Whisky Advocate Spring 2019

The last time we devoted an issue to rye whiskey was in 2014. According to Impact Databank, that year U.S. whiskey drinkers consumed 545,000 cases of rye whiskey, a huge leap from 100,000 just four years prior. Now, four years later, rye whiskey has continued on its impressive trajectory: in 2018, rye whiskey lovers in the U.S. swallowed up nearly 1 million cases (985,000, to be precise). Fortunately for fans of bold and flavorful American rye whiskey, supply is catching up with the soaring demand. In The Great Rye Revival (page 56) American whiskey authority Charles K. Cowdery (who also covered rye for us in 2014) looks at the evolution of the rye renaissance and parses rye’s many styles. We examine the flavor nuances of traditional Kentucky rye versus the…

A CASE OF VANISHING WHISKY Dear Whisky Advocate, I recently subscribed to Whisky Advocate and read the vast majority of articles in each issue. I also rarely write any opinion on information provided. However, I feel compelled to address one item in particular. That being the suggestion that Royal Salute 28 may be a collectible whisky for the future. My comments are based on my own experience a few years ago. I kept a bottle of Royal Salute (a gift to me) for almost 43 years to open when I retired. It was never left out of the bag, nor box it came in. It was, therefore, never opened. Upon my retirement in 2016, I went to open my Royal Salute and celebrate. To my surprise the bottle was totally…

Blake Borah estimates he had about 50 bottles of whisky in his Harlem studio apartment before adding three more when the 36 year old was selected as the winner of Whisky Advocate’s 2018 Top 20 sweepstakes. For Borah—who is the beverage director at New York City restaurant Barn Joo—a love of whiskey started in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky when he got a job bartending at The Oakroom in the Seelbach Hotel. “They had a very nicely curated bourbon and whiskey selection. This is when I was first starting out, and I was just doing bartending, so I had to learn as much as I could [about whiskey],” Borah says. “So I started going to all of the distilleries, and I didn’t realize the history and how much goes into…

The floor was buzzing and the whisky was flowing at WhiskyFest New York, which took place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on December 4, 2018. Thousands of attendees—newcomers and returning fans alike—sampled from over 475 different whiskies, poured by master distillers, blenders, and other experts. Each WhiskyFest delivers new experiences, and this year was no different. The Bowmore booth debuted an oyster luge where guests could sip scotch from an oyster shell, while Blackened American whiskey offered the chance to taste the effect of Metallica’s music on barrel maturation. Attendees sampled whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, India, France, and all across the U.S.: Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Texas, California, Colorado, Illinois, and, of course, New York. Many of Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 of 2018—the most exciting whiskies…

The Volunteer State was once home to hundreds of distilleries, but since Prohibition, Tennessee whiskey has been dominated by just two names: Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel. That’s changing fast. The epicenter of the action is Nashville, which for years has been emerging as one of the nation’s hottest tourism cities. More than ever Nashville lives up to its moniker of Music City, expanding beyond country music to include live performances in all genres, while its red-hot culinary scene is equally diverse, from Southern classics to award-winning gourmet chefs. There are several suddenly trendy neighborhoods, new museums, non-musical entertainment, and boutique hotels seemingly opening monthly. Adult beverages have been diversifying as well, with the opportunity to tour and taste your way through whiskey, beer, sake, and cider, all in one…

Before rye whiskey was a drink worth savoring, the grain itself may have complicated matters during the colonial witch hunts of the 1600s. That’s because rye, a popular grain at the time due to its hardiness, was susceptible to the fungus ergot, which can cause paranoia, hallucinations, and muscle spasms if consumed—telltale symptoms associated with the dark arts. With the fondness for complex, interesting whiskeys made from rye continuing to climb (over 16% in 2017) rye is casting its spell on America once again. By Any Other Name These are among dozens of types of rye cereal grain grown in the U.S. Rye grass is a completely different plant. Merced Aroostook ND Dylan RYMIN Spooner Wheeler Hazlet Brasetto Hancock Tough Stuff Rye can grow to a height of 5 feet…