Indholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2017 i Whisky Advocate

Canadian Club 100% Rye + New Brunswick BeauSoleil Soft spice and caramel notes from the whisky play superbly off the moderately salty, sweet, and dry-finishing oysters. Buffalo Trace Bourbon + Gulf Oysters Rockefeller A pairing of textures, with meaty and wellseasoned oyster meeting sweet and spicy whiskey. Teeling Small Batch + Galway Flat It’s worth the trip to Ireland to try this combination of toffee-ish, rumtinged whiskey and creamy, seaweed- accented oyster. Try a drop in the shell, too. The world’s speediest oyster shucker has a long-standing love of bivalves and whisky. The proprietor of Toronto’s Ceili Cottage and Guinness World Record holder for the most oysters opened in a minute—39—Patrick McMurray was still developing his shucking skills when he asked whisky writer Michael Jackson to autograph one of his…

ICON INSIDER WHO Chef Michael Mina, founder, Mina Group FAVORITE STYLE Japanese single malts and blends GO-TO WHISKIES Nikka Coffey Grain, Hibiki 17 year old HOW HE DRINKS Hibiki Highballs NEW FAVORITE Infusing bourbon with Kona coffee smoke FAVORITE PAIRINGS Wagyu and Japanese whisky IN THE NEWS The Street, an indoor/ outdoor market concept in Honolulu, opened in May with fourteen distinct dining options and three bars. Bourbon Steak Nashville opens spring 2018 with a strong American whiskey program. The day after Michael Mina moved to San Francisco in 1989 to open his first new restaurant, an earthquake rattled the city. If it was an omen, it was a good one, because almost immediately he began shaking things up as chef du cuisine at Aqua, where he was named Rising…

Decades before cocktail partygoers chatted about mortgage-backed securities, it was whiskey-backed securities that stood poised to threaten the U.S. financial system. Prior to Prohibition, banks accepted whiskey as collateral on business loans. Whiskey’s durability made it an attractive way to finance distilleries. In addition, whiskey barrels were required to be aged in government-supervised warehouses, adding a desirable degree of assurance to the collateral, which came in the form of a warehouse receipt documenting ownership of the barrels. As the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, a ban on the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors was debated, there was much more at stake than morality. Banks realized that not only were distilleries likely to default on their loan payments but that the whiskey collateral they held would also become worthless.…

It’s officially pie season—when we highlight the best flavors of fall by mixing fruits or nuts with spices and baking it all between buttery, flaky crusts. These same flavors work surprisingly well mixed with whisky and served in a glass. “The flavors from pies are great inspirations for drinks such as the Old-Fashioned because bourbon extracts a lot of nuances from the wood barrels, such as spice notes, vanilla, caramel, and dried fruits,” says Pamela Wiznitzer, creative director at New York City’s Seamstress bar. Here, four popular pies—apple crumb, pecan, pumpkin, and sweet potato—inspire cocktails that are balanced, never sweet, to grace your dinner table—no fork required. PECAN PIE Carya Fashioned Created by Pamela Wiznitzer, creative director at Seamstress, New York City “Lace your drink with pecan syrup and spices…

The cocktail collector will never enjoy the thrill of winning at auction, selling for a profit, or presenting an enviable display of bottles. However, there is immense satisfaction in collecting great cocktails—or, more accurately, great cocktail experiences. Here are some ways to start your own cocktail must-have list. The drinks are delicious, but that’s just the beginning—it’s the places and people that make each one truly memorable. Personal experiences with great cocktails and their creators will never turn a profit, but your life will be richer for them. Any Cocktail from Dale DeGroff It’s impossible to overstate DeGroff’s impact on modern bartending. He played a seminal role in reviving classic cocktails, starting at Manhattan’s Rainbow Room in the 1980s. I’ve been the beneficiary of his shaker on many occasions, and…

The keen-eyed curators at Just Whisky in Scotland stopped a fake Macallan (left here and on front cover) from ever making it to the auction block. Despite going with a low neck fill, in an attempt to suggest age, the color of the liquid is slightly off , lighter than the real item. In addition, the forger failed to precisely match fonts to the original. Viewed from behind the fake bottle shows inferior quality paper and even includes a typographical error.…

