Indholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2023 i Whisky Advocate

If you’re a regular bourbon drinker, then licorice will be a familiar flavor to your palate. While licorice is a recognizable aroma, it is more commonly detected as a flavor that carries through from first sip and into the finish. It likely originates from the toasted and charred oak in the barrel, but it is also a flavor picked up in some peated whiskies and long-aged scotches matured in sherry casks. If flavors of star anise, fennel, tobacco, aniseed, cola, ginger, pepper, or pronounced oak influence are present, licorice may not be too far behind. For thousands of years before it was made into candy, licorice was used in herbal remedies and traditional medicines where its active compounds were noted to affect the gastrointestinal, respiratory, immune, and cardiovascular systems. (In…

The gold standard in fat-washed cocktails is a bacon-washed Old Fashioned. The drink rose to popularity in 2007 at New York City bar PDT, where it was called the Benton’s Old Fashioned, and it has been copied many times since. Bacon-Washed Old Fashioned From the bar at Deviation Distilling in Denver 2 oz. bacon-washed bourbon¼ oz. maple-infused syrup (equal parts maple syrup and warm water)2 dashes Angostura bittersOrange peel, for garnishPour fat-washed bourbon, syrup, and bitters into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir to chill and strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with orange peel. Feeling adventurous? Try these newer recipes. The Upside Down From Empress by Boon in San Francisco 1 oz. sesame-washed Suntory Toki (or other Japanese whisky)*¾ oz. Polugar No. 2…

Bringing your bottles on trips is increasingly commonplace these days. “If I’m flying, I know duty free doesn’t have much I’ll like,” says Kenny Levine, a New Jersey pawn shop owner with some 500 bottles in his collection. “I’d rather have two bottles I love than something I settled for at the airport.” Levine seals his closures by dipping them in wax in a slow-cooker and bubble-wraps them before putting them in his checked luggage, and other travelers also swear by this method. But protective cases are on the rise. Harbor Freight offers a large polypropylene protective case ($40), with customizable pick-and-pull foam inserts, that’s sealed and can withstand enormous impacts and changes in pressure. (And it’s $100 cheaper than a similar case from class-leader Pelican.) That’s why it’s Matthew…

WORLD RECORD Shizuoka 2019 Ghost Series No.20 (Cask 1809), 61.9% Hammer price $1,896 Whisky Auctioneer, Scotland, May 2023 This unpeated 3 year old single malt was matured in a single bourbon cask. A release of 224 bottles, it was a private cask bottling in the Ghost Series. This sale set a new distillery auction record for a single bottle of Shizuoka. WORLD RECORD Chichibu 10 year old Malt Dream Cask 2009 (Cask 554), 61.9% Hammer price $7,262 Whisky Auctioneer, Scotland, October 2020 A cask strength 2019 bottling from a single bourbon cask set a record for a single bottle of Chichibu, though Ichiro Akuto’s Double Distilleries releases, which combine Hanyu and Chichibu whiskies, have achieved even greater sums.…

Who doesn’t love a freebie at a conference? I began my week in Edinburgh, where 600 attendees from 32 countries gathered to discuss the latest scientific developments at the Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference—which is where the exhibition hall comes in. Now I’m no stranger to pocketing a free branded pen or two, but this year Speyside Cooperage outdid themselves with their giveaway deck of Acorn to Cask Top Trumps, Top Trumps being a card game better known in the UK than the U.S. Players compete by using the numerical data on each card to trump other players and win more cards—but these were special cooperage-themed cards featuring hogsheads, hoop drivers, and hammers, each given a comparative statistic for their size, usefulness, danger level, and time in use. Suddenly we were…

Best Values Whiskies with solid scores, modest prices, and wide availability. RYE 92 Ezra Brooks 99 2 year old, 49.5%, $25 The nose kicks off on a zesty and flavorful note, with loads of black pepper and peppercorn sauce joined by chlorine, an assortment of farmers market leafy greens, and menthol. The palate is more lightly peppered; here it’s also supplemented by a dollop of honey, some celery juice, and raw kale, keeping the greens going. More pepper on the finish, which has a fair amount of milk chocolate and lemon ice too.—JH BLENDED IRISH 91 The Whistler Dark Symphony, 43.14%, $40 Matured in first-fill bourbon barrels and finished in VSOP cognac barrels, the nose offers fresh plum, orange peel, dried apple ring, caramelized brown sugar, honey, dried flowers, and…

