By Douglas Fraser Rating: C+ Redemption Whiskey is a sourced brand owned by Deutsch Family Spirits, who are best known for Josh wines. Many Redemption expressions have used MGP whiskey from Indiana, and back in the early days of the Bourbon Boom the brand built a reputation for its age stated, mature rye bottlings. These …
By Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod Rating: B Loch Lomond is one of Scotland’s most versatile distilleries, producing both single malt and single grain whiskies using a pot stills (including an idiosyncratic Lomond still) and continuous Coffey stills. That flexibility allows them to experiment with styles that blur the boundaries of conventional Scotch categories. When I first encountered …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C- Back in January, Rebel Bourbon announced that they would bring back their Root Beer Flavored Whiskey. One of the things we do here at The Whiskey Reviewer that so many blogs and magazines turn their noses up at are whiskey RTD cocktails and flavored whiskeys, if they seem like they might be …
By Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod Rating: B Produced at the James Sedgwick Distillery in South Africa, Three Ships is one of the country’s best known whisky brands alongside Bain’s. While Bain’s uses a corn-based mash bill, the Three Ships range focuses on blends and single malts. The Three Ships 10 Year Old was initially released as series …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ Another entry in Bulleit’s line of bottled, ready-to-drink (RTD) classic whiskey cocktails is the Whiskey Sour, readily identifiable from its bright yellow bottle. This one is such a recent addition that Bulleit had not updated their website to include it at time of writing. It’s made with real lemon juice, …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Several years ago, Kirin stablemates Four Roses Bourbon and Asheville, North Carolina’s New Belgium Brewing announced they were doing a collaboration brew: Four Roses bourbon barrels would be sent to New Belgium and used to make a bourbon barrel ale. The twist is that New Belgium reportedly used their own …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B Yellowstone Bourbon was revived at the Lebanon, Kentucky’s Limestone Branch Distillery, which is now part of the MGP drinks empire, First Luxco acquired the Yellowstone brand, then they bought half of Limestone Branch and gave Yellowstone to them, and then MGP buying Luxco in turn. In August, Limestone/Luxco/MGP announced they …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B Sazerac Rye is the entry level rye whiskey from Buffalo Trace, named for the parent company and cocktail whose histories are so intertwined. Introduced in 2000, the rye stock behind it is the core rye whiskey for Buffalo Trace exceptions, but not the only one. Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- The Benchmark line was seemingly remade to check-mark all the boxes for how one can take the same basic stock of bourbon and bottle it, so naturally there is a single barrel version. The line starts with Benchmark Old No. 8, goes all the way to this single barrel expression, …
Updated July 26, 2025 By Debbie Shocair Average Rating: B Given what I do, most whiskey fans presume I am opposed to flavored whiskey. On the contrary, I appreciate the flavored stuff as “gateway whiskey,” bringing into the fold those who still harbor reservations. Founded by the late and esteemed Robert Cooper, Cooper Spirits has …
