tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16648782189963773792026-09-12T03:28:09.551-04:00An in-depth, wide-rambling exploration of the culture and curiosities surrounding my favorite alcoholic indulgence: Whiskey. Keep reading for whiskey tastings, whiskey-related travelogues, bar reviews, and more...Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-50281351137682106742014-04-15T14:50:00.000-04:002014-04-15T14:50:38.969-04:00

Hit the brakes! This ain't no whiskey! If you're a frequent visitor to my blog you know that I rarely review spirits that aren't whiskey, but this is something I got not too long ago simply because I saw it and had never seen it before. It turned out to be some pretty darn good brandy so I thought it would be worth a review here. Brandy 1920 is bottled by the Symington Family which also owns such

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-18488992825040794092014-03-19T13:16:00.001-04:002014-03-19T13:16:50.175-04:00

Better late than never I say with my final Irish whiskey review of the St. Paddy's season! Knappogue Castle Twin Wood 16 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey (KC16) is more-or-less a 2 years older version of the KC14 that I wrote about last week. It's a triple-distilled all-malted-barley Irish whiskey that was aged first in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in Oloroso Sherry wood. It's a limited

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-76777418566016646922014-03-12T10:19:00.001-04:002014-03-12T10:19:53.069-04:00

And the names just keep getting longer! The next Irish Whiskey up in my St. Patrick's Day run-up has a name almost as long as the 14 years it has spent in barrels. Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood Single Malt Irish Whiskey (KC14) is an older, sherry-finished whiskey from the same folks who brought us the Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey (KC12). It has some

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-80408183749873270512014-03-11T12:45:00.005-04:002014-03-11T12:46:38.008-04:00

I just came across this event and it sounds like a good chance to taste a bunch of whiskeys for just $40...2014 Whiskey Rebellion Philadelphia There isn't much info about the format, and the TLA is not what I think of as the ideal venue for a good whiskey tasting, but the Boston event put on by the same people was extremely well-received, so maybe it's worth checking out if you're in Philly on

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-54922199359300356052014-03-10T16:53:00.001-04:002014-03-10T16:53:56.890-04:00

For my second Irish whiskey review heading into St. Patrick's day (there are at least two more coming soon...) I'm reviewing Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey (KC12). That's a mouthful of a name, but it's worth remembering because each part of that long name tells you something about this unique whiskey. Also it is very much a mouthful of a whiskey - one of the most

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-3027446042038024892014-03-05T16:33:00.001-05:002014-03-05T16:34:27.282-05:00

St. Paddy's day is coming, and will hopefully bring spring weather with it. Although I'm not a big Irish Whiskey drinker I do like to try a few this time of year, especially since their lighter flavors tend to go well with the arrival of spring and make for a nice break after a winter of rich, heavy bourbons and Scotches. Clontarf 1014 is a whiskey that's been around for a few years, but is

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-58595038837386127502014-03-02T16:44:00.002-05:002014-03-02T16:44:28.498-05:00

Over the past few years Prohibition themed bars, cocktails, TV shows and even clothing styles have taken America by storm. From the smash success of Boardwalk Empire to the popularity of 'moonshine' style white whiskeys, if it can be related to Prohibition it seems to be a big seller. Not to be left out, some of the most venerable names in whisky are drawing on their history to bring us

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-9503945921174773812014-02-19T11:55:00.000-05:002014-02-19T11:57:10.090-05:00

I recently made my second visit to Bainbridge Street Barrel House (BSBH) at 6th & Bainbridge in Philadelphia's Queen Village neighborhood. This spacious corner bar opened about a year ago and has since become a popular spot for folks in the immediate neighborhood, if not a destination for the city at-large. So far, reviews of the Barrel House have been lukewarm, mostly because the gastro-pub

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-69044842267232140672014-02-06T13:22:00.001-05:002014-02-06T13:23:10.797-05:00

This is a bottle of Scotch that I came across up in Massachusetts and since I had never seen it before and it was priced right (around $39) I decided to pick it up. After a bit of research I discovered that it's apparently more popular in Australia than here in the U.S. I've always thought Aussies were pretty good at drinking, so maybe that's a good sign. Glen Moray is a pretty straightforward

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-690902732914670262014-02-04T11:42:00.002-05:002014-02-04T11:43:29.032-05:00

I have accumulated a few bottles recently that warrant review, so without further ado I'll jump right into the first one: Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Bourbon. The Old Fitzgerald lineup of bourbons is made by Heaven Hill Distilleries, the maker of Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna, etc. Old Fitz is an old name that's a fairly common bargain brand in some areas (I picked up this

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-66507975073008062272012-04-26T18:03:00.002-04:002012-04-26T18:03:45.150-04:00

It has been a good while since I wrote any new posts for this blog - mostly because I've been busy working on another spirits related project that is much more hands on - starting a distillery! Check that out here: http://CooperRiverDistillers.com. Alas, I couldn't resist the urge to write about whiskey, so I'm back with a review of a very interesting bourbon that is from the heart of Kentucky

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-9840540229761639332011-12-22T20:20:00.000-05:002014-02-04T10:59:09.258-05:00

Just in time for Christmas, I bring you a tasting of one of the best Scotches I've ever had. A friend of mine brought a bottle of Aberlour A'Bunadh to a whisky tasting that I hosted a few weeks ago, and it turned out to be everyone's favorite. After having a few more glasses since then I can say it wasn't just a favorite because it came near the end of many whisky samples, it really is a

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-62473621004941880992011-11-14T09:42:00.000-05:002011-11-14T09:42:47.487-05:00

