GreatDrams releases new range of whiskies and VIVA can’t get enough of ’em

Jack Copeland | 23rd January 2019

 

A local whiskey connoisseur turned blogger has recently had much success from his special release whiskies and plans further expansions for the new year.

 

Brand strategy consultant Greg Dillon, a former employee of Reuters and Bloomberg, released two limited edition scotch whiskies in association with his blog GreatDrams, on which he reviews whisky, gin, beer, and fine dining.

 

The first of these two whiskies is the Invergordon Single Grain Scotch Whisky Single Cask, distilled at the Invergordon distillery in the Northern Highlands of Scotland and aged for 11 years, with just 160 bottles being released at the time.

 

Comparatively, the second whisky, the Craigellachie Single Malt Rare Cask, released several more bottles, 220 specifically, and was distilled in the Craigellachie distillery, close to Speyside, being similarly aged 11 years.

 

GreatDrams New Releases

GreatDrams Invergordon and Cragellachie Whiskies

 

Mr Dillon stated: “They are both totally unique and genuinely are packed full of flavour.

 

“The Invergordon I describe as being like drinking boozy butter and the Craigellachie is like Christmas in a bottle, so indulgent, so scrumptious.”

 

Mr Dillion has more whisky releases coming out in February 2019, however he “can’t say more yet”.

 

In celebration of the publication of Mr Dillon’s book, The GreatDrams of Scotland, last year he decided to release his first special edition whisky with the Ardmore Single Malt Single Cask Scotch which did so well that it lead to the Invergordon and Craigellachie.

 

Mr Dillon said: “I had wanted to do it [write a book] for ages, and once the concept and the outline had been put together, I just went for it, mostly writing on planes and trains while travelling to meetings.

 

“It was supposed to be a one off but did so well that we decided to get all the licenses in place, buy a load of amazing casks of whisky, and build a new business as independent bottlers.”

 

Mr Dillon began GreatDrams in 2014, the idea being to democratise whisky and encourage drinkers to discover more different flavours, with the first review published on

 

 

GreatDrams being of the Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

 

He stated: “My dad was a whisky fan so, after he passed away when I was 19, I decided to explore whisky and spirits as I was travelling the world for holiday and work.

 

“I had wanted to do something for a while, and I was consulting with whisky brands a lot at the time of starting the website, so I thought: ‘Why not give it a go, put my views out there, and see what happens’.

 

“The support from the industry for an unknown [Mr Dillon himself] was unbelievable. Everyone was so kind, open, and generous. Now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

 

“Spending a week in Japan for meetings with distillers last year [2018], getting to see the country, and some of the iconic Japanese distilleries was my favourite experience whilst working on GreatDrams.”

 

GreatDrams was awarded Silver in the Independent Bottlers Challenge in December 2018, UK Food & Drink Blog of the Year 2017, and was named Best Online Spirits Resource in November 2018.

 

The blog has an average of 27,000 readers per month, boasts 19,563 followers on Instagram, and has 5,586 subscribers on YouTube.