Author: Xenoraiser

  • Old Forester 100 Scoresheet & Review

    Old Forester 100 Scoresheet & Review

    Divisive opinions are nothing new to the overarching whisky community. It’s just one of many factors that makes sharing and discussing whisky both interesting and enjoyable. Yet if I had to identify one distillery that splits thoughts more than any other, Old Forester would certainly be a frontrunner. This primarily…

  • Courage & Conviction Scoresheet & Review

    Courage & Conviction Scoresheet & Review

    Newer distilleries have their work cut out for them. We might often hear about the collaborative nature of whiskey production, but at the end of the day, several bottles will compete for customer and consumer attention. To that end, established names like Buffalo Trace, Old Forester, and Wild Turkey are…

  • Wilderness Trail Yellow Label Scoresheet & Review

    Wilderness Trail Yellow Label Scoresheet & Review

    Out of all the distilleries I visited in Kentucky last year, Wilderness Trail had the most je ne sais quoi to it. Their grounds are a bit out of the way on the Bourbon Trail, with the most immediately eye-catching part being just how much land they occupy. Yet the…

  • Driftless Glen Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Driftless Glen Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Craft and otherwise newer whiskey producers are going through something of a transformation. Where these fresh faces were previously dismissed by most, oftentimes for being minimally aged while commanding high prices, they’re now being accepted and even sought-after in some cases. Among the more recent examples are producers outside of…

  • Teeling Single Pot Still Scoresheet & Review

    Teeling Single Pot Still Scoresheet & Review

    These days it’s not uncommon to hear about old brands or names in whiskey being resurrected, and Teeling is no exception. Although the Teeling distillery itself was only built up in 2015, Jack and Stephen Teeling trace their family name back to 1782 “when Walter Teeling set up a small…

  • Knob Creek Small Batch 9-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Knob Creek Small Batch 9-Year Scoresheet & Review

    Many casual drinkers probably don’t realize just how prolific brands like Jim Beam actually are. Bottles bearing the Clermont distillery’s name are easy enough to discern, but Jim Beam plays host to many others as well. Consider their parent company, Beam Suntory, and Jim Beam’s prominence becomes that much more…

  • Ardbeg An Oa Scoresheet & Review

    Ardbeg An Oa Scoresheet & Review

    Exploring peated scotch has been one of the most interesting and exciting treks in my spirits journey thus far. In addition to the broadly distinct profile, different peated malts can come across so differently, even without doing side-by-side comparisons. And yet, where I believe these drams can impress the most…

  • George Dickel Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    George Dickel Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    Few debates feel as long-waged as the distinction between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. Drinkers, whether casual or enthusiastic, will inevitably take a hard stance when pressed. Some claim that Tennessee whiskey is its own category; others insist that it’s simply part of the greater bourbon category. Then we have the…

  • Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake Scoresheet & Review

    Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake Scoresheet & Review

    Glenmorangie have been one of the easiest scotch brands for me to turn to. The reason is simple: pricing. Although it’s easy to find their four-pack tasting set (consisting of The Original, Lasanta, Quinta Ruban, and Nectar d’Or), local pricing for a full bottle of each is far more approachable…

  • Four Roses Small Batch Select Scoresheet & Review

    Four Roses Small Batch Select Scoresheet & Review

    My previous (also first) Four Roses review practically slipped into gush territory. I remarked that, unlike most bottles I bestow with the Daily Drinker verdict, Four Roses Single Barrel could actually hold up as a sole daily and not eventually bore me. This is only aided by the variation that…

  • The Busker Single Pot Still Scoresheet & Review

    The Busker Single Pot Still Scoresheet & Review

    The Busker is in a relatively unique position as a new brand to the whiskey scene. They produce their own whiskey, came onto the market with four expressions—one for each type of Irish whiskey, and are available at a budget. Being owned by Disaronno certainly helps matters, but it’s still…

  • Maker’s Mark 101 Scoresheet & Review

    Maker’s Mark 101 Scoresheet & Review

    When Maker’s Mark refer to their Loretto distillery as “little,” it honestly feels disingenuous.  Sure, they’re not the biggest bourbon brand out there, but they aren’t far off as far as cases sold. And that level of volume practically necessitates a sizeable facility to meet demand. Not to mention the…