By Richard Thomas Rating: A- In 2023, I chose to do a rare batch review for the 14th installment of Bruichladdich’s famously smoky Octomore series. This year, I chose to tackle October 15.1, 15.2 and 15.3 separately, which brings me to the third and final chapter of Octomore 2024: the ultra-peated Octomore 15.3. Bruichladdich has …
By Doug Fraser Rating: A- Four Branches Founders Blend Bourbon is the result of a culmination of four prior US service members from the four major branches of the US Military (i.e. not the Space Force). The bourbon represents those four branches–Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy–with the intent to be enjoyed by all while still …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A For any brand that is revived and reintroduced during my career as a food, drinks and travel writer, I’m always amazed when the lot count reaches several or (especially) a double digit number. Inevitably I find myself thinking “Has that newcomer really been around that long? Is it actually a …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Although we only do things whiskey at The Whiskey Reviewer, that bailiwick is widened somewhat by doing all things whiskey. That includes beer and wine aged in old whiskey barrels, such as Josh Cellars bourbon barrel aged cabernet sauvignon. For this expression, Josh takes their standard “cab sav” and gives …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B When you stop and think about the logistics, the double new oak treatment should not be as commonplace as it has become. Although secondary maturation offers a way to give a new twist to an already existing whiskey in stock, it usually relies upon used barrels to achieve that effect, …
By Alex Southgate Rating: A- It’s nice to try something new. It’s even nicer to be given the opportunity to be one of the first to try something and this is why I’m currently feeling both honored and excited in equal measure: Halcyon Spirits newest expression is a 17 year old Caol Ila. This whiskey …
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 …
Updated September 20, 2024 By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ The single barrel whiskey concept, in America at least, began with the introduction of Blanton’s in 1984 by the legendary Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee. Back then, however, that Frankfort, Kentucky distillery was known as the George T. Stagg Distillery. It wouldn’t be renamed Buffalo Trace …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ Liberty Pole Spirits is a family-owned and -operated craft distillery started in 2016 by Jim, Ellen, Rob and Kevin Hough. The Houghs are longtime residents of Washington County, Pennsylvania. They caught the distilling bug in the early 2000’s when Jim bought a 10-gallon still and learned the ropes of …
