*Thanks to Sam Filmus and the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Back around the year 2002, to help get their new distillery off the ground, Penderyn enlisted the help of Dr. Jim Swan. Without Dr. Swan's expertise, it's unlikely that the Welsh distillery would have experienced the success that it has had. … Continue reading Penderyn Legend Single Malt Welsh Whisky – Review
Single Malt
Penderyn Sherrywood Single Malt Welsh Whisky – Review
*Thanks to Sam Filmus and the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Penderyn's origin story, according to Penderyn, begins sometime in the mid-'90s, in a Welsh pub with a group of friends, possibly slightly overserved, getting rather excited about creating a Welsh whisky. These were apparently men of action, not just men of … Continue reading Penderyn Sherrywood Single Malt Welsh Whisky – Review
Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky – 2014 Odyssey Barley, Batch #2 – Review
*Sincere thanks to Cotswolds Distillery for the sample. Founded in 2014 by a former financier, Cotswolds Distillery is located in one of the UK's wonderfully named "Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty." The Cotswolds District is full of rolling hills and charming looking villages built with the distinctive, honey-toned Cotswold stone, an oolitic Jurassic Limestone known to be … Continue reading Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky – 2014 Odyssey Barley, Batch #2 – Review
Stranahan’s Original Colorado Single Malt Whiskey – Review
*Sincere thanks to Stranahan's and Exposure PR for the sample. The summer before last, I had the opportunity to visit Denver, CO and Stranahan's Distillery for their first Cask Thief event. It was a great opportunity to see a bit of the area and get to know this elder statesman of American single malt whiskey … Continue reading Stranahan’s Original Colorado Single Malt Whiskey – Review
New Liberty Distillery’s Penna Dutch Malt Whiskey – Review
*Sincere thanks to Quaker City Mercantile and New Liberty Distillery for the sample. We will get to this somewhat unique whiskey in a moment. The first order of business, however, is deciphering the tangled web made by producers, owners, and marketers of this brand. Or maybe it's not such a tangled web, maybe it's a … Continue reading New Liberty Distillery’s Penna Dutch Malt Whiskey – Review
Westland Peated American Single Malt Whiskey – Review
*Sincere thanks to Westland Distillery for the sample. Conventional whisky wisdom says that peat as a flavor is at its most pungent when a whisky is young, let's say under 12 years. Once a malt starts edging up into those delightful late teens, things begin to balance out and that once dominating peat starts to … Continue reading Westland Peated American Single Malt Whiskey – Review
Westland American Single Malt Whiskey – Review
*Sincere thanks to Westland Distillery for the sample. Seattle's Westland Distillery is something of a rarity in the American Craft Distilling scene. A great many small, new distilleries are excited about the prospect of making a whiskey, but the time and financial patience needed to see that whiskey come to fruition also means that more … Continue reading Westland American Single Malt Whiskey – Review
Amrut 100 Peated Single Malt Whisky – Review
*Sincere thanks to RS and Purple Valley Imports for the sample. In the alcohol world, the term "proof" can be a confusing one. Pretty much every booze label you see today expresses the alcohol content in a straight-up percentage, e.g. that bottle of Malibu Rum you just bought is a whopping 21% alcohol by volume … Continue reading Amrut 100 Peated Single Malt Whisky – Review
The Hakushu 12 Year Old – Review
From the few pictures I've seen, Suntory's Hakushu distillery lies in a particularly beautiful setting. Seen from afar, its twin pagoda roofs, connected near the top by a covered walkway, nestled in a deep forest surrounded by mountains...it's hard to imagine a more idyllic, if not idealized, setting for Japanese whisky making. It came as … Continue reading The Hakushu 12 Year Old – Review
Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
*Thank you to the good folks at Gemini Spirits & Wine for the sample! I can't hear "Connemara" and not think back 11 years ago to a family trip through Ireland and a fateful, death-defying horse-drawn trip through the Gap of Dunloe. Ok, fateful and death-defying might be pitching it a bit strong, maybe cramped and … Continue reading Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
THE CASKS 