Innehållsförteckning för Summer 2023 från Whisky Advocate

Aalborg Jubilaeums, 40%, $25 This Danish aquavit features a neutral grain base and dill and coriander in its botanical makeup; it offers flavors of rye and caramel, with a spicy warming finish. While this aquavit is unaged, American oak chips are included in the maceration, imparting color and flavor to the final liquid. Krogstad Gamle, 42%, $40 Distilled from corn and flavored with a blend of caraway and star anise, this aquavit from Portland, Oregon has a creamy mouthfeel and is sweet with a slight bite. Floral and herbal flavors of caraway mingle with a bit of caramel, vanilla, and tannin from aging at least 1 year in French oak barrels that previously held Oregon pinot noir. Lysholm Linie, 41.5%, $30 This Norwegian potato-based aquavit dates back to 1821. It…

Glenfiddich Grand Yozakura 45.1% • $2,000 The latest bottling in the Glenfiddich Grand series is the first release of a single malt scotch finished in Japanese awamori casks, a spirit made on Okinawa from Indica rice. The box artwork captures the sensation of viewing cherry blossoms under the moonlight. Japan’s cherry blossom season is a world-famous spectacle, but given Okinawa’s latitude its cherry blossom festival arrives in late January or early February, the earliest in Japan.…

It’s Commonplace Book time again, boys and girls. Comes around regularly, like spring, or exciting new vodka brands. Regular readers will know what commonplace books are, so I won’t waste their time, but if you’re new to amusing whisky columns, you should go Google the term. We’ll wait…. See? Interesting, aren’t they? And, not to be overly solipsistic, they’re also a dandy way for a writer (or a “content creator” as I was once called by an editor too young to read cursive) at a loss for some way to use up a pile of collected scribblings, notes, quotes, and crackpot notions that might not be worth an entire column by their lonesomes. So, herewith, some content gleaned, if not created, by a humble laborer in the beverage industrial complex:…

On your way to or from the Wild Atlantic Way, consider a little education at The Irish Whiskey Academy. Set on the campus of Irish Distillers’ Midleton Distillery, about 15 miles east of Cork, the Academy will educate more than 1,000 whiskey enthusiasts this year. Most attendees are industry people, but there’s also room for regular whiskey lovers who come from around the world. The Academy offers two course options: • A one-day session, the Discoverer Package, covers raw materials, brewing and fermentation, pot still versus continuous distillation, maturation and cask types, bottling, a distillery and warehouse tour, cask sampling, and whiskey tastings. Lunch is included. The course is offered once a month at $380. • A two-day session, the Enthusiast Academy, offers a more in-depth treatment of the same…

For many years after the near-collapse of the Irish whiskey industry in the 1960s and ’70s, innovative whiskey making in Ireland was nearly extinct. That dearth of artistry was by necessity, as all efforts were centered on just a handful of brands in order to get Irish whiskey back on its feet again. The wilderness years lasted nearly three decades, but Irish whiskey creativity has finally returned to the fore, with innovators tapping into terroir, creating modern twists on Irish whiskey’s past, and pushing the envelope on flavor. Here’s a look at what’s happening. Boann Distillery Salvaging History in a Dram Boann Distillery started making whiskey in 2019, and is using the past to inspire the future. Soon after opening, Boann partnered with Irish whiskey historian and author Fionnán O’Connor…

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…

UTAH’S RUSTY NAIL Dear Whisky Advocate, Upon reading one of [the letters to the editor] in your Winter issue that you appeared to favor scotches (my personal favorite), and that I do enjoy a Rusty Nail now and then, I decided to create a cocktail I call (in deference to my home in Salt Lake City) the Salty Nail. Okay, you likely know our state’s history and condition: a place with the nation’s lowest DUI limit at .05, a place where perhaps a single member of the Department of Alcohol Beverage Services actually imbibes liquor (the board determines which wines and whiskies can be placed in our state-run liquor stores), and a place where the many members of the Mormon church who do drink now and then are openly (and…

APEROL Created in 1919, Aperol is an Italian aperitif comprising sweet and bitter oranges, rhubarb, gentian root, cinchona bark, and other closely guarded ingredients. “Aperol is bright and bracing, but because of its lighter color it’s often over-looked as a bitter component for its more well-known cousin Campari,” notes Laura Unterberg, head bartender at The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club in Nashville. “But the gentian and bitter orange-forward qualities of Aperol make it a great addition to drinks.” When it comes to pairing whisky with bitter ingredients, the Prohibition-era Boulevardier—a mix of bourbon or rye, Campari, and sweet vermouth—may come to mind, but there’s a modern classic featuring Aperol that deserves attention. The Paper Plane—created in 2007 by New York City mixologists Sasha Petraske and Sam Ross—features bourbon, Aperol, Nonino…

