Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2023 i Whisky Advocate

Thankfully for cocktail enthusiasts, we’ve come a long way from the neon red cherries often seen floating in a Shirley Temple. Today there are numerous craft cocktail cherries worth considering. Luxardo maraschinos are the gold standard, and then there are newer names like Filthy Black, Dirty Sue, and Tempus Fugit Spirits’ 19th Century Style, and even some from whiskey producers, including Woodford Reserve and Traverse City Whiskey Co., both of which offer cherries soaked in their bourbon. In addition to whisky, cocktail cherries can be preserved in brandy or Bordeaux wine or even rum—although not every brand is produced with booze, and in fact Luxardo’s aren’t. Cocktail cherries are most commonly used as a garnish, but for even more of a sweet-tart cherry blast, try muddling them or using their…

Whisky collectors tend to think in longer time frames than speculators and flippers. What makes many collectors tick is their ability to identify a whisky that is likely to perform well, before everyone else catches on. Blended scotch seldom matches the performance of single malt scotch or Japanese whisky at auction, but building the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare series around stocks from specific closed distilleries certainly added a little sparkle to its collectible allure. Priced at $400 a bottle on release in 2017, the inaugural release focused on Brora and sold for an average of $300 during 2018, picking up speed as retail supplies dried up to deliver steady growth over the subsequent years: It now sells at an average hammer price of $650. Being an early…

I didn’t watch “Mad Men,” as I suspect a lot of guys my age didn’t, because who wants to see their youth mis-portrayed in a story written by scriptwriters depending upon old movies and magazine pictures for a verisimilitude that is somewhat less than veri, or similar. I suspect that your superannuated Mob guys felt very much the same way about watching “The Godfather.” “Sheesh—we never killed guys anything like that….” But I did make the three-martini-lunch era just under the wire, beginning work in the Year of our Lord Calvert 1963. For a few years, lunch was brown-bagged and accompanied by a shot and a beer, or two, at places like Tony & Mario’s 2900 Fun Club, until 1966 when the wholesale steel business dragged me away from manufacturing…

MarvinR. 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 the 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 has more than 25 years of professional whisky tasting experience. Jonny McCormick, contributing editor, resides in Scotland and is a…

The story of Alberta Distillers began in 1888, when German-Alsatian immigrant Heinrich Reifel arrived in British Columbia and began building his now largely forgotten brewing and distilling empire. When support for Prohibition in British Columbia gained steam during World War I, Reifel and two of his sons set off for Japan to help establish the Anglo-Japanese Brewing Company. The fermenting techniques they learned there would later come in very handy in making rye. Prohibition in British Columbia lasted from 1917 to 1921, so the Reifels headed home to Vancouver and got back to brewing in 1921. Seeing opportunity in spirits because of American Prohibition, the family recommissioned the shuttered British Columbia distillery in Vancouver. For the next decade, they reigned as the prime whisky supplier to America’s western Rum Row—Pacific…

New spirits launches these days are led by upscale tequilas. Artisanal gins and ultra-aged rums are also worth a look. More than a few newly released options here just might capture the interest of whisky lovers. RUM Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Whisky Cask Finished Rum, $50 Santa Teresa 1796 has debuted a Venezuelan rum which is finished in whisky casks. The rum is first aged using a solera system, before spending an additional 13 months in scotch casks sourced from a distillery in Speyside. santateresarum.com TEQUILA Pantalones Organic Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo Tequila, $40/$45/$50 Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey has debuted a new tequila brand with his wife Camila. Pantalones Organic is made from blue agave in Amatitán, Jalisco. Its three expressions: Blanco (unaged; $40), Reposado (aged 9 months; $45), and…

Scotland SPEYSIDE 91 Claxton’s Tomintoul 18 year old Oloroso Hogshead, 54.8%, $215 A richly sherried single cask expression of a gentle Speyside single malt, this revels in aromatic notes of sherry-soaked raisins, mixed peel, almonds, dried figs, and a hint of prune. You can’t really go wrong with a flavor profile as good as this, with its beautiful marriage of sherry and baked orange supported by baking spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, blueberry, tangy peels, cocoa, and chocolate muffin. (U.S. Exclusive; 216 bottles)—JM 89 Benromach Contrasts: Air Dried Oak, 46%, $80 Strawberry blancmange, raspberry, vanilla, tropical fruit, red apple, stone fruit, caramel, white pepper, and fresh barley notes on the nose. The first sip reveals raspberry, lemon, vanilla custard, and peppery spice; more time on the palate bananas Foster, malt, walnut, Brazil…

