Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i American Whiskey Magazine

In my opinion, it would be fair to say that sustainability is not something that sits at the forefront of everyone on this planet’s minds. It seems like an obvious statement to make but it is easy to forget when getting swept up in the emotion that this topic tends to provoke. As much as I believe it should be an important consideration in day-to-day life, I’m not ignorant to the fact that there are many that simply don’t have the privilege of focusing their energy on this global topic right now. However, something that I think unites us all, and that is working in a similar ball park, is our concern with the future in general. For distilleries, thinking about the future is key to thriving in the spirits…

On average, crafting one 750-milliliter bottle of liquor results in roughly 6.5 pounds of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, equivalent to burning a third of a gallon of gasoline (as reported by the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable). I won’t deny that the beverage consumption of my youth did contribute to the poisoning of our big blue marble. And yes, in whiskey’s early days pollution was so rampant that the US government had to step in to fix it. But in the here and now, most major whiskey producers and distributors are working on stemming the tide of destructiveness and giving the next generation of whiskey lovers a brighter future. Take Brown-Forman; it has invested in the East Fork Wind Project with the goal of offsetting 90 per cent…

Welcome to the AmericanWhiskey Magazine tasting pages. We guide you through a 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 information 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 Susan Reigler is the author of several Bourbon books, including Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide, and is a former restaurant critic and beverage columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal. She…

It’s that time of the year where you start to think about the prospect of being at home on the couch, in the warm, with a pumpkin-spiced candle flickering next to you. Only one thing is missing and Whisky Live is here to come to the rescue. The team behind the Whisky Live events in the US, Bevridge, is ready with its Whisky Live At Home tasting packs. If you’re a big fan of the Whisky Live events, then this will undoubtedly be up your street. If, like many, you’ve taken an interest in the recent steps forward in the regulation of American single malt, then the inaugural tasting option could be just for you. The American single malt box celebrates tradition and pursues innovation, with whiskeys celebrating different approaches…

In June, Jackie Zykan announced her departure from Old Forester. By July, she announced her partnership with Neeley Family Distillery founder Royce Neeley, 5280 Whiskey Society founder Nate Winegar, and 5280 founding member Matt Danker on a new brand: Hidden Barn. The name is meant to evoke the black barns that dot the countryside in Kentucky, but also hint that there’s more to the story. Legend has it that moonshiners would paint their barns black to obsucre the whiskey fungus baudoinia, and in solidarity neighbors would also paint their barns black so no one could easily tell which barn contained the whiskey-making operation. The first release is a seven-barrel batch made at Neeley Family Distillery (DSPKY-20039) in Sparta, Kentucky, blended by Zykan, with a mash bill of 70 per cent…

Celebrating 50 years of work in one industry is no mean feat, and not something that many people are able to say they have achieved in their lifetime. There are an abundance of varying factors that come into play to realize this sort of timeline, but for Steve Nally, Bardstown Bourbon Company’s master distiller, it’s a pure love of what he does that has kept him in the whiskey-making business for five decades. After he hit the aforementioned career milestone earlier this year, the opportunity to sit and reflect on the past 50 years of whiskey with the legendary Nally was too good to miss. For Nally, the journey began due to case of chance. He explains, “It was kind of a journey that you might say was coincidental, you…

When it comes to sustainable practices in whiskey-making, we have seen distilleries install solar arrays, use solar-powered vehicles, reduce waste by using washable glasses for tastings, and even redistil dumped spirits. But one of the greatest frontiers in sustainability comes from the practice of genetic diversity in crops. Long before monocrop agriculture determined that yellow dent #2 corn was preferred for its uniformity, farmers had a lot more choices available to them. By some estimates there are tens of thousands of varietals of corn in existence, and in recent years we’ve seen distillers like Jeptha Creed, Ironroot Republic, Snitching Lady, Widow Jane, Castle & Key, Balcones, J. Henry & Sons, and many more experimenting with the different flavors. More recently we have seen distillers experiment with varietals of small grains.…

When Copper & Kings first opened its doors in 2014, it was billed as “brandy for Bourbon lovers.” Founder Joe Heron wanted something a little different in Bourbon country and felt brandy was about to have a moment. Brandy’s popularity has continued to soar since then, but many of the tourists who came through still wanted more of a Bourbon experience. Copper & Kings was bought by Constellation Brands in 2020, giving master distiller Brandon O’Daniel access to the parent company’s spirit portfolio. He worked with High West to source several barrels of Bourbon, which were blended and re-barreled for consistency. Then two barrels were re-barreled, one into a grape brandy barrel and the other into an apple brandy barrel. This first release features Bourbon that is a minimum of…

The Oxford University Press (OUP), founded in 1586, is renowned for its authoritative reference books, including the most comprehensive dictionary in any language and the massive 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary. Among its comprehensive culinary volumes are The Oxford Companion to Food and The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. In 1994, the OUP entered the alcohol realm with the publication of Jancis Robinson’s Oxford Companion to Wine (now it in its fourth edition). It was joined by The Oxford Companion to Beer in 2012. Now thanks to recent publication, a trilogy exists with The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails. Cocktail historian David Wondrich acted as editor-in-chief with Noah Rothbaum as associate editor. They assembled an international team of more than 150 spirits writers to contribute the 1,200 or…

This issue we’re back with some rich and complex pairings, creating the perfect selection as we move into the fall months. From creamy fruity cheeses, to punchy spiced rye, there is something to suit everyone. Notepads at the ready… Cheese: Wensleydale with lemon and honey Origin: UK Milk Type: Cow Age: Three weeks Characteristics: Creamy with a light acidity, brightened by lemon and honey. Whiskey: I Bourbon Pairing Notes: I Bourbon’s aspects of vanilla, peach and citrus notes seem to have been created especially to play with our creamy friend. Their textures meld together beautifully, coating the mouth with the flavor and feel of mixing lemon curd into a hot toddy that was made using peach tea. Cheese: Leyden Origin: Netherlands MIlk Type: Cow Age: Two months minimum Characteristics: Rich…