By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Ever since Jim Beam took Knob Creek from its classic 9 year old to an NAS bourbon in 2016 (a move they are slated to reverse next year), I’ve thought of Baker’s as the great sleeper of Beam’s line-up, because it was the last unchanged whiskey in the seminal Jim Beam Small Batch Collection. Introduced ...

Colorado’s Golden Moon Distillery is better known for its spirits that aren’t whiskey, as well as for it’s use of antique, early-to-middle 20th Century stills for making those spirits. Now co-founder and Master Distiller Stephen Gould is trying his hand at whiskey by releasing a 13 year old Tennessee-sourced bourbon. Gunfighter 13 Tennessee Bourbon – Orphan Cask is bottled at 50% ABV ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B For 2019, the tagline attached to Old Forester Birthday Bourbon was that it had the highest proof yet. This annual limited edition expression has never been noted for being a ballsy, high octane whiskey, and last year’s clocked in at just above the bonded line at 101 proof. This year is slightly higher, 105 proof, ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Maturing whiskey is a complicated picture, and the easiest way to identify a nincompoop out of his depth is to listen for someone saying “older is always better.” This is especially not the case for American Whiskey, where climate and new oak combine to produce whiskeys that are over-oaked as a matter of routine after ...

By Richard Thomas Although I don’t necessarily think of summer as prime whiskey drinking weather (especially not here in the United States) more prime releases are coming out during this period. My belief this trend is driven in large part by the already crowded autumnal release season; it’s harder for newer creations to receive proper attention with so many already ...