Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2021 i Whisky Advocate

Having whiskey delivered to your doorstep can be a thorny, and sometimes illegal, process. But things are changing, even if only slowly. While alcohol laws vary across the 50 states—and among towns and cities—some state governments are pushing aggressively to allow whiskey delivery to your home. In California, wine lovers have been allowed that luxury for many years, but spirits are more constricted. It’s the same story across much of the nation: Most states permit wine to be shipped directly, but only 11 states, plus Washington, D.C., have the same rule for spirits. The push is on to level that playing field, says Chris Swonger, who is president of spirits industry trade group DISCUS, citing a number of related bills put forward in state legislatures over the past several years.…

One of a whisky drinker’s greatest joys is variety: Grain, barrel, distilling technique, and time combine in so many unique ways that there’s no chance of getting bored. No, the main peril in tasting an array of whiskies is getting tired. Anyone who has spent an evening sharing bottles among friends and jumping from sherried scotch to barrel-proof bourbon knows this feeling. The tongue gets numb, flavors start to blend together, and subtle aromas disappear in a haze of sensory overload. This is palate fatigue, and the way to combat it is by cleansing and resetting. To understand the importance of a good palate cleanse, it helps to know what’s going on in your mouth when sipping whisky. Stick out your tongue. See the bumps on it? Those are papillae,…

First sprouting up in 1898 in Forres, in Scotland’s Speyside region, Benromach Distillery would have an up and down history over the next century, closing and reopening, changing hands yet still producing whisky until it was shuttered for good in 1983. That was until the Urquhart family of Elgin purchased the distillery in 1993 and finally added some needed stability. Longtime independent bottlers of whisky, the family’s acquisition of Benromach fulfilled their lifelong dream to actually distill traditional single malt themselves. Reequipping the distillery over the following five years, the Urquharts aspired to make single malt the right way, reminiscent of the days before commercial maltings. Distillers relied entirely on their own senses to produce the whisky, giving it a subtly smoky character and maturing it exclusively in first-fill casks,…

Good Deeds Malt Whiskey, 46%, $75 The inaugural release of Good Deeds Spirits is a malt whiskey whose proceeds will benefit the STEPUP Foundation, a diversity and inclusion initiative founded by the ACSA. At its core, STEPUP is an internship, and its year-long program aims to provide underserved and underrepresented individuals—people of different races, color, national origins, genders, and sexual orientations—with training, encouragement, and opportunities to join the craft spirits industry. GET AND GIVE Available exclusively at seelbachs.com LEARN MORE stepupinternship.org Westward Whiskey Benefit Barrel, 50%, $100 This whiskey helps two organizations that fight homelessness and hunger: Oregon’s Transition Projects and California’s No Us Without You. All sales made in Oregon will go toward Transition Projects, which gives individuals the resources and tools needed to help end homelessness. All sales…

Beanie Babies, a line of unremarkable stuffed animals, were introduced in 1993. The company made many different models and limited production to create scarcity. By 1995, the Beanie had become a popular collectible, and then a phenomenon. There were Beanie Babies magazines, Beanie Babies websites, Beanie Babies clubs, and when the resale value of certain models skyrocketed, counterfeit Beanie Babies flooded the market. Beanie Babies flippers took advantage of new sales platforms like eBay. At the phenomenon’s peak, 10% of all eBay sales were of Beanie Babies. By the end of the century, the Beanie Babies craze was just about over. The mother of all market bubbles occurred in 17th century Holland. Contract prices for tulip bulbs reached extraordinary heights before they collapsed. “Tulip mania” has become a metaphor for…

1 Lagavulin 11 year old Offerman Edition: Guinness Cask Finish 46% • $80 PANEL RATING 95 • ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH Inspired by actor and comedian Nick Offerman’s devotion Lagavulin single malt scotch, Islay distillery Lagavulin debuted its first Offerman Edition in 2019. A swcind Offerman release appered in the spring of 2019—an 11-year-old like the first, but with four months of finishing in Guinness casks. Amid a crowded field of ultra-aged, barrel proof, and many other formidable contenders, this stout cask-finished expression emerged from the pack to become our 2021 Whisky of the Year While the 16 year old Lagavulin is generally considered the classic of the range, many Lagavulin fans prefer the younger expressions. The Lagavulin 12 year old, for example, has made frequent appearances in the Diageo…

