Infectious Charm. Devastating Wit. Below Average Looks.
A few years back, while visiting one of my go to liquor joints, I spotted a curious set of bottles on the top shelf in the bourbon aisle. They all said Pappy van Winkle on the labels, some in bags, with age statements of 10, 12, 15, 20 and 23 years old. Some were in... Continue Reading →
So there I was, at a local liquor store in Spokane, WA. The ever helpful clerk was happily showing me recommendations for a nice bourbon. I found it rather odd that the clerk never pointed me towards a name brand product but only the “Brand X” bottles scattered about the shelf. I’m a whiskey guy and fairly... 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 →
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 →
Whiskey has a long tradition with flavoring. Specifically, infusing wine flavoring by “finishing” whisky in a previously used wine barrel adds a few new layers of flavor. The Scots love to use Sherry and Port wine barrels to finish their single malts, and the results are often wonderful. But American whiskey? We’ve never really concerned... Continue Reading →
Back in 2009, Dry Fly Distillery in Spokane, WA was ready to make a move. Up until that point, they were successfully releasing a vodka and a gin to great reception. While those two spirits were making a splash on the market, a whiskey of 100% Washington wheat was aging in their warehouse. Their first... Continue Reading →
And now, we must get back to doing the good work society demands: drinking everything we see and telling the story, for you, dear readers. Today we go to Portland, Oregon and sample a few spirits from Rogue Brewery. These guys are first and foremost brewers of fine ales and other beers. They have made... Continue Reading →
We now move to Rogue’s Dead Guy Whiskey. This one is intriguing. It is made from the same grain recipe their Dead Guy Ale is made from (without the hops). Unlike the 3 month aging period their single malt enjoyed, Dead Guy Whiskey gets merely one month in the oak barrel. These aging periods would... Continue Reading →
Four Roses Distillery has the distinction of distilling ten different recipes it blends together for making its range of bourbons. There are five different strains of yeast applied to two mashbills: 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley; and 60% corn, 35% rye, 5% malted barley, for a total of 10 different recipes. Their “Single Barrel”... Continue Reading →
We now take a look at Noah’s Mill Bourbon Whiskey. Like Rowan’s Creek, Noah's Mill is also bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. In years past this spirit was near 15 years old, but KBD moved in recently to include bourbons of two to twenty years old to eliminate the stronger oak tannins of a fifteen... Continue Reading →
Rye is in, in case you don't already know. Some drink absolutely nothing else. Some insist on straight ryes or even gravitate towards bourbons with a large percentage of the flavoring grain being rye. Rye gives a spirit flavors that range from complex spices, sweet and grainy to dusty and dry (even a little fruit).... Continue Reading →
Good ole Jack Daniels. Perhaps the most recognizable whiskey brand in the world apart from Cutty Sark (just kidding), it also is the top selling American whiskey on Earth. Whether or not you enjoy the brand one cannot deny it is at least an interesting one. Jack Daniels is technically a Tennessee whiskey. From milling... Continue Reading →
We are in the midst of the American Craft Distilling boom. Small, independently owned craft distilleries are popping up all across America at an alarming rate and are making some very interesting whiskies. Perhaps one of the best qualities (along with some bad ones) inherent to this craft distilling boom is the tendency to make... Continue Reading →
The Woodinville Whiskey Company seems to have made quite a name for themselves. This Washington state distillery jumped onto the craft distilling scene with two solid offerings of a Bourbon and a 100% Rye. While they only distribute in Washington State, they seem quite poised for expanding their brand considerably. Our focus today is on... Continue Reading →
We start our look into Montana's Roughstock Distillery with their standard Whiskey bottling. You will see it today on the shelf as "Pure Malt" due to this whiskey being 100% Malted Barley. We are seeing this mash bill show up more and more in the American craft distilling world in distinction from the traditional mashbills... Continue Reading →
Spokane Whiskey Club 