By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ In 1792, the first Willett arrived in Kentucky and took up residence in Bardstown, Kentucky. However, it wasn’t until after the Civil War that the Willetts opened their first distillery. From the 1980s the Willetts became known for producing very good non-distiller producer (NDP), or sourced, whiskey as Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KDP). Once they ...

Updated January 2, 2024 By April Manning Rating: C Opened in March 2012, Batch 206 is a new distillery located ever so slightly northwest of the Kentucky Bourbon rail in the unlikely area of Seattle, Washington. The distillery is a true small batch artisan facility, owned and operated by Jeff Steichen and his wife Daleen. Batch 206 introduced their version ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Located far off the regular pathways of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail are the handful of distilleries of Western Kentucky, the region beyond the Bluegrass and the cave country, where Kentucky becomes riverine. This is where Old Charles Medley can be found, out in Owensboro where they enjoy mutton barbecue, and where moonshining has strong roots ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: C Nestled into the Alpine foothills of Italy’s South Tyrol, Puni Distillery bills itself as Italy’s first malt whisky-maker. The family-owned and -operated concerned set up shop in 2010, installed Forsyth’s-made mashtun and stills, and began production in 2012. The spirit from those initial production runs were released earlier this year as a pair of young ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B Sometimes referred to as “Glasgow’s malt whisky” because of the distillery’s proximity to that city, Auchentoshan is one of the six distilleries comprising the Lowland region. The sweet and delicate signature of the spirit coming off Auchentoshan’s stills has also led some to call it “the breakfast whisky,” and that particular flavor likely stems from ...