Russell's Reserve is the premium brand of whisky from Wild Turkey Distillery. If you've been reading my reviews, you'll know I've loved everything that comes under this label. Russell's Reserve Straight Rye is priced at $30 and is readily available. Complaints of a bourbon shortage do seem overblown with whisky like this that's easily available.
Read MoreHigh West Double Rye is an excellent example of why age statements aren't always relevant. Double Rye is, technically, a 2 year old whisky being sold for a deluxe price point. But one shouldn't focus on that.
Read MoreFor whisky enthusiasts, today's lack of supply of old favorites is creating a frantic buying environment. There are, however, whiskies that are available and delicious. Aberlour A'Bunadh is one of those whiskies. It's not cheap in any traditional sense, but it is affordable considering it's cask strength first-fill single malt scotch.
Read MoreAmerican whisky is the most regulated and classified whisky region in the world. It all started in 1897 when the US Goverment passed the first consumer protection act, the Bottled-in-Bond act. It guaranteed certain standards for the production of American whisky during a time where production quality was low. Laws were updated decades after prohibition to include definitions for bourbon, rye, and wheated whiskies. No other country defines these many sub-categories of whisky.
Read MoreLong-time whisky drinkers hate the youth of today. These old-time bourbon drinkers started getting grumpy years ago when Pappy become exclusive. But let's face it, Pappy was "that pretentious stuff some celebrity chef-turned-tv-personality drank."
Read MoreBuffalo Trace is stand-out in the category of available, higher-end, and affordable American bourbon. Perhaps Wild Turkey 101 has more character, and Maker’s Mark has an enjoyable smoothness through the middle, but Buffalo Trace is the ideal well-rounded bourbon. It’s light on rye, but there is spice, and it’s not too heavy on oak, but there’s sweetness from the start. If you don’t believe me, take the time to chew Buffalo Trace while tasting it. That’s right, do the Kentucky chew. Get all those flavours going. I can’t find a moment where this drink isn’t rewarding.
Read MoreLot No. 40 is, by far, the most celebrated Canadian whisky among whisky enthusiasts. It’s won more awards than any other Canadian whisky, setting the bar in the Canadian whisky scene.
Read MoreMaker’s Mark 46 tastes great in a Glencairn glass, in a plastic cup, on ice, with some water, or from the bottle (I haven’t actually tried this!). It’s the whisky that’s most likely to make an appearance when I’m hosting a party with a mix of wine, beer, and whisky drinkers. It pops nicely with flavour, it doesn’t require fancy glassware, and it's a whisky that stirs conversation.
Read MoreWhile I was attending a friend's bachelor party, we had all of a few minutes to make a "traveller" drink before we boarded the private bus (thanks Mint Julep Tours). I ended up mixing whatever ingredients we had left in the house. This recreation with Jamie didn't go quite as well. As Jamie calls this, it's the "This drink is disgusting and I'm disappointed in you Mark Bylok" cocktail.
Read MoreMark and Jamie recap episode 55, where Mark and Glenford go to Kentucky and forget to invite Jamie. Mark talks about some of the distilleries he visited, including Hartfield and Co and New Riff and brags about how he drank Rare Breed all week.
Read MoreFrom removing the cork, to tipping the bottle, to the pour, Mortlach Rare Old is a fine experience. The bottle screams “expensive whisky.” That being said, the marketing is likely to enrage many. Bragging that your whisky is "rare” and “old" has the same stereotypes associated with driving an embellished large car. Maybe there are some insecurities there?
Read MoreLaphroaig 18 is a favourite of mine. It wasn’t long ago that you could find this release for around $75 in the United States. At that price point, it’s an insanely great buy, and quite frankly we’ll likely not ever see it sold so cheaply. While the product is largely discontinued, you might still find supplies of it in 2016 before it’s officially gone.
Read MoreFreddie Johnson is a legend in Kentucky, and a third generation employee of Buffalo Trace. In this video, he shows how to properly pour high-proof, barrel proof, and unfiltered whiskies.
Read MoreI sometimes avoid defining “Single Malt Scotch” during whisky tastings because I get the inevitable questions that cause more confusion than clarity. Single malt scotch is a single distillery whisky made in Scotland of 100% malted barley. It's most often blend of hundreds of barrels, and so long as those barrels contain 100% malted barley whisky that was distilled in the same distillery, it's defined as single malt scotch.
Read MoreThe summarized story of whisky goes something like this—In the 60s onward the rise of vodka made edgier spirits like whisky unpopular. Whisky producers started watering their whisky down and adding age statements to popularize their spirits as being of higher quality. It worked. Scotch sales were up, and soon modern cocktail culture (based heavily on an interpretation of traditional cocktail culture) brought spirit-forward drinks to the market. The whisky boom reached new heights when the premium whisky market exploded to a much broader audience. Pappy became a "thing" and the demand far outstripped supply.
Read MoreWhen I was in my twenties, I attempted a sugar detox for a month. At the time I worked at a software lab, and sugar was a regular part of my diet. The headaches from fully detoxing from sugar were horrendous. While I couldn’t stay sugar-free for the entirety of that month, I learned a great deal about myself.
Read MoreIn almost every legal definition of whisky, there are two factors—the first is a strict control on what one can and can’t do to the whisky from fermentation to bottling. Secondly, there’s the soul of what makes whisky: the law simply states “it must taste like the attributes generally associated with whisky.”
Read MoreDon’t google “Dry January”. It’s confusing. Every publication has a piece on it, and for every positive article encouraging a month of alcohol abstinence, there is one about how Dry January is BAD and could HARM you in the long run. Whoa. Calm down. Take your finger off the CAPS lock.
Read MoreThe Canadian Whisky Awards were held last night in Victoria, with Lot No. 40 taking home the title of “Whisky of the Year” for the second time.
Read MoreIn 1900, Gooderham & Worts was the largest distillery in the world. It was located in what is now Toronto’s historic Distillery District. The company was started by James Worts, a Englishman that opened up a prominent windmill in Canada. He went into business with his brother-in-law, William Gooderham.
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