on Islay, built on a dream that took Stewart Laing 60 years to realise. The Bholsa is their second core release and it is a genuinely impressive peat-and-sherry dram. Here is everything you need to know.
Read article
8 minute read
How to Read a Scotch Whisky Label
Age statements, NAS, cask finish, ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour. A Scotch whisky label tells you everything about what is in the bottle. Here is what every number and word actually means.
Read article
6 minute read
Scotland's Smallest Distillery: Inside Stirling's Historic Revival
Stirling Distillery sits at the foot of one of Scotland's most famous castles and produces whisky for the first time since 1852. With only 320 bottles in its debut release, this is one of the most compelling distillery stories in Scotland right now.
Read article
10 minute read
What to Expect on Your First Scottish Distillery Tour
First distillery tour? Here is exactly what happens, what you will see, what you will taste, and how to make the most of the experience - from a couple who have done it dozens of times.
Read article
9 minute read
Which Scottish Whisky Region Should You Visit First?
Speyside, Islay, Highlands, Lowlands, or Campbeltown - each region offers something completely different. Here is how to choose the right one for your first Scotland whisky trip.
Read article
8 minute read
How to Get to Islay: Ferries, Flights, and Getting Around
Everything you need to know about getting to Islay - CalMac ferries from Kennacraig, Loganair flights from Glasgow, and how to get around the island once you arrive.
Read article7 minute read
The Craft of Coopering: The Forgotten Trade Behind Every Dram
Most whisky lovers can name the distillery, the region, and the cask type. Very few have stood at a viewing gallery and watched a master cooper rebuild a 200-litre barrel by hand. We did. Here is what we saw.
Read article
10 minute read
Blend Your Own Whisky at Glengoyne Distillery: Scotland's Most Personal Distillery Experience
Fourteen miles north of Glasgow, Glengoyne Distillery offers the Malt Master Experience -- three hours of nosing, tasting, and blending five single cask whiskies to create your own 200ml bottle. Here is everything you need to know before you book.
Read article
14 minute read
The Best Scottish Distillery Tours in 2026: Where to Go, What to Expect, and How to Plan It Right
Scotland's whisky visitor centres welcomed 2.7 million visits in 2024. With Bowmore 21 named World's Best Single Malt and 152 distilleries open to visitors, 2026 is the best year yet to plan your whisky tour. Here is the complete guide.
Read article12 minute read
The 10 Best Scotch Whiskies Under £50 (2026)
You do not need to spend a fortune to drink well. These 10 bottles prove that the best Scotch whisky under £50 can match expressions costing twice as much.
Read article
11 minute read
What Is Single Malt Whisky? The Complete Guide
Single malt is the most searched whisky question on Google, and the answer is simpler than most people think. Here is everything you need to know about what single malt actually means, how it is made, and why it matters.
Read article
11 minute read
What Is Peated Whisky? The Complete Guide to Smoke, Peat, and PPM
Peated whisky divides opinion more than almost anything else in the whisky world. Some people taste it for the first time and never look back. Others never understand the appeal. Here is everything you need to know about what peat actually is, how it gets into whisky, and which bottles to try first.
Read article
10 minute read
What Is Cask Strength Whisky? The Complete Guide
Cask strength whisky is the most honest expression of what a distillery actually makes. No water added. No dilution. Just the spirit exactly as it came out of the cask. Here is everything you need to know.
Read article
9 minute read
New Scottish Distilleries Opening in 2026: The Complete Guide
Scotland is opening more new distilleries in 2026 than at any point in the last decade. From Islay's 11th distillery to a net-zero Highland project backed by £1.57m in government funding, here is every new opening worth knowing about.
Read article
5 minute read
Forbes Cameron Duthie: The Man Behind DefMAC, KamEroN, and KoYLA
Forbes Cameron Duthie writes, composes, and records everything himself. Two bands, two distinct sounds, three albums out, and a fourth on the way. This is what Scottish independent music looks like when someone does it properly.
Read article
7 minute read
The Tariff Is Gone. Here Is What That Actually Means for Scotch Whisky.
On 30 April 2026, President Trump announced the removal of all US tariffs on Scotch whisky. For an industry that has spent seven years fighting this battle, it is a significant moment. Here is the full story, the real numbers, and what comes next.
