Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2024 i Whisky Advocate

For any gathering, whether it be your next whisky club meeting or an informal tasting with friends, there are better carrying options for your favorite whiskies than a simple cardboard box. This array of carrier bags, which come in a variety of styles and sizes, meet all your practical needs while also offering a bit of style. Most of them have room for tumblers, barware, and other accoutrements, and they also make great gifts. Leather Whiskey Carrier, $200 Crafted from 3.5 mm full-grain cowhide that, in time, will fade to a natural patina. This bag holds a bottle of whisky and four tumblers (not included), making it ideal to share a pour when visiting friends or picnicking. Leather dividers protect the glasses. barrelandhides.com Double Barrel Bottle Tote, $290 If you…

Amaro Nonino begins as a grape distillate aged more than 1 year in French oak barriques and small sherry casks, before being infused with a secret blend of herbs, spices, fruits, and roots. The result is a bittersweet amaro to be sipped as a digestif or—better yet—mixed with whisky in a cocktail. “When I taste Amaro Nonino I get bitter orange and stone fruit, spices, and herbs, followed by hints of flowers like violet and lavender, all with a nice sweetness and just the right amount of bitterness,” says Dave Castillo, bar supervisor at Marlena in Long Beach, California. “It’s sweet but not too sweet; bitter but not terribly bitter, as some amari can be. In a cocktail it adds complexity without being overbearing.” The classic Paper Plane cocktail—featuring equal…

Christian Spece and her husband Ronnie first had the idea to open a whisky and doughnut bar in 2015. “It combined one of our favorite indulgences from our childhoods with our adult passions,” Spece explains. “The more we thought about it, the more we realized how well the two fit. Both offer a myriad of parallel and complementary flavors, playing with and off each other.” They opened Batch in Tucson, Arizona in 2016 and today offer more than 1,200 whiskies along with rotating flavors of craft doughnuts, such as cookie dough s’mores, caramel turtle, and apple Jack Daniel’s, with or without a whisky kick. The Speces aren’t the only ones who’ve figured out that partnering pastries with whisky makes them both taste even better than solo. You can find a…

The winter issue, and hence winter itself, is here at last. And thank whoever the goddess of winter is, because it’s not until half the population of Chicago heads to Florida and Arizona that I’m ever really comfortable. It’s nothing personal—I’m sure some of them are good people—but I’m annually astonished watching them pack up and leave town just when the weather is at last getting tolerable. The upside is that I’m finally able to go outside without having to look at grown men in short pants, belly-stretched T-shirts with mistaken or offensive slogans, shower shoes on airplanes, and, perhaps worst of all, camo cargo shorts, worn, I assume, so that no hunters mistake the wearer for a deer with fat legs in line at the local Shake Shack. If…

Given how much travel some whiskies do, it’s a wonder they don’t have their own passports. Take Jefferson’s Ocean Aged—the whiskey, now in its 29th iteration, spends a great deal of its life on a ship. Each batch starts its odyssey in Savannah, Georgia, departing the city and following slightly different sea routes, which can culminate in as many as 30 ports spread across 5 continents. The most recent edition—Voyage 29, a wheated bourbon—left Savannah and headed southwest to Panama, crossing the Panama Canal and sailing onward to Tahiti and New Zealand. It then visited four ports in Australia, rounding the continent on its way up to Singapore, South Korea, China, and Japan. After a stop in the port of Yokohama, the whiskey began its journey back home, making stops…

Patrón is the tequila brand that pioneered the space for upscale expressions—others may have gotten there first, but Patrón really created the higher-end tequila category on a broad scale. Its famed blanco Silver bottle—with the bulbous cork topper and colorful lime green ribbon—is just as likely to be found in upscale cocktail lounges as it is in your neighborhood watering hole. But Patrón has a slew of interesting tequilas beyond its popular flagship, including some innovative gems that also appeal to whisky lovers. While the practice is typically part of the whisky-making process, Patrón was an early adopter of finishing in the tequila sector, releasing a cask-finished añejo expression way back in 2007. That expression, Gran Patrón Burdeos, initially was aged in a mix of American oak and new French…

