The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
The Whiskey Reviewer is a web magazine covering the world of whisk(e)y. We have been cited, quoted and reprinted by the American Distilling Institute, The Atlantic, BroBible, Cheat Sheet, Drinkhacker, Eater, Foodista, Islay Daily News, MarketWatch, Mode, New York Times, NY Daily News, Toronto.com, The Washington Post, WRAL.com and others. Members of our staff are published journalists, spirits judges at conventions and conferences, and award-winning authors.
Staff
To contact any staff member of The Whiskey Reviewer, write us at editor @ whiskeyreviewer.com (remove spaces).
Owner and Managing Editor: Richard Thomas
As a Kentucky farm boy now returned to the Bluegrass after spending half his adult life living abroad, Richard Thomas is one of the few whiskey experts who can truly be said to have a foot planted on both sides of the Atlantic (with a toe in India as well). This combined with his stewardship of one the world’s most widely read whiskey media websites makes him the world’s leading independent whiskey writer.
In the drinks department, he has previously contributed to Chilled, Inside Hook, Paste and Vine Pair, but recent years have seen him focus more on being an author than a freelance journalist; in 2023, Thomas was preparing his sixth book about whiskey. Thomas’s opinions and advice on whiskey have appeared on ABC News, Discovery Channel programming, Style magazine and elsewhere. He was a longtime travel contributor to Yahoo!, and his other freelance works have appeared in places as diverse as Dremel.com and USA Today.
When he isn’t writing or running a building business, Thomas is either banging a heavy bag, hauling a ruck in the Appalachian foot hills or doting on his son.
Deputy Editor: Kurt Maitland
Born in Brooklyn, with stints in PA, Boston and DC before returning to his beloved New York, Kurt Maitland started his whiskey journey with drams of Jameson, the beloved drink of a college friend. From there he moved on to appreciating Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek, and has been exploring the world of whiskey ever since. He currently nurses a fascination with old books on the whiskey industry, dead distilleries, and a love of Japanese whisky that led him to be consulted by The Atlantic. Kurt is one of the best-known faces in New York City’s whiskey circuit and he has released two books on cocktails called Drink and the Infused Cocktail Handbook. Kurt is also the writer/editor of the dormant, not-quite-dead-yet, and perhaps starting to stir again The Good, the Bad and the Funky music blog.
Senior Contributing Writer: Emma Briones
Emma Briones is The Whiskey Reviewer’s woman in Spain, and writes her own Spanish language whisky blog, Todo Whisky.
Contributing Writer Emeritus: S.D. Peters
The Whiskey Reviewer‘s one-time main “rye guy,” Peters was one of the original quartet of contributors to The Whiskey Reviewer. He lives in the Washington, DC area.
Contributing Writer: Randall H. Borkus
Randall grew up on the south side of Chicago, where the “Good Guys” who play professional baseball wear black. He spent most of his summers on his grandfather’s farm in north central Illinois learning how to grow vegetables and corn. These days he is an entrepreneur and lives in the western suburbs of Chicago, where he enjoys writing poetry and dancing with his wife Janis.
As an adult Randall has always enjoyed his whiskey and bourbons neat. His brothers and friends nick-named him “Bourbon Beast” because of his extensive personal whiskey collection and experience, and over the years has found himself making whiskey’ed friends in Louisville, Bardstown and across the country, giving him a desire to share his knowledge of whiskey and its history.
Contributing Writer: Michael Cervin
Michael Cervin is a noted author, judge and speaker on wine, and writes about spirits, travel and water generally. His work has appeared in Forbes, The Hollywood Reporter, Decanter (London), Fine Wine & Liquor (China), Wine Enthusiast, Draft, The Tasting Panel, Palate Press, and elsewhere. He is the author of several books, maintains four separate blogs, is the founder of Wise Guy Travel books and is the wine buyer for Santa Barbara Airport.
Contributing Writer: Elizabeth Emmons
Raised from age 2 in New York City, Elizabeth is a city girl with many interests including art, old movies, fashion, literature, traveling (always inclusive of a stop at the local liquor store), vegan cooking, animal-related non-profit work, and of course, whisky. Elizabeth has been fond of the smoke, especially Laphroaig, since as long as she can remember and her interest was furthered and expanded when she met friend and fellow whiskey writer, Kurt Maitland, in 2004. While Elizabeth still has a soft spot for peat, she can equally appreciate many varieties of both Scotch and bourbon. Elizabeth graduated from Barnard College with a degree in English and is putting it to good work here at The Whiskey Reviewer, reading and writing about one of her passions.
Contributing Writer: Douglas Fraser
Originally from Vermont, Doug discovered his love for whisk(e)y while serving in the US Air Force. Inspired by a favorite show of his, “Parks and Recreation,” Doug tried a glass of Lagavulin 16 and fell in love with the beautiful aromas and taste from the elixir that is Scotch Whisky. Along with Scotch, he also enjoys a good bourbon from time to time as well as enjoys trying whiskies from around the world. His favorite whiskies include Lagavulin 16, Highland Park 18, Glenfarclas 10, Talisker 10, Eagle Rare 10, Blanton’s Bourbon, and Bulleit Bourbon.
Currently residing in the DC area, Doug is working as a Police Officer while expanding his whiskey knowledge. He dreams of joining the industry someday producing the sweet water of life. His other interests include watching movies, traveling, photography, continuing his education, and hunting/fishing.
Contributing Writer: Andrew Graham
Andrew Graham grew up near the corn fields of central Illinois and then lived in Paris for a bit after graduating college. He has called Brooklyn, New York home since 2004.
He got into whiskey after looking for a “stronger wine,” and has sought out bold, aggressive distillers and expressions ever since.
Contributing Writer: Kenrick Thurston-Wilcox
Having spent most of his life in Colorado, Kenrick grew up around the craft distillery movement and discovered a passion for whiskey and cocktails shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic. He currently has completed WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits, and is working towards becoming a Scotch and Bourbon Professional. When not sipping on and trying new whiskey, Kenrick tends bar in Black Hawk, Colorado’s gambling hub. In his free time he enjoys hiking around the Rocky Mountain foothills, reading, playing piano and ukulele, and traveling.
Guest Writers: Julia Hughes; Daniel Matthews; Debajit Dhar; Emily Ross-Johnson; Kendra Thornton
Past Contributors Writers: Diana Kaoru Cheang; Jake Emen; Adam Irvine; Pear Johansson; Ben Kelly; Christopher Kelly; April Manning; Emily Mullis; John Rayls; Debbie Shocair; Julia Ritz Toffoli
About Our Rating System:
The Whiskey Reviewer uses a letter-based rating system, instead of the numerical 100-grade rating system. Click here to learn why.
The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. Some “premium” whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh.
A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Above five stars.
A: An outstanding bottle of whiskey, but lacking that special something which makes for a true masterpiece. Five stars.
A-: A fine bottle of whiskey, representing the top end of the conventional, premium range.
B+: Very good stuff. Four stars.
B and B-: Good and above average. The best of the mass market whiskeys fit in this category, as do the bulk of the premium brands. A B- is three stars.
C+ to C-: Average whiskey. A C- is two stars.
D+ to D-: Below average whiskey. A D is one star and a D- one-half of a star.
F: Zero stars. Rotgut.