Of all the many different types of Scotch whisky, I have the least familiarity with blended scotch. And while browsing for something new to try, I was immediately drawn to the three brass monkeys on the bottle of Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch whisky. Blended Scotches are made using a mixture of whiskies from different distilleries, and a variety of grains can be used. Monkey Shoulder is a blend of 3 different malt whiskies from the Speyside region of Scotland. Monkey Shoulder is a relatively new offering from one of the oldest scotch making families, William Grant & Sons. They opened their first distillery in 1887, and continue to […]
After my recent experience with Redbreast 12, I was eager to try another Irish whiskey. And, I thought it would be a nice comparison to try Green Spot Irish Whiskey since it’s from the same distillery, but has a very different flavor profile.
Green Spot is a single pot stilled Irish whiskey currently distilled in the Midleton Distillery, the same distillery as Redbreast and Jameson. It’s produced in collaboration with Mitchell and Son’s, the originator of the Green Spot brand.
The Mitchell family were well know in Dublin, Ireland in the early 1800’s as tea, confectionary, and wine merchants, but expanded their business to include whiskey […]
As we head into the holiday season and the weather gets colder, I always find myself craving the warm feeling of a glass of whiskey. So after focusing on American whiskey for most of this year, I thought Irish whiskey would be a nice change of pace. And Redbreast 12 Year seemed like a perfect option because of it’s reputation and rich history. Redbreast 12 Year is a single pot stilled Irish whiskey that stays faithful to the history of Irish distilling. Some of the first distilled spirits in Europe came from Ireland so there was already a well-established distilling culture that endured through the tumultuous relationship with England […]
Since the laws about bourbon classification are so strict, many distilleries create different expressions to experiment with flavors and sell new products. One of the oldest distilleries in America did this when creating their recent product, Michter’s American Whiskey.
Michter’s legacy begins in Pennsylvania in 1753, when a mennonite farmer named John Shenk first began distilling rye whiskey. It was sold under the name Shenk’s until the the distillery was sold to Abraham Bomberger and the name changed to Bomberger’s.
Over the next century, the distillery would survive prohibition and many owner changes until then-owner, Lou Forman, came […]
Even with hundreds of years of bourbon distilling history in Kentucky, there hasn’t been an African-American owned distillery until Brough Brothers opened in 2019. After working in spirit distribution overseas, Victor Yarbrough decided to start a bourbon distillery with his two brothers, Bryson and Chris. They chose west end Louisville, Kentucky as the location for the distillery, as it’s where they grew up and they wanted to support the local community. Brough Brothers currently only produce this bourbon, but are looking to expand to gin and vodka in the future. The bottle design also celebrates Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to the […]