By Richard Thomas Rating: B Bluebird Distilling is found in Phoenixville, Pennsylvanis, due northwest of Valley Forge National Historic Park. The founder, Jared Adkins, has a story familiar to anyone who knows the people who start craft breweries and distilleries: he ditched his white collar job to start his own booze-making business. Their Rye whiskey isn’t quite in the Pennsylvania ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: A- Since 1881, Bunnahabhain has been the Islay scotch very few people could pronounce. It’s actually spoken as boona-HAB-venn.  It’s also a Scotch whisky that many bourbon drinkers, like myself, can get behind. Ironically, Bunnahabhain has the largest production capacity of any distillery on Islay, but it uses that to produce a lot of unpeated ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Anyone familiar with my body of work knows that I am a booster of the spread of whisky-making around the world, and in tandem I have developed a strong interest in the issue of non-traditional climate and maturation. When Sweden and Australia get laurels, I’m thrilled. When lesser known places in Argentina and Israel get ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Because Rye was the neglected stepchild of American whiskey for decades, whereas a 10 year old Bourbon is still a fairly affordable item, a 10 year old Rye is rarer and dearer. Add single barrel to the titles on the label, and you’ve got yourself something special. WhistlePig, for example, has a single barrel version ...

By Debbie Shocair Rating: B+ Craft distilling is making its mark on our American spirits heritage, and New Liberty Distillers in Pennsylvania is a case in point. Their building, which houses not only the distillery, but also the rick house, once served as a horse stable. Much of the architecture, including the stables, has been preserved in the distillery’s design. ...