By Richard Thomas Rating: B For 2019, the tagline attached to Old Forester Birthday Bourbon was that it had the highest proof yet. This annual limited edition expression has never been noted for being a ballsy, high octane whiskey, and last year’s clocked in at just above the bonded line at 101 proof. This year is slightly higher, 105 proof, ...

By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A- Henry & Sons Wisconsin Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a solid craft whiskey. I normally don’t buy a bottle and then write it up, but this is something bourbon lovers need to hear about, as the J. Henry & Sons Wisconsin 7 Year Old has become a favorite. It is produced on Henry Farms in ...

By Andrew Graham Rating: A My household has one rule when it comes to our whiskey shelf: the last dram of every bottle we drink goes into the same glass decanter, which will become an increasingly voluminous blend as time goes on — assuming we don’t go and drink the stuff quicker than we can add to it. In theory, ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Although Heaven Hill’s revamp of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond meant the death of one of those brands that is a favorite among bourbon nerds while remaining largely unknown to drinkers at large, it had the benefit of bringing a premium brand based on Heaven Hill’s wheated bourbon stock that has been older than the ...

By Andrew Graham Grade: B Once upon a time, distillers weren’t normally looking at the yeast to impart flavor into Scotch whisky. The beverage industry uses a particular species of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, because of its neutral flavor and its efficiency in turning sugars into alcohol. But there are many different strains of this yeast species, and scotch makers have ...