Like their terroir-driven approach to whisky making, winemakers from Bordeaux’s greatest chateaus have inspired Waterford Distillery’s cuvée concept. Having accumulated a library of different single-farm origin stocks from different harvests over recent years, Waterford’s head distiller Ned Gahan has used these parcels as the building blocks for the new cuvées. Waterford Cuvée Koffi is named after Nathanael Koffi, the designer of the whisky’s colorful packaging, and while it doesn’t carry an age statement, this single malt contains Waterford’s oldest whiskey to date (around 6 years). It is composed from 24 different single-farm origin parcels, and the cask recipe includes 36% first-fill American oak bourbon, 17% new American oak, 21% French oak, and 26% Vin Doux Naturel casks. Waterford Peated Cuvée Fumo is an assemblage of four peated single-farm origin whiskeys…

Johnnie Walker master blender Dr. Emma Walker personally selected the fourth anthology of Prima & Ultima. This collection features premium cask strength single malt whiskies that are chosen for being the first or the last of their kind. There are 413 eight-bottle sets, and other than the Port Ellen, some individual bottles will be made available. Brora 1977 comes from the last American oak hogsheads from the last distillation of the year at the end of an era known as the distillery’s Age of Peat. Clynelish 1996 comes from two experimental Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry-seasoned European oak butts. Lagavulin 1997 was matured in refill American oak filled during the tenure of distillery manager Mike Nicolson. Pittyvaich 1992 is the last ever Pittyvaich 30 year old and comes from…

SEE GLENNS CREEK Dear Whisky Advocate, I very much enjoyed your Fall issue! As a frequent visitor to the Lexington area, a couple of things about your story “Kentucky’s Second City” caught my eye. First, Louisville is around 80 miles to the west of Lexington, not to the east. Luckily, it’s hard to pick a wrong direction in Kentucky: plenty of good whisk(e)y in all parts of the state! And, while Castle & Key was included as an excellent suggested destination, it is also worth mentioning Glenns Creek Distillery is just next door, occupying the former Old Crow Distillery. Out of the 500 or so bottles in my whisk(e)y collection, Glenns Creek ranks among my favorites, with their creative spirits having rich and unique flavor profiles not found elsewhere. I…

Getting two for one at the bar usually means a good deal on drinks. But why not expand the concept to cocktails that marry a pair of whiskies? Combining different styles of the spirit “creates a dynamic interplay of flavors and complexities that each whisky, while impressive on its own, couldn’t achieve independently,” explains San Francisco’s Aphotic bar manager Michael Nathan. For example, rye adds spiciness; bourbon brings body and sweetness; and peated scotch lends a smokiness that can be subtle or in your face, depending on the whisky. Any combination of these can “emphasize the unique characteristics of each whisky and introduce a new layer of depth and texture that lends a unified, richer flavor profile,” Nathan says. Make it a double with these recipes. Gingerbread Sour Created by…

The hunt for vintage whiskeys and the cocktails created with them is on the rise, and more bars are offering well-preserved, authenticated older bottles, affectionately known as “dusties” to their fans. Iconic venues like New York City’s Brandy Library and Flatiron Room, Delilah’s in Chicago, and Washington D.C.’s Jack Rose have long offered coveted pours from these bottles from yesteryear. In recent times, new laws have loosened the restrictions on buying and selling vintage bottles outside of traditional auctions. The new rules have also eased as to how those bottles may be resold at retail, and the floodgates have opened. Here, then, are seven of the best places across North America to deliciously drink your way through the past. Canon Seattle If you want to go all-out with vintage cocktails,…

Solera aging came into being in Spain’s Jerez region back in the 18th century, originating as a way for sherry makers to artfully blend wines of different ages while keeping flavors consistent. Previously, it had been common for sherry producers simply to blend their new vintages with the previous one. In a traditional solera system, barrels of all ages are stacked atop each other to form a pyramid. The oldest liquid lies at the bottom of the pyramid, while the newest is at the top. As older liquid is pulled from a solera system’s bottom tier, more new liquid is added to the top row. Over time, the various aged components mature in concert. Because it’s topped up year after year, a solera system can go on for quite some…

