Review: The Exceptional Malt – Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
The Exceptional Blended Malt is a line extension of The Exceptional Grain Whisky, which came out earlier this year. The Exceptional Malt is a blend of single malts, with no grain whisky added, including: a 16-year-old Ben Nevis, a first-fill sherry butt of Glenburgie, a vatted barrel of Balvenie, Kininvie, & Glenfiddich, a 13-year-old Speyside, a…
Review: Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton
Available in the U.S. for about a year and a half, Green Spot has deservedly taken earned its reputation as one of the best Irish whiskeys on the market. And now for something completely different: Green Spot… finished in used Bordeaux wine casks. Green Spot Chateau Leoville Barton takes the original Green Spot —…
Review: Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Irish Whiskey
Ireland pretty much has two national beverages — Irish whiskey and stout (and no, I’m not counting poitin). Why not combine the two, you say? Say hello to Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition. (Perhaps implying that other editions are in the works.) It’s a simple idea at work here: Take Jameson Original whiskey and finish it…
Review: Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection – Triticale and Six Row Barley
It’s been over a year since Jim Beam announced the Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection (see here, here, and here), a series of six bourbons that include an unusual grain — or a standard grain in an unusual proportion — in the creation of the whiskey. Now, the last two whiskeys are here, which include…
Review: A. Smith Bowman Abraham Bowman High Rye Bourbon
The Sazerac-adjunct A. Smith Bowman Distillery is out with its 12th release in the Abraham Bowman line — a high rye expression distilled in September 2007 and bottled in July 2015. That makes it seven years and nine months old (technically speaking). Don’t try calling your local liquor store for a handle of it: This…
Review: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2015 Edition
At this time of year we celebrate two big birthdays: Brown-Forman founder Garvin Brown, and yours truly. Only one of us gets a “birthday bourbon” in his honor, though. Today we tuck into the 2015 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, a 12 year old bottling, in keeping with past expressions. Old Fo notes that this batch…
Book Review: Speed Brewing
Homebrew is a neat idea, but who has the time to make it? That’s the thesis of Mary Izett’s Speed Brewing, a book which provides exactly the type of instruction that you think it’s going to offer. While the back cover promises you can make a “session IPA” in just a few hours, Izett’s how-to has…
Review: Flaviar “Eau de Vie! Oui!” Cognac Sampler & the Flaviar App
We’ve been friends with Flaviar for quite a while, and we’re going to start looking more deeply into their sampler packs. These are available on a one-off basis or as a monthly subscription, featuring rum, whiskey, brandy, or just about anything else. Today we’re looking at Flaviar’s Cognac sampler, a set of spirits packaged under…
