By Richard Thomas Rating: C- As the craft whiskey boom really took off in the early 2010s, many small producers were on the look out for techniques to reduce maturation time or bypass it all together. The classic was to age in small or tiny barrels. The best examples of this tailored their production process …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: C+ Barrell Craft Spirits recently announced the release of some cask finished whiskeys and their 10th Anniversary Barrell Bourbon, but I’m still working with Barrell Rye Batch 004! This is their first rye batch since 2020. Rye Batch #004 blend consists of straight rye whiskeys from Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and …
By Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox Rating: C+ Celebrity-endorsed spirits have become common, using the established star power to boost the status and sales of their products. With products like vodka and gin, it’s relatively easy for a distillery to roll out a product soon after conception, as they do not have to wait any time for the …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ Isle of Skye is a blended Scotch whisky, created by Ian Macleod Distillers. Here at The Whiskey Reviewer, we are familiar with their work through Tamdhu, Sheep Dip, Pig’s Nose and Glengoyne. When it comes to whisky, the islands most often thought of are Talisker, Islay, the Orkneys and Jura. …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C- Although the company was notionally started earlier, it’s been more than a decade since WhistlePig 10 Year Old Rye was first released. The product was very much a creation of opportunity and moment. Raj Bhakta, a former investment banker, Apprentice contestant and Congressional candidate, wanted to start a whiskey company. …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ Looking for something novel to ring in St. Patty’s 2023? Beyond my round-up of new Irish Whiskeys, I’m also taking a look at Lost Irish. This is a sourced brand created by Neil Sands and Tim Herlihy. Keen whiskey observers will probably recognize Herlihy’s name, because he was Tullamore DEW’s …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ New for St. Patrick’s Day 2023 is Natterjack Irish Whiskey. This new entry comes from Gortinore Distillers & Co., which is following a path familiar to most American enthusiasts: build a brand based on sourced whiskey while simultaneously building a distillery, starting operations and laying in stock for maturation. Gortinore …
By Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox Rating: C In Fuji Distillery’s 50 year history, the whisky-maker has only employed two master blenders, with Jota Tanaka currently filling the position. Jota has the distinction of recently been admitted into the World Whisky Awards Hall of Fame for his contributions to helping the image and transparency of Japanese Whisky as …
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ The backstory behind Baltimore’s Old Line Spirits is a classic of modern craft whiskey. Founders Arch Watkins and Mark McLaughlin set out in 2015 to make bourbon and rye. In the early stages of that project, they were approached by a small American malt distiller in Washington State, who offered …
By Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox Rating: C+ Cracking the top 10 list of best selling blended Scotches last year, Chivas Regal is likely one brand that most whisky drinkers have reliably heard of. The Chivas brand starts around 1857, but stretches back even further to 1801, when the grocery store the bothers would come to acquire, was …
