A Chat With Lawrenceburg, Kentucky’s Newest Master Distiller By Richard Thomas The September 1st retirement of Jim Rutledge, Four Roses’ longtime Master Distiller and the architect of the distillery’s comeback from relative obscurity, drew plenty of press coverage, and rightfully so. It was the last day in a full, respected and accomplished career, but sometimes overlooked was that September 1st ...

Exploring The Types Of Whiskey Oak By Richard Thomas Whenever the subject of why a given whiskey tastes the way it does arises, my favorite statistic is that, depending on who made it, barrel aging contributes between 40 and 80% of the flavor. Barrel aging itself breaks down into several factors, but the oak used in making that barrel, cask, ...

The Next Big Market For Whiskey Is India, Not China By Richard Thomas As China’s economy took off during the 1990s, the meme of China as “the next big thing” gathered a momentum that, if anything, outpaced the country’s stratospheric growth. The idea that China was the place to do business, whatever the business actually was, penetrated literally everything. Nevermind ...

Inside One Of Scotland’s Most Modern Distilleries By Richard Thomas Visitors to Scotland’s Speyside whisky region are often eager to see two things: the striking Scottish landscape and distilleries. So it was with a pair of American gentlemen I saw there last week during the Spirit of Speyside Festival, posing for pictures outside the doorstep of the Glen Keith. Standing ...

The Beginner’s Guide To Drinking Whiskey From The Emerald Isle By Richard Thomas Surging Irish whiskey sales are a clear sign that many drinkers are ready to either discover Irish whiskey for the very first time, or else move beyond staples like Jameson and Bushmills White Label. Yet that very same surge means a plethora of new expressions have grown ...