Tag: ncf

  • New Riff Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    New Riff Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    New Riff is a brand I always meant to explore early into my whiskey journey, but I put them off in favor of other brands and expressions. This has only been amplified in the past 3-5 years. Not only are new names popping up left and right, but they’re often…

  • Penelope Bourbon Barrel Strength (Batch 10) Scoresheet & Review

    Penelope Bourbon Barrel Strength (Batch 10) Scoresheet & Review

    The folks at Penelope Bourbon have one of the more down-to-earth backstories as far as whiskey producers go. Rather than naming the brand after yet another famous figure in spirits history, founders Michael and Kerry Paladini chose a different source: the impending birth of their daughter in 2018. The idea…

  • Weller Full Proof (Total Wine Pick) Scoresheet & Review

    Weller Full Proof (Total Wine Pick) Scoresheet & Review

    Like it or not, much of the ongoing interest in bourbon is thanks to Buffalo Trace. They’re a distillery that’s bigger than most casual drinkers might realize. All one needs to do is visit the “Our Brands” part of Buffalo Trace’s website to see just how many names and bottles…

  • Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye Scoresheet & Review

    These days it’s easy to find praise being sung for Wild Turkey, particularly following the inaugural release of Russell’s Reserve 13-Year. This brought increased demand for other limited offerings from Wild Turkey, such as previously slept-on Master’s Keep releases. Limited edition is all the rage these days. We might like…

  • GlenDronach 12-Year (NCF) Scoresheet & Review

    GlenDronach 12-Year (NCF) Scoresheet & Review

    Spirits production is nothing if not a balancing act. On top of crafting the spirit itself, there’s the question of branding, which plays a bigger role than some might realize. Everything from bottle and label design to advertising (or lack thereof) and even public relations can be looked at as…

  • Powers Gold Label Scoresheet & Review

    Powers Gold Label Scoresheet & Review

    As far as widely recognized categories of whiskey go, I’d say Irish remains one of the least recognized. Part of the reason is that most casual drinkers see Irish whiskey and simply think “whiskey made in Ireland.” Yet as with many things in whiskey, it’s not so cut and dry.…

  • New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon Scoresheet & Review

    When it comes to American craft distillers, New Riff spring to my mind as one of the first who seemed to do it right. Their marketing is spot-on with the fantastic motto (“new riff on an old tradition”), neat logo, excellent bottle design, and impressive transparency. What’s more is that…

  • Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (Batch 20-03) Scoresheet & Review

    Maker’s Mark Cask Strength (Batch 20-03) Scoresheet & Review

    Maker’s Mark isn’t a brand I normally associate with high-value products. Many of my peers even consider the entry-level bourbon to be a more premium offering than other, similarly priced expressions. Branding certainly plays a part, which only goes even further if you visit the distillery in Loretto. Maker’s Mark…

  • Nulu Single Barrel (Total Wine Pick) Scoresheet & Review

    Nulu Single Barrel (Total Wine Pick) Scoresheet & Review

    Nulu is just one of the latest in an ocean of small brands to have gained some traction in whiskey communities. The name is in reference to an alias for Louisville’s East Market District, blending “New” and “Louisville” together. Prohibition Craft Spirits (PCS), the distillery behind Nulu, are six years…