To ring the curtain down on 2021, we’ve chosen 2021 year old whiskies that are among the best in their age bracket. A selection was reviewed by the Whisky Advocate tasting panel, and those scoring 90 points or above made the final group. This list offers a wide array of styles, including single malt scotch, blended scotch, blended malt, blended grain, Irish single malt, single pot still, and Japanese whisky. 96 Bushmills 21 year old Madeira Finish Irish Single Malt, 40%, $250 This whiskey underwent its final two years of maturation in madeira casks, which bring incredible depth of flavor to this exceptional triple distilled Irish single malt. Chocolate, sultana, dates, forest honey, nuts, and banana bread 94 Dewar’s Double Double 21 year old Scotch Blend, 46%, $40/375 ml Dewar’s blends parcels…

Sonoma Distilling smokes wood on-site in a one-ton smoker built into an old shipping container. Founder and whiskey maker Adam Spiegel says that it’s a nuance they can offer as a grain-to-glass distillery, and one that infuses their whiskeys with an added sense of place. “We like it because you get a California cherry tree—a little of that local flavor,” he says. “The reason I like working with smoked grains is that it changes your perception of smoke,” he says. “Unless you’re using oak, wood can actually be a very bright, beautiful, clean burn.” It also gives him an additional tool when creating new whiskeys. “In general, smoke is a nice flavor modifier,” he adds. Some mainstream distillers, such as Woodford Reserve, have also delved into cherrywood. Its 2017 Master’s…

Whiskey makers in the American Southwest are using mesquite to define the flavor of the region, though as Santa Fe Spirits founder Colin Keegan reveals, the actual smoking for their whiskeys takes place at Briess Malt in Wisconsin. Very few distilleries malt their own grain, and for Santa Fe and others, Briess is a valuable resource. “We’re sort of importing our own terroir, so to speak,” he says, though Santa Fe makes a point of insisting that South-west trees are used when drying the malted barley. Santa Fe Spirits is among the few whiskey makers producing mesquite-smoked single malt in a way that’s similar to how scotch whisky makers add peat. For Santa Fe, that means 100% malted barley double distilled in a pot still, with smoke introduced during the…

Best Values Whiskies with solid scores, modest prices, and wide availability. BOURBON 89 Blue Note Crossroads Straight, 50%, $45 Finished in French oak. Dried herbs, grape candies, saddle leather, blueberry muffin, and new wood on the nose, with chocolate, marshmallow, and toasted caramel emerging over time. Wood drives the palate further alongside vanilla wafer, cooked dark fruits, and spiced dark chocolate. There is more sweetness on the finish as well as solid spice characteristics.—TS HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT 89 Tullibardine 12-year-old, 40%, $45 Red apples, nectarines, white peaches, menthol, macadamia nut, clove, and notes of a closet filled with winter wool are on the nose of this bourbon-matured single malt. The palate is creamy and light, with orange tart, peach cobbler, semi-sweet chocolate, and cantaloupe. That fruit flavor carries over to…

BOURBON / FINISHED BOURBON 93 Booker’s 2021-02 “Tagalong Batch” Kentucky Straight, 63.95%, $90 The fifth edition of distiller Freddie Noe’s signature annual release. This is a weighty one, in classic Booker’s fashion—rich, full, and powerful, loaded with chocolate, cocoa powder, candied orange slices, dark chocolate, melted caramel, and cinnamon spice. Water quells the flavor riot, softening to notes of vanilla and vanilla malt, chocolate candy bar, and leather. The finish is spicy, with more chocolate and orange. There’s nothing shy about this tasty sipper.—DF 91 Pursuit United Blended Straight, 54%, $65 Comprised of rye and wheated bourbons from Kentucky, Tennessee, and New York. Strawberry jam, wood varnish, buttered pecan, graham crackers, and lemon icing on the nose. Wood spice and a creamy texture anchor the palate, with notes of bitter…

