By Douglas Fraser Rating: D There are many celebrities making their way into the spirits business these days. In my experience, only one of those  celebrity whiskey brands was one that I enjoyed. It seems like these spirit brands pop up and try to make a splash in the industry, as a vanity project or relying a big name to ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- For most of the 21st Century, the “sipping whiskey” coming out of Lynchburg, Tennessee was not associated with age statements. That truth actually makes a great deal of sense, when you consider that the Lincoln County Process that Jack Daniel’s is known for is the original shortcut on maturation; for all the gimmicks the Bourbon ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: C- Although the company was notionally started earlier, it’s been  more than a decade since WhistlePig 10 Year Old Rye was first released. The product was very much a creation of opportunity and moment. Raj Bhakta, a former investment banker, Apprentice contestant and Congressional candidate, wanted to start a whiskey company. Bhakta sought the advice of ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- American Single Malts are poised to become an official thing, with a Federal designation from the TTB expected to come around the corner this year. Limestone Branch has become the latest company to join the movement with their latest brand extension, putting Yellowstone American Single Malt into regular release. Except the whiskey doesn’t actually come ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B At my book launch late last year, I was asked what brand was overdue for a cask strength version. Without even a moment’s pause, I said “Bernheim.” Heaven Hill released the cask strength version of its seminal Elijah Craig Small Batch a decade ago, in 2013. Back then, both the Small Batch and Barrel Proof ...