Review: Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey is a blended Irish whiskey made from corn/grain and barley/malt whiskey. The whiskey is small batch distilled and aged separately for six years in previously used bourbon barrels. The whiskies are than married in a 3 to 1 ration of grain to malt whiskey for 6-9 months in rum barrels previously used to age Flor de Cana Rum in Nicaragua. The whiskey is bottled at 92 proof with no chill filtration. The Teeling name is one of the oldest and most respected Irish Whiskey family names, with a history dating back to 1782 when Walter Teeling set up a small craft distillery on Marrowbone Lane in the Liberties District of Dublin. In 1987 John Teeling founded the Cooley Distillery converting an old potato alcohol plant into a whiskey distillery. In January 2012 Jim Beam acquired the distillery. In 2015 Jack Teeling the former Director of Cooley along with his brother Stephen, opened the first new distillery in Dublin in over 125 years in the heart of The Golden Triangle. This is the historic distilling district of Dublin and a five iron shot away from the original Teeling Distillery. The grain and malt whiskey currently used to produce Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey is sourced from other Irish distilleries, while their own crafted whiskies age in bourbon barrels. Read more 
Review: The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey
The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey is crafted at the Bushmills Distillery in Ireland. This is the worlds oldest whiskey distillery. It is made from 100% Irish malted barley and is triple distilled in copper pot stills. The spirit is aged for 4 years in a variety of first, second, and third use Oloroso Sherry casks. The whiskeys are then blended by Master Blender Alex Thomas, one of Irelands few female blenders, and filled in the six sided squat black bottled pictured here. The Sexton is imported by Proximo Spirits, the company behind over a dozen brands including Jose Cuevo, 1800, Bushmills, Three Olives, The Kraken Rum, Hangar 1, and Boodles Gin. Read more
Review: Jameson Original Irish Whiskey
Jameson Original Irish Whiskey is more commonly known as Jameson Irish Whiskey, but with 10 different varieties of Jameson currently produced, and more on the way, Jameson Original is now the official branding. This is the first of ten Irish Whiskey reviews I have scheduled for the next 9 weeks. With St. Patrick’s Day only 9 weeks away look for one every Monday until March 17th. Jameson currently has about 80% of the US Irish Whiskey market, so it was easy deciding who to start with. The 1780 on the bottle of Jameson refers to the year Bow Street Distillery in Dublin Ireland was built. In 1786 John Jameson, married Margaret Haig a cousin of the distilleries owner and he moved from Scotland to manage the distillery. In 1810 he took over ownership of the distillery. To say Irish Whiskey has been on a roller coaster ride of popularity is an understatement. At its peak near the end of the 19th century Irish Whiskey controlled 70% of the world wide whiskey market and there where 88 licensed distilleries selling 12 million cases a year. By the 1980’s that figure had been reduced to 200,000 cases with only four distilleries remaining open. Most of the blame for this goes to two events, The Irish War for Independence which started in 1919, and denied Irish Distillers access to export markets, and US Prohibition which ran from 1920-1933. Today Irish Whiskey is the worlds fastest growing spirit. There are now 18 operating distilleries with 16 more announced. Jameson Original Irish Whiskey is made from three ingredients, barley both malted and unmalted and grown within 100 miles of the distillery, non GMO maize grown in the South of France, and water sourced from the Dungourney River. Jameson is a blend of pot still and fine grain whiskeys. Both are triple distilled and aged for a minimum four years in previously used bourbon barrels and Spanish Sherry casks. Since the Midelton Distillery crafts both of these spirits, they control the production process from grain to glass. Master Blender Billy Leighton artfully blends the whiskeys before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Not Your Fathers Bourbon
Not Your Fathers Bourbon is the first in a new line of spirits made by Small Town Craft Spirits in Monroe Wisconsin. This is Pabst Brewing Companies first foray in the spirits business. Constellations Brands, AB-Inbev, and Rogue Ales and Spirits have already produced both brewed and distilled products. Not Your Fathers Bourbon is distilled at the Minhas Distillery in Monroe Wisconsin. Madagascar vanilla and natural flavors are blended before bottling at 86 proof. Tim Kovacs the founder of Small Town Brewery, the company behind Not Your Fathers Root Beer was not involved in the creation on this bourbon. Not Your Fathers Bourbon is currently available in Illinois and Wisconsin. National distribution will follow this spring. Read more
Review: Trails End Bourbon
