Drambling on

the macallan distillery

The Macallan Distillery Spotlight

From sherry-seasoned oak and small copper stills to global luxury status and sky-high prices, The Macallan is one of the most influential—and debated—distilleries in Scotch whisky. This in-depth Dram1 distillery spotlight explores Macallan’s history, house style, master distillers, pop culture presence, and the growing tension between prestige, collectability, and value,…
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GlenAllachie Distillery Spotlight

GlenAllachie Distillery Spotlight

Once a quiet Speyside blend distillery, GlenAllachie has become one of Scotland’s most exciting single malt producers. From Billy Walker’s takeover to cask-driven whiskies like the 10 Cask Strength Batch 4—and a personal honeymoon visit—this is the story of GlenAllachie Distillery done properly.
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Top 10 Whiskies for beginners

Top 10 Whiskies for Beginners Under €50

Starting whisky doesn’t have to be intimidating. This DRAM1 guide lists 10 beginner-friendly whiskies under €50, covering Scotland’s regions, Ireland, Japan, the U.S., Canada, and world whisky — chosen to help you discover your style, not impress a shelf.
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laphroaig distillery

Laphroaig Distillery Spotlight

Laphroaig Distillery is one of the most unmistakable names in Scotch whisky. Perched on the wild south coast of Islay, it produces a spirit defined by peat smoke, sea spray, medicinal depth, and uncompromising character. In this distillery spotlight, we explore Laphroaig’s history, production methods, maturation style, and why its…
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Clynelish Distillery

Clynelish Distillery Spotlight

Quietly legendary and endlessly compelling, Clynelish Distillery stands on Scotland’s far northern coast producing one of the most distinctive spirits in Scotch whisky. Known for its unmistakable waxy texture, coastal restraint, and deep historical ties to Brora, Clynelish is a distillery that rewards patience, curiosity, and repeat visits to the…
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Midleton Distillery Spotlight

There are few places in the whiskey world that carry as much quiet authority as Midleton Distillery. Tucked away in County Cork, this vast, meticulously run distillery is the beating heart of modern Irish whiskey — a place where tradition isn’t just preserved, but continuously refined.
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Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery Spotlight

An in-depth distillery spotlight on Buffalo Trace, covering its rich history, production philosophy, legendary bourbon portfolio, and enduring impact on American whiskey.
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Kilchoman Distillery

Kilchoman Distillery Spotlight

Built on conviction rather than inherited legacy, Kilchoman Distillery has redefined modern Islay whisky. From barley grown on its own farm to whisky bottled on the island, Kilchoman’s farm-to-glass approach delivers peated Scotch whisky with authenticity, balance and unmistakable coastal character.
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Springbank Distillery

Springbank Distillery Spotlight

Springbank isn’t just a distillery — it’s a whisky obsession. From floor maltings and direct-fired stills to the iconic Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn ranges, this is Campbeltown whisky at its most stubborn, oily, and brilliant.
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Introducing Dram1’s New Whisky Flavour Profiles

At Dram1, we believe whisky should be more than tasted — it should be felt. It should reveal a landscape of aroma, texture, character and emotion that pulls you deeper into its story. Yet with hundreds of bottles competing for attention and tasting notes that often blur into poetic ambiguity,…
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The DRAM1 Award 2025 logo

DRAM1 Whisky Award 2025

Results are in! We’re excited to announce the official results of the DRAM1 Whisky Award 2025! After an incredible blind-tasting process involving more than 150 members of our passionate whisky panel, the final scores have been tallied and the winners have been chosen. This year’s lineup showcased an outstanding range…

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top 10 whisky gifts for this holiday 2025

Top 10 Whisky Gifts for the Holiday Season (2025 Edition)

Your Top 10 Whisky Gifts guide to picking the perfect whisky gift this Christmas. If there’s one time of year when whisky truly shines, it’s the holiday season. The colder nights, glowing lights, and cosy firesides practically beg for a dram that warms the soul and sparks conversation. Whether you’re…

