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 …
By Alex Southgate Rating: A I’m a firm believer in not having too much of a good thing. That being said, it’s nice to be able to get two expressions from the same distillery in one go. This is great for a number of, but the main one is that it gives us a good …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Jim Beam is almost making a point of taking the croakers who push the “bourbon shortage” narrative out back and smacking them in the face. First, they bucked the prevailing trend and put the age statement back on their flagship premium bourbon, Knob Creek. Then they introduced 12, 15 and …
Updated June 23, 2024 By Richard Thomas Rating: B Whenever I am asked about how to organize a trip on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, my first question is always “Where are you staying, Lexington or Louisville?” This is because these two cities, the largest in Kentucky, either embrace or sit on either side of most …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ On my recent visit to Leiper’s Fork Distillery, I had the good fortune to meet Sir Paul Bisset, Director of Tour Guides and Brand Ambassador, and pick up a bottle of their 7-year-old Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey. Paul Bisset was gracious host, as well as an entertaining guy that had us …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B Waterford Distillery’s Singe Farm Origin series of single malt whiskeys solves a particular problem facing any new whiskey distillery, but especially one in Ireland and Scotland: how to get spirits on the market without waiting several years or even more than a decade. The distillery began when Mark Reynier, the …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Utah’s High West earned its reputation as a fan favorite through their transparency. The company was among those that tried and proved the path of using sourced whiskey to develop a brand while mustering the resources and expertise to build a working distillery, develop whiskeys and mature them. What made …
