Reviews

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic." –Albus Dumbledore Cedar Ridge Distillery has just released its oldest expression to date, and it just might be the most magical pour in Iowa. The name behind this old straight rye whiskey intrigued us, so we sought out the answer, just beyond Platform 9¾. The number didn't come from just anywhere, though; it's the age of the whiskey within! While the TTB prefers to work only with integers, whisk

“The farmer is, after all, the only man in our economy who has to buy everything he buys at inflated retail, sell everything he sells at depressed wholesale, and pay the freight both ways." –John F. Kennedy Nestled right where the industrial East meets the agricultural Midwest lives Liberty Pole Spirits in Washington, Pennsylvania. Known locally for being a craft distillery with a strong focus on reviving the historical significance of Pennsylvania rye, they've been gaining s

“The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one.” – Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer Few whiskeys have eluded me over the last 8 years of whiskey hunting. Despite living in a thriving spirits market with great retailers offering fair loyalty programs, King of Kentucky seemed to always be my white whale in Massachusetts, though I never had it at the top of my wish list either. That all changed early this year, when I won the right to pur

The first cigar blend from Barrell Bourbon has officially landed, and I'm surely not the first person to wonder why it took them so long. Cigar blends soared onto the whiskey scene a few years ago but seem to have fallen off recently, suggesting their time in the limelight has passed. It seems I may be wrong in this thinking. The buzz around this release is real. Heck, I'm excited about it, and guess what? I don't even smoke cigars. You don't have to be a cigar enthusiast to

“Anything in life worth doing is worth overdoing.” - Shane Patton Typical Maker's Mark releases get aged to taste in their traditional rickhouses for around 6 to 8 years. Maker's Mark Cellar Aged adds years to that range with a clever trick that prevents their whiskey from becoming bitter and over-oaked. By resting barrels in an isothermal limestone cave that Maker's calls their "cellar," wood interactions are slowed while oxygen continues to interact with the spirit, increa

The full history of the Camp Nelson property, which is now owned by Wild Turkey, which spawned the Russell's Reserve Single Rickhouse release. The 2025 release features Camp Nelson warehouse E, which has historically produced some of the finest Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey in recent memory. Settle in for a deep dive review from Nick Anderson of Amongst the Whiskey.