By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ This 2021 bottling is the first release of US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon in three years. The Toasted Barrel expression is distinctive from the standard US*1 Bourbon as it undergoes a second round of maturation, following its initial rest (my best guess 6-8 years) in an American charred oak …
Beam Suntory’s Laphroaig has announced the third installment in the fascinating Ian Hunter Series, ‘Book Three: Source Protector.’ The 33-year-old non-chill filtered whisky is fully matured in ex-bourbon barrels, which allows the iconic peated characteristics of Laphroaig to shine through and continues to honor the legacy of the icon and last founding member of the …
The Woodford Reserve Winter 2021 Master’s Collection release is a whiskey that steps into beer territory, the Woodford Reserve Five-Malt Stouted Mash. For this limited-edition release, Master Distiller Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall drew from the distillery’s rich history of innovation and their own interests for inspiration. In Kentucky, a fermented grain …
Barrell Craft Spirits has come out with a new ultra-aged expression, BCS Gold Label Bourbon. This one is a blend of 16 and 17 year old bourbons sourced from four different distilleries in three states: Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. One of the four consignments (no word on which one) also counts as a double new …
High West, the Utah distillery that built a reputation among whiskey lovers for their crafty, sourced blends and transparency therein, has released a new in-house whiskey: High Country Single Malt. This American Single Malt was distilled and matured in the Wasatch Mountains, and finished in Oloroso Sherry casks before bottling at 44% ABV. Unlike some …
By Andrew Graham Rating: A- Many whiskey folks know what Midwest Grain Products of Indiana, or MGP, is. For those who don’t, it’s the biggest distiller that they’ve never heard of. For the uninitiated, MGP is a facility in southeast Indiana, right across the border from Kentucky, that mass-produces whiskey for various brands. Angel’s Envy, …
To mark National Repeal Day earlier this week, Old Forester is offering consumers nationwide the chance to win the opportunity to purchase a rare bottle of Old Forester President’s Choice. It’s the first time the distillery has offered a national sweepstakes for one of its most sought-after bourbons. “It’s often difficult for consumers to buy …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Last month saw Beam Suntory build on their revamping of the Baker’s brand, long the most neglected of the four brands of Jim Beam’s famed Small Batch Collection of the early 1990s (Blanton’s, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek and Baker’s). Following their conversion of Baker’s to a single barrel expression, they …
By Richard Thomas As late autumn arrives, the trees turn bare and the first frosts appear, I restore a bottle of Scots single malt to my liquor shelf. Late autumn to early spring is when I most enjoy most Scotch whiskies, especially the richer or smokier ones. Yet the thing about Scotch is that it …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ About a month ago, Brown-Forman brought a pair of Benriach whiskies across The Pond and to American Shores, these named for two seasonal practices of the distillery. Smoke Season is so named because Benriach sees only a single production run of peated whisky per year, a short run at that. …
