By Debbie Shocair Rating: B In the vast expansion of American craft distilling, there is a tremendous consistency in one regard: passion. For quite some time, I would speak of craft distillers, whiskey-makers in particular, as a sparse group, because whiskey is time-consuming, laborious and expensive to produce. Not so these days, as more men and women are happily indulging ...

Corrected February 8, 2022 By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Balcones is one of the most prominent names in the American craft whiskey scene. A trailblazer in micro-distilling from a state that would become a perennial contender for America’s third whiskey state (after Kentucky and Tennessee). They started distilling in 2009, and although Garrison Brothers started production first, Balcones beat them ...

By Andrew Graham Rating: B+ Saying Islay whisky is known for peat and smoke is like saying the newest iPhone is known for its screen. While, yes, that is its most obvious and dominant feature, it takes many different things working together behind the scenes to create the distinct and specific experience one enjoys and learns to expect. Port Askaig ...

By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ Barrell Craft Spirits is a non-distiller producer (NDP), also known as an independent bottler, that uses sourced whiskey to create its magic in a bottle. They offer cask-strength expressions of predominantly American whiskeys.   The founder, Joe Beatrice, has expanded operations in Louisville, Kentucky and is developing his own distilling, barreling and aging facilities in ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Given that I often wax romantic about the place of copper and oak in a distillery, Coppercraft is an outfit with an undeniably cool name in my book. As the axiom goes, though, what’s in a name for this West Michigan craft distiller? Coppercraft is in the midst of making the transition from sourced whiskeys ...