Whiskey
Whiskey is a spirit produced from the distillation of grain. Debate still rages about whether the Irish Celts or Scots were the first to produce the “water of life,” but the first written recording of whiskey’s creation dates to 15th century Scotland. Origin isn’t the only debate concerning whiskey. Spelling is contentious, too. When distilled in Scotland, Canada, and Japan, it is spelled whisky without the e, while whiskey distilled in Ireland and the United States is most often, but not always, spelled with the e. Technically, whiskey is a distilled spirit produced from a fermented grain mash, distilled to no more than 190 proof, and bottled at no less than 80 proof. All whiskey, with the exception of corn whiskey and “white” whiskey, must be aged for some period of time in oak containers. Whiskey is classified by country of origin (i.e. Canadian whisky) and may be further defined by the type of grain used (i.e. rye whiskey) or the way it is produced (i.e. single malt).
Top Whiskey Posts:
The Top 10 Whiskeys of 2018
The Top 10 Whiskeys of 2017
All About Dusties: 1970s vs. 2018 Bourbon Tasted Side by Side
Top 10 Bourbons Under $20
What Grains are Used to Make Whiskey (And Why?)
From Barrel To Bottle: How Wood Aging Impacts Whiskey
We’re finally getting around to reviewing High West’s latest products, a new rye and a second barrel-aged-and-bottled cocktail. These have both been around for a few months, so please forgive our tardiness! High West A Midwinter Nights Dram 1.1313 – Never mind the typo (it should be “Night’s,” no?) and never mind that I’m reviewing…
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This bottling of Kilchoman carries the traditional Kilchoman label (rather than an independent bottler’s label), though it was bottled exclusively for the importer ImpEx (whose indie-bottled Exclusive Malts we regularly cover). You’ll know the difference by the red label vs. the usual Kilchoman blue. Inside, things are a bit different, too. After five years in an…
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Five more tiny-production, very rare, Scotch whiskys are about to arrive on our shores, courtesy of the independent malt whisky bottlers at Exclusive Malts. As always, total bottles produced tend to number in the low hundreds, so if you see something you like, get it now. The Exclusive Malts Linkwood 1999 14 Years Old – This Speyside…
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Moonshine continues to grow as a category, and this Nashville-based producer, founded in 2012, is getting its first products on the market in its home state, plus four others. Featuring mason jar bottles with a custom pouring system built into the lid, the company aims to class up an (often intentionally) unsexy industry. Purportedly made…
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For the third whiskey from its controversial Orphan Barrel Project, Diageo has chosen another odd name (though perhaps not as odd as Old Blowhard): Rhetoric. Rhetoric has a number of meanings, but the most notable is “language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or…
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Officially known only as “Four Roses Bourbon,” Yellow Label — called thusly for reasons you can surely fit together on your own — is the company’s entry level product. It’s also one of its most venerable. “Yellow Label” bottlings have been on the market since probably the 1930s and 1940s. (The distillery has seen massive…
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The Fat Trout is a blend from the Speyside that’s produced by the world renowned Ian Macleod Distillers. A “standard 3 year old” blend, the whisky is comprised of approximately 30 different single malts, mostly from the Spey region, but also from Islay and the Highlands. There is also a huge fish on the label…
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Old Pulteney, “The Maritime Malt,” is based in the remote region of Wick in the far north of Scotland’s Highlands. It recently added this whisky to its lineup, a limited edition single malt with no age statement. Navigator is aged in bourbon and sherry casks, but otherwise little is known about it. The nose doesn’t…
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This new whiskey from Sazerac-owned A. Smith Bowman is a semi-experimental offering from the Virginia-based distillery. It involves putting the spirit into two separate barrels… both of them newly-charred oak. From the company: “Originally put into barrels on December 12, 2006, this bourbon was transferred to new barrels on April 17, 2013. After aging an…
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Celebrating sixty motherfreakin’ years in the business — Eisenhower was president, people! — Jimmy Russell is a distiller with no equal in the business. He’s the man who has singlehandedly defined Wild Turkey for decades, with son Eddie waiting in the wings for the day his dad, now 79 years old, retires. To mark the occasion,…
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