Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i American Whiskey Magazine

So it has happened again, a big name gets involved in whiskey. Actually, this time it is possibly one of the biggest names in rock throughout the decades, Metallica. In this case they have collaborated with one of the more prolific and high-profile whiskey makers in the form of Dave Pickerell. Before joining the WhistlePig team, he spent 14 years as the master distiller for Maker’s Mark in Loretto, Kentucky. He also owns a consulting business, Oak View Spirits, where he has designed equipment, systems and processes for about 100 distilleries worldwide including Hillrock, Corsair, and many others, so let’s just say he has form for creating great whiskeys. This celebrity bubble seems to be growing with more famous faces jumping on the Bourbon and whiskey bandwagon. There is news…

A little over three years ago I stood in a literal pile of rubble with Marianne Eaves as she told me of plans to open the former Old Taylor Distilling Company by Derby Day 2016. Now, after more than four years of work to the site, the ‘Woodford County Castle’ has transformed into Castle & Key and has finally opened to the public. Watching this Bourbon phoenix rise from the ashes has been inspiring. The love that people like Will Arvin, Wes Murry, Marianne Eaves, and the whole Castle & Key team have for the heritage of Kentucky Bourbon really shines through in this place. After more than 40 years left to ruin, Colonel E.H. Taylor’s once grand showplace has rejoined the living in a way that connects the past…

HUDSON BAR & BOOKS 636 HUDSON ST. NEW YORK, NY 10014 WWW.BARANDBOOKS.CZ/HUDSON If you are looking for a cigar bar that is big on character, this is the spot. Dusty, leather-bound books adorn the far wall reserved section full of banquettes and large tables. Smaller tables line the wall opposite the grand bar of this narrow space, and window seats flank either side of the front door. There is sidewalk seating for good weather, giving this tiny cigar bar an astounding seating capacity. The menu includes sections for food, wines, rums, brandies, armagnacs, and more. The whisk(e)y menu is broken up by regions and includes offerings from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, World, and Americas. The Americas list is further divided by Bourbons, ryes, Tennessee whiskeys, and Canadian whiskeys, and flights are…

Of all the fraternities, associations, clubs and professions sharing kindred spirits, those into the joys of flying aeroplanes, motorcyclists, distillers too, certainly get the most enjoyment out of life. Did I mention lawyers? Despite Shakespeare’s jaundiced eye on the ancient profession, I’m gleefully clinking Glencairns with Heath Clark Esq., the intrepid attorney who shot down Tennessee’s prohibitive liquor laws. H. Clark Distillery, Thomson’s Station, lies 30 miles south of Nashville, discussing Heath’s penchant for making a rather seductive Tennessee Black and Tan whiskey, prohibitive liquor laws, political back biting, skullduggery, and his finally convincing Tennessee legislators to legalize new distilleries. You need to shut up and go do it! “Those nine words changed my life” Heath grins, pouring a dark whiskey of his own making “I grew up on a…

BALCONES DISTILLERY (BC) WACO, TEXAS www.balconesdistilling.com It’s no secret to brewers and chefs alike: ingredients matter. From blue corn grown in New Mexico to the first Texas-grown malted barley, Balcones aims to get the most out raw materials. They hold the belief that whisky should be made in whisky stills, and that is why they have tapped the brilliant minds of Forsyths of Scotland to build magnificent copper pot stills. They’re not just for show; pot stills allow the more sumptuous components of the distilled liquid to be captured in the new make spirit. Always working in batches, whiskies are distilled slow and low, giving plenty of precise control over the flavor and aroma profile of the spirit. The new make is full of intense flavors, sweet and very rich.…

Welcome to the American Whiskey Magazine tasting pages. We guide you through the plethora of whiskeys so you are equipped to make your next purchase, whether something new or an old favorite. Whiskeys are tasted blind, with only proof and style given to the experts. In this edition, Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler give their palates a workout. Peggy Noe Stevens Peggy Noe Stevens became the world's first female master Bourbon taster and can trace her lineage back to some of the great Bourbon making families in Kentucky. In 2011, she created the Bourbon Women Association. Susan Reigler Author of several Bourbon books including Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide and former restaurant critic and beverage columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal. She is the immediate past president of…

Friends, Bourbonians, drinkers, lend me your eyes. I come to bury Heaven Hill Six Years Old Bottled-in-Bond, not to praise it. The evil that branding decisions do lives after them; the good is oft laid aside with the labels. Like Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, I would eulogize a lost friend that was reluctantly murdered by well-meaning compatriots for reasons that sound like they’re for the good of the drinking republic. Like Mark Antony, I will also do the opposite of what I proposed. The Heaven Hill six richly deserves praise, and there is nothing good for drinkers about this branding decision. I discovered The Six on the bottom shelf at Toddy’s Liquors in Bardstown, a little hole in the wall place that is, I think, the only liquor…

