Japanese whisky company Nikka has brought out a new and final edition in its “Nikka Discovery” series in the U.S.: Nikka The Grain Whisky. This expression is the third and final release in the “Nikka Discovery” series and features a rare blend of grain whiskies from four unique Nikka distilleries; Miyagikyo, Nishinomiya, Moji, and Satsumatsukasa. An inside look at the ...

By Richard Thomas Summertime is around the corner, and for many a Scotch Whisky drinkers who don’t live in a cool, northerly climate (such as Scotland itself), that means abstaining from their drink of choice or going over to highballs. Although Scottish whiskies have many and varied virtues, most of them are noted for their rich, weighty character or smoky ...

By Richard Thomas Many an American Whiskey purist scoffs at the notion of an independent bottler. Although the creations of Craft Barrel Spirits, High West and others have gained considerable appreciation, it’s still entirely common for me to run across people in whiskey bars declaring scorn for the idea that if a brand didn’t make the whiskey, it has no ...

By Richard Thomas Where does the line between Scotch enthusiast, someone who enjoys a dram of fine single malt and knows something about it, and the Scotch geek, or the person who devotes a large and probably growing segment of their lives to the “Water of Life,” lie? To borrow a page from Jeff Foxworthy, you might be a Scotch ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ Interest in grain whiskies has been coming back in recent years, with single grains in particular appearing in the Irish and Scottish sectors. Yet the idea of making a vatted grain whisky, a blend of grain whiskies from more than one distillery, remains a relatively small niche. Part of this is the relatively small number ...