Innholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2019 i Whisky Advocate

Unlike wine, there’s no practical reason to decant whisky or other spirits. It’s a purely aesthetic choice—an easy way to dress up that boring budget bottle on your bar. Whether your taste leans traditional or modern, we favor glass, which allows the whisky’s hue to shine through. Decanters are also de rigeur among whisky lovers who dabble in the art of home blending. What better way to show off a house blend that's clearly a winner?…

The potent herbaceousness of Chartreuse is every bit as lively as the spirit’s vivid color portends. “Chartreuse is probably the quintessential French alpine herbal liqueur,” says Joaquín Simó, co-founder of New York’s Pouring Ribbons. With a whopping 130 ingredients, Chartreuse offers unparalleled depth of flavor. “The near-infinite complexity of Chartreuse is what lends itself so well to mixability,” Simó says. “We always joke that it’s like cheating to add Chartreuse to a cocktail, because it’s very difficult to add Chartreuse to something and say, ‘Well this is definitively not better.’” Chartreuse is available in both green and yellow versions. “Yellow is going to be a little softer, it’s bottled at 80 proof,” Simó says, noting the green clocks in at 110 proof. That said, they are interchangeable in drinks like…

In one sense, cognac is the wine world’s whisky equivalent: an exquisite spirit, distilled from grapes rather than grain, aged in oak to create nuanced flavors worthy of intense contemplation. In another, the categories are at odds. Even as the whisky realm expanded with a breadth of variables, cognac remained constricted by tradition and French regulations into a narrow band of possibilities. Until lately, that is. Taking cues from whisky’s success, cognac is exploring innovation. Once staid and self-satisfied, makers are rethinking maturation techniques, age statements, and blending (or lack thereof) in ways that are shaking up the niche—and in some cases even exceeding the bounds of what this brandy exemplar can be. Cognac is a subset of grape brandy, a distilled wine. Its exclusive birthplace, a growing region of…

We are all susceptible to the allure of a limited-time offer. When it comes to collecting whisky, there are no hard rules around what constitutes a limited edition. Beyond the physical constraints of the volume of liquid available, the limits of the limited release are ultimately determined by the eagerness of purchasers. Limited-edition whiskies often display parallels with other examples of artistic expression, which can help you recognize their worth. Some characteristically fail to show the size of the release to confound the purchaser. If your motivation is profit based on scarcity, you might experience a pang of buyer’s remorse when you later find there are 50,000 bottles, or you spot the bottles lingering on store shelves. These limited editions can become slightly outdated, like the coins and cutlery of…

Consider, if you will, the Boilermaker. Back in the day, a Boilermaker was a fairly well-defined if seldom recommendable drink. It consisted of a shot of (usually not very good) bourbon dropped into a glass of (usually not very good) lager, traditionally including the shot glass in the equation. As befits a crude version of a beer cocktail, it took two beverages of average or worse quality and utterly transformed them into something quite different, although whether for the better or worse was a matter of personal preference. Today, a Boilermaker has been reimagined to the point that it is often served as a shot and a beer rather than a shot in a beer, and frequently features curated, complementary combinations of lager or ale with spirit. This, I would…

The Old-Fashioned is the original cocktail—the one that started it all! As the mixture of whiskey, bitters, sugar, and ice spawned ever more elaborate progeny, it became known as simply “an Old-Fashioned cocktail.” Celebrate this easy-to-mix drink by allowing guests to choose their own adventure—selecting from a variety of sweeteners, bitters, and whiskeys. Guests will enjoy mixing and discovering countless variations of this whiskey-forward cocktail, as well as sampling each other’s renditions. LET’S DO THIS You’ll need to create four ingredient stations that guide guests along on their cocktail adventure. Try to offer at least two choices for each element of the drink. The more options, the greater the number of potential variations! Also supply jiggers, spoons, and eyedroppers for measuring. 1 “Select a Sweetener” Sugar cubes are traditional; offer…

