Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2020 i Whisky Advocate

To music fans, rapper Corey Woods is best known as Raekwon The Chef for the flavorful lyrics he cooks up as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Now, the drinks world is getting a taste of his creativity, as the multi-platinum artist pursues other forms of expression. In 2018 he launched Licataa, a red sparkling wine from Italy. Then, in September 2020, he partnered with barware and accessory company Mover & Shaker to release a limited-edition cocktail strainer. “Being now a wine owner, I just felt it was my due diligence to get involved and engage a little bit more with the cocktail community and the spirits world as well,” Raekwon says of the collaboration. A taste for good drinks appeared early in the rapper’s storied career, like on his…

Winter is the time of year when home bakers stock up on the staples for sweet treats—chocolate, toasted nuts, cinnamon, and lots of flour. But before you preheat the oven, consider adding whisky to your pantry. Whisky is an extremely versatile ingredient and can add depth to pies, cookies, cakes, and other tasty treats. “Whisky adds flavors and notes that contrast and match with the pastry,” says Dominique Ansel, pastry chef and owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery, who teamed up with Glenmorangie in fall 2020 for the release of A Tale of Cake single malt. Ansel created a pineapple boat cake (see sidebar) that featured a syrup made with A Tale of Cake, available for a limited time at his eponymous New York City bakery. You might wonder if these…

Like much of the country, the Whisky Advocate editorial team is working remotely. We are not able to taste whiskies together in person, or welcome distillers into our New York office. The silver lining to all of this is that we now meet with whisky makers and other personalities on Instagram Live—and you’re invited to join in the conversation. Over the past several months #TasteWithSpace has played host to the likes of scotch master blenders, bourbon master distillers, expert mixologists, American whiskey pioneers, and more. If you’re not watching #TasteWithSpace you’re missing some of the most engaging and insightful conversations from the world of whisky. Check out our archived interviews and join us at 3 p.m. Eastern every Friday on Instagram Live.…

Since the repeal of Prohibition, the term “Tennessee whiskey” has been synonymous with Jack Daniel’s. There is also George Dickel, a pipsqueak, barely a drop in Jack’s ocean. A few years ago, afraid that the term “Tennessee whiskey” was in danger of being hijacked, Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman persuaded Tennessee’s legislature to protect it. A law was passed that defines Tennessee whiskey in terms that mimic the legal definition of bourbon, with the additional requirements that it must be distilled and aged in Tennessee, and filtered through maple charcoal prior to aging. Jack Daniel’s continues to dominate not just the Tennessee whiskey segment but also the entire American whiskey category, outselling every other brand by a wide margin, in the U.S. and worldwide. Although no other brand is likely to…

The Whisky Advocate Top 20 is our annual culmination of a year of whisky tasting. Many whiskies never make it to the pages of our Buying Guide, which reflect our most positive experiences. And among those that do, only whiskies rating “outstanding” (90 points or higher on Whisky Advocate’s 100-point scale) are given consideration for Top 20 status. But quality is only the beginning. We want to identify whiskies that readers will be able to locate and purchase. Therefore, in addition to quality (based on score), our selection also prioritizes value (based on price) and availability. The final ingredient for a Top 20 whisky is something we call “x-factor.” It must generate excitement and mark a highlight across a year of tasting. The whiskies that met these criteria were subjected…

This is a sampling of cRc kosher-certified whiskies. See pages 105 and 108 for reviews of DS Tayman’s kosher whiskies certified by the Orthodox Union (OU), Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din (KLBD), and Canada’s Kosher Certifier (MK). BOURBON Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Recipe Straight Bourbon A.D. Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon Koval Bourbon Journeyman Distillery Feather Bone Bourbon CH Distillery Straight Bourbon RYE Buffalo Trace Kosher Straight Rye Journeyman Last Feather Rye Koval Single Barrel Rye Black Dirt Distillery Rye AMERICAN Koval Single Barrel Oat Journeyman Three Oaks Single Malt TENNESSEE Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack SCOTCH Glenmorangie Astar Ardbeg 10 year old Tomintoul 14 year old Kosher Portwood Finish Auchentoshan American Oak Glenfiddich 14 year old Rich Oak Glen Garioch Virgin Oak Glenrothes Bourbon Cask Reserve WORLD M&H…

