Alberta Premium Dark Horse Rye Has a Bright Future
Those who stereotype Canadian whiskey as bland, characterless and best reserved for mixed drinks have obviously never tried Alberta Premium Dark Horse Whiskey. Brooding and dusky in the bottle, unadorned by the garish glass flourishes of its cheaper kin, Dark Horse certainly doesn’t look like your Dad’s go-to…
Small Batch, Big Taste: Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
Four Roses Small Batch bourbon has forced me to undertake an overhaul of my bourbon rating system. Previously, I was handing out high ratings to bourbon like I was giving away business cards at an ’80s leadership conference. As it turns out, I just really like…
Affordable, Accessible, Enjoyable: Auchentoshan 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
Some people have become obsessed with the notion that things have to be complex or challenging to be good. In Scotch’s case, it’s popular to pursue big peat monsters, or the cask-strength heavily spiced expressions. Yet, Sometimes, when you return to the root of something…
Head to Head: Talisker 10 Year vs. Talisker 57° North Scotch Whisky
Reconnecting with an old friend can sometimes be a bit awkward – your interests may have changed, your paths diverged, old jokes gone stale. But when that friend invites you to try a bevy of whiskeys – among them the legendary Talisker 57°North – you…
Potent Bourbon Taste From Buffalo Trace
When you think of good bourbon, you think of high prices. Or, if not high, at least pushing the limit you’re comfortable spending as they approach $50. Great bourbon, however, is not mutually exclusive with low prices. The perfect example of this is Buffalo Trace Kentucky…
Double the Wood, Double the Good: The Balvenies DoubleWood 12 yr Single Malt
I was on the hunt for a holiday scotch when I stumble across The Balvenie DoubleWood. This 12 year old has garnered something of a reputation after winning Gold for single malts 12 years and under at the International Spirits Challenge this year. Word had it that…
Sipping With Smoth: Blind Luck at a Blind Whiskey Tasting
What happens when a group of friends find themselves with several bottles of whiskey and nothing to do on a Saturday night? Why, a blind whiskey tasting of course. Last year, by sheer coincidence, my close group of friends noticed we were each simultaneously in…
A Real Rye: Canadian Club Chairman’s Select 100% Rye Whiskey
It’s a well know fact that most Canadian Whiskey marketed as a “rye whisky” is usually just a facade — there is typically little actual rye grain used in their production. Most whiskeys we think of as “rye” are made with corn, with maybe dash of rye…
Guardians of Good Taste: Glenlivet’s Guardians’ Chapter Single Malt Scotch
What happens when a distillery sends out scotch samples to its loyal followers and have them vote on the best one? A damn fine product, apparently. This is exactly what Glenlivet did with its Guardians’ Chapter Scotch in 2013, and the winner became a limited…
Hard to Pronounce, Easy to Enjoy: Auchentoshan Valinch 2012 Single Malt Scotch
I never in my life thought I’d be describing a whisky with 57.2% alcohol as “easy drinking.” But if ever a scotch deserved to be associated with this cliched phrase, its Auchentoshan Valinch 2012 Single Malt Scotch. I had the pleasure of trying this whisky…