By Richard Thomas Rating: B+ It’s becoming a thing to put an identifying theme on batch-driven releases nowadays, a trend best exemplified by Booker’s adopting individual titles for its batches after two decades of doing without. Four Roses may be starting to go this route too, which is fine, since it really is a handier way to identify individual releases. ...

By Debbie Shocair Rating: B+ It isn’t often that I’m asked by several people about a good whiskey before Ive had the opportunity to sample it, that being the reason my interest was doubly piqued when I received a bottle of Barrell Bourbon Batch 011. I had certainly heard good things about this cask strength bourbon (both the brand and ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ This tasting experience was a pleasant surprise, because make no mistake, Diamond State Rye Whiskey is young. In fact, it’s very young. I sampled batch/bottle 3-591 from January 18, 2017, which had spent 11 months in new oak casks. Typically, age is a very good thing when applied to whiskey production, but it’s not ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: B Ardbeg is known for its heavily peated whiskies, standing out even among the already peaty Islay style, and Ardbeg Ten is their flagship. One of the interesting thing about the Ten is that, as a mere 1o year old, it is the oldest expression in current release from the distillery. The croakers of the Scotch ...

By Father John Rayls Rating: B+ The Buffalo Trace Organic 6 Grain Bourbon Whiskey from their Experimental Collection is another interesting whiskey in a line of interesting whiskeys from Buffalo Trace. They have been experimenting over at Buffalo Trace for years, and that commitment now includes over 14,000 aging barrels, at least one dedicated warehouse (a laboratory warehouse at that!) ...