By Randall H. Borkus Rating: A Heaven Hill Distilleries is proud of being the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer. They also love their claim to holding the world’s second largest inventory of Bourbon and possibly the most “extra-aged” barrels of any distillery. The latter has led to the introduction of expressions like Elijah Craig 21 ...
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Blood Oath Pact No. 3 Bourbon Review
By Father John Rayls Rating: B Luxco is at bat in the premium leagues again with their latest release of Blood Oath Pact No. 3. In the annual limited editions set, the Blood Oath series seems the most prone to create two camps: lovers and haters. I find very few bourbon drinkers somewhere in the middle. Once again this is ...
Read More »Minor Case Rye Whiskey Review
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 ...
Read More »Label 5 Extra Rare 18 Year Old Scotch Review
By Emma Briones Rating: C+ In 2013, Label 5—one of the 10 best-selling Scotch brands—launched a new expression for the super-premium price segment, Label 5 Extra Rare 18 Year Old. This is the second Label 5 expression with an age statement, and it is said to be a response to consumers’ “thirst for premium spirits.” Wit upscale packaging and a ...
Read More »Ballotin Bourbon Ball Chocolate Whiskey
By Debbie Shocair Rating: B+ For those of you who think I should be eschewing anything resembling a flavored whiskey, I have two answers: First, if it’s tasty, why not? Second, I have always viewed the flavored whiskies (the good ones, anyway) as “gateway whiskeys,” luring the unsuspecting and under-acquainted palate into the realm of traditional whiskey. Once that first ...
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