We all welcome that rare guest who’s able to happily mingle with others. Likewise, a whisky mixer with personality really enlivens an evening compared to yet another dull soda or ho-hum ginger ale. These sodas and cocktail ingredients are so tasty and original they might end up being the life of your whisky party. Bittermilk Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned $20/250 ml • bittermilk.com TASTES LIKE Gingersnaps and root beer-like earthiness; gentian root and cinchona bark lend bitterness, balancing golden cane sugar, orange peel, and spices. MIX THIS An elevated Old-Fashioned, using high-proof rye or bourbon such as Wild Turkey 101. Fentimans Dandelion & Burdock $6.50/750 ml • fentimans.com TASTES LIKE A medicinal yet balanced blend of fermented ginger root extract, beet sugar, pear juice concentrate, and other herbal infusions.…

The road to formal recognition for scotch regions was a long one. In 1909, the UK government published the Report of the Royal Commission on Whisky and Other Potable Spirits, a comprehensive survey of Scottish and Irish distilleries that specified distinct whisky regions in Scotland, including the Highlands, Lowlands, Islay, Campbeltown, and Speyside. A century later, the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SWR) formalized three regions—Highlands, Lowlands, and Speyside—and two localities—Campbeltown and Islay—to boost scotch’s European Union geographical indication (GI) and better protect its identity worldwide. The SWR does not, however, make any claims about regional flavor or style. “That would be impossible to do and that is not what it is designed to do, and neither are the regional descriptions in the regulations there to characterize Scotch whisky in different…

YAMANASHI PREFECTURE, JAPAN Few whisky destinations are as peaceful as Beam Suntory’s Hakushu Distillery, also referred to as Mountain Forest Distillery. It’s nestled in a forest, high on the slopes of Mt. Kaikomagatake in Japan’s Southern Alps, and the entire property is a bird sanctuary where visitors might spot a Narcissus Flycatcher or Siberian Blue Robin while strolling one of the paths. According to Beam Suntory, all of Hakushu’s whiskies benefit from the exceptionally soft water that filters through layers of granite and into a subterranean source, as well as the seasonal shifts between cold snowy winters and warm summers. The distillery also practices tsukuriwake—diversity in the making—by using various malts peated to different levels, wooden wash-backs, sixteen stills of seven different types, and a range of casks to create…

ROSS-SHIRE, SCOTLAND Of all the tall stills in Scotland, none top those at Glenmorangie Distillery. The necks stretch up 16.9 feet, creating the huge amount of copper contact that contributes to Glenmorangie’s fragrant floral and fruity personality. Glenmorangie is adding another pair of matching stills as part of an expansion to be completed this year. That will bump its capacity up to seven million liters a year, giving it room to experiment with high-roast chocolate malts, barley types, and other variables while still meeting demand for current expressions. TASTE IT Glenmorangie Original 10 year old 43% • $40…

One day last fall I was minding my own business, reading the New York Times, when I was assaulted by a headline and borne back ceaselessly into the past. The headline was “Couldn’t Get Into Annabel’s? At Least You Can Own a Piece of It.” I ignored the fact that “into” shouldn’t have been capitalized—the past that would have borne me back into was Sister Mary Grace Patricia’s class in prepositions during the second Eisenhower administration and I certainly didn’t want to go back there—but I was stopped by the mention of not being able to get into a saloon. Granted, this was a particularly tony saloon in London, chock full of the royally celebrated, deservedly so or not, or royal or not, but it got my attention. One of…

MAD ABOUT SCIENCE Dear Whisky Advocate, I got my Summer issue yesterday and got a laugh at how diverse your readership is. In the letters to the editor, a gentleman asked for fewer tech articles and more travel related. I’m the exact opposite. I love seeing the science and craft that goes into the process. It’s a very well balanced offering. I have been playing around with aging in micro-barrels and really watching the maturation process. Yes, this is very low-brow juice, but it has gotten good reviews from some and “this is way too oaked” from others. I hollowed and charred a white oak stump (pictured). It currently resides on the upper level of my rickhouse (garden shed). So, I enjoy the techy “what if” aspect of the whisky…

