Tag: B+
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Wheeler’s Raid Toasted Honey Rye Elixir Spirits Pick Scoresheet & Review
American history holds no shortage of interesting stories. This reality isn’t lost on whiskey producers, as entire brands and individual expressions alike often pay homage to these very tales. Many of the larger, more established brands honor significant individuals and points in history pertaining to whiskey in some way, shape,…
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Clynelish 14-Year Scoresheet & Review
Knowing where to start with Clynelish is tough. Where many distilleries have a defining characteristic, historic or otherwise, Clynelish is ostensibly far less extravagant. Not unlike Caol Ila, Clynelish’s present claim to fame isn’t even a claim for itself: it’s the whisky’s role in Johnnie Walker blends. The brand’s history…
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Caol Ila 12-Year Scoresheet & Review
It’s almost impossible to discuss Caol Ila without mentioning Johnnie Walker. Malts.com, the page for Diageo’s multiple scotch brands, literally calls it “the Islay home of Johnnie Walker.” That alone should clue curious minds into just how big this Islay distillery is, but if you want numbers, the distillery is…
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Talisker 10-Year Scoresheet & Review
Whisky is very much a product of its environment. Wherever the aging spirit physically resides will impact how the final product comes out, from the surrounding climate to the casks chosen for maturation. One of the more interesting ways whisky can take on a unique personality is through coastal influences.…
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Michter’s Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review
Do you ever accidentally do something backwards? That’s how I felt coming into this review. The last time I looked at an expression by Michter’s was with their Barrel Strength Rye. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that it’s a personal favorite. And yet, like most of the…
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Chattanooga 1816 Reserve Scoresheet & Review
Some things simply slip through the cracks. When preparing one of my upcoming reviews, I realized that I hadn’t talked about a certain bottle that I bought on a whim during my vacation last year. That bottle is 1816 Reserve from Chattanooga Whiskey. Although the folks at Chattanooga Whiskey were…
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Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered (Batch 45) Scoresheet & Review
The spirits industry (bourbon in particular) has been seeing a lot of firsts recently. For example, it was only a decade ago that a Las Vegas distillery was first established. Enter Nevada H&C Distilling Company, founded by Aaron Chepenik and Jonathan Hensleigh. Their backstory comes from trying a host of…
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Willett Family Estate Rye Scoresheet & Review
Willett has always been a tricky distillery for me to pin down. A host of people hold the brand in particularly high regards, largely thanks to their purple-top (Family Estate Bottled) bourbon. These coveted bottles can occasionally push the 30-year mark, but tend to land between 4 and 12 years…
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Heaven’s Door Decade Series 10-Year Scoresheet & Review
Of all the celebrity-sponsored whiskey brands out there, Heaven’s Door might be one of the more respected. Initial responses to the core lineup may have amounted to a resounding shrug, but the brand has gone on to offer a slew of other releases, including barrel picks and at least one…
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Maker’s Mark 2021 Wood Finishing Series (FAE-02) Scoresheet & Review
Maker’s Mark is one of my favorite distilleries. That’s not exactly an unpopular opinion, given the brand’s iconic look and penchant for consistency. However, my appreciation for Maker’s Mark largely comes from their uniquely finished products, namely the Private Selections and Wood Finishing Series. Rather than taking their whisky and…
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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…
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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…
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