David Tao
Penelope makes waves among bourbon geeks for their limited, special edition, and annual bottlings. (With lineup names like Founders Reserve, Estate Collection, and Limited Edition, they’re easy enough to differentiate.) But it’s the brand’s Core Series that has really won over hearts, minds, and bartenders nationwide. The core four expressions have until now included Architect,…
Few American whiskey brands have experienced as meteoric rise as Penelope. Founded in 2018, the brand never hid its status as a non-distilling producer (NDP), primarily sourcing barrels from Indiana’s MGP while buying some from a handful of Kentucky distilleries. Such was their success that MGP/Luxco purchased the company in 2023, keeping on founders Michael…
Established by U.S. law in 1897, the bottled-in-bond act is still a relevant — and, to spirits aficionados, familiar — signal of quality in American liquor. In a world of sourced whiskey and non-distilling producers (nothing wrong with that, to be clear!), it also a major signifier of a spirit’s provenance. Bonded whiskey needs to…
Bardstown’s Preservation Distillery was officially launched around 2015, but the brand has roots dating back to the 1980s. That’s when founder Marci Palatella began bottling sourced bourbon under a wide variety of labels — including Pure Antique, Very Olde St. Nick, and Rare Perfection, among others — often specifically targeted at export markets. Some of…
Produced at the Hiram Walker & Sons Limited in Windsor, Ontario, J.P. Wiser’s is one of the oldest extant Canadian whisky brands and has a history dating back to 1857. Now owned by Pernod-Ricard, the brand sells some of the oldest blended Canadian whisky on the market. Today, we’re looking at two releases well over…
In the last five years, there are few American companies that have carved out a spirits niche quite like Found North. A non-distilling producer, the brand specializes in blended Canadian whisky at cask strength, which often includes a wide range of aged components in addition to intricate cask finishes. Perhaps most impressively, they’ve grown by…
Since its original founding, Nevada-based Minden Mill Distillery has had a short but eventful history. It opened as Bently Heritage Estate Distillery in February 2019. In 2022, founder Christopher Bently announced the distillery and surrounding properties would cease operations and be put up for sale. And in 2023, Sonoma County-based Foley Family Wines & Spirits…
Campari-owned Speyside Scotch maker Glen Grant recently introduced two new, highly aged expressions to the American market. Glen Grant 25 Year hit stateside shelves in 2024, while the 30 year is rolling out in early 2025. Along with their 21 year bottling, the trio makes up Glen Grant’s “Glasshouse Collection,” the oldest aged expressions in…
Chivas Brothers’-owned Longmorn has been operating since the late 19th century, but until recently, it’s largely been imbibed via blended Scotch or the occasional independent bottling. As part of the Pernod Ricard family of brands, the distillery has recently emerged as a name producer in its own right, introducing both 18 and 22 year old…
While Michter’s is no stranger to limited releases, certain bottlings hold near-legendary status in American whiskey. One of those is the brand’s 20 year old bourbon, an expression as sought after as it is rare, with each release often comprising under 1,000 bottles. Adding to the rarity — and perhaps in turn the appeal — is…