Archive for the 'Bourbon' Category

David Pickerell leaves Maker’s Mark

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

After 14 years of working at Maker’s Mark, most recently as Distillery Manager and VP of Operations, David Pickerell has left Maker’s Mark. It was announced in a press release which I just received.
I have known many distillery managers over the past 20 years. Dave knows more about distilling than just about anyone else. (He also […]

History Channel’s Modern Marvels “Whiskey” Rebroadcast

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

For those of you who missed the show’s debut on St. Patrick’s Day, you get another chance to watch it on Saturday, April 26th, at 7:00 p.m. It’s a really nice show covering Scotch, Irish, Canadian, Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. They even cover the craft distilling movement. And yes, I’m in it too. I tell […]

History Channel’s “Whiskey” show debuts tonight @ 8pm

Monday, March 17th, 2008

St. Patrick’s Day is the only day I try to avoid Irish pubs. Far too crowded for me.
If you feel the same way, you might want to tune into the History Channel tonight at 8pm. The Modern Marvels series is debuting a one-hour show on whiskey (and whisky). I haven’t seen it yet, but I […]

Review: New Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection

Sunday, March 9th, 2008

I got the samples on Friday, tasted them yesterday and wrote up the notes. My review of each is below.
I am seeing a pattern here with these younger vs. older whiskeys in Experimental Collection series. The younger expressions have generally been pretty good, while most of the older ones have been ages too long.
Buffalo Trace […]

Buffalo Trace releases new “Experimental Collection” whiskeys

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

Keeping with a tradition that began in 2006, the Buffalo Trace distillery just announced the release of two new whiskeys from their “Experimental Collection” series. Once again, these are wine-finished whiskeys. Here’s the description of each, as described in the press release I received about 15 minutes ago:
CABERNET FRANC AGED AFTER SIX YEARS: This whiskey […]

Friday’s Pick: Eagle Rare 17 yr. (2007 release)

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Eagle Rare, 17 year old, 45%, $55
While labeled as a 17 year old, it’s actually 19, distilled way back in 1988. Each year’s release of this whiskey just seems to get better and better. Some of the earlier vintages turned slightly oaky and dry for balance, (the 10 year old Single Barrel Eagle Rare whiskeys […]

New Four Roses 120th Anniversary Bourbon

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

Keeping you ahead of the curve, here’s news on a new Four Roses bourbon, scheduled to be released in April.
The previous owner of Four Roses, Seagram, focused on selling Four Roses bourbon overseas. But ever since Kirin took ownership of Four Roses in 2002, they have made an effort to bring back the brand to […]

Update on Wild Turkey

Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

I just had a great lunch in New York with Andy Nash, the global brand director for Wild Turkey whiskey. (He hasn’t been put in charge of the rest of the galaxy yet, but give him a few more years…)
Anyway, among other things, we discussed the current Wild Turkey portfolio and any impending changes. The most […]

Friday’s Pick: Willett Single Barrel Estate Reserve Bourbon

Friday, January 18th, 2008

Willett Single Barrel Estate Reserve Bourbon, Barrel # A-4614, 47%, $35
Bottled in a really cool glass pot still decanter. Soft and elegant on the nose and palate, and very well balanced. An incredibly drinkable whiskey. There’s no age statement on the bottle, but it was bottled at just the right time, based on its great […]

Friday’s Pick: Wild Turkey American Spirit

Friday, January 4th, 2008

Wild Turkey American Spirit, 15 year old, 50%, $90
A clean, well-rounded bourbon packed with flavor. Deep amber, with tinges of gold. Rich, silky aromas, with thickly textured, seamless flavors on the palate. Incredibly smooth, too, with interwoven notes of toffee, molasses, creamy vanilla, and candy corn. Underlying lush fruit, cinnamon, and fresh mint—especially on the […]