By Richard Thomas Rating: A- During the 2010s, Utah’s High West made a splash with whiskey nerds for their transparency. Although they were a negociant (or non-distiller producer, as bloggers who didn’t know there was a better term already in use in whisky circles preferred to call such a company), they had two characteristics that set …
J. Mattingly 1845 (formerly known as It’s Bourbon 30 of Georgetown, Kentucky) is purchasing the equity ownership of its founder, Jeff Mattingly. The transaction will leave 100 percent of the company’s ownership with an investment entity controlled by Andrew Varga and Carl Cordova of Gold Corn & Co. “We are honored and thrilled to be …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B The most approachable of the latest Lock, Stock and Barrel releases (I wrote up their 21 year old rye earlier this month) is their new Vatted Rye. Frankly, I adore the name. It is borrowed from the now outmoded Scotch whisky terminology of referring to a blend of malt whiskies …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- The twist for this particular installment of Benchmark Bourbon, a Buffalo Trace whiskey made from the #1 bourbon mash bill and intended as a mass market, bargain shelf product, it draws from barrels aged on the top floors of their rickhouses. In describing Benchmark Top Floor Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Distillery …
Michter’s Distillery will be releasing its Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey and Bomberger’s Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon this July. Vintage dated with the year of the bottling, these distinctive whiskeys comprise two-thirds of the Michter’s Legacy Series, to which a third whiskey, Bomberger’s PFG™ (Precision Fine Grain), was added this year. “Our Michter’s production …
Two Stacks Irish Whiskey is giving the often overlooked category of single grain whiskey some real attention with its latest offering, now available throughout the US through importer Foley Family Wines & Spirits. It is available in both a 700 ml bottle and the unique 100 ml Dram in a Can. As one of only …
Jackie Zykan, the former Old Forester Master Taster turned consultant, is stepping away from Hidden Barn Bourbon. Zykan created Hidden Barn Bourbon in 2022, in partnership with Royce Neeley and Nate Winegar. In 2024, Neeley purchased Hidden Barn from the partners, with Zykan remaining as Master Blender and Winegar as Brand Ambassador. Winegar will continue …
Whiskey collecting can be a deeply rewarding hobby. It allows you to explore new tastes, styles, and distilleries. The process of building a collection goes beyond simply acquiring bottles — it’s about curating a selection that reflects your personal preferences while offering investment potential and rare finds. As you would carefully select the best paying …
Heaven Hill has released the 2nd edition of its Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, a limited-edition annual release. The 2025 edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye Whiskey is made with a mashbill of 63% rye, 20% corn, and 13% malt— a higher rye content than Heaven Hill’s normal, Kentucky-style Rye Whiskey. …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- When I first wrote about the latest bourbon brand to come to Kentucky, Avalon Spirits’ Whiskey Row, I made a brief, opening observation: given the lead time that goes into starting a venture like a whiskey brand, one rarely gets to choose the circumstances under which one gets started. For …
