©iStockphoto.com/ManuWe Autumn is whiskey season in Kentucky, and at the recent Whiskyfest in San Francisco, I was able to try out some of the recent releases now appearing in bars and liquor stores (typically in very small amounts). One of the most appealing American whiskies I tasted was Wild Turkey "Tradition," a 14-year-old, 101-proof bourbon that entered the U.S. market last week in a limited run of 14,000 bottles. With the characteristic spicy tang of Wild Turkey bourbons, the Tradition bottling has a deeper, richer character that comes from its older age, as well as its aging position in the "center cut" of the distillery's warehouse. Also memorable is the latest bottling of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, a 12-year-old,...
Continue reading »
In last week's Washington Post, longtime drinks correspondent Jason Wilson reiterated an admission that had long had whiskey—er, make that whisky—drinkers peppering him with emails: the fact that he didn't love scotch "as much as some think I should." I know the feeling. I've been covering spirits and cocktails for the better part of five years, and while I've plumbed deep on rum, American whiskey, absinthe, and other spirits, scotch has long eluded me as a subject of fascination. Wait—did you hear that sound? That was a thousand scotch-lovers banging their desks in frustration before beginning to pepper away at their keyboards with angry, or helpful, or disbelieving comments. Every spirit has those who love it beyond all others, and...
Continue reading »
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, one of the whiskeys to watch. Autumn isn’t only a time for the changing of leaves and for breaking out the cool-weather clothes. It’s also when spirits-loving palates shift from lighter flavors of rum-based or gin-based concoctions, to the deeper, richer, more brooding flavors of dark spirits such as aged rum, brandy and, especially, whiskey. My tastes tend to run in this pattern, and fortunately for me, last weekend was Whiskyfest San Francisco, an event created by Malt Advocate magazine, one of the top events in the whiskey-loving world. This was only the second year for the event to take place in San Francisco (Whiskyfest New York takes place November 11; those in the Midwest have...
Continue reading »