Read article
12 minute read
Deanston Distillery: Great Family, Great Fun, Great Whisky
We drove up from Glasgow on a grey Stirlingshire morning, four of us, and what we found at Deanston was one of the best days we have had together. A converted cotton mill, a vaulted stone warehouse, copper stills that fill a room, and a sign on the wall that said everything you need to know about the place.
Read article
8 minute read
The Pot Still, Glasgow -- Sherry Cask Nights in the City
If you have not been to the Pot Still in Glasgow, you need to fix that. 700 whiskies, a gantry that tells the whole story of Scotch, and on a Friday night with a sherry cask expression in your hand, there is nowhere better on earth.
Read article
9 minute read
The Puffer, Kirkintilloch -- Stewarty's Local
The Puffer sits on the canal in Kirkintilloch, and it is exactly the kind of pub you want to find when the evening calls for something more than a quick drink. Stewart knows it well. That tells you everything.
Read article
7 minute read
The Kincaid, Milton of Campsie -- A Pub That Deserved Better
The Kincaid is closed now. That still does not sit right with me. Cold nights at the foot of the Campsie Fells, Anne and Liz on the wine, and the real whisky waiting back at Stewart and Liz's house. Some places earn a proper send-off.
Read article
6 minute read
How Cask-It™ Got Its Name
Some of the best things in life start in the worst moments. Cask-It™ came from grief, a conversation between two men who loved the same woman, and a bottle of something very good. This is the real story.
Read article
12 minute read
Féis Ìle 2026: Your Complete Guide to the Islay Festival of Music and Malt
Féis Ìle is the week that Islay belongs to the world. Nine distilleries, thousands of whisky lovers, live Gaelic music, and the finest peated drams on the planet. Here is everything you need to know to plan your 2026 trip.
Read article
9 minute read
The World's Best Scotch Whisky in 2026: The Rankings That Matter
Bowmore 21 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask took the top single malt crown. Ballantine's 23 Year Old leads the blended category. Here is every major 2026 award winner, what makes each one exceptional, and where to find them in Scotland.
Read article
8 minute read
The Beginner's Guide to Scotch Whisky: Everything You Need to Know
You've heard the stories. You've seen the amber liquid in the glass. But where do you start? This guide cuts through the noise and gives you everything you need to begin your Scotch whisky journey with confidence.
Read article
10 minute read
The Islay Pilgrimage: A Complete Guide to Visiting Scotland's Peat Island
There are whisky trips, and then there's Islay. A remote island off Scotland's west coast with ten distilleries, a population of 3,200, and a reputation that draws whisky pilgrims from every corner of the world. Here's how to do it properly.
Read article
7 minute read
The Speyside Malt Whisky Trail: Scotland's Greatest Whisky Road Trip
The Malt Whisky Trail winds through the heart of Speyside, connecting nine distilleries and the Speyside Cooperage. It's the world's greatest whisky road trip, and here's how to make the most of every mile.
Read article
82 minute read
Uisge Beatha: The 500-Year History of Scotch Whisky
From illicit Highland stills to a global industry worth billions, the history of Scotch whisky is the history of Scotland itself. Here's the story of how a simple spirit became one of the world's great drinks.
Read article
6 minute read
Highland Park: Why Orkney's Ancient Distillery Produces One of the World's Great Whiskies
At the very top of Scotland, on an island shaped by Viking history and Atlantic storms, Highland Park has been making whisky since 1798. It's one of the world's great distilleries, and here's why.
Read article
9 minute read
How to Plan the Perfect Scottish Whisky Holiday in 2025
Scotland has over 150 active distilleries, five officially recognised whisky regions, and thousands of miles of spectacular scenery. Planning a whisky holiday can feel overwhelming. Here's how to do it right.
Read article
7 minute read
The Woman Who Built the Backbone of Johnnie Walker
Helen Cumming ran an illegal still on a Speyside hillside, outwitted government excisemen with a red flag and a pot of tea, and went on to found Cardhu Distillery in 1824. Her malt became the backbone of Johnnie Walker Black Label. This is her story.
Read article