Ah, the holiday season cometh! As November dawns, clocks are set back, great sighs are heaved over quickly filling calendars, and a blustery wind from the North sends those last desperate leaves spiraling off the trees, heralding the coming onslaught of snow, cold, fattening treats, and gift-giving angst. I'm sorry to say I can't do … Continue reading Whisky Related Stocking Stuffers for 2013
The Exclusive Malts 1984 Tormore 29 Year Old – Review
*Thanks to SF and the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. To quote the late, great Michael Jackson (no, not the gloved one, this one), Tormore Distillery, "with a musical clock, belfry, and ornamental curling lake...looks like a spa offering a mountain-water cure."¹ Now, it may come as a great shock to everyone, perhaps … Continue reading The Exclusive Malts 1984 Tormore 29 Year Old – Review
The Exclusive Malts 1990 Laphroaig 22 Year Old – Review
*Thanks to SF and the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. First off, if this kind of thing puts you to sleep, I apologize. You can skip ahead if you want. If you're like me and find toponymical bric-a-brac more exciting than you might care to admit in public, then, well, you're in … Continue reading The Exclusive Malts 1990 Laphroaig 22 Year Old – Review
Zackariah Harris Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Review
*A sincere thanks to AP & Sazerac for the sample. Ah, bourbon lore! Sometimes it's difficult to ascertain whether bourbon's history and its key players are actual, factual occurrences on a timeline, or just juicy, apocryphal stuff exploited by marketers to sell more booze. Did Elijah Craig really invent bourbon? (No.) Was there actually a … Continue reading Zackariah Harris Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Review
Kentucky Tavern Straight Kentucky Bourbon – Review
*A sincere thanks to AP & Sazerac for the sample. After scouring the inter-webs for some historical/hysterical background on Kentucky Tavern, I found out that there was indeed a tavern in Louisville called the Kentucky Tavern. That doesn't strike me as the most unique name in the world, but I suppose if you woke up … Continue reading Kentucky Tavern Straight Kentucky Bourbon – Review
Kilchoman Loch Gorm – Review
*Thanks to SF and the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. For an island that's roughly just 25 miles long and 15 miles wide, Islay is home to quite a few inland, freshwater lakes...or, more appropriately, lochs. The largest of these is Loch Gorm which is located in the northeast corner of the … Continue reading Kilchoman Loch Gorm – Review
Bourbon, Straight – Book Review
With bourbon's popularity soaring, it was inevitable that more and more books on the subject start popping up on shelves. Ahead of a couple new releases due this Fall, I thought I'd take a quick look at one of my favorite bourbon-based books, Bourbon, Straight, by Charles (Chuck) K. Cowdery. Cowdery has long been one of … Continue reading Bourbon, Straight – Book Review
SMWSA Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza – Fall 2013
Over the years, one of my favorite large-scale whisky events has consistently been the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America's Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza. Yes, that's quite a name, I know, for the sake of this post, let's just call it the Extravaganza, shall we? The Extravaganzas I've attended in the past have … Continue reading SMWSA Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza – Fall 2013
Far North Spirits – Profile and Interview
Now that I'm a resident of the great state of Minnesota, I thought I'd show a little local pride by profiling a new Minnesota distillery. Tucked way the hell up there in the hinterland-ish, northwest corner of the state, not far from the small town of Hallock, Far North Spirits broke ground in the Spring … Continue reading Far North Spirits – Profile and Interview
The Exclusive Malts 1992 Dailuaine 21 Year Old – Review
*Thanks to SF and the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. The name "Dailuaine" (pronounced 'dale-YOU-an') comes from the Scots-Gaelic An dail uaine, which means "green vale". For a distillery residing in the Speyside region, this is a quite accurate name and an incredibly vague one at the same time. During the brief time I spent in this … Continue reading The Exclusive Malts 1992 Dailuaine 21 Year Old – Review
THE CASKS 