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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THE O.G. THE GOLD RUSH 2 parts Maker’s Mark® bourbon¾ part honey syrup*¾ part fresh-squeezed lemon juiceLemon twist for garnish *For the Honey Syrup 2 parts honey1 part hot water Add bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup to an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain over ice into rocks glass. Garnish with lemon twist. THE FRESH TAKE CONSIDER THE HONEY Clover honey adds floral sweetness, buckwheat honey offers depth and richness, and orange blossom honey brings citrusy notes. Each type gives the Gold Rush a unique flavor. FEELING HOT Create a soothing hybrid by adding hot water instead of ice, transforming the Gold Rush into a comforting, warm drink similar to a Hot Toddy. SMOKE IT Add smoky depth by injecting smoke or floating smoky scotch atop the drink, creating…

Chicago has a long-standing reputation for being a great place to eat and drink. While that used to mean highly acclaimed dining at one place and expert mixologists slinging cocktails at another, today the line between fine dining and fine drinking has been blurred. Now there are venues that combine elevated cuisine alongside curated spirits selections and creative cocktails. And with its thriving craft distillery scene, Chicago makes a great destination for a whisky weekend. The city is big but compact, so use the train system (known to Chicagoans as the “L”) and rideshares to see all of it. Day 1 In the Windy City there are plenty of hotels with good bars, so you might as well stay where there’s a whisky focus. Hotel Zachary, across from Wrigley Field,…

Yeast. You hear about it every time someone explains the process of distilling whisky. So where does yeast come from, and how does it carry out its compelling work? Aside from producing alcohol, it has a significant impact on a whisky’s flavor. Yeast is far more important than it’s given credit for. What Is Yeast? Yeast is a naturally occurring single-celled microscopic fungus, and it exists every-where. There are currently more than 1,500 recognized species. The one that’s most interesting to distillers is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This variety comprises all brewer’s, baker’s, and distiller’s strains. It produces aromas and flavors in whisky ranging from fruit to spice and flowers to herbs. How Does Yeast Produce Alcohol? After milling and mashing the grain for whisky production, yeast is “pitched” into the cooled…

Given the variety of doughnuts and whisky available, you could potentially pair anything. But if you’re afraid your choices will leave a bad taste in your mouth, try these expert-recommended duos. Bourbon with Maple Bar A buttery maple doughnut enhances the caramel and vanilla notes of bourbon, leading to a sweet harmony. For less of a sugar rush, choose a high-rye bourbon. Rye with Cinnamon Sugar The warm spices in a cinnamon doughnut are the perfect match for rye’s inherent baking spice flavors. And its fruity or herbal undertones keep things balanced, says Kylee McCoy, Donut Distillery marketing director. Irish with Custard Whether it’s a basic custard-filled doughnut or a Boston cream, the confection’s rich, buttery center highlights the vanilla and honey notes often found in Irish whiskey. Scotch with…

COVID” is a chronic condition that occurs after a SARS-CoV-2 infection and is present for at least “Long three months. Long COVID includes a wide range of symptoms or conditions that may improve, worsen, or be ongoing. As pandemic-related market distortions have failed to abate, it appears the drinks business has long COVID. As with long COVID in people, the prognosis is difficult to assess. Thus, America’s bourbon boom finds itself at an unexpected crossroads. After many years of demand exceeding supply, the tables may have turned. Bernstein is a research firm that helps institutional investors manage their portfolios. After noting higher-than-normal inventory levels throughout the distribution chain and current softness in sales, Bernstein says current inventory in bourbon aging warehouses represents 8.5 years of demand, a 150% increase over…

When Bill Samuels Sr. and his wife Margie founded Maker’s Mark in 1953, Bill Sr. was far from the first Samuels to distill whiskey. His great-great-great-grand-father distilled Pennsylvania rye in the late 1700s, while his father and grandfather ran the T.W. Samuels Distillery in Deatsville, about 10 minutes from Bardstown, which Bill Sr. ultimately ran until its closure in 1942. T.W. Samuels whiskey was not as approachable in flavor profile as Bill Sr. preferred, so after his father passed and World War II was over, he set out to create a new recipe, ultimately landing on a mashbill that eschewed rye in favor of wheat. While the whiskey was entirely Bill Sr.’s creation, much of Maker’s Mark’s look and feel, including the name, came from Margie, as did the concept…

