Drink the Bottles

Woodinville Whiskey: From Washington Startup to American Whiskey Standout Let's get one thing out of the way right from the start: Woodinville Whiskey isn't trying to be Kentucky bourbon.   That's probably one of the biggest reasons it has become one of the most respected craft whiskey producers in America. For decades, bourbon drinkers have been conditioned to believe that the best whiskey comes from Kentucky. While there's certainly plenty of truth behind that reputation, distilleries like Woodinville have shown that exceptional bourbon can come from places most enthusiasts never expected. In this case, the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 2010 by longtime friends Brett Carlile and Orlin Sorensen, Woodinville Whiskey began with a simple but ambitious goal: create world-class whiskey using local ingredients and traditional methods without taking shortcuts. Rather than sourcing whiskey from elsewhere and putting their name on it, they committed themselves to building somet...

  ASW Distillery: How Atlanta's Whiskey Pioneer Became One of America's Most Innovative Bourbon Producers There are certain distilleries that consistently find their way back onto my shelf. Not because they're trendy. Not because they're impossible to find. And certainly not because they're backed by massive marketing budgets.  They earn their place because they make whiskey that I genuinely enjoy drinking. For me, ASW Distillery falls squarely into that category. Over the years I've tasted countless bourbons from every corner of the country. Some have been excellent. Some have been forgettable. A select few have become bottles that I actively seek out whenever I see them. ASW's Fiddler line belongs in that latter group.  These bottles are nothing short of incredible! What makes ASW so fascinating is that they're not simply following the blueprint laid out by Kentucky's legacy distilleries. They're creating something uniquely their own in Atlant...

When most bourbon enthusiasts think about great whiskey, their minds immediately drift toward Kentucky. It's understandable. The Bluegrass State has earned its reputation as bourbon's spiritual home.  But every so often, a distillery outside Kentucky reminds us that exceptional whiskey can come from unexpected places.  Middle West Spirits has quietly become one of those distilleries. Located in Columbus, Ohio, Middle West has spent years building a reputation for producing grain-to-glass spirits with an emphasis on transparency, local agriculture, and meticulous craftsmanship. While many brands source whiskey from elsewhere and focus primarily on marketing, Middle West has invested heavily in making whiskey from the ground up. Their Michelone Reserve Straight Wheated Bourbon is a perfect example of what happens when a distillery takes its time and lets quality lead the conversation.  This isn't a bourbon trying to shock you with massive proof or extreme oak influence. In...

We are suckers for age-stated whiskeys so when we received a sample of this Barrell Craft Spirits 12 Year Bourbon French Oak Finish we leapt at the opportunity!  It's no secret that we have been fans of BCS for several years, way back when we dubbed Seagrass Rye in our top 5 favorite rye expressions - ever.  The concensus was that we suspsected this bottle would be nothing short of incredible, and we were not disappointed.  This whiskey was distilled and sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Wyoming and then finished in French Oak barrels with varying toast levels. Aged copper penny in appearance, this bourbon immediately oozes ageworthy aromas of well-weathered saddle leather, antique butter churn, dried herbs, cinnamon stick and fresh baked bread.   There is so much going on here, and between both of us tasting this bottle, we probably came up with close to twenty separate aromas, but had to settle on the aforementioned as we felt they were most d...

Attention all hazmat enthusiasts - check this out!   This is the brand new release from Barrell Craft Spirits - the Triple Rum Cask Finished Whiskey - and it is an absolute banger!  When we were offered a sample of this new release, we couldn't wait to get our hands (lips?) on this one.  For those who may not be familiar, any spirits with a proof of 140-plus is commonly referrred to lovingly as a "hazmat" bottle.  Some of these can burn your face off, but this one?  Well, this one doesn't drink like a 70%-plus ABV bottle and it is just stunning!  The picture above is for reference only. The 100mL sample bottle is what we tasted this from - neat from a Glencairn, of course.  A little back story on this uniquely-blended whiskey tells us that it was distilled and sourced from Indiana, Tennessee and Canada.  The Canadian blend likely provides the lighter color than what you would see if this was a straight USA sourced product.  Some of the ...

  We're not going to lie.  We know that a perk of this project is the ability to taste unique and extraordinary spirits that we may not be introduced otherwise.  The Johnny Smoking Gun Blended Whiskey from Two James Spirits out of Detroit, Michigan is just one of those cases.   The distillery's founder, Dave Landrum, pays homage to two important men in his life who also bear the namesake of the brand.  Both named James (father and grandfather), left a positive mark on those around them by the love they showed for their communities and the passsion for life, among other things.  Dave is no stranger to the food and beverage world.  He is a mixologist, sommerlier and self-proclaimed spirits snob who wanted to carve his own path by creating a brand he could call his own. Two James Spirits is deeply rooted and excited about their Corktown, Detroit community.  While being environmentally conscious, they also corn and grain locally in Michigan, mai...

We could not be more excited for an opportunity to sample and share with you the Dovetail finished whiskey from Barrell Craft Spirits .  We have been a BCS fan for sometime, polishing off a few bottles of their Seagrass Rye and other offerings over the last year.  Tasted from sample, this offering of Dovetail comes in at 124.7 proof but does not drink hot at all.  The fact that it was finished in rum, port wine and Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from Dunn Vineyards really adds some incredible finesse and flavors to this lovely and aromatic whiskey. On the nose is a soul-searching saddle leather aroma, followed by slight pepper, campfire smoke and sweet yellow fruits.  There are hints of that lovely limestone or wet rock aromas that peak through as well.  It's a medium chestnut color and we think if we had added a couple drops of water, the dark cholocate flavors would have made an entrance.  We tasted this neat and there was sweet ripe mango, tobacco smoke, her...