Drew Beard
Since we started keeping up with Smokehead a few years back, the heavy metal-inspired, Islay whisky brand from Ian Macleod Distillers has eschewed conventional age-statements in favor of a lineup more focused on unique cask finishings. In fact, age statements have never really been Smokehead’s thing with the one notable exception of an 18-year-old limited edition…
Kentucky’s Green River recently released a new addition to their already extensive lineup of bourbon and rye, and fans of cask strength whiskey are sure to take notice. Green River Wheated Full Proof joins a handful of high octane offerings in the brand’s portfolio including the standard Full Proof and single barrel, both made from…
Virginia’s A. Smith Bowman retired its limited-edition Oak Series line late last year (after only three releases), but it doesn’t look like their annual Cask Strength offering is going anywhere anytime soon. Which is probably little comfort to bourbon fans outside the Commonwealth of Virginia since this latest edition, Batch #5, remains largely a distillery-only…
You may have missed the news that Colin Gordon left Ardbeg Distillery last year to return to his roots in malting on the mainland. Succeeding him in his role as Distillery Manager is Bryony McNiven, a daughter of the island with a very Ardbeg-heavy resume. Her father was a longtime stillman, and she has spent…
Luxco isn’t dancing around the premium nature, or price, of its newest blanco tequila. Even the name, Escasa, means “scarce” in Spanish. The details, per the brand: Crafted in Los Altos de Jalisco, Escasa Tequila is dedicated to the opulence of scarcity, the result of hundreds of years of knowledge distilled into one bottle. Founded in 2024 by renowned fourth-generation…
We’ve encountered plenty of movie and rock star-backed tequila brands, from George Clooney’s Casamigos, arguably the tequila that lit the fire for the Hollywood obsession, to Matthew McConaughey’s more recent Pantalones, among so, so many others. What we don’t see as much are celebrity chefs throwing their weight behind a tequila brand. Which, well, is…
Ardbeg Committee releases are usually very involved whiskies showcasing unique production methods and exotic maturations paired with an elaborate backstory. For this latest limited edition, however, the iconic Islay distillery is getting back to basics, delivering a cask strength version of their classic 10-year-old single malt. And, apparently, it’s not for the first time. After…
Barrell Bourbon is back on our radar with the latest Cask Finish Series. As a reminder, this is a limited-edition line of specialty finished bourbons that has included some pretty adventurous offerings like Ice Wine. We named that whiskey the best of 2024 and, to our knowledge, something like it has yet to be replicated…
Last fall, North Carolina’s Southern Distilling Company jumped into the increasingly crowded world of American single malt in a pretty big way. With a portfolio dominated by house-distilled bourbons, single malt was something of a surprising addition for one of the state’s largest distillers and contract producers. And they appear to be going all in…
Glen Scotia Distillery was a powerhouse whisky producer in Scotland’s Campbeltown region, once a booming center of whisky production for most of the 19th century with over 30 distilleries. Today, it is one of only three distilleries on that tiny, west coast peninsula to have survived the ups and downs of the Scotch industry. Under…