95 Barrell Vantage Blend of Straight Bourbons, 57.22%, $90 From Barrell’s core range: an impressive blend of bourbons from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee that were finished in a mix of mizunara, French, and toasted American oak barrels. Rich chocolate, snickerdoodles, and nutty chocolate brownies 94 Lost Lantern Far Flung Bourbon I, 68.4% $100 This cask strength gem comprises 3–7 year old bourbons from Frey Ranch, Watershed, Boulder Spirits, and Still Austin.  Vanilla cake, bitter chocolate, and spice 93 2XO The Kiawah Blend Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 52%, $100 Dixon Dedman finished a high-rye bourbon in a set of No.-3 and No.-4 char barrels before blending it with a separate low-rye bourbon. The high-rye component makes up 60% of the blend. Dark fruits, caramel macchiato, and baking spice 93 Four Gate Majestic…

94 Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction American Single Malt, 46%, $75 Grapefruit, marshmallow, creme brûlée, dark berries, black coffee 93 World Whiskey Society Double Barrel Japanese Single Malt by Chip Tate, 51%, $120 Rustic, red fruit, lemon peel, well-spiced, vanilla, barrel char 92 Macaloney’s Signature Selection Siol Dugall Canadian Island Peated Single Malt (Batch 2), 46%, $82 Sweet peat, campfire coals, fresh guava, chocolate, peppery spice, lemon cake 92 Never Say Die Kentucky Straight Rye, 52.5%, $85 Dole fruit cup, cornbread, cooked cherries, rich chocolate, barrel char 91 Colkegan American Single Malt, 46%, $60 Menthol, pine, sandalwood, baked apple, black pepper, lemon pound cake 91 Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon, 46%, $40 Grilled pineapple, cinnamon rugelach, whipped cream, lemon curd, cereal milk, lemon bars 91 Tenmile Distillery 3 year…

ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH 94 Octomore 15.1, 59.1%, $205 Bruichladdich’s ultra-peated Octomore consistently delivers refined iterations of Islay smoke, and the first single malt in its 15th release is no exception. The nose is wrapped in smoke, bringing to mind a barbecue with all its charcoal, hot dog, meatloaf glaze, and ketchup sweetness. Smoke drifts by on the palate, joined here by white pepper, crème brûlée, and toasted sugar. A surprising hint of mint on the finish, though it’s soon over-taken by ash and grilled meat.—JH JAPANESE BLENDED 93 Kanosuke Double Distillery, 53%, $120 From one of Japan’s new generation of whisky makers, made at two distilleries—a single malt from Kanosuke and a pot still grain from sister distillery Hioki. It starts with aromas of fresh oak, rich vanilla, honey,…

This trio of single pot still Irish whiskeys marks the international debut of Boann Distillery, which is based in Drogheda, County Meath, about 30 miles north of Dublin. The distillery has established a dedicated following through its sourced Irish whiskey brand The Whistler. Boann is known for its experimentation with vintage mashbills, innovative distillation techniques, and its diverse wood program. These expressions are made from a mashbill of locally sourced unmalted and malted barley, oats, and rye. They do not carry an age statement, but are close to 5 years old and were matured in a variety of casks. The Marsala expression was finished in French oak marsala butts following an initial maturation in bourbon barrels sourced from Brown-Forman. The P.X. Cask expression was initially matured in oloroso sherry hogsheads,…

THE O.G. THE OLD FASHIONED 1 1/2 oz. Knob Creek® bourbon3 dashes Angostura® bittersPinch of raw sugarOrange twist for garnish In a rocks glass, muddle the sugar and bitters. Add ice, then pour the bourbon on top. Stir gently to mix. Garnish with an orange twist. THE FRESH TAKE PLAY WITH BITTERS Angostura is classic, but bartenders use orange, chocolate, pimento, and endless other bitters to add brightness, richness, or warm spice, elevating the whiskey’s profile. SWAP YOUR SYRUPS Demerara works well, but cinnamon-infused simple syrup or maple syrup adds fiery warmth for a rich, wintry twist, perfect for complementing the whisky’s vanilla notes. GO UPSCALE WITH GARNISHES Elevate your garnish game with flower petals, like dianthus, hibiscus, or apple blossom, adding visual flair and fragrant aromas to your Old…

