By Richard Thomas Rating: A- So much has been done since Nicole Austin took up stewardship at Cascade Hollow (the Tullahoma, Tennessee distillery where George Dickel is made), that it sometimes needs saying she has been there for not even four full years yet. Although none of the spirits going into these new creations was …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A India’s Paul John stepped up a notch again with a stellar single malt in 2021, Mithuna. I received two sample bottles (50ml) earlier this year, and I need to tell you that I enjoyed them. This is an unpeated, not-chill-filtered single whisky. It is matured in virgin American oak …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- California’s St. George Spirits is an example of what I call craft distilling before there was craft distilling. Founded by Jörg Rupf in 1982. After spending a decade in brandy-making, ex-nuclear scientist and former brewer Lance Winters showed up on Rupf’s doorstep, looking to make whiskey and with a bottle …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A+ The Jack Ryan Whiskey Company presents small releases of malt whiskeys, aged and finished in their own stock of select barrels. Jack Ryan whiskey finishes range from classic ex-bourbon casks to innovative rum and Madeira casks, and include collaborations with small, quality spirit producers. Jack Ryan “The Centenary” is …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- I find myself rather dismayed, sitting here in January 2022, that the autumn release of the George Dickel and Leopold Brothers collaboration blend did not garner more of a buzz among enthusiasts. It certainly got attention from us booze writers, but I didn’t see much enthusiasm expressed on forums and …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: A+ Sassenach; a noun meaning outsider or stranger in Scottish Gaelic, circa 1700s. The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky is the brainchild of Scottish actor Sam Heughan of Outlander fame and Master Blender Michael Henry of Loch Lomond Distillery. Sam Heughan and Michael Henry have brought their mutual love of the Scottish …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Last month saw Beam Suntory build on their revamping of the Baker’s brand, long the most neglected of the four brands of Jim Beam’s famed Small Batch Collection of the early 1990s (Blanton’s, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek and Baker’s). Following their conversion of Baker’s to a single barrel expression, they …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- I was abroad visiting my son not too long ago, and found myself looking at the contents of a quite modestly equipped hotel bar, choosing the Jack Daniel’s. Part of the reason why is because it had been years since a pour of Old No. 7 had passed my lips, …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A+ Michter’s 10 Year Old Single Barrel Rye is a regular, annual limited release. It is also a favorite at The Whiskey Reviewer; Richard Thomas and Kurt Maitland both swear by it. Although perhaps not as over-obsessed about as Thomas H. Handy or Sazerac 18 Year Old, it sounds like …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A Among the Kentucky Majors, Heaven Hill has the strongest reputation for wheat whiskey, built on their 2005 introduction of Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey. That was years before anyone even spoke of a craft whiskey sector, which is where most of Heaven Hill’s competition in this department comes from. The only …
