Whiskey
Whiskey is a spirit produced from the distillation of grain. Debate still rages about whether the Irish Celts or Scots were the first to produce the “water of life,” but the first written recording of whiskey’s creation dates to 15th century Scotland. Origin isn’t the only debate concerning whiskey. Spelling is contentious, too. When distilled in Scotland, Canada, and Japan, it is spelled whisky without the e, while whiskey distilled in Ireland and the United States is most often, but not always, spelled with the e. Technically, whiskey is a distilled spirit produced from a fermented grain mash, distilled to no more than 190 proof, and bottled at no less than 80 proof. All whiskey, with the exception of corn whiskey and “white” whiskey, must be aged for some period of time in oak containers. Whiskey is classified by country of origin (i.e. Canadian whisky) and may be further defined by the type of grain used (i.e. rye whiskey) or the way it is produced (i.e. single malt).
Top Whiskey Posts:
The Top 10 Whiskeys of 2018
The Top 10 Whiskeys of 2017
All About Dusties: 1970s vs. 2018 Bourbon Tasted Side by Side
Top 10 Bourbons Under $20
What Grains are Used to Make Whiskey (And Why?)
From Barrel To Bottle: How Wood Aging Impacts Whiskey
Cascade Moon — the upscale sub-brand of George Dickel — recently dropped two new releases. Also dropped has been the numbering system which came with its first two whiskies, dubbed No. 1 and No. 2. Going forward, Cascade Moon bottlings will be distinguished by unique labels and descriptive naming systems explaining exactly what’s in the…
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Adelphi is a well-known independent bottler of other people’s whiskies. After 100 years as a bottler, the company finally decided to get in on the game in earnest by building its own distillery and making its own whisky in the western Highlands of Scotland, operating under the name of Ardnamurchan. The first release, Ardnamurchan Small…
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The ImpEx Collection independent bottlings of whiskey and rum launched with much fanfare (at least for us) last year, and now the collection is expanding to offer its first Japanese whisky. This 17 year old grain whisky comes from an undisclosed distillery — hence the name — and is made from koji rice and barley.…
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It was a terrible, no-good two years for in-person spirits events (make that in-person events of any kind), but things are finally, thankfully starting to return to normal. Chris noted (with some surprise) that Whiskies of the World held its San Francisco event last fall but at a reduced scale. Washington, D.C.’s famous Jack Rose…
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Wyoming Whiskey is out with its second annual limited edition in support of the National Park Foundation. For this year’s release, the distillery has partnered with Yellowstone Forever, the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park, to mark the park’s 150th anniversary. The bottle is available for sale at the park, throughout Wyoming, and in…
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One of the best whisky retailers in the world is The Whisky Exchange — and one of the retailer’s best product lines are its “Perfect Measure” sampler sets, which consist of numerous 30ml bottles of whiskies that you will likely have a hard time finding in any format, anywhere. Recently the company sent me a…
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Virginia’s Copper Fox Distillery continues to innovate and broaden their portfolio. Over the last year or so this small distillery has expanded its single barrel offerings while exploring ever more interesting and unusual woods in their finishings. On top of that, for 2022 the distillery launched what it calls the Captain’s Club, a members only…
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Now that the Woodford Reserve Distillery Series is back in action, we’re excited to see what oddities the wizards in Versailles will keep coming up with. This new release has two twists: It starts with Woodford Reserve Oat Grain Bourbon, then finishes it in a heavily toasted secondary barrel. As always, this release is primarily…
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The release last year of Sagamore Spirit’s first bottled-in-bond rye, made entirely in-house at their Baltimore distillery, somewhat overshadowed the release of this whiskey, an eight-year-old Reserve Series offering distilled on contract in Indiana. While the distillery’s Reserve Series has typically focused on unique finishes like tequila and calvados, Sagamore kept things simple with this…
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The Gladstone Axe is a blended Scotch line created in honor of William Gladstone, who served as Prime Minister of Britain four times during the reign of Queen Victoria. There are two whiskies in the line, both made from 100% malt whiskies; no grain whisky in the mix. The Gladstone Axe American Oak Whisky is…
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