Woodford Reserve has expanded its Master’s Collection to include the newly released Maple Wood Finish Bourbon, which marks the fifth limited release installment in the lineup. This whiskey is the first bourbon to be finished in barrels made from sugar…
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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is back for another year. The 2010 edition, which commemorates the birth of Brown-Forman’s founder, George Brown, is aged 12 years and just may be the best of the bunch. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is quite…
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Canadian Club Sherry Cask is a small batch Canadian whiskey that’s aged for eight years in white oak and then finished in Spanish sherry casks. It sits at the top of the Canadian Club lineup and, unlike the standard six-year…
Read MorePendleton Whisky (they drop the E) is a 10-year old blended Canadian whiskey. It’s made with water from Mt. Hood in Oregon, and is bottled by Oregon’s Hood River Distillers, but since it’s distilled in Canada, Pendleton keeps its Canadian…
Read MoreThere are few things more comforting than sipping a dram of Scotch or a stout whiskey cocktail during the cold winter months. But just like red wine, people often shove whiskey to the back of their liquor cabinets during the…
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Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon is part of Four Roses’ core lineup of whiskeys that also includes the Small Batch and Yellow Label bourbons. The “single barrel” designation means that the bourbon is pulled from single casks and bottled, rather…
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In March, I spoke with Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith about the launch of the new Maker’s 46 bourbon. Skip forward a few months, and Maker’s 46 has officially launched, hitting store shelves July 1st. The release of Maker’s…
Read MoreNearly all holidays call for a drink. Take Christmas, July 4th and Arbor Day, for example. But while these drinking occasions may hide behind Jesus, national independence and trees, respectively, one holiday in particular mans up and makes drinking the…
Read MoreAccording to some new research commissioned by Chivas Brothers, nine out of 10 consumers believe that a whisky’s age statement serves as an indicator of quality. But oddly enough, most of these same consumers don’t understand what an age statement…
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Jura Prophecy is one of the newer scotch whisky offerings from the Isle of Jura Distillery and a recent addition to the U.S. market. Jura falls under the Glasgow-based distiller, Whyte and Mackay, which also produces the Dalmore lineup. This…
Read MoreAfter a call with Maker’s Mark President Bill Samuels in February, and receiving a sample in March, today I spoke with Master Distiller Kevin Smith about the new Maker’s Mark bourbon, called Maker’s 46, that will hit store shelves in…
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The Bowmore Distillery is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, having stood on the shores of Islay since 1779. It is one of the few distilleries that continues to hand turn its own floor malted barley, rather than outsourcing the chore….
Read MoreRecently 30 booze experts tasted 1,024 premium spirits for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Entries represented 58 countries and six continents. Some winners are noted below. Premium Awards Distillery of the Year – Glenmorangie Distillery Importer of the Year…
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I recently had the opportunity to try the new single malt offering from The Balvenie, one of Scotland’s famed Speyside distilleries. The limited edition 17-year-old Balvenie Madeira Cask was aged in traditional American oak whiskey casks before being transferred to…
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Rye whiskey is back, and in a big way. The recently released 2010 edition of the Whisky Bible, the prominent whiskey book by Jim Murray, has named Kentucky’s 18-year-old Sazerac Rye as the finest whiskey on the market. It edged…
Read MoreRecently I mentioned the wine and spirits auction at Christie’s, which included the prized Bowmore Trilogy and other rare whiskies. The results are in, and the buyers of these fine spirits have racked up quite a bar tab. The Bowmore…
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The Auchentoshan Distillery was founded in 1800 and is located just north of Glascow, Scotland. It is one of only three active distilleries that remains in the Lowlands region, with Bladnoch and Glenkinchie being the others. Auchentoshan features a line…
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In October Japan’s Suntory Limited launched its Hibiki 12-year-old whisky in the United States. This is good news for U.S. drinkers. Hibiki 12 Year is a blend of more than 30 handcrafted malt whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. …
Read MoreOn rare occasions Christie’s auction house does something that makes me pay attention, like hock pricey bottles of hooch. On November 14, Christie’s will auction off upwards of $2 million worth of wines and spirits, including select bottles of whiskey,…
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Last night I tried Crown Royal Cask No. 16 for the first time. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant, as I’m no fan of Crown Royal. Sure it comes wrapped in purple velvet that feels great against my beard, but you…
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