By Douglas Fraser Rating: B- Catoctin Creek is one of Virginia’s most award-winning distilleries. Catoctin is named after an Algonquian Indian tribal term in the central part of the state of Virginia. They pride themselves on the high-quality local grain they use in their products as well as their attention to detail in making their spirits. Scott and Becky Harris ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Even as 2020 becomes a year noteworthy for its out-sized serving of sucktitude, there have been bright spots. Among them is something special for fans of Angel’s Envy: this year’s 17,400 bottles of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength, the 9th edition, will be distributed to all 50 states for the first time. The current installment clocked ...

Following the successful starts of its Private Release Rum and Whiskey Series, Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS) will introduce its first-ever Private Release Bourbon Series later this month. For this special release, BCS selected bourbons sourced from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana, spread across four different ages and then blended them into 49 different recipes. Each blend number has its own ratios, ...

By Richard Thomas Rating: A- Heaven Hill raised a noticeable amount of squeaking from the dingier corner of the enthusiast community last year when Parker’s Heritage 2019 was a not quite 9 year old rye, aged in “Char 5” barrels. These heavily charred casks received 30 second of flame beyond the level of Char 4. Predictably, they focused on the ...

Grain & Barrel Spirits has introduced Chicken Cock Master Distiller’s Pick, a 15-year-old limited-edition Barrel Proof release, just in time for the holiday season. For this special expression, Master Distiller Gregg Snyder handpicked 10 of the brand’s best and oldest barrels, sampling them periodically during the finishing process to evaluate the spectacular transformation. He determined that the flavor combinations reached ...