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Slijterij Berendsen

Waar geliefden ooit elkaars leven binnen dansten, walsen de mensen nu over de vloer op zoek naar de mooiste flessen sterke drank, wijn en bier. Slijterij Berendsen, gevestigd in het voormalig Avion Zalen centrum te Enschede, is een gevestigde naam in heel Nederland (en daarbuiten) vanwege het vakmanschap en de…

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Van der Heijden

De Salud Slijter Spotlight neemt deze maand een kijkje bij Van der Heijden uit Eindhoven.
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Passie voor Whisky

Of we nou ons favoriete tijdschrift lezen, of een van de mooiste slijters van het land bezoeken. Het thema “passie” vinden we overal terug in de whisky wereld. De drank is een muze geweest voor menig artiest, de hobby van vele liefhebbers, en de fundering van vriendschappen voor het leven….

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Wijnhandel Schoemaker

Salud Spirits Slijterij Spotlight Met een brede glimlach wordt je in Ulft verwelkomd door Bob en André bij Wijnhandel Schoemaker. Een slijterij waar het motto “het leven is te kort, om slechte wijn te drinken” al meer dan een eeuw hoog in het vaandel staat, maar waar in recentere jaren…

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Cley x Noordt Ginfused

A beer you can drink just like a Gin Tonic? Cley and Brouwerij Noordt have made it happen with their Cley x Noordt Ginfused!
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Blair Athol Distillery Visit

During our honeymoon we were lucky enough to visit the Blair Athol Distillery and were gifted these amazing samples straight from the cask!
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Thy Whisky Week

I’m dedicating a whole week to Thy Distillery from Denmark! Check out an overview of the reviews right here!
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Mates Arrack

Mates Arrack brins a little bit of Indonesia to our shores this summer. With bold and exciting flavours it’s sure to brigthen up your day!
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About Drambling On

Drambling On is where structure loosens, curiosity takes over, and the real whisky conversations begin. This is the beating heart of the Dram1 whisky blog — the place where I step beyond formal whisky reviews and allow myself to, quite literally, ramble on about whisky.

If whisky reviews are the what, Drambling On is the why.

At its core, Drambling On exists because whisky is endlessly fascinating. Every bottle is the result of hundreds of decisions — from barley selection and fermentation length to still shape, cask type, and warehouse location. Whisky education shouldn’t stop at definitions or beginner guides; it should evolve as your curiosity does. That’s exactly what this page is for.

Drambling On is also home to whisky distillery spotlights — both well-established names and distilleries that are still quietly finding their voice. Whisky is changing fast, with new producers pushing boundaries across the world, and I love taking the time to explore what makes each distillery tick. Their philosophy, their experiments, their successes, and sometimes their missteps. Understanding distilleries adds context to the whisky in your glass, and context makes every sip more meaningful.

As a whisky blog, Dram1.com has always been driven by curiosity rather than clicks. Drambling On embraces that fully. Not every article here is designed to tell you what to buy. Some are about how whisky is made. Some are about why certain styles resonate emotionally. Others are personal reflections on how whisky fits into life — its seasons, rituals, and shared moments. If it helps deepen appreciation for the spirit, it belongs here.

This is also where opinions live. Thoughtful ones, considered ones, but opinions nonetheless. Whisky doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and neither should discussion around it. From trends in maturation to transparency in labelling, Drambling On gives space to explore the bigger conversations shaping the whisky world today. You don’t have to agree with every take — in fact, I hope you don’t. A good whisky blog should invite dialogue, not dictate conclusions.

What connects every article on this page is passion. Real, slightly obsessive, endlessly curious passion. These posts are written because something about whisky sparked a question that wouldn’t let go. Because a distillery did something interesting. Because a method, a cask, or a flavour profile deserved more than a passing mention in a review.

So if you’re looking to learn, to think, or simply to wander a little deeper into the world of whisky, you’re in the right place. Drambling On is where whisky education meets storytelling, where distilleries become more than names on labels, and where a whisky blog becomes a conversation rather than a catalogue.

Pull up a chair, pour a dram, and let me ramble.