Falling leaves and temperatures mean it’s time to pull out the sweaters, start the bonfires, and drink apple cider or lattes with added cinnamon and pumpkin spice. But why not pair those flavors with your favorite warming spirit? Mixing spices into cocktails enhances whiskey’s inherent baking-spice notes, like cinnamon, clove, and vanilla, and the right balance of ingredients keeps these drinks from becoming sweeter than pie. The Autumn Bond Created by Jordan Valls, lead bartender at The Multnomah Whisk{e}y Library, Portland, Ore. This cocktail is a bit like a drinkable apple pie. “Using two bonded products gives a backbone to keep the drink from being too sweet, while the amaro’s super savory aspect adds the perfect mid-palate flavor,” Valls says. 1 oz. Rittenhouse straight rye bottled in bond (or other…

The pinnacle of being a great host includes enjoying yourself as a guest, according to Aarón Sánchez, a judge on FOX’s MasterChef and chef and owner of Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans. “A great host visits with everybody,” says Sánchez. “Spend time with the people you’ve invited.” At a dinner party in New York City’s Lower East Side, Sánchez spends as much time outside the kitchen as possible, frequently emerging to share photos and stories of his French bulldog, Moose. We spoke with the celebrity chef about the art of effortless entertaining, from building a guest list to cooking with whisky. “We live in New Orleans,” the MasterChef judge says, “so we’re kind of professionals at throwing parties.” Mix It Up Invite friends from different circles, adding new faces to…

After Prohibition ended in 1933, and the distilled spirits industry in the U.S. began to reconstitute itself, four companies emerged that would dominate it for the next several decades. They were Schenley, National, Seagram, and Hiram Walker. Back then, the four biggest distilled spirits companies were also the four biggest whiskey companies. Whiskey was the most popular type of distilled spirit in the U.S. and most of it was North American-made. Much has changed in the intervening 86 years. Today, the market is more diversified and so are its big players. The largest companies are not necessarily the largest whiskey companies, especially when it comes to bourbon and rye. Diageo, the world’s largest distilled spirits company, is light on American whiskey (as in North American) except for Crown Royal and…

Only whiskies that are 90 points and above in the Whisky Advocate Buying Guide are considered by our reviewers to be truly “exceptional.” No whisky has ever scored 100 points, but that doesn’t stop distillers from trying. Celebrate their efforts with a thoroughly upscale bar that doesn’t need to break the bank. You can choose to focus on one style, like single malt scotch, or create a bar that gathers the best from across the whisky world. Just be sure to splash this bar out with displays that let guests know they’re in for a very special evening. LET’S DO THIS Use the Whisky Advocate Buying Guide found in every issue (also available at whiskyadvocate.com) to identify a variety of whiskies that score 90 points and above. The online search…

The “Speyside style” of scotch can be traced in large part to one distillery: Glenlivet. Founded by George Smith in 1824 in Drumin, the distillery rose to prominence first on the basis of its single malt and later as the main malt in the Old Vatted Glenlivet blend. “Glenlivet” was used not only by Smith but by many distilleries in the area now known as Speyside (and sometimes further afield) to describe their whisky’s origins and—by extension, thanks to the popularity of Smith’s Glenlivet—quality. Smith’s son won the trademark to “The Glenlivet” in 1884, but rival distillers were allowed to add “Glenlivet” after their name on the label (e.g. Glen Moray-Glenlivet), a practice that persisted for well over a century. The name “Glenlivet” became recognizable shorthand for a certain style…

Distillers of whisky are known to proudly show off their water source, share the provenance of their grain, and occasionally even malt it on-site, all in the quest to create something that speaks of their place. But to truly understand the local nature of Chambers Bay Distillery’s straight bourbon, you must look much more closely. In fact, a microscope would come in handy. About five years ago, Jeff Robinette, distiller and cofounder of Chambers Bay, placed some agar plates—Petri dishes with a growth medium—under Macintosh apple trees in a nearby orchard. From the collected microbiological thicket, Robinette—with extensive experience in biochemistry from his long career as an embryologist—eventually isolated yeast. When he began distilling in 2014, he was using commercial yeast, but once he propagated yeast isolated from the orchard…