Billionaire Bernard Arnault heads Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, the luxury global powerhouse which owns fashion icons Louis Vuitton, Dior and Fendi, watches Tag Heuer and Hublot, and jewelers Tiffany & Co. and Bulgari. The company’s cellar runs deep too, boasting Champagnes such as Krug and Dom Perignon, Bordeaux icons Cheval Blanc and Yquem, Napa’s Colgin and Joseph Phelps, and many more. Wine Spectator’s Dec. 15 issue traces Arnault’s path to the top. Subscribe Now and we will send you the Dec. 15 issue Wine Spectator.com From the Publishers of Cigar Aficionado and Whisky Advocate M. SHANKEN COMMUNICATIONS, INC.…

What does “normal” mean for whiskey sales? Do we know? History doesn’t offer an answer. History is the problem. The production of the style of whiskey most Americans drink today didn’t fully develop until the end of the 19th century. Then the government got involved, deeply, first with the Bottled in Bond Act, then the Pure Food and Drug Act, followed by Prohibition, followed by the post-Prohibition regulatory regime and production restrictions of World War II. The industry had to be rebuilt, almost from scratch, and didn’t really get going until after 1946. With so much demand unmet, whiskey making became over-industrialized in the post-Prohibition, postwar era, yet fully aged whiskey remained in short supply through the 1950s. Everything boomed in the ‘60s, then whiskey collapsed in the ‘70s and…

It’s a long trek to arrive at the Whisky Advocate Top 20. Throughout the year, our tasting panel samples hundreds of whiskies from around the world, all of that done blind. Toward the end of the year, our panelists convene for a series of blind tastings to determine which whiskies will make our Top 20 list. What qualifies a contender? A score of 90 points or above is the first hurdle. Then come the core priorities of price and availability: a $25,000 whisky with only 200 bottles available will never be in our Top 20, for example. A few splurges are allowed (with gift-givers in mind), and certain selections might be from smaller batches from producers who regularly replenish with similar bottlings. The final criteria is the X-factor—the je ne…

No matter the style of gin (and there are a few), you can always count on a bounty of botanicals, as the spirit harnesses some of the most potent and arresting flavors nature has to offer. Generally speaking, gin can be distilled from any raw material; from rye, wheat, barley, or corn, to potatoes or grapes. Genever, the oldest style of gin, is an exception to this rule, as it must be made from grain. The majority of gins are dry and juniper-forward—think London Dry as the pinnacle of this style—and they’re augmented by the likes of citrus peel, coriander, and countless other botanicals in bespoke blends. Old Tom gins are outliers in this respect, as unlike their dry and herbaceous counterparts, they’re notably sweet, be it from the addition…

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…

The 2023 Eifel Whisky releases all carry a 10 year age statement for the first time. This year’s Eifel Whisky 10 year old German single malt was initially matured for 5 years in 225-liter American oak Bordeaux red wine casks, then underwent a secondary period of maturation in 225-liter first and second-fill oloroso sherry casks. The 10 year old German Peated single malt uses 100% malt peated at 35 ppm. It was also initially matured for 5 years in 225-liter American oak Bordeaux red wine casks, but the secondary maturation was a further 5 years in first and second-fill 225-liter dark moscatel casks. Lastly, the 10 year old German Triple Malt is made from a mash of equal parts malted barley, malted wheat, and malted rye. Each malt type is…

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Kilbeggan® Triple Cask The first whiskey 100% distilled and matured at the newly-restored Kilbeggan Distillery, this blend of malt, barley, and rye recalls a past era in Irish distilling. Aromas of citrus and ginger lead into a rich palate of vanilla cream, biscuits, and baking spices, before a thick, buttery finish. Connemara® 12 Year Old The floral and grassy aroma reveals hints of crème brulée and spices, followed by a dry palate with notes of praline, vanilla bean, and peppercorn. The finish is long, coating the mouth in honey. Connemara® Cask Strength A rare peated Irish single malt, this undiluted and unfiltered whiskey has pronounced flavors of peat and malt. The aroma is slightly vegetal with notes of apple crumb, while it is lightly sweet on the tongue, with hints…

If you have time to do any people-watching at WhiskyFest amid sampling the various drams, the best times for it are at the beginning and end of the show. For ticketholders, the hardest thing is deciding what to taste, and what to leave. While most attendees are content to drift along in the river of whisky lovers, snatching drams that catch their eye as they sail past, there are whisky strategists embedded among them, identifiable by their marked-up programs. They’re on a mission to sample through a meticulously curated list of drams from the hundreds of pours at the show. Strategists, I salute you, but to paraphrase the old saying, no plan survives contact with a WhiskyFest in full swing. But before that first whisky ever splashes into your glass,…

