By Richard Thomas Rating: B With over 1,300 operating micro-distilleries in the U.S., it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the idea of starting up a small distillery and making whiskey isn’t a strictly American thing. The idea took root in a handful of countries years before it did so in the U.S. Australia is one example; Sweden ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ Irish whiskey is the fastest growing sector of the world whiskey industry, driven to the largest extent by exports to the United States. That boom has driven a proliferation of new Irish whiskey brands, both sourced and from new distilleries, and I believe Barr an Uisce is one of the better ones. It’s made ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Barrell Bourbon has become a hit among enthusiasts, and through the eight batches they have released so far, Joe Beatrice’s brand has established itself as a bottler that can be counted on to deliver solid, cask strength bourbon. Barrell Whiskey, on the other hand, is not so well-established a quality. The latest release on that ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is a small Virginia-based operation, owned by Sazerac and specializing in limited editions and special releases. They first captured my attention about a year and a half ago when I reviewed the limited release of their high rye bourbon. It was a very interesting whiskey, and I went to ...

By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ The original phrase “rebel yell” was for the Confederate soldier’s battle cry, used during the American Civil War when charging an enemy position. It was intended to intimidate and lift the confidence of the troops, and is thought to have been influenced either by the Scottish or Native American war cry traditions. Noted historian Shelby Foote once described it as “a fox hunt ...