David Tao
Based in San Francisco, Fat Labrador Distillers has gradually released various sourced and wood-finished expressions under the Whiskey Town banner, including a stave-finished, 3 year old bourbon from Indiana. The other of their early sourced releases is an altogether different beast and the first in their “lost barrel” series: a 26 year old American whiskey…
Chef Kwame Onwuachi is having a moment. Or perhaps a multi-year series of them. Since a Top Chef appearance in 2015 springboarded him into the mainstream eye, Onwuachi’s resume has expanded to include more and more roles. He’s a repeat author, multi-time restaurateur, creative director, and designer. In 2022, he even partnered with Orly Beauty…
When she was named Woodford Reserve’s Master Distiller in February 2023, Elizabeth McCall knew she was in for a challenge. But that doesn’t mean she feels alone in taking the brand forward. She inherits the role from Chris Morris, who began mentoring McCall to take over the job around 2015. And while McCall and Morris…
Based out of San Francisco, Fat Labrador Distillers is following a playbook similar to so many other American craft distillers. While their own distillate is aging, they’ve sourced stocks from other major producers to help create both brand awareness and sales. Their Whiskey Town releases cover a variety of mashbills, some of which are finished…
Entrepreneur and media personality Raj Bhakta built a hallmark whiskey brand by founding WhistlePig, and he’s using his storytelling playbook to grow another — this time eponymous — spirits bottler with Bhakta Spirits. Known for launching with 50+ year old Armagnacs, Bhakta has more recently branched out into both younger brandy blends and single vintage…
As the team behind the podcast Bourbon Pursuit releases new bottles under their Pursuit Spirits brand, they’re leaning into flavor territory beyond just blending. For the first bourbon and rye in “The Oak Collection,” founders Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil have imparted additional wood influence via a variety of oak finishes. As outlined in a…
Based in Bettendorf, Iowa, Cat’s Eye Distillery has built their brand name largely on the back of sourced spirits — notably bourbon, rye, and light whiskey — from the United States, Canada, and several European countries. Bottled under the Obtainium or Nassif Family Reserve labels, their sourced whiskeys have also grown in popularity as cask…
For Booker’s Bourbon fans, 2022 was a year of both creativity and consistency, at least for the first three releases. A lineup of “Ronnie’s Batch,” “The Lumberyard Batch,” and “Kentucky Tea” gives plenty of classic Beam notes with a couple curve ball tasting notes thrown in. (Stewed tomatoes, anyone?) And while there was a good…
With eight Grand Prix victories to his name, Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo is no stranger to the champion’s circle. The 33 year-old — who will drive for Red Bull Racing starting in 2023 — is also a lifelong wine fanatic, an interest sparked by his father, who emigrated from Italy. Over the past…
American whiskey fans have long been stricken with single barrel fever. And for a community based around comparing and contrasting opinions on flavor, that really comes as no surprise. Barrel picks allow us to explore a single producer’s range, all while admiring the variety that can emerge when sipping otherwise identical distillate side-by-side. Some hallmark…