Irish Whiskey “We’ve seen a big increase in the number of Midleton whiskeys coming through to auction, especially if they carry a vintage statement or it’s single cask. It’s not just Midleton Very Rare; older single cask bottlings are also picking up in value, such as the Irish Whiskey Society bottling. I think there are quite a few bottles of Irish whiskey around from the early 20th century, and more than we suspect because of the nature of their market and the long period of decline. Look for value when older editions of single pot still whiskeys such as Redbreast and Greenspot appear.” —Iain McClune, founder of Whisky Auctioneer, Perth Japanese Whisky “Japanese whisky went through a boom time in 2015–16, and now all the best bottles of Karuizawa and…

The wait is over, as That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) delivers their first set of U.S. releases. Over the past five years, they have produced one of the most comprehensive series of independent whisky releases ever seen. Emily Chappell’s quirky cartoon label designs and the variable batch sizes have made these a cult series for collectors. The releases began to carry age statements from April 2016, and the range now encompasses American, Irish, and world whiskies. Aged single grain whiskies offer tremendous value. Since the company’s early days, TBWC has sought casks from both active and closed distilleries. 90 That Boutique-y Whisky Company (distilled at North British) 27 year old, 56.3%, $51 This slippery little rogue exudes sweet popcorn, lemon peel, summer florals, linseed, and Quaker Oats pillows adrift in…

95 J.P. Wiser’s 35 year old, 50%, $165 Oh, the glory of used cooperage. Woody notes begone—let time slowly breathe life into what began as almost neutral, high-proof corn spirit. Creamy spice, barley sugars, peach syrup, dry grasses, and ancient barn boards. Incredible complexity, yet so tightly interwoven it achieves oneness. One hundred points until a campfire bursts onto the finish and consumes five of them.—DdeK 94 Lot No. 40 12 year old Cask Strength, 53.1%, $60 Cask strength Lot No. 40 has been in production at Hiram Walker Distillery for over 75 years for use as flavoring whisky. Finally in bottle, this is more than regular Lot No. 40 amped up. New notes of halva, pansies, blistering spices, tropical fruits, minty candy canes, and peanut skins are layered over…

IN SEARCH OF SIPPING WHISKEY Dear Whisky Advocate, I began tasting different whiskeys about two years ago and enjoy the adventure immense-ly. I try to focus on the highest Whisky Advo-cate ratings around or under $50. Admittedly it is tough to drink one’s mistakes, but there are worse things in life. That being said, I like to sip whiskey while reading a book. Some of the ratings I’ve seen comment on whether it is a good sipping whiskey...George Dickel [Barrel Select], for example. I know it is subjective, but tasting in conjunction with the WA ratings is half the fun. Can WA provide more commentary on whether a whiskey is a good sipping whiskey, or is there something more I can read into the existing ratings? For example, if it…

Whiskies can acquire sherry flavors by resting in casks that previously held sherry, a fortified wine from the Jerez region of Spain. While sherry comes in a variety of styles, including dry fino and sharp, salty manzanilla, these are only occasionally applied to whisky. The darker-hued and aromatic oloroso is the more traditional choice, with sweet, rich Pedro Ximenez a tantalizing option. The influence of oloroso sherry casks is identifiable as red fruit, figs, dates, and raisins, with Macallan and Glenfarclas as perhaps the most famous examples. The oak of the cask also plays a role, as it can be either European oak, which delivers spicier notes of clove and dried fruits, or American oak, which supplies jammy fruit and chocolate character. The dance between spirit and sherry wood is…

When you learned about the American folklore hero John Chapman, nom de pomme Johnny Appleseed, in grade school, they probably didn’t tell you he was propagating apple trees throughout the country to make cider and brandy, not for lunchbox snacks. Apple brandy, historically known as applejack, is America’s original spirit. Long before the birth of bourbon, colonial Americans used freeze distillation, a decidedly low-tech precursor to modern techniques, to preserve their apple harvest in liquid form. A century later, Robert Laird, a Revolutionary War soldier, gave his recipe for apple brandy to George Washington. Laird went on to found America’s first commercial distillery, Laird & Co., which still makes apple brandy under family ownership two and a half centuries later. Cider and apple brandy were a cornerstone of American drinking…