WORLD RECORD Macallan Home Collection: The Distillery, 43.5% Hammer Price: $4,099 The Grand Whisky Auction, September 2022 Released in June 2022, this was the first in a new collection from Macallan celebrating its origin and featured a watercolor painting of the distinctive new distillery. The artist, Colin Rizza, is a distillery worker at Macallan, and the set included three giclée art prints of his distillery paintings. On release, it sold for $250. WORLD RECORD Compass Box Canvas, 46% Hammer Price: $235 Whisky Auctioneer, Scotland, September 2021 Compass Box released this blended malt in 2021 at $150, and it was notable for including an experimental batch of single malt from Tomatin re-racked into Spanish orange wine casks for 3 years. Compass Box founder John Glaser declared, “Whisky is our canvas” on…

In the late 1970s, one of my first lessons about American whiskey was that “blend” is a dirty word. I cannot think of American blended whiskey without hearing the words of Woodford Reserve master distiller emeritus Chris Morris: “It reeks of neutral spirit,” was his usual assessment of them. This prejudice against the word “blend” is beginning to change as more U.S. producers adopt accepted international practices of independent blending and bottling, and consumers begin to understand that “blend” doesn’t automatically signal a whiskey that is up to 80% vodka. “We are heavily influenced and inspired by the Scottish independent bottler tradition, which dates back nearly two centuries,” says Nora Ganley-Roper of Lost Lantern. “We buy barrels of whiskey from distilleries across the United States and release them as single…

Fota Island Resort Co. Cork • fotaisland.ie A superb hotel and spa on an island in Cork Harbor with three championship golf courses. The Europe Hotel & Resort Co. Kerry • theeurope.com A luxury hotel on the shore of Lough Léin, near Killarney. Adare Manor Co. Limerick • adaremanor.com This jewel offers a Michelin-starred restaurant, and will host the 2027 Ryder Cup on its Tom Fazio-designed golf course. Dromoland Castle Co. Clare • dromoland.ie Impressive accommodations are offered in this 16th-century baronial castle with a championship golf course. Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate Co. Galway • glenloabbeyhotel.ie Five-star luxury lodging dating back to the 18th century, with a 9-hole golf course. Ashford Castle Co. Mayo • ashfordcastle.com A contender for Ireland’s finest hotel experience, here you can spend the night…

When it comes to making whiskey cock-tails, people often go straight to bour-bon or rye—and indeed, many classic recipes were invented with these styles in mind. Irish whiskey may not have the storied cocktail history of its Amer-ican counterparts, but it’s just as mix-able with a wide variety of ingredients and worthy of the spotlight in the cocktail realm. Patrick McGoldrick, beverage director at Afterbar in Chicago, believes that Irish whiskey is one of the most essential and versatile spirits in the world. “It’s incredibly accessible to novices and whisky veterans with its smooth and balanced sweetness,” he says. “This makes it a wonderful choice for both sour-style drinks as well as spirit-forward ones.” Irish whiskey in fact offers something for every type of whisky drinker: It shares similarities with…

Best Values Whiskies with solid scores, modest prices, and wide availability. MISCELLANEOUS/OTHER 90 Redwood Empire Lost Monarch Cask Strength, 58.6%, $70 Buttered French toast and maple syrup, muted notes of strawberry ice cream, blueberry cobbler, and fragrant oak. The palate is smoothly textured but with plenty of bite, supple flavor integration, hints of milk chocolate and a bakery note of almond paste. Water tames its wilder side, bringing out black pepper, a hint of licorice, and more chocolate. Pleasantly rustic and earthy at its base, with sweeter notes playing atop an excellent finish.—DF BLENDED SCOTCH 89 The Deacon, 40%, $40 A wide spectrum of aromas keeps this intriguingly attractive: floral and fruity—melon, orange, ripe apricot, and peach—plus malted barley, pencil erasers, and smokiness arriving by stealth in the form of…

BOURBON 93 Backbone Decade Down Anniversary Edition (2022), 55%, $75 This batch of Backbone’s annual release is bold, punchy, and weighty from nose to finish. It’s a balanced mix of pecan pie, peanut butter cups, raspberry tart, fruit snacks, and banana-flavored milk. With each sip, the dense flavors unfold, hitting peanut-butter fudge, cinnamon candies, and tropical fruit-flavored gummies. The whiskey shines on the finish, with more nutty sweetness balanced by oak.—SE 93 Four Gate The Kelvin Collaboration V (Batch 28), 58.5%, $200 Opulent from the first pour, this bourbon leaps out of the glass with pecan pie, barrel char, raisins, and fig cookies. The flavors are rich and dense, and despite the high proof, it balances its heat well. Waffles with maple syrup, milk chocolate, spicy and citric cola, and…

