One of the more intriguing aspects of bourbon’s revival is the way in which its stubborn old guardians have been proved right. None more so than Wild Turkey’s Jimmy Russell. A glance at the Wild Turkey distillery confirms that this place doesn’t abide by convention. As other firms are tidying up their plants, the …
The roll-call of distilleries and brands which disappeared when the Irish industry imploded is an extensive one. Locke’s Kilbeggan (now revived under Cooley), Dundalk, Allman’s Bandon, Comber and Tullamore are just some of the famous and respected distillers who simply found it impossible to carry on, no matter how good people thought their whiskey …
The Samuels, like the Beams, are part and parcel of Kentucky’s history. The family has been a distillers since 1780, and their TW Samuels brand was an early classic. One of their ancestors, Rueben Samuels, married Zerelda James, whose sons became better known for a less peaceful way of life. Bill Samuels, current boss …
Every country has a different approach to making whisky. However, all are basically variations on the following rules. Whisky is made from a cereal; some (or all) of it malted, that has been ground into a rough flour then mashed by passing hot water through the flour to extract a sweet liquid. This is …
Driving along the spectacular Antrim coast you can just tell that this is good whiskey-making country. Soft pasture land, small rivers, natural harbours and a people who know that good things take time. It’s a land where legend and fact become easily blurred, where folk tales take on the mantle of truth. Who knows …
Around the new millennium, if you went looking for a bottle of American straight rye whiskey, your chances were lousy. By the end of the 20th century, this foundational style of American whiskey was hanging from the ropes, seeing birdies, and waiting for the towel to hit the canvas. Out of the dozens of …
Single malts used to be synonymous with Scotland. But now that scores of distillers are making them in America, it’s time to start sampling the country’s most exciting new bottles. When it comes to brown spirits, single-malt whiskeys have long worn the gilded crown. Doing a celebratory shot of Jim Beam bourbon or Jameson …