Cognac may be distilled from grapes rather than grain, but its similarities to whisky are hard to ignore. Like whisky, its popularity is booming and Cognac exports to North America jumped 14.2 percent in volume last year. Increasingly, Cognac makers are also expanding the French brandy’s stylistic boundaries. They’ve taken a page from the whisky playbook, making Cognacs with special finishes and adding numerical age statements. Small producers are releasing their own Cognac labels alongside the large, historic Cognac houses. Cognac’s appellation of origin regulates everything, from which grapes can be used and where they’re grown to how they’re vinified, distilled, and aged. The most common grapes used in Cognac are the white grapes Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard. They make thin and unremarkable wines, but are transformed with…

WINE —Samantha Falewée, Wine Spectator WHISKY —Jeffery Lindenmuth, Whisky Advocate How should a bottle be stored? ON ITS SIDE Keeping the wine in contact with the cork prevents the cork from drying out, shrinking, and letting excessive air get in, which causes oxidation. Screw-capped wines can be stored upright, as can sparkling wines—the pressure inside the bottle maintains higher humidity and a tight seal. STANDING UPRIGHT Cork closures are widely used for whisky, but with prolonged contact a high-proof spirit can destroy the cork or extract unwanted flavors. Store whisky upright, inverting the bottle every four to six months for about ten seconds to moisten the cork. What are ideal storage conditions? 55˚ F The best temperature for a cooling unit of both red and white wine is 55° F…

The Whisky Advocate Auction index (WAAI) tracks a basket of 100 rare, collectible whiskies through the world’s commercial auction houses. Each bottle’s current price was benchmarked at a baseline value of 100, ensuring that every whisky exerts an equal influence on the value of the index. The current value of each whisky—compared to that original price—is calculated quarterly and composed of a rolling average of the hammer prices over the previous twelve months. The WAAI is determined as a composite of the quarter’s performance of these 100 whiskies. The index was up 6.3% to stand at 277.5 at the end of the second quarter of 2017. The WAAI graph tells its own story: the sixth quarter since online auction data was included, and the pattern of growth is abundantly clear.…

By accepting that the bottles I have so carefully assembled are simple investments rather than beer, wine, or spirits for later enjoyment, I will have robbed them of the ability to provide me with their anticipatory joy. I am fortunate enough to frequently have the opportunity to sample many of the world’s greatest alcohol beverages, from rare vintage Champagne, to the much more common Belgian tripel, to the occasional fine bourbon or rye. Being a resolutely omnivorous drinker, each one I find delivers its own unique, but at the same time equal, excitement. None of these wonderful bottles, however, can give me quite the thrill I get from opening a bottle sealed before I was born, or in the year in which my nephew was born, or even just a…

CONDUCT A STRIP SEARCH Counterfeiters often transfer a genuine tax strip from an old wine bottle to cover up a refill. If a tax strip is in place, carefully feel around the neck for sticky patches, which could indicate where the original strip was removed. BE LEVEL MINDED Fill level is a good indication of the condition of a whisky. On release, most bottles are filled to the mid-neck, although some, like Karuizawa, are filled only to the shoulder. Ullage (the airspace in the bottle) can increase over time. Be suspicious of bottles from the 1960s or earlier with high neck fills. MAGNIFY THE PROBLEM Using a magnifying glass, jeweler’s loupe, or a handheld digital microscope, check the printing for vertical ridges or pixilation, indications of a home-printed facsimile. READ…

Although whisky had sold at auction before, it was only in 1989 that Christie’s held the first auction in Scotland dedicated to whisky. By 1997, International Whisky Auction started in Germany, later to become whiskyauction.com. These are some prized bottles that fetched record-breaking prices at auction. (Foreign currencies reflected in equivalent U.S. dollars at time of sale.) 2001—GLASGOW Macallan 1926 60 year old $21,874 New record for standard sized bottle of whisky. 2002—GLASGOW Dalmore 62 year old The Kildermorie $34,518 New record for standard sized bottle of whisky. 2007—GLASGOW 19th century Mutter Bowmore $50,968 New record for standard sized bottle of whisky. 2010—NEW YORK The 1.5 liter decanter of Macallan 64 year old in Lalique Cire Perdue $460,000 New record for any whisky lot. 2012—NEW YORK Glenfiddich 1955 Janet Sheed…

