By Richard Thomas Rating: B/B As much as Buffalo Trace is known for its commitment to experimenting with whiskey-making (witness Warehouse X), for a steady stream of interesting twists on the production process one should turn to their Sazerac stablemate, Virginia’s A. Smith Bowman. The most recent example is the latest release from the Abraham Bowman Sequential Series. The purpose ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ This tasting experience was a pleasant surprise, because make no mistake, Diamond State Rye Whiskey is young. In fact, it’s very young. I sampled batch/bottle 3-591 from January 18, 2017, which had spent 11 months in new oak casks. Typically, age is a very good thing when applied to whiskey production, but it’s not ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B Ardbeg is known for its heavily peated whiskies, standing out even among the already peaty Islay style, and Ardbeg Ten is their flagship. One of the interesting thing about the Ten is that, as a mere 1o year old, it is the oldest expression in current release from the distillery. The croakers of the Scotch ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ Western Kentucky is about to become a focus of national attention, especially among stargazers. A total solar eclipse is coming on August 22, and it just so happens that little Hopkinsville is the best place in the world to see it. Located outside of Hopkinsville is arguably a spot that combines a nice vantage point ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ The Buffalo Trace Organic 6 Grain Bourbon Whiskey from their Experimental Collection is another interesting whiskey in a line of interesting whiskeys from Buffalo Trace. They have been experimenting over at Buffalo Trace for years, and that commitment now includes over 14,000 aging barrels, at least one dedicated warehouse (a laboratory warehouse at that!) ...