Naked Pomegranate Sour 1½ oz. Naked Grouse1½ oz. pomegranate juice½ oz. lime juice¼ oz. vanilla syrupLime twist for garnish Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake. Empty all ingredients, including ice, into a glass and garnish with a lime twist. Royal Symphony 1½ oz. Royal Salute 21 year old The Malts Blend¾ oz. Lavender Lillet (recipe below)½ oz. orange juice2 tsp. lemon juice1 tsp. simple syrup2 drops Angostura bitters2 drops vanilla bittersViolet powder for garnish Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake, and strain into a champagne flute. Garnish with a sprinkle of violet powder on an exterior side of the glass. Lavender Lillet 750 ml Lillet Blanc½ oz. lavender buds (amazon.com) Infuse for 1½ hours and fine strain. Pour back into the bottle…

The Buying Guide provides ratings of whiskies from around the world with an emphasis on new releases available for purchase in the U.S. Complete tasting notes are provided for all whiskies scoring 84 points or more (on the Whisky Advocate 100-point scale). Lower scoring whiskies are included at the discretion of the editors, and some may appear exclusively on whiskyadvocate.com. RATINGS AND PRICES Ratings are to provide a relative comparison of quality with reference to both directly competing products and whiskies in general. Price is not a consideration when arriving at ratings. Prices shown reflect the suggested retail price. When none is available, we establish a representative retail price. Actual retail prices may vary. Whiskies sold in the U.S. have prices marked in dollars; any whisky priced in other currency…

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated many changes in our world, from the introduction of now-commonplace Zoom meetings to the widespread wearing of face masks. Restaurants and bars have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and many have pivoted to serving whisky and cocktails to go, often enabled by the loosening of liquor laws. When you chill out with a professionally crafted cocktail at home while supporting your favorite local bars, everybody wins. Barrel-Aged Cocktails, Pours, And More Travel Bar Brooklyn, N.Y. This Brooklyn institution offers a wide range of takeout options. All of its signature cocktails are available in premixed bottles—the half-bottle option ($52) yields four cocktails while the full bottle ($100) yields eight. Whisky flights, as well as pours of the bar’s 450 whiskies, are also offered. TRY…

Freshly squeezed orange juice offers a rounded sweetness and soft acidity that pair brilliantly with almost any style of whisky in cocktails beyond the classic scotch-based Blood and Sand, says Chelsea Gregoire, founder and owner of restaurant consulting company Drinkable Genius. Orange juice “tends to add a little bit more sugar than other citrus fruits like lemon and lime,” Gregoire says. “That little element of sweetness plays really well with the tannins in whisky, and can be used to complement or accent flavors of malt, baking spices, and red fruits.” It’s essential to use freshly squeezed juice, says TJ Vytlacil of Brigade Society and former owner of the St. Louis, Missouri restaurants Blood & Sand and Death in the Afternoon. Precise measurement is also crucial, since too much juice can…

Marvin R. Shanken, chairman of M. Shanken Communications, Inc., has announced major new appointments at the top of the masthead of both Whisky Advocate and Wine Spectator magazines. After a 33-year career at M. Shanken, Thomas Matthews is stepping down as executive editor of Wine Spectator. Jeffery Lindenmuth, currently executive editor of sibling publication Whisky Advocate, will succeed Matthews as executive editor of the world’s most widely read wine publication at the end of the year. “As executive editor of Whisky Advocate, Jeffery Lindenmuth has done an outstanding job propelling that title into the most highly respected whisky magazine in the world. Under his leadership the magazine has enjoyed significant growth,” said Shanken. “Having worked closely with him, I believe he can take Wine Spectator to even greater heights. He…

Bitter isn’t a flavor most people seek out on its own, but when balanced with sweetness, it can be downright pleasurable. Many whiskies contain this duality: Think of how a mature bourbon marries together sweet caramel and vanilla flavors with notes of bitter oak and walnuts. Amaro, a liqueur originally hailing from Europe, makes the interplay of bitter and sweet its focus. Amaro (Italian for “bitter”; plural amari) is made by steeping botanicals and spices in neutral spirit, which is then sweetened. Historically, amaro was made with local plants and intended for medicinal use, generally as a digestive aid. While salubrious applications have faded away, the allure of its richly layered bitter botanicals still attracts sophisticated palates. Several American whiskey distillers are producing amari that showcase regional ingredients. “We really…

From my home in Scotland, I’ve seen firsthand the impact the events of 2020 have had on scotch whisky. But the scotch industry, by nature, takes a long-term view of such events, having survived the late 19th century crash caused by the speculation of the Pattison brothers, and more recently the rampant mothballing of distilleries in the 1980s. In fact, scotch has even previously survived a global pandemic. A century ago, the world was emerging from the horrors of World War I, followed by a global influenza pandemic that claimed at least 50 million lives. The 1918-19 pandemic came in three waves and killed tens of thousands of Scots against a backdrop of news manipulation, public misunderstanding about the devastating nature of the infection, disease dissemination by mass transportation, and…

