American Whiskey
American whiskey comprises a huge swath of sub-categories, and most of the whiskeys you’ll encounter fall into one of these. Bourbon (distinguished by its 51%-or-greater corn mashbill) is undoubtedly the largest of these, with Rye (at least 51% rye) arguably second. Tennessee Whiskey (a subset of Bourbon, made in Tennessee and charcoal mellowed) is another major, with Wheat Whiskey, Corn Whiskey, and Malt Whiskey all having their adherents. White whiskey (unaged whiskey) is another segment growing in size. Other categories, including Blended Whiskey, Light Whiskey, and Spirit Whiskey can also be found occupying this broad catch-all category.
Top American Whiskey Categories:
Bourbon
Tennessee Whiskey
Rye
Wheat Whiskey
American Single Malt
In 2020 we mentioned how Seattle’s Westland is evolving its special edition whiskeys, expanding its Outpost Range to cover (eventually) three different expressions. At the core of these is Garryana, now in its 6th edition, which has long been an exploration of Quercus garryana, the rare oak indigenous to the Pacific Northwest. (The second edition…
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The limited releases just kept on coming this year from Michter’s. Hot on the heels of the 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon and the Barrel Strength Rye, shelves were stocked, however briefly, with the newest 10 Year Old Single Barrel Rye and the eagerly anticipated return of US-1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon. Michter’s fans…
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As fall kicked off this year, KO Distillery in Manassas, Virginia announced the release of two new expressions, both of which are meant to satisfy whiskey-drinkers’ growing love of rye (or so says the press release). First up is Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Rye, the follow on to last year’s Distiller’s Reserve Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon made from 100%…
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Ready for Christmas? Ready for Christmas 2023, maybe? Our long day’s journey into night may have continued unabated this year, but we’re hopeful you’ve at least found some ability to get out of the house, maybe take a trip, and reconnect with friends and family this season. Naturally, you’re still not going to be able…
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Tamworth Distilling, New Hampshire’s strangest distillery and the outfit responsible for such oddities as Deerslayer Venison Flavored Whiskey, turns in another unusual non-vegan whiskey release, House of Tamworth Bird of Courage. Per the company, “The roasted turkey flavored whiskey is limited-edition and birthed from a barrel of 5-year-old Bottled in Bond bourbon steeped with a…
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Whiskeys from Balcones, arguably Texas’s best-known distillery, have been stacking up here at Drinkhacker HQ. Today we’re killing a trilogy of bottles, including two new releases and the second edition of another well-liked expression. Balcones Pilgrimage – Texas single malt made from Golden Promise barley, aged in used casks and finished in Sauternes casks. No…
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When Frey Ranch distillery, based in Fallon, Nevada, released their first four-grain straight bourbon in December 2019, we at Drinkhacker were instant fans. (We also reviewed their follow up rye and single barrel bourbon #22). The whiskeys stand on their own merit; and a recent visit to the idyllic working ranch and their first annual Whiskey…
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Last year, Washington D.C.’s One Eight Distilling released their first ever single barrel under their in-house District Made label, an impressive cask strength rye whiskey. What makes sense for a sequel? You guessed it. A cask strength, single barrel bourbon. This bottle hit the distillery’s gift shop shelves back in September, but the One Eight…
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Over the summer, Virginia Distillery Co. added three new offerings to their line of Courage & Conviction single malts, each drawn from stocks used in the core Courage & Conviction blend. If that wasn’t evidence enough that the distillery has really ramped up their single malt production, we now have the latest bottling: Courage &…
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Earlier this month, we reviewed the reborn Old Scout Single Barrel Bourbon, which died an untimely death, along with the standard Old Scout Bourbon, when the distillery ran out of sourced MGP stock in 2016. That wasn’t the only casualty of Smooth Ambler’s shortage. There was also an Old Scout Rye (MGP’s beloved 95/5 mashbill)…
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