Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i American Whiskey Magazine

When it comes to excitement and ingenuity in the whiskey industry, last year really was the cream of the crop. From massive shake-ups in the personnel department, to new limited releases and steps forward in regulation, 2022 really did demonstrate a drive for progress. As 2023 is really hitting its stride, we’ve asked our editor for the top five things she will be keeping an eye on in whiskey during the year ahead. AMERICAN SINGLE MALT I really do bang the drum when it comes to keeping your eyes peeled on American single malt, but it truly excites me. I love the creativity being demonstrated here, but also the nod to tradition and doing things right. Last year we saw the final pushes to create official regulation in American single…

Typically, with tailgating, you’re surrounded by highly charged sports lovers eager to engage in pre-game festivities. It’s a classic American pastime rooted specifically within football fandom. However, every December, a type of tailgating takes place at the Denver-based Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Distillery that caters to whiskey enthusiasts from all over the country: the annual release of Snowflake. As Colorado’s first legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition, Stranahan’s has been a trendsetter within the world of American single malt whiskey since arriving on the scene in 2004. The grain-to-glass single malt comprises 100 per cent malted barley and Rocky Mountain water, aged in new American white oak barrels. Signature Stranahan’s expressions include Original, Blue Peak, Sherry Cask, Diamond Peak, Mountain Angel 10 Years Old, and the limited-edition yearly release, Snowflake. As with…

In 2021, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails were the fastest-growing spirits category in both revenue and volume, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the US (DISCUS). In a study published by DISCUS in September of 2022 the numbers were even more impressive: RTD revenue had risen 42.3 per cent to $1.6 billion by the end of 2021 and nearly two thirds of survey respondents report they are regular or occasional consumers of spirit-based RTDs. So, what is behind the popularity of these canned and bottled cocktails? “RTDs have been around for many decades,” says Andrew Rodbell, co-founder of Post Meridiem Spirit Company. “RTDs are popular now because we are living in a post-nine-to-five, instant-gratification world and start-up brands like Post Meridem have elevated the category with high-quality drinks. Consumers are on…

If Nick Laracuente’s calculations are correct, the first age statement from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky’s archives was around the time of Prohibition. The distillery’s archivist and exhibits designer does, however, give me that piece of information with a caveat: “We have about 400,000 items and we’ve only examined five per cent of it thus far!” Age-statement American whiskeys in recent years have been an intriguing factor of the category. Case in point: in 2022, Jack Daniel’s released its first age-statement whiskey (its 10-year-old) in over a century. Earlier in the year, I was lucky enough to do a very special Pappy Van Winkle tasting of its much-coveted 10, 12, 15, 20 and 23 year olds. But conversations around age statements and American whiskey are not simple ones. Before…

After a busy holiday season, the idea of getting cozy in the comfort of your own home with something you enjoy is too good to miss. If you’re diving into this magazine, we have an inkling that you’re a fan of all things whiskey, so look no further: Whisky Live at Home is coming 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 you’re waiting with bated breath for more news on the regulation of American single malt, then the inaugural tasting option could be just for you. The American single malt box celebrates tradition and…

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has announced that its sales exceeded $100 million through October 2022, as well as unveiling an on-track forecast to more than double that total by the end of 2023. The Uncle Nearest brand also recently expanded its 323-acre distillery and has already welcomed more than 100,000 guests, with that number increasing significantly every week. The company was founded by its CEO Fawn Weaver in 2017. She was then joined by chief business officer Katharine Jerkens and, shortly after, Victoria Eady Butler, the great-great-granddaughter of the company’s namesake Nearest Green and four-time Master Blender of the Year in the Icons of Whisky America. Last year, Uncle Nearest announced it had become the best-selling black American-founded, owned, and led spirit brand in US history. The company’s whiskey portfolio…

Sometimes in life we come across a piece of information that is far too intriguing to simply digest and move on from; towards the end of last year, Never Say Die Bourbon had that very effect on me. A Kentucky straight bourbon that was matured in the UK? One moment, can you explain that to me again? The question to ask in this scenario is, “Well, why not?” There is a good argument to say that I feel an affinity to this brand, as a UK resident that edits an American publication, but either way the question posed is still valid and something to consider when your future self is selecting which whiskey to try next. Firstly, it is worth noting that this bourbon is a love letter to an…

