By Debbie Shocair Rating: B- Basil Hayden, with its reputation as the lightest of Beam Suntory’s Small Batch Collection (also including Knob Creek, Booker’s and Baker’s), is named after Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr. Her recipe for a high-rye whiskey in the late 1700s is said to have inspired the current Basil Hayden mashbill, although Basil Hayden originated as an 8 ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B For most, the Scotch liqueur is synonymous with Drambuie, and with pretty good reason. But it’s not the only liqueur around based on Scotch whiskey, let alone on single malt whisky. Old Pulteney has Stroma, and it’s the first honey liqueur I had it seriously competes with Wild Turkey’s classic American Honey. Stroma takes its ...

Updated April 13, 2020 By Randall H. Borkus Average Rating: B The Louisville Bourbon Transit Company, Inc. is one of the newest and smallest bottlers, or non-distilling producers (NDP), of bourbon in Kentucky, and was founded by three passionate bourbon loving Kentuckians, Scott Richer, Carla Jacob and Joel Jake. Carla, Joel and Scott have been friends for over 15 years, ...

By Randall H. Borkus Rating: B+ Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879 and continues today as the oldest “fully operating” distillery in the Bardstown, Kentucky, which bills itself (with good cause) as the “Bourbon Capital of the World.” Nowadays the distillery is owned by Sazerac, so it’s under the same company roof as Buffalo Trace. Their most recent release ...

By Emma Briones Rating: C Highland Park recently decided to revamp their core range, complete with a new look as well as some new names. With this change, the Orkney distillery wanted to pay further homage to the Viking history of the island. According to the brand, Magnus Eunson, who founded Highland Park in 1798, was a direct descendant of ...