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Top 10 ‘top 10s’ of 2016

Top tips for hangovers, the most unusual whisky cask finishes and family-owned spirits companies – these are our most read ‘top 10s’ of 2016.

All manner of articles generated interest on The Spirits Business‘s website last year

Last year was certainly hectic for the spirits industry – so to review of 2016 we’ve nailed down some of our most read top 10s of 2016, ranging from the educational to the light-hearted.

One particular theme which proved popular among our best top 10s of 2016 was unusual spirits, which were given the spotlight in our top 10 most unusual rums and top 10 unusual whisky cask finishes.

Which other top 10s were the most popular among our readers? Click through the following pages to find out.

10. TOP 10 MOST UNUSUAL RUMS

 

In August we paid tribute to National Rum Day (16 August) with a round-up of the weirdest offerings from the rum category. From accelerated ageing to the oldest dated rum collection in existence, we looked back at the most wacky and wonderful releases in recent years.

A number of offerings made our list including a rum made from triple distilled flesh of sweet potatoes and sugar cane molasses and India’s “first” rum to be produced from a blend of molasses and cane juice.

To see the full round-up, click here

9. YOUNG’S REVEALS STRANGEST CHRISTMAS LOST PROPERTY

British hospitality group Young’s Pubs and Geronimo Inns has revealed the most bizarre items left behind during last year’s Christmas party season – including a prosthetic leg and a stuffed otter.

Among the more curious leftovers discovered by pub staff were a pair of fluffy pink handcuffs, Christmas-themed underwear, a set of false teeth and a large sex toy.

To see the full round-up, click here

8. TOP 10 UNUSUAL WHISKY CASK FINISHES

Another round-up of unusual offerings proved highly popular amongst our loyal SB readers, this time focusing on whisky cask finishes.

From a single malt aged in a Tabasco barrel to a Bruichladdich single cask whisky finished in a barrel that once held herring, we sifted through the experimental endeavours and bizarre bottlings to reveal 10 of the most curious casks to have housed whisky over the years.

To see the full round-up, click here

7. BARTENDERS’ TOP TIPS FOR CONQUERING A HANGOVER

Now it comes as no surprise that many of our spirit-loving readers might have flocked to our site to read these handy hangover tips from leading experts in the bar industry.

Cocktail connoisseurs including White Lyan’s Ryan Cheti, The London Cocktail Club’s JJ Goodman and The Dead Rabbit’s Jillian Vose shared their secrets with SB on what they deemed the best hangover cures – from pickled vegetable juice to a freshly-cooked steak, the results certainly gave us some food for thought.

To see the full round-up, click here

6. TOP 10 BARTENDER-CREATED SPIRITS BRANDS

Our list of the top 10 bartender-created spirits brands also made a few waves upon its publication in April last year, showing independent brands which demonstrate provenance are particularly intriguing to readers.

From Mark Vogue’s venture into the vermouth category with Regal Rogue to Dee Davis’ first foray into spirits with gin and sake hybrid Jinzu, we count down the best brands which have gathered a dedicated following among the bar and spirits connoisseur communities alike.

To see the full round-up, click here

5. TOP FAMILY-OWNED SPIRITS COMPANIES

From spirits newbies to industry stalwarts, multi-national firms to category-specific distilleries, SB picks out the top companies which, in spite of challenges and tribulations, prove that blood really is thicker than water.

A number of brands including Jose Cuervo, Chase Distillery and William Grant & Sons have all remained true to their family values.

To see the full round-up, click here

4. TOP 10 FEMALE MASTER DISTILLERS AND BLENDERS

Back in March, we marked the top 10 female distillers and blenders around the globe in celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March).

This collection of chemists, technologists and analysts are responsible for some of the world’s biggest spirits brands, and are leading the charge in pushing not just product development, but the wider industry forward.

To see the full round-up, click here

3. JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE 2017 WINNERS

Whisky writer Jim Murray’s annual Whisky Bible is one of the most hotly anticipated publications in the whisky connoisseur’s calendar.

Now in its 14th year, Murray’s Whisky Bible 2017 is seen to be the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched guide to whisky ever produced. Year-on-year we present the whiskies claiming the top spots of the year.

To see the full round-up, click here

2. TOP 10 NEW IRISH WHISKEY DISTILLERIES

The modern Irish whiskey sector has long-been sustained by just four leading distilleries: Cooley, Bushmills, Kilbeggan and, of course, Midleton, the home of Jameson.

While there is a broad spectrum of Irish whiskey brands available, all liquid has, until now, been supplied under contract from these sites.

Over the last few years, demand for Irish whiskey has soared, prompting a number of distillers and entrepreneurs to invest in creating facilities of all varieties and scales.

To see the full round-up, click here

1. TOP 10 MOST INVESTIBLE SCOTCH BRANDS 2015

Our round-up of the top 10 most investible Scotch brands in 2015, according to rare whisky index, valuation and brokerage firm Rare Whisky 101 (RW101), has nabbed the top spot.

In 2015, the Index demonstrated that silent stills “remain the most significant target-pool of stock”, with seven of the 10 most investible Scotch whisky brands hailing from mothballed or closed sites.

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