By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Diageo’s Orphan Barrel line, which in practice is built around sourcing middle and ultra-aged whiskeys drawn from their worldwide portfolio specifically for the American market, has released its first-ever rye whiskey. Because Orphan Barrel has been around for a decade, its an interesting choice to do so now. The whiskey …
By Randall H. Borkus Average Rating: A Last month saw Michter’s Distillery release a new edition of its 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon. That is a big deal because unlike most of its peer labels, Michter’s 10 Year Old doesn’t necessarily come out every year, and it wasn’t shipped in 2022. Michter’s President Joseph J. …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A- First distilled in 1973, Longrow is produced at Springbank Distillery in Campbelton, and is one of three distinct brands to come from that distillery. Longrow was initially conceived as an oily, peaty malt to serve in a blend being created at that time, and consequently it is more heavily …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- As part of their rebranding push for the US market, The Glenlivet replaced certain whiskies with the new Sample Room Collection, consisting of a 21 and 25 year old. The new 25 Year Old single malt is a direct follow on to the previous XXV. The old XXV is still …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Down in Cascade Hollow, Tennessee, George Dickel has emerged from a period that could be described as uncertain, to say the least. Master Distiller John Lunn left in 2015, and although the reasons for his departure are still unknown insofar as the realm of public fact are concerned, it created …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Often forgotten is that autumn ends not at the end of November, but on December 22. So it is that we are nearing the end of autumn proper, and with it the conclusion of the uber-hot season when so many of the most sought after bourbon releases come out. It’s …
By Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox Rating: A- Suntory operates with a philosophy of melding 2 different “art types:” the Art of Nature (the soul and character that resides in all natural things) and the Art of People (artisans that take what is found in nature and elevate it, yet do not add nor take away, elevating the …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A The most interesting twist in the dubious Great Bourbon Shortage storyline is how Jim Beam has consistently defied it these last few years. The first act of defiance was in 2019, when it was announced the the flagship Knob Creek brand would return to its roots as a 9 year …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A My first thought when I read about the Old Fitz Bonded coming out this season looked back on when the series was first launched, and how the croakers derided the series as a rip-off, complaining that one of their old favorites had been replaced by an ordinary bourbon with a …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ A short history lesson is necessary to explain Bomberger’s Declaration. The 1980s and 1990s were a decidedly mixed period for the American Whiskey industry. On the one hand, the seeds of its future revival were being sewn with the creation of premium expressions, like Blanton’s and Elijah Craig. Maker’s Mark …