The Riachi winery is known for its fine wines, arak, and liqueurs, and has been run as a family business since 1839. Winemaker and master distiller Roy Riachi began making whisky in 2013, launching his first Lebanese single malt in Beirut in 2019. Athyr is its single malt made from sun-dried, floor-malted six-row Lebanese barley harvested in the Bekaa Valley. In contrast to nearly every whisky we cover, Athyr never sees the inside of an oak cask. Instead, it is matured in 120–180 liter clay amphorae, a traditional method for maturing spirits in Lebanon and elsewhere, using inserts of cured branches of Lebanese oak (quercus libani). Athyr Empire is aged for 6 years, while Athyr Cedarwood Finish adds an additional year of finishing on cedarwood. Levant Heights is Riachi’s more…

“Food is politics” was a view famously espoused by the late and much-loved chef Anthony Bourdain, and there is little doubt he was right. For evidence, one need look no further than Thailand, where cuisine is as politically wrought as it is anywhere on the planet. If you’ve ever wondered why Thai restaurants are ubiquitous in the U.S., it’s because, in a textbook example of what has become known as gastrodiplomacy, the Thai government made it so. Early this century, Thailand decided to promote its national “brand” by training chefs and sending them out into the world to open restaurants, causing the number of Thai dining establishments in the States to effectively double during the period that followed. Even Thailand’s signature dish, pad thai, was invented by the government in…

In a world where people actively avoid high-fat foods, whisky lovers can make an exception: washing fat through whisky introduces a whole new universe of delicious flavors. So forget diet culture and embrace the fat, at least for your favorite drink. Through fat-washing—a technique that imparts flavors from meat, plant, and oil-based fats into spirits—rich and savory elements can be added to any style of whisky. Complementing the natural flavors gleaned from distillation and barrel aging, whisky can be made even tastier by the likes of bacon fat, butter, or plant-based oils like olive, coconut, or sesame. There’s science involved in fat-washing, but anyone can do it with the right tools. It’s a process of extracting fat from one source and rinsing it through another, thereby adding the flavors from…

If the idea of fat-washing whisky at home is too daunting, there’s a new pre-bottled option that provides all the flavor with none of the work. The Fat-House brand launched recently with a bacon-flavored rye that’s made in much the same way as an at-home fat-washed whisky, but on a much larger scale. FatHouse Bacon Fat-Flavored whiskey has a base of 95% rye and 5% barley malt that’s aged in level-3 char new American white oak for 3-4 years. Once properly aged, the whiskey is put in a tank with melted bacon fat that’s been tasted for smokiness and richness, and approved by the USDA. The mixture is filtered before bottling to remove the fat solids while maintaining the flavors of rye, bacon, and barrel. “By infusing the whiskey with…

Wax Like a Pro Levine recommends buying sealing wax from a professional manufacturer, like blendedwaxes.com. Its products are colorful, strong yet flexible (they won’t chip or flake upon opening), and relatively inexpensive, starting at under $13 a pound. After you heat it up and dip your bottle, it takes only 10 minutes to completely set, according to Levine. While you could add a pull tab ahead of waxing for the cleanest open, a knife works just fine. And if you need to rewax, Levine says applying a lighter flame to the wax can usually seal everything back up before you head home. Tape Up the Tops If you’re dealing with a screw-top bottle that’s been opened, consider using plumbers-grade Teflon sealing tape before you screw down the cap. You’ll get…

Water, water, everywhere, and you can’t find a drinking fountain to save your precious bodily fluids. At one time they were in every park and playground, and (this will either amaze or appall you youngsters out there) rising right out of the sidewalks on street corners. Today, while the earth is still two-thirds water, 78.6% of it is in plastic bottles carried by people on their way to or returning from working out. Most of the remainder is gargled at overpriced—and misnomered—health clubs during workouts (No, you won’t be surprised, I don’t work out; in fact, I have only ever used the phrase in remarking that things are not working out as I’d planned.) When I was your age, the only bottled water we ever saw was in giant Hinckley…