Experimentation is at the heart of development, often building on a solid foundation of consistent success. For Denver-based Laws Whiskey House, this has been introduced to the market in the form of solera vatting. The distillery’s Cognac Cask Finished Bourbon was launched in 2017 as one of the first projects in the brand’s Special Finish Series. Now the second annual release of this expression has hit our shelves, containing a blend of whiskeys aged between three and eight years in three types of wood casks. The limited release is available in key markets across the country, for a suggested retail price of $79.99. The Cognac Cask Finished Bourbon has been coined a living and evolving blend, but where does the experimentation come in? Folllowing several years of trials Laws has…

The 2022 Bourbon Women Association’s SIPosium conference in Louisville offered several workshops that were deep dives into the details of how the spirit is produced. Among these was a session about barrel entry proof led by Andrea Wilson, master of maturation and chief operating officer of Michter’s Distillery. She guided participants through a blind tasting to illustrate the way Michter’s chooses the barrel entry proof it uses. Wilson outlined Michter’s ‘Six Production Tenants’. The first is to air dry the white oak used for its barrels for a minimum of 18 months. This aids in breaking down compounds that would otherwise make the whiskey taste woody and bitter. The second is to toast the barrels before charring them which can bring out more flavor compounds, including vanillin, which imparts that…

Inductee 82 Steve Nally Bardstown Bourbon Company Our first new inductee into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame is Steve Nally, a figure who has been a constant in the American whiskey business for five decades. In 2022, Nally celebrated 50 years of industry experience and is one of the few remaining Bourbon Hall of Fame master distillers currently working in this capacity. Nally spent his formative years growing up in Loretto, which was where his whiskey career began with Maker’s Mark Distillery in 1972. During the more than 30 years that he spent there, Nally progressed through every unique facet of the Maker’s Mark operations before taking on the role of master distiller in 1988. In 2003, Nally retired from Maker’s Mark and took the next step to begin…

On the backroads of Northwestern Ohio a road cuts through the historic Staley Family Farm, home to the state’s only original vertical water-powered sawmill, its oldest original gristmill, and the Indian Creek Distillery. The sawmill and gristmill have been resting beside the creek for generations, out of commission and virtually untouched and unchanged by generations of Staley descendants who have continued to inhabit their forebearers’ land. The original 1820 distillery is little more than a pile of rubble between the gristmill and warehouse after having been decomissioned by Prohibition and later suffering the effects of a tornado and a fire. In 2012, after taking up residence in the family homestead’s main house, Staley descendant Missy Duer and her husband Joe decided to build a new distillery to bring back the…

One of the most controversial things in the American whiskey world is the notion that bourbon can be made outside of Kentucky. While there were several decades during the 20th century when bourbon was almost exclusively made in Kentucky, it has been made outside of the state for almost as long as it has been called bourbon. One such producer is the Holladay Distillery in Weston, Missouri – although its story does start in Kentucky, in Nicholas County, the birthplace of brothers Ben and David Holladay. “Our history dates back to 1856,” explains master distiller Kyle Merklein. “Ben Holladay and his brother, David, were from Kentucky and they knew the importance of limestone spring water. They had various businesses in Weston itself, and they bought this property, which was an…

Whiskey Acres, located on a beautiful piece of land measuring roughly 2,000 acres in Dekalb, Illinois, describes itself as a seed-to-spirit distillery. It was founded by father and son team Jim and Jamie Walter on their family farm in partnership with another local generational farmer, Nick Nagele. The Walter family has been farming this land since the 1860s. Jim Walter is an awarded master farmer, an accolade that is given to four farmers in the state of Illinois nominated by their peers. Jim had often felt that if he was achieving something superior with his corn, then he could create something exceptional by using it. In the meantime Jim’s son Jamie left the farm to attend law school, became an attorney, moved to California and entered the wine business with…

It’s that time of year again and we are back to announce the winners of the 2023 World Whiskies Awards from America, Icons of Whisky, and two new inductees to the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame. After yet another mind-blowing year of creation for the US whiskey scene, the standard of spirits entered into this year’s awards has gone up another notch. From craft distilleries to conglomerates, each has demonstrated a dedication to the creation of unique spirits from every state in the US. We are privileged to announce the World Whiskies Awards 2023 results, including the World’s Best, Best winners from the US, and category winners. The Icons of Whisky celebrate the people, places and products that have been wowing the industry this year, and our 2023 winners truly…