Trails End Bourbon is an ultra premium Kentucky straight bourbon aged for 8 years. The bourbon travels to Hood River Distillers in Hood River Oregon, where it is steeped with Oregon oak staves in stainless steel vats. Pure glacier fed spring water from Mt. Hood is blended to reduce to 90 proof. Hood River Distillers produces several brands including Pendleton Whisky, 44 North Vodka and Lucid Absinthe. Trails End is named for the final destination of the famous Oregon Trail which is located near Hood River Distillers. In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to map a path from the Missouri River in Missouri to Oregon. The two traveled to Oregon and back between 1804-1806 mapping the return journey which they found more direct. Read more
Review: Ballotin Original Chocolate Whiskey
Ballotin Original Chocolate Whiskey is one of four flavored whiskeys launched October 2015 by Saloon Spirits. Ballotin is named for the stylish specialty box Belgian chocolatiers made to protect their fine chocolates. The other flavors include Caramel Turtle, Bourbon Ball, and Chocolate Mint. Saloon Spirits Founder Paul Tuell is a former Brand Manager for Brown Forman. The light whiskey base is made from a traditional bourbon mash of 51% or more corn, with wheat and barley making up the balance. The whiskey is aged for two years in used oak barrels. This light whiskey base allows the taste of the natural flavors infused with the whiskey to shine through. Bourbon must be aged in New American white oak barrels that have been charred. The char and new oak from those bourbon barrels would have created a flavor barrier. Natural flavor and caramel color are infused before bottling at 60 proof in Louisville Kentucky. Read more
Review: Crown Royal Salted Caramel Whisky
Crown Royal Salted Caramel Whisky was just released. The felt bag included is pumpkin orange. It is a Limited Edition seasonal variety, and one of four flavored whiskies Crown currently produces. The other flavors include Crown Royal Apple, Vanilla, and Maple. They recently retired Crown Royal Honey. Each flavor starts with the signature Crown Royal base that was first created in 1939 as a gift for the King and Queen of England when they became the first reigning Monarchs to visit Canada. Pure water sourced from Lake Winnipeg naturally filtered through the limestone beneath and a grain blend of rye, corn, and barley are used to create Crown Royal. Roughly 80% of the grain used is sourced from Manitoba and surrounding Provinces. Twelve distillation columns produce the fifty whiskies that comprise the Crown Royal signature blend. This is the result of 5 different recipes aged for varying periods of time in either new or re-use charred oak barrels. Once the whiskies have been aged to the blenders satisfaction, they are meticulously blended. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Beach Whiskey Island Coconut
Beach Whiskey Island Coconut was launched in select markets in 2016 along with Beach Whiskey Original and Beach Whiskey Bonfire Cinnamon. They are in the process of building out national distribution. A quick look at the Beach Whiskey webpage only lists their Island Coconut and Bonfire Cinnamon varieties. Beach Whiskey was co-founded by a large group of people including Country Music singer Jake Owen, Gavin DeGraw, Billy Bush, J Smoke Wallin, and Ken Austin, the Chairman and Co-Founder of Avion Tequila. Beach Whiskey Island Coconut starts with a corn whiskey base that is not barrel aged, but it does undergo a unique filtration process. Natural flavors are blended before bottling at 52 proof. Some coconut flavored rums are blended with an oversweet coconut liqueur. In fact Island Coconut is made with 44% less sugar than the leading coconut brand, presumably Malibu. Read more
Review: J Seeds Apple Cider Whiskey
J Seeds Apple Cider Whiskey as the name would imply is an apple cider flavored whiskey. This whiskey is produced at the Frank-Lin Distillers Products in Fairfield California. Frank-Lin has been in continuous operation since the repeal of prohibition. They offer custom bottling, importing exporting and wholesaling. Beyond Vodka, 8 Seconds Canadian Whisky, and Bellringer Gin are three of the nearly 70 spirits they currently produce. I have found no product details on the J Seeds Apple Cider Whiskey website, their Facebook page, and I have not seen any product review. Read more
Review: Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky
Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky was introduced February 2012. Tap 357 is named for the blend of 3, 5, and 7 year old rye whiskies and the natural Canadian maple tapped at the first hint of spring in Quebec, used in crafting it. Each of the blended rye whiskies are produced in small batches in the oldest distillery in Western Canada. The whisky is distilled four times before maturing in a combination of new, second and third use bourbon barrels. Master Distiller Michel Marcil blends the whisky and then blends pure local grade 1 light Canadian maple syrup sourced from Quebec. In a proprietary finishing process the maple flavored rye whisky is left to rest until the blend is ready for release. As someone who has visited New England dozens of times and has several friends and business associates who don’t leave New England without a bottle of 100% maple syrup, I’m very familiar with how serious people in New England and Quebec take their maple syrup. Harvesting maple, commonly called maple sugaring depends on weather conditions each year, but in Quebec it generally occurs between February and April. Mild days with temperatures falling below freezing at night are ideal. Read more