By Richard Thomas One of the ugly little secrets of sensory science is just how much the senses of taste and smell can be influenced by preconceptions. Ideally, this reality can be guarded against, and it’s what makes the notion of the blind taste test so interesting. The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 was the earliest lesson of just how ...

By Richard Thomas Among the most prominent of the sourced whiskey brands is Redemption, which is particularly well known for its Redemption Rye expressions. As part of Deutsch Family Spirits, Redemption has greatly expanded its line-up over time, embracing various types of bourbon and even putting out a couple of ultra-aged whiskeys. Sourced whiskeys are routinely underestimated by snobby dilettantes, ...

New Economic Numbers And Tax Breaks Leave More Questions Than Answers By Richard Thomas February saw the release of a key economic report from the Kentucky Distillers Association (KDA), the trade group that represents the Commonwealth’s bourbon industry. The statistics presented in the report were held up as a cause for celebration, billed as a picture of the Kentucky bourbon ...

By Richard Thomas Listing the mass market, budget Irish whiskeys you might want to pick up for St. Patrick’s Day sipping is largely unnecessary. While I could draw up a list with Kilbeggan, Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Slane, Tullamore Dew and other brands on it, I believe it would be more valuable for the reader if I suggested what bargain Irish ...

By Richard Thomas As the craft whiskey explosion brought whiskey-making to places across the American where it had never been known before, I debated in print who would become America’s third whiskey state. For the second edition of my book, American Whiskey, I finally settled on Texas, and the Lone Star State has gone on to confirm that opinion in ...