By Father John Rayls Rating: A Have you ever heard of a “marketing faux pas?” Beam Suntory recently experienced this when they underestimated the blowback from their passionate, loyal following concerning a near doubling in price for Booker’s Bourbon beginning in 2017. The tidal wave of criticism and threatened product rejection apparently gave the company pause. After reconsideration, a more ...

By Emma Briones Rating: B+ From the new range of experimental whiskeys created by Irish Distillers comes Method and Madness Single Malt Irish Whiskey. This is the second expression of a new range that, according to Irish Distillers, pushes the boundaries of Irish whiskey by mixing the experience of Midleton’s whiskey masters with the fresh talent of its apprentices. Method ...

Updated December 25, 2018 By Emma Briones Average Rating: B+ In 2016, the Lagavulin distillery turned 200 years old. To celebrate the occasion, they launched a set of anniversary limited editions, and among them was the Lagavulin 8 year old. The Lagavulin 8 year old is a tribute to Alfred Barnard, a Victorian whisky writer. In the 19th century, Barnard ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B Upon receiving an invitation to go to Le Claire, Iowa for the bottling of this year’s Four Kings Collaboration Whiskey, I had to resist joking that it was the 4×4 release, as this was the fourth time at bat for the “Four Kings” of Mississippi River Distilling, FEW Spirits, Corsair Artisan and Journeyman. Having seen ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B- When an independent bottler has built a distillery, it is said they have transitioned from sourcing to making in-house product. Yet it’s not simply building a plant and barreling (or perhaps bottling an unaged version of their) new make that makes that transition a success. Instead, that comes when the company’s in-house product is capable ...