By Richard Thomas Rating: B American Fifth Spirits was reportedly ready to go in Lansing, Michigan in 2009, which would have placed them among the early group of craft distilleries that followed the trailblazers like Stranahan’s and Tuthilltown. However, the Great Recession dried up their access to financing, and the project languished until 2013, with the distillery opening in 2015. ...

By: April Manning Grade: B- Wild Turkey carried out an unprecedented act (for their own distillery, not the wider industry) when they produced a bottle that carries a name of someone other than that of the Russells, their recently confirmed dynasty of master distillers. Eddie Russell collaborated with the Wild Turkey brand creative director, movie star Matthew McConaughey, and crafted ...

By Andrew Graham Rating: B- “What’s your favorite sherry bomb?” Just trot this question out around a few well-informed whiskey drinkers and listen with mischievous pride as the conversation devolves into madness. First, it implies something there isn’t even absolute consensus on: that a sherry bomb can even be good. I’ve heard the phrase used to ridicule a whiskey, not ...

Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey Limited Release Small Batch Rye By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B In October 2018, Beam Suntory’s Kilbeggan Distilling Company celebrated the release of Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey Small Batch Rye. Although Kilbeggan was restored in 2010, reviving a 260 year old legacy in whiskey-making (one of the stills there is the oldest working pot still in the world!), ...

By Randall H. Borkus Rating: C Clyde May’s is a brand owned by Conecuh Brands, which was founded in 2014. In September 2018, Clyde May’s built on their Alabama Whiskey game (presumably something like Early Times with some apple flavor added) and got in the rye game and released Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey. This rye whiskey is aged a ...