95 McCarthy’s 6 year old Oloroso Cask Finished (2023 Limited Release), 56%, $120 America’s first single malt, now part of Hood River Distillery. Smoked meat, barbecue, apple, cherry, bitter chocolate, charcoal, and campfire smoke 94 Colkegan Small Batch Cask Strength (Batch BBL98), 59%, $80 From the desert country of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fruit and nuts, lemon pound cake, and light char balanced by powdered sugar 94 Westward Cask Strength, 62.5%, $100 A Portland, Oregon veteran player. Warm porridge, honey graham crackers, toasty oak, cigar wrapper, and butterscotch 93 Andalusia Stryker, 50%, $55 Bold Texas whiskeys are this distiller’s signature. Irish breakfast tea, pine, vanilla, and hardwood smoke 93 The Notch 15 year old (Batch 2), 48%, $500 From Nantucket Island’s Triple Eight Distillery. Sherry cask rancio, melon, jammy grape,…

Seasonal fall foods are perfect for pairing with whiskey. The rich flavors of roasted meats and root vegetables mirror drams and whisky cocktails across the stylistic spectrum. To make the most of the season’s flavors, we enlisted the team at Ripplewood Whiskey & Craft, a restaurant and whiskey-centric bar in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, less than a half hour outside of Philadelphia. Chef and co-owner Biff Gottehrer elevates American classics to astounding heights (the wings are spectacular) and also mines the world for dishes to riff on (the bao buns are addictive and the octopus tentacles are poached to perfection). The extensive beverage program is overseen by general manager and coowner Michael Haggerty with the help of bar manager Brian Azevedo. This menu channels the season in particularly delicious ways, and the…

New spirits launches these days are led by upscale tequilas. Artisanal gins and ultra-aged rums are also worth a look. More than a few newly released options here just might capture the interest of whisky lovers. Dogfish Head Bo-de-Gose and Hazy Squall IPA, $10/$14 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has launched two new beers: Bo-de-Gose ($10/4-pack of 16-oz. cans), a limited-edition fruited Gose brewed in collaboration with TALEA Beer Co., and Hazy Squall ($13/6-pack of 12-oz. cans), a continually hopped hazy IPA. Both Bo-de-Gose and Hazy Squall are available nationwide. dogfish.com Casamigos Cristalino, $61 The first cristalino tequila from Casamigos—a cristalino being an aged or reposado tequila that’s charcoal filtered. The cristalino style is softer, almost sweeter than others in the tequila spectrum. It launched nationally this summer in 375 ml…

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 or 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 is not presently available in the…

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1767 DANIEL BOONE FIRST VENTURED INTO THE LAND THAT WOULD ONE DAY BECOME KENTUCKY 1791 THE WHISKEY REBELLION CAUSES MANY FARMER-DISTILLERS TO MOVE TO KENTUCKY TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM FEDERAL TAX BURDENS 1795 JACOB BEAM BEGINS SELLING CORN WHISKEY TO LOCALS 1807 THE EARLIEST KNOWN REFERENCE TO BOURBON RESTING IN CHARRED BARRELS, WHILE BEING SENT DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO MARKETS LIKE NEW ORLEANS 1821 FIRST KNOWN ADVERTISEMENT FOR “BOURBON” WHISKEY 1897 THE BOTTLED IN BOND ACT ESTABLISHES STANDARDS FOR WHISKEY PRODUCTION AND MAKES THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THE GUARANTOR OF A WHISKEY’S AUTHENTICITY 1909 THE TAFT DECISION OFFICIALLY DICTATES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOURBON AND RYE WHISKEY, BASED ON GRAINS USED 1964 BOURBON IS MADE A “DISTINCTIVE PRODUCT” OF THE UNITED STATES BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS…

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1801 JOHN MOLSON OF MONTREAL PURCHASES A COPPER POT STILL PREVIOUSLY USED TO PRODUCE RUM, AND BEGINS COMMERCIAL WHISKY PRODUCTION 1837 GOODERHAM AND WORTS BEGINS PRODUCING WHISKY IN TORONTO; BY 1860 IT’S THE LARGEST WHISKY DISTILLERY IN THE WORLD 1861 CIVIL WAR STALLED CONFEDERATE ALCOHOL PRODUCTION AND ALLOWS FOR CANADIAN DISTILLERS TO GET IN ON THE AMERICAN MARKET 1880s CANADA INSTITUTES BOTTLED IN BOND PROGRAM ENCOURAGING THE BARREL-AGING OF WHISKY 1890 CANADA BECOMES THE FIRST COUNTRY TO ENACT A LAW FOR AGING WHISKY, REQUIRING AT LEAST 2 YEARS 1921 AMERICAN PROHIBITION POPULARIZES (SMUGGLED-IN) CANADIAN WHISKY IN THE U.S. 1946 ALBERTA DISTILLERS LIMITED STARTED BY CANADIAN OILMAN FRANK MCMAHON AND CANADIAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER MAX BELL…