American distillers owe a huge debt of gratitude to Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, but not just for his pioneering use of copper fermentation tanks, perfection of sour mash fermentation or helping push the Bottled-In-Bond Act through Congress in 1897. Taylor deserves adoration for envisioning whiskey tourism more than a century before most drinkers dared dip a finger into a fermenter. His creation of Old Taylor Distillery in 1887 brought grandeur to a historically gritty industry. His distillery was fronted by a magnificent limestone castle of medieval design, featuring towers at all four corners. Behind the distillery he built a key-shaped peristyle supported by Roman columns that surrounded the campus’s aquifer. On the distillery’s opposite side, he built a sunken garden that would stir envy among royalty. His death in 1923…

DAVIDOFF OF GENEVA 515 MADISON AVE. NEW YORK, NY 10022 US.DAVIDOFFGENEVA.COM If the prospect of shopping on Madison Avenue in Manhattan all day seems tiring to you, Davidoff of Geneva is there to offer you respite. There’s no food or beverage service here, but if you are in the market for any sort of high end humidors or other smoking accessories this is the place to find them. There’s a full walk-in humidor with not only a massive selection of Davidoff cigars, but also selections from My Father, Arturo Fuente, La Flor Dominicana, and many others. Zino Davidoff is said to have created the first ever walk-in humidor in his Geneva boutique, founded in 1911. The shop offers a full selection of pipes and pipe tobacco. If you need to…

Kentucky is the home of American whiskey, right? You might be surprised to learn that wasn’t always true. To a degree, it may be less true in the future. Sure, the Bluegrass State’s classic brands have been around for a very long time and aren’t going anywhere. But these days, if you’re adventurous, the label you choose may say Washington State, Texas, or even my home state, New York. Small scale whiskey production is decentralizing. A parallel trend is redefining chocolate making, too. Craft distillers and chocolate makers are springing up in every corner of America, as entrepreneurial spirit chases our unquenchable quest for flavor. And when it comes to exciting taste experiences, whiskey and chocolate make a sensational duo. I’ll share my suggestions for a few pairings later in…

Sitting across a table from me, at Westland Distillery, the corners of Matt Hoffman’s lips curve into a restrained smile. “Does all barley taste the same?” he prods. Back in 1894, when the University of Washington was breaking ground in Seattle, Adell M. Parker, president of the alumni association, spoke with zeal:“That the West should un-falteringly follow the East in fashions and ideals would be as false and fatal as that America should obey the standards of Europe. Let the West, daring and unprejudiced, discover its own ideals and follow them. The American standard in literature and philosophy has long been fixed by the remote East. Something wild and free, something robust and full will come out of the West and be recognized in the final American type. Under the…

Grains are the recipe and yeast may be the soul, but all the magic of Bourbon happens in the barrel. I rave about big barrel notes in a Bourbon. The bold, earthy and oaky flavors are anything but shy and undoubtedly my preference. I will always applaud other flavor enhancers from the production process, but barrels receive an ovation. Admittedly, the appreciation for barrel notes was guided by personal selfish tastes until I dug in to the complexity of the barrel many years ago unleashing the delicious and somewhat hidden speak regarding the depth of flavors that white oak brings to Bourbon. Informed and armed, I dare to pair our texturally rich and provocatively plush amber elixir as the barrel notes become the rave. THE CRAFT OF THE BARREL IS…

Sam’s is the story of whisky enthusiast turns geeky blogger into whisky ambassador and now whisky (and rum and brandy) blender. Insert your own rude word here…(ED). “Dr. Whisky” is a committed whiskevangelist, a Keeper of the Quaich, a judge in several spirits competitions and a Canadian (sorry). He has worked with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Whisky Exchange, was The Balvenie global ambassador 2010-2018 and was recently made head of whisky at Atom Brands. He also plays in the whisky band, Barley, Stills, Mash & Tun, with our Editor, Rob Allanson. WHISKY #1 Johnnie Walker 12 Black Label The brand whose name means “Scotch whisky” in every language is a must. This iconic blend is the whisky story that weaves through the tapestry of Scotch whisky’s history. Those…

Getting a good and even burn is integral to the enjoyment of a fine cigar, and this starts with a proper light. There are many different lighting methods from which to choose, all of which have to do with personal preference. The only lighting implements to avoid for sure are candles and lighters that use liquid lighter fluid, such as Zippos, because they can impart unwanted flavors to your cigar. The most common lighting implement you will see in a cigar lounge is a butane torch, but wooden matches, cedar spills, and even cool flame butane lighters will all work to give you a clean and even burn. Your surroundings matter when lighting a cigar. Using wooden cigar matches (don’t use the strike anywhere matches, only wooden matches made specifically…

The worldwide increased interest in Bourbon and the changes in legislation in the USA have seen a tremendous growth of so-called craft distilleries, now totaling more than 800 spread across the 50 states. They either produce themselves or order ‘Bourbon on spec’ from long established distillers who can afford to dedicate part of their capacities for these new players on the American whiskey field. Another clear indicator for Bourbon’s growth is the expansion at the Old Boys in the industry. The Whisky Couple took stock at Four Roses last year, when the distillery was under construction, and interviewed master distiller Brent Elliot, who followed in the foot steps of living legend Jim Rutledge in 2015, when the latter retired after 45 years in and around the business. We arrive at…