By Kurt Maitland It was my great pleasure to spend some time with the brain trust of Single Cask Nation (SCN): Joshua Hatton and Jason Johnstone-Yellin (Co-owners and founders of the brand) and Jess Lomas, Global Sales Manager. I have known this crew for most of my time as a whiskey writer – I met …
By Richard Thomas Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye was the expression that prompted our Deputy Editor to coin the phrase “stronger whiskey is better whiskey.” The caveat there is that Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye is just strong enough. What makes it such an enjoyable cask strength whiskey is the distillery’s entry proof of 103. That is …
By Richard Thomas The first time I called on Wilderness Trail was early summer 2016. Located in picturesque Danville, a college town on the southern boundary of the Bluegrass that is an example of “ye can’t get thar from here!” (whatever direction you come from, it seems you must go somewhere else first to get …
By Richard Thomas Raylan Givens, the Federal marshal of Justified, once aptly described bourbon as being like drinking a “warm summer day.” The problem with that, as us Southrons will tell you, is that downing that warm summer day on a warm day leaves you too warm. The coming of warm weather in late springtime …
By Richard Thomas Being something of a whiskey generalist, one of the problems I grapple with regularly is how to overcome preconceived notions and deeply ingrained preferences. Enthusiasts have a tendency to be nerdy about whiskey, and nerds have a tendency towards blinkerdom. So, even though Scotch whisky present a wide, deep palate of flavors …
Negociant Lost Lantern Went All Mid-Western Whiskey For Its Spring 2024 Collection. We’ve Round The Entire Batch Up. By Randall H. Borkus Lost Lantern, the independent bottler of sourced whiskeys founded by a former Sales Manager at Astor Wine & Spirits (Nora Ganley-Roper) and a former whisky writer (Adam Polonski) usually presents its single cask …
By Richard Thomas One of the ugly little secrets of sensory science is just how much the senses of taste and smell can be influenced by preconceptions. Ideally, this reality can be guarded against, and it’s what makes the notion of the blind taste test so interesting. The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 was the …
By Richard Thomas Among the most prominent of the sourced whiskey brands is Redemption, which is particularly well known for its Redemption Rye expressions. As part of Deutsch Family Spirits, Redemption has greatly expanded its line-up over time, embracing various types of bourbon and even putting out a couple of ultra-aged whiskeys. Sourced whiskeys are …
New Economic Numbers And Tax Breaks Leave More Questions Than Answers By Richard Thomas February saw the release of a key economic report from the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA), the trade group that represents the Commonwealth’s bourbon industry. The statistics presented in the report were held up as a cause for celebration, billed as a …
By Richard Thomas Listing the mass market, budget Irish whiskeys you might want to pick up for St. Patrick’s Day sipping is largely unnecessary. While I could draw up a list with Kilbeggan, Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Slane, Tullamore Dew and other brands on it, I believe it would be more valuable for the reader if …
