Infectious Charm. Devastating Wit. Below Average Looks.
It’s been some time since we cruelly reviewed a whisky you likely will not be able to find, and because those are so helpful, we submit to you a few pieces of info on Talisker Port Ruighe... It sure does come in handy that we as a whiskey club are able from time to time... Continue Reading →
The old story is that Prohibition destroyed Rye. It destroyed distilleries, is what it really did, which in turn destroyed brands, only a few of which have survived, or have been revived, to today’s time. And now that I have used 5 commas in a sentence, a feat I am certain has been unattainable until... Continue Reading →
It should go without saying, but inherent to whisky recommendations is the subjection of yourself to someone else’s opinion. Even our best tasters are still dispensing subjective opinions despite their great skill in sensory evaluation. Many of those opinion makers sing songs of high praise for Old Potrero, distilled by the San Francisco based Anchor... Continue Reading →
For today’s review I was preparing to snarkily opine about yet another US company (a Californian winery, in today’s case) sourcing a good whisky from somewhere else, bottling it themselves and slapping some historical figure’s name from the 1800’s on their label and charging a horse’s hind end load for it. It would be a... Continue Reading →
It was Macallan night during one of our monthly SWC meetings. We had on the docket the 10, 12, and 15 year old expressions. I was excited. How could you not be with Macallan? Life was good. As we went through each whisky, nosing with patience, tasting with gusto, living life as God intended, our... Continue Reading →
Sherried Scotch whisky, at least in this author’s dumb, uninformed opinion, shouldn’t be the quintessential Scotch whisky expression. Just a few years finished in sherried oak can overwhelm a malt’s inherent flavor profile. Macallan’s Fine Oak Series, now called "Triple Cask Matured," offered a glimpse into the distilleries house character without a dominant sherry influence,... Continue Reading →
I felt like a gentlemen with a monocole and a top hat. And a kilt. All that was missing was a well oiled mustace. That’s what I felt like when I tried Macallan 12 for the first time. Back then, this was my first “luxury” malt, as that was what I thought Macallan was at... Continue Reading →
I wonder what Malt Rage looked like back in the day before whisky bloggers were around. Maybe it was just as annoying and self-important as it is today. I was not "malt aware" in 2004 when the owners of The Macallan released the Fine Oak series, but boy, I hear it was quite a thing... Continue Reading →
I suppose Macallan 12 Double Cask represents the Edrington Group’s attempt to jump in on the Americanized Scotch train that started a few years ago (Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon Cask comes to mind). I cannot find the article for the life of me, but an editorial on ScotchWhisky.com explained the subtle attempts by some Scotch whisky makers... Continue Reading →
Organic. I think people perceive this term as a mostly meaningless one. Have you ever really looked it up? I myself do not care if something is organic or not, to a certain degree, but for this review I wanted to understand the term. Turns out, the degree to which something is certified organic can... Continue Reading →
Henry McKenna was a sprite Irish gentlemen who upon arriving in Kentucky made good and fine use of the abundant grain around him. He did what any Scots-Irish worth his salt would do back then: distill everything and sell it. He also invented the Blarney Stone and loved U2. I normally don’t put much effort... Continue Reading →
In the olden days of my whiskey youth, Wild Turkey 101 was one of the first bourbons I became acquainted with. In fact, I had an early experience with Rare Breed that really catapulted my sense of bourbon’s aroma as well as a few nice evenings spent with Russel’s Reserve 10 year. My first memorable rye... Continue Reading →
Whiskey marketing isn’t all that bad. There are kernels of truth embedded in most of it, some kernels bigger than others. While reading on Knob Creek's 2001 Limited Edition release, I found myself a sucker. Any bourbon story involving Booker Noe passing down a bourbon tradition to his son, now Master Distiller Fred Noe, is... Continue Reading →
The phrase “Sherry Bomb” isn’t precisely a regulated one in the Scotch industry. A’Bunadh, Macallan, Dalmore, we can all agree on those. If a malt has a strong sherried presence but only was finished for a few years in a sherry cask, could it still be a sherry bomb? I think yes. And I think... Continue Reading →
If you must know, Colonel E.H. Taylor was a janitor at Buffalo Trace distillery in the 1770’s. He then joined the military, became a Colonel, and single handedly won the Battle of Ticonderoga while plastered from drinking an allocated bottle of Sazerac Rye 18. He also invented bourbon with his best friend, Elijah Craig. Now... Continue Reading →
I remember the day I lost all of my whiskey connoisseur credibility. It was the day that Maker’s Mark reversed their decision to lower the ABV on their flagship Kentucky straight bourbon. This about face came as a result of severe push back from Maker’s Mark passionate consumer base. The mere thought of the red... Continue Reading →
Highland Park Distillery’s true dark origins can be found in its creation in 1798, in the northernmost reaches of Scotland on Orkney Island. In 2017, Highland Park revamped their image, with new designs and expressions. Unfortunately, this means the end of the Dark Origins expression, to be replaced with the Valkyrie in their lineup. Dark... Continue Reading →
Ezra Brooks was a Kentucky carnival barker who traveled from town to Kentucky town with his rainbow colored still selling magical bourbon whiskey for 5 cents a shot. His legend lives on today in such bottles as Ezra Brooks 12 Yr Single Barrel. And none of this is true. Everyone thinks Elijah Craig invented bourbon... Continue Reading →
When it came to the whole craft whiskey boom thimgamajig, my innocence was lost almost immediately. It didn’t win me friends in the industry at the time, but I think I did give credit where credit was due in terms of what tasted good. As a consequence, I didn’t fall madly in love with the... Continue Reading →
Spokane Whiskey Club 