By Randall H. Borkus Rating: “Novelty” Tamworth Distilling, a craft distillery out of New Hampshire, was founded by Steven Grasse. He is referred to as a Wonka-like character and was described as the “punk rock prince of small-batch spirits” by writer Alex Halberstadt. Among his other credits, Grasse co-created Hendrick’s Gin in 1999 in partnership …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ Before there was a Town Branch Distillery or even a sourced brand, there was a Lexington Brewing Company, with the distillery erected on the property of the original brewery. Today’s joint Lexington Brewing & Distilling Company isn’t quite what most people imagine when they think “brewstillery,” because the brewery and …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B When Brown-Forman bought the BenRiach Group, they acquired not just BenRiach, but also Glendronach and Glenglassaugh. The acquisition marked the first foray into Scotch Whisky for a company best known for Jack Daniel’s, and they’ve stuck with the trio of malt distilleries these last seven and a half years. This …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ Heaven’s Door Calvados Cask Straight Bourbon is the first expression in the Heaven’s Door Exploration Series, a sourced and limited edition expression series showcasing distinct finishing cask stock. This first release in the series is a blend that marries the complexity of a toasted oak barrel and a French …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Glenglassaugh’s location has its interesting features, starting with where it fits into the traditional regions of Scotch whisky. It’s so close to the boundary dividing Speyside from the Highlands that one wonders if the reason the eastern border of Speyside was placed as it is was not to exclude it …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: B+ Old Elk Distillery is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, just sixty miles from Denver. This expression is sourced from MGP’s very high wheat, wheated bourbon whiskey, with a mash bill of 51% corn, 45% wheat and 4% malted barley. As with many brands, sourcing from MGP is a staple of …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B When a brand like Glenglassaugh releases what is essentially a new entry-level run in their line-up or revamps their look, it’s a good guess that the powers that be behind that brand are making a marketing and sales push or repositioning the brand. Something to that effect. Glenglassaugh owner Brown-Forman …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: C+ Smokehead Islay Single Malt Whisky is a peat bomb for lovers of smoky whisky. The brand belongs to Ian Macleod Distillers, and its source on Islay is undisclosed and one of the company’s best kept secrets. Rumors point to Lagavulin and Caol Ila, but those are just rumors. This is …
By Alex Southgate Rating: B+ I’m the sort of person that loves to try new things and this is absolutely true when it comes down to Scotch. The thing about Scotch Whisky is there is so much to try and always something new to learn, and for me this is very true when it comes …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Texas’s Still Austin Whiskey Company (I shouldn’t need to tell you where in Texas they are from with that name) has a range of bottled in bond whiskeys, based on their standard straight whiskey line. It’s a now commonplace arrangement among small distillers in America, and many plan their initial, …
