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).
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Last summer, we introduced you to The Clover, a line of sourced single barrel whiskeys named for famed golfer Bobby Jones and the good luck charm he wore in every tournament. We were impressed with ...
Shibui is a new Japanese whisky brand with a tagline that clarifies things from the start: “We don’t distill, we discover.” In other words, Shibui is a blender that collects casks of all types from ...
The Doc Swinson’s Collection is a new brand that’s been making serious waves since it hit the scene. This non-distilling producer’s story begins like many, with the discovery of a few barrels of good bourbon ...
Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. is probably better known to most readers as the home of the George Dickel Tennessee Whisky line, but recently the company launched a new line of whiskies called Cascade Moon — ...
A handful of craft distillers across the country commemorated the recent presidential inauguration with a special spirits release. Virginia’s Copper Fox Distillery used the moment as an excuse to release its first ever cask strength ...
The third installment in the Dewar’s “Smooth” lineup is here, following Caribbean Smooth Rum Cask Finish and Ilegal Smooth Mezcal Cask Finish. This time up we’re turning to the world of Port, taking 8 year old ...
Based in Waldport, Oregon, Gatsby Spirits is a new operation that is crafting a variety of products (under two separate brand names), including some curious and unusual ingredients. We tasted all three of Gatsby’s offerings. ...
Bruichladdich has a famous devotion to transparency when it comes to what’s in its whiskies, with one exception: Black Art, a single malt that’s vatted from any number of types of casks, differing (wildly) with ...
It has been close to a decade since we last visited Lagavulin’s Distillers Edition, an annual fixture on Diageo’s extensive release calendar. Special editions within Lagavulin’s portfolio are nothing new: the 12-year old Special Release, ...
Anyone passing even the quickest of glimpses over the latest lifestyle listicle or award competition winners would be aware Barrell has the hot hand coming out of Kentucky at the moment. With a prolific series ...