Chef David Jansen has been a leading light in the Philadelphia fine-dining scene for decades. He made his name at Fountain Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, and since 2016 has been crafting unforgettable meals at his namesake restaurant in Philadelphia’s Mt. Airy neighborhood. The menu at Jansen is deeply seasonal, and when cool weather arrives and the cassoulet makes its appearance on the menu, it’s an annual highlight. “I just love cassoulet. It’s the best comfort food on a cold fall or winter evening,” explains Jansen. “I like to dip a good baguette with a healthy smear of a brie de meaux in the cassoulet. It just takes the cold from your bones. It’s one of my favorite dishes.” And while cassoulet may be most famously paired with…

Known for its strikingly dark appearance, stout beer has a fairly successful relationship with whisky. Both work well served side by side—especially to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, when it’s all but expected to pair your favorite Irish whiskey with a creamy pint of Guinness. Other drinkers even mix the two together, for popular concoctions like Irish Car Bombs. But some whisky makers have taken things to the next level, using stout cask finishes to elevate their expressions. Stout casks are quite popular with distillers who specialize in single malts. Part of the reason for that lies in the fact that both drinks are made from barley, and thus have complementary flavor profiles—rife with dark chocolate, coffee beans, espresso, fudge, and roasted coffee. That combination is perhaps best seen in Lagavulin…

What started as a slow burn is now heading toward fever pitch. In little over two decades, collectors have propelled Michter’s to the forefront of modern collectible whiskey. It is one of the few American labels capable of multiple appearances in our monthly online list of the 20-highest auction prices, elbowing its way past notable scotches and cult Japanese bottles. Like LeNell’s, early Willett, and early Pappy, the most valuable Michter’s rarities are the output of barrels of sourced bourbon and ryes snapped up by those smart or lucky enough to be on it at the start when Michter’s president Joe Magliocco was building the business and reviving the Michter’s name. Michter’s Single Barrel Rye 25-year-old holds the brand’s highest auction record and first appeared in 2008. They release single…

If you’re a big shot TV executive, I’m waiting for your call. We might be living in the Golden Age of Television, but you could really use some help when it comes to putting whisky on screen. Gone are the days when brown spirits were represented on-set by a crystal decanter filled with cold tea, ready for some matinee idol to toss back a glass with a painful grimace. We all watched whisky take a starring role in “Skyfall,” “Blade Runner 2049,” and “Lost in Translation,” and make cameos in “Mad Men,” “Justified,” “Billions,” and “Succession.” But not everybody gets it right. This year, however, TV got sloppy with whisky, especially on shows meticulously trying to re-create the past. Once you make a whisky blooper, it punctures the carefully nurtured…

Marvin R. Shanken has been the editor and publisher of Shanken’s Impact Wine and Spirits Newsletter since 1973, and in 1988 became the first journalist inducted into the Keepers of the Quaich. Shanken has decades of experience conducting blind tastings for both Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficio-nado, 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. David Fleming is the executive editor of Whisky Advocate magazine. He joined M. Shanken Communications full time in 1987 and also covers the spirits industry as executive editor of Market Watch, Shanken’s Impact Newsletter, and Shanken News Daily. He has more than 25 years of professional whisky tasting experience. Jonny McCormick, contributing editor, resides in Scotland, and is…

In 1791, Samuel Call was living on a farm in what is now Kentucky’s Bourbon County when he decided to add two stills and a dozen fermenters to his land, fulfillingagoalofmakingwhiskey. Suffice to say he succeeded, as seven generations later, there are still Calls distilling drams. When seventh-generation master distiller and current Call family patriarch Ron Call was a child, his father worked at Jim Beam under Booker Noe. If his father was working the night shift at Beam’s Boston, Kentucky plant, Ron would take dinner to him and observe the distillery’s operations, developing an affinity for whiskey making in the process. Booker was a family friend—he and Fred would bird hunt with Ron’s father on the Call family farm—and he gave Ron a job in 1974, first as a…

Even a quick glance at its name makes it safe to assume that Dampfwerk Distilling in St. Louis Park, Minnesota has a far-flung influence. In this case, that influence is German: Owner Ralf Loeffelholz is originally from the Bavarian town of Muhldorf. There, fruit brandies and herbal liqueurs are deeply entrenched in the culture, and Loeffelholz knew that when he opened his distillery on American soil, those European-style brandies and liqueurs would be at the heart of his business. But Dampfwerk (which translates to “steam works”) is a family affair, and distiller Christian Loeffelholz (Ralf’s son) joined Dampfwerk with American single malt in mind—which he makes on the same German-made still his father uses. “The still was designed to our specifications; it’s not a traditional whiskey still by any means,…