In the hierarchy of British cities for whisky lovers, London has not traditionally ranked very high, principally because the UK’s whisky makers were all located more than 400 miles to the north. But today Britain’s capital city has numerous nascent distilleries, including several specializing in whisky, joining a lively network of whisky bars to make this ancient city a whisky destination to rival any in Europe. As one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, London abounds with lodging options. Choose one that has a bar you’ll want to visit anyway. Built in what was at one time the largest school in England, St. Paul’s Hotel in Hammer-smith offers 35 rooms set on three rambling floors of a neo-Gothic building. While the hotel’s entryway might seem a bit under-whelming, pride of place…

With origins dating back to the 15th century, aquavit is a Scandinavian specialty. “The story goes that distilled spirits arrived in Scandinavia via Hanseatic League trade (circa 1200-1500), and as with many spirits back then, most were rubbish, so the locals would flavor the rough spirit with regional flavorings—in the case of most Scandinavian countries, that would be predominantly caraway and dill,” says Christian Krogstad, founder and master distiller of Krogstad Aquavit, which is produced in Portland, Oregon at House Spirits Distillery, home of Westward Whiskey. “Eventually they learned that the flavors could be refined by redistillation of this maceration, and that’s how aquavit is still made today.” Aquavit (also spelled akvavit), which gets its name from the Latin aqua vitae, literally “water of life,” starts as a neutral spirit…

Baileys, 17%, $26 The first and most well-known Irish cream, it features a blend of Irish whiskey and fresh cream, plus chocolate and vanilla flavors. Aromas of latte and milk chocolate with a hint of nutmeg spice lead to a creamy palate with flavors of cocoa powder, dark chocolate, creamy coffee, and a touch of nuttiness. Carolans, 17%, $15 Developed in 1978, this is the second largest Irish cream brand in the world. It combines Irish spirits and whiskey with fresh cream and honey. On the nose, smooth toffee notes mingle with dairy and honey aromas. It features a smooth texture and creamy vanilla flavor accented with notes of wild-flower honey. Five Farms, 17%, $35 Introduced to the American market in 2017, this is the first farm-to-table Irish cream liqueur,…

Whisky labels are a powerful medium for visual arts and graphic design, just like book covers and vinyl album sleeves. Artistic whisky labels are a relatively modern phenomenon, as producers need their bottles to stand out more in a crowded marketplace than their counter-parts did 50 years ago. The evolution of the Diageo Special Releases labels over the past 20 years from white or buff labels to today’s vibrant color palette is testament to those forces. An artistic label can be a thing of beauty, elevating the interest and value in that whisky above a similar expression packaged with more perfunctory branding. Label art inspires our passion to acquire sets and display our collections; and it’s used by many of the most collectible names in whisky. Macallan engaged with the…

It’s so, so early. For a whisky writer, the invitation “drinks at seven” was surely never meant to mean the other seven o’clock. I’ve been up for more than three hours already and this hell isn’t done with me yet. I’ve driven to the airport, joined the throng of travelers of all ages streaming into the check-in area, presented my passport, and answered all the security questions without blurting out anything sarcastic, only to attach myself to an interminable line of cantankerous tourists heading for the X-ray machines and luggage scanners. Babies wail incessantly, lone students retreat into their headphones, an exasperated parent curses under their breath trying to collapse an uncooperative stroller, and a business executive casts a judgmental eye over a pair of amateur travelers gulping down confiscatable…

In the seaside town of Clonakilty in Ireland’s southwest stands a weather-beaten copper sculpture of a whale’s tail. It was inspired by a beloved humpback named Boomerang, who holds the distinction of being Ireland’s most famous whale. Boomerang, who can be identified by the unique markings on his tail, was first sighted in 2001 and has come back to Clonakilty’s shores nearly every year since. The locals gave him that name because his return is so reliable. The sculpture, a landmark on the Wild Atlantic Way, stands right beside Clonakilty Distillery. Inspired by it and the abundance of whales and dolphins in its coastal waters, Clonakilty has made the minke whale tail its logo, and it can be seen on all its labels. It even makes a gin called Minke.…

