By Richard Thomas Rating: C A few years ago, Will Kehler and Ian Smiley, the author of Making Pure Corn Whiskey and co-author of The Distiller’s Guide to Rum, teamed up to create and release Manhattan Moonshine. A few years is typically seen as a minimum aging period (two is the standard for the American “straight” designation; three is the ...
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Smooth Ambler Contradiction Bourbon Review
Updated January 6, 2018 By Father John Rayls Average Rating: B Smooth Ambler Contradiction Straight Bourbon Whiskey was a real surprise! I wasn’t expecting much from a blend of a somewhat young 2 year old “wheater” bourbon, made in-house by Smooth Ambler in West Virginia, and a 9 year bourbon rye from MGP in Indiana. The Smooth Ambler wheated bourbon ...
Read More »New Zealand Co. Dunedin Double Cask 18 Year Old Whisky Review
By Richard Thomas Rating: C+ New Zealand Whisky Company is presently engaged in bottling the stock from what had been the country’s sole whisky distillery, Willowbank. This rather aged example is a blend drawing on a most unusual cask profile. 70% malt and 30% grain whisky, it was aged in ex-bourbon barrels for six years before being transferred to French ...
Read More »Slane Irish Whiskey Review
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- Before the World Whiskey Boom, Slane Castle was one of several independent and sourced whiskey brands, in this case associated with the namesake estate that hosts one of Europe’s best known annual music festivals. However, after Beam Global (now Beam Suntory) bought Cooley Distillery in 2011, the sourcing for these independently bottled brands dried up. ...
Read More »Kilchoman Red Wine Matured Scotch Review
By Richard Thomas Rating: B- One of the late releases to come out of Islay last year was one near to my heart, at least on paper: a Kilchoman whisky matured for five years in red wine casks from the Portuguese Duoro Valley. Added to that was a high strength bottling, 50% ABV, equivalent to a Bottled in Bond American ...
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