*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Part II of the two part look at the Amrut Peated malts... The Nose: I never learn..."go ahead, stick your nose right in there, you idiot, burn off all your nose hairs". When I see a high ABV on a bottle, it's just like … Continue reading Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky, Cask Strength – Review
Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. In the 1530's a fellow named Kempe Gowda I had the Bangalore Fort built to protect this growing city of the Vijaynagar Empire. Legend has it Ol' Kempe named the city and fort Bengalooru, which was a marked improvement on the old name of … Continue reading Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt Whisky – Review
Whisky Roundtable #4
A new month is here, and in San Francisco, the coming of September means that Summer has finally begun! More importantly, a new month brings us a new Whisky Roundtable! Every month, 12 esteemed (or at least, me and 11 esteemed) whisky writers get together to weigh in on a question of weighty whisky importance. … Continue reading Whisky Roundtable #4
Edradour Caledonia, Aged 12 Years – Review
Around 140 AD, the Roman Emperor of the time, Antoninus Pius, decided to build the Antonine Wall to keep those alarmingly uncouth Picts sequestered as far North as possible. Ol' Tony was just trying to be like his mentor, Hadrian, and a fortified wall stretching from coast to coast to seal off what the Roman's called … Continue reading Edradour Caledonia, Aged 12 Years – Review
A.D. Rattray 1991 Aberlour 18 Year Old, “K&L” Single Barrel – Review
*Thanks to Dave Driscoll and K&L Wines for the sample of this one. It's Tuesday...I wish I could regale you with some obscure history or made-up story about Aberlour's founder, James Fleming, and his childhood dream of becoming a world-famous harpist, but it's Tuesday and I'm already tired. So instead, a fairly perfunctory and dull … Continue reading A.D. Rattray 1991 Aberlour 18 Year Old, “K&L” Single Barrel – Review
History Lesson #1 – The Phylloxera Epidemic
*The first in what will, hopefully, be a series of mildly in-depth looks at some of the pivotal events in Whisky's illustrious history... When I first heard of the Phylloxera epidemic that decimated the European wine industry in the late 1800's, I wasn't aware of its impact on the world of whisky, but I was … Continue reading History Lesson #1 – The Phylloxera Epidemic
The Arran Malt, Icons of Arran #2 – The Rowan Tree 12 Year Old – Review
Another huge thank you to Jason at Guid Scotch Drink for the sample. I grew up in Milwaukee, WI with a great Rowan Tree (Sorbus americana) in our front yard. In many ways, it was the ideal tree for a bunch of suburban boys, fantastic for climbing and each year come summer, fully stocked with … Continue reading The Arran Malt, Icons of Arran #2 – The Rowan Tree 12 Year Old – Review
The Arran Malt, Icons of Arran #1, Peacock 12 Year Old – Review
A huge thank you to Jason at Guid Scotch Drink for the sample. If you haven't given him a read...do so. Interesting facts about Peacocks (Pavo Cristatus): Part of the Pheasant family, Peacock's are actually Peafowl. The word "Peacock" refers, damn appropriately I might add, only to the male of the species. The female is … Continue reading The Arran Malt, Icons of Arran #1, Peacock 12 Year Old – Review
The Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky, Aged 12 Years – Review
With the embarrassment of culinary riches right at our fingertips, us San Franciscans can get pretty damn smug about our food scene. Sure NY chefs get more Food Network shows, but we get all the best produce and animal parts. The plethora of local farms makes it incredibly easy to eat organic, non-processed, sustainably grown … Continue reading The Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky, Aged 12 Years – Review
Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky – Review
The Maker's Mark story goes that while experimenting with recipes for their whisky, the Samuels family made a lot of bread. The bread kind of bread, not the money kind of bread. They've made a lot of the money kind of bread as well, but that came later, first they made a lot of the … Continue reading Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky – Review
THE CASKS 