Updated July 18, 2023 By S.D. Peters Average Rating: B Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey is the “aged” version of one of the two Scotch-style whiskeys distilled by Santa Fe Spirits – and another fine example of an independent distiller making good things happen to whiskey in the 21st Century. An American distillery, set against a …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ A few years ago, the folks in Lynchburg, Tennessee decided to do a special release of their relatively new rye whiskey (after a series of teaser releases, the flagship JD Rye came out in 2017) by taking it cask strength and single barrel. That was apparently well enough received that …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- A few years ago, FEW Spirits introduced a novel spin on their bourbon by cutting it with cold brew coffee instead of water. They were followed by a Jameson cold brew whiskey and a few cold brew whiskeys introduced by small distillers around the country. Now Kings County in Brooklyn …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Jim Beam has been making it easy for me to be a contrarian these last few years, because in the midst of whiskeydom’s own Big Lie — the so-called “Bourbon Shortage — they keep slapping age statements onto things, as well as introducing new middle-aged expressions. The latest example was …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: D There are many celebrities making their way into the spirits business these days. In my experience, only one of those celebrity whiskey brands was one that I enjoyed. It seems like these spirit brands pop up and try to make a splash in the industry, as a vanity project or …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- American Single Malts are poised to become an official thing, with a Federal designation from the TTB expected to come around the corner this year. Limestone Branch has become the latest company to join the movement with their latest brand extension, putting Yellowstone American Single Malt into regular release. Except …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ Looking for something novel to ring in St. Patty’s 2023? Beyond my round-up of new Irish Whiskeys, I’m also taking a look at Lost Irish. This is a sourced brand created by Neil Sands and Tim Herlihy. Keen whiskey observers will probably recognize Herlihy’s name, because he was Tullamore DEW’s …
By Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox Rating: B+ Based in Buena Vista, Colorado, Deerhammer Distillery was founded in 2010 by the couple of Lenny and Amy Eckstein. Lenny had been working at Colorado craft whiskey trailblazer Stranhan’s, and decided to try his hand at making his own whiskey. Inspired by the bootstrap ambition of the early Western settlers …
Updated March 12, 2023 By Richard Thomas Average Rating: B+ When Barry Crockett retired as Master Distiller for Irish Distillers in 2013 after 47 years with the company, his principal legacy was preserving the distinctly Irish style of pot still whiskey. Yet it was not until relatively modern times, albeit still under Crockett’s tenure, that …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ New for St. Patrick’s Day 2023 is Natterjack Irish Whiskey. This new entry comes from Gortinore Distillers & Co., which is following a path familiar to most American enthusiasts: build a brand based on sourced whiskey while simultaneously building a distillery, starting operations and laying in stock for maturation. Gortinore …
