The girl on the golden bottle
Its 2000 release was the first ever bottle of whisky to feature a woman on the label. Now, 24 years on, artist Stephanie Rew has thrillingly re-imagined the iconic Compass Box Hedonism girl in shimmering, burnished gold leaf. Here, she talks to Barley about a remarkable artistic endeavour
The strange case of the whisky that never was
Whisky is investment gold — it always has been. But in the case of ‘cask investment schemes’, it’s an increasingly perfidious endeavour governed by parasitical imposters, posing as informed, knowledgeable and well connected members of the whisky trade
Don’t flake on these new Edinburgh coffee shops and bakeries
Barley sorts the sourdoughs from the sour-don’ts in our round-up of the most exciting new cafes and bakeries in the Scottish capital
Bar hopping through the barrios on a nostalgic night out in Buenos Aires
Chris Moss swings back into the Belle Époque bars of his beloved Buenos Aires and finds the old place still chaotically smitten by cheap whisky and faded glamour
Gentlemen Prefer Blends
Do blends have more fun? Damn right they do, says one author who still bears the scars of his screw-top whisky days
Neon wonderland: Tokyo’s hidden whisky bars
It famously has nearly as many whisky bars as it does residents, we’ve found the best ones
The Wonder Waller
One woman’s tale of how drystone walling, and reconnecting with her past, helped rebuild her life
Dalwhinnie dreams
During a memorable visit to Dalwhinnie distillery, Alba Chiara Di Bari is transported back in time by an extraordinary tale of a perilous rescue mission
Entering the Metropolis
The third of Compass Box’s Extinct Quartet, Metropolis, is launched with a little steam punk vibe in a nod to the city
‘Irish whiskey? It’s about the moment’
How the accidental discovery of a long forgotten brand brought Louise McGuane to the forefront of the Irish whiskey industry
The fine art of bottling: Ladyburn’s latest Sixties-inspired edition is a collectors dream
With exclusive artwork from the 60s hippest interior designer David Hicks, the latest bottling of Ladybank’s 1966 Edition is a seriously swinging affair
The hotel that does Highland lux with a quirky design twist
With crackling log fires and serious cooking, Glenmorangie House is a place to indulge and be indulged, writes Neil Armstrong
Will Swatch’s latest luxury collaboration tick the right box?
Joe Pattinson is a self-confessed watch nerd and a stickler for classic collaborations. So he was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t hate high-street watch seller Swatch’s latest luxury enterprise
Leah McNamara: ‘I want to be doing this when I’m an old lady’
She was the schoolgirl who came between Marianne and Connell in Normal People and now takes the lead in Sky’s new dark comedy thriller Then You Run. Barley’s Tom Pattinson meets the Irish actor climbing the ladder of screen success
Fancy a ‘drop’? Inside the weird, wild world of whisky NFTs
To some they’re a newly minted marvel ready to transform the industry, to others, just another way for corrupt charlatans to make a quick buck. Our man with the Crypto Factor, reports on what’s really going on…
Sip advisor: Scotland’s best independent whisky shops
From epicurean emporiums to quirky outposts, 10 places to pick up that next special bottle
One story house
When news of a family bereavement arrives during lockdown, a writer is taken back to her childhood
Five great whisky cocktails to enjoy this summer
From highballs to a smoky martini, Alice Lascelles presents a tempting choice for sunny evenings ahead
Geek Bar: The science of tasting whisky (and how you can be an expert too)
What happens to your brain when you taste whisky? Our resident mad professor takes a trip beyond the realm of the senses…
Lola Lennox: I’ve been privileged because of who my mother is, but I earned my own place in music
Annie Lennox’s daughter Lola on finding her own voice in her 30s and keeping it in the family with her music
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In A Special Place: Glencoe
By Alastair Campbell
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Video: Queens of cashmere
By Barley staff
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Whisky cabinet must-haves
By Olly Smith
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5 distilleries opening soon
By Barley staff
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Islay whisky starter for six
By Dave Broom
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Three classic Detroit speakeasies
By Nina Caplan
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Video: Japan's best dram?
By Tatsuya Minagawa
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Four supermarket whiskies we rate
By Olly Smith
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The Last Sipper
Hollywood legend Brian Cox invites Barley’s Tom Pattinson into his home to talk about the drams that changed his life - and what he really thinks about tasting notes…
Video produced by Emir Eralp