By Richard Thomas Rating: B- West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler still has a lingering reputation for its sourced whiskeys, but those are steadily receding into the horizon as the distillery moves forward with its in-house spirits. Drinkers initially became familiar with their wheated bourbon, but the distillery also laid down some bourbon made with the traditional rye recipe style mash. Now ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- We’ve been covering Angel’s Envy Cask Strength from the beginning here at The Whiskey Reviewer, and it’s not like there is a complicated story behind this fan favorite whiskey. That said, it is a bit more than just a cask strength batch of the flagship Angel’s Envy Port-finished bourbon. The barrels are specially chosen for ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- In Royal Brackla’s repackaged regular line-up, the 21 Year Old expression is the crown, but it’s got a bit more sparkle than just a high age statement. Some whiskies are finished in old Sherry casks, but this one draws on three different types of Sherry wood stock: Oloroso, Pedro Ximenez (PX) and Palo Cortado. I ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- The latest creation of Rachel Barrie, the Master Blender of the BenRiach Group (also known as the Scotch Whisky arm of Brown-Forman) is also the latest installment in Glendronach’s Grandeur series, a 28 Year Old single malt aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry casks. Since some readers might wonder what Glendronach has to do ...

Updated December 20, 2022 By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ A short history lesson is necessary to explain Bomberger’s Declaration. The 1980s and 1990s were a decidedly mixed period for the American Whiskey industry. On the one hand, the seeds of its future revival were being sewn with the creation of premium expressions, like Blanton’s and Elijah Craig. You will learn ...