If you have about... SCOTCH AMERICAN If you have about... IRISH JAPANESE…

From the outside, whisky collecting seems like an exclusive sport, a world of international auction houses, unattainable Japanese whisky, and pre- Prohibition bottles of bourbon. But not everyone who appreciates art has to own a Basquiat. Beyond the most rarefied whiskies and record-breaking bottles is a much larger, much more accessible realm of collectible whiskies. Collecting doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming—and above all else, it should be fun. Collecting Types There are a few kinds of whisky collectors. Trophy hunters might buy for personal satisfaction or investment, but they tend to target rare current releases—think Pappy Van Winkle or Buffalo Trace Antique Collection—and cult distilleries like Ardbeg and Karuizawa (see our story on the most collectible distilleries, page 76). These are superb whiskies, but they’re beyond the…

SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT 93 Glen Moray 25 year old Port Cask Finish, 43%, $300 Distilled in 1988 and finished for an unspecified period in port casks after lengthy maturation in bourbon barrels. Floral, perfumed, and very enticing on the nose. Vanilla fudge, cocktail cherries, polished oak, and gentle spices. Soft and sweet on the palate, with vanilla, overripe orange, cinnamon, and milky coffee. Long and slightly peppery on the finish, with persistent drying fruitiness. Complex and extremely accomplished.—GS 92 Glen Moray Mastery, 52.3%, $1,000 Glen Moray is celebrating its 120th anniversary with Mastery, a vatting from 1978, 1988, 1994, 1999, and 2001. Maturation—and finishing— has occurred in a mix of bourbon, sherry, madeira, and port casks. Resinous sherry, smoky red wine, caramel, and vanilla on the nose. Voluptuous on the…

BOURBON 92 Rebel Yell Single Barrel 10 year old (barrel 5043515), 50%, $60 With the quintessential traditional bourbon bouquet, it’s caramel and vanilla all day, with honey, oak, brown sugar, and freshly baked corn muffins following. Then pure bliss, striking powerful mouth-coating notes of creme brulee, fried dough with powdered sugar, raspberry tarts, and maple syrup. The long finish offers a beautiful pecan pie note. Delightful to sip.—FM 90 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (batch B517), 62.1%, $70 Rich and bold, it’s loaded with caramel notes that range from macchiato to salted caramel chews. Then complexity sets in, with brown sugar, vanilla cake batter, cinnamon-dusted molasses cookies, candied pecans, brown-sugar butter, and cornbread. The key here is that each note appears with that initial caramel richness and follows this to the…

In 1867 Britain’s Parliament declared Canada a sovereign nation. One hundred fifty years later Canada’s whisky makers are celebrating with a wealth of stellar releases. These four are available in Canada only, so ask you border liquor store to put a bottle aside and start your engines for a whisky road trip. 96 Canadian Club 40 year old, 45%, C$250 After 40 years in barrels, the trademark Canadian Club dark fruit is as rich as ever. Reminiscent of raisin tarts with sprinkles of sweet baking spices, then strawberries and black pepper. Warming but never hot. No tannins, no woodiness; silky barrel tones are the only hint of oak, while soaring floral esters speak loudly of time in the barrel. The glowing, never-ending finish is spectacular.—DdeK 92 J.P. Wiser’s One Fifty…

91 Mars The Lucky Cat “Ash ’99,” 43%, $100 Yes, there is a cute, mewing black kitten on the label. Turkish delight, pomegranate, rose water, lemon, lime zest, clementine, and sandalwood. A syrupy texture with the sweetness of hard fruit candy; there are flavors of cooked apple, mandarin, butterscotch, melon, ginger, and chili pepper. The slow crescendo of spices is particularly impressive. The pleasantly fruity finish sees a drop-off in the spices. Distinctively aromatic and exotic.—JM 88 Mars Iwai, 40%, $35 The original Iwai pot stills from the 1960s have been retired and now stand outside the Mars Shinshu Distillery. Cajoled by the savory, almost gamey aromas assimilated with brown apple and old strawberries, the whisky is surprisingly candy sweet to the taste. Dark jellied fruits: first Rowntree’s Fruit Gums,…

SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT 91 Benromach 1975, 49.9%, £1,250 This vintage bottling was distilled during the 1970s and spent 41 years in a refill bourbon hogshead (#3434). Spicy on the early nose, with fresh oak. Increasingly malty, with ginger and apricot. The palate is rich and full, with Jaffa orange, stewed apples, cocoa, and pipe tobacco. Plain chocolate and increasingly tannic oak in the finish. Ultimately, warming spicy citrus fruits and smoky black pepper. (162 bottles)—GS 90 Gordon & MacPhail 1954 (distilled at Glen Grant), 40%, £1,575 This veteran expression was fully matured in first-fill sherry butts. Fragrant on the nose, with black treacle, prunes, raisins, lanolin, bung cloths, and polished oak. Big stewed fruit and warm leather notes on the palate, soon reeled in by spicy tannic oak, plus licorice…

You never forget your first time, I’ve heard, but frankly I have no memory of it. Whiskey, we’re talking about. (You thought different? This is a family hooch magazine, my friends.) This came up after hearing a horrified young mother’s reaction to the suggestion of rubbing a little whiskey-soaked cloth on a toddler’s gums to relieve teething pains. Well, to quote a great comedian, “Excuuuuuse me.” And please don’t write in—I was only quoting my grandmothers, and if you can’t trust your grandmothers, whose old wives’ remedies can you trust? So go use oil of cloves, or ginger, or some other herbal extraction that grandmothers would scoff at, but permit me to wax a bit nostalgic about the wisdom of grannies in general, vis-a-vis small-grain distillations. The actual first time…

Never mind Vegas; Montreal is the original Sin City, a nickname it earned during Prohibition when it quenched American thirst with an influx of Canadian whisky thanks to an alleged deal struck between Samuel Bronfman, of Montreal-based Seagram, and Al Capone. Nowadays, Montreal is known for its fantastic wine bars and brewpubs, but its distilling roots are beginning to reemerge. A handful of craft distilleries have opened recently and Sazerac, which at one time operated out of Old Montreal, started distilling there once again this fall. The Old Montreal Distillery will offer visitor tours beginning next spring. Day One For now, local distilling operations in the city are tiny—and young, as are their whiskies. Cirka Distilleries, located in an industrial neighborhood in the city’s southwestern quadrant, offers tastings of its…

Scotch whisky may be our favorite export of the Scottish Isles, but it’s not the only one. According to an Act of Parliament, Harris Tweed must be made from virgin wool, dyed and spun on the Outer Hebrides, and woven in the homes of the Islanders. Produced using only human power, it’s a sustainable, beautiful, and durable natural fabric. Harris Tweed has been produced the same way for over a century, so like a tasty island dram, it never goes out of style. No wonder many designers are racing to incorporate it. Hip Flask by Swig, $75 Crafted on the Isle of Skye, Swig’s latest design comes wrapped in handmade Harris Tweed. Top it up with 6 oz. of Talisker, or any other whisky you fancy. swigflasks.com Stormy Kromer Hat,…

American whiskey may find itself an unwitting pawn in an international trade war. In June, news outlets reported President Donald Trump planned to turn his criticism of foreign steel imports to action and add hefty tariffs on cheap imported steel. Via Twitter he stated, “Don’t like steel & aluminum dumping!” Top among the European Union’s potential retaliatory duties is a $1-billion U.S. export—whiskey. Europe represented $654-million in U.S. spirits exports in 2016, with whiskey brands Jack Daniel’s, Four Roses, and Jim Beam, relying heavily on European sales. In Kentucky alone, bourbon represents an $8.5-billion industry employing 17,500 people. “Global markets are increasingly important to our signature industry, and we have worked hard over the past decade to open doors, level the playing field, and eliminate discriminatory tariffs and policies that…

Edward Everett Hale’s 1863 short story The Man Without a Country is the tale of an American Army lieutenant who renounces the United States and is sentenced to spend the remainder of his days aboard a ship, aimlessly adrift with no word of his homeland. Not long ago, a whisky without a country might have met a similarly bleak fate. After all, most drinkers select their whisky precisely by where it was made—be it Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., or elsewhere. Without a country of origin, a whisky has no welcoming compatriots on the liquor store shelf. However, this hasn’t deterred a few enterprising blenders from combining whiskies from different nations in the same bottle. Liberating or treasonous? We’ll let taste be the judge. (For official tasting notes and ratings see…

