Pouring the hot water into whisky, the fragrance suddenly rises in the light of a cold white morning. Lines from a poem by Japanese naturalist Bokusui Wakayama, reflecting on his oyuwari–a drink akin to a hot toddy–as he enjoyed it one cold winter morning. It struck me… read more →
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Old Pulteney produces a range of single malt scotch whiskies, from the introductory 12 Year to the just-released 35 Year. And occasionally, the brand puts out limited edition offerings, like this bottle of Old Pulteney Navigator that hit the market…
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At the beginning of this series, I mentioned receiving a bottle of Hakushu 12 from Cocktail Enthusiast two years ago. Below is the review I wrote. I think it deserves to be revisited, not only because I have revisited the spirit myself, but also to reflect on the context of the time it was written… read more →
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This is part two of our ongoing series on Japanese Whisky. To get started, see part one. Suntory. The one that started it all. The beverage company, not the man (we’ll get to him next week.) Suntory’s saga begins in…
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Author Mack McConnell is a Paris-based contributing writer for Cocktail Enthusiast. He also runs a Whiskey of the Month Club. In addition to its lineup of fine whiskies — Glenmorangie Signet included — The Glenmorangie Distillery’s real contribution to the…
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Crown Royal has just released Crown Royal Monarch 75th Anniversary Blend, a limited time offering created by Master Blender Andrew MacKay. It’s meant to commemorate the 75 years that Crown Royal has been producing Canadian Whisky. It all started in…
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When Cocktail Enthusiast sent me a bottle of Hakushu 12, a Japanese whisky produced by beverage giant Suntory, back in 2012, my attention was captured. Two years and many drams later, my interest has grown into an obsession, all too…
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The Balvenie 15 Year Old Single Barrel Sherry Cask is a newly-released addition to The Balvenie portfolio. It will replace the traditional oak-matured 15 Year Old Single Barrel — a fine dram, to be sure, but nothing quite as interesting…
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Today we got a heads up from our local bottle shop about Jim Beam Kentucky Fire. We’d heard rumblings of this release in the past, but nothing since, and a quick Internet search found zero official announcement from Jim Beam….
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This past weekend we expended much time and energy in the Manhattan Cocktail Classic tasting rooms. It was filled with some familiar faces and plenty of new ones, as we moved from table to table to sample the goods. There…
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You can always count on Anchor Distilling to keep you inundated with a fresh supply of Asian whiskies. So after rolling out a handful of Nikka Whiskies from Japan, Anchor has set its sights on Taiwan. Founded in just 2005,…
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The Fat Trout Blended Scotch Whisky hails from the Speyside Region of Scotland, where it’s produced by Ian Macleod Distillers. The three year old spirit is comprised of about 30 different single malts from Speyside, Islay and Highlands. The whisky…
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Jack Daniel’s continues to make waves with the new announcement of Jack Daniel’s Rested Tennessee Rye, a follow up to the brand’s Unaged Tennessee Rye, which hit the market in 2012. And, unrelated to these products, Jack also unleashed a…
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Scotch: it’s not just for sipping neat in your smoking jacket beside the fire. Although, that’s certainly a fine use of both scotch and your leisure time. But scotch also makes a fine addition to cocktails, whether you’re fortifying something…
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Each year, Whisky Magazine holds the World Whiskies Awards, crowning the globe’s best expressions across a range of categories. In 2014, more than 300 whiskeys entered the competition, each vying for the title of world’s best. So after the enviable…
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Big news this week, as industry heavyweight Jack Daniel’s announced Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, a blend of Old No. 7 with cinnamon liqueur. This comes on the heels of Jack Daniel’s wildly successful Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, which opened the…
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With St. Patrick’s Day on Monday (and weekend festivities starting… now), your consumption of Irish spirits is bound to increase. So first, let’s remind ourselves why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. And then let’s take a look at three new…
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Based in Austin, TX, Treaty Oak Distilling Co. started as a rum maker, but they soon joined the gin (Waterloo Gin) and vodka (Starlite Vodka) business — two unaged products that didn’t stray too far from Treaty Oak’s white spirits…
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Rhum Clemente, the makers of some fine rhum agricole, recently announced two new spirits. Clemente Canne Bleue is a white rhum crafted from fresh juice that’s extracted from one unique varietal of sugarcane. Clement Select Barrel is aged for three years in used French oak, which imparts soft vanilla notes to this aged rhum.// read more →
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This week Booker’s Bourbon announced a limited edition bourbon release to celebrate the brand’s 25th anniversary. This is welcome news for fans of the fiery bourbon. The release, dubbed Batch No. 2014-1, pays homage to its namesake, 6th Generation Beam…
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