Category: Top-Flight Tastings

Click Below for Tasting Mat
Download Tools

Bursting with your Favorite Flavors

In the last decade or so, enthusiasts have discovered the beauty of barrel-proof whisky. Sometimes known as “cask-strength,” it’s exactly what it claims to be: whisky bottled straight from the barrel with no water added. While aging times and locations will cause fluctuations in the final reading, most barrel-proof whiskies will check in somewhere around 110 to 130 proof.

Barrel-proof whisky is packed with aroma, flavor, and especially texture, with a chewy, almost oily mouthfeel. If you typically enjoy lower-proof whisky, these might sound too hot to handle, but you always have the ability to add water to cool it down a bit.

Maker’s Mark^® Cask Strength
Caramel, honey, marzipan, cotton candy, cinnamon, and clove
54.35% | $45

Laphroaig^® 10 Year Cask Strength
Signature peat, iodine and salty flavors, with rich vanilla and a long finish
58% | $85

Booker’s^® Bourbon 2021-03 “Bardstown Batch”
Vanilla, brown sugar, and baking spice with a warm finish
63.95% | $90

Alberta^® Premium Cask Strength Rye
Caramel, vanilla, chocolate, black currant, spice, and dark fruit
63.7% | $80

Buy Whiskies

---

 

The post High-Proof Pours appeared first on Whisky Advocate.

Click Below for Tasting Mat
Download Tools

Finishes & Blends Add Unique Complexities

Aficionados crave the latest and most innovative ways of creating flavorful whiskies. Lately, that has meant experimental finishes and skillful blending techniques.  The idea of “finishing” whiskey began in Scotland around 1983 when distilleries started taking well-aged scotch and putting it into sherry butts for additional maturation, imparting lovely sherry notes into the whisky. More recently, the practice is utilized by distilleries in Ireland, Japan, and especially America, where purveyors are using different char levels, “toasting,” and the addition of unique barrel staves. Blending is another way distilleries have found to be au courant, with many adopting the Japanese practice of intensely layering different casks and finishes to create a harmonious final product.

Maker’s Mark 46^®
Cherries, plums, caramel, cocoa powder, and toasted tobacco
47% | $35

Basil Hayden^® Toast
Toasted oak, dried fruit, vanilla, and caramelized sugar
40% | $50

Legent^® Bourbon
Spice and fruity from the sherry casks. Red-wine casks add tartness
47% | $50

Laphroaig^® Quarter Cask
Hints of coconut, banana and vanilla, with seaside, smoky peat
48% | $75

Buy Whiskies

---

 

The post Not Finished Yet! appeared first on Whisky Advocate.

Click Below for Tasting Mat
Download Tools

Flavorful Expressions from the East

   It may seem that Japanese whisky is a recent phenomenon, but the country actually has a long history with whisky making, starting with the establishment of Yamazaki Distillery in 1923. For most of the 20th century it exclusively made blends, but everything changed in 1984 with the launch of Suntory single malt Yamazaki. 

   Today, the single malts of Yamazaki and Hakushu Distilleries are as well-regarded and coveted as any from Scotland—soft and fruity, with hints of mizunara oak and smoke, and tons of complexity. While Suntory’s blends, like Toki and Hibiki Japanese Harmony—using grain whiskies from Chita Distillery—continue to innovate and break new ground, their harmony of flavors is perfect for sipping neat or in Japan’s iconic Highballs.

Suntory Japanese Whisky Toki^®
Basil, green apple, honey, then grapefruit, green grapes, and thyme
43% | $40

Hibiki^® Japanese Harmony
Rose, sandalwood, rosemary, honey, and candied orange peel
43% | $90

Yamazaki^® 12 Years Old
Peach, coconut, mizunara (Japanese oak) and raspberry
43% | $150

Hakushu^® 12 Years Old
Peppermint, melon, cucumber, grapefruit, and subtle smoke
43.5% | $150

Buy Whiskies

---

 

The post At the Forefront of Japanese Whisky appeared first on Whisky Advocate.

Click Below for Tasting Mat
Download Tools

America’s Distinctive Spirit Examined

Despite the numerous requirements that make bourbon a “distinctive product” of the United States, there’s still plenty of room for diversity within the category. All bourbon must be made from at least 51% corn, but the secondary grains used, the ratio of the mashbill, and years of aging in the barrel can make for radical differences in aroma, flavor, and texture. “High-rye” bourbons offer spiciness, while “wheated” bourbons are beloved for their sweet, inviting character. New charred oak barrels are another requirement, meaning, essentially, the older the age statement, that more rich caramel, vanilla, and, oak spice will be released from the wood. The following show the incredible breadth of our country’s most beloved spirit.

Knob Creek^® 9 Year Old
Rich, sweet, woody, fruity, with oak, vanilla, and caramel
50% | $35

Basil Hayden^® 10 Year Old
Oak, vanilla and rye, then caramel sweetness and more rye spice
40% | $70

Maker’s Mark^® Original
Floral, toffee, caramel, roasted almonds, vanilla, and fruity essences
45% | $30

Baker’s^® Bourbon Single Barrel
Blackberries, dried fruits, licorice, and cinnamon
56.6% | $50

Buy Whiskies

---

 

The post The Great American Bourbon Tasting appeared first on Whisky Advocate.

1. GREAT AMERICAN BOURBON America’s Distinctive Spirit Examined Download ToolsBuy Tasting 2. HIGH-PROOF POURS Bursting With Your Favorite Flavors Download ToolsBuy Tasting 3. JAPANESE WHISKY TASTING At the Forefront of Japanese Whisky Download ToolsBuy Tasting 4. NOT FINISHED YET! Finishes & Blends Add Unique Complexities Download ToolsBuy Tasting 5. TASTING ACROSS THE HEMISPHERES Explore Quintessential Whiskies Around the Globe Download ToolsBuy Tasting 6. CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN Use This Mat for a Customized Tasting Download Tools

The post Top-Flight Tasting Mats appeared first on Whisky Advocate.