Review: Thomas S. Moore Bourbons – Chardonnay, Port, and Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finished
Buffalo Trace’s Barton 1792 Distillery is launching (today) a new line of bourbons named in honor of Thomas S. Moore, the man who originally built the Barton distillery back in 1889. The trick with this lineup is that they will all feature extended finishing in a variety of cask types. The first three expressions, arriving…
Review: KO Distilling Distiller’s Reserve Bourbon Bottled-in-Bond
Even smaller craft producers are getting in on the special release action this bourbon season. Virginia’s KO Distilling, whose core line and single barrel whiskey expressions we reviewed last year, recently announced the launch of their Bottled-in-Bond Distiller’s Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Per the folks at KO: Hand-crafted from local Virginia corn, wheat and malted…
Review: Glen Scotia Victoriana
Although overshadowed among Campbeltown whiskies by the more widely known Springbank distillery, Glen Scotia has been drawing greater attention in recent years with a solid line of distinctive whiskies. Their core lineup includes the Double Cask, a 15 year old, 18 year old, 25 year old, and the NAS Victoriana. The Glen Scotia Victoriana is…
Review: Waterford Distillery Single Farm Origin Single Malts: Rathclogh 1.1, Dunmore 1.1, and Dunbell 1.1
Ireland’s Waterford Distillery is the next act for former Scotch whisky pioneer Mark Reynier, who famously resurrected Bruichladdich in the early 2000s (and sold it in 2012). The distillery is located on the site of a former Guinness brewery in the city of Waterford, which sits not far from Ireland’s southeast coast. Since 2015, they’ve…
Review: 2018 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate
Domaine Carneros’s Estate Pinot Noir is always a winner, and this 2018 expression is no exception. Rich with notes of chocolate and dusky baking spice, this pinot offers a bold and slightly tannic punch to the palate, informed by a rolling earthiness and notes of licorice. The dark black cherry notes at the core are…
Review: Skeptic GinQuila Reposado
What’s ginquila? It’s gin finished in tequila barrels. Yes, that’s a crazy idea. Or is it? With GinQuila, Chicago’s Skeptic Distillery was inspired by a cocktail called the Cantarito, a Paloma style cocktail served in a clay pot. “Fusing this concept with the vibrant flavors of South America, we infused a gin base with fresh tropical…
Review: 2017 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Meredith Estate
Meredith Estate was an apple orchard until 1996. Now it’s the source for this opulent pinot from the incredibly skilled Merry Edwards, loaded with the kind of effusive flavor that’s endemic to Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. The flavor profile includes notes of currents, blackberry, chocolate, and spice, all whipped up with a rich palate of…
Review: Benriach Original 10, Original 12, Smoky 10, and Smoky 12
Four years after its acquisition by Brown-Forman, Speyside’s BenRiach has relaunched its entire core lineup — and dropped the capital R. It’s formally “Benriach Distillery” now. That’s hardly the most interesting thing about the relaunch, though. The new core of four single malts includes two 10 year olds and two 12 year olds — two…
