By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ First, let’s head off some potential confusion: there is an Old Scout Bourbon and an Old Scout American Whiskey. This is about the latter. This is one of those clever blends that outfits like Smooth Ambler and High West are so noted for. The started with a stock of high rye (36% rye content) bourbon ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Koval enjoys a prominent reputation in the craft whiskey scene, and in my opinion this boils down to two things. They were an early entrant for one thing, starting in 2008 as the first post-Prohibition distillery in Chicago. The second thing is what most whiskey geeks notice upon seeing their wares on a store shelf: ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B At the end of 2016, Pennsylvania distiller Dad’s Hat contributed to a wave of craft distilleries releasing bottled in bond expressions, declaring the growing maturity of America’s craft whiskey scene. This year, they’ve gone two steps better. Not only did Dad’s Hat follow up with a second batch of its bottled in bond, but it ...

Updated December 17, 2018 By Richard Thomas Rating: B Colorado’s Old Elk Distillery is the current project of Greg Metze, formerly of MGP fame. This is a sourced whiskey, something created to start the brand. Old Elk speaks of three partners, so presumably it’s a blend of whiskeys from three separate distilleries. They bottled it at 88 proof. The Bourbon ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ The fourth and final installment in Old Forester’s Whiskey Row series (each tied to a particular moment in time for the venerable Old Forester brand, and named for both it’s former home and recently opened urban distillery on Louisville’s Whiskey Row) *, Old Forester 1910 is a double barreled bourbon. “Double barrel bourbon” refers to ...