The website Foobooz.com, which covers all things food and drink in Philadelphia, recently released its 2011 list of Philadelphia's top 50 bars. I posted about last year's list here, and thankfully a lot of my favorites still made the list along with some notable newcomers. My nearest neighborhood joint, the South Philly Taproom jumped up to #2 this year (from #5 in 2010), and the newly revamped

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-89855408963815534182011-10-27T20:01:00.000-04:002011-10-27T20:01:24.810-04:00

I had a sample of Jura Superstition sent to me a while back, and I finally got around to having a taste of this no-age-statement Scotch from Isle of Jura Distillery. This 90 proof whisky is a good compromise for those times when you want something tough with a bit of smoky or peaty flavor, but you don't want to be overwhelmed with the funky flavors that can come from an Islay malt like Lagavulin

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-10441125204922686942011-10-24T14:55:00.000-04:002011-10-24T14:55:18.918-04:00

I've been sitting on this bottle of Clynelish 14 Year Old for a few months, but I'm glad I finally got around to popping it open as it quickly jumped to the top of my list of favorite single malts. It's not a common single malt - I picked up this bottle at a duty-free shop, but if you see it it's worth every penny of the $45-$50 price tag. Clynelish distillery is owned by Diageo and is billed as

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-1041780667540344952011-10-19T20:33:00.000-04:002011-10-19T20:33:22.464-04:00

Old Forester is one of the oldest names in the world of bourbon, but until recently it wasn't widely available here in Pennsylvania. Recently though I started seeing it on shelves at the state stores, and at $18.99 it seemed like it might be a good deal so I picked up a bottle. It's a rye-heavy bourbon, probably 4 to 5 years old, and bottled at 86 proof. Unfortunately when I started drinking it I

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-71004840197373751832011-10-05T10:37:00.001-04:002011-10-05T10:39:18.284-04:00

I've been working on this bottle of The Balvenie DoubleWood for a while, but realized that I had never posted a tasting, and since it's a perfect drink as summer cools into fall I figure now is the time. The Balvenie is one of the larger small Scotch distilleries, or one of the smaller large Scotch distilleries. The distillery was built in 1892, by William Grant. The company he founded, William

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-18201032469059726212011-10-03T18:11:00.000-04:002011-10-03T18:11:26.472-04:00

If you're reading this be thankful that it's 2011 and not 1911. In 2011 you can legally and comfortably sit back, enjoy a glass of whiskey, and watch TV while reading this blog on the internet. In 1911 you could have had the whiskey, but you would have felt the cloudy days of Prohibition approaching quickly, and the TV and internet things would have sounded like absolute crazy talk. Anyway, I

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-2303599388866693992011-09-19T10:28:00.000-04:002011-09-19T10:28:22.866-04:00

Wild Turkey, long known for its signature 101 proof bourbon, recently launched a new bourbon known as Wild Turkey 81. They've also launched a big ad campaign featuring the catchphrase "Give 'em the bird," and if you haven't seen the TV ads yet you should because they're kinda clever - I've linked to them at the bottom of this post. Wild Turkey 81 was crafted by Eddie Russell (son of long time

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-25447957483434118882011-09-15T17:42:00.000-04:002011-09-15T17:42:06.282-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about my recent visit to Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, VA, and today I'll taste their Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky as the third and final installment in my series of three American, craft, malt whisk(e)y's. The first two I reviewed were Edgefield Distillery's Hogshead Whiskey from Oregon and MB Roland's Malt Whiskey from Kentucky. Wasmund's is the outcast of this

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-37622445625420531212011-09-08T18:54:00.000-04:002011-09-08T18:54:22.778-04:00

This is the second of my three-part American craft-distilled malt whiskey tasting. My first was Edgefield Distillery's Hogshead Whiskey from Oregon, and today I'm tasting MB Roland's Malt Whiskey from Kentucky. The MB Roland distillery is just outside my hometown, and you can read about my visit there by clicking here. Their malt whiskey is a very small batch product, and is totally unique in

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-58448848862130169602011-09-06T17:45:00.000-04:002011-09-06T17:45:45.650-04:00

I noticed recently that I had accumulated a few bottles of small-batch, craft-distilled malt whiskeys, so I thought I'd taste them all, three posts in a row, and offer you a comparison. First up is Hogshead Whiskey from Oregon's Edgefield Distillery. Edgefield Distillery is part of the McMenamins empire which operates hotels, pubs, breweries, wineries, and theaters throughout Oregon and

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-74326261009449180572011-08-17T17:08:00.001-04:002011-08-25T08:42:53.853-04:00

A couple weeks ago I was in Northern Virginia and I had the chance to stop in for a visit at two very cool micro-distilleries that are turning out some very tasty and unique whiskies. While in the area I did some camping and hiking in Shenandoah National Park which felt like real 'mountain moonshiner' territory, so I think it's appropriate that good, legal whisky is being made in the hills just

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-28717305224201005292011-08-17T15:36:00.000-04:002011-08-17T15:36:18.195-04:00

As fall approaches so do the annual series of whisk(e)y festivals, events, and celebrations. I'm not sure why they all seem to fall during the same few months every year - at least in the Northeast - but it makes for a fun time! First up is the Whisky on the Hudson dinner cruise in New York City on September 8th. What could be better than whisky and dinner on a boat, and early September is

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1664878218996377379.post-50424689387240894552011-07-29T11:00:00.000-04:002011-07-29T11:00:24.410-04:00

If you read this blog frequently you know that I drink a lot more American whiskey than I do Scotch whisky, but when the stars align there's nothing that compares to a big, peaty Islay single malt. On a cold night by a smoky campfire or in celebration of any major milestone serious Scotch like Caol Ila's 12 Year Old single malt is the natural way to go. The original Caol Ila distillery was built

Whiskey Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981977896061983864noreply@blogger.com0