1 Glenglassaugh Sandend 50.5% • $70 PANEL RATING 95 • SINGLE MALT SCOTCH (HIGHLAND) Our annual Top 20 Whiskies list is always filled with A-list names, along with a few lesser-knowns that make the grade. But it’s unusual for one of the latter to outshine the entire field, yet that’s precisely what happened this year, as Whisky Advocate’s panelists plucked a relative unknown from a group of big-name contenders. As we tasted, little did we know there was an upset in the making. Winning in a nearly unanimous vote, single malt scotch Glenglassaugh Sandend became our 2023 Whisky of the Year. Glenglassaugh Distillery is situated on the north coast of Scotland, perched upon high ground overlooking the North Sea. The whisky is often described as a “coastal” Highland malt, which…

High-rye whisky is enjoying a revival in Canada, led by releases from Lot No. 40, Canadian Club, Crown Royal, and Alberta Distillers Limited, as well as craft distillers. Many of these robust whiskies are now finding shelf space in U.S. retail shops. Of course, some of this good stuff has been crossing the border for years, even if its Canadian provenance isn’t always so evident. If you’ve enjoyed Masterson’s, Lock Stock & Barrel, or WhistlePig, then you’re likely a fan of Alberta Distillers Limited. That’s because until recently, ADL, as it’s known, has focused most of its business on distilling and maturing rye for other labels. Lately it has turned to making its own brands, although unbeknownst to many, ADL’s Alberta Premium has long been the world’s best-selling all-rye whisky.…

New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin Bourbon Barreled, 47%, $30 This is made from 12 locally foraged Kentucky botanicals; three kinds of citrus; two hand-foraged ingredients—juniper berry and American spicebush—and Kentucky’s state flower, goldenrod. A small amount of new make rye whiskey is blended in before resting in New Riff bourbon barrels for 5 to 7 months, which lends a hint of vanilla oak flavor. Rabbit Hole Bespoke, 44.5%, $50 Rabbit Hole imports this London dry gin from UK-based G&J Distillers, then finishes it for 3 months to 1 year in barrels previously used to age its Boxergrail, a Kentucky straight rye. Aging in rye barrels mellows the mouthfeel, resulting in smooth, creamy flavors, while also giving the spirit a kick of ginger spice. Dry Fly Washington Barrel Reserve, 40%, $40…

BOURBON 94 Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Sauternes and Toasted Oak Barrel Finished (Batch RC1), 57.2%, $270 The nose is spiced and chocolaty, complemented by a lovely backbone of fruit—strawberries and cream, juicy peach, applecider doughnut, and hibiscus tea. The palate is wonderfully textured, and while it’s hot, once the heat subsides, dark-chocolate raspberry squares, black forest cake, and endless cinnamon emerge. The finish keeps a good thing going, redolent with black raspberry ice cream, cortado coffee, and rich chocolate.—JH HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH 94 Blackadder Black Snake Vat No. 2 Sixth Venom, 59.9%, $75 Butterscotch, the earthiness of dried leaves and wet wool, with whiffs of mint and orange on an oak-restrained nose; you can spend lots of time on it. The palate is filled with enticing flavors, led by orange…

Scotland HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT 95 Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection The Recollection Series 49 year old Glen Mhor 1973, 47.2%, $9,000 The nose is sumptuous, rich, and absorbing, with toffee apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, date, leather, dried vine fruit, polished antique wood, gingerbread, and oak char. It’s silky smooth on the palate, with chocolate orange, vanilla extract, prune, and berry compote, shifting into milk chocolate, espresso, raisins, and dried fruits, with a finish of leather, prune, musty chocolate, and clove. A stunning example of a closed distillery dram. (170 bottles)—JM 93 Dalmore Cask Curation Series Sherry Edition 43 year old Apostoles Finish, 46.8%, $37,500/3-bottle set The sherrywood influence is lavish but not overdone on this whisky from 1979, finished in a 30 year old González Byass Apostoles sherry cask. Creamed…

Let’s start with Ireland and Scotland. Though neither country might ever consider it settled as to which one first distilled whisky, Ireland would seem to have the strongest claim for the title. As early as the 12th century, Irish monks were using distilling techniques they had acquired during their missions to southern Europe. Ireland, with its lush farmlands, abundant water sources, and mild climate, would have been the ideal incubator for the creation of whiskey. True, back then these monks were producing unaged herbal spirits that would hardly be recognized as whiskey now; yet by at least 1405, there is documentation of the Irish producing “aqua vitae,” or whiskey. It would take a few more decades for official documentation of whisky distilling to appear in Scotland. Whether peated and smoky,…