For centuries, Scotland set the standards in single malt whiskey; but in recent years, new voices have emerged to challenge the sanctity of tradition. Starting in October 2021, Westland Distillery sought to assess how their single malts, and those from around the world, measure up against each other and against the original forefather,by launching The …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ One of the best aspects of Lost Lantern’s model is also what makes it unique: it’s a true negociant in the European sense, but plying its business in the United States. There are two things to understand about that statement to get at why it makes them unique. First, as …
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 …
A brief change of direction … Back in September, I had the pleasure of selecting a Westland American Single Malt Whiskey cask in collaboration with Malt Review and friends. It was an exciting tasting, with three distinct casks to consider. The first, c…
The Woodford Reserve Winter 2021 Master’s Collection release is a whiskey that steps into beer territory, the Woodford Reserve Five-Malt Stouted Mash. For this limited-edition release, Master Distiller Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall drew from the distillery’s rich history of innovation and their own interests for inspiration. In Kentucky, a fermented grain …
Lost Lantern is sending out a batch of its single cask, American Whiskey bottlings in time for holiday shopping by inaugurating their Winter Whiskey Wednesday Drop. From now on, similar batch will release that on the first Wednesday of December every year. On this new tradition, Lost Lantern Co-Founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski said, …
High West, the Utah distillery that built a reputation among whiskey lovers for their crafty, sourced blends and transparency therein, has released a new in-house whiskey: High Country Single Malt. This American Single Malt was distilled and matured in the Wasatch Mountains, and finished in Oloroso Sherry casks before bottling at 44% ABV. Unlike some …
New Holland Spirits of Holland, MI has released Zeppelin Bend 10 Year Old, a small batch single malt whiskey finished in Australian Sherry Casks. As the oldest single malt hailing from Michigan, Zeppelin Bend 10yr is a must try whiskey for enthusiasts and casual drinkers alike. “Zeppelin Bend is one of the most ambitious projects …
By Richard Thomas Single malt whiskies, with their distinct and individual identities and rich-yet-sophisticated characters, have always been a drink withdrawn from my shelf from late Spring to early Autumn. Between living in sweltering DC, steamy Asia, sunny Portugal and now also-sweltering Kentucky, my adult years have been marked by summer climates that were too …
