By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ For decades, the sole preserver of the Irish pot still whiskey tradition was New Midleton, best known as the maker of Jameson’s. When the world’s whiskey industries hit rock bottom in the 1970s, Ireland was hit hardest and they consolidated down to just two distilleries: New Midleton, which was purpose-built …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Just in time for my favorite time of year, Spooky Season, the shelves have a bottle bearing the name “Ghostwood Bourbon” on them. The company’s marketing speaks more to cowboys than specters, but that’s okay. Check out the bottle image. That more than matches it to October in my book. …
By Douglas Fraser Rating: B Redemption Single Barrel Bourbon is hand selected by Master Blender Alan Kennedy for character, structure, and balance. But it is also a Bottled in Bond whiskey, meaning distilled by only one distillery in a single distilling season, matured in a government-supervised warehouse and bottled at 100 proof. It’s also at …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Jim Beam earned the top spot as America’s best-selling bourbon company only in recent years, and much of the credit for seizing that crown does not go to Jim Beam itself. Instead, it goes to the steady promotion of the many brands owned by the company. The endgame came when …
By Richard Thomas Rating: B Branch & Barrel is located in Centennial, Colorado (“The Centennial State”), an exurb of Denver located south and just slightly east of Denver’s core. Operating since 2015, the distillery is part of a vibrant craft whiskey scene that I had in the running for becoming America’s third whiskey state (after …
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 Randall H. Borkus Rating: B In May 2026, 15 Stars announced the fourth release of its First West collection: First West Explorer. Joining First West Small Batch, First West Toasted Oak and First West Extra Aged, this new expression is a first consisting of 100% in-house distilled bourbon. Theirs is an interesting story. Rick and …
By Genevieve Jacot-Guillarmod Rating: B Inchmoan is the name of an island in Loch Lomond, and is commonly translated as “island of peat” or “peaty island,” which is a fitting name for the distillery’s smoky style of whisky. Loch Lomond is also one of Scotland’s most unusual distilleries. Most Scottish distilleries produce either malt whisky …
By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B- Jeptha Creed Distillery is a women-owned craft distillery located outside Shelbyville, Kentucky, led by mother-daughter team of Joyce and Autumn Nethery. I have generally enjoyed the bourbon crafted at Jeptha Creed Distillery. I met Master Distiller Joyce Nethery and her daughter Autumn, Director of Operations, a few years back …
Updated July 8, 2026 By Alex Southgate Average Rating: B I was fortunate to be able to sample Warehouse 2 Batch No.001 by Fettercairn recently and I have to say that I was mightily impressed. But, I was also able to try out the 12 Year Old expression from Fettercairn, and here are my impressions. …
