By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Baker’s was first introduced as part of the seminal Jim Beam Small Batch Collection of the 1990s, but was the last of the four brands to receive a 21st Century, Bourbon Boom makeover and marketing push. Booker’s was revised so individual batches of the brand got their own sub title, …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Baltimore’s Sagamore Spirits has unveiled their oldest expression to date in a limited edition offering in their Reserve Series: a sourced 10 year old rye. The whiskey in question must have been drawn from the sourced stocks acquired by the company prior to the opening of their distillery, because while …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- The new First West line from 15 Stars has three bourbons, with the Toasted Oak Finish positioned as the middle expression, between the normal bourbon (the Small Batch) and the “extra aged” eight year old. The company started in a well-tested fashion, releasing older whiskeys sourced through Kentucky, Tennessee and …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ “Single barrel heritage barrel.” Try saying that one three times fast. The phrasing is a mouthful to be sure, but I was happy to receive this bottle of Jack Daniel’s for review. My book Whiskey Stories delved into Mr. Jack, his contemporaries and heirs, and I have another book wholly …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: B+ Nestled in the former whisky capital of the world, Campbeltown, Scotland, lies the small distillery of Glen Scotia. Campbeltown is recognized as one of the Scotch Whisky Regions, even though it is home to only three distilleries today. Known for promoting its heritage, much of the original equipment designs are …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Nevada’s Frey Ranch checks off a number of categories one often finds in the craft sector, but rarely all in the same basket. Their standard bourbon is made with a four grain mash bill, while their rye whiskey is 100% rye. They have bonded and single barrel whiskeys; in the …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ It all started in 2010 with inserting some French Oak staves into existing barrels of maturing bourbon to create Maker’s 46, but since then Maker’s Mark has taken the stave insert concept to its limits. The Loretto distillery erected the world’s only bourbon-aging cellar to further the production process for …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B Six years ago, Old Forester introduced its first rye whiskey. Keeping that in mind, it is about the time the company should do something to build further on its rye. The brand was introduced at 100 proof, so it was already in tandem with Old Forester Signature (the 100 proof …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: A Sagamore Spirits is known for making its rye whiskey in Baltimore. Time and time again, Sagamore aims to outdo themselves and create something better than what they have done before. This latest expression is no different. This Maryland rye whiskey distillery sets the standard for rye whiskey everywhere. Sagamore Spirits …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: C The Samuel Maverick Distillery is named after Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803 – 1870), a lawyer and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. He is therefore one of those founders of a First Family of Texas. Just a few steps away from the historic Alamo site, the distillery is located …