IRISH 96 Bushmills 21 year old Single Malt 40%, $249 forest honey, banana bread, nuts, browned butter, sultana, date, and blackberry 96 Redbreast 12 year old Single Pot Still 40%, $60 honey, toffee, toasted marshmallow, maple syrup, banana bread, and toasted coconut 94 Powers John’s Lane 12 year old Single Pot Still 46%, $70 fruit, chocolate, marmalade on buttered toast, and barley sugar meet a finish of spice 90 Bushmills 10 year old Single Malt 40%, $45 honey, vanilla, peach, darker fruits, milk chocolate, Fruit Pastilles, and a little oak 87 Tullamore D.E.W. 14 year old Single Malt 41.3%, $70 sweet, syrupy, and spicy; a fruity cocktail of apple and strawberry BOURBON 89 Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon 43.2%, $35 nutmeg, mango, baked apples, cinnamon, blueberry pie, vanilla 87 Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Oat…

TUCSON, ARIZONA Hamilton Distillers set out to produce whiskey with mesquite-smoked malt, but that’s no easy task in the Sonoran Desert, where summer temperatures can reach 118 degrees and humidity dips below 5 percent. Incoming water must be cooled before mashing, fermenters require glycol jackets, and managing the malting process amounts to a tug-of-war between chilly mornings and searing afternoons. Throughout the day, weather can be erratic, as winter rains and monsoon storms in summer play havoc with the humidity. “On any given day, in any given season, we can see up to a 50-degree swing from low to high and back,” says head distiller Nathan Thompson Avelino. They use slightly thicker than standard barrel staves to help curtail evaporation, but the angels still take as much as 27 percent…

Few things capture the imagination like whisky from a lost distillery, so Diageo’s 2017 announcement that it will resurrect Brora and Port Ellen generated significant excitement. Both closed in 1983, and both have cult followings for their collectible single malt expressions and blends such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare. The 2017 edition included Brora as a component of the blend and retailed for $400 (Whisky Advocate Rating 91); a Port Ellen version was released in 2018 at $350 a bottle. Diageo is now investing about $42 million to resurrect the distilleries, which will have a combined annual output of 800,000 liters. The spirit of each will retain its character as much as possible, Diageo says—the maritime smokiness of Islay in the case of Port Ellen and a…

Charmed by Charleston 48 HOURS Chucktown Craft Discover a bounty of breweries and distilleries With its endless cobblestone streets, finely manicured gardens, bright-colored antebellum houses, and historic churches, food and beverage have a lot of competition for the attention of visitors to Charleston, S.C. Fortunately, the city’s chefs and bartenders are up to the challenge, combining local ingredients and history into mouthwatering dishes and drinks. “Charles-ton’s vibrant food and beverage scene is root-ed in its rich agricultural diversity. Visitors can explore flavors they may not encounter anywhere else in the world, and that is true not just for its many amazing restaurants, but its whiskey makers too,” says Scott Blackwell, High Wire Distilling Co.’s co-owner and dis-tiller. With every destination either walkable or a short ride, it’s easy to indulge…

GREEN BANANA Powers John’s Lane 12 year old Waxy green banana flavor is often accompanied by apple and pineapple. RIPE BANANA Nikka Coffey Grain Pure, ripe banana can venture toward sweet banana candies, taffy, and syrups. BANANA BREAD Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection High Angel’s Share Barrels Baking spice and bready notes meet overripe banana. Tasting Lesson is a drink hack to help you better identify common whisky flavors and their origins Banana is an easily identifiable flavor in many whiskies, especially Japanese, Irish, and bourbon. As one of the most popular fruits in the country, the flavor of banana is instantaneously familiar. To find its origin, however, we must probe a little into the science of fermentation. Basically, the stuff they didn’t teach you in sundae school. Classic overripe…

