Whisky Advocate Summer 2018

In Kentucky, they call it “bourbonism”—tourism born of a passion for bourbon—and it resulted in over one million visitors to the distilleries of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail last year. Of course, whisky-inspired travel isn’t limited to Kentucky. Other traditional whisky destinations like Scotland’s Speyside region are undergoing major makeovers to accommodate growing throngs of whisky-lovers. Macallan is prepared to open their highly anticipated new distillery to visitors this summer, and global spirits corporation Diageo just announced they are pouring $215 million into visitor experiences for their Scotch whiskies, including Johnnie Walker. Meanwhile, small craft distillers in the U.S. are opening their doors to welcome guests in big cities and small towns across the country. The opportunities to experience whisky where it’s made are more bountiful and varied than ever. To…

KINDLING A LOVE FOR WHISKY Dear Whisky Advocate, I have subscribed to Whisky Advocate electronically through my Kindle for a little over 3 years. Every quarter I anxiously await the newest edition because I really enjoy reading every page, looking at the advertisements, and determining what I’d like to add to my growing collection. Since my Kindle store has access to all the prior editions since I started my subscription, I can easily re-read those going back to when my subscription first began. What an eye-opener it has been to go back to the magazines you released from 2014 and early 2015 to re-read them… some of the articles have validated things I’ve learned in the intervening years while others have helped me to make sense of things I’ve seen…

This spring’s WhiskyFest events in Chicago and Washington, D.C. showcased the depth and breadth of the whisky world, offering whisky lovers the opportunity to taste hundreds of whiskies, rub shoulders with the leading distillers and blenders from Scotland, the U.S., and beyond, and create cherished memories. WhiskyFest Chicago—now in its 19th year—took over the downtown Hyatt Regency on Friday, March 23rd. Attendees sampled both classic and brand-new drams, from Johnnie Walker Blue Label to Michter’s 10 year old, and were among the very first to taste the not-yet-released Old Fitzgerald 11 year old Bottled in Bond bourbon from Heaven Hill, along with Hudson Cherrywood rye, a WhiskyFest exclusive. Numerous whiskies from Whisky Advocate’s 2017 Top 20 were on offer: Ardbeg An Oa, Little Book, Tyrconnell 16 year old, Macallan Double…

You can thank George Washington Vanderbilt III for putting Asheville, North Carolina on travelers’ radar. After the Manhattanite visited and fell for the Blue Ridge Mountains, with their dreamy splendor and curative climate, he built the Biltmore House between 1889 and 1895. At 178,926 square feet it was, and remains, the biggest privately owned house in the U.S. Where once it drew throngs of guests, now it draws tourists. Walk through the banquet rooms overlooking the mountain range, and it’s clear this setting was designed for socializing over drinks. But Asheville’s imbibing legacy extends far beyond posh parties. It’s said that NASCAR’s roots sprung from mountain bootleggers juicing up their cars to outrun the authorities. When it comes to drinking here, highbrow and grit happily coexist. Bars, distilleries, and breweries…

The travel, the trails, the tastings—each year whisky lovers make their annual pilgrimages to the distillery meccas of their choice. Scotland and Kentucky remain tops for popularity and convenience, travel-wise, while Canada…well, requires some effort. Here’s the rundown… 1 million+ people visit the rougly 400-mile KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL annually 750 or so people complete the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail each year Church or Scotch? 1.5 million visitors to Westminster Abbey in 2017 1.7 million annual tourists to SCOTCH WHISKY DISTILLERIES 1 in 13 tourists to IRELAND visits a distillery 3.8 million Square mileage of CANADA 146,000 Combined square mileage of Ireland, Scotland, Kentucky, and Tennessee “Canada isn’t nearly as concentrated as a Kentucky or Scotland,” says Jan Westcott, CEO of Spirits Canada. “Distilleries with visitor centers like Hiram Walker and…

Playing a successful stock trader on TV has its perks. For one, David Costabile, who plays Mike ‘Wags’ Wagner on Showtime’s Billions, is able to unfurl expletive-laden turns of phrase at knee-buckling speed. For another, he has access to an enviable array of whiskey. Billions follows Wall Street stock traders and the U.S. attorneys investigating them, and over the course of three seasons, both sides have reached for seriously badass bottles of whiskey. They toast over Johnnie Walker Blue Label, unwind with Kavalan, and celebrate with Michter’s 20 year old, as billionaires do. The Showtime drama returned in late March, but months prior the cast celebrated season three at Del Posto in New York by (how else?) drinking rare and expensive whiskey; a Michter’s tasting led by distiller Dan McKee,…