Marvin R. Shanken has been the editor and publisher of Shanken’s Impact Wine and Spirits Newsletter since 1973, and in 1988 was inducted into Scotland’s Keepers of the Quaich. Shanken has decades of experience conducting blind tastings for both Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, for which he is also editor and publisher. In 2010, Shanken acquired Malt Advocate magazine, which later became Whisky Advocate. He became editor and publisher in 2016. Jeffery Lindenmuth began his association with Whisky Advocate more than 20 years ago, and became executive editor in 2016. Lindenmuth has traveled the world covering whisky and other spirits, and visited distilleries throughout Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and the U.S. He is a staff reviewer for the Buying Guide focusing on American whiskey. Jonny McCormick, contributing editor, makes his home…

It’s the season of splurge, and one of the best ways to make a whisky even more lush is to lace it with creaminess. You’ll find that the complementary and contrasting notes of rich heavy cream and coconut milk blend brilliantly with the spirit. “Milk and other creamy ingredients can actually heighten those treasured baking spice flavors in whiskies while simultaneously toning down their intensity,” explains Andra “AJ” Johnson, beverage director of Serenata and Zumo in Washington, D.C. The cocktails below perfect that balance with silky satisfaction. Ciudad Paraíso Created by Andra “AJ” Johnson, beverage director of Serenata and Zumo, Washington, D.C. Spanish for “Paradise City,” this tropical combination will transport your taste buds to the warm islands no matter what the temperature is outside. 2 oz. Bardstown Bourbon Fusion…

All bourbon warehouses serve the same purpose—to provide a safe place for barrels of whiskey to mature—but each warehouse has its own unique characteristics. Warehouse construction and location have a significant impact on the whiskey aging within. In fact, even the placement of each barrel within the same warehouse can have a profound effect on the whiskey’s flavor. Many distillers use this to their advantage—as a way to create a panoply of flavors and styles from the same distillate. Moved to Tiers In 1879 Frederick Stitzel of Louisville patented “a certain new and useful improvement in racks for tiering barrels containing whisky and other similar liquids,” giving rise to the rackhouse or rickhouse. This End Up Each of the two main methods of stacking barrels has its pros and cons…

In Scotland, most single malt distilleries are located in rural areas, with plenty of room to spread out. But one of the country’s newest producers has just a third of an acre for its mash tun, washbacks, stills, and other equipment. The solution: Build up. The site for Port of Leith Distillery, located in Edinburgh, sits right on the water, overlooking the Firth of Forth and the far-off coast of Fife. The foundation for the distillery was laid in early November 2020, with plans to complete construction within two years. The distillery’s nine-story vertical design, rising 40 meters, will stack each part of the production process atop the others: Grain milling and mashing will take place on the fourth floor, with fermentation below and distillation on the ground floor. Located…

Once relegated to airplanes and minibars, the 50 ml bottle is popping up everywhere. Many craft distillers turned to the minis in the wake of tasting room closures and canceled tastings. “Store tastings have stopped completely nationwide, and without tastings there is no easy way to get customers to try our products before committing to a larger 750 ml purchase,” says Scott Harris, co-founder of Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. Virginia Distillery Co. launched its first single malt, Courage and Conviction, in April, and used 50 ml bottles as part of the rollout. And Compass Box has had a great reception for its 50 ml gift pack, which includes Peat Monster, Spice Tree, and Story of the Spaniard, according to assistant whisky maker James Saxon. As he puts it, what whisky…

In addition to whisky, wine, and beer, I’m partial to an occasional gin or two, sometimes mixed into an elaborate cocktail, but mostly in either a simple Martini or what I believe to be the platonic ideal of a mixed drink: a Gin and Tonic. My fondness for what has been described as “the world’s original flavored vodka,” coupled with my work on the distilleries guide I co-authored last year, entitled “Canadian Spirits: The Essential Cross-Country Guide,” has led me to consider the nomenclature of the spirit. And I have found it to be lacking. Pick up almost any book dedicated to gin and you will find a different way of classifying the spirit’s styles. In “Gin: The Manual,” Dave Broom approaches classification like scotch whisky by dividing gins into…

Indisputably, scotch is the world’s most popular style of whisky, with single malt regarded as the epitome of this fine spirit, cherished for its unparalleled quality. While I make my home in Scotland and have a passion for her whiskies, my role as Whisky Advocate’s world whisky reviewer presents me with a steady stream of fascinating whiskies from India, Taiwan, Mexico, Israel, Australia, and beyond! Just 20 years ago, it would have been considered laughable that anyone could challenge Scotland’s dominance of single malt—but Japan gave scotch lovers reason to pause. Today, I’m in awe of the proliferation of whisky from around the world, and the vast range of countries that stand proudly behind high-quality products. A global community of distillers is transporting single malt whisky to new places, literally.…