I believe Texas whiskey has an opportunity to tell a true story of terroir through its grain and extreme weather. Will craft whiskey distillers challenge Kentucky?” I asked this question nearly a decade ago of some veteran bourbon distillers, and they laughed. Four years later, I asked the same distillers if craft whiskey could challenge Kentucky. This time, they conceded craft’s potential and knew quality bourbon lurked outside the Bluegrass State. But they only saw one region as Kentucky’s possible equal: Texas, a state with mystique, pride, and its own culinary style: TexMex. Having graduated from Oklahoma State, I struggle to compliment anything from Texas; our bitter sports rivalry runs deep. Could Texas whiskey be my first Lone Star love? My romance began with Balcones whiskey, which offered a mouthfeel…

“There was a fraudster within the Scotch whisky community. We found him, and we’ve taken him out,” says Isabel Graham-Yooll with ice-cool composure. The director of Whisky. Auction in London was instrumental in exposing a forger’s scheme to defraud whisky collectors of tens of thousands of dollars. The one thing collectors and auctioneers are left to wonder: is this just the tip of the iceberg? “He was the Rudy Kurniawan of whisky and spirits. As we’ve discovered since his arrest, this was a huge crime,” says Graham-Yooll. Kurniawan, an infamous wine counterfeiter, famously duped wellheeled collectors and highly regarded auction houses with his counterfeit Burgundy and Bordeaux until his arrest in 2012. Guided by her suspicions, the magnitude of what she had uncovered became apparent. While others revel in the…

COLLECTOR PROS The preservationists of our distilling culture in all shapes and forms, they accumulate everything from closed distillery bottlings to collecting releases from the distillery closest to their roots. Generous types, they understand that the happiest of times are when you open a great bottle and share it with friends. CONS Requires a large house and even larger budget. FLIPPER PROS They supply drinkers and collectors with a second chance to buy the best of the world’s hottest new whiskies. CONS Like a scalper, scorn coagulates around flippers for profiteering from their fellow imbibers. They are accused of opportunism and avarice, and have been implicated in pushing up prices. INVESTOR PROS Driven by profit, they seek out prestige bottles in high demand from distilleries with a stellar reputation for…

Prices are only going up. Not necessarily. Most new-release whiskies follow a U-shaped price curve at auction, starting high and falling back as demand subsides, before entering a longer resurgent phase during the climb to profit. Spring your bids at the low point of the curve or grab the bargains when whisky flippers miscalculate the market. Collecting is for the rich; I’m not wealthy enough. Hundreds of whiskies are auctioned every month for less than $100. Read the small print on buyer’s premiums, taxes, and shipping to keep within your budget. Speculate to accumulate: start small, buy and sell smartly, and reinvest your profits to trade up to the more expensive bottles. Older is better, all this modern stuff is no good. Modern whiskies reflect greater consistency, offering a better…

Nothing quite beats the feeling of winning at a whisky auction, and now they offer more than just liquid rarities. Scotch Whisky Auctions is among those to offer barware, advertising ephemera, and rare books, like those shown here—collectively called whiskiana. So, even if you don’t leave with a prized bottle, you need not go home empty-handed. Cask Heads The perfect decoration for any whisky lover’s wall, oak cask heads are typically stenciled with a distillery name. Their desirability and price are linked closely to the whisky they once held—or didn’t, since reproductions abound. YOU’LL PAY $20 for Maker’s Mark, $100 for Glenfiddich, $500 for Port Ellen, $1,100 for Karuizawa Water Pitchers Even those who insist on taking their whisky neat can appreciate the beauty of these advertising water jugs, as…

Assess Your Aspirations Record an inventory of the whiskies you own and the styles you drink most. You probably already have more expertise than you even realize, so apply extra focus here when hunting. Establish a Perimeter Pick a central starting point and establish a radius for your search. Search for “liquor stores,” “wine shops,” “package stores,” and “wine and spirits” on Yelp and Google Maps. Chart a route, paying close attention to opening and closing times. Search High and Low Any store can hold treasure. Old, run-down stores are more likely to have dusty bottles. Upscale wine shops often harbor limited-edition scotches and other spirits. High-volume shops and chains get larger allocations of rare whisky. Snoop around in beach towns and seasonal destinations in the off-season. Make a Happy…

