David Tao
In today’s bourbon market, some discerning collectors chase age. Others chase proof. And if I had to guess, the center of that Venn diagram is pretty big, such that very old and very high-abv bourbon will turn a lot of heads. In April 2026, spirits giant Diageo announced a whiskey with stats so eye-popping, I…
It’s easy to criticize “grain-to-glass” as a designation, but by any definition, Nevada’s Frey Ranch certainly qualifies. The family owned and operated company grows its own grains, then malts, mashes, distills, ages, and bottles all whiskeys on site. They even create their own “peat” via a home-built bioreactor, which accelerates the decay of farm-sourced organic…
For 200 years, Fettercairn’s Highland single malts never officially graced American shores, at least via branded releases. In 2025, the brand introduced part of its core range to the U.S., with limited distribution on 24, 28, and 40 year old single malts. Now, the Whyte & Mackay-operated distillery is rolling out its 12 and 16…
Out of Fort Worth comes another experimental release from TX Whiskey, the 16th total in their series, and the second so far this year. We previously reviewed Experimental Series #15, which was a rye/bourbon blend with the latter portion finished in Vino de Naranja barrels. The latest release is a Texas straight rye whiskey, aged…
Out of Iowa’s Cedar Ridge comes another edition of “Pete & Sherri Married,” a single malt blend meant to capture the best of the distillery’s peated and sherried liquid streams. The series initially launched in 2019 and returned later with a 1st Anniversary bottling. This latest 2026 version is titled “2nd Anniversary,” a 114.4 proof…
It’s a Jeppson’s Malört world, and we’re all just living in it. To be fair, that’s probably a stretch. Chicago’s bitter, wormwood-flavored liqueur isn’t exactly omnipresent. But it’s certainly on a hot streak, powered by an extremely vocal fan base and more than a few viral moments. The brand itself has capitalized on that increased…
The GlenDronach has been making whisky since 1826. To celebrate its bicentennial, the historic distillery has released (in very limited supply) its oldest expression to date: The GlenDronach Aged 56 Years. True to form for the Highland producer, this whisky certainly leans into sherry maturation, having spent its entire life across Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez…
Northern Kentucky’s New Riff isn’t afraid to experiment with grain varieties, blends, and mash bills. An adventurous release calendar has certainly paid off, and in recent years, the distillery has been on a tear with excellent single malts and other age-stated whiskeys. New Riff’s collaborations with other companies have also spanned several categories. They’ve twice…
Fort Worth’s TX Whiskey has been on something of a tear when it comes to experimental releases, with new versions currently dropping multiple times per year. One of the latest is Experimental Series #15, which features two main components, both produced and matured on-site at the Pernod Ricard-owned distillery: 5 year-old straight rye whiskey bourbon whiskey,…
When Buffalo Trace announced Eagle Rare 25 in late 2023, the news effectively came with a wink and a nod: Yes, it was the oldest Eagle Rare to date, but don’t be surprised to see more “ultra-aged” whiskey coming down the pipeline. By 2018, the distillery had already invested millions in Warehouse P, an experimental…