By Richard Thomas Rating:B- A pioneer of New York State craft distilling, Tuthilltown and the brand it founded, Hudson (the brand is owned by William Grant & Sons, the whiskey still supplied by Tuthilltown), are now coming up on the 10th anniversary of the change in state law that opened the door to craft distilling there by making the licensing ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ Minor Case Straight Rye Whiskey is named after one of the Beams, that near-ubiquitous Kentucky Bourbon clan, in this instance the grandfather of Limestone Branch’s Steve and Paul Beam. These two modern day Beams opened Limestone Branch Distillery in 2011 in Lebanon, Kentucky, near where their grandfather, Minor Case Beam, had operated his distillery ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B In the United States, the words “blended whiskey” are usually associated with cheap rotgut. To cite just one particularly infamous example, Four Roses went from a popular Bourbon to an unpopular American blend before being revived into what is now a popular Bourbon again. Many Canadian whiskies have a dubious reputation for precisely this reason, ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: A- When I ask my son about his relationship with a female, he will often respond “It’s complicated.” This is the best phrase to use when thinking about describing Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch. Dark Batch, a Canadian blend, has been available in Canada under a similar name since 2013 and the US since 2015. ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ Let’s hear it for the United States Marines: they’ve secured another beachhead in Lewisville, Texas, and secured it with (and for) whiskey! Some former US Marines found themselves living in the Dallas area after their discharge from service and sharing a love for bourbon started the Witherspoon Distillery in 2011. In addition to Witherspoon ...