90 Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch No. 3 Triple Grain American Oak 10 year old, 41.3%, $30 Wheat, corn, and malted barley are your three grains here. Orange grove before harvest, a rounded candied peel note, plenty of sweet grain, and creamy vanilla, all backed by gentle spice. Luscious and chewy caramel, taffy candy, lavishly rich orange, and glowing spice notes wrap around the tongue. It’s incredible how they can make this tasty blend of five whiskies look so devastatingly easy (when it’s not).—JM…

92 Knob Creek 25th Anniversary Single Barrel, 61%, $130 Wonderful opening of cigar humidor and tack room, it presents vibrant caramel and vanilla, but really shines with complex fruit, spice, and nuts. Baked apples, canned pears, blackberries, and strawberry jam meet white pepper, followed by roasted walnuts and honey. Then resounding nutmeg appears, with slight hints of smoke, chipotle, and earth. The long finish rekindles the caramel note from the beginning. Must-have sipper.—FM…

IRISH SINGLE MALT 91 Hyde No. 2 President’s Cask 10 year old, 46%, $80 Saturated with tropical fruits, banana, butterscotch, barley sweetness, marzipan, creamed coconut, and a fine thread of spice after the 8 month finishing period in dark Caribbean rum casks. This is a huge vehicle for flavor: silky and thick mouthfeel with sweet citrus, honey, mango, guava, passion fruit, Seville orange, and a sting of bitterness to keep your taste buds on their toes. Spice is merely a bit-part player.—JM 91 Tyrconnell 16 year old, 46%, $100 Whiskeys made from 100% Irish barley are not abundant, so at sweet sixteen, there is much to celebrate about this grown-up version of Tyrconnell. Honey, pear, creme brulee, clementine peel, tinned peach, and pencil shavings on the nose. Citrus, candied peel,…

INDIAN WHISKY 94 Amrut Spectrum 004, 50%, $165 Although it sounds more like the warped master plan of a sinister Bond villain, it’s actually named after the four different woods in Amrut’s second wave of spectrum casks. Prune stone, dried fig, black cherry flesh, raspberry, cinnamon, and a hint of macchiato aromas. Dense concentrated cherry and sultana, cooked apple and pear, heavy spices, and fruit and nut chocolate. Finish of hot, sticky dates and baked orchard fruit. Commendable.—JM 92 Amrut Rye Single Malt, 50%, $190 What’s a rye single malt, you ask? It’s 100% malted rye distilled in pot stills, bursting with rye spices, thick toffee, malt loaf, chocolate, licorice, burnt sugar, and tropical fruits. Praline, cinnamon, and burnt orange flavors succumb to an assault of spice, tropical fruits, and…

91 High West Campfire, 46%, $70 This hybrid of bourbon, rye, and blended malt scotch is the dusty trail made liquid flesh. Smoke and cooked meat up front, balanced by sizzling rye spice, red fruit, and dark chocolate. Seaweed, salt spray, and peat are happy to share the spotlight. Barbecue ribs dry-rubbed with paprika, chili powder, and clove, with a smoldering finish. Hot, powerful, and beguiling. A great improvement over earlier releases (2016 batch tasted).—AP 87 Alberta Rye Dark Batch, 45%, $30 A blend of Canadian whisky with 1% sherry and 8% bourbon. Dried and stewed fruits, baking spices, leather, and earthy tobacco blanket light-bodied vanilla sweetness. Assertive dark chocolate and coffee, raisins, and prunes are balanced with sweet peppered jerky. The generous sweetness is tempered with water. Finishes like…

STOUTS 97 Bell’s Expedition Stout, 10.5%, $16/six-pack Pitch black, this winter seasonal presents a dense aroma of raisin and prune, licorice and coffee, with hints of dark chocolate and a whiff of road tar. It begins with a black cherry and pomegranate fruitiness which leads to a complex body that’s potent, intense, and darkly fruity, with its sweetness moderated by roasted malt, burnt fruit, and warming notes of alcohol. Nothing short of outstanding.—SB 95 Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout, 5.8%, $11/six-pack Perhaps inspired by the revivalist oatmeal stout of English brewer Samuel Smith, this has been a staple of the brewery since shortly after its opening in 1987. Deep black and silky smooth, thanks to the use of oats in the mash, it has a gentle sweetness somewhat evocative…