Alberta® Premium Cask Strength Rye Whisky, 63.9-66% alc./vol., ©2023 Alberta Distillers, LTD. Chicago, IL. Canadian Club® Blended Canadian Whisky, 40%-50% alc./vol. ©2023 Canadian Club Import Company, Chicago, IL.…

Whisky and baking spices are a natural combination, since flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are innate in the spirit. But go another layer deeper (and farther back on your spice rack), and you’ll discover that turmeric, black pepper, cayenne, five-spice powder, and other less-used spices also lend warmth and complexity to the already-bold spirit, says Henry Dwyer, bar manager of Hutong New York. Whether you’re looking for something smoky, sweet, silky smooth, or with a bit of bite, spices can elevate your whisky drink to the next level, adds Anne Hester, bar manager at Southern-side Brewing Co. in Greenville, South Carolina. Spice things up with the recipes below.. Three Knuckle Formula Created by Steveie Smith, operations manager, Devil May Care, Austin “This Whiskey Sour riff packs a lot of…

Pimm’s No. 1 is an English gin-based liqueur infused with botanicals, caramelized orange, and spices. It was invented by London barkeep James Pimm in the 19th century, when it was considered a health tonic. Today it’s most commonly enjoyed in a Pimm’s Cup, a refreshing, low-alcohol mix of Pimm’s and either English-style lemonade (carbonated lemon soda), ginger ale or ginger beer, lemon or lime juice, and numerous garnishes including cucumber, strawberry, and mint. “When mixed in cocktails, Pimm’s imparts complex aromas as well as mild sweet and bitter flavors,” says Jonny Raglin, co-founder of Comstock Saloon in San Francisco, adding that whisky and Pimm’s are a good match due to the latter’s similarities with sweet vermouth in its aromatics and ABV level. “It brings a brightness to whisky that’s refreshing,…

Despite its lofty reputation, not all Japanese whisky is highly collectible. Over the past decade, Japanese whisky lovers have faced a scarcity of mature whisky, as the two major players, Suntory and Nikka, did not fully anticipate Japan’s rise on the world whisky stage. A variety of whiskies came along to fill the void, some taking full advantage of Japanese whisky’s lax regulations until new guidelines were issued in 2021. In this era of adventurous buying, tight demand, and steep pricing for aged whiskies, a new crop of Japanese whisky makers decided the time was right to start exporting. Scarcity has long been the main driver for the secondary market. Beyond collecting, auctions are also a means for individuals and whisky clubs to source something interesting to drink, enabling them…

Miniskirts were the fashion craze of the 1960s. Designers, always eager to profit by creating the next new trend, followed that up with the maxiskirt. As the name implies, the maxi was long, typically ending mid-calf. Marketers urged women to discard their miniskirts immediately in favor of the new maxis. Few complied. There is a limit to what marketers can shove down the throats of consumers. At about that same time, in the late ’60s, some of the largest drinks companies tried to wean Americans away from straight bourbon and straight rye. Americans, especially young Americans, were turning away from straight whiskey and trying other things. That much was true. The late 1960s and early ’70s were the golden age of intoxicant diversity. Whiskey’s share of the U.S. distilled spirits…

American single malt is a far-flung style, with expressions being made in almost every state of the nation. That’s become true of bourbon as well, but its roots are firmly planted in Kentucky, whereas single malt has come from many places. We’ve found an American single malt distiller in nearly every state across the U.S. Of course, some states have numerous producers, but we’ve taken one example from each to illustrate the outsized footprint of this American whiskey phenomenon.…

Whisky lovers have been gravitating toward tequila for years, and not just the oak-aged expressions that share so much in common with a great dram of scotch or bourbon. From neat pours to classic and elaborate cocktails, the crossover appeal of tequila has become significant enough that it’s even finding its way into contexts that, for a long time, were exclusively the province of whisky. At Philadelphia speakeasy Hop Sing Laundromat, proprietor Lê became known for a drinks repertoire that included a remarkably layered Old Fashioned crafted with reposado tequila and mezcal; the combination of subtle sweet spice and smoky notes is somehow surprising given the almost herbal and mineral character of the base spirits themselves. Much of the beauty—and growing appeal—of tequila to whisky devotees has to do with…

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