Reviews

“Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes.” –Don Marquis This is a bottle I have been hunting for some time. I'm not sure if we've historically had distribution for Old Charter Oak available in Massachusetts, but when a bottle was sitting in the glass cabinet at one of my local stores for a hair above MSRP, I pulled the trigger without a second thought. For some reason it took me a few weeks to open this one after waiting years to finally taste it. Fr

What hallmarks do you look for in small distilleries? Is there something you gravitate toward without realizing its importance until the pattern is established? Perhaps you seek out pot-still production, for example, or you look for a brand's commitment to preserving the historical ways of crafting whiskey, or you enjoy a passionate focus on local ingredients. Whatever the reason, I wonder: are consumers being too hard on the little guys who are pursuing their passions? I don

If you've been reading my website for any amount of time, you know I'm a fan of the Shenk's release from Michter's. While it has evolved and changed from year to year, it remains a consistently great addition to my whiskey study shelves, layering in a core identity that is completely necessary in today's complex whiskey market. At its core, it is a whiskey driven less by power and more by intent. It's the middle ground in the Michter's portfolio, not marketed towards general

Hatozaki small-batch whisky is one of the flagship products of the Kaikyō Distillery in Japan. It's notably not a Japanese whisky, given it seems to contain a Scotch malt whisky component, which is really interesting. When I look at a blend like this, I often consider it an opportunity for human skill to shine. In an era of maximizing distillery efficiency in order to extend profits, I find myself admiring those who are doing things in the low and slow methods of old. The bra

A thorough review of the 2025 edition of Bomberger's Chinquapin oak aged Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey from Michter's Distillery.

Consider, for a moment, all that goes into making whiskey. A master distiller is tasked with planning the optimal blend of ingredients, including yeast, grain, and wood, as well as determining the ideal aging time. The master blender is responsible for the care and curation necessary to bring together various barrels for blending purposes. It's an intentional gathering of what is needed to make whiskey, so that each barrel is a provision for tomorrow, to be enjoyed, shared, a