CHEERS TO WHISKY CLUBS Dear Whisky Advocate, Well, first I just want to say thank you so much for featuring our club in the latest issue! We’ve had three new people join because of the feature, and several others join our mailing list. What a delight! Cheers, Beks Opperman Founder, Los Angeles Whisky Club Hi Beks, We’re glad you enjoyed the piece, and we had fun covering your club too. We’re also happy to hear that your group is a growing concern! Keep in touch and send us pics and news in the future. FOCUS ON THE AFFORDABLE Dear Whisky Advocate, I am a subscriber and enjoy the magazine very much. What I don’t like is the over promoting of exclusive products that I will probably never see in any…

With a base of charred agave, mezcal is delightfully smoky, much like many whiskies, and fans of either will find plenty to like in both spirits. “Mezcal and whisky each have a great depth of flavor that enhances a cocktail—and even more so when paired together,” says Carlos Batista, food and beverage director at Landrace in the Thompson Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. “And you only need a couple of simple mixers, such as honey and lemon juice, to tie it all together.” Batista notes that pretty much any style of whisky will mix well with smoky, vegetal, earthy mezcal. “A wheat whisky is great because it tends to be milder, drier, and at times fruitier, so it doesn’t overpower or compete with the mezcal,” he says. “Bourbon’s notes of…

Coffee and whisky make a pleasing pair, serving up some complementary flavors and aromas. The popularity of the two together has also become evident in the way roasters and distillers have joined forces on whisky-flavored coffees and coffee-infused whiskies. But there’s yet another way that coffee and whisky lovers can get their fix: barrel-aged coffees. Coffee roasters big and small are turning to whisky distillers for used barrels to age their beans. “When we tried aging them in barrels for the first time, I was shocked that the end result was so interesting and balanced,” says Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Co. founder Mane Alves. “I thought the whisky flavor would overwhelm the coffee, but it was wonderful. It had the nuances of the whisky but none of the alcohol.”…

Irish Coffee originated in Ireland, but much credit for its fame belongs to The Buena Vista cafe in San Francisco, some 5,000 miles from the Emerald Isle. In November 1952, Stan Delaplane, a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, stopped by the cafe. Freshly returned from Ireland, Delaplane asked Buena Vista owner Jack Koeppler to re-create a cocktail he had tried at Shannon Airport. Its name was Irish Coffee. The two got to work, and soon reached the desired recipe: Stir two white sugar cubes in 2 to 3 ounces hot coffee, add 1 ⅓ ounces Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey, and top it with a delicate float of lightly whipped heavy cream. Their creation was served in a 6-ounce heat-treated glass goblet—a look that would become synonymous with the…

Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye, 42%, $23 Slow & Low brings together rye whiskey, rock candy, honey, Florida-grown navel oranges, and Angostura bitters. This is a fairly low-sugar liqueur, with the equivalent of only about one sugar cube in a 2-ounce pour. Kentucky Coffee, 33%, $20 Like its name suggests, this flavored whiskey brings together Kentucky-distilled whiskey with coffee extract. Middle West Spirits Bourbon Cream, 15%, $25 Made from Middle West’s Michelone Reserve bourbon—a whiskey made from a mash of yellow corn, red winter wheat, pumpernickel rye, and two-row barley—and cream from Ohio dairies. Nooku Bourbon Cream, 17%, $31 Nooku is made from Old Elk Distillery’s 2 year old high-malt whiskey and dairy cream. The two are blended without any additional sugar, coloring, or flavors, and the result…

Howdy, folks. I’ve been patrolling the one-star reviews of scotch whisky distilleries on Tripadvisor, detecting the triggers that warp feelings of joyful anticipation into seething, fist-shaking rage in some visitors. Tripadvisor records thousands of stories of brilliant five-star distillery tours written by our global community of whisky lovers. Yet, just for the schadenfreude, pour yourself a scotch, adjust the Tripadvisor filters, and sneak a peek at the bottom of the barrel stories, punched in with force by disgruntled bellyachers who woke up one day, went to a distillery, and had a thoroughly wretched, miserable time. Who are these people? Here comes the No Entry brigade: A party of guests shows up on a whim in the height of summer without a reservation and can’t be accommodated. Or they get lost…