New creations from outside the whisky realm Along with the usual array of interesting new spirits releases are whiskey barrel-finished rums and tequilas, a sotol, an aguardiente, a gin made with capers, and a sake—which technically is a wine and not a spirit, but is often used in cocktails or sipped neat. Manojo Espadín, 43%, $50 MEZCAL Chef Enrique Olvera, best known for his elevated Mexican cuisine, has launched his own mezcal brand. The inaugural Manojo expression is double-distilled in copper stills using 7–9 year old espadín agave and water from the nearby Rio Hormiga Colorada. The agave comes from San Luis Del Río, a town just southeast of Oaxaca City. Acrónimo Blanco, 42%, $60 SOTOL This Mexico-based sotol label has just made its U.S. debut. Acrónimo is made from…

Scotland SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT 93 Benrinnes 21 year old Grand Crescendo (Diageo Special Releases 2024), 55.4%, $480 Lush red and black fruits on the nose, with apple pie, strawberry jam, plum, morello cherry, graphite, and vanilla toffee. This is beautiful, but it retains that muscular Benrinnes character lurking in the background. Layered, approachable, and fruity, with cherry, bramble, raspberry sauce, a peak of spices, then glacé cherry and rose-flavored Turkish delight. A mouth-coating finish with lingering red fruits and residual spice.—JM 93 The ImpEx Collection Benrinnes 12 year old Single Cask (No. 306532; distilled in 2011), $120, 58.9% Oak shavings, vanilla pod, and perfumed soaps on first sniff, then hints of chocolate, dried orange disc, and juicy peach. Initially, the palate has peach, apricot, and guava, swept aside by clove,…

Scotch SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT 93 Glenfiddich Grand Château 31 year old Bordeaux Wine Cask Finish, 47.6%, $2,100 Delightful red and dark fruits, opening with aromas of vanilla, cacao, toasted hazelnut, dried red berries, and cranberry, leading to blueberry, chocolate, nutmeg, and a hint of leather. A fine balance between the finishing cask and the Glenfiddich character, this has flavors of baked apple, Bramley apple peels, peppery spices, baked plum, and morello cherries, showing summer red berries as it dilutes, leaving residual spices on the finish.—JM 93 Macallan Time:Space Mastery, 43.6%, $1,400 The aromas are smooth, rich, and seductive, with dried vine fruits, milk chocolate, dried fig, grilled pineapple, papaya syrup, and a faint hint of oak spices. It’s elegant and wellrounded, with sherry-soaked fruit, red apple, milk chocolate, ginger root,…

THE O.G. THE MANHATTAN 2 parts Maker’s Mark 46®1 part sweet vermouth2 dashes Angostura® bittersLuxardo® cherry for garnish Combine ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass neat or on the rocks. Garnish with a Luxardo® cherry. THE FRESH TAKE TRY DIFFERENT VERMOUTHS OR AMARI Bartenders sometimes swap traditional sweet vermouth for bitter or floral options, balancing the bourbon’s caramel notes or highlighting its vanilla and oak flavors. Or add amaro, and suddenly you have a Black Manhattan. EXPERIMENT WITH BITTERS Bartenders may use chocolate or cherry bitters to enhance the bourbon’s boldness, adding depth without overpowering the cocktail’s classic balance. FLAVOR INFUSIONS Infusing sweet vermouth with spices like star anise or cinnamon adds warmth and complexity, turning a classic Manhattan into a…

THE O.G. THE HIGHBALL 1 part Toki® blended Japanese3-4 parts premium soda waterLemon wedge Fill a glass with ice and let chill. Pour in chilled whisky and stir. Add chilled soda. Give a single stir from bottom to top with a bar spoon and add a lemon wedge. THE FRESH TAKE ELEVATE WITH YUZU Lemon is classic, but bartenders often replace it with yuzu for a bright, floral citrus twist that enhances the Highball’s refreshing quality and complements the Toki®. SWEETENER SWAP Though traditionally dry, adding sakura (cherry blossom) syrup adds floral undertones that harmonize with Toki®’s vanilla notes, evoking the elegance of Japanese springtime. MASTER THE ICE Long, hand-carved clear ice melts slowly, keeping the drink cold without dilution and preserving the whisky’s delicate balance.…