By Richard Thomas Rating: B Ever since the entire category of Japanese Whisky (finally) blew up and attracted international, popular acclaim more than a decade ago, the category has been beset by a shortage of aged stocks of whisky that has put classic brand names like Nikka and Yamazaki out of reach of most consumers. …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ For the last decade, Pappymania has crowded out enthusiast attention for wheated bourbons not made at a certain riverside distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. As Pappy Van Winkle gained popular renown, extending outside bourbon circles, a fever started building. First that fever swept up the other wheated bourbons (the Weller bourbons) …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ The brand history behind this latest release from Old Forester, the 1910 Extra Old Bourbon in their 117 Series, is actually a little convoluted. It began as an extension of the 1910 Fine Old Whiskey from 2018, which we were unable to write-up. In its turn, the 117 Series is …
By Richard Thomas When the Hendersons, the founding family of Angel’s Envy Bourbon, announced the launch of their new whiskey company in September 2024, the word came with two new expressions. The company is called True Story, and the first expression was dubbed “Volume One,” a bourbon in an opaque black bottle. That was accompanied …
By Richard Thomas Rating: Blue Note is a brand from B.R. Distilling Company in Memphis, Tennessee, which was founded in 2014 and the oldest whiskey company currently operating in that city. Their whiskey is distilled under contract with Bardstown Bourbon Company and then shipped to their Memphis facility for maturation. B.R. Distilling is also the …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ This was one of the reviews lost during The Whiskey Reviewer‘s hacking incident in late October/early November 2024. So, this is the second (and hopefully last) time I am writing up the latest release from Angel’s Envy, their Triple Oak bourbon. More than a decade ago, Lincoln Henderson and his …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B- The Unicorn’s Tale is the second release in Ardbeg’s Anthology Collection, showcasing the distillery’s creativity. Dr. Bill Lumsden, head whisky creation and distilling at Ardbeg, names each whisky in the collection after a different mythological creature. So this time, it’s a unicorn. Lumsden said, “At Ardbeg we love to …
By Doug Fraser Rating: A- Four Branches Founders Blend Bourbon is the result of a culmination of four prior US service members from the four major branches of the US Military (i.e. not the Space Force). The bourbon represents those four branches–Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy–with the intent to be enjoyed by all while still …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ Liberty Pole Spirits is a family-owned and -operated craft distillery started in 2016 by Jim, Ellen, Rob and Kevin Hough. The Houghs are longtime residents of Washington County, Pennsylvania. They caught the distilling bug in the early 2000’s when Jim bought a 10-gallon still and learned the ropes of …
By David Levine Rating: B+ It’s hard to believe that Stauning Danish Whisky is almost 20 years old. Founded in 2005 by a group of nine friends, it came online at roughly the same time as the first wave of the new craft movement in the US. In many ways, Stauning represents the entire Nordic/Scandinavian …