Marvin R. Shanken has been the editor and publisher of Shanken’s Impact Wine and Spirits Newsletter since 1973, and in 1988 became the first journalist inducted into Scotland’s Keepers of the Quaich. Shanken has decades of experience conducting blind tastings for both Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, for which he is also editor and publisher. In 2010, Shanken acquired Malt Advocate magazine, which later became Whisky Advocate. He became editor and publisher in 2016. David Fleming is the executive editor of Whisky Advocate magazine. He joined M. Shanken Communications full time in 1987 and also covers the spirits industry as executive editor of Market Watch, Shanken’s Impact Newsletter, and Shanken News Daily. He brings more than 25 years of professional whisky tasting experience as a staff reviewer for the Buying…

Pairing peated scotch with food isn’t nearly as common as bringing bourbon to the table, but it should be. The possibilities for framing both the whisky and the food in new and exciting ways are virtually limitless. “Peated scotch goes great with food for many reasons, but the favorite that I lean on is one of the two classic pairing ideas: complementary or contrasting,” explains Tommy Patrick, co-owner of The Ballard Cut in Seattle. “Not much tastes like peated single malt scotch—smoky, bitter, sweet, earthy, rich, oaky, oily, etc. This makes it an easy pair with its contrasting profile versus your otherwise well-balanced food, but it still has the body to stand up to bigger dishes. People never give this the credit it’s due. It’s great food whisky.” To help…

Be Accurate! Measure with a jigger, don’t free pour, so you get the required number of pours from each bottle. Be Alert! We’re working with suggested retail prices, but extend your budget by taking advantage of seasonal sales, flash deals, and shopping around. Be The Biggest! We’ve included standard and half-bottle sizes, but 1.75 liter bottles can be cheaper, though you’ll have less variety. Be Collaborative! Swap drams with drinking buddies following a different budget. Be Creative! Mix it up—don’t drink every dram the same way; try it over ice, add a garnish, and make some cocktails at home. Be Ingenious! Add the last few pours to an infinity bottle and create your own unique blend for 2022 to enjoy at the end of the year. Be Strong! Cask strength…

Iron Smoke Distillery in eastern New York state, just outside of Rochester, leans into its geography by using local applewood to smoke its wheat, giving its bourbon a gentle, subtle smoke profile. They smoke the wheat in a giant smoker, just like Brunett did when he was experimenting in his backyard. “You have the hot box; the smoke goes over the grains, and then it’s out the chimney,” he explains. As a traveling musician, Brunett says he’s had amazing barbecue in states like Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and wanted to bring that flavor profile to his whiskey without overwhelming the drinker with smoke. Iron Smoke Straight Bourbon, 40%, $55 Made with 65% corn, 30% applewood-smoked wheat, 3% rye, and 2% unmalted barley. Also available at cask strength…

Some distillers introduce smoke to their whiskey as a means to dry malted barley, but Kevin Suttman, president of Seven Brothers Distilling in Ohio, says they do things a little differently with their Hickory Smoked whiskey. “It starts with a bourbon-esque base,” he says, noting a mash of corn and wheat, “And the magic really is in the aging process. We started off with used barrels and finish it with hickory smoke, actually injecting the smoke.” Suttman won’t disclose the full process, but Seven Brothers uses vacuum distillation and experiments with different production techniques. “This is not going to be something that is traditional whiskey with a little smokiness,” Suttman claims. He also advises those who don’t like smoke to stay away, but the whiskey has most certainly found its…

It’s difficult for today’s whisky lover to comprehend the depths of scotch whisky’s decline during the final decades of the 20th century. While many distilleries closed in the 1980s, others were forced to cut their operations back to two days a week. There was reprieve for a few, like Ardbeg, Benromach, and Bruichladdich, but the majority could not be saved. While independent bottlings appear occasionally, time is slipping away for the last official bottlings from these silent stills. The chart below indicates the year and name of the last official bottling from closed distilleries. Closed 1980 North of Scotland • Grain 2017 2017 North of Scotland 50 year old, 40.4% Closed 1981 Glencraig • Speyside Mosstowie • Speyside Closed 1983 Banff • Highlands 2004 Rare Malts Selection Banff 21-year-old, 1982, 57.1%…

SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT 95 Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-year-old (Distilled at Glenlivet), 44.9%, $108,085 See Collectibles, page 135 93 Glenallachie 10-year-old Rye Wood Finished, 48%, $100 On the nose, there’s roasted almond, fragrant butterscotch, toffee, lemon, and oak, plus vanilla, lemon meringue, sweet malt, and a hint of melon. The palate has notes of vanilla cake, pleasant soapiness, sweet tea, rich chocolate, a hint of coconut, and alluring flavors of blueberry cobbler and raspberry tart. The finish is long, lively, and beautifully punctuated with fruit notes, dark chocolate, and a parting song of oak. Loaded with great, well-integrated flavors.—DF 93 Glenfiddich 21-year-old Reserva Rum Cask Finish, 40%, $210 Rich, sweet, and fruity with baked apples drizzled in honey, crisp white pear, honeysuckle, dried banana, vanilla fudge, and pecan pie. This…

This annual collection of limited, highly sought-after single malt whiskies includes eight expressions. This year’s release presents a significant drop in age statements: The combined age of the collection has been cut in half from 244 years in 2017 to 120 years in 2021. The latest releases are all aged between 8 and 19 years with one exception, but commensurately, the cost of buying the whole set has fallen too. Significantly, it’s the first time in 20 years that operational distilleries have comprised the entire collection. This year’s theme is Legends Untold, with each release equipped with a QR code that opens up a world of augmented reality storytelling through your smartphone. For single malt lovers, our reviews and scores offer a guide to get the best value for your…

IRISH SINGLE MALT 91 Limavady Single Barrel (Barrel 0040), 46%, $50 Aromas of minerality, vanilla fudge, zested lime, barley sugar, rosewater, and white pepper. It spills sweet flavors of butterscotch, barley sugar, and candied orange peel over the tongue, pursued by a stealthy rise in pepperiness, and ending with a throat-coating finish of baked orange, burnt sugar, and Kit Kat. This is small batch, triple distilled merriment.—JM 88 Killowen Signature 5-year-old Rum & Raisin Dark Rum Cask & PX Sherry Butt Finish (Batch #01), 55%, $85/375 ml Crisp green apple, vanilla frosting, wood spices, whole lime, and pineapple offcuts, with some darker sherry sweetness nosed from the bottom of the glass. The first sip is sweet, with dried apricot, lighter sherry notes, coconut, and mouth-drawing peppery spices. The final phase…

95 Yamazaki 25-year-old (2021 release), 43%, $2,000 See Collectibles, page 135 93 Hibiki 21-year-old, 43%, $350 Deep layers of vanilla and mizunara oak with sugar sprinkled pastries, incense sticks, oiled wood, tatami, dried apricot, golden sultana, and faint smoky spiciness. Nectarous mouthfeel with honey, barley sugar, dried citrus, orange peel, and delicate spices, it continues to sweeten beautifully showing vanilla, sugared almonds, banana custard, with hints of ginger and gentle oak. Slightly gummy finish as the vanilla quenches little eruptions of wood spices.—JM 91 Komagatake 2021 Edition, 48%, $199 Aromas of watermelon, ruby grapefruit, lychee, exotic florals, white pepper, and a little candy sweetness of Cola Cube and strawberry laces are in contrast from the chocolate flavors of the 2020 edition. On the palate, you couldn’t ask for a juicier…

FRANCE 90 Coperies Single Malt, 40%, $60 Double distilled in Charentais copper pot stills more commonly used for making brandy and cognac, this well-made whisky has aromas of zested clementine over orange cake, dry wood spices, milk chocolate, roasted hazelnuts in melted butter, and charred oak. Dark and fruity flavors with baked orange, dried apricot, red apple, creamy milk chocolate, malt, and dried red fruits, it ends on a bright, spicy note. Definitely worth a try.—JM GERMANY 94 Eifel Whisky German Peated Duo Malt 2021 Edition, 46%, $90 A nose of Nestle Crunch bar, dates, smoke from green wood, golden syrup, vanilla seeds, cherry gummy bears, and a medley of dried fruits. Respectfully, with its 4:1 mashbill ratio of malted wheat and barley to 35 ppm peated malt, it’s like…

