Infectious Charm. Devastating Wit. Below Average Looks.
My whiskey journey is a baffling one. My first legit tasting session was with a miniature of Johnnie Walker Black. I nearly spit it out and gave up on this "whiskey as a hobby" thing almost as soon as it started. It is now a dependable and steady dram as sure as God made green... Continue Reading →
I am no high minded bourbon purist. I certainly do not think I am some sort of gatekeeper of the tradition or Keeper of the Bourbon Quaich, judging what one can and can’t do to their bourbon whiskey. I don’t think I need to be, bourbon is well regulated legally already and folks seem to... Continue Reading →
George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey might as well be called "that other Tennessee whiskey not called Jack Daniels." This phrase, on a plain white label in Times New Roman, on a bottle with a plastic screw cap on the bottom shelf, reflects really the strength of George Dickel's market share as compared to the taut Jack... 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 →
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 →
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 →
It seems that every time I sashay into a local Total Wine and More here in Spokane I find some new, out of no-where Dry Fly product showing up on the shelf. This pleasant reality, along with the fact that most of their products are now older and possess a higher ABV, means that I... Continue Reading →
It was at one time customary for this blog to introduce a new brand with a quick history overview. That’s becoming less and less necessary in my view, so I will leave Westland Distillery’s story to the internet, as their story has been told already in numerous places (here's a good one). Let’s spend the... Continue Reading →
Dry Fly Distillery is not only Washington State’s first distillery since prohibition, but they're also credentialed as one of the original pioneers of the craft whiskey boom. In 2007, they laid down new fifty three gallon barrels filled with whiskey made from a mash bill of 100% Washington wheat. This whiskey was released two years later... Continue Reading →
A Tennessee whiskey company that buys bulk rye whiskey from Indiana, modifies it somewhere in Plainview, IL and then bottles it in Norwalk, CT is almost a quintessential example of the current state of American whiskey. Maybe a better way is to say that George Dickle Rye is a glimpse behind the curtain of the American whiskey business.... Continue Reading →
If Rittenhouse Rye is for the bourbon lover, Lot 40 for the Canadian purist, and Whistle Pig Boss Hog for the rye sadist, then Russell’s Reserve Rye is rye’s elegance. And now that rye is finally hip again, you bearded and scarved trendsetters now have full rights to pour this celebrated distillate in your Madison... Continue Reading →
Depending on the temperature of any given whiskey market, popular demand tends to drive new offerings to the shelf, and for rye fans what a grand time it is right now. But during the time frame between the recent rye resurgence and Prohibition, rye was scarce. While most rye brands, very popular before Prohibition, did... Continue Reading →
Craft Distilling seems to be holding some gems within its midst. These can be difficult to find when the 9th new distillery opens up in your town to offer yet another 2 year old spirit priced over $50.00 a bottle. That is, if the “distillery” even made it all. Perhaps they bought the whiskey from... Continue Reading →
The craft distilling industry is succeeding on a few levels. The most important of which is innovation, ever rare in the crowded marketplace. Non-traditional grains, unorthodox finishing, old school comebacks (plain corn whiskies) and micro-barreling, to name a few, have seen success on the whiskey shelf. Things get interesting when a new innovation is added to... Continue Reading →
We here at the Spokane Whiskey Club are starting to really love rye whiskey. The flavors are typically drier with spicy notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pepper and even fruity aromas to name a few. It simply makes a spirit a little bit more interesting to us. However, we still enjoy the sweetly familiar side... Continue Reading →
Dry Fly Distillery has been releasing their 100% Washington Wheat whiskey for about four years now. Among other things, it is known for its trademark evocative aroma of buttery wheat grain and underlying fruity sweetness. All in all, it’s a flavorful spirit but on the lighter side of the spectrum. But, we have always been... Continue Reading →
Today, we come to our close, mutual friend, Jack Daniels. Specifically, our focus is on their premium offering, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey. Standard Old No.7 struck us as having some potential but really ended up just sooty, sugary and a bit bland to be honest. Everything about JD Single Barrel, however, promises... Continue Reading →
Our decision to showcase Templeton Rye Whiskey for our most recent guest night, I think, was a good one. The other option was to find a heavy rye based bourbon, but since whiskey is booming right now, and rye whiskey is also rising, let’s just go for it and give the newbies a bold rye.... Continue Reading →
Spokane Whiskey Club 