By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Sometimes pundits have real, lasting influence. So, whenever I see someone scoff at Blade & Bow in a blog or an internet forum, I chalk it up to Chuck Cowdery’s very personal feud with certain individuals at Diageo, which had the trickle down effect of a chunk of enthusiasts being …
Neogtiant Lost Lantern is perhaps best known for their carefully curated single cask releases of American craft whiskey, but in their latest release the company has returned to its foundation of blending. They have announced the launch of the United States of Bourbon, the first-ever blend of bourbon from all 50 states, and the widest-ranging American …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B In May 2026, 15 Stars announced the fourth release of its First West collection: First West Explorer. Joining First West Small Batch, First West Toasted Oak and First West Extra Aged, this new expression is a first consisting of 100% in-house distilled bourbon. Theirs is an interesting story. Rick and …
Next Century Spirits (NCS) today announced the acquisition of certain brand assets from Grain & Barrel Spirits, including Chicken Cock Whiskey, a heritage brand dating back to 1856. This brand acquisition gives NCS its first presence in Kentucky and a premium anchor for its whiskey portfolio. “Grain & Barrel built something real here with the …
The Musician has been on the front of Still Austin’s flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey label since its inception in 2020. This September, her story gets a new home. Still Austin Whiskey Co. today announced the opening of The Still Austin Quarter, a 15,000-square-foot hospitality destination slated to open September 2026 in the heart of South …
The Jos. A. Magnus brand is named for a whiskey man who opened a distillery in Cincinnati, Ohio 135 years ago, back when being located across the river from Northern Kentucky made the place a hotbed in the bourbon industry. Although Magnus’s chief brand was called Murray Hill, the folks who started the Jos. A. …
By Whiskey Reviewer Staff When the Pandemic locked people up and sent alcohol consumption soaring, it propelled the ongoing World Whiskey Boom to new heights. The timing was crucial, since it camouflaged reality: over in America, the world’s largest whiskey market, Gen Z was entering the market. This new cohort has different ideas and tastes …
I’d like to thank the folks at Ross & Squibb and their PR partners for sending this sample with no strings attached.
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By Whiskey Reviewer Staff As a rule, for a trend to stay alive it must grow not just expansively, but intensively as well. In other words, build up layers or gain in complexity. When the modern cocktail boom started a decade and a half ago, the whiskey aspect of that began with a fixation on …
By Richard Thomas Rating: D With the rise of the “New Sober,” more and more non-alcoholic (NA) substitutes for alcoholic beverages have come to market and in new categories. I’ve tried the NA alternatives for wine, and without exception they have reminded me of O’Douls. Introduced in 1990, O’Douls was (curiously enough) not actually zero …
