By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ I knew Barrell Bourbon had a hardcore fan following, but even I was surprised by how enthusiastic they were in the wake of publishing last week’s “The Top Ten Single Barrel Bourbon.” Through social media, email and comments, I was asked several times why Barrell Bourbon wasn’t on the list? Swept away by enthusiasm, they seem ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B- Heritage Distilling Company (HDC), a craft distillery based in Gig Harbor, Washington, has won many awards since starting work in 2012. In fact, HDC is the American Distilling Institute’s most award-bedecked craft distillery in North America four years in a row now, from 2014 to today. And, for a trendy women in whiskey twist, HDC ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ I was very excited to discover another distillery in Texas producing some pretty good stuff. Marshall Louis and Herman Beckley built Dallas Distilleries in Garland, Texas, and with it their namesake Herman Marshall Whiskey (Garland is located in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex). Their whiskeys include a bourbon, rye and single malt. The founders had ...

By Kurt Maitland Rating: B+ Glenmorangie is located in Tain, Scotland, long known for making spirits (Balblair, the second oldest distillery in Scotland, is also there). The Glenmorangie story begins in 1738 when a brewery opened on Morangie Farm. In the 1840s, the farm was acquired by William Matheson, who converted it from a brewery into a distillery. The distillery ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B I do love the concept of grain to glass and I admit to a bias in favor of that concept. However, I have also found that adhering to this concept by itself doesn’t automatically mean I’ll love the whiskey. By contrast, I have also found that a whiskey being sourced and bottled doesn’t automatically mean ...