Highland Park just released its newest whisky, Thor, the first expression in the Valhalla Collection -- a range of four unique whiskies taking inspiration from the legendary Nordic gods. In creating Thor, the Orkney-based Scotch whisky maker aged the spirit for 16 years and bottled it at 52.1% alcohol by volume.  The result is a bold and powerful whisky that pays tribute to the Norse god as well as the whisky's seaside distillery. It's intensely aromatic and flavorful, but smoke and spice marry gently with softer fruit notes for added complexity. Highland Park Thor is limited to 23,000 bottles worldwide (and...

Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon is a 10-year-old straight bourbon from Kentucky. It is distilled and distributed by Buffalo Trace. Eagle Rare first hit the market in 1975 as a 101 proof straight bourbon, and since its inception has changed hands a number of times – from Seagram to Old Prentice to The Sazerac Company. The current iterations of Eagle Rare include a 90 proof 10-year-old expression (the focus of this review) and a 90 proof 17-year-old expression. Dive into Eagle Rare Single Barrel for aromas of toasted bread, vanilla, charcoal and almonds. Take a sip to find a very...

Does America need another white whiskey? White Pike thinks so. Hailing from Schuyler County, NY, the just-released White Pike Whiskey is the alcoholic child of Mother Industries, a New York based creative company that was excited by the emerging culture of craft distilleries. Soon enough, they had the idea of creating a highly mixable white whiskey, and to make it a reality, they partnered with Thomas McKenzie and Brian McKenzie of Finger Lakes Distilling. That’s a solid move, as Finger Lakes Distilling produces Glen Thunder Corn Whiskey, perhaps our favorite in the category. White whiskeys are typically the product of...

At the recent TED 2012 conference in Long Beach, CA, Stephen Marshall, Whisky Masterblender and Global Brand Ambassador for Dewar’s, hosted an exclusive class to teach attendees the art of whisky tasting. In the below video, Stephen reveals his guide to getting the best sensory experience out of your whisky (we’ll drop the ‘e’ in deference to Scotland). He shares his tips for fully experiencing whisky, from sight to smell to taste. From there, he even discusses how to blend your own whisky for a different tasting experience. Though the video focuses on Dewar’s, the same general principles can be applied to...

Founded in 1992, Knob Creek is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. And to commemorate the occasion, Knob Creek has introduced its first rye whiskey, a 100 proof spirit that pays homage to America’s favorite pre-prohibition drink. Aside from a 20th anniversary present to itself – and to its legion of Knob Creek Bourbon fans – Knob Creek Rye was introduced to address the growing trend of craft spirits and contemporary cocktail culture, especially within the rye whiskey category. It’s nice to see Knob Creek playing in this field, though it does seem like a late entrance from the...

Bushmills Irish Honey is the newest addition to the Bushmills range. It’s a blend of Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey with honey, which follows the template introduced by Wild Turkey American Honey and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey. Bushmills is one of the only distilleries in the world that produces its whiskeys completely under one roof. The “grain to glass” facility malts, distills, matures, blends and bottles at Ireland’s oldest working distillery. Bushmills Irish Honey pours a light straw gold and has aromas of sweetened grains, honey and pears. More honey comes through on the palate, plus more pears and hints of ripe...

The Glenrothes makes a range of vintage single malt whiskies, including the 1998. This whisky was distilled in 1998 and spent 12 years in barrel before being bottled in 2010. The 1998 Vintage was Gordon Motion’s first bottling as the Speyside distillery’s Malt Master, and due to its tropical fruit notes, he describes it as “Carmen Miranda’s hat in a bottle.” Mental image noted, we dove right in. On the nose, The Glenrothes 1998 Vintage is lush with pineapples and mangos, plus a hint of vanilla. On the palate there’s banana, coconut and dried cherry, all mingling with a faint...

Today we’re excited to announce the launch of the Cocktail Enthusiast Whiskey Guide, created in partnership with FindTheBest. The guide will help drinkers sort and compare whiskeys based on a number of factors, including rating, style, region, price, and more. For example, users can compare various Highlands Scotches and American Ryes, or scroll through a list of the Best Irish Whiskeys. The data-driven whiskey guide was created to give readers an easier way to find the best spirit in a particular category, all while factoring in price and value. We’ve started with whiskey and will hopefully expand to other spirits down...

Jefferson’s Straight Rye Whiskey is the newest addition to the Jefferson’s portfolio, which also includes three small batch bourbons. Released in August 2011, Jefferson’s Rye is a 10-year old 100% North American rye. Though the bottle doesn’t specify, the rye is purportedly from Canada. Given its age, origin and similar flavor profile, one has to wonder if the rye whiskey source is the same as WhistlePig, another 100% Canadian rye. Jefferson’s founder and master blender Trey Zoeller combed through many barrels of aged rye whiskeys before settling on the right components for Jefferson’s Rye. Let’s see how he did. On the nose,...

Woodford Reserve recently announced the newest addition to its lineup – Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Available in March, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked isn’t a limited time release or part of the brand’s Master’s Collection; it’s a permanent line extension. The new whiskey gets its name from its double aging process. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is first aged in toasted, charred barrels created at Woodford’s cooperage. This initial maturation provides much of the color and flavor, but the second step is what makes the spirit unique. It’s moved to another custom barrel – one that’s been toasted twice as long as the...