The Smaller the Ice, the Colder the Whisky The verdict is in—the smaller ice made our whisky freezing cold—actually even colder (23ºF)! That’s because the heat transfer, or the cooling process of the whisky, is proportional to the surface area of the ice. The same volume of small cheater ice or crushed ice has much greater surface area than a single cube, therefore enhancing the cooling of the whisky. Whisky Stones Never Get as Cold as Ice Those trendy little soapstones can't match ice’s cooling powers thanks to a little thermodynamic material property called heat capacity. Heat capacity, or specific heat, refers to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a substance one degree. Stones have a lower heat capacity than ice, meaning it is way easier…

Early one morning, Archibald McCrimmon rose to prepare for his last day at work, beginning the daily discipline of chin-ups and push-ups that kept him in shape. Despite being nearly 70, upper-body strength was important in his profession, and he took pride in his taut, lean frame. His retirement marked a sad day for the Scotch whisky industry, because with the setting down of McCrimmon’s tools, the skills of this unsung hero would disappear forever into a bygone age. Scotch whisky’s reputation is a precarious thing, and the quality of the spirit produced during distillation is critically dependent on the internal architecture of the copper pot still, right down to the last dent. Every 30 or 40 years when a new still was ordered, the distillery manager would write to…

5 whisky parties to impress your guests Much more than a cluster of random bottles, a great home bar is the ultimate expression of your passion. These whisky-themed entertaining bars put craftsmanship, origin, flavor, and quality on display in ways that will leave even non-whisky drinkers star-struck. Share your love of whisky by replicating one or more of these theme bars, and create memories that will live on long after the last glass has been emptied.…

Scotch whisky is highly regarded for its diversity of flavors and complex taste. In fact, it can be hard for newcomers to know where to begin, especially when it comes to divisive qualities like smoke. While any attempt at categorizing whiskies is subjective, this simple flavor finder will help guests discover which styles they enjoy most, as they explore the range on offer, or focus their tasting on a particular circle of flavor. LET’S DO THIS 1 Make the team. Select a variety of single malt Scotch whiskies that clearly demonstrate different dominant flavors (blended malts and blended scotch are fair game too, but tend to be less flavor-specific). Be sure to include whiskies with and without smoke, with and without sherry cask finish, etc. It’s perfectly okay if you…

Party planning becomes easy when you start with a solid theme. “When there is a theme, and there’s a sense of continuity among food and beverage, decor, time, and place, it just feels way more thought-out. It leads people to engage more and to have a better time,” says Juliet DeRose, senior beverage manager at Union Square Hospitality Group in New York. As yearlong whisky advocates, we certainly don’t need a reason to get together with good friends to enjoy whisky. But for whisky-loving hosts looking for inspiration to gather, we’re here with a list of great excuses to throw a whisky party. January REASON TO CELEBRATE Robert Burns’s Birthday (Jan. 25) YOU’RE SERVING Single malt scotch Poet Robert Burns is traditionally celebrated with readings of his classic works like…

Over the last few decades, certain attributes have coalesced into definitions of regional style that are so widely accepted and well-promoted that both distillers and drinkers reference them. Here we explore scotch regions as they are generally understood—along with bottles that both illustrate and refute them. SPEYSIDE Technically a subregion of the Highlands; distilleries in this region can use either term on their labels. Speyside made its reputation in the 19th century, driven by the popularity of Glenlivet—still the leader of the pack—and similar single malts used heavily in blends. TYPICAL FLAVOR PROFILE Fruity, honeyed, sherried, full, rich, and elegant COMPLIANT 92 Glenlivet Archive 21 year old Leather, toffee, nuts 92 Glen Moray 18 year old Apricot, melon, malt 88 Balvenie DoubleWood 12 year old Sherry, honey, spiced DEFIANT 90 Craigellachie 13 year…

