By Richard Thomas Rating: A- New Midleton is solely responsible for keeping the legacy of Irish pot still whiskey, based on a mix of malted and unmalted barley, alive. Although that style of whiskey figures in most everything they make, it was the re-launch of the brand Redbreast in 1991 that was instrumental in reviving …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ The providence for Bruichladdich’s Octomore 15.2 is (as follows the pattern for the Octomore series broadly) is similar to that of Octomore 15.1. It too is a distillate from a wash of 100% mainland Scotland-grown Concerto barley, which was also peated to 108.2 ppm. Where it diverges is in the …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- In some ways, the bourbon calendar is more predictable than the real passage of the seasons, especially here in Kentucky and in the era of climate change. Today it is dry and quite pleasant outside, but I have no idea if the next round of storms will bring with it …
By Alex Southgate Rating: A There are some brilliant independent bottlers out there producing some very fine whisky. Halcyon Spirits are a relatively new independent bottler, but they are part of that group, so I’m excited to see what their Burnside 27 Year Old Blended Malt brings to the table. To offer some background, Halcyon …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Tamdhu is one of many Scottish distilleries as part of the late 19th century whisky boom, and like most of those founded in that era, it was located first and foremost for proximity to a railroad. It closed between 1927 and 1947, was mothballed again in 2010, but then acquired …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ The latest limited edition to come out of the Redbreast line, the Irish Whiskey brand that helped revive single pot still whiskey, gives the whiskey a particularly regional spin on American oak. As a Redbreast, it’s a pot still whiskey, which means it is made from a mix of malted …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ The Perfect Fifth is an American negotiant firm, otherwise known in the US as an Non-Distiller Producer (NDP) or independent bottler. Started by Karl J. Schoen in 2019, the company operates in familiar territory for such an enterprise, as it might operate in Scotland or Ireland: most of their offerings …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A- After a 2022 hiatus that surprised everyone, Michter’s returned its 10-year-old single barrel bourbon last year in imposing style with one of the best 10-year-old bourbon whiskeys that they have ever offered, and arguably the best since 2010. Michter’s 10 Years Old Single Barrel Straight Bourbon is always aged …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Scotch whisky is a drink that invites some serious nerdom, arguably more so than bourbon whiskey. The first serious division of camps in enthusiasm for Scotch are between those who love Sherried whiskies and those who are devoted to peated whiskies. Among the latter, the focus is overwhelmingly places on …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B For the whole of the 21st Century, Islay distillery Bruichladdich has been defined by its 1994 closure. Many Scottish distilleries have been closed and reopened, but those closures are often a matter of history and have little or no impact on the whiskies available today. Bruichladdich’s seven year gap is …