Avèze, 20%, $30 Avèze is made from gentian roots collected from Volcans d’Auvergne National Park in France that are macerated in neutral alcohol for nine months before distillation. It’s then left to rest for six months in stainless steel vats with a secret blend of herbs and roots, and sugar before bottling. The palate is round, unctuous, sweet, and soft, with bittersweet herbal notes accented by hints of anise, orange peel, mint, and earth. A bourbon drinker may appreciate its sweetness and smooth finish. Cascadia American Bitter, 35%, $35 Made slightly differently than traditional French gentian liqueurs, Cascadia starts as a distillation of rose petals, wild lavender, and other whole dried botanicals. It’s then infused with a maceration of gentian and angelica root, plus cane sugar. A Lowland scotch enthusiast…

Jason Fiebig drives a Chevy Silverado 3500 HD, with “Compass Box” on the shade band of the windshield. The logo for Compass Box’s Spice Tree label adorns the truck’s back window. When Fiebig got married in 2019, the groom’s cake was shaped like a whisky barrel—with the Compass Box logo on the front. Fiebig’s devotion to Compass Box began through a social media recommendation. A longtime bourbon drinker, he started exploring peated single malt scotch when someone suggested Compass Box’s The Peat Monster. “It was mind-blowing,” he recalls. “It wasn’t like any of the other stuff I’d ever tried before.” Not only that, but Peat Monster is a blended malt, an unfamiliar style among the single malts Fiebig had become accustomed to. “I was kind of turned on to the…

Skrewball Irish Coffee The Buena Vista, San Francisco 11⁄3 oz. Skrewball (or other peanut butter-flavored whiskey)2-3 oz. hot coffee2 oz. lightly whipped heavy cream In a warmed Irish Coffee glass, stir together coffee and whiskey. Holding a spoon over the glass, slowly pour whipped cream into the bowl of the spoon into the glass until full. Irish Coffee Martini The Dead Rabbit, New York City 1½ oz. Irish whiskey1½ oz. cold brew concentrate1 Tbsp. demerara sugarDash aromatic bittersLemon peel Shake whiskey, cold brew, sugar, and bitters with ice. Double strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Express lemon peel over the drink, then discard. Spiked Coffee Solstice in Newtown, Penn. and Irvine, Calif. 1½ oz. bourbon¾ oz. simple syrup¼ oz. vanilla extract4 oz. hot coffeeWhipped creamEdible glitter (optional) Combine bourbon,…

When a distillery discontinues a cherished expression, or even when it makes a packaging change, a sense of disappointment and nostalgia usually ripples through the whisky community. A revamp of a distillery’s lineup can seem like a minor tragedy when it involves the elimination of your favorite whisky. Upon receiving the news, you join other latecomers in chasing the last bottles as they vanish from stores. Often, whisky drinkers resort to auctions to secure replacement bottles of these discontinued favorites. And for people more interested in supplying high-demand whiskies to the secondary market, a vanished label can mean a big profit opportunity. The lost label lament grew louder as no-age-statement whiskies swept through scotch ranges over the past decade, as distilleries reacted to rocketing demand by resorting to limited editions…

The Whisky Advocate Top 20 list represents the summit of our annual tasting journey. We sample hundreds of whiskies each year, knowing that many will not even make it into the pages of our Buying Guide, let alone reach the Top 20. Those that do qualify for Top 20 consideration must first achieve a score of 90 points or higher from our panel—and that is just one piece of the puzzle. Our mission is not simply to compile a list of top scores, but to suggest an array of whiskies that will be accessible to buyers in terms of price and availability. While some “splurge” items are included, most Top 20 whiskies have approachable prices—and in some cases represent stunning bargains. But there is also another key ingredient—the “X-factor,” which…