85 Chambers Bay Straight Bourbon (Batch 6) 47.5% • $43 Oak, orange, cinnamon, clove, cedar oil, roasted nuts, chocolate, and crushed red pepper 84 Coppersea Excelsior (Batch 1901) 48% • $75 Tannic, orange, oak, cinnamon, cherry Luden’s cough drops, and herbal cough syrup 83 Firestone & Robertson TX Straight 45% • $50 Lots of wood, pulling tannins, black pepper, vanilla, orange, and bitter almond 92 Glenmorangie Allta 51.2% • $99 Gingery fruit notes, fresh-squeezed orange juice, vanilla, and black pepper 88 Griffo Distillery Stony Point (Batch 9) 47% • $49 Orange, Big Red gum, chocolate, almonds, and sweet grain 86 Leopold Bros. Small Batch American (Barrel No. 1206) 43% • $33 Dry and nutty; water brings out meaty chili, unsweetened chocolate, and coffee…

LYNGSEIDET, NORWAY Housed in a coastal fort that was first used by Germans in World War II and then by NATO, Aurora Spirit Distillery is the world’s northernmost distillery. The military facility was appealing because road access and heating, lighting, electrical, and ventilation systems were already in place. Plus, the Lyngen Alps draw tourists and the glacial runoff yields abundant mineral-rich water. Aurora Spirit ages its Bivrost whisky in an underground bunker 30 feet from the sea, which mitigates the bitter Arctic cold. The distillery will offer both peated and unpeated malts made using a variety of cask sizes, woods, and finishes beginning in the spring of 2020. The first will be reminiscent of a fruity Highland malt with a bit of Lowland floral aroma, without attempting to copy either,…

MT. PLEASANT, NORTH CAROLINA Thieves have in recent years stolen whiskey from distilleries, train depots, and retail shops, but they might have trouble swiping it from Southern Grace, a whiskey distillery that operates under secure lockdown in a former prison. One-time dormitories are home to distillation, fermentation, storage, and aging of its Conviction Small Batch bourbon, straight bourbon (released this spring), and other spirits. A concert stage was built near the concrete picnic tables, the old guard booth now sells tickets, visitors pose for photos in the chapel, and the history of it all is presented in each tour.…

DINGWALL, SCOTLAND Distilleries increasingly rely on sustainable energy, but GlenWyvis is the only one in Scotland to generate every kilowatt it uses from its own solar, wind, and hydroelectric sources. Electricity feeds into the regional power grid, then the distillery pulls back what it needs, when it needs it. That’s only the start, though. A biomass boiler is fueled with wood chips from nearby Black Isle, and its barley is grown by farmers on the peninsula. A herd of Galloway cattle on the farm where the sleekly modern facility is located eats the spent grain. Even Glen-Wyvis’s more than 3,000 investors are mostly local, making it the country’s first entirely community-owned distillery. “We are powered by nature and owned by all,” says distillery manager Duncan Tait. GlenWyvis will release whisky…

Best Values Whiskies with solid scores, modest prices, and wide availability. BLENDED SCOTCH 88 Cutty Sark, 40%, $20 Sherbet, creamy vanilla, whole lemon, fresh baked goods, sweet grain notes, strong floral blooms, with hints of snuff and ground pepper on the nose. Light, delicate palate of lemon flesh; the citrus sharpens up, with grapefruit flavors supported by fine ground pepper and a lasting wave of vanilla. A pleasing tingle of spices on the finish, coupled with punchy citrus notes. A nimble, vigorous blend that offers a multitude of serves.—JM BOURBON 88 Rebel Yell 100 Proof Kentucky Straight, 50%, $20 Honey-roasted peanuts, maple syrup, and stone fruits are underscored by deep earthy notes of tobacco leaf, dried apple, sassafras leaves, and candied nuts. The palate expresses some tropical dried pineapple fruit…

The Buying Guide provides ratings of whiskies from around the world with an emphasis on new releases available for purchase in the U.S. Complete tasting notes are provided for all whiskies scoring 84 points or more (on the Whisky Advocate 100-point scale). Lower scoring whiskies are included at the discretion of the editors, and some may appear exclusively on whiskyadvocate.com. RATINGS AND PRICES Ratings are to provide a relative comparison of quality with reference to both directly competing products and whiskies in general. Price is not a consideration when arriving at ratings. Prices shown reflect the suggested retail price. When none is available, we establish a representative retail price. Actual retail prices may vary. Whiskies sold in the U.S. have prices marked in dollars; any whisky priced in other currency…