By Richard Thomas Although it was my intention to not do another round-up of the whiskey industry’s closure, bankruptcy, business and lawsuit news until early summer, recent events have compelled me to follow mid-May’s update with a mid-June update. Double Blow To The Weavers In Uncle Nearest Case Sometimes small town newspapers are an excellent …
By Richard Thomas Since the founding of The Whiskey Reviewer, news on the loss of whiskey valued in the six digits has come in one of two forms: robberies or thefts of a relatively small amount of very valuable bottles or trucking accidents resulting in the loss of a large quantity of mass market products. The …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B For those who don’t know the brand histories, Jim Beam had a reason for using Old Granddad’s distillate in creating the Basil Hayden brand back in the 1990s. Raymond Hayden created the Old Granddad brand in the 1880s, naming it for his grandfather, Meredith Basil Hayden. The two names have …
By Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod Rating: B+ Compass Box is an independent Scotch whisky maker and blending company rather than a distillery. They do not own stills and, historically at least, have not distilled their own spirit. Instead, they purchase whisky from various Scottish distilleries and combine it to create their own products. They describe themselves as: …
The GlenAllachie Distillery has unveiled the latest release in its award-winning Masters of Wood Series, a 19-year-old Ex-Solera Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt Whisky that celebrates exceptionally rare casks and long-term wood character. The Masters of Wood Series showcases the influence of The GlenAllachie’s most unusual and scarce wood stocks. The series debuted in 2024 …
In one sense, Penelope Bourbon is a brand that has bucked the usual state of affairs for whiskey brands. The usual path is to release core, regular expressions and only then branch out into cask finishes, experimentals, single barrels and other such variants. Penelope is one of a handful of brands that went the opposite …
Benriach, the Speyside distillery founded in 1898, has a new release in Shades of Smoke (750 ml, 48.1% ABV). Created in partnership with celebrated digital artist Stefano Contiero, his evocative, moving artwork was inspired by the whisky and captured at different moments to create multiple, bespoke versions of the packaging. Reflecting the brand’s commitment to …
Climate Change Throws Whiskey Making Off Balance Whiskey has always depended on predictable agriculture. Barley likes cool, damp places. Water needs to run steady from springs and streams. Aging relies on gentle temperature swings inside warehouses. Climate change is messing with every step of that chain. In 2026, distillers across Scotland, Ireland, and the United …
How Premium Whiskey Brands Are Expanding Through Sports Partnerships Whiskey brands used to fight for the eye at the back bar and on the store shelf. Now they want the lap before lights out, the hour before kickoff, the walk from the parking lot to the gate. Formula 1 gives them paddock suites and race-week …
Eddie Russell started working at the Lawrenceburg, Kentucky based Austin Nichols Distillery, home of Wild Turkey, in 1981. This year marks his 45th anniversary there, and the company has chosen to mark that occasion with an interesting twist. Rather than releasing a specially concocted limited edition, instead they have decided to make the 2026 release …
