By Richard Thomas When you talk shop in Scotch circles and the subject of who to keep an eye on comes up, Kirsteen Campbell is a name I hear about. After establishing herself in her first stint as Master Blender for Cutty Sark, Edrington added The Famous Grouse to her portfolio. That makes her the steward of two of the ...

By Richard Thomas If you pay attention to drinks articles dealing with the best craft bourbons or the best bourbons not made in Kentucky, then you have probably come across the name “Watershed Distillery,” since the Columbus, Ohio micro-distillery has appeared in most of them. We’ve taken a keen interest in Watershed and it’s “Buckeye” bourbon for a couple of ...

By Kurt Maitland Last week’s news that British drinks giant Diageo would close their Masters of Whisky (MOW) program at the end of September perhaps went unnoticed by drinkers at large, but it was a seismic event among the bartenders, retailers, enthusiasts, journalists and industry professionals who had engaged with the program during its two decade lifespan. Even more shocking ...

By Richard Thomas If you follow our “Talks Whiskey” series, then you know by now that writing and whisk(e)y have a clear intersection. The only real caveat is what side of the Pond the author is from, because that dictates whether he or she is a bourbon or a Scotch drinker. Devotees of Second World War history documentaries will doubtless ...

By Richard Thomas My pursuit of the “notable people who like whiskey” beat takes me to authors more often than not, and when it doesn’t I find the interest is usually a casual one. My introduction to British model Kelly Klein was a refreshing change of pace. When we first started e-mailing on the subject, she had just discovered Dalwhinnie ...