Although Irish Distillers, the makers of Jameson, were solely responsible for the preservation of Ireland’s single pot still style through the dark days of the Seventies and into the 21st Century, single pot still expressions at the company have been limited to their Redbreast, Spots and Midleton brands. Although that type of whiskey was incorporated …
The Evolution of Whiskey: From Tradition to Modern Craft Distilling Whiskey has come a hell of a long way since the days of dodgy backyard stills and grumpy old blokes in flat caps arguing about how much peat is too much. What started as rough-as-guts moonshine has turned into a proper global phenomenon worth billions. …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B Starting out almost a decade ago as the company that brought whiskey-distilling back to Baltimore, Sagamore Spirits has built its reputation around a Maryland rye revival. Although not as famous as its Pennsylvania neighbors for rye whiskey, Maryland has its own rye-making tradition that is at least as old, eventually …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B It has been little over a year since Ohio’s Middle West Spirits bought Old Elk Distillery, based in Colorado, but now Old Elk has come out with its first major release since the acquisition. This new launch is a 10 year old collection, consisting of a straight bourbon (rye recipe); …
Hard Truth Distilling Co. announces the release of its third 2026 Master Distiller’s Reserve whiskey: Dark Roast Rye. This new release is a 50-50 blend of two different Kentucky style ryes (51% rye and 38% corn in both cases), but in one part the malted barley is chocolate malt and the other caramel malt. For …
Whiskey House of Kentucky announced it achieved ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation through A2LA for laboratory testing, marking the fourth ISO certification in just two years since the start of production — a first in the distilling industry. The latest certification demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to quality, technical competence, operational discipline, and customer confidence. ISO/IEC 17025 …
Centennial’s Branch & Barrel Distilling has announced the release of 5 year old Colorado Straight Bourbon Batch 35, also known as ‘Mitch’s Blend’ for Master Blender Mitchell Nester’s fondness for it. Batch 35 is now available on shelves across the state of Colorado and at Branch & Barrel’s Centennial Tasting Room. “I’m going to go …
Your thumb rests against the glass as a heavy cube makes a noise inside your tumbler. It is late on Friday evening, and the living room is completely quiet. You swallow a drop of amber whisky while the lights in the Jabula Bets lobby shine on your palm. It’s easy to plan a great night …
By Richard Thomas While I was promoting my latest book, Behind the Bottle: Jack Daniel’s, earlier this spring, I fielded more than a few questions about what the difference is between sour mash and sweet mash whiskey-making. If that seems off-topic, I initially found it a little odd as well, but I have since chalked …
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Sometimes pundits have real, lasting influence. So, whenever I see someone scoff at Blade & Bow in a blog or an internet forum, I chalk it up to Chuck Cowdery’s very personal feud with certain individuals at Diageo, which had the trickle down effect of a chunk of enthusiasts being …