Kashrut is a set of dietary laws within Judaism that dictates what Jews can eat and drink, and how those products must be prepared in order to be considered kosher. A distillery works with a kosher-certifying organization to ensure that ingredients, equipment, and practices meet these requirements. Inspect the label of any whisky carefully. If it was aged in a non-kosher wine cask, including port and sherry, it is not recommended for kosher consumers. Certified kosher is always kosher according to a kosher-certifying organization. Look for the hechsher, or small symbol of the kosher-certifying organization, on the label. Each bottle must be inspected individually; sometimes companies become kosher-certified while they still have old, non-certified stock. The only way to distinguish between the two is the logo on the label. Approved…

JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT on November 22, 2011, a clandestine group of whisky enthusiasts assembled on Westminster Bridge in central London. They convened to bid farewell to a historic style of scotch whisky—to witness their ringleader, Compass Box Whisky’s John Glaser, ceremoniously push the cork into The Last Vatted Malt. As the chimes of Big Ben announced the new day, the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 came into force, officially outlawing the term “vatted malt,” which had appeared on whisky labels since the mid-1800s. The term “vatted malt” referred to whisky that combines malts from two or more different distilleries, as opposed to single malt, which comes from just one distillery. The scotch formerly known as “vatted malt” would now be referred to as “blended malt” whisky—a term detractors argued could easily…

Best Values Whiskies with solid scores, modest prices, and wide availability. BOURBON 90 Hudson Bright Lights, Big Bourbon New York Straight, 46%, $40 Distilled from 95% New York-grown corn and 5% malted barley. Vanilla ice cream, milk chocolate, orange zest, ginger snaps, fresh flowers, leather, and allspice on the nose. The mouthfeel is light, with notes of herbs, orange slices, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, almonds, and brown sugar. A smooth, spicy finish brings on a finale of orange tart, ginger, dried almonds, and a pleasant cereal note. Light but well spiced, with depth and balance.—DF IRISH SINGLE MALT 89 The Busker Single Malt, 44.3%, $30 This is the best of the range: It carries more weight and shows greater depth than Royal Oak Distillery’s other Buskers. An enticing nose of fresh…

Johnnie Walker has created three impressive new blends to celebrate 200 years since John Walker began blending whisky and opened his grocery store. The Celebratory Blend is based on Walker’s Old Highland Whisky from the 1860s, the first to use the iconic square bottle and slanted label, and includes modern stocks from distilleries that would have been operating at that time. Legendary Eight is created from whiskies made at distilleries that existed 200 years ago. The aromas and flavors that might have been found in the grocer’s store in the 1820s inspired the selection of rare aged stocks in the Bicentenary Blend, including Port Ellen, Cambus, and Pittyvaich. Raise a glass to the entrepreneurial spirit of the man who began the Johnnie Walker journey. 95 John Walker & Sons Bicentenary…

There’s a lot of excitement about Waterford, the new Irish distillery project from Mark Reynier, former Bruichladdich CEO. Its whisky-making doctrine shares many similarities with the Hebridean distillery, especially when it comes to espousing the fundamental importance of barley and terroir. Each bottling has a “Téireoir” code that, when entered on the website, provides more detailed information on the whisky. 89 Waterford Arcadian Series Organic Gaia 1.1, 50%, $110 Satsuma peel, aromatic florals, and a low level of aromatic spices, then fruit syrups and a hint of olive oil on the nose: It’s clean and bright, with plenty of sweetness. The citrus, toffee, and salted-caramel sweetness of the palate are disrupted by a shockwave of pepper, leaving tangy peels, hints of nuts, and sour gooseberry in its wake before a…

Well, there used to be. And I’m not talking about professor Jerry Thomas-era, 19th Century, no-ladies-allowed saloons, I’m talking about a free lunch in my very own saloon-haunting lifetime. Which, come to think of it, did start while there was at least one men-only place in Chicago—The Berghoff Bar, home of post-Prohibition liquor license no. 1 and a famous halibut sandwich—which eschewed serving women and, perhaps not coincidentally, barstools. (A bartender there once told me that most women seemed to prefer sitting down when having lunch. Me too.) They became enlightened when the National Organization for Women called the question in November of 1969. New York was well behind Chicago in their enlightenment, with McSorley’s Old Ale House not serving women until 1970. I don’t know when McSorley’s stopped serving…