In 2017, Whisky Advocate revamped its annual awards system, streamlining a previously multifaceted program into a single honors list of great whiskies—our Top 20 Whiskies of the Year. We now mark the fifth year of our Top 20 list, which means that a total of 100 whiskies have made the grade. This presents a good moment to look back on the stars that have shined the brightest. Our pinnacle honor, Whisky of the Year, has gone to an American whiskey in three of the past five years—Elijah Craig Barrel Proof in 2017, George Dickel 13 year old Bottled In Bond in 2019, and Larceny Barrel Proof in 2020. Those winning whiskeys each had something exciting to offer—Elijah Craig with its new barrel proof departure, Dickel 13 as ultra-aged Tennessee whiskey…

Rick Wasmund, founder of Copper Fox Distillery, has been surrounded by fruitwood for years. In college, he rented a house in the middle of an apple orchard. When he moved to Virginia, there was an abundance of cherrywood on the property and seven fireplaces to burn it in. “I was just at a point in my life where I was looking for some next challenge, and the idea popped in my head: What about a fruitwood-smoked whiskey?” Wasmund says. He went to Islay and learned to create smoky whisky at Bowmore. The first thing he made upon his return was a single malt smoked with apple and cherrywood. Fruitwood smoke would become a house style for Copper Fox, as Wasmund added a smoked rye and other smoked whiskeys to the…

Like other small distillers, Painted Stave in Delaware released an unaged corn whiskey akin to moonshine, but owner Mike Rasmussen wanted to push the style even further. “I wanted something that was going to be for summertime—lighter, maybe in citrus-driven cocktails or Highballs that embraced a little bit of the American barbecue flavors—and mesquite and apple are two of those great woods that are used in American barbecue. So those resonated very strongly with me,” he says. Painted Stave’s Diamond State Bottled in Bond corn whiskey is just that, evoking summer nights sitting around a campfire with friends, whiskey in hand. The mash of 80% corn and 20% apple and mesquite-smoked barley seeks to balance sweet and smoky flavors. “I think that there’s a lot of play with corn whiskey…

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 or 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 is not presently available in the…

In this collection, Diageo presents vintage single malts that are either the first or last bottlings of their kind. Master blender Maureen Robinson made her personal selection from the treasures within the Diageo warehouses. Bottled at cask strength and unquestionably rare, this collection encompasses 284 combined years of maturation. It contains the very first cask from a rarely bottled Speyside distillery, unusual cask experiments, closed distillery whiskies, and a unique opportunity to taste aged whiskies matured at their distillery of origin rather than a centralized warehouse. This bottling is of the last casks from 1980, filled when Brora was making peated spirit. The nose presents smoking heather twigs, barbecued meat bark, sun-dried kelp, wild mushroom caps, wooden fish box, candied lemon, burnt caramel, sanded oak, black pepper, and a spritz…

Proving that there are no bounds on cask innovation, Origin Spirits has developed a seaweed-charred virgin oak cask. This sourced triple-distilled whiskey is made from 100% Irish barley, and initially matured in first-fill bourbon barrels before a three-month finishing process. Atlantic seaweed is hand-harvested from the coast of County Clare, Ireland and then used to char the inside of new American oak barrels to impart its unique flavors; kombu is a type of brown kelp, while wakame is a green seasonal varietal. The technique bears similarities to West Cork Distillers’ Glengarriff Series for which casks were charred with peat or bog oak, though Origin Spirits’ approach takes a surf-and-turf angle that combines flavors from the land and sea to deliver a delicate umami character to the whiskey. 92 Currach Atlantic…

When last we left the west side of Chicago, the front wall of Ma’s, the diviest of dives, had fallen into the street across from the National Guard armory where your faithful correspondent whiled away the Vietnam era. Fast forward a few years—several riots, one Democratic convention, and a suburban tornado. Inside that armory, it is late at night in the office used by the Headquarters Platoon of the Headquarters Company of an infantry battalion. I’m draining the second-to-last beer available; Sp/4 Richard Harold Pennington Jefferson is draining the last one. Everyone else is asleep, curled up on top of their WWII surplus desks. We’re here because Hizzoner da Mare (mayor Richard Daley) has importuned the governor to activate us prophylactically, in the event of an anniversary riot because it…