Whether you make the trip or not, pour a glass of Irish whiskey, sit back, and draw inspiration from the west coast of Ireland on the silver screen. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson’s Oscar-nominated movie was filmed on Achill Island and the Aran Islands. Calm with Horses (2020) From the Colin Barrett collection of stories, this was filmed in Connemara and other parts of County Galway and County Clare. Black ’47 (2018) Shot in Connemara, a bleak tale of vengeance set in 1847 during the worst years of the Great Hunger, when starvation forced massive numbers of Irish people to emigrate. Star Wars The Last Jedi (2017) Skellig Michael was used as Luke Skywalker’s hideout at the end of “The Force Awakens,” then the island…

Great barbecue is a labor of love. Whether it’s cooking your meats low and slow over carefully calibrated woodsmoke or monitoring your grill’s hot and cool spots with an obsessive attention to detail, great homemade barbecue takes time. These days, no one does it better than Dominique Leach, co-owner, chef, and pitmaster of Lexington Betty Smokehouse, the Black and woman-owned Chicago barbecue standout. Leach has also made a name for herself as a rising Food Network star, with appearances on “Chopped: Playing with Fire,” “Fire Masters,” and more. Chef Leach has created a fantastic menu that incorporates both the smoker and the grill. For whisky recommendations, we reached out to Abe Vucekovich, former lead bartender and general manager at Chicago’s The Violet Hour and current beverage director of Meadowlark Hospitality.…

ISLAY SINGLE MALT 94 Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 year old (Batch 4), 46.2%, $300 Fresh sea breeze, brine, dried seaweed, peat embers, and drying sea shells on a beautifully integrated nose that positively sings of the sea. On the palate, it’s sweet and docile after that sea rush on the nose. Charcoal, golden apples, lemon, and peach tart meld with dark chocolate and espresso, dynamic and subtle all at once. It’s golden nectar with a peat smoke twist. Peat lovers, rise up: This one is not to be missed.—DF 94 Bowmore Master’s Selection 22 year old, 51.5%, $450 Peat bonfire wafts above sea salt, brine, dried seaweed, salty dock, seashells, and all things maritime. But the smoke and peat are subtle—the seashore notes grab you most. They remain so on…

IRISH SINGLE MALT 94 Bushmills 25 year old, 46%, $900 Spending 21 years in a first-fill ruby port cask has imbued this superb whiskey with firm, plump, and intense fruit flavors with layers of raspberry, black currant fruit pastilles, blackberry jelly, and peppercorn. Bushmills and port casks are a heavenly match, and this has a warm, enveloping fruitiness on the tongue, with raspberry, plum, cranberry sauce, a surge of clove and pepper, milk chocolate, and a dry finish.—JM 92 Ballykeefe (Cask 59), 46%, $65 This single malt opens with a punchy and pungent nose, leading with barnyard, wet hay, and honey. Over time, these aromas drift away and chamomile tea with honey, spearmint, hot pretzels, and wildflowers emerge. The palate is complex, too. Sweet tea, marzipan, and sweet granola stand…

JAPANESE SINGLE MALT 91 Hakushu 12 year old, 43%, $180 Fragrant and herbal aromas, with pine needles, basil, green bell pepper, pea pod, black truffle, peppercorn, and smoke from smoldering dry mosses and wood shavings. It’s very smooth and refreshing, with pear, peppermint, lemon, lime, green tea, kiwi, and herbal notes, finishing with chopped mint, more herbal layers, and gentle peppery spice. A unique composition and a quintessential Japanese whisky experience.—JM JAPANESE SINGLE GRAIN 93 Fukano Whisky (Edition 2223), 41.6%, $95 This rice whisky is a rather delicate and beautiful creation with a nose of grapefruit peel, lime zest, lemon lip balm, vanilla ice cream, floral notes, and soft spices. On the palate, it’s a bright, citrus-forward whisky with bold notes of warm orange, vanilla, and brown sugar, shifting subtly…

90 Suntory Ao, 43%, $55 A world blend combining malt and grain whiskies from Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Canada, and the U.S., this is a busy, multilayered whisky. The nose has grilled orange, floral notes, fruity hard candy, rose water, fresh-baked bread, an almost yeasty note, wood spice, pastry, and firework smoke. Juicy orange flavors, with smoke, chocolate, cinnamon, peppercorn, and maltiness, then hazelnut, caramel, and ground almond to finish.—JM ENGLISH 93 The Lakes The Whiskymaker’s Editions Rivêa, 46.7%, $100 Bright, refreshing, and sharp, this showcases how to unlock the expressive possibilities of sherry cask maturation without smothering the distillate’s innate character. Fresh citrus peel, lime, grapefruit, quartered fresh fig, bergamot, ripe peach, citrus-scented wood polish, and intense floral notes. A delicious concoction of sweet red fruits on the palate with…